لَمِن حِلَّةٌ ما بَينَ بُصرى وَصَرخَدِ
تَروحُ بِها خَيلُ الجُلاحِ وَتَغتَدي
For whom is an outfit between Basra and Sarakh?
Over which the horses of warriors ride and lunch,
وَنارٌ بِقَلبي مِثلُها لِأُهَيلِها
تُشَبُّ لِضَيفٍ مُتهِمٍ وَلِمُنجِدِ
While in my heart is a fire, lit for their reception,
Blazing for a guest of suspicion and a helper of distress.
وَمَمشوقَةٍ رَقَّت وَدَقَّت شَمائِلاً
إِلى أَن تَساوى جِلدُها وَتَجَلُّدي
Of a delicate, tender creature, whose features
Have been refined until her skin equals her garment.
مِنَ الخَفَراتِ البيضِ تُغني لِحاظِها
عَن المُرهَفاتِ البيضِ في كُلِّ مَشهَدِ
Her white slippers sing of her leggings
More than the white leggings at every stage.
حِجازِيَةُ الأَجفانِ وَالخَصرِ وَالحَشا
شَآمِيَّةُ الأَردافِ وَالنَهدِ وَاليَدِ
Hejazi in her eyelids, waist and voice,
Shami in her buttocks, breast and hand.
إِذا اِبتَسَمَت فَالدُرُّ عِقدُ مُنَضَّدٌ
وَإِن حَدَّثَت فَالدُرُّ غَيرُ مُنَضَّدِ
When she smiles, pearls are a well-arranged necklace,
And when she speaks, pearls are no longer arranged.
وَأَلمى كَمِثلِ البَدرِ تَبدو جُيوبُهُ
عَلى مِثلِ خوطِ البانَةِ المَتَأَوِّدِ
She displays wrists like a full moon
Over arms like the plaited cords of a tent.
لَهُ مُقلَةٌ سُكرى بِغَيرِ مُدامَةٍ
وَلي مُقلَةٌ شُكرى بِدَمعِ مُوَرَّدِ
She has an intoxicated coquetry without wine,
While I have a sober flirtation with tears that flow.
رَعى اللَهَ يَوماً ظَلَّ في ظِلِّ أَيكَةٍ
نَديمي عَلى زَهرِ الرِياضِ وَمُنشِدي
May God one day favor when my companion in the shade of a canopy,
While I entertain him amidst the flowers of the meadow and chant,
وَكَأساً سَقانيها كَقِنديلِ بَيعَةٍ
بِها وَبِهِ في ظُلمَةِ اللَيلِ نَهتَدي
A cup she passes as a lantern for allegiance,
With it and with its bearer we are guided in the darkness of night,
مُعتَقَةً مِن قَبلِ شَيثٍ وَآدَمِ
مُحَلَّلَةً مِن قَبلِ عيسى وَأَحمَدِ
Emancipated by Eve and Adam aforetime,
Made lawful by Jesus and Ahmad aforetime.
صَفَت كَدُموعي حينَ صَدَّ مَديرُها
وَرَقَّت كَديني حينَ أَوفى بِمَوعِدِ
It flowed like my tears when its keeper turned away,
And softened like my religion when he kept his vow.
وَفي الشَيبِ لي عَن لاعَجِ الحُبِّ شاغِلٌ
وَقَد كُنتُ لَولا الشَيبُ طَلّاعَ أَنجُدِ
In my grey hair, my mind is busy with love’s folly,
Though were it not for the grey hair, I would be most valiant.
رَمى شَعَري بَعدَ السَوادِ بِأَبيَضٍ
وَحَظِيَ مِن بَعدِ البَياضِ بِأَسوَدِ
My hair was cast by blackness into whiteness,
And my fortune was cast from whiteness into blackness.
فَلا وَجدَ إِلّا ما وَجَدتُ مِنَ الأَسى
وَلا حَمدَ إِلّا لِلأَميرِ مُحَمَّدِ
I have found nothing but sorrow,
And I praise no one but the Prince Muhammad.
