في كُلِّ يَوم نَشطَةٌ وَوَثاقُ
فَمَتى يَكونُ لِدائِها إِفراقُ
Every day she is active and bound,
So when will her illness be gone?
إِن كانَ أَعطاها جِذابُ نُسوعِها
سَفَهاً فَقَد لَغبَت بِها الأَعناقُ
If her alluring charm made her foolish,
Then necks lusted madly for her.
تَشكو صَداها وَالدُّموعُ مَناهِلٌ
وَوَجى المَناسِمُ وَالخُدودُ طِراقُ
She complains of her beloved while tears are springs,
Cheeks and faces become muddy.
فَاستَبقِ فَضلَتَها إِذا دَبَّ الوَنا
فيها فَما كُلُّ السُّرى أَعناقُ
So precede her merits when lust creeps in her,
For not all concealments are necks.
وَدَعِ النَّسيمَ بُعيدُ من أَخبارِهِ
فَلَهُ حَواشٍ لِلحَديثِ دِقاقُ
Let the breeze stay away from its news,
For it has margins for gossip and slander.
ما ثَمَّ مِن عُلَقِ العُذَيبِ بِغائِبٍ
إِلّا وَقَد شَهِدَت بِهِ الآماقُ
No tryst of lovers remains hidden,
Except those witnessed by spies.
وَعَلى العَضا إِن كُنتَ مِن جيرانِهِ
نارٌ تَقاسَمَ حَرَّها العُشّاقُ
And if you were a neighbor of passion,
Then lovers shared its heat.
وَمُحلؤُن عَنِ المَناهِلِ بَعدَ ما
شَرِقَت بِحَمَّةِ مائِها الطُّرّاقُ
They abstain from springs after
Its water shone from stirring ripples.
وَمُشَتَّتِ العَزَماتِ يُنفِقُ عُمرَهُ
حَيرانَ لا ظَفَرٌ وَلا إِخفاقُ
He spends his life confused, no triumph or failure,
Scattered with purposeless determination.
أَمَلٌ يَلوحُ اليَأسُ في أَثنائِهِ
وَغِنى يَشِفُّ وَراءَهُ الإِملاقُ
A hope appears but despair lurks within,
And wealth that heals poverty behind it.
يَمري غَفافَةَ ثَروَةٍ لَو أَنَّها
نَومٌ لَما شَعَرَت بِهِ الأَحداقُ
He lives unaware of sudden wealth as though
Eyes have not felt it when asleep.
وَتَروقُهُ خُدَعُ المُنى فَكَأَنَّها
حَقٌّ وَكاذِبُ وَعدِها ميثاقٌ
The delusions of wishes entice him as if
They are true while their promise is a pact.
أَثرى اللِّئامُ وَجَدُّهُ بِنَسيئَةٍ
عَذراء ما فَطِنَت بِها الأَرزاقُ
The wicked thrive and are serious in sin
While sustenance is heedless of the chaste.
لَولا نَصيرُ المُلكِ طالَ ثَواؤُهُ
فيها وَلَيسَ لأَسرِهِ إِطلاقُ
If not for the victorious king, his oppression
Would have lasted in it without any release.
القائِدُ البُزُل الصِّعاب كَأَنَّها
مِمّا يَجوبُ بِهِ الفَلاةَ حِقاقُ
The leader, the intrepid, calamities like
What the desert is accustomed to from fate.
وَمُؤَلِّفُ الأَهواءِ بَعدَ شَتاتِها
طَوعاً فَما بَينَ القُلوبِ شِقاقُ
And the uniter of desires after their dispersion,
Willingly, so there is no conflict between hearts.
يَسطو وَقَد بَرَقَت أَسِرَّةُ وَجهِهِ
بِشراً فَيَمزُجُ أَمنَهُ الإِشفاقُ
He attacks as the facets of his face shine
With good news, so his mercy mixes with care.
