عَفَت غَيقَةٌ مِن أَهلِها فَحَريمُها
فَبُرقَةُ حِسمى قاعُها فَصَريمُها
A love that departed from her family bitterly distanced itself,
So the brilliant morning of our union and its exaltation faded.
وَهاجَتكَ أَطلالٌ لِعَزَّةَ بِاللَوى
يَلوحُ بِأَطرافِ البِراقِ رُسومُها
Desolate ruins called me with a longing for Mighty Azah's abode,
Where the traces of its glittering domes once shone.
إِلى المِئبَرِ الداني مِنَ الرَملِ ذي الغَضا
تَراها وَقَد أَقوَت حَديثاً قَديمُها
To the lofty, nearby tower of sand it brought me,
Where I saw it conversing with tales of old.
وَقالَ خَليلي يَومَ رُحنا وَفُتِّحَت
مِنَ الصَدرِ أَشراجٌ وَفُضَّت خُتومُها
And my friend said, on the day we visited when
The locks on my heart were opened and its seals came undone:
أَصابَتكَ نَبلُ الحاجِبِيَّةِ إِنَّها
إِذا ما رَمَت لا يَستَبِلُّ كَليمُها
"You have been struck by the arrows of the Perfect Brow,
When she aims her bow, none can evade her shot.
كَأَنَّكَ مَردوعٌ مِنَ الشَمسِ مَطرَدٌ
يُفارِقُهُ مِن عُقدَةِ البُقعِ هيمُها
You are like one driven away by the sun, parted
From the constellation at zenith by its burning rays.
أَخو حَيَّةٍ عَطشى بِأَرضٍ ظَميئَةٍ
تَجَلَّلَ غَشياً بَعدَ غَشيٍ سَليمُها
A brother of a hungry snake in a barren land
writhing again and again after shedding its skin.
إِذا شَحَطَت يَوماً بِعَزَّةَ دارُها
عَنِ الحَيِّ صَفقاً فَاِستَمَرَّ مَريرُها
When Mighty Azah's abode once galloped away,
it bid farewell to the camp with a resounding strike.
فَإِن تُمسِ قَد شَطَّت بِعَزَّةً دارُها
وَلَم يَستَقِم وَالعَهدَ مِنها زَعيمُها
If you seek to reach her, she has migrated from her home
and her guide there has not remained steadfast."
فَقَد غادَرَت في القَلبِ مِنّي زَمانَةً
وَلِلعَينِ عَبراتٍ سَريعاً سُجومُها
In my heart she left behind many days of longing
with copious tears flowing quickly from my eyes.
فَذوقي بِما جَشَّمتِ عَيناً مَشومَةً
قَذاها وَقَد يَأتي عَلى العَينِ شومُها
So taste the agony my miserable eyes have suffered,
though worse may yet come upon these eyes of mine.
فَلا تَجزَعي لَمّا نَأَت وَتَزَحزَحَت
بِعَزَّةَ دوراتُ النَوى وَرُجومُها
Do not grieve for what is past and changed,
for the cycles of fate and its decrees revolve inexorably.
وَلي مِنكِ أَيّامٌ إِذا شَحَطَ النَوى
طِوالٌ وَلَيلاتٌ تَزولُ نُجومُها
My days with you remain when the fates turn,
nights whose stars travel on and disappear.
قَضى كُلُّ ذي دينٍ فَوفّى غَريمَهُ
وَعَزَّةُ مَمطولٌ مُعنّىً غَريمُها
Every debtor fulfills his debts and pays his dues,
and Mighty Azah's deferred promise will surely come to pass.
إِذا سُمتُ نَفسي هَجَرَها وَاِجتِنابَها
رَأَت غَمَراتِ المَوتِ في ما أَسومُها
When I prepare my soul to abandon and avoid her,
it sees the darkness of death in what I intend.
إِذا بِنتِ بانَ العُرفُ إِلّا أَقَلَّهُ
مِنَ الناسِ وَاِستَعلى الحَياةَ ذَميمُها
When the daughter of Banu Unayf rose in prestige,
the worthless of mankind rose up and virtues diminished.
وَتُخلِقُ أَثوابُ الصِيا وَتَنَكَّرَت
نَواحٍ مِنَ المَعروفِ كانَت تُقيمُها
The robes of chastity have changed,
neglecting the noble deeds they once performed.
