أراهُ يورِّي حينَ يُسألُ عن دمي
وفي وجَنتيهِ منه آثارُ عَندمِ
I see him turn pale when asked about my blood,
And on his cheeks are traces of it when confronted.
كثيرُ معاني الحسنِ قلَّ نظيرُهُ
فها هوَ فردٌ ليسَ فيهِ بتوأَمِ
Of great beauty, rarely found his equal,
Though a slave, he exercises his master's control,
لهُ وهو مملوكٌ تحكُّمُ مالكٍ
كما هو ظبيٌ فيه صولةُ ضَيغمِ
Like a gazelle exerting the might of a lion.
He appears like the full moon rising radiant,
يَلوحُ كبدرٍ طالعِ النُّورِ مُشرقٍ
بدا في دُجى ليلٍ مِنَ الشَّعرِ مُظلِمِ
Having emerged from the gloom of dark night.
With a brow that protects the cheek like a scorpion,
بُصدغٍ يُصانُ الخَدُّ منه بعقربٍ
وفَرعٍ يُزانُ القَدُّ منهُ بأرقمِ
And a branch that supports the stature like a pole.
So no eye but is in bliss and paradise,
فلا طَرفَ إلاَّ في نعيمٍ وجنَّةٍ
ولا قلبَ إلاَّ في لظىً وجهنَّمِ
Nor heart but is in inferno's heat and hell's blaze.
His mouth contains pearls of speech and a smiling mouth,
حَوى فمُه دُرَّي كلامٍ ومبسمٍ
هُما بُرءُ داءِ المستهامِ الُمتَيَّمِ
Both cures for the sickness of the frowning displeased.
It speaks with the eloquence of scattered pearls,
فينطِقُ عن لفظِ كدُرٍّ مبدَّدٍ
ويبسمُ عن ثَغرٍ كدرِّ منُظَّمِ
And smiles with the charm of well-strung pearls.
Stingy is he except with estrangement and aloofness,
ويبخَلُ إلاَّ بالبِعاد وبالجَفا
ويَسمحُ إلاَّ بالخيالِ الُمسَلِّمِ
Generous is he only with hopes surrendered and resigned.
For when her cruelty has strung taut my hopes,
يَريشُ لَما قد أَوترت من قِسيِّها
حواجبُه مِن جفنهِ أيَّ أَسهُمِ
His frowning eyebrows shoot arrows from his eyes.
And he strikes with the sword of smooth glance,
ويضرِبُ عن لحظِ بسيفٍ مهنَّدٍ
ويَطعَنُ من قدٍّ برمُحٍ مُلَهذَمِ
And stabs with the spear of slender shape.
He draws the bow of beauty doing battle,
ويسطُو بالآتِ الجمالِ مُحارباً
وما ثَمَّ شيءٌ غير مقتلِ مُحرِمِ
And naught but the killing of the unlawful is his goal.
Seeking the traits of noble birth while composing,
أَطَالِبَ أَوصافِ النَّسيبِ وقاصِداً
محاسِنَ مِنها بالقَريضِ الُمنَمنَمِ
Of its glories, poems of elaborate style.
Leave the lofty lightning to a hostile army,
دَعِ البارِقَ العالي لِرَكبٍ مُقَوِّضٍ
وَخَلِّ الحِمىَ الخالي لِحَيٍّ مُخَيِّمِ
And spare the empty pen for a people camping.
The valley, the battleground, and the plain are my fields,
وبالغَيضِ والَميدانِ والسَّفحِ ساحَتَي
نِقُوسا وَبِالثَغرِ الأَنيقِ الُمعَظَّمِ
Where I ready archery and with the graceful mouth I aim.
Its comfortable abodes are the truest bliss,
مَنازِلُ يعدو أُمَّ أَوفَى نَعيمُها
فما هي بالدَّرَّاجِ فالُمتَثلمِ
Not veiled sanctuaries to be pried open.
But they are the zenith of ascent, and the stations of
ولكِنَّها جَوُّ العُلا ومراكِزُ ال
قَنا السُّمرِ والشُّمُّ التي لم تُسنَّمِ
The Pleiades, and the un-pierced hemisphere's guard.
Havens of rest, goblets of wine,
مسارحٌ آرامٍ وآجامُ أَشبُلٍ
وهالاتُ أَقمارٍ وَأَفلاكُ أَنجُمِ
Radiant moons, and wheeling stars.
I say to Unaysa as she travels the plains
أقولُ لعنسي وهي تنصبُّ في السُّرَى
كفتخاءِ رَيدٍ حاولت فَضلَ مَطعَمِ
Like an ostrich overfed vying for yet more feed.