كَالسَّيفِ يُسعِرُ حَدُّهُ نارَ الوَغى
وَالماء في صَفَحاتِهِ رَقراقُ
Like a sword igniting the fire of strife in its edge,
While its surface has rippling water.
ما هَزَّهُ طَرَبُ العُقارِ وَإِنَّما
أَعطَتهُ نَشوَةَ كَأسِها الأَخلاقُ
Revelry did not shake him, but manners
Gave him the intoxication of his cup.
هِيَ في الهَوى وَعدُ الوِصالِ وَفي الكَرى
طَيفُ الخَيالِ وَفي الوَداعِ عِناقُ
It is the promise of union in love, the specter
Of fantasy in parting, and embrace in farewell.
يَنمى إِلى حَسَبٍ تَقَدَّمَ مُلهَمٍ
فيهِ وَعَزَّ عَلى النُّجومِ لَحاقُ
He aspires to a lineage that precedes the luminous stars,
With pride in it, so seeking access was hard.
بَيتٌ لَهُ الشَّرَفُ القَديمُ وَغَيرُهُ
كَالشَّيبِ جِدّةُ مِثلِهِ إِخلاقُ
A house whose ancient honor others share
Like grey hair adds gravitas to its ethics.
البَركُ دَثرٌ وَالقِبابُ فَسيحَةٌ
وَالجودُ غَمرٌ وَالجِفانُ عِماقُ
Blessings are plenty, domes are spacious,
Generosity is abundant, and brows are frowning.
أَحيا النَّدى جَذلانَ ثُمَّ بِحلمِهِ
بِشرٌ يُهابُ كَأَنَّهُ إِطراقُ
He revived chivalry then with his forbearance
He is a human who is feared like a lion's growl.
وَحَمى العَواصِم بَعدَ ما عاثَ العِدى
فيها وَحاوَلَ سَرحَها المرّاقُ
He protected landmarks after tyranny spread corruption,
And attempted to free her tethered steeds.
ما ضَرَّها جَدبٌ وَأَنتَ رَبيعُها ال
حالي وَكَفُّكَ غَيثُها الغَيداقُ
Dry times did not hurt her, for you are
Her spring, and your palm is her pouring rain.
ظَنَّ ابنُ باديسٍ بَعادَكَ جُنَّةً
فَأَبَت نَواحِلُ كَالقِسيِّ دِقاقُ
Ibn Badis thought your absence a paradise,
But she refused, solid as lead.
أَلهاهُ عَن نَظَرِ العَواقِبِ سامِرٌ
غَردٌ وَكأسٌ بِالعُقارِ دِهاقُ
Revelry distracted him from foresight,
As did a cup with wine, clamor and song.
وَأَقامَ يَسجعُ بِالظُّنون سَفاهَةً
وَمِنَ الظُّنونِ خَديعَةٌ وَنِفاقُ
He continued composing foolishness with assumptions,
And assumptions breed deceit and hypocrisy.
حَتّى إِذا طالعت ثَغرَةَ كَيدِهِ
وَهَفا عَلَيهِ لِواؤكَ الخَفّاقُ
Until your victorious standard appeared over him
Flying, as though your spears were fluttering.
وَنَزَت جِيادُك لِلطِّرادِ كَأَنَّها
سِربُ المَها وَرماحُكَ الأَوراقُ
Your steeds descended to pursue him as if they were
A flock of wild cows and your spears were leafy branches.
وَلّى يَذُمُ لَهُ قَوائِمُ سابِحٍ
جَمَحَت بِهِ الخُيَلاء وَهيَ إِباقُ
He fled disgraced, his footsteps faltering,
Seized by humility as they sped like lightning.
وَرَمى بصيرة في مَخالِبِ ضَيغَمٍ
طَيّانَ تُفتَحُ باسمِهِ الأَغلاقُ
He threw his sight into the claws of exile,
An abyss whose depths open with his name.
ما دَبَّ لِلصَّهباء في أَعطافِهِ
فَرَحٌ وَلا عَبَثَت بِهِ الأَعلاقُ
No joy moved within him for his noble steed
Nor did passions play with him.
