بانَ السَفاءُ وَأَودى الجَهلُ وَالسَرَفُ
وَفي التُقى بَعدَ إِفراطِ الفَتى خَلَفُ
Ignorance and excess have vanished, wisdom now
Shows the straight path, when passion misled the youth,
وَقَد كَسانِيَ شَيباً قَد غَنِيتُ بِهِ
مَرُّ اللَيالي مَعَ الأَيّامِ تَختَلِفُ
And hoariness has clothed me, which I wanted before,
Nights and days go on changing and alternating,
وَزالَ أَيدي وَشَيبي ما يُزايُلُني
وَآلَ مِنّي وَشَيبُ الرَأسِ مُختَلِفُ
My vigour and my hoary hair are not as they were.
Both have parted from me, my hoary head differed,
حَتّى إِذا الدَهرُ بَلّاني وَغَيَّرَني
كَما يُغَيِّرُ جِسمَ المُخصِبِ العَجَفُ
Till time afflicted and changed me completely,
As the fertile soil is changed by the sower.
قالَت لِيَ النَفسُ سِرّاً إِذ خَلَوتُ بِها
وَالنَفسُ صادِقَةٌ لَو أَنَّها تَقِفُ
My soul whispered to me secretly when alone:
The soul is truthful if left to itself.
مَن يَرَ في وُلدِهِ أَيداً يُسَرُّ بِهِ
تَهِن قِوى شَيخِهِ وَالشَيخُ مُنحَذِفُ
He who sees supporting arms in his son
His own strength as an old man becomes less.
ذَرِ الشَبابَ فَلا تَتبَع لَذاذَتَهُ
إِنَّ الَّذي يَتبَعُ اللَذّاتِ مُقتَرِفُ
Leave youthfulness and do not hanker after its pleasures,
Whoever seeks after lusts becomes stained.
إِنَّ الشَبابَ جُنونٌ شَرخُ باطِلِهِ
يُقيمُ غَضّاً زِماناً ثُمَّ يَنكَشِفُ
Youth is a kind of madness, empty of truth,
Raising dust for a while, then it disperses.
مَن يَعلُهُ الشَيبُ لَم يُحدِث لَهُ عِظَةً
فَذاكَ مِن سوسِهِ الإِفراطُ وَالعُنُفُ
When old age does not teach a man a lesson,
Excess destroys him through its mad career.
وَالناسُ مِنهُم أَفينٌ مالَهُ سَبَدٌ
فَذاكَ مِن سوسِهِ الإِفراطُ وَالعُنُفُ
Men are of two kinds, neither can be equalled;
The brave, with self‐respect when affairs are serious,
لَيسوا سَواءً جَسورٌ ذو مُزايَنَةٍ
عِندَ الأُمورِ وَلا الهَيّابَةُ القَصِفُ
And the cowardly, when given authority are known
By the meanness of their spirits and actions despicable.
إِنّي اِمرُؤٌ صافَ عَنّي مَن يُشاحِنُني
وَرَدَّني أَهلُ وُدّي مَعشَرٌ أُنُفُ
I am one who is free from enmity with me,
My relations have parted from me and become strangers.
وَمَعشَرٌ أَكَلوا لَحمي بِلا تِرَةٍ
وَلَو ضَرَبتُ أُنوفاً مِنهُمُ رَعَفوا
Some have eaten my flesh without any qualm.
If I strike their noses they bow with humility,
لا يَأسَفونَ وَقَد أَعذَبتُ أَلسُنَهُم
وَلَو يَظُنّونَ أَن أُعنى بِهِم أَسِفوا
They are not grieved though I make their tongues sweet,
If they think I am angry with them they will regret.
أَلَستُ أَبيَنَ مِنهُم غَيرَ أَنَّهُمُ
هُمُ اللِئامُ إِذا ما اِستُشرِفوا عُرِفوا
Am I not more brilliant than they? Though they are
The vile, if honoured they are found to be nobles!
