لَو أَنَّ مَن سَأَلَ الطُلولَ يُجابُ
لَسَأَلتُ رَسمَ الدارِ وَهوَ يَبابُ
If only one who questioned the deserted dwellings could receive an answer,
I would question the trace of the dwelling, though it lies desolate.
عَن مُزنَةٍ وَعَنِ الرَبابِ سَقاهُما
وَسَقى المَنازِلَ مُزنَةٌ وَرَبابُ
About Muzna and about al-Rabab: may rain water them both,
and may Muzna and Rabab themselves water the dwellings.
سُلَمِيَّتَين سَمِيَّتينِ نَماهُما
فَرعٌ لآلِ مُطَرِّفٍ وَنِصابُ
Two women of Sulaym, alike in name, whose ancestry exalted them,
a branch of the house of Mutarrif, of noble stock.
عَلِقَ الفُؤادُ هَواهُما وَزَواهُما
عَنهُ الفِراقُ وَشاحجٌ نَعّابُ
The heart grew attached to loving them both, but separation folded them away from it,
and a croaking, cawing raven proclaimed the parting.
أَمَنازِلَ الأَحبابِ ما صَنَعَ البِلى
بِكِ مِثلَ ما صَنَعَت بِنا الأَحبابُ
O dwellings of the beloved, what has decay done
to you—just as the beloved have done to us?
نجلُ العُيونِ وَعُودُهُنَّ كَواذِبٌ
وَفِعالُهُنَّ خَديعَةٌ وَخِلاب
Large-eyed women—their promises are lies,
their deeds deception and beguilement.
مِن كُلّ واضِحَة الجَبينِ كَأَنَّها
قَمَرٌ تَكَشَّفَ عَن سَناهُ حِجابُ
Each one clear-browed, as though she were
a moon whose radiance a veil uncovers.
مُتَقابِلاتٌ لِلزِيارَةِ في الدُجى
خَفَراً كَما تَتَقابَلُ الأَسرابُ
The two met face-to-face for a night visit through the dark,
modest as flocks of birds when they meet.
وَلَهُنَّ عَتبٌ بَينَهُنَّ كَأَنَّهُ
عَسَلٌ يُقَطِّرُهُ السُقاةُ مُذابُ
Between them passed reproaches, as though
they were honey, melted and dripped by cupbearers.
يا صاحَبيَّ ذَرا العِتابَ فَذَوُ الهَوى
صَعبٌ عَلَيهِ قَطيعَةٌ وَعِتابُ
My two companions, leave off your reproach: for the lover,
severance and reproach are hardship enough.
صَرَمَت أُمامَةُ حَبلَهُ وَانتابَهُ
بَعدَ الرُقادِ خَيالُها المُنتابُ
Umama severed her bond with him, and there came to him
after sleep, her ever-returning phantom.
زارَت وَلَم تَكُنِ الزِيارَةُ عادَةً
إِنّي بِزَورَةِ طَيفِها مُرتابُ
She visited, though visiting was never her custom;
even of this visit by her phantom I am suspicious.
يا طَيفُ كَيفَ سَخَت بِكَ ابنَةُ مالِكٍ
وَالصُبحُ نَصلٌ وَالظَلامُ قِرابُ
O phantom, how could Malik’s daughter bring herself to send you,
when love is a blade and the bones its sheath?
وَالجَوُّ مُشتَبِكُ النُجومِ كَأَنَّهُ
كَأسٌ عَلاهُ مِنَ المِزاجِ حَبابُ
The sky’s stars were so interwoven that it seemed
a cup topped with bubbles from blended wine,
مِن حَولِ بَدرٍ في السَماءِ كَأَنَّهُ
وَجهُ المُعِزِّ وَحَولَهُ الأَصحابُ
surrounding a full moon in the sky, as though it were
the face of al-Mu‘izz, with his loved ones gathered around.
مَلِكٌ عَلَيهِ مِنَ المَحامِدِ حُلَّةٌ
وَمِنَ التُقى دُونَ الثِيابِ ثِيابُ
A king upon whom praises fashion a robe,
while piety clothes him beneath every garment.
