ذِكر الصِبا بَعدَ شَيبِ الراسِ تَعليلُ
وَالحُبُّ أَكثَرُهُ غَيٌّ وَتَضلِيلُ
Recalling youth after gray hair is folly,
Most love is aberration and misleading.
هَوى النُفوسِ هَوانٌ لا مِراءَ بِهِ
وَفِي العِبارَةِ تَحسِينٌ وَتَجميلُ
The soul's passion is disgrace, no doubt therein,
Though in speech there's embellishment and adornment.
خُذ مِن دُمى الإِنسِ حِذراً أَنَّ كُلَّ دَمٍ
أَرَقنَهُ مِن دِماءِ الإِنسِ مَطلُولُ
Take heed of slaying humans, for every slain -
His blood by human blood will be avenged.
بِكُلِّ أَرضٍ قَتِيلٌ يُستَثارُ بِهِ
إِلّا قَتيلٌ بِحُبِّ الغِيدِ مَقتُولُ
In every land a victim to incite revenge,
Save a love-slain, by love's sword cut down.
هُنَّ البَلِيَّةُ وَالأَرزَاءُ هَيِّنَةٌ
عَلى الفَتى وَالمُلِمُّ الصَعبُ مَحمُولُ
Woes and calamities to men are trifles;
The pressing task's on stalwart shoulders hauled.
مِن كُلِّ هَيفاءَ مَصقُولٍ تَرائِبُها
في طَرفِها صارِمٌ لِلمَوتِ مَصقُول
Of every polished Indian blade, its scabbard
Holds at its tip a death-dealer well honed.
ما كُنتُ أَعلَمُ لَولا لَحظُ مُقلَتِها
أَنَّ الحِمامَ غَريرُ الطَرفِ مَكحُولُ
The dove's fluttering eyelids, I'd not have known,
Were arrows, had her glances not revealed.
يا حَبَّذا بَلَداً حَلَّت بِجانِبِهِ
بِهنانَةٌ مِن بَناتِ البَدوِ عَطُولُ
Blessed the abode, where, next to it, alighted
A sun-baked beauty of Bedouin descent.
كَأَنَّ فاها بِماءِ الكَرمِ خالَطَهُ
ماءُ الغَمامِ قُبَيلَ الصُبحِ مَعلُولُ
As if her mouth, mixed with wine of bounty,
Was, ere dawn, mingled with clouds' sprinkled dew.
مَمكُورَةُ الخَلقِ لا أَقصى بِها قِصَرٌ
مَعَ القِصارِ وَلا أَزرى بِها طُولُ
Of perfect build, no palace can delimit,
Neither fully contain her height.
في الطَرفِ غُنجٌ وَفِيما فَوقَهُ دَعجٌ
وَفِي الحَقِيبَةِ تَدقِيقٌ وَتَجليلُ
In her eyes languor; above, doe-like shyness;
Below, on hips, swaying grace and flexing joints.
كَأَنَّها ظَبيَةٌ بِالقَفِّ مُغزِلَةٌ
لَولا الدَمالِجُ دُرمٌ وَالخَلاخيلُ
As if a gazelle, loosed from the herd,
But for the anklets - solid rings and chains.
حَلَّت بِسَلعٍ فَلا مَرَّ الغَمامُ بِهِ
إِلّا وَلِلقَصرِ عَقدٌ فِيهِ مَحلولُ
She camped, bringing wares. Thus no cloud passed by
Without an anklet-gift for the palace retrieved.
تَغدُو الرُبى بِالرِياضِ الغُنِّ حالِيَةً
كَأَنَّهُنَّ عَلَيهِنَّ الأَكالِيلُ
At daybreak, gazelles in meadows pace,
As if garlanded with necklaces.
يا رَبعُ ضِفناكَ فافعَل ما سَتَذكُرُهُ
لِسائِلِينَ فَإِنَّ الضَيفَ مَسُؤُولُ
O quarter, host us! Do what guests will ask about!
For guests query hosts about entertainment.
سَقَتكَ غُرُّ الغَوادِي ما الَّذي فَعَلَت
تِلكَ الجَآذِرُ وَالعِينُ المَطافِيلُ
Your terrain's hot winds - what have they done
To those frail, slender-waisted maidens?
