ألِمَّا بي عَلَى الرَّبعِ القَدِيمِ
لإبرِدَ باللِّمَامِ بِهِ حَزِيمِي
When I pass by the old quarter
To cool my inflamed despair,
قِفَا بِرُسُومِهِ بي علَّ مَابي
يُخَفَّفِهُ الوُقُوفُ عَلَى الرَّسُومِ
I stand still at its vestiges
Though standing wearies my feet.
وإِن يَكُ مُقفِرَ العَرَصَانِ ما إِن
تَرَى العَينَانِ فِيهِ مِن أرَيمِ
Though the plain is desolate, with no
Visible ruins that meet the eye,
وغَيَّرَهُ البِلَى إِلاَّ بَقَايَا
كَبَاقِى الوَحىِ أو كِفَفِ الوُشُومِ
Yet time has changed it, leaving only
Traces, like scattered revelation, or like the plucked feathers of an ostrich.
وِإلاَّ هَامِداً مُتَلَبِّداً في
جَوَانِبِهِ كَجُونِ قَطاً جُثُومِ
Otherwise, it remains dejected, shrouded in
Its corners, like a brooding cat.
وإِلاَّ مِثلَ جَذمِ الحَوضِ عَفَّت
أعَالِيَهُ يَدُ الجَونِ السُّجُومِ
Or like the stump of a pond whose
Upper parts the hand of fate has effaced.
وَوُدَّا كالسِّواكِ ورِمَّةً في
مُقَلَّدِ ذَلِكَ الوَتِدِ الرَّمِيمِ
Parched as a toothpick, it survives as a relic
On the thread of that feeble tentpole.
ألِمَّا بي عَلَيهِ فَإِنَّ فِيهِ
شِفَاءَ المُغرَمِ الدَّنِفِ السَّقِيمِ
When I come upon it, it cures
The suffering of the sick and weary lover.
خَلِيلَىَّ أُندُ بَاهُ فإِنَّ دَهرِى
بِه دَهرَ المَسَرَّةِ والنَّعِيمِ
My friend, I give it longing sighs, for my
Days there were days of joy and bliss.
سَحِبتُ مَطَارِفَ الغَفَلاَتِ تِيهاً
عَلَى جَرعَائِهِ وَعَلَى الصَّرِيمِ
I pulled away the skirts of heedlessness when they
Wandered astray over its gravel and flint.
وَفَّدتني الخَرَائِدُ فِيهِ إني
مُفَدًّى غَيرُ مَقِلىِّ الهُجُومِ
The ruins made me their confidant, and I am
A loyal confidant, undaunted by calamities.
ثَمِلتُ بِصَرخَدِىِّ اللَّهوِ فِيهِ
عَلَى رُغمِ المُكَاشِحِ والنَّمُومِ
I have wasted my riotous youth jesting
There despite the blame of faultfinders.
وسَالَمني الزَّمَانُ بِهِ وَلَذَّت
لَيَالِيهِ القَلِيلاَتُ الهُمُومِ
Time has left me in peace to enjoy
Its few cares and gentle sorrows.
عَهِدتُ بِه فَتَاةً ذَاتَ دَلٍّ
عَرُوباً تَستبي قَلبَ الحَلِيمِ
I once knew there a provocative gazelle
Graceful in the blink of an eye or scent of musk,
مُهَفهَفَةً هَضِيمَ الكَشحِ إني
بُلِيتُ بِذَلِكَ الكَشحِ الهضِيمِ
With a smooth cheek I suffered for,
One that steals the heart of the wise.
زَمَانَ تَقُودني سَلمَى بأَلمَى
أنِيقٍ في المَذَاقَةِ والشَّمِيمِ
For a time she led me gently by my pain,
Refined in taste and rich perfume.
وغِربِيبِ الغَدَائِرِ اليَلَىِّ
وجِيدِ ومُقلَةِ الرَّشَأِ الرَّخِيمِ
I was spared all women but Salma,
And Salma left me like a freed slave.
سَلِمتُ مِنَ الأوَانِسِ غَير سَلمَى
وسَلمَى غَادَرَتني كَالسَّلِيمِ
I imagine her when she begins to bend
The rod of herbuttermilk in the breath of breeze,
وأحجُوهَأ إِذا أخَذَت تَثَنَّى
قَضِيبَ ألبَانِ في هَبِّ النَّسِيمِ
And comes close to her tent ropes in a way
That kindles the fire of touching.
وتَدنُو مِن محاوِرِهَا دُنُواً
وإِن رِيمَت تَنُورُ نِوَارَ رِيمِ
Don’t blame me, my critic, if a young man
Wept over ruins that cannot be blamed.
عَذُولِى لاَ تَلُمني إِنَّ صَبّاً
بَكَى الأَطلاَلَ لَم يَكُ بالمَلُومِ
The time I spent there was sweet, not stagnant
Like the stillness of stars in their setting.
وَهَذَا الرَّبعِ أزمُنُهُ لِذَاذٌ
قِصَارٌ غيرُ رَاكِدَةِ النُّجُومِ
By it I distinguished friend from foe
And close from distant neighbor.
أبِنتُ بِهِ العَدُوَّ مِنَ المَوالِى
ومَيَّزتُ البَعِيدَ من الحَمِيمِ
The noble stars conversed with me there,
As nobles converse with the noble.
