ما لِلغُرابِ عَلى الأَطلالِ قَد نَعبا
صُبحاً فَأَحَّجَ في أَحشائِنا اللَهَبا
Why does the raven croak at the ruins as dawn breaks,
Igniting flames of grief deep inside us?
نَعى فَقُلنا لَهُ المَوت المُريع تَرى
سَطا فَقالَ نَعَم قَد صالَ وَأَحرَبا
He laments - we ask: "Do you see death's quick devastation?"
"Yes," he nods. "It has raged and destroyed."
حَمامَةٌ في رِياضِ الأُنس آمِنَةٌ
أَراعَها ثُمَ شاءَ القَنصَ فَاغِتَصَبا
A dove secure in the gardens of companionship -
He startled her, then claimed her for prey.
لَكِنَّها مانَعَتهُ وَهُوَ مُندَهِشٌ
بِما أَصابَ فَرامَ الحِرصَ فَاِنغَلَبا
But she resisted as he stood there astonished
At his misdeed. His greed was overcome.
قَد هالَهُ تاجُ نورٍ وَهُوَ مُنَحَدِرٌ
عَلى قَنيصَتِهِ الغَراءِ فَاِضطَربا
Dazzled by her crown of light as he descended
Upon her pure white gown - he lost control.
فَاِستَخلَصت مِن يَديهِ وَهِيَ باسِمَةٌ
تَعلو لِرَوضٍ أَنيقِ في العُلى خَصبا
She slipped from his hands, smiling as she ascended
To a delicate garden on high, lush and fertile.
فَما نَعبتُ عَلَيها أَنَّها سَعدت
لَكن بَكيتُ لِمَن في بُعدِها اِنتَكَبا
I did not lament her fortune, but wept for one
Far from her - a tender sapling burnt by separation's flames.
فَتى أَرَقُّ مِن الماءِ الزُلالِ عَلى
قَلبِ الجَريح دَهاهُ البينُ فَالتَهَبا
A branch, once brilliant, whose flowers the storms of fate
Had ravaged and stripped bare.
غُصنٌ زَها يَسلُبُ الأَلبابِ قَد عَبَثَت
بِزَهرِهِ عاصِفاتُ الدَهر فَاِنسَلَبا
A broken, drooping branch, bent over
In the spring of its life, sunk in sorrow.
غُصنٌ عَلى غُصنِهِ المَقصوف مُنَكَسِرٌ
لَذا اِنحَنى في رَبيع العُمرِ مُنتَحِبا
The tears on his left cheek are constant -
His right eye stopped weeping long ago.
يُسراهُ أَضحَت عَلى خَديهِ لاطِمَةً
لِأَنَّ يُمناهُ سارَت تَبلغُ الأَرَبا
Just yesterday he wore the robes of grief.
Joy did not visit his heart again.
لَم يَخلَع الأَمس ثَوبَ الحُزن مُبتَهِجاً
حَتّى تَجدَّدَ في أَحشاهُ مُنتَشِيا
She left and the wedding concluded.
Dancing returned to the gardens - but was it real?
سارَت اليَفتهُ وَالعُرس مُختَتِمٌ
فَجَدد الرَقصفي رَوضاتِهِ طَرَبا
A year of joyful celebration lasted only a moment,
As if it were a dream that passed like a cloud.
وَلَم تَتمَّ عَلى أَفراحِهِ سَنةٌ
كَأَنَّها سَنَةٌ وَالعَيش حلم هبا
Until he awoke at dawn into darkness,
As if night had become the new dawn.
حَتّىاِستَفاقَ بَصُبح العُمرِ في ظُلمٍ
كَأَنَّما اللَيل أَضحى لِلصَباح قبا
He calls to his father and laments his stolen pearl.
He rages at his misfortune and loss.
يَدعو أَباهُ وَيَشكو سَلبَ دُرَّتِهِ
وَيَستشيط لَما مِن حَظِّهِ نُهِبا
He weeps, and his infant daughter weeps,
So he feeds her his tears to appease her cries.
يَبكي وَطفلَتَهُ تَبكي فَيُرضِعُها
دَمعاً تَهيج لَهُ أَصواتُ مَن نَدَبا
The tears of youth spill for the youth,
Increasing his sorrows and anguish.
دَمع الصِبا قَد صَبا لِلصَبِّ مُنهَمِلاً
يَزيد ذا الصَبَّ في أَحزانِهِ وَصَبا
Oh guide him, for fate has tested him
As it does the wise and learned.
وَيحي عَلَيهِ فَإِنَّ الدَهر قَلَّبهُ
كَما تَقَلب يُحصي العلم وَالأَدَبا
I saw him sunk in grief and burning with sorrow,
His state perplexed me and filled me with wonder -
رَأَيتَهُ غارِقاً بِالحُزنِ مُحتَرِقاً
حَتّى تَوَهَمَت مِن حالاتِهِ العَجَبا
A fatherless father, widowed groom, confused lover,
An elder with the sorrows of a boy defeated.
أَباً يَتيماً عَريساً أَرمَلاً وَلَهاً
شَيخ الخَطوب صَبياً لِلصِبا غَلبا
These are your qualities, my friend -
In one era you lived lifetimes.
هَذِهِ صِفاتكَ يا خضلي عَرَفتَ بِها
كُل الأُمور بَعَصرٍ عَهدُهُ قَرُبا
In your nature, kindness penetrates,
Dispelling rage and anger.
وَفي طِباعك يااِسكَندَر اِنطَبَعَت
رَقائق اللُطف تَنفي الغَيظ وَالغَضَبا
Temper the flames with the patience inside you,
And leave behind what has departed.
فَاطفِ اللَهيبَ بِحُلمٍ فيكَ مُنغَرِسٍ
وَاقصر عَناكَ فَلا رَدٌّ لَما ذَهَبا
Though misfortune assails you, do not despair -
Be courageous of mind, wise and prudent.
قَد هاجَمَتكَ خُطوبُ الدَهر عابِسَةً
فَلا تَكُن لِسُقوط القَلبِ مُنتَسِبا
Overcome ignorance with your light.
Calamities spare no one in this life.
أَنتَ الشُجاع شُجاع العَقل في فَطنٍ
تَسطو عَلى الجَهل حَيثُ النور قَد سَكَبا
Those who endure will not stumble.
You are the brave one, courageous in mind.
مَصائِبُ الدَهر لا تَبقي عَلى أَحَدٍ
وَمِن تَجَلَّدَ في الدُنيا فَما نُكِبا
