أَهاجَكَ ربعٌ حائِلُ الرَسمِ دارسُه
كَوَحيِ كِتابٍ أَضعفَ الخَطَّ دارِسُه
A quarter veiled by fate's decree aroused you,
Like a book's faint script to its keen peruser.
غَدا موحِشاً بَعدَ الأَنيسِ وَلَم يَكُن
لِيوحش إِلا وَهوَ قَد بانَ آنسُه
It became desolate after the companion and had not been
For solitude but when it clearly gave joy.
تَبدَّل مِن لَمياءَ ريماً وَقَلَّما
يُجانِسُها ظَبيُ الفَلا أَو تُجانِسُه
It changed from soft sand to a hill, and seldom
Does a hyrax or an oryx herd join it.
وَهَب أَنَّهُ يُحكى بجيدٍ وَمُقلَةٍ
فَأينَ لَهُ لَدنُ الأَراكِ وَمايِسُه
And if it is said to be fine with good peaks,
Where is its gentle beauty and pleasure for him?
غنينا زَماناً آمِنينَ بِغِبطَةٍ
فَفَرَّقَنا صَرفٌ مِن الدَهرِ بائِسُه
We lived happily for a time, secure in delight,
Then time's caprice scattered us miserably.
زَمان يُلَبّي القَلبُ داعِيَ صَبوَةٍ
وَيَسبي حِجاهُ ناغِش الطَّرفِ ناعِسُه
A time when the heart answers the caller to youth
And sober reason is led by a drunk, sleepy eye.
مِن الترك لَم يُربَع بِنَجدٍ وَإِنَّما
رَبا في عَرينِ اللَيثِ وَاللَيثُ حارِسُه
The Turkish tents were not pitched in glory but rather
They pitched in the lion's den while the lion kept guard.
فَلا وَصلَ إِلا مِن تَلَفُّتِ نَظرَةٍ
تجاهِرُهُ حيناً وَحيناً تُخالِسُه
So no connection save from a glance thrown heedlessly,
Now openly, now furtively, to the secret beloved.
غَرَستُ بِلَحظي الوردَ في وَجَناتِهِ
وَلَكنَّهُ لا يَجتَني مِنهُ غارِسُه
I planted my glance's rose in its gardens,
But its planter cannot pluck any of it.
جَميلٌ كَأَنَّ الحسنَ خُيِّرَ فَاغتَدى
خصيصاً بِهِ إِذ لا نَظيرَ يُنافِسُه
Beautiful as if beauty deliberately chose him alone,
For he has no peer to rival him.
فَلِلشَمسِ ما تُبديه غُرَّةُ وَجهِهِ
وَللكثبِ ما تُخفيهِ مِنهُ ملابِسُه
The sun reveals the radiance of his face,
And his movements conceal the rest of him.
جَرى فَجرى الضرغامُ في أَجَماتِهِ
غَدا وَهوَ جَهمُ الوَجهِ أَربد عابِسُه
The caravan journeyed on in its wanderings,
Becoming in the morning a sour, frowning visage.
بَراهُ الطَوى حَتّى كَأَنَّ زَئيرَهُ
بُغامٌ وَشَبحاً مِنهُ واراهُ رامِسُه
The furthest horizon saw him until he seemed
A howl or specter, surveyed by a broken pillar.
فَمرَّ بِهِ خيطٌ مِن الوَحشِ آنَسَت
سَنا مُقلَةٍ تَدنُو وَصَوتاً يُهامِسُه
A thread of love from him drew near, arousing
The melodious voice of the beloved softly murmuring to him.
فَفَرَّت هَوادِيها وَأفردَ قَرهَبٌ
مُذلَّق مَدرىً مُهلِكٌ مَن يُراعِسُه
So her valleys were deserted, and a lone, slovenly hyrax
Let out a cry, lethal to any who provoked it.
أَقاما زَماناً وَهوَ قَد ضَبَئَت بِهِ
بَراثنُ فيهِ فَهوَ لا شَكَّ فارِسُه
They lingered a time as brambles covered him
Until, no doubt, he became their horseman.
بِأَفتكَ مِنهُ حينَ يَرنُو بِمُقلَةٍ
تُريكَ الرِضى وَالمَوتُ فيهِ مُلابِسُه
More deadly than him when he gazes longingly at the beloved
Whose consent means life, whose touch means death in her gown.