وَقَد تَكَنَّفَهُم لُؤمٌ أَحاطَ بِهِم
كَما أَحاطَ بِرَأسِ النَخلَةِ السَعَفُ
Disgrace encompasses them and surrounds them
Like the branches encompass the top of the palm‐tree.
وَمَن يَكُن ذا عَدُوٍّ لا يُواقِعُهُ
إِلّا وَعيداً فَإِنَّ الهَيبَةَ الصَلَفُ
Whoever tries to pick a quarrel with his enemy,
Frightens him with threats, for awe inspires fear.
فَلا تَهابَنَّ أَسفاراً وَإِن بَعُدَت
إِن هابَها عاجِزٌ في عودِهِ قَصَفُ
So do not dread journeys, howsoever long,
Who fears long travel is always a coward.
قَد يَرجِعُ المَرءُ لا تُرجى سَلامَتُهُ
وَقَد يُصيبُ طَويلَ القِعدَةِ التَلَفُ
A man may return from a journey, though safety is despaired of,
While he who sits at home may suffer a mishap.
هذا لِهذا فَما بالُ الَّتي وَعَدَت
وَكانَ مِن وَعدِها اللَيّانُ وَالخُلُفُ
What about her who made promises and broke them?
Her promise was smooth but her actions were rough.
لا تَتَّقي اللَهَ في صادٍ يَهيمُ بِها
مُتَيَّمٍ مُقصَدٍ كَأَنَّهُ دَنِفُ
She does not fear Allah in one whose heart is filled with love,
A sufferer, trusting, as if possessed and mad.
فَإِن تُصِب قَلبَهُ يَوماً بِأَسهُمِها
يَكنُ عَلَيها وَمِنها الإِثمُ وَالجَنَفُ
If she pierces his heart one day with her arrows,
The sin will be hers and the crime will be grave.
وَإِن نُنِلهُ يَعِش مَيثٌ بِهِ رَمَقٌ
أَحياهُ مِن جودِها الإِفضالُ وَالعُرُفُ
And if she gives him life for some happy days,
Her nobleness and generosity give him relief.
تَسبي القُلوبُ بِوَجهٍ لا كِفاءَ لَهُ
كَالبَدرِ تَمَّ جَمالاً حينَ يَنتَصِفُ
Hearts are enslaved by a face that has no equal,
Like the full moon at its zenith and prime.
تَحتَ الخِمارِ لَها جُثلٌ تُعَكِّفُهُ
مِثلُ العَثاكيلِ سوداً حينَ تُقتَطَفُ
Behind the veil it has cheeks as the berries black,
Like bunches of dates when they ripen and drop.
لَها صَحيفَةُ وَجهٍ يُستَضاءُ بِها
لَم يَعلُ ظاهِرَها بَثرٌ وَلا كَلَفُ
It has a cheek bright like the day to give light by,
No clear spot or blemish has touched it at all.
عَيناءُ حَوراءُ في أَشفارِها هَدَبٌ
وَلَيسَ في أَنفِها طولٌ وَلا ذَلَفُ
She is limpid‐eyed, with arched eyebrows fine,
Neither tall is her nose nor short is her line.
تَفتَرُّ عَن واضِحٍ غُرٍّ مَناصِبُهُ
عَذبٌ يَهَشُّ لَهُ ذو النِيقَةِ الطَرِفُ
It shows whiteness of even teeth when she smiles,
At which beauty itself feels surprise.
ما قَرقَفٌ خالَطَت مَسكاً تُشابُ بِهِ
يَوماً بِأَطيَبَ مِنها حينَ تُرتَشَفُ
Not clove mixed with musk has a scent like hers,
When she exposes it, it spreads perfume around.
لها كَلامٌ تَخُلُّ القَلبَ بَهجَتُهُ
كَأَنُّهُ زَهوُ نَخلٍ مِنهُ يُختَرَفُ
Her talk is heart-ravishing, joyous its spell,
As though it is friendship's sign when plucked and culled.