فَهَل تَجزِيَنّي عَزَّةُ القَرضَ بِالهَوى
ثَواباً لِنَفسٍ قَد أُصيبَ صَميمُها
Can Mighty Azah repay with love,
a soul that she has wounded to the core?
بِأَنّيَ لَم تَبلُغ لَها ذا قَرابَةٍ
أَذاتي وَلَم أُقرِر لِواسٍ يَذيمُها
Since she is not of my kin,
and her noble kinsman did not honor me.
مَتى ما تَنالا بِيَ الأولى يَقصِبونَها
إِلَيَّ وَلا يُشتَم لَدَيَّ حَميمُها
Whenever they reproach me,
they send me away without listening to my case.
وَقَد عَلِمَت بِالغَيبِ أَن لَن أُوَدَّها
إِذا هِيَ لَم يَكرُم عَلَيَّ كَريمُها
She knew in her wisdom that I will never love her
if her generous kinsman does not show me favor.
فَإِن وَصَلتَنا أُمُّ عَمرٍو فَإِنَّنا
سَنَقبَلُ مِنها الوُدَّ أَو لا نَلومُها
But if the mother of Amr reconciles us,
then we will accept her affection or not blame her.
فَلا تَزجِرِ الغاوينَ عَن تَبَعِ الصِبا
وَأَنتَ غَوِيُّ النَفسِ قِدماً سَقيمُها
So do not rebuke the passionate youth
when you yourself were once unsteady and wavering.
بِعَزَّةَ مَتبولٌ إِذا هِيَ فارَقَت
مُعَنّى بِأَسبابِ الهَوى ما يَريمُها
Mighty Mutaball, when she leaves,
will not regard the causes of passion or reject them.
وَلَمّا رَأَيتُ النَفسَ نَفساً مُصابَةً
تَداعى عَلَيها بَثُّها وَهُمومُها
And when I saw my soul as an afflicted soul,
overcome by its sorrows and worries,
عَزَمتُ عَلَيها أَمرَها فَصَرَمتُهُ
وَخَيرُ بَديعاتِ الأُمورِ عَزيمُها
I was determined to command it and it obeyed me,
for the best of matters is to have determination.
وَما جابَةُ المِدرى خَذولٌ خَلا لَها
أَراكٌ بِذي الرَيّانِ دانٍ صَريمُها
The protection of the Noble Refuge is no coward,
it has men at the Abode of Reyyan protecting its sanctuary.
بِأَحسَنَ مِنها سُنَّةً وَمُقَلَّداً
إِذا ما بَدَت لَبّاتُها وَنَظيمُها
Its methods are more beautiful, and it follows
the proper ways when its banners unfurl.
وَتَفرُقُ بِالمِدرى أَثيثاً نَباتُهُ
كَجَنَّةِ غَربيبٍ تَدَلَّت كُرومُها
The plants of the Noble Refuge spread about,
like the boughs of a lush garden hanging with fruit.
إِذا ضَحِكَت لَم تَنتَهِز وَتَبَسَّمَت
ثَنايا لَها كَالمُزنِ غُرٌّ ظُلومُها
When it smiles, it does not grin or sneer,
but rather its dimples are like shining pearls.
كَأَنَّ عَلى أَنيابِها بَعدَ رَقدَةٍ
إِذا اِنتَبَهَت وَهناً لِمَن يَستَنيمُها
It is as if, after waking from sleep,
its teeth are weakly ready to bite whoever rouses it.
مُجاجَةَ نَحلٍ في أَباريقِ صَفقَةٍ
بِصَهباءَ يَجري في العِظامِ هَميمُها
The bustling of bees in vessels of honey
whose fervor flows in the bones, melting them.
رَكودُ الحُمَيّا وَردَةُ اللَونِ شابَها
بِماءِ الغَوادي غَيرَ رَنقٍ مُديمُها
The redness of its cheeks has been restored
by the waters of the valley, smooth without cracks.
فَإِن تَصدُفي يا عَزَّ عَنّي وَتَصرِمي
وَلا تَقبَلي مِنّي خِلالاً أَسومُها
So Mighty Azah, if you turn from me and refuse me,
and do not accept my regretful supplications,
فَقَد أَقطَعُ المَوماةَ يَستَنُّ آلُها
بِها جيفُ الحَسرى يَلوحُ هَشيمُها
Then desolation will stretch out its hands towards its ruins,
with the carcass of grief appearing devastated.
