عثرتَ يومَ العذَيبِ فاستقلِ
ما كلُّ ساعٍ يُحسُّ بالزَّلَلِ
You stumbled on the day of torment, so bear it with patience
Not everyone who strives feels the slips
ما سلِمَتْ قبلك القلوبُ على ال
حُسن ولا الراجمون بالمقلِ
Before you, hearts were not safe from the arrows of beauty, nor were those who cast them with skill
They took away my heart and left behind a body, completely destroyed by the madness of love
راحوا بقلبي وغادروا جسداً
أعدى بِلاه ربعَ الهوى فبَلي
I stood in it, and it is no wonder, like a shadow standing on a shadow
Ask my brothers in the palaces of Persia about a dear brother who is persecuted in chains
وقفتُ فيه ولا ترى عجباً
كطللٍ واقفٍ على طللِ
O people, after you tribulation will take me with its first calamities
Do not seek my blood on the hills of men, for my blood is on the socks of camels
سل إخوتي في قصور فارسَ عن
أخٍ عزيز يُضامُ في الحِلَلِ
As if trailing on the howdahs, walking to my death
Strange! He stubbornly hunted me down like hunting a wild deer with tricks
يا قوم إن العذيبَ بعدكُمُ
يأخذني بالطوائل الأُوَلِ
He spread ropes of curls and stealthily aimed an arrow of kohl
Illness did not specifically injure my sides; rather I am totally wounded with the sorrows of love
لا تطلبوا في طُلى الرجال دمي
إنّ دمي في غوارب الإبلِ
When my cheeks saw my emaciated body, they recoiled in grief, and my heart said: endure!
I have endured all the torment of passion, and if I were chided for it, I would not care
كأنها بالحمُول واطئةٌ
صفحةَ خدّي تمشي إلى أجلي
Time has quenched its cruelty, but has not quenched the cruelty of my tormentors toward me
O short night, stay still for the sleeper, for without drowsiness, the night would not be long
يا عجباً صادني عناداً على
وجرةَ ظبيٌ يصاد بالحيلِ
My tears have turned the color of blackness in my eyes, and the color of darkness has not faded
My eyes have become unaccustomed to daylight, from being accustomed to long nights of anxiety
مدَّ حبالاً من الذوائب واس
ترهف يرمي نَصلاً من الكَحَلِ
Seeming outwardly clad in well-being, while underneath is a skin tattooed with wounds
He gives me the drink of patience when I describe to him a thirst from the utensils of honey
ما اختصَّ مني السَّقامُ جارحةً
على جهاتي أغراضُ منتبلي
Smiling at me without any displeasure - not every glance comes from an eye that was once displeased
When his clothes of wealth were renewed, I went in a robe of his betrayal, patched
إذا لحاظي لجسمِيَ امتعضتْ
من الضنا قال قلبِيَ احتملِ
He sees with his eyes every crack to be repaired, except what has closed up of my own wounds
He sees the departure of nobles has darkened him - oblivion is a brand upon the heedless
كلّ عذابِ الهوى بُليتُ به
ولو كُفيت الملامَ لم أُبَلِ
Say to the vile one who is self-satisfied: "Are you spared my questioning? Then withdraw!"
You withheld it, fearing to give, yet how much better had you withheld from being powerless!
قد اشتفى الدهرُ من قساوته
وما اشتفى العاذلاتُ من عذلي
O you who binds the forelock of benevolence to needs, out of greed, by evening the camel!
Seeking what fate has deferred of wealth during the hastened journey
يا قِصَر الليل دمْ لنائمه
فالليلُ لولا السهاد لم يطُلِ
Perplexed, sacrificing security on land, yet by nightfall in trepidation from it
He halted after his courses became obscured, looking for guidance - you are the full moon, so depart!
