أَنّى سَرَبتِ وَكُنتِ غَيرَ سَروبِ
وَتُقَرِّبُ الأَحلامُ غَيرَ قَريبِ
How did you roam while not roaming,
And dreams draw near though not near,
ما تَمنَعي يَقظى فَقَد تُؤتينَهُ
في النَومِ غَيرَ مُصَرَّدٍ مَحسوبِ
Do not prevent wakefulness, it may grant in sleep,
Other than one lying in wait, unforeseen.
كانَ المُنى بِلِقائِها فَلَقيتُها
فَلَهَوتُ مِن لَهوِ اِمرِئٍ مَكذوبِ
The wish was to meet her, so I met her,
And became heedless with the heedlessness of a liar.
فَرَأَيتُ مِثلَ الشَمسِ عِندَ طُلوعِها
في الحُسنِ أَو كَدُنُوِّها لِغُروبِ
So I saw the likeness of the sun at its rising,
In beauty, or nearing its setting.
صَفراءُ أَعجَلَها الشَبابُ لِداتِها
مَوسومَةٌ بِالحُسنِ غَيرُ قَطوبِ
Yellowish, whose youth was hastened by her essence,
Adorned with beauty, not stern.
تَخطو عَلى بَردِيَّتَينِ غَذاهُما
غَدِقٌ بِساحَةِ حائِرٍ يَعبوبِ
She walked on two cool garments, nourished
By the downpour of a bewildered wasteland.
تَنكَلُّ عَن حَمشِ اللِثاتِ كَأَنَّهُ
بَرَدٌ جَلَتهُ الشَمسُ في شُؤبوبِ
She strutted away from the rough pebbles, as though
It were a cold roasted by the sun on a hot windy day.
كَشَقيقَةِ السَيراءِ أَو كَغَمامَةٍ
بَحرِيَّةٍ في عارِضٍ مَجنوبِ
Like the chameleon, or like a sea cloud
In a passing rain-laden south wind.
أَبَني دُحَيٍّ وَالحَنا مِن شَأنِكُم
أَنّى يَكونُ الفَخرُ لِلمَغلوبِ
O Duhayy's sons, and praise belongs to you,
How can pride belong to the defeated?
وَكَأَنَّهُم في الحَربِ إِذ تَعلوهُمُ
غَنَمٌ تُعَبِّطُها غُواةُ شُروبِ
As if they were in war when loot overcame them,
Spoils ripped apart by the plundering of drinking.
إِنَّ الفَضاءَ لَنا فَلا تَمشوا بِهِ
أَبَداً بِعالِيَةٍ وَلا بِذَنوبِ
Indeed space is ours, so walk not through it
Ever haughtily, nor with sins.
وَتَفَقَّدوا تِسعينَ مِن سَرَواتِكُم
أَشباهَ نَخلٍ صُرِّعَت لِجُنوبِ
And check on ninety of your treetops
Resembling palm trees felled by the south wind.
وَسَلوا صَريحَ الكاهِنَينِ وَمالِكاً
عَن مَن لَكُم مِن دارِعٍ وَنَجيبِ
And ask the truthful priest and Malik
Who can protect and save you.
