لِمَن دِمَنٌ بَينَ الغُوَيرِ وَأَربُعُ
تَوَهَّمَها جَفنٌ مِنَ الدَّمعِ مُترَعُ
For whom are tears between yearning and regret,
Imagined by an eyelid overflowing with tears?
مَحاها صُبوحُ الغَين بَعدَ غُبوقِهِ
وَهَبَّت بِها ريحُ الصَّبا وَهيَ زَعزَعُ
The morning of beauty erased them after its darkness,
And the breeze of morning blew them away, tottering.
يَقولُ صَحابي هَل نَسيمُ حَديقَةٍ
تَنَفَّسَ أَم ذِكرُ الهَوى يَتَضَوَّعُ
My friend says, “Is this the breeze of a garden
Breathing, or the memory of love languishing?”
فَأَقسَمتُ ما أَدري أَرَكبٌ تَناشَدوا
عَلى الدّارِ أَم لَحنُ الحَمائِمِ تَسجَعُ
I swore I did not know - are the riders chanting
About the abode, or is it the melody of doves cooing?
وَنارٌ عَلى الجَرعاءِ يَدعو بِها الدُّجا
إِلى الطَّرفِ أَم بيضُ القَواضِبِ تَلمَعُ
A fire over the dunes calls the camels
To the valley, or is it the whiteness of boats glistening?
وَقُلتُ لِسَعدٍ وَالنُّعامى تَنوشُهُ
وَقَد أَثمَلَ الرَّكبَ الحَنينُ المُرَجَّعُ
And I said to Sa’d while the ostriches were drinking it,
And yearning had made the riders turn back:
تَصامَم عَنِ الأَنضاء أَو فَالتَمِس لَها
فُؤاداً يُعاطيها الغَرامَ وَيَجزَعُ
“Be determined to abandon the maidens, or find
A heart that will indulge them, and grieve.
وَدَع عَنكَ إِيماضَ البُروقِ فَإِنَّها
صَوارِمُ في سِرِّ الجَوائِحِ تَقطَعُ
And leave off brandishing lightnings, for they
Are swords cutting the mysteries of calamities.
فَلَمَّا أَبى إِلّا نِزاعاً فُؤادُهُ
شَجاني جَواهُ فَالعَزولُ المُفَجَّعُ
When his heart insisted on strife,
Its ardour stirred me, and the one who turns away grieves.
وَهَبَّت لَهُ ريحُ الصَّبا فَأَرَيتَهُ
فُؤادَ الحَزينِ كَيفَ يَمضي وَيَرجِعُ
The morning breeze blew toward him, so I saw
The sorrowful heart - how it goes and returns!
خَليلَيَّ إِن لَم تَعرِفا زَفرَةَ النَّوى
وَلَم تُسعِداني فانظُرا كَيفَ أَصنَعُ
My two friends, if you do not recognize the sigh of passion,
And do not gladden me, then look how I act.
تَجاهَلتُ حَتّى أَنكَرَتني خَفاجَةٌ
وَقالَت بِما ضَلَّ الأَعَزُّ المُشَيَّعُ
I feigned ignorance until a lovesick woman denied me,
Saying, ‘How the dearest departed guest has strayed!’
وَأَصبَحتُ أَرجو أَن تَعودَ أَنايَتي
وَلَيسَ لِمَن تَطوي المَنِيَّةُ مَرجعُ
I began hoping my happiness would return,
But there is no return for one covered by death.
تَوَقَّد أَسى ما ذَلِكَ العَهدُ عائِدٌ
عَلَيكَ وَلا في قُربِ غَيداء مَطمَعُ
Sorrow blazed - is that time coming back to you?
Nor is there hope of a lovely creature near.
بَني عامِرٍ يُلقونَ بي جَمرَةَ العِدى
وَأَنصُرُكُم وَاليَومَ بِالنَّقعِ أَشفَعُ
O clan of ‘Amir, they inflict on me the embers of enmity,
And I support you, though today I mediate with wounds.
وَيُسهِرُني مَن شَفَّ جِسمي فِراقُهُ
فَأَنظُرُ طَرفاً في العَشيرَةِ يَهجَعُ
The one whose absence healed my body keeps me awake,
So I look for someone in the tribe who slumbers.
تَحاموا وُرودَ الصَّبرِ أَو فَاتبَعوا فَتى
يَقومُ بِما قامَ الكَريمُ السّمَيدَعُ
Wear the roses of patience, or follow the noble steadfast youth
Who acts as the generous eminent one acted.”
