هَويِتُها والفِراقُ يَهواها
فحالَ بيني وبينَ لُقيَاها
Her beauty and our separation burn me,
So it came between me and meeting her.
ولَم يكُن للحِمامِ بي قَبَلٌ
لو لم تُعِنْهُ عليَّ عَينَاها
The dove would not have wept for me before
If her eyes had not helped against me.
مقسومةٌ للَّنَوى مَحاسنُها
وللفُؤادِ المَشوقِ ذِكرَاها
Her beauties are destined for those who desire her,
And for the longing heart is the memory of her.
حيَّيتُها والجَنوبُ رافعةٌ
جَوانِبَ السَّجفِ عن مُحيَّاها
I greeted her while the breeze was lifting
The fringes of her veil from her radiant cheek.
فشِمتُ مِن ثَغرِها على ظَمَإ
بارقةً لا أَنالُ سُقياها
I smelled moisture on her lips amid thirst
A lightning that I cannot quench with her drink.
لو أفرَطَتْ بالعقيقِ خَجْلَتَها
أسلمَ ماءَ العَقيقِ خَدَّاها
Had she been excessive with kohl, her shyness
Would have surrendered the kohl water to her cheeks.
وكيفَ تَغنَى بوَصلِ غانيةٍ
مَراحُها للنَّوى ومَغداها
How can one who hums of union be happy
While her resting place is the desire, and her pillow?
رقيبُها في الظلامِ مِبسمُها
وفي سَنا الصُّبحِ طِيبُ ريَّاها
Her smile in darkness is her chaperone
And the fragrance of her breath is the dawn’s splendor.
لعلَّ أيامَنا التي سَلَفت
تعودُ بيضاً كما عَهِدنَاها
Perhaps our days that have passed
Will return white as we knew them.
أيامَ لا أستميحُ غانيةً
إلاّ شَرَت دينَها بِدُنياها
Days when I do not ask a singing girl for favor
Except she buys her religion with her world.
تَرتعُ حولَ الظِّباء آنسةً
نظائراً في الجمالِ أَشباها
She grazes around gazelles gracefully
The like of her in beauty and her ilk.
رَقَّت عن الوَشْيِ نَعمةً فإذا
صَافحَ منها الجُسومَ وشَّاها
She softened away from flirtation, so when
A brave one from her people shook her hand.
أسلَفَني الدهرُ عندَهنَّ يداً
حتَّى إذا استُحْسِنَت تَقضَّاها
Time loaned me a hand with them
Until when it was made beautiful, it took it away.
فاليومَ لا أحسَبُ الوِصالَ غِنىً
ولا إخالُ الشبابَ لي جَاها
So today I do not account union as richness,
Nor the youth’s departure a position for me.
قد خُلِقَت راحةُ الأمير حَيَاً
تَغِلبُ صَوبَ الحيا بجَدواها
The leisure of the Prince was naturally created
To defeat the sword’s edge with its sharpness.
سائل به وائلاً فقد مَلَكَت
أُولى المعالي به وأُخراها
Asking him for help even when in hardship, he possessed
The first and last of glories.
كانَت رياحُ السَّماحِ راكدةً
حتَّى جرَى سابقاً فأجرَاها
The winds of generosity were still
Until its precursor flowed and made them flow.
أغرُّ طَلْقُ اليَدَينِ لو طُلِبَت
منه ليالي الشَّبابِ أعطَاها
My hands are most generous if asked
To grant it the nights of youth, they would give them.
إذا القَوافي بذِكرِه اشتملَت
عطَّرَها ذِكرُه وحَلاها
When rhymes mention him they scent
His mention perfumes and sweetens them.
إنْ لَحَظَ المُشكِلاتِ أوضحَها
وإنْ سقَى المُرهَفاتِ أروَاها
If he looks at problems he clarifies them,
And if he quenches the thirsty he satisfies them.
كم نِعمةٍ للرَّبيع جادَ بها
ونَقمةٍ كالحريقِ أطفَاها
How many blessings the spring brought forth from him
And disasters like fire he extinguished.
تَنالُ أقصَى البلادِ لحظَتُه
كأنَّ أقصَى البلادِ أدنَاها
His glance reaches the furthest parts of the land
As if bringing closer the furthest parts.
لا تَعجَبوا من عُلُوِّ هِمَّتِه
وسِنُّه في أوانِ مَنشاها
Do not wonder at his ambition being high
While his age is in its building stage.
إنَّ النُّجومَ التي تُضئُ لنا
أصغرُها في العُيونِ أَعلاها
The stars that give us light
The smallest among them are the highest.
مُسَدَّدٌ تاهتِ الإمارةُ مُذ
نِيطَ به عِبئُها ومَا تَاها
He is guided, the rule was confused since
Its burden and what confused it was placed on him.
جَاءَته قبلَ الفِطامِ سافِرةً
يَهتَزُّ شَوقاً إليه عِطفَاها
It came to him before weaning
Yearning for him while his affection trembled.
آمنَ في ظِلِّه رَعيَّتَه
خَوفَ أعاديه حينَ عادَاها
His subjects felt safe in his shade
Fearing his enemies when they were hostile to him.
أهمَلها في نَوالِه وغَدا
مُشتَمِلاً بالحُسامِ يَرعاها
He neglected it with his accord and went
Bearing the swords, herding them.
إذا غدا المُستميحُ أعدَمَها
أَعادَه بالنَّوالِ أثْراها
When the asking one became forbidden, he returned it
With accord enriching it.
من دَوحةٍ طالَ فَرعُها ورسَت
أصولُها واسُتِلذَّ مَجنَاها
From a tree whose branches grew long and its
Roots anchored and its fruits were delicious.
سُرْجٌ أضاءَت على الزمانِ فما
أخمدَها الدهرُ مُنذ أذكَاها
A lamp that illuminated the times, so
It did not extinguish since it was lit.
يَنسِبُها للعُيونِ رَونَقُها
تَخلُبُ بالحُسنِ من تَردَّاها
Its charm is attributed to it by its eyes
Bewitching in beauty whoever covets it.
تردَّها حُلَّةً مفوَّفَةً
تخلُبُ بالحُسنِ من تَردّاها
Coveting it clad in a garment
Bewitching in beauty whoever covets it.
كأنَّ سِحرَ العُيونِ سَاعدَها
فدَبَّ في لَفظِها ومَعناها
As if the magic of eyes helped it
So it crept into its expression and meaning.
عَذراءُ جَلَّت عن الخُدورِ فقَد
أصبحَ رُكنُ الصُّدورِ مَأواها
A maiden who distanced herself from tent doors,
So the shelter of breasts became her abode.