وَدَويَّةٍ تَيهاءَ غُفلٍ سَلَكتُها
وَجنحُ ظَلامِ اللَيلِ تَسطو حَنادِسُه
And a valley of neglected ignorance I traveled,
With the wings of the night's darkness spread over its pits.
قَصِيّةُ أَرجاءٍ قَريبَةُ متلَفٍ
يَظَلُّ بِها الخَرِّيتُ يَحتارُ هاجِسُه
A strange, uncanny wasteland, desolate in its regions,
Where even the crazed wanderer despairs, lost in its thoughts.
وَقَد سَلَكت فيها السَعالى مُلاوَةً
فَخافَت بِها إِذ لَم تَجِد مَن تُلابِسُه
The oryx traversed it fearfully, for there was none
To accompany them, when the grim darkness wrapped them.
إِذا عَزَفت لَيلاً أَجابَ لَها الصَدى
يَطِنُّ بِهِ طامٍ مِن القُفِّ طامِسُه
If the echo responded to their night song,
It was a faint echo from crumbling cliffs buried in gloom.
وَمنهلُ قَلتٍ وَسطَ قُنَّةِ شامِخٍ
تُلَطِّفُهُ في كُلِّ حين رَوامِسُه
And a dried up spring amidst towering rocks
Softened by clouds that always attend to it.
وَتُنقِصُهُ يُوحٌ بِحَرِّ سُمومِها
فَيُربيه مُنهَلُّ الغَمامِ وَباجِسُه
Diminished by hot poisonous winds,
Then nourished again by rains pouring from the clouds.
تَظَلُّ سِراعُ الفَتخ يسقطنَ دونَهُ
فَلَيسَ لَها وردٌ وَقَد عَزَّ لامِسُه
The hunting grounds of calamity remain in shadow,
For there is no fresh game and its toucher has been banned.
وَرَدَّت وَقَد مَجَّت ذُكاءُ لُعابها
بِنحرِ فَتىً حرُّ الهَجيرِ يُوانِسُه
They returned after their intelligence was aroused
By the throat of a youth - hot desert, its ardour arouses.
بِقَلبٍ تَكادُ النارُ مِن نَفَيانِهِ
تُشَبُّ وَيُوري شُعلَةً مِنهُ قابِسُه
With a heart whose inner fire could almost
Ignite and burst into flames from its burning embers.
وَبحرٍ كَثيفِ الجانِبَينِ عَرَمرَمٍ
تضيءُ لَنا مثلُ الشُموسِ فَوانِسُه
And a sea - its shores thickly covered with pearls -
Whose essence glows for us like orbiting suns.
وَقَد مَلأَ الأَرضَ الفَضاءَ كَأَنَّما
تُمَدُّ بِأَملاكِ السَماءِ فَوارِسُه
And it has filled the open space of earth as though
Its ruler were aided by the angels of heaven.
إِذا ماجَ بِالأَرضِ ابذَعَرّت وُحوشُه
وَضاقَت بِهِ أَنجادُهُ وَأَواعِسُه
When it storms over the land, its beasts cower
And its valleys and meadows become too narrow.
مَطوتُ بِهِ في السَيرِ في طَلَبِ العِدا
عدا الدين حَتّى عادَ للدينِ شامِسُه
Subdued by it in the pursuit of enemies of religion,
Until the enemy of religion returned to the religion a bystander.
عَلى رَبذٍ سامي التَليلِ كَأَنَّهُ
يُعارضُهُ مِن أَشهبِ البَرقِ ناخِسُه
On a lofty, smooth steed as though matching it
Is lightning descending in bursts from the clouds.
عَبوثٍ بِأَشلاءِ اللجامِ كَأَنَّما
بِهِ أَولَقٌ حَتّى لَقَد ضَجَّ سايِسُه
A rebel whose tangled reins are like
Entangling adders until even its handler despairs.
وَغَيث وَليّ في قَرارةِ وَهدةٍ
أَقامَ بِهِ رَطبُ النَباتِ وَيابِسُه
A healing rain on peaceful, calm meadows
Where the fresh and dry vegetation are sustained.
بعيدٌ عَن الروّادِ لَيسَ بِمَعلَمٍ
مَخُوفٍ بِهِ الآسادُ تَسطو عَنابِسُه
Far from people's roads with no known trails,
Feared by lions, as their dens are vulnerable to it.