بِنا الَّذي بِكَ مِن أَسماءَ مُذ نَزَحَت
بِها النَوى وَالمَراسِيمُ المَراسِيلُ
Who are we, associated through the ages,
As promises were made and missives sent?
لا وَصلُ أَسماءَ مَردُودٌ فَتَطلُبَهُ
يَأساً وَلا الحَبلُ مِن أَسماءَ مَوصُولُ
No lineage connects the names; you seek in vain,
Nor is the rope from names connected.
دَعِ الثَناءَ عَلى مَن لا اِنتِفاعَ بِهِ
إِنَّ الثَناءَ بِفَخرِ المُلكِ مَشغُولُ
Cease praising one bringing no benefit!
For glory's prince is by such praise preoccupied.
هُوَ الجَوادُ الَّذي إِحسانُهُ سَرَفٌ
وَمالُهُ لِذَوي الآمالِ مَبذُولُ
He is the generous one whose kindness is lavish,
His wealth for those who hope is spent.
لا الخَلقُ جَهمٌ وَلا الأَخلاقُ كاسِبَةٌ
ذَمّاً وَلا العِرضُ بِالأَفواهِ مَطلُولُ
Neither friends are censured, nor manners faulted,
Nor chastity by gossiping mouths assailed.
نَسرِي بِغَيرِ دَليلٍ في مَكارِمِهِ
كَأَنَّهُ في طَرِيقِ المَجدِ مَدلُولُ
I spread his virtues without proof, as if
Upon the path of glory he's been guided.
يا واصِفِيهِ صِفُوا ما فيهِ مِن كَرَمٍ
لِلمُرمِلِينَ وَيا مُدّاحَهُ قُولُوا
You who describe him, describe his qualities
To those aspiring favor. And you who praise him, say:
إِنّي أَراهُ غَنِيّاً عَن صِفاتِكُمُ
لا الصُبحُ خافٍ وَلا الدَأماءُ مَجهُولُ
I find him needs no qualities you state.
Dawn's not obscured, nor is the dark unknown.
هُوَ السَماءُ الَّتي قامَت جَوانِبُها
فَما يُحَدُّ لَها عَرضٌ وَلا طُولُ
He is the heaven whose sides are firmly standing;
For it no width or length can be demarcated.
لَيسَ الأَمِيرُ إِلى مَدحٍ بِمُفتَقِرٍ
فَاصمُت فَلَيسَ عَلى ما قُلتَ تَعوِيلُ
The prince needs no praise; so hush! No reliance
On what you've said can henceforth be placed.
وَإِن نَفَعتَ فَنَفعٌ لا اعتِدادَ بِهِ
إِنّ الطِرافَ بِعُودِ النَبعِ مَخلولُ
Your benefit, if gained, is no great matter;
For eyes by promise founts are entertained.
يا مَن يَرِيشُ وَيَبرِي واهِباً نِعَماً
وَسالِباً فَهوَ مَرهُوبٌ وَمَأمُولُ
O He who grants and denies, giving bounty
And confiscating - so He's feared and hoped!
قَضى لَكَ اللَهُ سَعداً لا انقِضاءَ لَهُ
وَما لِشَيءٍ قَضاهُ اللَهُ تَبدِيلُ
God ordained you lasting bliss that will not wane,
And nothing God ordains can be reversed.
خُلِقتَ وَجهُكَ لِلأَقمارِ مَعيَرَةٌ
وَجُودُ كَفِّكَ لِلأَنواءِ تَخجِيلُ
Your face is for the moons a calibrating balance;
Your palm's generosity puts clouds to shame.
فَأَنتَ غُرَّةُ هَذا الدَهرِ مُشرِقَةً
في وَجهِهِ وَبَقايا الناسِ تَحجِيلُ
So you are this age's most luminous dawn
While all mankind remains in gloom and darkness.
وَلا كُلَيبٌ وَلا مَعنٌ وَلا هَرِمٌ
بِمُشبِهِيكَ الصَنادِيدُ البَهالِيلُ
No Kulayb, Ma'n or Harim equals you -
Those decaying, worthless geriatrics!