أحال دمعي لونَ السواد من ال
عين ولونُ الظلام لم يحُلِ
This is the chief of the generous, fire of the dark villages, and illuminator of the faces of the roads
His smile indicates his generosity, and the East is clad in the striking lightning
وأنكرتْ عينيَ النهارَ من اع
تياد ليلاتِ همّيَ الطِّوَلِ
Dazzling, his black attire surpassed his people's attire in excellence
He excelled so that his district was not trodden by the teeth of youths, nor the wisdom of the aged
ظاهرَ ثوباً من السلامة لي
فوقَ أديمٍ محلَّمٍ نَغِلِ
He alighted and his talisman was not cast, and he dominated the first ten years of his life
Wakeful of thought, brilliant when the slumber of eyelids hid the sentry
يَسقِينيَ الصابَ إن وصفتُ له
ظماءةً من إدواة العسلِ
He almost, in obedience to concord, makes peace between the southern and northern winds
In the dew, his insight was corrected, so he does not respond to questions with excuses
مبتسم لي من غير ما مقةٍ
ما كلّ لحظٍ بالماقِ عن قَبَلِ
And linking the raincloud, lest his generosity rival him with a hand of loosened reason
Of a band of youths whose glory in the prime of life trod the early days of dynasties
إذا استجدَّتْ له ثيابُ غنىً
رحتُ بثوبٍ من غدره سَمَلِ
When the ambitious strove in youthful vigor, they looked from the forelocks of the hills
They left wealth with their hands and bestowed in its place such gifts and kisses!
يرى بعينيه كلَّ منصدع
يُرأبُ إلا ما سدّ من خِللي
At daybreak, the livelihood of people is under a hand of theirs, and the weight of the world on a foot
Each cultivated youth inclines to cultivation, nimbler in work than craftsmen
يرى ذهابَ الساداتِ سوّده
إن التفاني وسمٌ على الغُفلِ
If he wished, he could touch with what his straps have reached, the yellow lions, standing
Good birth distinguished him among them, and he attained the heights in the lofty enclosures
قلْ للئيم يضمّ راحته
خوف سؤالي أُعفِيتَ فاعتزلِ
Muhammad is like al-Husayn in precedence to his goal, and al-Husayn is the example of Ali
Your efforts are sought by one wearied, whose hand unravels ropes for the straying camel
كفَفتَها تَرهبُ العطاءَ فما
أحسنَها لو تُكفُّ من شلَلِ
One who walks on fire without burning his feet will not earn shame like the foot of a youth
You have granted me to wade into hope, while before I refrained from it, avoiding wetness
عهدي بمال الجواد يأمنني
فكيف قد خفتني مع البخَلِ
My poetry in you has exceeded my reflection - the increase of your favor beyond my hope
But it requires your perfections be hastened, lest time waste them in slowness
ما لك ترتاع للسماع إذا
سِيل أُناسٌ وأنت لم تُسَلِ
That I may share in the abundance of water, just as I was made a partner in the milk's cream
Every hand but mine has been immersed in your praise - it is the palm of a pretentious plagiarizer!
غضبان تبغي شرّي بلا تِرةٍ
ولا يدٍ أنت ربُّها قِبَلي
And every heart after mine has loved you - the heart of an outsider to affection, fickle in transference
How much tender sweetness have I poured for you, in which I brought you a gift from my amorous imagination!
يُذَمُّ مسترجِعُ النوالِ فهل
تكون مسترجعاً ولم تُنلِ
The morning comes to you with it like the sun, chaste until it shines with the day
Sweet of fragrance through what I secured of conduct toward you and example
يا عاقداً صبوةَ الحسان إلى ال
حاجات حرصاً بغارب الجملِ
She increases, with her beauty, intimacy - I fear only boredom for her
You have burdened the neck of her excellence - so if she increases, it is for pride, not for absence
يطلبُ ما أمهلَ القضاء به
من الغنى في سَفارة العجَلِ
How many enviers have walked in misery toward her, when her opinion went straight against their crookedness!
He hoped, by what he said in your presence, his burden would deliver him from his rancor, but did not attain
حيرانَ يُضحي على أمانٍ من ال
أرض ويُمسي منها على وجلِ
Had your hearing not been generous to him, the worthless one would not have hoped for the mouth of nobility!
