خَليليَّ عُوجا اليَومَ واِنتظراني
فَإِنَّ الهَوى وَالهَمَّ أمُّ أَبانِ
My friend, turn away today and wait for me,
For passion and anxiety are pervasive and obstinate.
هيَ الشَّمسُ تَدنو لي قَريباً بعيدُها
أَرى الشَّمسَ ما أسطيعُها وَتَراني
She is the sun approaching me closely though she is far,
I see the sun though I cannot reach it and it sees me.
نأت بَعدَ قُربٍ دارُها وَتَبدَّلَت
بِنا بَدَلاً وَالدَهرُ ذو حَدَثانِ
After nearness, her abode became far and changed for us,
In turn, as time brings constant change.
فَهاجَ الهَوى وَالشوقُ لي ذِكرَ حُرَّةٍ
مِن المُرجَحِنّاتِ الثِّقالِ حَصانِ
Passion and yearning stirred in me memories of
Slender swaying palm trees of heavy clusters.
شَموسٌ وشاحاها إِذا اِبتُزَّ ثَوبُها
عَلى مَتنِ خُمصانِيَةٍ سَلِسانِ
Suns and moons when their clothes are folded back
Over the withers of smooth-gaited she-camels.
رَقودُ الضُّحى رَيّا العِظامِ كَأَنَّها
مَهاةُ كِناسٍ مِن نِعاجِ قِطانِ
The siesta is the bending of bones that seem to be
The bellowing of ewe lambs from the Qitani sheep.
شَديدَةُ إِشراقِ التَّراقي أسيلَةٌ
عَلَيها رَقيباً مَربإٍ حَذِرانِ
Dazzling radiance of the brilliant one, a torrent
Rushing down over which a vigilant watcher keeps guard.
ومن دونِها صَعبُ المَراقي مَشَيَّدٌ
نِيافٌ وَصَرّارانِ مؤتلفانِ
And below it a lofty smooth ascent built
Of steps and terraces, adjoining companions.
خَليليَّ ما لامَ امرأً مِثلُ نَفسِه
إِذا هيَ لاقَت فاِربَعا وَذَراني
My friend, do not blame a man for being like himself
If she meets him and he recoils and leaves me.
سَبَتني بِجيدٍ لَم يُعَطَّل ولبَّةٍ
عَلَيها رِدافا لؤلؤٍ وَجُمانِ
She captivated me with a supple neck that was not limp
And a soft skin on which pearls and gems were strung.
وَأَسحَم مَجّاجِ الدهانِ كَأَنَّهُ
بِأَيدي النِّساءِ الماشِطاتِ مَثاني
And sorrel dye whose gloss was as though
It was polished by the combs of handmaidens.
جَرى ليَ طَيرٌ أَنَّني لَن أَنالَها
وَإِنَّ الهَوى وَالنَّجرَ مختَلِفانِ
I was fated that I would never attain her
Though passion and rejection are at variance.
فعزَّيتُ قَلباً كان صَبّاً إِلى الصبا
وَعدَّيتُ وَالعَينانِ تَبتَدِرانِ
So I comforted a heart that had inclined to youth
And reckoned, while my eyes kept watch.
بأَربَعَةٍ في فَضلِ بُردي ومِحمَلي
كَما انهَلَّ غَربا شَنَّةٍ خَضِلانِ
With four, though my cloak and mount were superior,
As the western rain poured down in torrents.
خَليليَّ غُضّا اللومَ عَنّي إِنَّني
عَلى العَهدِ لا مُخنٍ وَلا مُتَوانِ
My friend, absolve me of blame, I am true
To the pact, no traitor or procrastinator.
سَتَعلَمُ قَومي أَنَّني كُنتُ سورَةً
مِن العِزِّ إِن داعي المَنون دَعاني
My people will know I was a bastion of honor
If the caller to death calls me.
أَلا رُبَّ مَسرورٍ بِمَوتيَ لَو أَتى
وآخرَ لَو أنعَى لَه لَبَكاني
Would that the happy at my death might come
Or another might eulogize me and weep!
نَدِمتُ عَلى شَتمِ العَشيرَةِ بَعدَما
تَغَنّى عراقيٌّ بِهِم وَيَماني
I regret insulting the clan, after
An Iraqi and a Yemeni sang their praises.
قلبتُ لهم ظَهرَ المِجَنِّ وَلَيتَني
عَفَوتُ بِفَضلٍ مِن يَدي وَلِساني
I turned my back on them, would that I
Had forgiven with graciousness of hand and tongue!
بني عَمِّنا إِنّا كَما قَد عَلِمتُم
أُولو خُشنَةٍ مَخشِيَّةٍ وَزِبانِ
O sons of Wahb, we know full well
You are rough-tongued and quarrelsome louts.
عَلى أَنَّني لَم أَرمِ في الشِّعرِ مسلما
وَلَم أَهجُ إِلا مَن رَمى وهَجاني
I forbade your brother from satirizing me, and a
Full year, nay two, have passed since then.
هُمُ بَطروا الحلمَ الَّذي من سَجِيَّتي
فَبدَّلتُ قَومي شِدَّةً بِليانِ
They obliged, and obliged me, men I saw
Who when they contended disliked my company.
فَلَو شِئتُم أَولادَ وَهبٍ نَزَعتُم
وَنَحنُ جَميعاً شَملُنا أَخوانِ
Yet I was a man who disdained wrongs, because
I was audacious when grave matters roused me.