تَترَجُّ أَوصالُها لَمّا مَشَت فُضُلاً
عَجزاءُ عَبهَرَةٌ في كَشحِها هَيَفُ
When she walks her limbs move with a dangling grace,
Languid, aromatic, as when breeze stirs a bough.
وَقَد غَذاها صَريفُ المَحضِ تَشرَبُهُ
وَقارِصٌ وَالَّذي مِن دونِهِ الخَصَفُ
She was nurtured on unadulterated wine, pure.
With sweet basil and everything choicest and best.
أَضحَت شَطيراً بِدارٍ ما تُلائِمُني
وَحالَ مِن دونِها الصَمّانُ وَالنَجَفُ
She came to live in Yathrib, leaving the Springs,
While doors and walls separated me from the Rest.
حَلَّت بِيَثرِبَ داراً دارَ نِعمَتِها
وَحالَ مِن دونِها الأَبوابُ وَالغُرَفُ
So I was led to love a house that attracted me,
My eyes poured with tears copiously and unsuppressed.
فَقَد غَشِيتُ لَها داراً تُشَوِّقُني
فَالعَينُ ساكِبَةٌ بِمِلئِها تَكِفُ
A house where the wind winnows, sifts and bolts it,
Scattering all dust by its breezes caressed.
دارٌ تُغَربِلُها ريحٌ وَتَنخُلُها
فَكُلُّ تُربٍ بِها بِالهَيفِ مَنتَسِفُ
I had there high‐breasted maidens, with necks white like crystal,
Draped in beauty, of chastity possessors and guarders.
وَقَد أَرَبَّ بشها مُستَأسرٌ ذَكَرٌ
جَونُ السَحابِ مُلِثُّ الهَمرِ مُؤتَلِفُ
Borne upon steeds noble, sure‐stepped in their paces,
Necks outstretched when excited, long‐striding when roused.
مِنهُ رُكامٌ عَلى غَيمٍ تَجَلَّلَهُ
مُرَقَّعٌ بِرَبابِ المُزنِ مُختَصِفُ
Every smooth‐flanked mother bounds answering her foal,
Her forelegs outstretched in her run without pause.
إِذا تَأَلَّقَ مِن جَونٍ بَوارِقُهُ
تَكادُ أَبصارُ عِينِ الوَحشِ مُختَطَفُ
If the stallion jealousy stirs him, he champs foam,
His mouth tissues collect it, his anger to slake.
وَإِن تَلَهَّفَ خِلتَ الأَرضَ قَد رَجَفَت
وَجادَ مِنهُ رَوايا كُلُّها قُطُفُ
Wild creatures' well‐fed herd crops and grazes there,
Partridges, greens, and all nutritious and fresh.
رَوّى القَراراتِ مِنهُ فَهِيَ مُفعَمَةٌ
كَما اِرتَوَت مِن حِياضِ المُستَقى الزُلَفُ
So the eye browses and sheds tears remembering,
I weep for the site and sobbing make open confession.
فَالنَبتُ مِنهُ خَضوبٌ بَعدَها وَرِقٌ
وَاِخضَرَّ مِن صَوبِهِ الصَبغاءُ وَالغَرَفُ
Nu'aim, Su'ad and Mushajjar I see there,
With Multebid, heads bending, nose sniffing the ground.
وَقَد كَساها رِياضاً زانَها صَبَحٌ
بِها كَواكِبُ زُهرٌ كُلُّها سَرِفُ
My weeping is not for an abode I was master in,
And my loneliness not for a home I forsook.
فَالعِينُ مُطفِلَةٌ تَرعى مَسارِبَهُ
وَهِيَ لِأَوطانِها مِن خِصبِها أُلُفُ
An unknown inviolate sanctuary now,
Where now no camel‐ewe browses or sheep flocks wander.
وَالحُمرُ تَطرُدُها رُبعٌ مُحَنَّبَةٌ
تَفوتُ أَرجُلَها أَيدٍ لَها خُنُفُ
As though its echoes at night - when darkness enfolds it -
Are voices of men when darkness o'er takes them, shout,
وَكُلُّ هَيقٍ بِها يَسمو لِرِعلَتِهِ
تَحذي بِها نُقَضٌ مِن تَحتِها نُسُفُ
And he who crosses its desert hears - so forlorn now -
Jinn's voices when gloom reigns chanting their verse.
