Claude 2

  1. كَتَبتُ إِلى بَعضِ الأَخلاءِ رُقعَةً

    فَلا وَأَبي ما نالَ حَرفاً لَها حَرفُ

    I wrote a note to some dear friends

    But not a letter reached me in return

  2. أُعَرِّفُهُ أَنّي اِشتَرَيتُ مُهَفهَفاً

    يَكادُ إِذا ما قامَ يَقعُدُهُ الرِدفُ

    I told them I had bought a horse

    That could barely stand when saddled

  3. إِذا وَجَّهَهُ لَم يضندَ مِن زَهَراتِهِ

    سِوى طُرفَةً لَم يَعتَرِض غَيرَها طَرفُ

    Whenever he faced the meadow

    He only glanced at a flower or two

  4. وَإِنّي لَمُحتاجٌ إِلى العاتِقِ الَّتي

    لَنا عِندَها مِن ريقِها أَبدا رَشفُ

    And I am in need of shoulders I can lean on

    Whose kindness we can forever sip

  5. فَأَتحَفَني مِمّا أُطَلِّقُ لَوعَتي

    إِذا صارَ في قُمصِ الكُؤوسِ لَها زَفُّ

    So gift me with what releases my pain

    When it's in cups their brims overflow

  6. بِراحٍ لَها في ريحِها عَنبَرِيَّةٌ

    وَفي لَونِها حُسنٌ وَفي ظُرفِها ظُرفُ

    With winds that have an ambergris scent

    And a beautiful color and elegant shape

  7. إِذا كَفَّ عَنها الراحُ أَبدَت خِضابَها

    تَخَيَّلُها مِمَّن يَطوفُ بِها الكَفُّ

    When the wind stops blowing it shows its dye

    Making you imagine hands caressing it

  8. مُعَتَّقَةٌ وَفَّيتُها فَوقَ حَقِّها

    وَأَنصَفتُها فيما تَوَسَّطَهُ النِصفُ

    Aged and I overpaid its worth

    And was fair in what came between halves

  9. فَجاءَت لِمَعزولِ السُرورِ وِلايَةً

    وَصارَ لِوالي الهَمِّ مِن صَرفِها صِرفُ

    It came to give cheer to the cheerless

    And the sorrowful found joy in its turn

  10. فِدىً لِعَبيدَ اللَهِ سَمعي وَناظِري

    فَلَولا عَبيدُ اللَهِ ما عُرِفَ العُرفُ

    A sacrifice for God's servants my sight and hearing

    For without God's servants customs are not known

  11. فَتى لا عَطاياهُ قِراحٌ وُجوهُها

    وَلا خُلقُهُ فَظٌّ وَلا طَبَعَهُ جِلفُ

    A lad whose gifts have bright faces

    And whose manners are not harsh or rude

  12. إِذا رَمَّ وُدّاً لَم تُشَعِّثُهُ غَدرَةٌ

    وَإِن قالَ قَولاً لَم يَكُن خَلفَهُ خُلفُ

    When he aims arrows no betrayal dishevels him

    And when he speaks no breach follows his oath

  13. فَلا زالَ في رَوضِ السَلامَةِ حَولَهُ

    مِنَ الأَمنِ زَهرٌ ما لَهُ أَبَداً قَطفُ

    He remains in the meadow of safety around him

    Never plucking the flowers of peace