مَلاعِبُ ضِرغامٍ مَزاحِفُ ضَرزَمٍ
قَتولٌ بِنَفثِ السُمِّ من هُوَ دايِسُه
Playing with ostriches, swimming with jerboas,
A slayer by the spit of poison if it strikes down its chaser.
إِذا انسابَ في يَبسٍ يَمُرُّ كَأَنه
حَريقٌ تَلظّى أَو خَريقٌ نُلامِسُه
When it flows through the arid land it passes like
A blazing fire or a kindling set alight if touched.
فَما يَأتِ مِن وَحشٍ لوردٍ فَإِنَّهُ
يُناهِشُهُ هَذا وَذاكَ يُناهِسُه
So whatever wild creature encounters it,
One or the other shreds it, vying to rip it apart.
فَكائن بِهِ مِن آهبٍ قَد تَمَزَّقَت
وَشِلوِ لجام ماتَ مَن هُوَ ناهِسُه
Thus many a slain ostrich and many a cloven jerboa,
No rescued hyrax nor rescued shriek left alive.
هَبَطتُ وَفي كَفّي رَسُوبٌ كَأَنَّهُ
سَنا البَرقِ وَهناً لاحَ وَاللَيلُ دامِسُه
I came down with something in my palms like
Flashes of lightning, while the night grew dark around me.
وَراحَ أَبُوها ابنُ الغَمامِ وَأمُها
اِبنَةُ الكَرمِ عَرشاً طابَ مِنهُ مَغارِسُه
And its father, the rain from the clouds, and its mother,
The daughter of generosity, left a throne whose planter prospers.
صَفَت فَأَرَتنا ذاتَها مِن إِنائِها
وَلاحَت لَنا لَونينِ قانٍ وَوارِسُه
It stood in ranks and showed us its treasures,
Radiant in indigo and rose hues.
جَلوبٌ لأَنواعِ السُرورِ تهونُ في
صِيانَتِها نَفسُ الفَتى وَنَفائِسُه
A heart receptive to all kinds of joys wherein
A man's soul and pleasures are lightly regarded.
وَتُكسِبُ عَقلَ المَرءِ بَأساً وَنائِلاً
فَتُخشى عَواليهِ وَتُغشى مَجالِسُه
And it captivates the mind with daring and attains heights,
Feared when it is roused and overpowers gatherings.
تَمَزَّزتُها صِرفا فَعاثَت بِنهيتي
تُريني مُليكاً كِسرَوِيّاً أفاعِسُه
I avoided it for a time and it wreaked havoc on my vows,
Showing me as a king, like Khosrow, with horses and maidens.
وَرَوض يَفاع نادَمَتهُ لطائِف
مِن المُزنِ تَندى وَهوَ وَطفٌ نَواعِسُه
And a garden of bliss, its maidens' singing
A gentle breeze from the north, awakening its blossoms.
فَتُشرِقُ فيهِ الشَمسُ تُلقي شُعاعَها
عَلَيهِ فَيَبدو وَهوَ تُجلى عَرائِسُه
Over which the sun rises, its rays
Falling upon it, revealing it and its fair maidens.
أَقَمتُ بِهِ يَوماً أُغازِلُ جُؤذَراً
مِن التُركِ أَخطا من بِشَمسٍ يُقايِسُه
One day I would flirt with a necklace
Of Turkish pearls beyond price in their value.
وَيَوماً أُعاطِي قَهوَةً ذَهَبيَةً
أَخا ثِقَةٍ خِلاً قَليلاً وَساوِسُه
Another day I would sip golden coffee
With a trusted sister, light and sweetened.
وَيَوماً أُغادي للسماعِ لِغادَةٍ
لَطيفة جسِّ العودِ يُطرِبُ نامِسُه
Another day I would listen to the music
Of a delicate instrument, its soft strings so melodious.
وَيَوماً أجيلُ العَينَ في زَهَراتِهِ
أُشاهِدُ مَخلوقاً غَريباً مَقايِسُه
Another day I would wander through its flowers,
Gazing at a wondrous creation, unique in its qualities.
فَمِن أَحمرٍ في أَخضَرٍ مَعَ أَصفَرٍ
وَأَبيضَ مَع مسودِّ لَونٍ يُجانِسُه
Some red amid greens along with yellow,
White next to black - synchronized hues.
وَيَوماً لهوناهُ بغَرثانَ أَدرَعٍ
لَهُ أنيبٌ عُصلٌ وَلَحظٌ يُشاوِسُه
One day I would amuse myself with a coat of mail
That had claws, canines, and a defiant glance.
