كَلَّفَني فَوقَ الَّذي أَستَطيعُ
مُعتَزِمٌ في لَومِهِ ما يَريع
He burdened me beyond my strength,
Blaming with stubbornness to make me yield
لَجاجَةٌ مِنهُ تَأَدّى بِها
إِلى الَّذي يُنصِبُني أَم وَلوع
To what afflicts me, whether out of passion
Or grief.
يَأمُرُ بِالسُلوانِ جَهلاً وَقَد
شاهَدَ ما بَثَّتهُ تِلكَ الدُموع
He foolishly orders me to be happy
After witnessing the tears I have shed.
وَمِن عَناءِ المَرءِ أَو أَفنِهِ
في الرَأيِ أَن يَأمُرَ مَن لايُطيع
The injustice is to insist on gladness
When sorrow lies within my ribs concealed.
وَالظُلمُ أَن تَلحى عَلى عَبرَةٍ
مُظهِرَةٍ ما أَضمَرَتهُ الضُلوع
He whose tear ducts overflow is the one I yearn for,
My soul's delight, while spring days last.
هُوَ المَشوقُ اِستَغزَرَت دَمعَهُ
مَعاهِدُ الأُلّافِ وَهيَ الرُبوع
This long night has been stretched out so no enemy
Can see the one you love or interrupt your bliss.
طَوَّلَ هَذا اللَيلَ أَن لاكرىً
يُريكَ مَن تَهوى وَأَن لاهُجوع
One party sets out, no reveler among them,
From Asma's abode, and another one arrives.
يَمضي هَزيعٌ لَم يَطُف طائِفٌ
مِن عِندِ أَسماءَ وَيَأتي هَزيع
When we expect intimacy, the planets race,
The sleepy eyes of gazelles grow wide awake.
إِذا تَوَقَّعنا نَواها جَرَت
سَواكِبٌ يَحمَرُّ فيها النَجيع
Fearing hate is but increase of torture
For the anxious one, not just its occurrence.
تَوَقُّعُ الكُرهِ إِزدِيادٌ إِلى
عَذابِ مَن يَرقُبُهُ لا الوُقوع
Wealth is bestowed or else denied
By Him who gives whatever we seek or refuse.
المالُ مالانِ وَرَبّاهُما
مُعطٍ لِما تَسأَلُهُ أَو مَنوع
In poverty there is honor revived;
In the lies of hope there is but submission.
وَاليَأسُ فيهِ العِزُّ مُستَأنَفاً
وَفي أَكاذيبِ الرَجاءِ الخُضوع
He whom extravagance has led
Has shown me what the vile person sees.
مَن جَعَلَ الإِسرافُ يَقتادُهُ
فَقَد أَراني مايَراهُ الخَليع
Moderation followed by ambition
Where wealth and contentment are confused.
قَناعَةٌ تَتبَعُها هِمَّةٌ
مُشتَبِهٌ فيها الغِنى وَالقُنوع
My love will seek on the Feast day a ewe
Fat, tender, bleating with desire.
لَتَطلُبَنَّ الشاةَ عيدِيَّةٌ
تَغَصُّ مِن بُدنٍ بِهِنَّ النُسوع
When we have brought them closer to the beloved's dwelling,
The nursing ewes forget us in their languorous repose.
إِذا بَعَثناهُنَّ ذُدنَ الكَرى
عَنّا إِلى حَيثُ اِطَّباهُ الضُجوع
High of rank, nearing a master
Whose place is lofty above his peers.
بِالسَيرِ مَرفوعاً إِلى سَيِّدٍ
مَكانُهُ فَوقَ ذَويهِ رَفيع
A light from his smile that cannot be matched
By the finely wrought blades of Indian swords.
إِضاءَةٌ مِن بِشرِهِ لايُرى
مِثلَ تَلاليها الحُسامُ الصَنيع
A plainness in his tallness, that if it alone
Remained, armored forms would be shaped after it.
وَبَسطَةٌ مِن طولِهِ لَو خَلا
شِبهٌ لَها صيغَت عَلَيهِ الدُروع
His feet come close to the pebbles
While his gaze remains fixed, relaxed, radiant.