وَلَو رَأَوكَ وَما أَودى الزَمانُ بِهِم
لِيَمَّمُوكَ وَسالُوكَ الَّذي سِيلُوا
If they but saw you as time brought them down,
They would aspire to you and ask your bounty.
وَكانَ أَفضَلَ شَيءٍ أَنتَ واهِبُهُمُ
لَثمٌ لِراحَتِكَ اليُمنى وَتَقبِيلُ
The best thing you could grant those men
Is a kiss upon your right hand and a peck.
أُكمِلتَ خُلقاً وَخَلقاً مِثلَهُ حَسَناً
وَالخَلقُ لِلخُلقِ تَتمِيمٌ وَتَكمِيلُ
In manners and nature perfected were you;
Manners themselves seek to match manners.
غُلَّت يَدُ الدَهرِ بِالأَسواءِ عَن مَلِكٍ
مُتَوَّجٍ أَنا فِي نُعماهُ مَغلُولُ
Time's hand grasped degraded men, not kings -
Crowned am I, while in his gifts fettered!
تَزوَرُّ مِن نَحوِهِ الأَعداءُ مُكمَدَةً
كَأَنَّ أَبصارَهُم مِن نَحوِهِ حُولُ
From you enemies cower, diminished,
As if their sights toward you are blocked.
كَأَنَّ أَعلامَ هَذا العِيدِ فَوقَهُمُ
طَيرٌ وَلَكِنَّها طَيرٌ أَبابِيلُ
As if above them this feast's standards
Are birds - albeit ravenous vultures.
لا يَبعُدَنَّ رِجالٌ أَنتَ بَعضُهُمُ
بِيضُ الوُجُوهِ مَيامِينٌ مَقابِيلُ
Let no men, parts of you, be far outdistanced -
White faced, noble ones, engaging you.
لا نادِمُونَ عَلى آثارِ مَوهِبَةٍ
إِذا أَنالُوا وَلا صُغرٌ إِذا نِيلُوا
No regretters of bestowed bounty if granted,
Nor belittling if attained what they request.
لَهُم سَرابِيلُ حَمدٍ غَيرُ بالِيَةٍ
عَلى الزَمانِ إِذا تَبلى السَرابِيلُ
They've reputations for praise that do not wear out
As garments fray when reputations shred.
فَضَلتَهُم وَهُمُ شُمٌّ غَطارِفَةٌ
لَهُم عَلى الناسِ تَشرِيفٌ وَتَفضِيلُ
You've preferred them, and they are a fragrant breed -
Above mankind they're elevated and preferred.
في العالَمينَ أَقاوِيلٌ تُقالُ وَلا
تُقالُ في الصالِحِيِّينَ الأَقاوِيلُ
About the righteous, tales are not told
That about the people of both worlds are circulated.
يا مَن لَنا كُلَّ يَومٍ مِن فَوائِدِهِ
نَيلٌ يُقَصِّرُ عَن مِعشارِهِ النِيلُ
O you from whom each day we gain profits,
Our harvest from its tenth cannot keep pace!
عِش عُمرَ حَمدِي فَحَمدِي غابِرٌ أَبَداً
بَينَ العُرَيبِ وَبَينَ العُجمِ مَنقُولُ
Live Hammadi's lifespan - his praise forever
Among Arabs and non-Arabs circulates.
في كُلِّ فِترٍ مِنَ الدُنيا لَهُ وَطَنٌ
كَالصُبحِ كُلُّ مَكانٍ مِنهُ مَحلُولُ
To every lull in this world he has a place,
As dawn - every spot by it illuminated.
وَاسعَد بِعِيدِكَ إِنَّ السَعدَ لَيسَ لَهُ
إِلى القِيامَةِ عَن مَغناكَ تَحويلُ
Joyful be on your feast day! Joy has no diverting
Until the final days from your blessings.
مُعِينُكَ اللَهُ فِيما أَنتَ طالِبُهُ
مِنَ العُلى وَأَمِينُ اللَهِ جِبرِيلُ
God support you in what you seek -
Sublimity! And God's trustee is Gabriel.
