أهاجَكَ اكتِئابا واذّكِارا
رُسومُ منازلٍ أضحت قِفارا
Your melancholy and memories have upset you,
Drawings of dwellings that have become barren.
لَرَايةَ بالصُّفيحةِ غيَّرتْهَا
يدُ البينِ المشتِ غداةَ جارا
The hand of separation in the morning turned
Its banner in the abode into a neighbor.
أقمنَ بها سواهِكُ عاصفاتٌ
يُحكنَ على معالمها دِثارا
In it resided storms except for three ruins
And unkempt, it never found peace.
فُمحَّت ما خلا سُفعاً ثلاثاً
وأشعثَ لم يجد أبداً قِرارا
And its blessedness, the onslaught of horses
And the council of youths that protect revelry.
ومَبركَ هجمةِ ومَصَام خيلٍ
ومجلسَ فتيةٍ تحمي الذمارا
So I was erased and my horse was blurred
And my clothes were ripped but I could not be patient.
فنُحتُ وحمحمتْ فرسي وحنَّت
عَثوثجتي ولم اطق اصطبارا
I shed the water of longing and the tears of love
I lament over the dwellings and homelands.
وظلتُ أريقُ ماء الشوق وَجداً
وأستقري المعالمَ والديارا
As if I had not dragged my train in it
And reached the beautiful women and maidens.
كأني لم أجُرَّ الذيلَ فيها
ولم أصبِ الغَواني والعذارى
When they saw me prancing proudly
With my docile, saddled horse when it walked.
إذا أبصرنني يختالُ رَهواً
بي المُهرُ المطهَّم حينَ سارا
They came out of the tents successive
As sparks that the flint might cast.
برزنَ من الخِبَا مُتتابعاتٍ
كما قد يقذفُ الزندُ الشرارا
And I had many conquests, an unbeatable army
That would stir up and illuminate the air with dust.
وكم أحرزتُها جيشاً أزَباً
يُثيرُ فيشرقُ الجوَّ الغُبارا
I did not remain long in bliss
And an association I never thought would cease.
ولم ألبث برايةَ في نعيمٍ
ووصلٍ ما ظننتُ له انبتارا
A banner that does not love me
And after leaving me, never inclined affectionately.
ورايةُ لا تحبُّ عليَّ حِباً
ولم تُغدِف حَياً دوني خمارا
One day I remained alone with it in the wilderness
Reproaching it, and it silenced me with excuses.
ويوماً ظلتُ بالسمُرات خلواً
أعاتبها فتُفحمني اعتذارا
It said, “My friend, have you not prolonged
Our nights of intimacy that were so short?”
تقولُ ألاَ أطلتَ حبال وصلي
وليلاتٍ سَلفنَ لنا قِصارا
“Why do you not have mercy on my humiliation and sickness
And never cared for our company?”
ألمَّا ترحمي ذُلي وسُقمي
ولم ترعيْ لنا يوماً جوارا
“Did I not give you my love without distraction?
And since you deserted me I have had no peace.”
ألم أمنحكِ دون الَغيدِ وُدّي
ومنذ هجرتِ لَم أملك قَرارا
So it spoke, by Him who created the banners
And fashioned the planets’ orbiting sphere in the sky,
فقالت والذي خلقَ البرايا
وصوَّرَ في السَّما الفلكَ المُدارا
“You are truly my beloved and the love of my heart,
And I did not willingly desert you by choice.”
بأنكَ مُنيتي وحبيبُ قلبي
ولم أهجرك عمداً واختيارا
“If you were tested with even some of my passion,
Your inner pain would have continued burning.”
وجدكَ لو مُنيتَ ببعض عشقي
لظلَّ حشاك يستعرُ استعارا
So I said, my features overflowing with the outpouring of my tears,
And anguish rekindling the fire within me:
فقلتُ وقد شِرقْتُ بفيض دمعي
وقد أذكى الأسى بحشاي نارا
“Is the separation that rejoices anything but my separation?
Except that I mask it with composure?”
هل الوجدُ المبرِّحُ غيرُ وَجدي
سوى أني أجمجمه استِتارا
“So wherever I came to you from wilderness
And sands like your pure dwelling places,”
فكائن جُبتُ نحوكِ من فَلاةٍ
ورملٍ مثل أوراكِ العَذارى
“I remained sleepless, never tasting rest,
For a lightning flash that appeared and was concealed.”
أرقتُ فلم أذقْ أبداً غراراً
لبرقٍ لاحَ وَهناً ثم غارا
“O my eye, did you see it attacking
The beauties, the jealous protector traveling?”
