عُوجا على ذاك الكثيبِ من كَثَبْ
فَكَمْ لنا في رَبْوَتَيْهِ من أَرَبْ
On that hill he stood loftily erewhile,
How often did we in its two slopes joy!
ما عَنَّ للعينِ به سِرْبُ مَهاً
إلا جرى من جَفنِها دمعٌ سَرَبْ
No eye but, when him it espied, poured down
Fast-flowing tears from its brims, like a mug.
سِرْنَ فقد عُوِّضَ قلبي طَرَباً
للحُزنِ من فَرْطِ السرورِ والطَّرَبْ
Depart, Solace my heart its trouble for joy
And gladness, that it hath surplus sadness and care.
واحتجبَتْ في كِلَلِ الرَّقْمِ دمىً
تَأنَقُ أثناءَ الحِجالِ والحُجُبْ
She showed herself in a gown with a train,
Looking the pink of perfection midst the mantles' folds.
جُدْنَ بأجيادٍ تحلِّيها النَّوى
فرائداً من دمعِ عينٍ مُنسَكبْ
Camels with housings gay and litters of pearl
Adorned, and gifts of a weeping eye outpour'd
صواعدُ الأنفاسِ أبْقَتْ نَفَساً
في صُعُدٍ منا ودمعاً في صَبَبْ
The breathings of the zephyr have left behind
Yearning in me and tears flooding adown.
ومُخطَفٍ يهتزُّ من ماءِ الصِّبا
كأنما يهتزُّ عن ماء العِنَبْ
A staggering drunk who from wine of Youth doth reel
As though he staggered from grape-juice, not meth.
قامَ وسُوقُ اللَّهوِ قد قامَ به
يَنخُبُ أقداحَ النَّدامى بالنُّخَبْ
The wine-bar and wanton will awake; young fools
Will pass in turn the bowls of wine along.
ويمزُجُ الكأسَ بعَذْبٍ ريقُه
حتى تبدَّى الصُّبحُ مُبيضَّ العَذَبْ
He blends the wine-cups with lips' vintaging
Until the dawn shines bright and morn is white.
وَجْدِي به وَجْدُ الأميرِ أحمدٍ
بجَمْعِ حَمْدٍ أو بتفريقِ نَشَبْ
As my joy seeks no increase beyond thy weal,
Or it seeks the clan's weal and folk a-gathered.
أغرُّ رَدَّ الجُودَ وَعْدَاً صادقاً
من بعدِ ما كان غُروراً وكَذِبْ
I show my virtues and evils I disown;
I turn from promises that proved untrue.
يستمطرُ البيضَ دماً وتارةً
يُمْطِرُ راجيه ذِهاباً من ذَهَبْ
He rains at times white silver and at times
On those who seek boons show'rs of gold he pours.
كالعارضِ انهلَّ رَذاذاً مُزنُهُ
وَبَرقُهُ بادي الحَريقِ يَلتَهِب
As lightning he glittered in sheen, his dazzlement shewing,
His lightning aggressive whilst fire is enkindled.
مُغرىً بسُمرِ الخَطِ لا سُمرِ المَها
بأساً وبِيضِ الهِندِ لا بِيضِ العَرَبْ
Enticing with braided tresses not braids deckt wi' pearls,
With blades not of al-Hind but the white of Arabs.
يُريه أعلى الرأيِ حَزْمٌ كامنٌ
فيه كُمونَ الموتِ في حَدِّ القُضُبْ
Prudence dwells in high emprise, though latent,
Like death in slender hoods of the lancets lain.
حَسْبُ بني حمدانَ مجْداً أنهم
أبناءُ محمودِ السَّماحِ والحَسَبْ
Sufficeth Hamdánides for pride and fame
That they are scions of Mahmúd generous:
أُسْدٌ إذا ما سلَبَت أُسْدَ الوَغى
أنفسَها عَافت نفيساتِ السَّلَبْ
A lion, if lions he hath ta'en, himself
Disdains to take the precious lives of kine.
كم حاسدٍ رَحْبِ الفِناءِ ضَيّقَتْ
عليه أسيافُ الأميرِ ما رَحُبْ
How many enviers whose spacious life was straitened
By Emir's long thin blades that snugly fitted!
وحامدٍ يسحَبُ ذيلَ نِعمَةٍ
أعمَّ من ذيلِ السَّحابِ المُنسَحِبْ
One praise-compelling who trails skirt of grace
Ampler than trail of clouds raining adown!
حنَّ إلى أرضِ العِراقِ فامتطَى
مطيّةً تسبَحُ في اللُّجِّ اللَّجِبْ
He turned his rein to Irák-land and rode
A paddock-skimmer swimming through pitchy sea,
ناجيةً تَرجو النَّجاةَ تارةً
بِسيْرِها وتارةً تخشى العَطَبْ
A she-camel soliciting at times to live
By her pacing, and then fearing for her limbs;
إذا المطايا قَوَّمَتْ رؤوسَها
لتهتدي قَوَّمَ هايها الذَّنَبْ
And when they put their heads to course direct,
He turned their heads from committing new offence.
ركائبٌ إن عرَّستْ لم تسترحْ
وإن سرَت لم تشكُ إفراطَ التَّعَبْ
Ships that swim safely may find toil and teen;
And ships voyaging swift eke excess of pain.
كأنما في الماء ظمآنٌ فلا
ينقَعُ رقراقُ السَّرابِ المُنسرب
As though amidst the waves athirst he were
Who will not drink the bowl marred by mirage;
كأنما نَحُلُّ منها أوطُناً
ونحْنُ للسيرِ الحثيثِ في دَأب
As though those saddle-bags were native home
While we were bound those deserts wild to range;
ولم يُزرْ بغدادَ حتى إنَّها
بحرُ ندىً يحيا به روضُ الادب
Not e'er Baghdad his goal he made ere she
Seemed sea of boons wherein lived joyaunce aye.
كأننا لمّا بَدَت رِباعُها
أسرى أحَسّوا بِفِكاكٍ مُقتِرِب
When first her terraces had stroke our sight,
'Twas likest wights in prison who go free.
عُدْنا بمُبْيضِّ الصِّلاتِ في الرِّضا
منه ومُحمَرِّ الظُّباةِ في الغَضَب
We turned with brow made white by joyous news
He gave; red in his rage at enemies.
أثْرى من المجدِ فأبقى سعيُه
مآثراً تبقَى على مَرِّ الحِقَب
His bounty gainéd wealth of honour and fame
Which shall endure because it still endures.
فراحَ راجيه وقد نالَ المُنى
بنائلٍ فلَّلَ أنيابَ النُّوَب
When he had won the wish of every wish
With trenchant sword he pierced the lions' breasts.
وراح من وشْي الثَّناء كاسياً
يخطِرُ في أثناءِ أبرادٍ قُشُب
And he returned while praise like gown invests,
Stark words and terse as plucked from tree branch torn.