حُلوُ الشَمائِلِ عَذبَةٌ أَخلاقُهُ
وَكَذاكَ أَخلاقُ الكِرامِ عِذابُ
Sweet in disposition, delightful in character—
and so the character of noble men is sweet.
لا عَيبَ فيهِ سِوى السَخاءِ فَلَيتَهُ
يَبقى وَيَبقى بِالسَخاءِ يُعابُ
No fault is in him save generosity—if only
he might live and live on, faulted solely for generosity.
وَتَراهُ سَهلاً وَهوَ إِن خاشَنتَهُ
خَشِنُ العَريكَةِ يُتَّقى وَيُهابُ
You find him gentle; yet if you treat him harshly,
his mettle is hard, and he is guarded against and feared.
لا تُغرَرَنَّ بِهِ فَتَحتَ قَميصِهِ
لِلكَيدِ أَرقَمُ ضالَةٍ مُنسابُ
Do not be deceived by him: beneath his shirt
for kingship glides a thick-ribbed, speckled serpent.
لِلّهِ دَرُّ المُدرِكِيِّ فَإِنَّهُ
لِلحَمدِ مُنذُ عَرَفتُهُ كَسّابُ
How excellent are those who attain his favor! For he has been
ever a source of gain to Muhammad, since I knew him.
لا حامِلاً حِقداً وَلا مُتَطَلِّباً
عَتباً لِصاحِبِهِ وَلا مُغتابُ
He bears no rancor, nor seeks
to reproach a companion, nor does he backbite.
يا واهِبَ الدُنيا لِأَيسَرِ طالِبٍ
ما خابَ مِنكَ وَلا يَخيِبُ طِلابُ
O giver of the world to the humblest petitioner,
no plea to you has failed, nor shall any fail.
دارُ المَعُونَةِ دِمنَةٌ مَدروسَةٌ
لِلناسِ فيها جِيئَةٌ وَذَهابُ
The House of Aid is an effaced, trampled ruin,
yet people still come and go through it.
أَنعِم عَلَيَّ بِها لِعَشرَةِ صِبيَةٍ
هِبَةً فَأَنتَ المُنعِمُ الوَهّابُ
Bestow it on me, for the sake of ten young children;
grant it as a gift—you are the gracious Bestower.
فهُم عَبيدُكَ لا أَخافُ عَلَيهِمُ
ظَمَأً وَبَحرُكَ زاخِرٌ عَبّابُ
They are your servants; I need not fear for them
thirst, while your sea surges with towering waves.
وَاِفعَل كَما فَعَلَ الخَليفَةُ جَعفَرٌ
بِالبُحتُرِيِّ وَرَهطُهُ الأَنجابُ
Do as the caliph Ja‘far did
for Buhturi’s family and his noble clan:
أَقناهُمُ مالا يَبيدُ وَقابَلوا
ذاكَ الفَعالَ بِمِثلِهِ فَأَصابُوا
he enriched them with wealth unfailing and fruitful,
and they repaid that deed in kind, and prospered.
وَنَداكَ أَوسَعُ وَالَّذي أَنا قائِلٌ
أَبقى وَمالُكَ لِلعُفاةِ نِهابُ
Your bounty is broader, and what I utter
will endure longer; your wealth is spoil for petitioners.
وَلَقَد سَأَلتَكَ واثِقاً بِكَ إِنَّني
أَدعُوكَ عِندَ مَطالِبي فَأُجابُ
I have asked you, placing my trust in you; whenever
I call on you in need, you answer.
يابنَ الكِرامِ وَلَو سَأَلتُكَ عامِراً
لَوَهَبتَنيهِ فَكَيفَ وَهوَ خَرابُ
O son of noble men, even had I asked you for it while flourishing,
you would have granted it to me—how much more when it lies desolate?
وَبِكُلِّ فَضلٍ مِن يَمينكَ طالِبٌ
وَلَرُبَّما تَتَفاضَلُ الطُلّابُ
Every bounty flowing from your right hand is ample,
though petitioners’ requests may differ in worth.