نَهَيتُ أَخاكُم عَن هِجائي وَقَد مَضى
لَهُ بَعدَ حَولٍ كامِلٍ سنتانِ
I am daring and audacious, I say not to the retreater
“Come!” when he attacks me and defies me.
فَمَنَّ وَمنّاهُم رِجالٌ رأَيتُهُم
إِذا ضارسوني يكرهونَ قِراني
My friend, had I been a man defective in himself
Or my steps slipped, I would have wavered.
وَكُنتُ امرءاً يأبى لي الضيمَ أَنَّني
صَرومٌ إِذا الأَمرُ المُهِمُّ عَناني
But I live despising the hatred of foes
And attain what I love in spite of enmity.
وَصولٌ صَرومٌ لا أَقولُ لمدبِرٍ
هَلُمَّ إِذا ما اِغتَشَّني وَعَصاني
I am resolute, determined when my mettle calls
I restrain myself though my reins are slack.
خَليليَّ لَو كُنتُ امرءاً فيَّ سقطَةٌ
تَضَعضَعتُ أَو زَلَّت بيَ القَدَمانِ
My friend, how many a slanderer have I repelled
With a famed ode, though he slandered me!
أَعيشُ عَلى بغي العُداةِ ورغمِهم
وَآتي الَّذي أَهوى عَلى الشَّنآنِ
He was left like a menstruating woman whose water
Was not retained nor was she purified in time.
وَلَكِنَّني ثَبتُ المَريرَةِ حازِمٌ
إِذا صاحَ حُلابي ملأتُ عِناني
I exulted before enemies when there appeared
To them in me piercing harm of terrible flames.
خَليليَّ كَم مِن كاشِحٍ قَد رَميتُهُ
بقافيةٍ مَشهورَةٍ وَرَماني
So they shunned my arena like one who shuns in fear
The insult of the living, his steps halted.
فَكانَ كَذاتِ الحَيضِ لَم تُبقِ ماءَها
وَلَم تُنقِ عَنها غُسلَها لأوانِ
When taken unawares, his eyes resemble
Two lamps in a dark niche burning.
تَشَمَّتُ للأعداءِ حينَ بَدا لَهُم
مِن الشَرِّ داني الوَبلِ ذو نَفَيانِ
His arms and the hollow of his neck seem
Dyed with henna, soft, not timid.
فَهابوا وِقاعي كالَّذي هابَ حاذِراً
شتيمَ المُحَيّا خَطوُهُ مُتَداني
A collection of burrs, gathering together the horn in his fist
To the bare shoulder, smooth-skinned.
تُشَبِّهُ عينيهِ إِذا ما فَجِئتَهُ
سِراجَينِ في دَيجورَةٍ تَقِدانِ
Fleshy of cheek, a pink that is as though
Its heights are daubed with paint.
كَأَنَّ ذِراعَيهِ وَبَلدَةَ نَحرِهِ
خُضِبنَ بِحنّاءٍ فَهُنَّ قَواني
The hue of the two arms is doubled, dark
Like the gloom of darkness, though brave.
عَفَرناً يَضُمُّ القرنَ مِنهُ بِساعِدٍ
إِلى كاهِلٍ عاري القَرا وَلَبانِ
My Abu Khalid, my mare yearned for you
From afar, across fearful wastes.
أَزَبُّ هَريتُ الشّدقِ وَردٌ كَأَنَّما
يُعَلَّى أَعالي لَونِهِ بدِهانِ
Her two forelegs when she flexes them
Appear like an expert swimmer plunging in water.
مُضاعفُ لَونُ الساعِدَينِ مُضَبَّرٌ
هَموسُ دُجى الظَّلماءِ غَيرُ جَبانِ
If I pasture her on an expedition or send her forth,
She returns to me snorting, her braids swinging.
أَبا خالِدٍ حَنَّت إِلَيكَ مَطيَّتي
عَلى بُعدِ مُنتابٍ وَهَولِ جَنانِ
A beauty like a Phoenician, as though
Two fish were splashing on either side of her head.
كَأَنَّ ذِراعَيها إِذا ما تَذَيَّلَت
بَدا ماهِرٍ في الماءِ يَغتَليانِ
My Abu Khalid, in the land are remoteness and open space
For one who is cast with pearls and topazes.
إِذا رُعتُها في سَيرَةٍ أَو بَعثتُها
عَدَت بي ونِسعا ضَفرِها قَلِقانِ
How can a free man sleep at night whose gifts
Are three hundred for the year’s beginning or two hundred?
جماليةٌ مِثلُ الفَنيقِ كَأَنَّما
يَصيحُ بِفَلقَي رأسِها صَديانِ
My horses carried me after I enriched the intimate friends
To a king abundant in gift-giving, glorious.
أَبا خالِدٍ في الأَرضِ نأيٌ وَمَفسَحٌ
لِذي مِرَّةٍ يُرمى بِهِ الرجَوانِ
You see people in throngs frequenting his door
In early morning seeking needs or help.
فَكَيفَ يَنامُ الليلَ حُرٌّ عَطاؤُهُ
ثَلاثٌ لِرأسِ الحَولِ أَو مِئَتانِ
تَناهَت قَلوصي بَعد إِسآديَ السُّرى
إِلى مَلِكٍ جَزل العَطاءِ هِجانِ
تَرى الناسَ أَفواجاً يَنوبونَ بابَهُ
لِبِكرٍ مِن الحاجاتِ أَو لِعَوانِ
