تصدَّى وللحي الجميعِ رحيلُ

غزالٌ أحمُّ المقلتينِ كحيلُ

He faced the departure of the whole tribe

A gazelle, with the most beautiful eyes like kohl

تصدَّى وأمرُ البينِ قد جَدَّ جِدُّهُ

وزُمّتْ جِمالٌ واستقَلَّ حُمولُ

He faced and the matter of separation has intensified

The camels were loaded and the burdens were lightened

وفي الصدرِ من نار الصَّبَابةِ جاحِمٌ

وفي الخدِّ من ماءِ الجُفونِ مسيلُ

In his chest a blazing fire of youth

And tears flowing down his cheeks

غزالٌ له مرعىً من القلب مخصبٌ

وظِلٌّ صفيقُ الجانبين ظليلُ

A gazelle who has a pasture in the heart that is fertile

And shade that covers both his sides, shady and cool

تناصفَ فيه الحُسْنُ أما قَوامُهُ

فشطبٌ وأما خَصْرُه ففتيلُ

Beauty is distributed in him, his body is delicate

And his waist is slender

قريبٌ من الرائينَ يُطْمِعُ قُربُه

وليس إليه للمحبِّ سبيلُ

Close to the onlookers, his nearness raises hope

But the lover has no way to reach him

إِذا سافرَ الألحاظُ في وجَناتِه

تضاءلَ عنه الطرفُ وهو كليلُ

When glances travel across his cheeks

Eyes are dazzled by him and he is sleepy

وكالشمسِ تغشى الناظرينَ بنورِها

وليس إليها للأكُفِّ سَبيلُ

Like the sun covering the eyes with its light

But hands cannot reach it

ولما استقلَّ الحيُّ وانصدعت بهم

نوىً عن وَداع الظاعنينَ عَجُولُ

And when the tribe departed, and they were devastated by its loss

The quick camels intended to leave without farewell

تراءتْ لنا لمعَ الغمامةِ أوجهٌ

وِضَاءٌ علَتْها نَضْرةٌ وقَبُولُ

The faces of the clouds appeared to us like lightning

With brightness and acceptance on them

فصبراً معينَ المُلك إن عنَّ حادثٌ

فعاقبةُ الصبرِ الجميلِ جميلُ

So be patient my lord if a misfortune befalls

For the outcome of beautiful patience is beautiful

ولا تيأسَنْ من صنْعِ ربِّكَ إنَّني

ضمينٌ بأنَّ اللّهَ سوف يُدِيلُ

And do not despair of your Lord's work, surely

I am certain that God will provide comfort

فإن الليالي إذ يزولُ نعيمُها

تبشِّرُ أنَّ النائباتِ تزولُ

For nights, when their bliss passes away

Bring good news that sorrows pass away

ألم ترَ أنَّ الليلَ بعدَ ظلامِه

عليه لإِسفارِ الصَّبَاحِ دليلُ

Have you not seen that the night after its darkness

The dawn lights guide towards its departure

ألم ترَ أن الشمسَ بعد كُسوفِها

لها صفحةٌ تغشِي العُيونَ صقيلُ

Have you not seen that the sun after its eclipse

Has a surface that covers the eyes bright and clear

وأنَّ الهلالَ النِضْوَ يقمرُ بعدَما

بَدا وهو شَخْتُ الجانبينِ ضَئِيلُ

That the slender crescent after appearing

Bent and weak, becomes round and beams

ولا تحسبنَّ الدوح يُقلَعُ كلما

يَمُرُّ به نفحُ الصَّبَا فيميلُ

Think not that the tall palm is uprooted

Whenever the morning breeze blows by it and it sways

ولا تحسبنَّ السيفَ يُقْضَبُ كلَّما

تعاوَرهُ بعد المَضَاءِ كُلولُ

Think not that the sword is broken whenever

Rust afflicts it after it was sharp

فقد يعطفُ الدهرُ الأبيُّ عِنانَهُ

فيُشفَى عليلٌ أو يُبَلُّ غليلُ

For time may gently rein its stubbornness

Healing the sick or comforting the anguished

ويرتاشُ مقصوصُ الجَناحين بعدَما

تساقطَ رِيشٌ واستطارَ نَسِيلُ

And the winged one whose wings were clipped may fly again after

Losing some feathers in its flight

ويستأنفُ الغصنُ الصليبُ نَضَارةً