يسُوف ترابَ الوَحشِ أَينَ مَقَرُّهُ
فَيُغنيهِ عَن لَمحِ العُيونِ مَعاطِسُه
Brandishing the dust of desolation - where was its home? -
Its singing distracted it from the eyes' glances.
فَكَم إجَّلٍ أَردى وَكَم قَرهَبٍ فَرى
فَلا خُزَزٌ ناجٍ وَلا هِقل يائِسُه
So many a slain camel and cloven jerboa saw it,
No frightened hare or hopeless groan left alive.
إِذا نَحنُ أَشليناهُ أطلقتُ تابِعاً
لَهُ أَسفَعَ الخَدينِ ذُلقا نَواهِسُه
When we unleashed it, I sent a follower
After it - plump cheeked, unkempt, intent on the prey.
فَحلَّقَ صُعداً ثُم أَبصَرَ بِالصُوى
ثعالةَ يردى وَهوَ بَهرٌ مَنافِسُه
It flew high then spied prey below,
My hunting falcon competing with it.
فَسامَتهُ وَانقَضَّ يلطُمُ وَجهَهُ
جَناحاهُ وَالغرثانُ وافى يُمارِسُه
It charged and plunged, clawing its face,
Wings, the coat of mail, wrestling with it.
وَلم يَبرَحا حَتّى أَفاتاهُ نَفسَهُ
فَمِن دَمِهِ يَروى لغوبٌ وَلاحِسُه
They did not stop until the two perished,
Watering an oryx herd that was close with their blood.
فَيا حَبَّذا يَومٌ وَثانٍ وَثالِثٌ
وَرابعُ يَومٍ طابَ وَاليَوم خامِسُه
O excellent were the day, the next, the third,
The fourth day, and the fifth day that followed.
لَقَضَّيتُ أَيّامي بِأُنسٍ وَلَذَّةٍ
فَخامِسُها يَتلوهُ في الأُنسِ سادِسُه
I would spend my days in bliss and pleasure,
With the sixth succeeding the fifth in joy.
وَدَيرٍ بِمَوماةٍ قَصِيٍّ عَن الوَرى
يَدُلُّ عَلَيهِ التائِهينَ نَواقِسُه
A monastery secluded in a desolate valley,
Shown only to wanderers by the tolling bells.
حَوى مِن بَناتِ الرومِ أَقمارَ غَزلةٍ
وَولدانَهُم حَتّى لَغَصَّت كَنائِسُه
It contained beauties from the Greek ladies
And their boys, overcrowding its churches.
تَناظَرَ فيهِ الحُسنُ أَينَ مَقَرُّهُ
أداماتُهُ يَختارُها أَم شمامِسُه
Beauty contemplated where to settle,
On its maidens or choirboys.
طَرَقتُ وَسيدُ الخرقِ يَغسِلُ ساغِباً
وَقَد راءَ قِرناً لا تُرامُ مَخالِسُه
I arrived and the one who washed clothes busily
Saw a youth’s thigh - no shame in revealing it.
فَأَقعى قَليلاً ثُم يطفِرُ طامِعا
فَأَعجَلَه سَهمٌ عَن القَصدِ حابِسُه
He leaned forward slightly then sprang up eagerly,
But an arrow diverted him from his aim and stopped him.
وَأَوجَرتُهُ خَطِّيَّةً ثُمَ مَخذماً
فَقَد قُطِعَت أَوصالُهُ وَكرادِسُه
I injured him slightly then soundly,
His limbs severed and his crosses shattered.
وَكُنتُ بِمَرأى مِن ذَوي الدَّيرِ فَاِغتَدى
عَلى راحَتي مَسحاً وَلَثماً قَساوِسُه
I was in view of the monks so their superior
Took liberties, kissing and fondling my palms.
أَرَحتُهُمُ مِن غاشِمٍ كانَ دَأبُهُ
إِذايَتَهُم وَالظُلمُ يَردى مَلابِسُه
I saved them from an oppressor whose habit
Was injustice when darkness wrapped his clothes.
وَأَشمط بَهّاتٍ غَريبٍ مُمَزَّقٍ
رَميةِ أَفّاقٍ كَثير دَهارِسُه
And an ignorant charlatan in tattered, oddball clothes,
Frequenting horizons, his travels great.
