أَمِن دمنٍ مَعالِمُها قفارُ

غَداةَ البينِ عقلك مستطارُ

From the ruins of a habitation its landmarks are deserts,

The morning after separation your mind wanders,

تَرحّلَ أهلُها عَنها فَسارَت

ظَعائنُهم بِروحكَ حينَ ساروا

Its people moved on from it and so it was deserted,

Their longings roam in your spirit when they departed,

مَنازل جيرةٍ وَرسوم حيٍّ

تقسّمك الغداة لها اِدّكارُ

The abodes of neighbors and customs of loved ones,

Share your mornings remembering them.

تولّوا بِالحدوجِ ضحىً ونار ال

جَوى بينَ الضلوعِ لها اِستعارُ

They left at dawn with lit torches not a spark remains

Between the ribs except embers that borrowed its kindling.

وَشمسٌ قَد تجلّت بالبها ما

لها إلّا هوادجُها مدارُ

A sun appeared in the horizons without

Anything left of it except its orbits.

يُطاردُ جمرةَ الوجناتِ منها

إِذا حالَ الحياءُ بها اِصفرارُ

It chases an ember from the cheeks when

Shyness changes its color to saffron.

نَظرت إِلى اِحمرارِ الخدِّ منها

مخالسةً وَقَد سقطَ الخِمارُ

I looked upon the blushing of her cheek

Secretly when the veil fell.

فَلاحَ لِناظري وردٌ طريٌّ

وَتفّاحٌ يُضاحكهُ بهارُ

So for my eyes appeared a blossoming rose

And apple that the spring makes it laugh.

فَتِلكم جنّةٌ للعينِ لكن

لِقلبِ الهائمِ المعمود نارُ

It is a paradise for the eye but

For the swooning infatuated heart it is fire,

مُهفهفة يَجولُ الوشح منها

إِذاً وَيضيقُ بالردف الإزارُ

With flying tresses the garment roams upon it

As the waist wrap tightens.

وَقَد تزدادُ فوقَ الحُسنِ حُسناً

بِمِعصمها وَساعدها السوارُ

It increases in beauty over beauty

With its bracelets and wrists adorned.

طَلبتُ وصالَها فَرنت وقالَت

أَلا يا ذا المكارمِ والفخارِ

I sought to be near her but she fled and said

“Do you, of repute and pride!”

طَلبتُ وِصالها فرنت وقالت

يُخالطهُ فتورٌ واِحمرارُ

I sought to be near her but she fled and said

Accompanied by aloofness and blushing.

وَقَد جالَ الحياءُ بوجهها من

مَقالي وَاِستَحالَ الجلّنارُ

Shyness covered her face at

My words and saffron turned pale.

وَقبّلت الثنايا فَاِستَمالت

بِغصنٍ فيه رمّانٌ صغارُ

She kissed the branches, cajoled me

With a branch that has little pomegranates.

عَرَفت فحيّت الأيّام حتّى

كأنّ السرّ لي منها جهارُ

I recognized so I greeted the days as if

The secret between us has become public.

لَها في الناسِ كأسٌ من نمير

وَأُخرى مِن علاقمها تدارُ

For people she has a cup of crystal

And another of silver she rotates.

إِذا ما المرءُ نافَ له اِرتفاعٌ

بِها فلسوفَ يعقبهُ اِنحدارُ

When a person climbs to high ground through her

He will inevitably descend.

أَلا فَاِستغنم الإقبالَ منها

فَيُؤنسها بعافية ديارُ

So seize the days of favor from her

That gladdens her good dwellings.

وَلا تزخر لوترِ القوسِ نبلاً

إِذا ما أنتَ عنَّ لك الصوارُ

Prepare not the bowstring with arrows

When you turn away the quiver bearers.

فَإنّ لكلِّ طارقةٍ ذهاباً

يحينُ بهِ رواحٌ واِبتكارُ

For every shining star has a setting

That is met with spirits and new inventions.

تَرى أمّ العلا في الناسِ أَضحت

لَديهِم تستجيرُ ولا تجارُ

You see the mother of exaltation has become

With people, seeking refuge without shelter.

وَما لبني الزمانِ هم أراهم

بِغيرِ المستحقّ همُ أشاروا

As for the children of this era, I see them

Signaling without the deserving.

طَلبتهم لِما أرجو اِنتصاراً

فَما سعدوا وَلا حصلَ اِنتِصارُ

I sought them for victory

But they did not succeed nor was triumph achieved.

فَلا تلمِ الأراذلَ وَالأداني

إِذا لَم تسلكِ الرشد الخيارُ

So do not blame the inferior and lowly

When the virtuous do not take the path of righteousness.

إِذا ما المهرُ قصّر في سباقٍ

فَليسَ يفوزُ في السبقِ الحمارُ

If the steed lags in a race

Then the donkey will not win the race.

وَبكر من بناتِ الفكرِ أضحى

عَليها كلُّ مفضالٍ يغارُ

An early dawn among the daughters of thought has become

Every pretender envies her.

عَزوت لعادةٍ ما في جميع ال

وَرى كفؤاً لها إلّا عرارُ

She singles out a custom that does not

See an equal except the bare mountains.

أَتيت بها زفافاً فاِطمأنّت

لديهِ واِستقرّ بها القرارُ

I came to her in marriage so she felt reassured

And settled with her the settlement.

مَليكٌ ساسَ أمّته وليداً

بهمّته وما خضر العذارُ

A just king who rightly guided his nation

With his determination the saplings grew.

يدبّر ملكهُ في كلِّ يومٍ

نواظِرُها لجينٌ أو نظارُ

He manages his kingdom everyday

His perspectives for it a leaning staff or spectacles.

تزينُ له المكارم إن سواهُ

لَهُ زانَت بُثينة أو نوارُ

Virtues adorn him, if you exclude him

Adorned with an old cloak or a string of beads.

فَتىً يُمناهُ أمنٌ واِئتمانٌ

لِسائلهِ ويسراهُ يسارُ

A young man whom security and trust grace

To his questioner, easing his affair.

إِليك بالأريح تنوّهت بي

همومٌ في الأمورِ لها اِنتشارُ

To you, gently, I complained of

Worries in affairs spreading wide.

أَشيم لجودِ كفّك شيم برقٍ

لِوابلهِ اِنسكابٌ واِنهِمارُ

I characterize your palm’s generosity, characterizing lightning

In its clouds pouring and flooding.

فَما أَنت أَأنت فأَنت أولى

وَأجدرُ أَن يُحيط بك الفخارُ

You are the most deserving, the most worthy

To be surrounded by pride.

فَجدّك ذو المنارِ على بلوغٍ

عَلا دونَ الرسيل له منارُ

Your grandfather, the possessor of the minaret, at the pinnacle

Ascended, above the messengers, his minaret.

لَكُم من سرّ زاد الركب عيصٌ

ومزهود وقحطان فخارُ

You have, from the provisions of the caravan, a stick

And mat, honored and glorious lineage.

تَروحُ بناتُ جودكَ مسرعاتٍ

بعينك في حلايلها اِحتقارُ

The daughters of your generosity move about hastily

In your eyes disparaging their anklets.

لَو اِنّ الرأيَ منك سهامُ رامٍ

لقصّر عنه مصدع أو قذارُ

If the opinion came from you, arrows of an archer

It falls short of him, a crack or crevice.