فيورقُ ما لم يعتوِرْهُ ذُبُولُ

And the stricken branch may flourish again

Leafing out after withering and loss

وللنجمِ من بعدِ الرجوعِ استقامةٌ

وللحظِّ من بعد الذِّهابِ قفُولُ

The star has regularity after its return

And the fortune has consistency after its departure

وبعضُ الرزايا يوجِبُ الشكرَ وقعُها

عليكَ وأحداثُ الزمانِ شُكولُ

And some tribulations, their occurrence calls for thanks

Events of time have both maturity and immaturity

ولا غروَ أن أخنتْ عليك فإنَّما

يُصادَمُ بالخطبِ الجليل جليلُ

No wonder days have betrayed me, for

Great ones are tested with great trials

وأيُّ قَناةٍ لم تُرنَّحْ كُعُوبُها

وأيُّ حُسامٍ لم يُصِبْهُ فُلولُ

What canal did not suffer the bending of its arches?

What sword was not afflicted by nicks?

وأيُّ هِلال لم يَشِنْهُ مَحَاقُهُ

وأيُ شهابٍ لم يَخُنْه أُفولُ

What crescent was not worn down by its curve?

What shooting star was not failed by its decline?

أساءتْ ليَ الأيامُ حتى وترتَها

فعندَك أضغانٌ لها وتُبولُ

Days have treated me badly until they broke their cords

But in you are melodies for them and rewards

وعارضتها فيما أرادتْ صروفُها

ولولاكَ كانت تنتَحِي وتصولُ

I resisted them in what they intended by their twists and turns

Were it not for you, they would wander and rage

وحرّمتَ أشلاءَ الكِرامِ وإنَّها

شروبٌ لأشلاءِ الكرامِ أكولُ

You made unlawful the fragments of generosity, though

The generous are wont to devour fragments

وما أنتَ إلا السيفُ أُسكِنَ غِمْدَهُ

لتشقَى به يومَ النزالِ قَبيلُ

You are but the sword rested in its sheath

So the tribe may be miserable with it on the day of fighting

أما لكَ بالصِدِّيق يوسفَ أُسْوَةٌ

فتحملَ وطءَ الدهرِ وهو ثقيلُ

Do you not have Joseph as an example?

Bearing the weight of fate though it is heavy

وما غضَّ منك الحبسُ والذِكرُ سائرٌ

طليقٌ له في الخافقينَ ذَمِيلُ

Imprisonment has not lessened you, and mention of you flows

Unbound, tilting to the horizons

فلا تُذْعِنَنْ للخطبِ آدكَ ثِقلُهُ

فمِثلُكَ للأمرِ العظيم حَمُولُ

So do not give in to worries, though their weight depresses you

For the likes of you carries momentous matters

ولا تجزعَنْ للكَبْلِ مسَّكَ وقْعُهُ

فإنَّ خلاخيلَ الرِجالِ كُبُولُ

And do not be anxious about shackles that have bound you

For the fetters of men are necklaces

وصنعُ الليالي ما عدتكَ سِهامُها

وإنْ أجحفتْ بالعالمين جزيلُ

The nights make up for what their arrows have missed you

Though they were ungenerous with people

وإنَّ امرأً تعدو الحوادثُ عِرضَهُ

ويأسى لما يأخُذْنَهُ لبخيلُ

A man whom events wear down his honor

And despairs of what befalls him is mean

لك اللّهُ راعٍ حيثُ كنتَ ولا تزلْ

أياديهِ منها زائرٌ ونزيلُ

God is your keeper wherever you are, visiting you

His hands not far from you, guest and neighbor

ولا شِينتِ الدّنيا بيومكَ إنَّما

بقاؤك فيها غُرَّةٌ وحُجُولُ

Days have not disgraced you, but your stay in them

Is an honor and virtue

ولا متُّ أو ألقاكَ حظُّكُ دولةٌ

وحظُّ الأعادي رنَّةٌ وعويلُ

You have neither died nor has your fortune declined

While the fortune of enemies is misfortune and wailing

نعيمُ هجيرِ العمرِ فيه أصائِلٌ

وعزُّ حُزونِ العيشِ فيه سُهولُ

The bliss of a life of exile has pleasures in it

And the dignity of a life of sorrow has ease