He traces aberration, seeking defects, and forgets favors in their sum
حَطَّ وقد أعتمتْ مذاهبُهُ
ينظر رُشْداً أقمرتَ فارتحلِ
When his hand reaches out, I am pointed out for defects while virtues are for him
It is enough contempt that I left his answer unheeded - had he been one whose answer was heeded, he would not have spoken
هذا عميد الكفاة نارُ قِرى ال
ليل وكشّافُ أوجهِ السُّبُلِ
دلَّ على جوده تبسُّمُهُ
والشرقُ يشرَى بالعارضِ الهطلِ
أبلجُ وافٍ سربالُ سوددِهِ
على سرابيلِ قومِه الفُضُلِ
فات به أن تداس حلبتُه
سنُّ فَتِيٍّ ورأيُ مكتهلِ
قرّ وما أُلقيتْ تميمتُه
وساد في عشر عمره الأُوَلِ
مستيقظ الظنّ ألمعيٌّ إذا
أخلفَ ليلُ النَّوّامةِ الوَكلِ
يكاد من طاعة الوِفاق له
يُصلح بين الجَنوبِ والشَّمَلِ
صحّت له في الندى بصيرتُهُ
فما يَردُّ السؤالَ بالعِللِ
وعاقَد الغيثَ أن يساهمه ال
جودَ بكفٍّ محلولةِ العُقُلِ
من معشرٍ شاب مجدهم في صبى ال
دهر وداسوا أوائلَ الدوَلِ
إذا هوى الناسبون في صَببٍ
تطلَّعوا من ذوائب القُلَلِ
خلّوا عن المال أيدياً وَهبُوا
منها مكانَ الأموال والقُبَلِ
يُصبح رزقُ الأنام تحت يدٍ
منهم وثقل الدنيا على رجُلِ
كلّ غلامٍ ضربٍ يخفّ إلى ال
ضرب خُفوفَ الصَّنَاع للعملِ
لو شاء مما طالت حمائله
مسّ قياماً ثَعالبَ الأسلِ
شابَهَ طيبُ الوِلاد بينهُمُ
وَفقَ الأنابيبِ في القنا الذُّبُلِ
محمدٌ كالحسين سبقاً إلى
غايتِه والحسينُ مثلُ علي
يبغي مساعيك متعبٌ يدُهُ
تفتُلُ حبلاً لشاردِ الإبلِ
وما جنت خيبةً كرِجلِ فتىً
يمشي على النار غيرَ مشتعِلِ
أنعمتُمُ لي خوض الرجاء وقد
كنت أُحلّا منه عن البللِ
وزاد شِعري فيكم على فِكَري
مزيدَ إحسانكم على أملي
لكنّه يقتضي مكارمَكم
تعجيلُها ما يفوت بالمهلِ
وأن أكون الشريكَ في جمّة ال
ماءِ كما قد شُركتُ في الوشَلِ
كلّ يدٍ في مديحكم غُمستْ
غيرَ يدي فهي كفُّ منتحلِ
وكلّ قلب بعدي أحبَّكُمُ
قلبُ دخيلِ الودادِ منتقِلِ
كم جَلوةٍ حُلوةٍ زففتُ لكم
فيها هَدِيّاً من خاطرٍ غزلِ
كالشمس يأتيكم الصباحُ بها
عذراءَ حتى تُجلَى مع الطَّفْلِ
طيّبة الرُّدنِ بالذي ضمنت
من سيرةٍ فيكمُ ومن مثلِ
تُكثِر مع حسنها الوصالَ فما
أخشى عليها إلا من المللِ
أثقلتُمُ حملَ جيدها فإن از
دادت فللفخر ليس للعطَلِ
كم حاسدٍ قد مشى الضَّرَاء لها
لما استقامت برأيه الخطِلِ
رجا بما قال عندكم وَزَراً
يُنجيه من غيظه فلم ينلِ
لو لم توسّع له مسامعكم
ما طمع الصّلُّ في فم الوعلِ
يقُصُّ إثرَ الشذوذِ يلتمس ال
عيبَ وينسَى الإحسان في الجملِ
له إذا امتدّ باعُ همّته
ذكرِي بالعيب والمحاسنُ لي
كفى احتقاراً تركي إجابتَه
لو كان ممّن يُجابُ لم يقُلِ
