أبَرقٌ لاحَ مِن خِلَلِ الغَمَامِ

أمِ انكَشَفَ التَّنَقُّبُ عَن أُمَامِ

A flash gleamed through the clouds,

Or did the veil lift from before me?

فَإن يَك بَارِقاً فَلَهُ بَرِيقٌ

كَوَجهِ اُمَامَ وَاضِعَةَ اللِّثَامِ

If it was lightning, it had a brilliance

Like the face of a leader lowering her veil.

وإِن يَكُ وَجهَها فَلَقَد أعَارَت

بِلَمحَتِهِ السَّنَا بَدرَ التَّمَامِ

If it was her face, she lent

Her glance for an instant the full moon's splendor.

فَدَت رَشَفَاتِ ثَغرِكَ بَعدَ هَدءٍ

عَلَى عِلاَّتِها جُرُعُ المُدَامِ

May your lips' dewdrops ransom me after peace

From the drafts of wine that madden.

أُمَامَةُ لَو عَلِمتِ بِمَا اعتَرَاني

غَدَاةَ البَينِ مِن ألِمَ الغَرَامِ

Umaama, had you known what passion grips me

Since we parted, pain of love,

لما نَأيتني وَصَددَّتِ عني

ودمعِى بَينَ مُنهَمِلٍ وهَامِ

You'd not have avoided me and turned

From me while my tears flow unchecked.

أُحِبُّكِ يَا أُمَامَةُ غَيرَ أني

بُلِيتُ بِحُبِّ غَيرِكِ مُنذُ عامِ

I love you, Umaama, but I

Have been consumed with love for another this past year.

سَقَاني شَوقُ آسِيَةٍ سَقَاماً

وهَاجَ أسىً أمضَّ السَّقَامِ

Yearning for Aasiya has brought me sickness

And sorrow that worsens the sickness.

فَدمعِى مِن هَوَاهَا في إنسِجَامٍ

وقَلبي مِن هَواهَا في اضطِرَامِ

Thus my tears in concert with my love for her

And my heart afire with love for her.

وقَد نُبِّئتُ أنَّ لَهَا حَلِيلاً

مُجِيداً لاَ يُكَافَحُ في الكَلاَمِ

And I was told she has a husband

Eloquent, beyond reproach in speech.

فَقُلتُ لَهُم تَرَكتُ لَهُ هَوَاهَا

مَخَافَةَ مَا يَجُرُّ ِإلَى المَلاَمِ

So I told them, "I leave her love to him,"

Fearing blame for what I was attempting.

فَقَالَ لَهُم تَقَاعَسَ عَن لِقَائِى

وكَانَ يَهَابني قَبلَ احتِلاَمِى

But he told them, "He hung back from meeting me

And used to fear me before I reached manhood."

وأرسَلَ مِن كِنَانَتِهِ سِهاماً

بِلاَ سَبَبٍ ِإلىَّ ولاَ سَلاَمِ

And he shot arrows at me

Without cause or greeting.

فأخرَجتُ السِّهَامَ وكَنتُ أدرَى

بِمَوقِعِ مَا يُحَاوِلُ باِلسِّهَامِ

So I brought out the arrows, knowing full well

What he sought with those arrows.

فَلَمَّا أن أرَدتُّ الرَّمىَ فِيهِ

ونَارُ الشِّعرِ مُشعَلَةُ الضِّرَامِ

But when I thought to shoot back at him

With the fire of poetry blazing hot,

تَذَكَّرتُ القَرَابَةَ فَأنثَنَت بي

إِلَى تَركِ التَّعَارِضِ والتَّرَامِى

I remembered we were kin, so I inclined

To avoid confrontation and exchange of arrows.

فَأرسَلَ بِالهِجَاءِ ِإلَىَّ أيضاً

وذَلِكَ فِيهِ إيقَاظُ النِّيَامِ

Then he assailed me with invective too

Seeking thereby to wake the sleeping.

تَنَبَّه مِن مِنَامِكَ هِجتَ صِلاًّ

تُنُوذِرَ في المَوَاسِمِ والمَوَامِى

"Awake from your slumber, answer my invective in verse

That forewarns in seasons of verse and gatherings.