يَرفَعُ فَودَيهِ إِن جَدَّ الجِراءُ بِهِ
أَورَقُ أَخرَجُ في ظُنبوبِهِ سَقَفُ
There the wild cows with their yearlings have it for home,
No run-down enclosure or tent there you find.
كُلُّ الوُحوشِ مَطافيلٌ تَرَبَّعُها
تَرعى بُقيلاً وَبَقلاً وَهُوَ مُؤتَنِفُ
Desolate shrubs shrink from the heat, scattered about,
As though swept off by a flood that passed o'er them and harried.
فَالرَبعُ عافٍ وَدَمعُ العَينِ مُنسَكِبٌ
أَبكي الرُسومَ بِها طوراً وَأَعتَرِفُ
I visited it when darkest night spread its cloak,
None saw me, the sun's rays had left it deserted.
نُؤيٌ وَسُفعٌ وَمَشجوجٌ وَمُلتَبِدٌ
وَمائِلٌ رَأسُهُ بِالفِهرِ مُنقَصِفُ
The heat of its glowing surface the pebbles burned,
As though it was the sky's blaze set it on fire.
وَما بُكائِيَ في رَبعٍ شُعِفتُ بِهِ
وَخُلَّتي غُربَةٌ مِن دارِها قَذَفُ
When its lightnings flash out from its heavy cloud,
Like dots splashed from skins, when tanned and cut up.
وَحُرمَةٍ بَعدَها مَجهولَةٌ حُرَمٌ
ما إِن بِها جَوفَةٌ تُرعى وَلا لَصَفُ
And when in yearning it moans, the land shakes in its thrill,
Its every channel responds, flooding without stint.
كَأَنَّ أَصداءَها وَاللَيلُ كارِبُها
أَصواتُ قَومٍ إِذا ما أَظلَموا هَتَفوا
It gives meadows, after rain, canopies gracefully green,
And the pasturage sprouts, where the torrents descend.
يَسمَعُ فيها الَّذي يَجتابُ قَفرَتَها
أَصواتَ جِنٍّ إِذا ما أَعتَموا عَزَفوا
It clothes the country with gardens, morn decks it with flowers,
Clusters of stars without number or limit.
لِلجونِ فيها عِيالٌ في أَفاحِصِها
بِجَوفَةٍ ما بِها أَثلٌ وَلا نَضَفُ
So the eye drinks deep of its cached-up treasures,
The home of the heart's joy, where it is used to feed.
خوصٌ مُزَغِّبَةٌ تَحتَكُّ قَد بَثِرَت
كَأَنَّما ثارَ في أَبشارِها الحَصَفُ
Scattered herds of wild cows race over the land,
Their new-born calves by their side, grunting as they run.
قَد جُبتُها وَظَلامُ اللَيلِ أَقطَعُهُ
وَقَد عَرانِيَ مِن شَمسِ الضُحى كَنَفُ
Straight-racing smooth-bodied steeds, long-necked and spare,
Striding fast like ostriches, mouths gaping wide.
تَشوي جَنادِبَها مِن حَرِّ جاحِمِها
لَمّا تَوَقَّدَ مِنها السَهلُ وَالظَلَفُ
Bred of the noblest strains, their sires selected for race,
High-bred colts of the choicest and purest descent.
أَظَلَّ بَعضُ المَها بَعضاً إِذا كَنَسَت
كَما تُظِلُّ ظَباءَ القَفرَةِ القَطَفُ
They never gave less on any day they covered the mares,
Or got smaller the foals in whatever year bred.
بِجَسرَةٍ كَعَلاةِ القَينِ دَوسَرَةٍ
في حَدِّ مِرفَقها عِن زَورِها جَنَفُ
As though when hoariness shrouds them, they are
With cheeks smeared and reddened, the nostrils exuding mucus.