فَفي السِيمِيا وَالكيميا مَع طَلاسِمٍ
وَزُرقٍ وَأَوفاقٍ وَرَملٍ خَلابِسُه
Versed in numerology, alchemy, talismans,
Astrology, drawing circles, and divination with sand.
وَرميٍ وَتَنجيمٍ وَضَربٍ لِمَندَلٍ
وَإِحضارِ عفريت وَجِنٍّ يُهامِسُه
Conjuring spirits and jinn whispering to him,
Misrepresenting water and digging for treasures.
وَتَغويرِ ماءٍ وَاحتِفارِ مَطالِبٍ
وَضَربِ حَصىً وَالسُمُّ جُدِّعَ عاطِسُه
Casting stones and poisons - his sneezes potent -
Interpreting dreams, hearing voices, supposed miracles,
وَرُؤيا مَناماتٍ وَسَمعٍ لِهاتفٍ
وَدَعوى كَراماتٍ وَخُضرٍ بَواجِسُه
Claiming occult powers to deceive people’s minds,
While the shaykh plays deaf to his guiles.
يُداهِي عُقول الناسِ إِذ دَسَّ نَحوَها
مُحالاتِهِ وَالشَيخُ جَمٌّ دَسائِسُه
He saw me silent, taciturn, so thought me
Susceptible to delusions - among their prey.
رَآني أَخا صَمتٍ وَسَمتٍ فَظَنَّني
تُؤثِّر في المُوهِماتُ هَوادِسُه
The poor man did not know that I am the one
Who read letters beyond the reach of any writer.
وَلَم يَعرف المسكينُ أَنّي أَنا الَّذي
قَرَأتُ حُروفاً لَم تُجزِها قَراطِسُه
And taught sciences until their circles
Flourished through me, with my instruction spreading.
وَدَرَّستُ فَنَّ العِلمِ حَتّى لَقَد غَدَت
مَحافِلُهُ بي تَزدَهي وَمَدارِسُه
And compiled many pages in the sciences
That frustrate one who would enumerate them.
وَصَنَّفتُ فيهِ عِدَّةً مِن صَحائِفٍ
تَضيَّقُ عَنها إِذ تُعَدُّ فَهارِسُه
And composed poetry on oceans of knowledge -
My seas have drowned all who plunged in their depths.
وَكَم بَيتِ شعرٍ قَد وَضَعتُ عِمادَهُ
عَلى بَحرِ علمٍ فيهِ بَحري دايِسُه
And plunged into its oceans, escaping poverty,
With my mind the diver retrieving its pearls.
وَمِن فِقَرٍ قَد غُصتُ في البَحرِ مُخرِجاً
لآلئَها ذهني لَها هُوَ غاطِسُه
When heard by the envious, he appears
Scowling, eyes downcast, nose tipped down.
إِذا قَرَعَت سَمعَ الحَسودِ فَإِنَّهُ
يُرى وَهوَ غَيظا باهِتَ الطَرفِ ناكِسُه
I frequented circles of knowledge none had accessed,
I am its horseman, none can ride with me.
وَمَيدانِ علمٍ قَد حَضَرتُ وَلَم يَكُن
لِغَيري إِحضارٌ بِهِ أَنا فارِسُه
When I speak, its people fall silent to reflect on
Subtleties that exhaust those who join me.
إِذا قُلتُ أَصغى أَهلُهُ وَتَفهَّموا
غَوامضَ قَد أَعيت عَلى مَن يُجالِسُه
The acuity of my knowledge brought me glory,
While others in it are forgotten, diminished.
لَنَوَّةَ بِي علمي وَزِدتُ جَلالَةً
وَغَيريَ فيهِ خاملُ الذكرِ باخِسُه
My fame encompassed the world until I seemed
A proverb that flourished - its houses and lands prospered.
وَطبَّقَ ذكري الأَرض حَتّى كَأَنَّما
أَنا مَثَلٌ سارٍ تخبُّ عَرامِسُه
As though I were a sun whose light
Illuminated the whole world and its inhabitants.
كَأَنِّيَ شَمسٌ قَد أَضاءَ بِنُورِها
جَميعُ الدُنى مَعمورُهُ وَدوارِسُه
Let anyone who wishes to censure my life,
I am its piercing sword - sheathed when its censor dies.
لِيَشنا حَياتي مَن أَرادَ فَإِنَّني
شَجاحَلقِهِ حَتّى يُوارِيهِ رامِسُه
