لَمَعَانُ البُرُوقِ هَاجَ الهُمُومَا

ومَرَى م العُيُونِ دَمعاً جَمُومَا

The lightning flashed and sorrows arose,

And tears flowed copiously from the eyes.

وَاستَفَزَّ الحُلُومَ حتى ازدَهَاهَا

وسنَا البَرقِ يَستَفِرُّ الحُلُومَا

It provoked desire until overabundance.

The lightning rouses desire with its flashing.

شِمتُهُ بِالطَّوِيلِ لَيلاً طَوِيلاً

فَأثَارَ الأسَى وأغَلَى الحَزِيمَا

My enemy gloated all night long,

Stirring up grief and igniting sorrow's blaze.

لاَحَ لِى في حَرِيمٌ غَانِبَ أو غُو

رَ أَو السِّلكِ فَاستَبَاحَ الحَرِيَما

No place was safe from his thieving and raiding,

He ransacked and pillaged without shame.

بِتُّ إِن لاَحَ شِمتُهُ وجَدِيرٌ

ذُو هَوىً رَاءَ بَارِقاً أن يَشِيمَا

I spent the night in anguish, should it have returned,

My anguish would have intensified still more.

بَاتَ يَخبُو ويَستَنِيرُ وَيحدُو

دُلَّحاً مِن دَوَالِحِ الدَّلوِ شِيمَا

He hid and emerged through the night,

Laden with overflowing buckets, a disgraceful burden.

فَسَقَى السَّلكَ والمَلاَقِىَّ والرِّف

قَة حتى غَدَت خِضَمًّا طَمُومُا

He watered the road and its crossings, even the rivulet,

Until they all became a muddy, turbid flow.

وانتَحَى سَاحَةَ الأُوَيجِنِ يُهدَى

أسَدِيّاً مِن نَوئِهِ مَركُومَا

He circled the barren plain, emerging

Like a lion from its den, submissive and humbled.

وبِذِى الأثلةِ استَهَلَّت رَوَايَا

مِنهُ حتى سَقَتهُ سَقياً عَمِيمَا

With his mischief, tales spread about him,

Until he was given to drink his fill of infamy.

وَسَقَى الغَرسَ ذَا النَّخِيلِ فَعَمَّا

رَ فَرَوَّى الثَّرَى ورَوَى الهِيمَا

He watered the palms till they flourished,

Refreshing the earth and slaking the thirst of the desolate place.

وَسَقى الخَطَّ كُلَّه وَتَخَطَّى

يَستَحِثُّ الرُّكُومُ مِنهُ السَّجوما

He watered the whole valley, transgressing,

Stirring up torrents and floods in his wake.

تُحسَبُ الرَّعدَ فِيه هَزمَ قُرُومٍ

لَقيَت في حِيَالَ ذَود قُرُومَا

It sounded like the clash of armies,

Battalions meeting opposing battalions.

فَتَوَّخَى البِئَارَ حتى سَقَاهَا

غَدَقاً صَيِّبَ الصِّبِير هزيما

Then he turned to the wells until he filled them,

Pouring down a flood that overwhelmed the cisterns.

فَسَقى تِلعَةَ المَلاقِي فَالمَل

قَى فَذَا المَيس فاللِّوى المَعلُومَا

He watered the hill's slopes, then the crossings,

Then the meadows, then the well-known rivulet.

فَالسُّلحَفَاةَ فَالقُوَيسِى فالطّي

بِ فَالقَصَّ فالحِمَارَ القَدِيمَا

Then the turtles, then Al-Quwaysi, then Al-Tayyib,

Then Al-Qass, then the old donkey.

واستَهلَّ الشَّمَالَ مِنهُ فَرَوَّى

وغَدَا كُلُّ مَوضِع مِنهُ مَطمُومَا

From him the North was set flowing,

Until every place was left soggy and drowned.

فَسَقَى القَارَةَ العَرِيضَةَ

فالبَيضَاءَ فَالمُستَدِيرَ فالمَدرُومَا

He inundated the wide plain,

And the White Land, and Al-Mudayyir, and the ruined village.

فغدت غِبَّهُ التِّلالُ تِلاعاً

واكتَسَت مِن حُلُى الرِّيَاضِ نَعِيمَا

The hillsides became like flooded marshes,

Adorned with the necklaces of blooming gardens.