سَتُنشَرُ في مَحَلِّكَ وهىَ عُورٌ

عَلَى عَجَلٍ قَوافٍ كالسِّلاَمِ

It will spread in your haunts though it violate

Proprieties, on racing she-camels swift as arrows.

فَإن تَكُ صَالِحاً لِلشِّعرِ تُخرِج

دَرَارِىَ مِنهُ مُحكَمَةَ النِّظَامِ

If you are fit for poetry, compose from it

Uniform pearls with well-ordered composition.

وإِن تَكُ تَدَّعِيهِ ولَستَ أهلاً

لَهُ أصبَحَت مِن مَوتَى الرِّجَامِ

But if you pretend to it while unfit,

You'll be among the dead from the horsemen's arrows."

أجِيبُوني أجرِّعكُم هِجَاكُم

وما يَشفي الأوَارُ مِنَ الأوَامِ

Answer me! I will make you drink your own invective,

And vitriol does not heal vitriol!"

وإيَّاكُم وقَولَةَ لَيس كُفئاً

فَإني كُفؤُ كُلِّ فَتًى هُمَامِ

Beware saying I am no match,

For I match any noble hero.

وفي نَسبي وفي حَسبي ونَفسِى

مَقَامٌ لاَ يُقَصِّرُ عَن مَقَامِ

In my lineage, repute and soul

I have a station that falls short of no other station.

عِصَامِىٌّ عِظَامىٌّ فأني

أُقَاسُ في الإفتِخَارِ عَلَى عِظَامِى

My bones are strong, I am peer

To my peers when boasting of bone.

ِإذَا امتَحَنت قَرائِحُنَا تَبَدَّى

لِحَضرَتِنَا الكُهَامُ مِنَ الحُسَامِ

If our talents are put to the test, there will appear

To our assembly the reality from the swords.

بَدا لِى فِيكَ أنَّكَ غَيرُ حُرٍّ

لِمَا ضَيَّعتَ مِن شِيَمِ الكرَامِ

You seemed to me lacking in freedom

Because you neglected the traits of nobility.

وقَد أتعبتَ نَفسَكَ في تَرَجِّى

مَسَائِلَ مَالَهَا بِكَ مِن لِمَامِ

You wearied yourself petitioning

Affairs that have nothing to do with you.

تُحَاوِلُ أن تَكُونَ ولَستَ شَيخاً

كَأَنَّكَ في التَّيَقُّظِ في المَنَامِ

You try to be without being an elder,

As if waking while asleep.

أشَيخٌ لَيسَ يَعلَمُ فَرضَ عَينٍ

ولَم يَعلَم مَقاماً مِن مُقَامِ

An elder who knows no religious duty,

Who has not learned any station of the stations.

ولَم يَحصُل علَى جِسمٍ أَنِيقٍ

فَيُحسَب مِن أُولِى الرُّتَبِ الجِسَامِ

Nor attained a graceful body

To be counted among the tall and sturdy.

ظَنَّنَا أنَّ هَمَّكَ في المَعَالِى

ولم تَكُ في المَعَالِى ذَا اهتِمَامِ

We thought your concern was for sublime things,

But you had no interest in sublime things.

زِمُامُكَ بَطنُكَ استَولَى قَدِيماً

عَلَيكَ فَأنتَ مُتِّبِعُ الزِّمَامِ

Your halter has from of old

Taken control of you, so you follow the halter,

يَقُودُكَ لِلطَّعَامِ وأنتَ تُدعَى

بِخُوَّارِ العِنَانِ إلَى الطَّعَامِ

Leading you insistently to food, called

The free-rein scarfer at mealtimes.

تَعُضُّ عَلَى اللِّجَامِ إِذَا تَبَدَّى

فَيَصعُبُ عَنهُ رَدعُكَ باللِّجَامِ

You bite the bit when a meal appears,

So it's hard to hold you back with the bit.

أذَلَّكَ في مَواطِنِ صَادِقَاتٍ

وعَلَّكَ مِن مَشَارِبِ كُلِّ زَامِ

It debased you in the company of chaste women

And taught you from every drinking trough.

وشَلَّكَ عَن حِيَاضِ المَجدِ ثَلاًّ

فَمَلَّكَ كُلُّ مُنخَفِضٍ وسَامِ

It crippled you away from meadows of glory,

So you were filled by every lowly blot.