عَلى ظَهرِ حُرجوجٍ يُقَطَّعُ بِالفَتى
نِعافَ الفَيافي سَبتُها وَرَسيمُها
On the back of a noble and wise horse
that cuts through the thickets with its rider.
وَقَد أَزجُرُ العَوجاءَ أَنقَبَ خُلُّها
مَناسِمُها لا يَستَبِلُّ رَثيمُها
And I will rebuke the fickle one whose deceit appears,
though its twisted ways will not be set straight.
وَقَد غَيَّبَت سُمراً كَأَنَّ حُروفَها
مَواثِمُ وَضّاحٍ يَطيرُ جَريمُها
It has obscured the name Sumrah, as if its letters
were the shells of a swooping falcon scattered in flight.
وَلَيلَةِ إيجافٍ بِأَرضٍ مَخوفَةٍ
تَقَتني بِجَوناتِ الظَلامِ نُجومُها
On an ominous night in a fearful land,
the stars of darkness meet with it.
فَبِتُّ أُساري لَيلَها وَضَريبَها
عَلى ظَهرِ حُرجوجٍ نَبيلٍ حَزيمُها
I spend its night awake, a captive unable to sleep,
on the back of a noble and wise horse.
تُواهِقُ أَطلاحاً كَأَنَّ عُيونَها
وَقيعٌ تَعادَت عَن نِطافٍ هَزومُها
It competes with the highest summits, as if its eyes
were a torrent from which gaze upon gaze flows.
أَضَرَّ بِها الإِدلاجُ حَتّى كَأَنَّها
مِنَ الأَينِ خِرصانٌ نَحاها مُقيمُها
The darkness confuses it, as if it were
wrought silver cups burnished smooth.
تُنازِعُ أَشرافَ الإِكامِ مَطِيَّتي
مِنَ اللَيلِ سيجاناً شديدا فُحومُها
My steed challenges the blanket of the night,
mighty, enormously strong.
بِمُشرِفَةِ الأَجداثِ خاشِعَةِ الصُوى
تَداعى إِذا أَمسَت صَداها وَبومُها
With a towering stature, humbly keeping to herself,
her echo fades when night falls, silenced.
إِذا اِستَقبَلَتها الريحُ حالَ رُغامُها
وَحالَفَ جَولانَ السَرابِ أَرومُها
When the wind meets her neck wrapped with a scarf,
it swears an oath to the mirage not to oppose her pace.
يُمَشّي بِحِزّانِ الإِكامِ وِبِالرُبى
كَمُستَكبرٍ ذي مَوزَجَينِ ظَليمُها
She walks steadily with the saddlebags on her sides
like an arrogant one with strong and firm thighs.
رَأَيتُ بِها العوجَ اللَهاميمَ تَغتَلي
وَقَد صُقِلَت صَقلاً وَتَلَّت جُسومُها
I saw the ugly coward slyly roll about,
smoothed and polished without hair or wool.
تُراكِلُ بِالأَكوارِ مِن كُلِّ صَيهَبٍ
مِنَ الحَرِّ أَثباجاً قَليلاً لُحومُها
She raced between the barren lands under every starry night
crossing the scorching sands with little flesh on her bones.
وَلَو تَسأَلينَ الرَكبَ في كُلِّ سَربَخٍ
إِذا العيسُ لَم يَنبِس بِلَيلٍ بَغومُها
Had you but asked the traveling company in every desolate place,
when the wolves howl deep in the night:
مِنَ الحُجرَةِ القُصوى وَراءَ رِحالِها
إِذا الأُسدُ بِالأَكوارِ طافَ رَزومُها
About her trailing luggage beyond their own,
when the lion circled about the ruins in darkness.
وَجَرَّبتُ إِخوانَ الصَفاءِ فَمِنهُمُ
حَميدُ الوِصالِ عِندَنا وَذَميمُها
I have tested the loyal brethren, and found amongst them
those faithful to brotherhood, and those hostile to it.
وَأَعلَمُ أَنّي لا أُسَربَلُ جُنَّةً
مِنَ المَوتِ مَعقودً عَلَيَّ تَميمُها
And I know that I will not escape the robe of death
that is fastened around me, clutching tightly.
وَمَن يَبتَدِع ما لَيسَ مِن سوسِ نَفسِهِ
يَدَعهُ وَيغلِبهُ عَلى النَفسِ خيمَها
And whoever innovates what is not from his own self-whisperings,
will abandon it and defeat it, bringing down its pillars.