فَأتَى العُقلَ وهو مُنبَجِسُ ألمَا

ءِ فَأمسَى بِأرضِهِنَّ مُقِيمَا

Then he came to Al-'Uqul while it overflowed with distress,

And spent the night submerging its lands.

فَغَدَا الرَّوضُ بَاسِمَ الثَّغرِ يَحكِى ال

مِسكَ إِن مَسَّهُ النَّسِيمُ شَمِيمَا

The meadows smelled of perfume, diffusing it

Whenever the breeze blew gently through.

إِنَّ في العُقلِ لِى لَحَاجةَ نَفسٍ

لَم تَرِم حِينَ رُمتُهَا أن تَرِيمَا

In Al-'Uqul I have an unfulfilled desire,

That has not ceased since I yearned for it.

كَلَّمَا رُمتُ عَن هَواهَا إرعِوَاءً

حَمَّلَتني مَا لَم تُحَمِّل أرِيمَا

Whenever I turned away, restraining my passion,

It burdened me with torment beyond any before.

وإِذَا خِلتُ أَن غَدَوتُ سَلِيمَا

مِنَ أَلِيمِ الغَرامِ صِرتُ سَلِيمَا

And when I thought I'd awakened cured

Of the pain of love, I found I was not cured.

وِإذَا شِئتُ أن أُهَوِّمَ في الدَّو

وِ أبَى لِى إدِّكَارُها التَّهوِيمَا

And when I wished to pine away in passion,

My soul refused to allow me to pine.

إِنَّ مَأ بي لِمن فَتَاةٍ سَبتني

وكَستني هَوىً لَذِيذاً أَلِيمَا

I am afflicted by a maiden who captivated me

And clothed me in delightful, painful love.

فَهيَ دَائِى الصَّمِيمُ وَهى دَوَائِى

لَو حَبَتني مِنها الوِدَادَ الصَّمِيمَا

She is my life's core, and my remedy -

If she would love me with sincere affection.

قَالِ لِى صَاحبي النديم ومَن هِى

وجَدِيرٌ بِأن أُجِيبَ النَّدِيمَا

My friend and confidante asked "And who is she,

Worthy for me to answer the confidante?"

قُلتُ هِى البَتُولُ قَالَ أَلَمَّا

تَسلُ عَنها فَقُلتُ قُلتَ عَظِيمَا

I said "She is the chaste maiden." He replied "Why

Have you not asked about her?" I said "You have spoken gravely."

لا تَرِم لِى عن البَتولُ سُلُوّاً

إِنَّ حِفظَ الوِدَادِ أَن لاتَرُومَا

Do not ask me about the chaste maiden,

Loyalty is not to divulge affection.

كَم فَتًى لامَ في هَوَاهَا ولم يُج

دِ سُلُوَّاً فَوَدَّ أن لَن يَلُومَا

How many men have been blamed for their passion, yet found no

Fault in asking, wishing they had not been blamed.

إِنَّ عِندَ البَتُولِ نَغماً رَخِيماً

لم يَدَع في القُلُوبِ قَلباً سَلِيمَا

With the maiden is a gentle musical air,

That leaves no heart untouched within the chests.

وشَتِيتاً مُنصَباً قَرقَفِياً

إِثمُدِىَّ اللَّمَى وبَرقاً مَشِيمَا

Scattered and outspread, bubbling,

Kindling the flames of passion and flashing lightning.

وَبنَاناً رَخصاً وغيلاَ نَقِيًّا

وَوِشَاحاً ومِعصَماً مَوسُومَا

Delicate build, slender waist, rippling curls,

Bracelets and armbands engraved.

ونَقىً رَاجِحاً وخُوطاً مَرُوحاً

وطَلاَناعِساً ورِيماً مَرُومَا

A slender form, swaying, undulating gait,

Swiveling hips, petite feet.

وَموَامٍ يَحَارُ فيها القَطَا الكُد

رِىُّ حتى تُفلَّ مِنهُ العَزِيمَا

Such as confounds the minds of poets,

Wandering perplexed, their wills broken.

وتني الرِّيحُ بِالجَرَاثِيمِ فِيهَا

إِن أبَانَت بِتِيهِهَا جَرثُومَا

You would hear only the winds' voices within it,

Except for the cooing ringdove and the whistling gale.

وطَوَى ذِيبَها الطَّوَى فَهو يَدعُو ال

وَيلَ في البيدِ حَائِراً مَكظُومَا

You hear the owl lamenting its desolation,

And the echo answering the owl.