وهَل لَكَ مِن أدَاهِمِهِ تَفَصٍ

وقد أضحَت أمَاكِنُها دَوَامِ

Do you have any mighty exploits to pick out?

For their places have become abodes of destruction.

لَعَلكَ قد عَثرتَ وعلَّ قَولِى

لَعَالَك فِيهِ جَذبُكَ لِلمَرَامِ

Perhaps you tripped and my words have tended

To pull you to your purpose.

دَعَوكَ مُحَمَّدَ الحَسَن ابتِدَاءً

ولَم يَكُ الإبتَداءُ كالإِختِتَامِ

Muhammad al-Hasan summoned you at first,

But the beginning is not like the conclusion.

فَلَمَّا أن بَلُوكَ وكُنتَ عَلاًّ

تُعَلُّ بِكَأسِ مَنقَصَةٍ مُدَامِ

When you were tested and you were high,

Drinking from a diminished cup of wine,

وترفُلُ في جَلاَبِيبِ المَساوي

مُوَّشَحةً بِتَنمِيقِ الحَرَامِ

Wrapped in the monk's gown

Adorned with unlawful embellishments,

تَرَوَّوا في سُمَالَكَ لَيس يُبزرِى

بِقَدرِكَ بَعد تَفتِيشِ الأَسَامِى

They sized up your turban and found none they despised more,

After investigating the pedigrees.

فَقَالَ البَعض عَيبَةُ كُلِّ عَيبٍ

وقَالَ البَعضُ مَلأمَةُ الأنَامِ

Some said the epitome of every fault,

Others called you the bane of mankind.

شَغُفتَ بِكُلِّ منقصةُ غلاَماً

وقَد يَبدُو المختَأُ في الغُلاَمِ

You were infatuated with every deficient boy,

And deficiency may show in a boy.

فَلَمَّا أن نَشَأتَ دَوَىً دَمِيماً

كَثِيرَ خَناً عدتَ مِنَ اللِّئَامِ

So when you came of age with a debased echo,

Very spiteful, you counted among the vile,

وقَد أفنَيتَ عُمرَكَ في أُمُورٍ

صِغَارٍ مَا جَنَحتَ إلى العِظَامِ

You spent your life on trivial affairs

Without succeeding in lofty ones.

فَرُبَّ أمَانَةٍ قد خُنتَ حَتَّى

دَعَتكَ إلى التَّشَاجُر والخِصَامِ

How many trusts did you betray

Till they called you to wrangling and strife!

وَكَم خودٍِ نَكَحتَ بِغَيرِ مَهرٍ

عَلَى رَجَفانِ رعيِكَ لِلذِّمامِ

How many cheeks did you kiss unlawfully

Trusting your flock to vanish!

وكَم شَيءٍ أخَذتَ على اختِلاسٍ

فَبُيِّنَ بَينَ آمِنةٍ و آمِ

How many things did you take by stealth

Till they were scattered between the safe and the unsafe!

أتَطمَعُ في المَكَارِمِ بَعدَ هَذَا

تَقَاصَر لَستَ بالنَّدُسِ الهُمَامِ

After this do you covet glories?

You are no chivalrous protector of honor!

وِإن تَرمِ المَكَارِمَ لَم تُصِبهَا

فَمِثلُكُ لِلمَكَارِمِ عَنهُ حَامِ

If you seek glories you'll not obtain them.

The likes of you is too unsteady for glories.

يَعِزُّ عَلَيكَ رَمُيكَهَا ومَهمَا

رَمَيتَ فَرَميَةٌ مِن غَيرِ رَامِ

You scarcely have the strength to shoot at them, yet,

Shoot them however much, your shooting goes astray.

فَخُذهَا دُرَّةَ الغَوَّاصِ تُغني

عن المِصبَاحِ في سُدُفِ الظَّلامِ

So take this pearl from a diver; it will substitute

For a lamp in the gloom of night,

وتُوقِدُ في الحَشَا حُرَقاً وتُندِى

مُطَوَّقَهَا كَأطوَاقِ الحَمَامِ

And kindle in desolate places burning coals,

Girdled like bracelets of a dove.