ونَادَمني الكِرَامُ الشُّمُّ فِيهِ
مُنَادَمَةَ الأكَارِمِ لِلكَرِيمِ
We called each other with proud names
From the essence of pure, unblemished glory.
فَنَادِينَا أغَرُّ عَلَيهِ سيمَا
مَعَادِنِ لُؤلُؤِ المَجدِ الصَّمِيمِ
It was untouched by any shameful, vile thing;
No shame or vileness was found there.
صَفَا مِن كُلِّ مَا بَرِمٍ لَئِيمٍ
فَلَم يَكُ فِيهِ مِن بَرَمٍ لَئِيمِ
When goblets are passed we pass them round,
Clarifying the obscure, benighted riddle.
نُدِيرُ مَعَ الكُئِوسِ إذَا أُدِيرَت
جَلاَءَ المُشكِلِ الدَّاجِى البَهِيمِ
And if their hidden meanings run astray, our minds
Leash them with the reins of knowledge.
وإِن شَرَدَت غَوَامِضُهَا عَقَلنَا
شَوَارِدَهَا بِأمرَاسِ العَلُومِ
No absent one was estranged, but each one was
His brother’s protected neighbor.
ومَامَن غابَ مُغتَاباً وكُلٌّ
أُخُوهُ لَدَيهِ مَحمِىُّ الحَرِيمِ
Each held the other’s respect like a pasture
In a meadow without barriers.
وكُلُّ مُقتَنٍ مِن أخِيهِ مَرعًى
بِرَوضِ الوَدِّ لَم يَكُ بالوَخِيمِ
They are my family, my custom
In time of trial, strong, unyielding.
أولئِكَ أُسرَتِى وهُمُ عَتَادِى
لأُزمِ الدَّاهِمِ الأدِّ الأَزُومِ
Through them I overcome terrors, secure
That they will loose the knot of the ancient pact.
بِهِم ألِجُ المَخَاوِفَ آمِناً أن
يَحلُو عُقدَةَ العَهدِ القَدِيمِ
He who harbored them was safe from calamity,
Even if their origin was hellfire.
فَمَن آوَوهُ لَم يَسلَم لِخَطبٍ
وإِن أصلاَهُم نَارَ الجَحِيمِ
Every assailant shrank from them,
And every taster of bitterness and grief.
فَكلُّ جُدَّامِرٍ آنأوهُ عَنهُم
وكُلُّ مُمَاذِقٍ لَحِزٍ سَئُومِ
They are purehearted, shining,
Men of a time that, without them, is barren.
وهُم مَا هُم غَطَارِفَةٌ طُهَارَى
أُولُو زَمَنٍ بِمِثلِهٍمُ عَقِيمِ
I have made them sieves for the lies of villains
And magnets for the deviations of the wicked.
رَجالَ الخَيرِ والشَّرِّ اتَّخِذهُم
ثِقَافَ صَغَا أنَابِيبِ الغُشُومِ
A lamp, jewelry in the valleys,
Their quality puts moldy hay to shame.
ومَغَنَاطِيسَ طِيَّاتٍ تَنَاءَت
ومِدرَهَ حَادِثٍ جَلَلٍ عَظِيمِ
I have tested their mettle in perils
More impregnable than any fortress.
ومِصبَاحاً وَحلياً في النَّوَادِى
وعَفَّ بِمَا لِهِم قَشَبَ الكُلُومِ
They neither wavered nor were cowardly, but they
Saw the intricacy and turned away.
وإني قَد بَلَوتُ قُدمُوهُم في
مَآزِقَ هِىَّ أمنَعُ لِلقُدُومِ
From what I have tested of their help in the
Crises of fate and days of ordeal:
فَمَا خَامُوا ومَا جَبُنَوا ولَكِن
فَرَوا مَحبُوكَهَا فَرىَ الأدِيمِ
I have found the sweet life embittered, troubled
By its deceptions and disastrous sorrows.
ومِمَّا قد بَلَوتُ نَدَاهُم في
تَلَكّى الدَّهرِ والمَحلِ العَمِيمِ
People are lost, they have such smooth skins
When smoothness of skin is adored!
فالغيتُ الحَيَا الدَّلوي يَعنُو
لُهُ وغَوارِبَ أليَمِّ الطَّمُومِ
And they have manners contrary to high principles,
By which are consoled those who pick dates.
أُلاَكَ النَّاسُ إِنَّ لَهم حُلُوماً
رَوَاسِىَ إِذ تُحَلُّ حُبَ الحُلُومِ
Their habit is to pretend to high ideals
And resurrect the ways of righteousness,
وأخلاَقاً عَلَى العِلاَّتِ مَيثاً
بها تُسلَى مُعَتَّقَةَ الكُرُومِ
To please God and His Chosen One
Of mighty nature and manner sublime!
ودَأبُهم التَّرقِى لِلمَعَالِى
وإحيَاءِ دَاثِرِ السَّنَنِ القَوِيمِ
Upon him and his Household be the purest prayer,
Full of blessings and peace!
ومَرضَاة الإلهِ ومُصطَفَاهُ
عظيم القَدرِى ذِى الخُلُقِ العَظِيمِ
عَلَيهِ وآلهِ أزكِى صلاةٌ
مُحَلاَّةٍ بِتَسلِيمٍ تَمَيمِ
