خيالٌ سَرى وهناً وزارَ وسادي

فجدّد بالذكرِ القديم ودادِ

A fantasy passed by, weakness visited, and a lover came and went

So renew with remembrance the old love

سرى والدّجى قَد غابَ فيهِ صباحهُ

وَصارَ بَياضاً محدقاً بسوادِ

The night has passed in it, its morning is gone

And it has become a bright whiteness mixed with darkness

فَأهدى حبيباً جاءَ مِن بعدِ فرقةٍ

بِوصلٍ جديدٍ في الخيال معادِ

So a beloved came after separation

With a new connection in fantasy and in promise

فَلمّا تجلّى لي عففتُ وإِنّما

كَذا مَذهبي في يقظتي ورقادِ

When he appeared to me, I restrained myself for that is my way

In my waking and my slumber

فَأَبدى عتاباً طائلاً لمتيّمٍ

غَدا في الهوى بغيرِ فؤادِ

He complained bitterly to the one obsessed with love

Who tomorrow in passion will be without a heart

أَقولُ لأصحابي قفوا لي وعرّجوا

عَلى أربُعٍ للحيِّ غيرِ جدادِ

I say to my friends: stop for me and detour

To four places where the living roam, not the dead

ربوعٌ بها كم كنت قمتُ ملبّياً

لِداعٍ دعاني للهوى ومعادِ

Places where I once stood, responding

To a caller who called me to passion and to the promise

وَجررت أذيالَ الشبيبةِ منعماً

ببيضٍ كأمثالِ الشموس خرادِ

And I dragged the train of my youth in bliss

In whiteness like rays of scattered suns

دَعوني دَعوني يا رفاقي فإنّني

أَرى كلّ هادٍ لامَ ليس بهادِ

Leave me, leave me my friends, for I see

Every guide is not a real guide

وَلا تَتمادوا في ملامي فَإنّما

ضَلالي أراهُ في طريق رشادِ

And do not persist in blaming me, for my straying

I see it on the path of guidance

وَماذا عَليكم مِن فسادي لتَطلبوا

صَلاحَ اِمرئٍ قَد باعه بفسادِ

What is it to you, my corruption, that you seek

To reform a man who sold himself for corruption?

وَإنّي وَإِن ضنّت سعاد بِوصلِها

لَباذلُ نَفسي في رضاء سعادِ

And if I was stingy with Saada's union

I would give myself to please Saada

خَدلّجة تَرمي القلوبَ بأسهمٍ

رَواشقَ عَن قوسِ اللحاظِ حدادِ

A sly glance that casts hearts with its arrows

Defiantly from the bow of glancing, sharp as a sword

أَرى الناس في الدنيا كَزرع وَصرفها

لَه كافل في حكمه بِحصادِ

I see people in the world like plants, and it turns them

Each has a reaper in its ruling, unto harvest

وَكلّ اِمرئٍ فيه أسيرُ حمامهِ

وَليسَ لهُ في ذاك منه مفادِ

And every man among them is captive of his obsession

And he has in that no deliverance

أَلا إِنّ أحداثَ الليالي روائحٌ

عَلى ظهرِها مِن ناطقٍ وجمادِ

Behold, the events of the nights are scents

On which speak the articulate and the inanimate

وَما الناسُ إِلّا ذو ودادٍ مصادق

وَآخر موغورُ الفؤادِ معادِ

People are but those of affection or friends

And others whose hearts are desolate

يَسوقُ جميعَ الناسِ للمجدِ رغبةً

وَلكنّ دونَ المجدِ خرط قتادِ

Fortune leads all people to glory out of greed

But before glory is the path, rugged and twisted

سَأَضرب في شرقِ البلادِ وَغربها

لصحبةِ عزٍّ أَو بلوغِ مرادِ

I will travel in the east and west of the country

For company of glory or attainment of purpose

وأظهر تَصريحَ الدعاوى وصدقها

لَدى كلِّ دستٍ في البلادِ ونادِ

And reveal openly the truth of my claims

To every hand in the land and every caller

فَإِن ترَ شخصي في السكينةِ ساكناً

فَسوداءُ قَلبي في اِرتِكاب جهادِ

If you see my person dwelling in tranquility

Then my black heart is engaged in waging jihad

وَكَم صامتٍ بينَ المعاشرِ مطرقٍ

وَأَفكارهُ في حلبةٍ وطرادِ

How many silent ones in the company, heads bowed

While their thoughts are in struggle and chase

مَتى تَك جاراً للمليكِ مظفّر

تَعش خيرَ عيشٍ عند خير جوادِ

When will you be a neighbor of the victorious king

To live the best life with the most generous master

يَجلُّ وَيعلو أن يشبّه في الندا

بِحاتم طيٍّ أَو بكعب إيادِ

Exalted and high, not to be compared in gifts

To Hatem Tai or Ka'b Iyad

تَرى البيضَ في أعداهُ تخضب بالدما

إِذا خُضِبت أَقلامهُ بمدادِ

You see the white blades in his enemies turn red with blood

When his pens are dyed with ink

فَلمّا هزّها قَضت في قَضائِها

بِمنحِ ذمارٍ أو برزق عبادِ

So when he shook them, in his decree they cut

Granting the liquidation of clans or sustenance of worshippers

أكاسب أَرباح الثنا بِبذلِ ما

حَوَت كفّه من طارفٍ وتلادِ

I earn profits and bounty by spending what

His palm contained of trinkets and baubles

إِليكَ سَباني حُسن أَخلاقكَ الّتي

إِليهنّ آمالُ العبادِ صوادِ

To you my manners have led me, which

Are the hopes of servants, the refuge of humankind

وَكم فَجوة جاوَزتها بجلالةٍ

مِنَ اليَعمُلاتِ المُنجيات سنادِ

And how many pits you crossed with majesty

Of righteous deeds, strong and helpful

وَأهديتُ مِن شِعري بضائعَ حكمةٍ

لِسوق نفاقٍ لا لسوق كسادِ

And I gifted wisdom and prudence from my poetry

Not to a market of hypocrisy, but a market of loss

بِضائع تُبنى بِالفصاحةِ والذكا

بَديهتها عن جرولٍ وزيادِ

Goods built with eloquence and intelligence

Whose clarity is beyond pretense and increase

تُحاكي عقودَ الدرِّ لفظاً وإنّها

تَفوحُ إِذا فضّت بهتكِ زبادِ

They emulate strands of pearls in wording yet they

When opened, stink of torn rags