تَطاوَلُ أَيّامي وَلَيلي أَطوَلُ
وَلامَ عَلى حُبِّي عُثَيَمةَ عُذَّلُ
My days grow long, and my nights longer still,
Alas for my love of Uthaimah, now undone!
يَلُومُونَ صَبّاً أَنحَلَ الحُبُّ جِسمَهُ
وَما ضَرَّهُم لَو لَم يَلُومُوا وَأَجمَلُوا
They blame neglect that love is now unstrung,
Why blame, not bless what's done, and hold their peace?
أَلم يَعلَمُوا لا بُرِكُوا أَنَّ قَلبَهُ
عَصى قَبلَهُم فيها العِدى فَهُوَ مُبهَلُ
Knew they not that his heart its troth had sung
Ere their blame, and is by love's spell held?
وَقالَ أُناسٌ إِنَّهُ لِيُحِبُّها
ضَلالاً لَما لَم يَعلَمِ الناسُ أَفضَلُ
Yet men said he loved her not aright,
Not wisely, since to them she seemed not one
فَلَمّا بَراني الهَمُّ وَالحُزنُ حِقبَةً
وَأَشفَقتُ مِن خَوفِ الَّذي كُنتُ آمَلُ
To love. Long was I sad and sorrowed quite,
Fearing what I hoped for would not be won.
وَأَبصَرتُ دَهراً لا يَقُومُ لِأَهلِهِ
عَلى ما أَحَبُّوا فاسِدٌ يَتَحَوَّلُ
I saw time ruin all that man holds dear,
Ever shifting, changing, fleeting on.
تَوَكَّلتُ وَاِستَحدَثتُ رَأياً مُبارَكاً
وَأَحزَمُ هَذا الناسِ مَن يَتَوَكَّلُ
So I put my trust in God, and made good cheer,
Safest so, though men my wisdom shun.
وَضَمَّنتُ حاجاتي إِلَيها رَفِيقَةً
بِها طَبَّةً مَيمُونَةً حِينَ تُرسَلُ
To bear my wants I chose a mate who brings
Comfort and blessing, come what may anon.
مِنَ البَربَرِيّاتِ اللَواتي وُجُوهُها
بِكُلِّ فَعالٍ صالِحٍ تَتَهلَّلُ
A Barbary woman, joy in all good things,
Lit with smiles for every kindly deed.
وَزيرٌ لَها إِبلِيسُ في كُلِّ حاجَةٍ
لَها عِندَما تَهوي لَهُ يَتَمَثَّلُ
Iblis serves her in each desire that springs
Within her, and makes haste to help her need.
رَآها نِعمَ الخَدينُ فَلَم يَزَل
لِحاجاتِها ما لَم تَحُل يَتَحَمَّلُ
He saw she fain would love, nor did he cease
To grant her every wish. So love was freed.
تَخِفُّ لَما نَهوى مِراراً وَإِنَّها
عَن أَشياءَ لَيسَت مِن هَوانا سَتَثقُلُ
Yet she feared our ardor, and found no peace
In what seemed unlawful, and so withdrew.
فَقالَت فَلا تَعجَل كَفَيتُكَ مَرَحباً
وَلِلسِّرِّ عِندي فَاعلَمَن ذاكَ مَحمِلُ
Then gently pleaded I my longing's release,
And wooed with song, as lovers use to do.
تَغُشَّت ثِيابَ اللَيلِ ثُمَّ تَأَطَّرَت
كَما اِهتَزَّ عِرقٌ مِن قَناً مُتَذَلِّلُ
Scarce five days had passed when came the friend, no lie,
I hoped for, making no more dull ado.
فَجاءَت بَواراً طالَما قَد تَعَلّلَت
مِنَ الوَحشِ ما يَسطِيعُها المُتَحيِّلُ
To say we're here, will you let us by
Through the little gate, none else being near?
بَدَتها بِقَولٍ لَيِّنٍ وَتَمَثَّلَت
مِنَ الشِعرِ ما يَرقي بِهِ المُتَمَثِّلُ
Only, one's at the door, beware her eye,
O heed it not, whatever you hear!
فَما كانَ إِلّا فَرطَ خَمسٍ حَسِبتُهُ
مِنَ الدَهرِ حَتّى جاءَ لا يَتَعَلَّلُ
Then softly she stole forth in the dark,
As a frightened lamb that knows no fear.
بَشِيرٌ بِأَنّا قضد أَتَينا فَهَل لَنا
مِن الخوخة الصُغرى سِوى الباب مَدخَلُ
Yet I feared each eye that might see and mark
Our meeting when all should be asleep.
فَإِنَّ بِبَابِ الدارِ عَيناً وَإِن تَزُغ
حِذاراً لِتِلكَ العَينِ أَهيا وَأَمثَلُ
Now she walked apace, now lingered, a spark
Blown here and there, restless as waves that leap.
فَجاءَت بِها تَمشي عِشاءً وَسامَحَت
كَما اِنقادَ بِالحَبلِ الجَوادُ المُجَلَّلُ
Her gentle speech, when we met, betrayed no sign
Of sorrow, though far sundered we must keep.
تُحَذِّرُها في مَشيها الأَعيُنَ الَّتي
بِها إِن رَأَتها عِندَ ذي الضَغنِ تَجمُلُ
You'll come, she said, in summer days that shine
Bring sweet flowers, as you were wont to do!
فَتُسرِعُ أَحياناً إِذا هِيَ لَم تَخَف
وَتَخشى عُيُوناً حَولَها فَتَمَيَّلُ
Not if I'm dead, I said, or power divine
Prevent; Fate brings to pass what man can't construe.
كَما مالَ غُصنٌ مِن أَراكِ بَرِيرَةٍ
تُحَرِّكُهُ رِيحٌ مِنَ الماءِ مُخضَلُ
You mocking me, I answered with some heat,
Is salt poured on my wounds by one untrue!
فَلا أَنسَ فِيما قَد لَقِيتُ مَقالَها
عَلى رِقبةٍ وَالعِيسُ لِلبَينِ تُرحَلُ
Yet I loosed my heart from hate's strangling sheet,
Being somewhat assuaged of grief and care.
تُراكَ لَئِن عِشنا إِلى صَيفِ قابِلٍ
مُلِمّاً بِنازوراً كَما كُنتَ تَفعَلُ
Restore, I cried, restore before we meet
The tears erst flowing free, lest I despair!
فَقُلتُ لَها إِن لَم أَمُت أَو تَعُوقُني
مَقادِيرُ عَمّا تَشتَهي النَفسُ تَعدِلُ
I fear God's punishment for a believer's blood
Causelessly shed; he dies not who slays, but the slayer.
تَزُورُكِ عِيسٌ يَعتَسِفنَ بي المَلا
عَلأى الأَينِ أَطلاحٌ تَنصُّ وَتَذملُ
فَراخى وِثاقاً عَن فُؤادٍ أَسَرتِهِ
قَليلاً لَعَلِيّ لِلعِدى أَتَجَمَّلُ
وَبِاللَهِ رُدّي دَمعَ عَينَيَّ فِيهِما
إِلى أَيِّ دَهرٍ دَمعُ عَينَيَّ يَهمِلث
فَخافي عِقابَ اللَهِ في قَتلِ مُسلِمٍ
بَرِيءٍ وضلم يَقتُل قَتيلاً فَيُقتَلُ
