أُسائِلُ عَن وَجناءَ في السِجنِ جارَها
لَعَمرُ أَبِيها إِنَّني لَمُكَلَّفُ
I ask about the fair prisoner in jail, her neighbor,
By her father's life, I am burdened,
وَأَنّي لَكَ الوَجناءُ وَالسِجنُ دُونَها
وَيُغلَقُ دُوني ذُو أَواسٍ مُشَّرَّفُ
And you are the prison and jail compared to her,
While I am locked up by one given authority.
وَفي الرِجلِ مِنّي كَبلُ قَينٍ يُؤودُها
وَثِيقٌ إِذا ما جاءضهُ الخَطُو يَهتِفُ
My legs are shackled with heavy chains,
Binding when the steps approach calling out.
كَأَنَّ شَبا مِسمارِهِ وَهوَ ناجِمٌ
شَبا نابِ قَرمٍ يَضرِبُ الشُولَ يَصرِفُ
As if its nails were driven in while it was soft,
Like the tusks of an old elephant striking the trees aside.
يَمانِيَّةٌ هاجَت فُؤادي وَوَكِّلَت
بِها النَفس حَتّى دَمعُ عَينَيَّ يَذرِفُ
She is a Yemeni who stirred my heart and entrusted it,
To the point my tears flow down my cheeks.
يُرَوَّعُ أَحياناً إِذا ذُكِرَت لَهُ
كَما رِيعَ مَشعُوفٌ مِنَ النَفرِ يُشعَفُ
He is startled sometimes when she is mentioned to him,
Like a frightened herd of sheep.
وَأَنّي لَكَ الأسعافُ مِنها وَدارُها
جُنوبَ العِدى لَو سالمَتني وَتُنصِفُ
And I wish you the first-aid from her and her home,
To the south of injustice, if she would forgive me and do me justice.
وَما زالَ بي حَيني وَحَمزَةُ دَلَّني
وَلِلحَينِ أَقدارٌ تُحَمُّ وَتُصرَفُ
My luck and Hamzah guided me,
And luck has destinies that protect and dispose.
مَعَ القَدَرِ المُكتُوبِ حَتّى تَعَطَّفَت
بِوَجناءَ نَفسٌ وَجدُها مُتَعِطِّفُ
With the written fate, until she was inclined
By a soul that found her kind.
فَإِني لَما حُمِّلتُ مِنها لَبائِحٌ
وَلَو كانَ ما بي ما بِهِ بُحتُ يُعرَفُ
So I am unveiled in what I carry of her,
And if what is in me were known, it would be recognized.
وَمُستَودِعٍ قَلبي هَوىً فَوقَ ما بَدا
لَوأَنَّ فُؤادي عَن هَواها يُكَشّضفُ
And my heart has contained a love beyond what appeared,
If only my heart would be revealed from its passion.
وَإِني لَمُوفيها مِنَ الوُدِّ كَيلَهُ
إِذا نَقَصَ الوُدَّ المُلُولُ المُطَفِّفُ
I am true to her in love, like its measure,
When the feigned love is decreased and diminished.
كَعابٌ إِذا قامَت قَليلاً تَأَوَّدَت
كَمَشي الحَسِيرِ مُكرَهاً وَهوَ مُزحَفُ
She rises a little, then shows affection,
Like the gait of a captive, reluctantly crawling.
مِنَ البيضِ إِمّا ما يُوارى إِزارُها
فَفَقمٌ وَإِمّا ما عَلاهُ فَمُرهَفُ
Of her whiteness, either what her gown conceals,
So she is chaste, or what is above it, so she is virtuous.
كَغُصنِ الغَضا فَوقَ النَقا نَفَحَت لَهُ
جَنُوبٌ تُكَفّى فَرعَهُ وَهوَ مُشرِفُ
Like a tender branch above a soft sand,
Blown gently by the southern winds.
لَها مِعصَمٌ عَبلٌ وَجِيدُ جِدايَةٍ
وَبَطنٌ إِذا ناطَت بِهِ الوُشحَ مُخطَفُ
She has a wrist, a neck, and the cheek of a doe,
And belly when wrapped with a scarf, captured.
وَعَينا مَهاةٍ في كِناسٍ بِرَملَةٍ
بِهاسِنَةٌ مِن نَعسَةٍ حينَ تَطرِفُ
And sleepy eyes in a eyeliner of kohl,
With a mouth of drowsiness when she yawns.
وَوَجهٌ كَمِثلِ البَدرِ إِذ تَمَّ فَاِستَوى
إِذا ما بَدا في ظُلمَةِ اللَيلِ يَسدِفُ
A face like the full moon when it rose
Appearing in the darkness of night, shining.
وَثَغرٌ عَلَيهِ الظُلمُ يَجري كَأَنَّهُ
إِذا اِبتَسمَت مِن كَثرَةِ الماءِ يَنطفُ
And a mouth the darkness flows over, as if
When she smiles from plentiful water, dripping.
وَإِني لَأَهوى الأَزدَ طُرّاً لِحُبِّها
عَلى ذاكَ إِن حُلِّفتُ بِاللَهِ أَحلِفُ
And I love the Azd sincerely for her love,
Over that, if I swear by God, I swear.
بِرَبِّ الهَدايا الواجِباتِ جُنُوبُها
تَضَمَّنَها لِلّهِ في الحَجِّ مَوقِفُ
By the Lord of the obligatory gifts, her chests
She presented to God in pilgrimage, pausing.
لَوَجناءُ أَلقاها فَأنظُرُ قائِماً
إِلَيها وَلَو كانَت تَصُدُّ وَتَصدِفُ
If the fair one had looked at me, I would stand
Looking at her, even if she objected and turned away.
أَحَبُّ إِلى نَفسي مِن أُخرى قَريبَةٍ
لَها مادِحٌ عِندي إِذا قامَ يَهرِفُ
Dearer to myself than another relative
Who has a praiser in me, when he stands reciting poetry.