تَسمو بِأَتلَعَ مِثلِ الجِذعِ يَقدُمُها
عَرفاءُ غَرباءُ في حَيزومِها جَوَفُ
They flash on the flat lands like the trunks of palms,
Strangers and outcasts, mouths open and gasping.
قَد قُذِفَت بِلَكيكِ النَحضِ أَعظُمُها
كَأَنَّ غارِبَها مِن طولِهِ هَدَفُ
Some were cast by the violence of the torrent,
Huge, their buttocks like a valley-side stretching wide.
ما راجِنٌ مِن بَناتِ الفَحلِ قَد رَجَنَت
وَنُوِّقَت وَبَناها الزَردُ وَالعَلَفُ
Never a mare of good breed but casts her young,
The very best her progeny, without lameness or defect.
يَوماً بِأَنجَبَ مِنها حينَ تَركَبُها
وَلا بِأَبخَلَ ذِلّا يَومَ تُعتَنَفُ
Never grudged on the day they covered them, or were mean
When the time of Impregnation came into season.
كَأَنَّها بَعدَما طالَ الهِبابُ بِها
مُوَلَّعٌ أَسفَعُ الخَدَّينِ مُشتَرِفُ
Many a high-bosomed maternal camel went with them,
Adorned with trinkets, smeared with henna and indigo.
تَلوحُ مِنها عَلى الأَصبارِ دابِرَةٌ
كَأَنَّها بَينَ رَوقَي رَأسِهِ كَشَفُ
Whenever they halted settling down for the night,
The rain cleared their ground and washed all about.
باتَ بِفيحانَ يَجلو البَرقُ مَتنَتَهُ
كَأَنَّهُ مِن ثِيابِ القِهزِ مُلتَحِفُ
Till when dawn drives the darkness away and disperses it,
Bringing the sun that unveils them and shows their number;
مُجتابَ أَرطاةِ حِقفٍ فَهيَ تَستُرُهُ
مَع كُلِّ وَجهٍ يَكُفُّ الريحُ مُنصَرِفُ
The striped breeds rise, marked on the flanks as though branded,
Like a tattoo, by stingers of hornets marked on the face.
تَبُلُّهُ فَيضَحٌ بِالوَدقِ تَغسِلُهُ
كَأَنَّهُ فَوقَ ضاحي مَتنِهِ النُطَفُ
Then they sweep off briskly roused to excitement,
Necks outstretched, chasing wild game and pursuing.
حَتّى إِذا الصُبحُ ساقَ اللَيلَ يَطرُدُهُ
وَزالَ عَنهُ وَعَن أَرطاتِهِ السُدَفُ
Swifter than ostriches, feet skimming the ground,
As though a cloud gathers them, but shows their figure.
ثارَت بِهِ ضُمَّرٌ قُبٌّ مُقَلَّدَةٌ
كَالقِدحِ يُجذِمُها صوحانُ أَو ثَقَفُ
Now treading with force, now easily gliding at will,
Like sailors shooting foam from the bows as they row.
فَجالَ مِنها عَلى وَحشِيِّهِ عَجِلاً
لا يَجعَلُ الشَدَّ دَيناً حينَ يَغتَرِفُ
Until she has roused him, refusing control now,
As though each seeks his fellow when passions run high.
وَهِيَ سِراعٌ تَثيرُ النَقعَ شاحِيَةً
كَأَنَّهُ فَوقَهُ لَمّا عَلا الكَسَفُ
Then tears flowed apace and I sobbed in remembrance,
At the site of old encampment I made loud lament.
تَخضَعُ طوراً وَتَطفو كُلَّما طَحَرَت
مِثلَ اليَعاسيبِ في آذانِها غَضَفُ
An abode unknown now, untrodden its valleys,
No camel now browses, no sheep flocks wander there.
حَتّى إِذا أَرهَتَتهُ كَرَّ مُمتَنِعاً
كَأَنَّهُ طالِبٌ بِوِترِهِ أَسِفُ