It is desolation, travel, gloom, and exertion,
هُوَ القَفرُ والإِرقالٌ والسَّيرُّ والدُّجَى
وتَشميرٌ ذَيلِ العَزمِ في كُلَّ مَخرَمِ
Girding determination through every pass.
Glad tidings he traced for me and said
لَقَد خَطَّ لي خَطاً سعيداً وقَالَ لي
مَتَى تَلقَ شَهباءَ العواصِمِ تُعصَمِ
When will you meet the impregnable capital's dawn?
Pitch hope's tent at Muhammad's abode
أَنِخ طُلَّحَ الآمالِ عندَ محمّدٍ
وأَلقِ بناديهِ عَصاكَ وخَيِّمِ
And fling down your staff and make camp.
For no possession but is for the Almighty
فلا مُلكَ إِلاَّ للعزَيزِ ولا حِمىً
سِوىَ ظِلِّهِ فاحطُط بهِ الرَّحلَ تَحتَمِ
And no sanctuary but beneath His shade.
So pitch your abode in His shadow sure.
تَوكَّل عليهِ تُكفَ وارمِ بهِ تُصِب
وَآولَهُ تَنجُ وأقصِدهُ تَغنَمِ
Trust in Him, you'll be provided for. Ward off with Him, you'll be protected.
Attach yourself to Him, you'll be guided aright. Seek Him, you'll profit.
وَسُم دارهُ تُنصَر وَشِم بَرقهُ تُصبَ
وَرُم بِرَّهُ تَظفَر وَيمِّم تُعظَّمِ
His house, you'll be given victory. His lightning, you'll be exalted.
His righteousness, you'll be rewarded. His majesty, you'll be revered.
وَرُد رَوضهُ تُخصِب ورد حوضَه تُصب
وَقبل ثَراهُ تُثرِوا خدمُهُ تُخدمِ
His meadow, you'll be fertile. His basin's water you'll imbibe.
At his tomb, you'll gain wealth. Serve Him, you'll be served.
فضمُد وَفدت بي اليَعمُلات ونَصُّها
عَليهِ لَقِيتُ الحادثِاتِ بِمَحرمِ
Thus have I come to offer Him vows and ritual,
And in clinging to Him, hardships were forbidden me.
فَأوليتُ خُوصَ العيسِ كُلَّ كَرامةٍ
وَقبَّلتُ من أَخفافها كُلَّ مَنسِمِ
So I was granted honor's generosity,
And kissed each tender spot from His shoed feet.
وَأَنشدتُ لَمَّا زُرتُهُ مُتَرنِّماً
بِشعرٍ يُزيلَ الهَمَّ عِندَ التَّرنُّمِ
And when visiting Him, chanting I offered this poem
That banishes sorrow when chanted musically.
فِراقٌ ومَن فارقتُ غَيرُ مُذَمَّمِ
وَأمٌّ وَمَن يمَّمتُ خَيرُ مُيمَّمِ
Parting - but the one I parted from, no blame can be found.
A mother - but the one I purpose towards, the best of goals.
وأصبَحتُ في ظلِّ ابنِ غازي بنِ يُوسفِ
وأنسانُ طَرفِ الدَّهرِ مِنَّي بهِ عَمِ
I woke under the shadow of Son of Ghazi Son of Yusuf,
And the eye of time was delighted with me through him.
مَليكٌ لَهُ يَومانِ يومُ مَواهبٍ
وَيومُ كِفاحِ يَصبغُ الأَرضَ بالدَّمِ
A king who has two days - a day of bestowal,
And a day of struggle painting the earth in blood.
ولا طارقٌ إلاَّ أَسيرٌ لأَنعُمِ
وَلا مارقٌ إلاَّ عقيرٌ لقَشعَمِ
No dissenter but is captive to his gifts,
No deserter but is stunted by his resolute helmsman.
وإِن يَكُ تَقصيرٌ فَعُذريَ واضِحٌ
أيُمكِنُ أَن تُرقَى السماءُ بِسُلَّمِ
And if there is shortcoming, my excuse is clear,
Can heaven be climbed with a ladder?
وَبعدُ فَأنتَ العادِلُ الحُكمِ في الذي
تَقولُ فَميَّزهُ بِرأيكِ واحكُمِ
Anyway, You are the Just Judge. So distinguish
Between what I say, and judge with Your wisdom.
فما كُلَّ مَن حاكَ القَوافي بِشاعرِ
ولا كُلُّ ذي طُفرٍ ونابٍ بِضَيغَمِ
For not all who compose verse are poets,
Nor everyone with Incisors and canines, a lion.
