إن مسَّ مُسقِمَتي مِن طَرفِها سَقَمُ
فما ألمَّ بها مِن مَسَّه ألَمُ
Her touch made me sick, from her hand came my illness,
Yet I felt no pain from her touch, only rapture.
عَجبتُ منِّي أراها أنَّها ظلَمَت
ولا نَمِينُ عَليها إنَّهم ظُلِمُوا
I am amazed at myself, seeing her as unjust,
Though she is innocent, they are the unjust ones.
عَلِمتُها فهيَ تَلقاني تَقولُ إذا
عايَنتُها مثلَ قَولي في الهَوى لهُمُ
When she meets me she says, if you but saw me
Speaking of love like you, they would blame me too.
وقائمٍ مِن سُطُورِ الحُسنِ معُتَدِلٍ
ما خطَّهُ اللَّهُ لا ما خَطَّهُ القَلَمُ
With symmetry of beauty, lines drawn by God,
Not by the pen, the flawless work of the Divine.
أبصرتُ عُهدَةَ قلبي فيه بَيِّنَةً
بالأمسِ وهيَ عَلى الأبصارِ تَنعَجِمُ
Yesterday I saw clear in my heart its pledge to her,
Though to eyes it was obscured, inexplicable.
في خدِّ أهيَفَ ما تَرضَى لواحِظُهُ
لَولا عِذاراهُ إلا أن يُراقَ دَمُ
On the cheek of a fawn too shy to allow a glance -
Only her excuses prevent blood being shed.
كَهِمَّةِ ابنِ عُبَيدِ اللَّهِ ما رَضِيت
مِن المَعالي بِما تَرضَى لَه الهِمَمُ
I wouldn’t approve, like Ibn Ubayd Allah disapproved,
Of glory compared to what lofty souls desire.
قُل لِلعُفَاةِ إِذا لاذُوا بِراحَتِهِ
وعِندَها صاحِباهُ الجُودُ والعَدَمُ
Say to the virtuous, when they seek her rest,
Where generosity and lack are both found:
لم يَبقَ في يدِهِ إلا مكارِمُهُ
فَلا تَلوذوا بِها ما يُوهَبُ الكَرمُ
Only his virtues remain in his hands -
Do not seek rest where generosity cannot be granted.
لَن يصلِحَ المالُ خصم الجود حجَّتَه
وأنتَ بينَ الوَرى عند الوَرَى حَكَمُ
Wealth cannot defend itself against the argument of generosity,
And you are the arbiter between East and West.
ماذا رَشاكَ النَّدَى حتى حَكَمتَ له
حُكماً سِواك فأنتَ اليَومَ متَّهَمُ
What has the dew sprinkled on you, that you judge for it
A judgement! None but you today is suspected.
قَد بانَ جُودُكَ عِندَ النَّاسِ كلِّهمُ
وكادَ ينكرُ ذاكَ النَّاسُ كلُّهُمُ
Your generosity is evident to all people,
Nearly all people reject and deny it.