وَأَنا الحَقيقُ وَلَو سَأَلتُ مَشَقَّةً
وَالخَيرُ عِندَ الخيِّرينَ يُصابُ
I would be deserving even had I asked for all the East;
good is found with those who are good.
أَغنى عَلَيّاً صالِحٌ بِنَوالِهِ
قِدماً وَأَغنى قاسِماً وَثّابُ
I mean ‘Ali, whose open hand has long poured forth,
and I mean Qasim, and Thawab,
وَمُفَضَّلٌ سَبَغَت عَلَيهِ لِفاتِكٍ
دُونَ المُلوكِ مَواهِبٌ وَرِغابُ
and Mufaddal, whom your hand surpassed
in gifts and favors, beyond all kings.
لَم يَترُكُوا لَهُمُ كَما أَنا تارِكٌ
لَكَ بَعدَ ما تَتَطاوَلُ الأَحقابُ
They left none of them the like of what I now leave
to you, when lengthening ages have passed:
حَمداً كَحاشِيَةِ الرِداءِ مُحبَّراً
لا الحَضرُ تُحسِنُهُ وَلا الأَعرابُ
an immortal work, embroidered like the border of a robe,
which neither townsmen nor Bedouins can fashion.
ما كُلُّ مَن صاغَ الكَلامَ بِماهِرٍ
فيهِ وَلا كُلُّ الجِيادِ عِرابُ
Not everyone who coins speech is its master,
nor are all horses purebred.
وَمِن النَباتِ ذَوابِلٌ وَمَعابِلٌ
وَمِنَ الحَديدِ أَخِلَّةٌ وَحِرابُ
Among plants are straight lance-shafts and arrow-shafts;
among iron are swords and spears.
تَفديكَ رُوحُ فَتىً تَبَسَّمَ رَوضُهُ
مِمّا سَقاهُ غَمامُكَ السَكّابُ
May my soul ransom you—a youth whose pasture smiled
from the rain your clouds poured upon it,
مِن بَعدِ ما قاسى الخُمولَ وَداسَهُ
دَوسَ الهَشيمِ زَمانُهُ اللعّابُ
after it had endured obscurity and trampling,
like dry brushwood in its blameworthy old age.
كَم شاعِرٍ طَلَبَ العُلى فَتَقَطّعَت
مِن دُون مَطلَبِهِ بِهِ الأَسبابُ
How many poets sought the heights, only for the means
to their desire to be severed before them.
غَيري فَإِني مُذ أَتَيتُكَ قاصِداً
ما اِستَدّ دُوني لِلفَوائِدِ بابُ
Not I: since I came to you with purpose,
no gate to benefits has been barred against me.
لي مِنكَ في خِصبِ الزَمانِ وَجَدبِهِ
مَرعىً أَغَنُّ وَرَوضَةٌ مِعشابُ
From you, in time’s abundance and its drought, I have
a lush pasture and a meadow rich in grass.
فَلأَشكُرَنَّكَ ما حَيِيتُ وَإِن أَمُت
شَكَرَتكَ بَعدَ بَنيّها الآدابُ
I shall thank you while I live; and if I die,
the daughter of letters will thank you after me.
وَإَلَيكَ مُحكَمَةً إِذا هِيَ أُبرِزَت
خَطَبَت إِلى أَخَواتِها الخُطّابُ
A poem comes to you, tightly wrought; once unveiled,
suitors seek her hand among the virgin poems.
تَسري كَما تَسري النُجومُ وَيَهتَدي
رَكبٌ بِساطِعِ نُورِها وَرِكابُ
She journeys as stars journey, and by
her radiant light caravans and riders find their way.
وَلَها إِذا هَرِمَ الزَمانُ وَأَهلُهُ
عُمرٌ كَعُمرِكَ دائِمٌ وَشَبابُ
When time and its people grow old, she shall possess
an everlasting lifetime and youth.
فَثَوابُها ما قَد عَلِمتَ وَرُبَّما
يَأتيكَ مِن دونِ الثَوابِ ثَوابُ
Her reward is what you already know; and sometimes
reward may come to you without recompense.