لَم تَكُن سَامِعاً مِنَ الصَّوتِ فِيهَا

غَيرَ صَوتش الرِّيَاحِ إِلاَّ النَّئِيمَا

It is frightening yet perplexingly enchanting,

Leading astray the steps of one who would prove it true.

تَسمَعُ البُومُ وَهوَ يَنأَمُ وهناً

ونَئِيمُ الصَّدَى يُجِيبُ البُومَا

Perils unknown hide within it,

Should the intimate friend be exposed to suspicion.

هو لُها يُختَشَى وفِيهَا إشتِبَاهٌ

مُعقِبٌ في حِجَا الدِّليلِ غُمُومَا

I left it with lingering sorrow, compressed -

If I returned its sorrow would disperse.

قد تَبَطَّنَتها أَمُوناً سَبندَا

ةً إِذَا جَرَّتِ العِتَاقَ الحَمِيمَا

It crosses the waste like a dread specter,

Rustling, hissing, and wailing in the night.

واستَزيَدَت فَلَم تَزِد وتَشَكَّت

وَبرَت جَذبَةُ الخَشَاشِ الكُومَا

And it circles the plain softly, lightly,

Pivoting and pacing measured steps.

خِلتُهَا خَاضِباً أسَكَّ ظَلِيماً

لَو عَدَت بَذَّت الأسَكَّ الظَّلِيمَا

This is for one experienced with ordeals,

Capable of stringing the thread when it breaks.

تَقطَعُ البِيدَ كَالجَهَامِ إنسِلاَلاً

وَزَفِيفاً وَغلوَةً ورَسِيمَا

And if I wished to compose verse

For the disreputable one who befriends the disreputable.

وَتُولِى الصَّفَاةَ خفَّا خَفِيفاً

مُستَدِيراً ومَنسَماً مَثلُومَا

She carried it to him, then came to him

And saw some of the perversions of the depraved.

تِلكَ لِلصَّرمِ إِن أَلَمَّ عَتَادِى

تَصِلَ الحَبلَ الوَاهِنَ المَصرُومَا

He is the traitor, the cheat, the villain, the thief,

The fraud, who mimics the pigs in nature.

وإذَا شِئتُ أن أُزَفِّفَ شِعراً

لِلزَّنَيمِ الذي تَقفي الزَّنِيمَا

The lands are weary of him, east and west,

And he has become to its people an ill omen.

حَمَلَتهُ إِلَيهِ ثُمَّ أتَتهُ

ورَأت بَعضَ مَا أجَنَّ الأَنِيمَا

All who see him conceal themselves,

And hide from him, and are wary of his evil.

فهو الخَائِنُ الغَدُورُ الخِبِيثُ الس

سارِقُ المُشبِهُ الخَنَازِيرَ شِيمَا

The people have experienced his misfortune, so they shunned him,

Reviled him, and labeled him disgraced.

سَئَمَتهُ البِلاَدُ شَرقاً وغَرباً

وغَدا عِندَ أهلِهَا مَشئُومَا

And called him the despicable, the base, the ignorant fool,

The good-for-nothing, the degenerate, the condemned.

كُلُّ مَن رَاءَهُ تَسَتًَّرَ عَنهُ

واختفي عَنهُ واَختَشَى مِنهُ شُومَا

The defective, the foul-mouthed, the corrupt, the coward,

The brute, the flawed, the sinful wretch.

جَرَّبَ النَّاسُ شُؤمَهُ فَجَفَوهُ

وَقَلَوهُ ولَقَّبُوهُ الدَّمِيمَا

O ally of adultery, O son of a dog,

You barked at the stars when you howled.

والذَّمِيمَ اللِّئِيمَ والجَاهِلَ الجِب

سَ العُتِلَّ المُمَاذِقَ المَذمُومَا

You were not of human form or nature

Until you were assumed to be of noble origin.

والنَّمُومَ الشَّتِيمَ والفَاسِقَ الخِب

بَ الجَبَانَ الجَمَّ العُيُوبَ الاَثِيمَا

You and the state you are in bear witness,

And the proof of your state convicts you.

يَا حليفَ الزِّنَاءَ أيَا إبنَ

كَلبُ مَاضَرَّ أَن نَبحتَ النُّجُومَا

Evil qualities took form and came in

The shape of an ape, then copied its features.