دامي الأَسِنَّةِ ما تَقِرُّ جِيادُهُ
حَتّى تُضيءُ بِعَدلِهِ الآفاقُ
My sharp swords do not rest until his steeds
Illuminate horizons with his justice.
بِالقَيرَوان لَها عَمامَةُ عَثيَرٍ
وَطفاء وَابِلُها الدَّمُ المهراقُ
In Al-Qayrawan he has a turban from dust
And a flood whose blood is pouring.
وَعَلى خَليجِ الرّومِ بَرقُ صَفائِحٍ
تَفري ذُيولَ النَّقعِ وَهيَ صِفاقُ
And in the Gulf of Rum shines the sparking swords
That rip the hems of the fleeing enemy hordes.
فَتَنازَعَ الكُفّارُ فَضلَةَ كَأسِها
مِن بَعدِ ما ثَمِلَت بِهِ الفُسّاقُ
The pagans competed for the dregs of his cup
After the sinners amongst them were inebriated.
عادَت سِهامُهُمُ الحِدادُ كَليلَةً
حَتّى كَأَنَّ نِصالَها أَفواقُ
Their iron arrows returned at night
As if their arrowheads were snakes.
صَبَّحتُهُم بِاللاذِقِيَّةِ فَالتَقى
بَحرانِ ماء راكِدٌ وَعِتاقُ
I met them at Latakia so the two seas collided,
One stagnant and the other pure.
فاتَ الظَّلامُ بِها فَعِفت وُرودَها
تَبعاً وَأَنتَ بِمِثلِها سَبّاقُ
Darkness passed away, so its flowers withered,
While you in its like are pioneering.
حَتّى إِذا سَفَرَ الضُّحى وَتَمارَتِ ال
أَبصارُ أيَّكُما لَهُ الإِشراقُ
Until the dawn journeys and sights quarrel
Over which of the two holds the light.
غادَرتَها دِمَناً عَلى أَطلالِها
يَبكي الخَليطُ وَتُذكَرُ الأَشواقُ
You left it a ruin, over its remnants
The mixed blood weeps and yearning is remembered.
وَشَرَعتَ دينَ قراكَ في عَرَصاتِها
فَالنّارُ تُضرَمُ وَالدِّماءُ تُراقُ
You set out your religion in its meadows
So fires are kindled and blood is shed.
فَأَطاعَ جامِحُها وَكانَت زِبرَة
عَوجاء ثَقَّفَ مَيلَها الإِحراقُ
Its unruly camel obeyed while it was
A crooked old she-camel accustomed to burning.
شَرَفاً بَني كَعبٍ فَما عَذُبَ الجَنى
إِلّا بِما سَبَقَت بِهِ الأَغراقُ
It honored the clan of Kaʿb so the sweet spring
Was not pure until the drowned preceded it.
شادَت سُيوفُ أَبي عَلِيٍّ فيكُمُ
مَجداً لَهُ فَوقَ السَّماءِ طِباقُ
The swords of Abu Ali empowered you all
With a glory above the highest heaven.
وَسَعى المُهَذَّبُ سَعيَهُ فَتَوافَقا
إِن كانَ بَينَ الفَرقَدَينِ وِفاقُ
The refined one did his duty so they agreed
If accord was between the two noble clans.
يا جامِعَ الحَسَناتِ إِنَّ غَرائِبي
تُهدى وَلَيسَ سِوى الوِدادِ صَداقُ
O gatherer of virtues, my curiosities
Are gifted though only affection is due.
لَو أنصفت زُفَّت إِلى خُطّابِها
وَالبَدرُ تاجٌ وَالنُّجومُ نِطاقُ
If equated, it would be sent to her orator
While the moon is a crown and stars are necklaces.
لَم تَعتَرِضها بِالحِجابِ نَقيصَةٌ
ما كُلُّ ما سَتَرَ البُدورَ مَحاقُ
No shortcoming obstructed it with a veil,
Not all that hides buds is erased.
