أَبصَرَت عَيني عشَاءً ضَوءَ نَارِ
مِن سَناها عَرفُ هِنديٍّ وغارِ
My eyes saw a fire light in the evening
From its glow, I knew it was an Indian's campfire
أَرَّثَت في عَرَفٍ مَوقِدَها
فأَضاءَت لَمعَ كَفٍّ بِسِوارِ
It kindled in a meadow, lighting up
A palm's shine with its bracelets
مَيُّ إنيِّ بِكُمُ مُرتَهَنٌ
غيرَ ما أَكذِبُ نَفسي وأُماري
O Mayy, I'm indebted to you all
Beyond what I deny myself and my vigilance
أَبلِغِ النُّعمانَ عَنِّي مَالُكاً
أَنَّهُ قَد طالَ حبَسي وانتظاري
Tell Nu'man about me, saying
My imprisonment and waiting have been prolonged
لَو بغَيرِ الماءِ حَلقي شَرِقٌ
كُنتُ كالغَصَّانِ بالماءِ اعتِصاري
If it weren't for water, my throat would be cracked
I'd be like boughs cracking from lack of water
لَيتَ شِعري عَن دَخيلٍ يَفتَري
حَيثُما أَدرَكَ لَيلي ونَهاري
I wonder about Dakhil and his slander
Wherever my night and day have reached me
قاعِداً يَكرُبُ نَفسي بَثُّها
وحَراماً كانَ سِجني واحتِصاري
Sitting there, he torments me intentionally
Though my jail and confinement were unlawful
أَجلَ نُعمَى رَبَّها أَولُكُم
ودُنُوِّي كانَ مِنكُم واصطِهاري
The best of you have God's great blessings
And my nearness to you all was wholesome
أَجلَ أَنَّ اللهَ قَد فَضَّلَكُم
فَوقَ مَن أَحكَأَ صُلباً بإِزارِ
God has indeed favored you
Above those whose loins are bound by waistbands
نَحنُ كُنَّا قَد عَلمِتُم قَبلَكُم
عُمُدَ الَبيتِ وأَوتادَ الإِصارِ
We already knew, before you
The tent poles and pegs of the dwellings
نُحسِنُ الهِنءَ إذا استَهنَأتَنا
ودفِاعاً عَنكَ بالأََيدي الكِبارِ
We excel in singing when we are cheered
And defending you with strong hands
وأَبُوكَ الَمرءُ لَم يُشنَا بِهِ
يَومَ سِمَ الخَسفَ مِنَّا ذُو الخَسارِ
Your father, though, was never tarnished by us
The day misfortune befell those who lost
وعِداتي شَمِتَت أَعجَبَهُمُ
أَنَّني غُيِّبتُ عَنهُم في أَسار
My enemies took pleasure that
I was absent from them in captivity
لاِمرِئٍ لَم يَبلُ مِنِّي سَقطَةً
إن أَصابَتهُ مُلِمَّاتُ العِثارِ
No man who stumbles because of me
If he's struck by the slips of time
فَلئِن دَهري تَوَلَّى خَيرُهُ
وَجَرت بِالشَّرِّ لي مِنهُ الَجواري
So if my fate withholds its goodness
And dwells with evil, neighboring me
لَبِمَا أَلهُو بِخَودٍ كاعِبٍ
تَمَلأُ العَينَ عَنِ الفُحشِ نَوارِ
I frolic with a carnation-cheeked beauty
Who fills my eyes away from indecency
رُبَّ دَهرٍ قَد تَمَتَّعتُ بها
وقَصَرت اليَومَ في بَيتِ عِذاري
Many days I took pleasure in her
And now am shortened in a prison cell
بَسمَاعٍ يَأذَنُ الشَّيخُ لَهُ
وحَديثٍ مِثلِ ماذِيٍّ مُشارِ
With conversation an old man allows
And words like those of Madhi, theBard
فَقَضَينا حاجَةً مِن لَذَّةٍ
وحَيَاةُ الُمرءِ كالشَّيءِ الُمعارِ
We fulfilled a need for pleasure
Though a man's life is like something borrowed
لَثِقِ الرِّيشِ تَدَلَّى غُدوَةً
مِن أَعَالي صَعبَةِ الَمرقَى طِمارِ
Like the feathers of an arrow released predawn
From a steep, high cliff of darkness flew