تَدنو رِكاباهُ لِمَسِّ الحَصى
وَالطِرفُ مُستَعلٍ قَراهُ تَليع
The enemies are startled by a horseman
Who overawes or terrifies them.
وَتَذعَرُ الأَعداءُ مِن فارِسٍ
يَهولُهُم إِشراقَةُ أَو يَروع
Their purposes are divided, for they know him,
While they are as one in their scheming.
أَهواؤُهُم شَتّى لِعِرفانِهِ
وَهُم سِوى ما أَضمَروهُ جَميع
Do not be fooled by his forbearance, but beware
His power, in which swords inflict deadly blows.
لاتَغتَرِر مِن حِلمِهِ وَاِحتَرِس
مِن سَطوَةٍ فيها السِمامُ النَقيع
The horses’ faces are marked by valor
In war until the ground is covered with slain foes.
يُؤنَسُ بِالسَيفِ اِغتِراراً بِهِ
وَفي غِرارِ السَيفِ مَوتٌ ذَريع
If we set out early when his palm is still moist,
We will catch up with the caravan just leaving.
ثاني وُجوهُ الخَيلِ مُقَوَّرَةٌ
في الكَرِّ حَتّى تَستَقِلَّ الصَريع
And if we walk in his perfumed breath, just say—
In the wafting fragrance of musk—we took delight.
إِذا شَرَعنا في نَدى كَفِّهِ
أَلحَقنا بِالرِيِّ ذاكَ الشُروع
Through his overflowing munificence I intercede
For favors granted early or by a benefactor.
وَإِن أَفَضنا في نَثاهُ فَقُل
في نَفَحاتِ المِسكِ غَضّا يَضوع
We race to our appointed shares from his hand—
No laggard, no hasty snatcher among us.
مُشَفَّعٌ في فَضلِ أُكرومَةٍ
مُعجَلَةٍ عَن وَقتِها أَو شَفيع
The seven planets make their rounds,
Though one or the other may pause briefly and turn back,
نَجري إِلى أَقسامِنا عِندَهُ
فَماكِثٌ عَن حَظِّهِ أَو سَريع
Rising or setting in their celestial sphere,
A lofty sphere of glory buttressed by boughs.
وَالأَنجُمُ السَبعَةُ تَجري وَقَد
يَريثُ طَوراً بَعضَهُنَّ الرُجوع
Radiance in them is nothing special,
Nor is any lovely thing they initiate without precedent.
بِالغَرشِ أَو بِالغَورِ مِن رَهطِهِ
أُرومُ مَجدٍ سانَدَتها الفُروع
None of them fancies himself beyond
What he fancies in the Sublime Assembly.
لَيسَ النَدى فيهِم بَديعاً وَلا
ما بَدَأوهُ مِن جَميلٍ بَديع
Acts of courage have preferred the buyer
Of mental keenness over the seller.
لايَرتَئي الواحِدُ مِنهُم سِوى
ما يَرتَئيهِ في العُلُوِّ الجَميع
The envious wish it transferred, but
Stability and self-reliance have taken control.
مَكارِمٌ فَضَّلنَ مَن يَشتَري
نَباهَةَ الذِكرِ عَلى مَن يَبيع
Relying on my father Ghānim’s favors,
I stand firm, my cave in his kingdom impenetrable.
يَرجو لَها الحُسّادُ نَقلاً وَقَد
أَرسى ثَبيرٌ وَتَأَيّا تَبيع
The days have brought me so many debts
Preserved honorably in his care, never to lapse.
رُكني بِآلاءِ أَبي غانِمٍ
ثَبتٌ وَكَهفي في ذَراهُ مَنيع
In his shade, how often have I suffered debasement,
My life still youth, my time still spring.
كَم أَدَّتِ الأَيّامُ لي ذِمَّةً
مَحفوظَةً في ضِمنِهِ ما تَضيع
وَكَم لَبِستُ الخَفضَ في ظِلِّهِ
عُمري شَبابٌ وَزَماني رَبيع
Partial English translation: 72 of 76 Arabic lines translated.