أتُرَى بثارٍ أم بدينِ
عَلقَت مَحاسِنُها بعَيني
Is it with vengeance or faith
That her beauty has captured my eyes?
في خَصرِها وقَوامِها
ولحاظِها ما في الرُّدَيني
In her waist and posture,
And her glances beyond compare.
وبوَجهِها ماءُ الشَّبا
بِ خَليطُ نارِ الوَجنَتَينِ
Her face is spring water
Mixed with the fire of two cheeks.
بكرَت عَليَّ وقالَت اخ
تَر خَصلَة من خَصلتينِ
She rushed to me and said, "Choose
One of two options for me."
إمَّا الصُّدُود أو الفِرا
ق فليسَ عندِي غيرُ ذَينِ
Either estrangement or separation,
For I have no other than these two.
فأجَبتُها ومَدامِعي
تَنهلُّ فوقَ الوَجنَتَينِ
I responded as my tears
Poured over my two cheeks.
لا تفعَلي إن حانَ صَد
دُكَ أو فِراقُكِ حان حَيني
"Do not do so, if your estrangement
Or our separation has come, my dear."
فكأنَّني قُلتُ انهَضِي
فَمضَت مُسارِعةً لِبَيني
It was as if I had said, "Rise up,"
So she hastily left me.
ثم استَقَلَّت أين حَلَّت
عِيسُها رُميَت بأينِ
Then her settlement was scarce
Before she was cast far from me.
ونوائبٍ أظهَرنَ أي
يامي إليَّ بِصُورَتَينِ
Misfortunes made my days
Appear to me as two nights.
سَوَّدنَها وأطَلنَها
فرأيتُ يوماً لَيلَتَينِ
They darkened and lengthened them,
So I saw one day as two nights.
هَل بعدَ بَينِكِ مَن يُعَر
رِفُني النُّضارَ من اللُّجَينِ
After your absence, is there one
Who knows me, fresh from seclusion?
ولَقَد جَهلتُهما لبُع
دِ العَهدِ بَينهما وبَيني
I did not know them both, after
The time between us had passed.
مُتَصرِّفاً بالشِّعرِ يا
بئسَ البِضاعَةِ في اليَدينِ
Composing poetry, oh what
Wretched trade for these two hands!
كانَت كذلِكَ قبلَ أن
يَأتي عَليُّ ابنُ الحُسَينِ
That’s how it was before
Ali the son of Al-Hussein came.
فاليومَ حالُ الشِّعرِ ثا
لِثةً كَحَالِ الشِّعرَيَينِ
Today, the state of poetry is
Threefold, like the state of two hairs:
أغنَى وأعفَى مَدحَه ال
عافينَ من كَذبٍ ومَينِ
It enriches, it shields from lies
And disgrace those it praises.
فتَمتَّعُوا من مالِهِ
وصِفاتِه بالحُسنَيَينِ
So enjoy of his wealth
And merits these two beauties.
وإذا لَقيتَ لَقِيتَ سَم
حَ الخُلق سَمحَ الرّاحتَينِ
When you meet him, you meet
A forgiving nature, forgiving pain.
فيكادُ يَبكي رَحمَةً
للعُدمِ بينَ سَماحَتَينِ
He almost weeps with mercy
For nonexistence between two pardons.
ولرُبَّ ذي مالٍ وَلَي
سَ يَداهُ بالمَبسُوطَتَينِ
Many with wealth, their hands
Are not open in generosity.
إنَّ الإمامَ إذا رَمَى
بكَ ما وراءَ الرّقَّتَينِ
Indeed when the Imam aims
At you beyond the two soft parts,
علِمَ العِراقُ وأهلُهُ
أن ليسَ خَطبهُما بهَينِ
Iraq and its people knew
Their affairs were not in disarray.
ماذا أؤثِّرُ في ثَنا
ئِكَ وهوَ مِلءُ الخافِقَينِ
What can I prefer in your praise,
While he fills the two lungs?
أَأُحِيطُ بِالبَحرِ المُحي
طِ بعيد بَينَ السَّاحِلَينِ
Can I encompass the endless sea
Between two coasts?
أم أرتَقي حتَّى أثا
لِثَ بالمَديحِ الفَرقَدَينِ
Or ascend until I rise
To the highest praise?
