أثارت دموعا كنت لن تستبيتها
ديارٌ حَدَت عنك الحداة قطينهَا
You aroused tears I never thought would flow,
In dwellings strangers made desolate when they overran them.
فلما رأيت الدور قفرا محيلة
توهمتُ آياتٍ لها لتبينها
When I saw the houses empty and forlorn
I fancied them inscribed with lessons plain to see.
فاجريت دمع العين والنفس بينها
تردد بعد الظاعنين حنينها
So I let fall the tears that started to my eyes
As, after those who lived there, I too mourned their fate.
فحق لنفس أن تجن وأنها
تقطِّع من بعد الحنين أنينَها
My soul deserves to grieve and grieve again
And sever, after love, all love's remaining ties.
دع المدمع المصطانَ يجرى بمقلتي
غدا دمعها دينا عليها ودينهَا
Let him who suffers long make tears his occupation;
Tomorrow his tears will seem his consolation and his faith.
ألم تر أن الدور أقوت وأنني
عهدت بها حَورَا وحُوراً يلينَها
Did you not see that Time has conquered us and made
The doves that were our neighbors wild birds flying free,
عهدت بها حَورَا أَعارت غزالةٌ
لها وغزالٌ عينَها وجبينَها
Made them wild birds that borrowed from the roe her looks
And from the red deer his eyes and brow serene,
ونَورُ الأقاحى الثغرَ والخمرُ ريقةً
وزف الغراب الفرعَ وألبانُ لِينَها
While the soft light of Scorpio glowed in their lips
And the raven lent the branches his dark green.
وقد جرعتني بالنوى مضض الهوى
لتمنع من عذب الوصال معينهَا
The stars of Naua gave me of desire my fill,
To forbid me the gentle union that I crave.
فلما بدا صرمى وغودِرتُ مولعا
بأظعانها حيرانَ نَفسٍ حَزِينَها
When dawn began to break I rose perplexed, distracted
By the soft voices of the birds that broke my rest.
صرفتُ الهوى عنها إلى مَن فريضُه
إذَا أنشد الأشعار كان حسينها
I put aside for them the love I bore for you
And turned to one whose office is men's praise to sing,
له درر منثورة وجواهرٌ
لدى الفكر يبدى بالنظام ثمينَها
Who has a treasure-store of lovely verse and prose
Which, with his wisdom, he disposes line by line;
وإن رامه سِلقُ الضراغم بَرَّه
ويحمى من الأسد الضوارى عرينَها
And if he seeks a cloak for envious men to wear,
He fashions one of fur to rout the wild beasts' rage.
أيا ضيغمَ الهيجا وياعيلم الندى
خُلقتَ كريمَ النفس لست ضنينَها
O noble one of generous soul, no niggard you,
Nature designed you to be open-handed, frank and kind.
وإني أريد اليوم عندك حاجةً
لأنك تعطى الحاجة السائلينها
Today I have a favor that I seek from you,
Knowing you grant whatever favor one requests.
وهِىَّ اجتناب لاشيخ أحمدَ بالهجَا
ومعذرةً لابُدَّ أن تستبينها
It is—spare Shaykh Ahmad, blame him not in verse however wild,
Make excuse for him, see how he may be excused.
وقد هيج البغضاء بعد مودة
هِجَاهُ وكان الناسُ مُجتنبينَها
He stirred up hatred in his envy and his hate,
Though men had been endeavoring to avoid all stir.
وإن هيج الهيجاء فاعلم بِأنها
تجرِّع ذَا صَفواً وذلك طينها
If he arouses anger, bear in mind that he
Must drink the bitter cup—such is his destiny.
وما كان هذا النصح غلا محبةً
وخالصَ وِدٍّ حين خَانَ الدَّينَها
My wish to make excuse for him was not mere love,
Sincere good will it was, when he forgot his faith.
ونفسِى لما ترجوهُ عندك أيقنت
فحقق لها دون الخلاف يقينها
My soul is sure that you will not deny its plea.
Confirm its certainty: do not prolong the strife!
لقد دست السعودَ ولا صعودَا
يفوق صعودَ مَن داس السعودا
You have surpassed the meteors in your soaring,
And no ascent excels your rising flight.
وقد عمت مواهبُك البرايا
وفي تِلك المواهبَ لَن تَعُودَا
Your gifts encompass all the lands, and gifts like yours
Will never soar again to such a height.
شَدت ورق الحمامِ لدى اهتمامِى
فكدتُ لسدوها ألقى حِمَامِى
Because of my anxiety I had let my carrier pigeons go,
And all but cast away my cherished birds;
شدت ورق الحمام فهجن مالا
يهيج قبلها شدوُ الحَمَامِ
I let my carrier pigeons go and so was left without
The cooing I had known before to stir my heart.
سمعت حمامةً تدعو هديلاً
تذكر بالمعاهد والخيام
I heard a dove call mournfully and stir
Yearning for past encampments and past friends.
فتهتافُ الحمائم هاج هَمّى
وشوقى للمعاهد والخيام
The doves' soft moan aroused my grief
And longing for the friends of former days.
معاهدُ قدعهدت بها قَطَامِ
كلفتُ بهن من زمنِ الفطام
Those friends I pledged to cherish and uphold
When I was delicately nurtured in my youth.
فمن رام انفطامى عن هواها
فقد عُسُرُ انفطامى عن قَطَام
He who would see me break the pledges of my youth
Would find it hard indeed to turn me from my path.
توهمت الرسومَ بها كخال
وشام في المعاصم أو وشام
I fancied I could trace beloved lines
Like moles on arms or beauty-spots thereon.
وكم غيث أَرَبَّ بِهنَّ عاما
راوعده تزمزم باهتزام
How many a shower we loved in days gone by,
As Tuzum's raindrops pattered on the roof!
وكم هاجت رسوم دارساتٌ
هموما للمشوق المستهام
How many a lovely form has charmed my sight,
As the fascinator charms the passion-maddened heart!
تحاورها السوارى والسوالى
وأسراب الأوابد والنعام
Converse with them has been my soul's delight,
Gazelles, wild cows, all winged and footed things.
ومن نظر المحاسن من قطامِ
تخرق بالصبابة والغرام
Whoever views those charms I keep enshrined
Must pierce veils to come at the beloved within.
إذا كشفت نقاب الوجه كانت
بضوء البدر واضحةَ ابتسام
When it casts off the veil that hides the face
It shines in brightness like the shining moon.
ترى في الثَّغرِ مِنها وَالمُحَيَّا
بَوارِقَ الابتِسامِ والتَّسامي
You may observe within the lips and cheeks
Flashes of radiance and serenity.
لَها ثغر يعلّ بصرخديٍّ
به تفتر عن حَبِّ الغمام
It has a mouth that mocks the brightness
Of Scorpio with its bend and curve.
تريك لدى التثني خُوط بَانٍ
وأرَدَافاً تَأبَّطُ بالهُيَامِ
It shows you, when it smiles, threads of sharp pearls,
And breasts like pomegranates crowned upon the bough.