ويا هل أبصرتْ عيناكَ ظعناً
بهنَّ الكاشحُ المغيارُ سارا
“The stars of the Big Dipper rose
To remove the estrangement and visits to tombs.”
بَكَرْنَ من الصُّفيحِة منجماتٍ
ليُبعدنَ التغرُّبَ والمزارا
“The banner is among the cushions, a cheek
Whose wrists are constricted by the bracelets.”
ورايةُ في الهوادِجِ وهي خَودٌ
يضيّقُ لحمُ مِعصمها السِّوارا
“It has a branch like the wing of the night, shading,
And a shining face telling of daylight.”
لها فرعٌ كجنُحِ الليلِ داجٍ
ووجهٌ مُشرقٌ يحكي النهارا
“A mouth like the essence of honey, heightened
With camphor, mixed into it as seasoning.”
وريقٌ مثل صافي الشَّهدِ عُلَّ
بكافورٍ مَزجت به عُقارا
“A neck like silk threads, soft,
When it sways, touching the snake’s path.”
وقدٌ مثل خُوطِ البانِ لدنٌ
إذا خطرت تُداني الخَطوَ مارا
“Hips like a sea wave, full,
Shattering its wrap as it undulates.”
وردفٌ مثل موجِ البحرِ فعمٌ
يمزّقُ في تموّجه الإِزارا
“The banner is the most beautiful of girls, and most remote
From any immodesty or rejection.”
ورايةُ أحسنُ الُخَفِراتِ وجها
وأكثرهنَّ عن فحشٍ نفارا
“Its whiteness is tinged with yellowness
Appearing like touched silver coins.”
يشوبُ بياضَها الحرُّ اصفراراً
يلوحُ كفضَّةٍ مسَّت نَضارا
“The bride of a charming and beautiful tribe,
When she is seen by an admirer, he is perplexed.”
عقيلةُ خُرَّد غيدٍ حِسانٍ
إذا ذو الُّلبّ أبصرهنَّ حارا
“May God water the Big Dipper every day
With abundant dripping and pouring rain,”
سقى اللهُ الصُّفيحة كلَّ يومٍ
مُلِثَّ القطرِ والديمَ الغِزارا
“And may its lightning in the darkness of night
Storm with the wings of night pouring down.”
وبَاكرَها الذّراع بمُسْبكِرٍّ
بجنحِ الليلِ ينهمرُ انهمارا
“As if its thunderclaps were the shouting of camels
Meeting other camels and bellowing.”
كأن رعودهَ تحنانُ بُزلٍ
عِشارٍ وُلَّهٍ لاقت عِشارا
“I am the son of those early to great deeds,
So ask about our early precedence in valor.”
أنا ابنُ السَّابقينَ إلى المعالي
فسَلْ عن سبقنا ِقدماً نزارا
“I am greater in worth than the kings of Azd,
And mightier, more generous and prouder.”
أنا أعلى ملوكِ الأزدِ قَدراً
وأعظمها وأجزُلها فخارا
“And most munificent, even if they are munificent in position,
And most noble, even if they ennoble a carpenter.”
وأبذخُها وإن بذَخَتْ مكاناً
وأكرمُها وإن كرمت نجارا
“And higher than them in the loftiness of my soul
And most protective and impregnable in battle.”
وأشرفُها على العلاَّت نفساً
وأحماها وأمنعُها ذِمارا
“Ask the champions about my help
When the cauldrons of war boil over.”
سَلي عن نجدتي الأبطالَ طُراً
إذا ما مِرجلُ الهيجاءِ فارا
“I am the wealth of those who have no wealth with them
And the aid of one wronged who seeks my protection.”
وإني مالُ مَن لا مالَ معه
ونَصرة مُستَضامٍ بي استجارا
“I see daring in war as sweet
When the brave warrior makes fleeing pleasant.”
أرى الإقدام في الهيجاء عَذباً
إذا ما استعذَبَ البطلُ الفرارا
“In the twinkling of an eye I meet the enemies
With my sharp spear, their lifespans made short.”
فعمَّا لمحةٍ تَلقي الأعادي
بسيفي القِرن آجالاً قِصارا
“Far be he who would rival me!
Or the excellence that is mine disputed!”
وحاشِا محتِدي من أن يُبارى
وللفضلِ الذي لي أن يثارا
“I spend from what I possess to defend my honor,
And wherever the sun’s abode is home.”
أجُودُ بما حويتُ لصونِ عرضي
ولمَّا أرضَ دارَ الشَّمس دارا
“And I sacrifice my life in battle generously,
And never clothed myself in the shame of fear.”
وأبذلُ مُهجتي للطّعن جوداً
ولم ألبَس حِذارَ الموت عارا