لَم تَكُ الآدِميَّ شَكلاً ولاَ طَب

عَاً ِإلى أن تُظَنَّ أصلاً كَرِيمَا

Your religion is blasphemy and your nature is greed,

You are not of goodness and guidance, not honorable.

أنتَ والحَالُ شَاهِدٌ وشُهودُ ال

حالِ أحرَى بِأَن تَبُتَّ الخُصُومَا

It is difficult to satirize you, when you yourself

Are satire - to satirize satire suits you well.

سَيِّئَاتٌ تَجَسَّمَت فَأَتَت في

صُورَةِ القِردِ ثم حَاكَتهُ سِيمَا

You said you made a clear mistake

In referring to the crescent as an amulet.

دِينُكَ الكُفرُ والسَّرِيرَةُ حِرصٌ

لَستَ بِالخَيرِ والهُدَى مَوسُومَا

But the crescent amulet is no mistake

If you had looked into language and understood.

عَسُرَ الهَجوُ مِنكَ إِذ أنتَ هَجوٌ

وهِجَاءُ الهِجَاءِ أن بِكَ سِيمَا

It is you, you who have made mistakes again and again,

And you have always been a leader in mistakes.

قًلتَ ِإني لَحَنتُ لَحناً جَلِيًّا

وجَعَلتَ اللَّحنَ الهِلاَلَ التَّمِيمَا

You were neither a reader nor a scholar,

Chewing rags and eating dried hides.

والهِلاَلُ التَّميمُ لَيسَ بِلَحنٍ

لَو نَظَرتَ اللُّغَى وكُنتَ فِهِيمَا

Rather, you habitually chewed almonds,

Ignorance trained your speech to babble.

أنتَ أنتَ الذي لَحنتَ مِرَاراً

ولَقد كُنتَ بِاللُّحُونِ زَعِيمَا

I said, when you intended a subtle melody,

You made the lute into an intimate companion -

لَم تَكُن قَارِئاً ولَم تَكُ قُحًّا

مَضَغَ الشِّيحَ واجتني القَيصُومَا

We never knew the lute to be a companion before!

Your ignorance in the melody sufficed as subversion.

إِنَّمَأ كُنتَ مَاضِغَ اللَّوزِ دَأباً

عَوَّدَ الجَهلُ نُطقَكَ التَّعجِيمَا

If you are unschooled, you cannot be blamed,

You are not to be blamed in all you undertake.

قُلتُ إِذ رُمتَ في القَرِيضِ نَسِيباً

كُنتَ أحجُو نَعِيمَه مُستَدِيمَا

You are misguided, and the origin of your origin misguided,

Misguided too - is that not enough misguidance!

وجَعَلتَ الرَّبَابَ فِيهِ نَدِيماً

مَا عِهِدنَا الرَّبَابَ قَبلُ نَدِيما

There is in your wretched poem a brief

Provocation that endures for all time.

وَكفي سُبَّةً سَوَامِىَ هِيماً

وظَهَرَ اللَّحنُ في سَوامِىَ هِيَما

You made the rhyme letter meem - my response

Will make your rhyme letter meem as well!

إِن تَكُن لاَحِناً فَلَستَ مَلُوماً

لَستَ في كُلِّ مَايِشِينُ مَلُومَا

And beware of affectation and absurdity,

And forced meaning - consider well your meaning.

أنتَ لُؤمٌ وأصلُ أصلِكَ لُؤمٌ

وَهوَ لُؤمٌ أما كفي اللّومُ لُومَا

And beware of inclination, of support, of implied censure,

Of magical charms and amulets.

هَاكَ في لَحنِكَ السَّقِيمِ قَرِيضَا

صَحَّ إِذَا أصبَحَ القَرِيضُ سَقِيمَا

فِيهِ مِن هَجوِكَ اختِصَارُ مُثِيرٌ

في الحَشَا دَائِمَ الزَّمَانِ كُلُومَا

وجَعَلتَ الروي مِيماً فإِنَّ رُم

تَ جَوَابي إجعَلَن رَوِيَّكَ مِيمَا

وَاحتَرِس من تَكَلًّفٍ واعتِسَافٍ

وانعِقَادِ مَعنًى ورَاعِ مَعنًى جَسِيمَا

وَاحذَرِ المَيلَ والسِّنِادَ وتَش

ويشَ النُّهى والتَّضمِينُ والتَّمِيمَا