رَنَت بِفواترِ الأجفانِ سَكرى
فَخِلنا نَجلها بالغضّ خزرا
The cups of the eyelids rang intoxicated,
So we made them sober with frowning disapproval,
وَما خِلنا الفتورَ له فتونٌ
تُغالُ به النهى سكراً وسحرا
And we were not remiss in censuring them, for censure
Has magic to temper such tipsiness and sorcery.
دَهَتنا وهيَ تلحظُ بِاِنكسارٍ
وَلَن نُدهى بلحظِ الأسدِ شَزرا
They enticed us while languishing with downcast eyes,
But the lion’s glance will never make us pliant.
قَسيمةُ ظبيةٍ جيداً وطرفاً
وَخوطةُ بانةٍ قدّاً وَحِصرا
The cheek of a gazelle, slender and graceful,
The figure of a fawn, slim and delicate,
نَفورُ الدلّ آنسةُ السجايا
لَعوبُ الحسنِ بِالألبابِ قَسرا
Aloof yet endearing, bewitching yet coy,
Beauty ensnares hearts and takes them captive,
يَجولُ بِخدّها ماءٌ وراحٌ
عَلى خفرٍ أَبى أَن يستقرّا
On her cheek water and breeze wander aimlessly
Over a camp that refused to settle,
وَيَجلو وَجهُها روضاً نضيراً
وَيَحمي الوردَ والوِرد المقرّا
And make her face a fresh, verdant meadow
That protects the roses and binds them close.
فَلا أَدري أَرِقراقاً وزهراً
تليحُ حلاهُ أَم بدراً وزهرا
So I know not whether the meadows and flowers
Suit her beauty better, or the round lustrous moon.
إِذا قرّت بهِ الألحاظُ لَمحاً
غَدت دهراً بِه الأكبادُ حرّى
When eyes glance at her they kindle a flame,
And livers burn for ages with yearning so keen.
أَما وَعُيونُها الدعجُ اللّواتي
أَقامَت لِلهَوى العذريِّ عذرا
As for her eyes - those languorous deadly charmers -
They make lover’s madness reasonable and right!
وَخالٌ بينَ قَوسَي حاجِبيها
بِحيثُ يكونُ قطبُ الحسنِ قرّا
A mole lies midway the bow of her eyebrows,
Making her beauty’s pole-star clear and bright,
وَفرعٌ ليلُهُ فرقٌ لفرقٍ
بِهِ صبحُ الجبيِن أَبانَ فَجرا
A branchlet, her night is sundered by a gap
Through which morn peeps out radiant at first light.
لَقَد غطّت عَلى بَصري وسَمعي
بِملثومٍ جَلا حَبباً ودرّا
She covered my sight and hearing altogether
With her heavy hair, knots that allure and excite;
فَبِالثغرِ النظيمِ تديرُ كأساً
وَبِالنطقِ الرخيمِ تُديرُ أخرى
With her slender mouth she hands me a cup
And speaks to me sweetly, making me drunk with delight.
شُغلتُ بِحبّها عَنها فَقلبي
لِصورَتها هُيولى لَيس يَعرى
Bewitched by her beauty, my heart can do naught
But conjure and dream of her image both day and night
أَهيمُ بِها وَلا يدري رقيبٌ
وَلا أَخشى لَها صدّاً وَهَجرا
I wander about, crazed by love, none’s the wiser,
Having no fear of censure or estrangement in sight.
وَربّتما يَخالُ الغرّ أنّي
صَحوتُ وَسمتُ إِقصاراً وصبرا
And yet, at times conceit makes absence seem real,
As though I were awake, self-possessed and upright!
وَكيفَ يفيقُ مَن يُسقى بكأسٍ
يكرّرها التصوّرُ مُستمرّا
How could one awaken who is made to drink
A cup refilled constantly in imagination’s sight?
فَيا سرعانَ ما وطّنتُ نَفسي
عَلى ما غيرهُ بالحرّ أَحرى
How soon, my soul, you at home here did feel,
Far more than all others whose lives are a blight!
عَصيتُ تجمّلي وَأطعتُ وجداً
يُسخّرني لَها سرّاً وجهرا
I disobeyed my qualms and obeyed my passion
Which cunningly made me her captive outright,
وَلَم أُعطِ الهوادةَ عَن هوانٍ
وَلا جَزعٍ لأن حمّلتُ إِصرا
I never gave in to my rivals from spite or fear
Even when my load grew heavy and my steps lost their spright.
وَلكنّي خَطَبتُ ظباءَ إنسٍ
جَعلتُ رِضاءهنّ عليّ مَهرا
Instead, I sought to marry the fairest of houris,
To please them I made my dowry my might!
أَفاطمُ هَل علمتِ مضاءَ عَزمي
وَمطمحَ همّتي نخواً وَكِبرا
O Fatima, know you my firm resolve?
My towering ambition and pride in my fight?
وجودَ يديَّ وَإِقدامي وَبَأسي
وَصِدقي كلّما اِستسهَلت وَعرا
My valiance, derring-do and prowess in war?
My truthfulness, be the fray tricky or slight?
وَإنّي لا أسامُ الدهرَ ضيماً
وَلا أَعصي لِباغي العرفِ أَمرا
I never complain of the times as unjust,
Nor disobey the convention my peers think is right.
تَلينُ لِمَن يُسالِمُني قَناتي
وَتصلبُ إِن يرم ذو الغمزِ هصرا
My swords bend docile for those who make peace,
And stiffen at once if sly predators bite.
وَإنّي لا أعدّ الوفرَ ذخراً
وَلكنّي أعدّ الذكرَ ذُخرا
I reckon not plenty a thing to be hoarded,
But good repute I count my best might.
وَما كلُّ الخلالِ تُذاع بأواً
وَما كلّ المذاعِ يصحّ سبرا
Not all whispered is fit to be spread,
Nor all thus spread can survive the test of hindsight.
وَفي التجريبِ ما ينفي اِرتِياباً
وَيصدقُ سنّ بكرٍ عنه فرّا
Trial alone removes doubt,
And experience confirms what is right.
