أشاعرةٌ بما نلقى ظَلومُ
فما نلقى وإنْ حَقَرَتْ عظيمُ
We feel the injustice we suffer,
Regardless of whether it's small or great.
ولو صدق الوشاةُ إليك عنّي
لقالوا إِنّه دَنِفٌ سقيمُ
Even if the slanderers told you the truth about me,
They would say he is weak and worthless.
أفاقوا من هوىً فلَحَوْا عليه
ومن لا يعرف البَلْوى يلومُ
Some recovered from passion, triumphing over it,
While those unaware of adversity find fault.
يلوم على الهوى مَن ليس يدري
بأنّ ضَنَى الهوى داءٌ قديمُ
Those who don't know the fervor of love,
Blame it unaware it's an old, lingering sickness.
وناموا والهوى سَقَمٌ دَخيلٌ
طويلٌ لا ينام ولا يُنِيمُ
They sleep while the agony of passion, an uninvited guest, persists.
It neither sleeps nor gives sleep.
وليلةَ زارنا منكمْ خيالٌ
وجِلْدُ اللّيل من وَضَحٍ بَهيمُ
One night, your apparition visited us,
As the night's skin shone in the dim light.
وأَحسبُهُ الضّجيعَ على وسادي
وما رام اللّقاءَ ولا يرومُ
I thought you were lying next to my pillow,
Though you didn't intend to or wish for a meeting.
وكيف يزور من بلدٍ بعيدٍ
ولا عَنَقٌ هناك ولا رسيمُ
How could you visit from a faraway land,
When no traveling was done, no winds blew?
ومعشوقٍ له نطقٌ رخيمٌ
يُدِلُّ به ومُنْتَطَقٌ هضيمُ
The one you love has a delicate voice
With which he speaks, and an eloquent tongue.
لنا من لفظهِ درٌّ نَثيرٌ
ومن ثَغرٍ له درٌّ نظيمُ
His words are precious pearls to us.
His lips yield poised, beautiful pearls.
خلوتُ به وباطنه سليمٌ
بلا دَنَسٍ وظاهره كليمُ
I was alone with him, his essence is pure,
Without blemish, though his appearance is imperfect.
لمنْ طَلَلٌ وقفتُ به سُحيراً
أُصَيحابي وقد هَوَتِ النّجومُ
For the one I stood before, enchanted by his ruins,
My companions called out as the stars sank.
وللظّلماء في الخضراءِ بُرْدٌ
وُشومٌ بالكواكب أَو رُقومُ
In the darkness, the greens had a chill
Studded with planets and stars.
وعُجنا نحوه والشّوقُ حادٍ
قلائصَ في مغانيها القَصيمُ
We headed toward him as fervent longing
Drove daggers into our passion's heart.
وكيف سؤالُ رسمٍ عن فريقٍ
ولم تعرف فتخبرك الرّسومُ
How can you ask about one absent
When the markings cannot inform you?
لفخر الملك في شرف المعالي
محلٌّ لا يُرامُ ولا يَرِيمُ
To the most noble king, esteemed and eminent,
No place is inaccessible or denied.
وفضلٌ حلّ ساحته خصوصٌ
وأفضالٌ تجلّلنا عُمومُ
Special favor settles over his domain.
And shared bounties shade us all.
خلائقُ كالزّلالِ العَذْبِ أضحى
يزعزعه لدى سَحَرٍ نسيمُ
Like pure, sweet rainwater,
A gentle breeze now disturbs his good nature.
وصدرٌ لا يبيت عليه حِقْدٌ
ولا تَسرِي بساحته السَّخيمُ
His heart harbors no rancor through the night,
Nor does any cloud pass over his serene sky.
وبشْرٌ قبل أنْ تكفِ العطايا
يُشاهده فيستغني العديمُ
Before gifts cease, his open hand
Can be seen, satisfying even the needy.
وإنْ قِسناه فالتّبريزُ نقصٌ
لمن يَعدوه والتّبذيرُ لُومُ
If we compare him, thereviewer belittles
The giver, and the squanderer earns blame.
ألا قلْ للأُلى ملكوا البرايا
وعشعش في ديارهمُ النّعيمُ
Say to those settled in the land's expanse
And nested in the homes of bliss:
وحلّوا كلَّ شاهقةِ المباني
من العلياء يسكنها الكريمُ
They occupy every towering mansion,
Where the generous inhabit lofty abodes.
وطالتْ فيهمُ أيدٍ إذا ما
تمنَّوْه كما طالتْ جُسومُ
Hands that procure whatever they desire
Remain outstretched like tent poles.
ملوكٌ ما لهمْ طرفٌ دَنِيُّ
يعابُ به ولا خُلُقٌ ذميمُ
Kings who have no base side to disparage,
No despicable trait or blemish.
أَرونا مثلَ فخرِ الملك فيكمْ
يقوم من الأمور بما يقومُ
Show us the like of him among you,
Who upholds matters as he does.
ومَن خضعتْ لغُرّتِهِ النّواصي
وقِيدَتْ في أزمّتِهِ القُرومُ
He who bowed the necks with his pride,
And bound the unruly in his firm grip.
فللّهِ اِنبِعاثُك كلَّ يومٍ
تسوم من العظيمة ما تسومُ
By God, your daily rising
Takes on ever more monumental tasks.
على جرداءَ إنْ حُبِسَتْ فقصرٌ
وإنْ ركضتْ لِهَمٍّ فالظّليمُ
On a bare, lean camel, if confined, a palace.
If racing with worries, a pitch-dark night.
وحَولك في مُلَملمةٍ رجالٌ
رُكودٌ في سُروجِهمُ جُثومُ
Around you, in swirling chaos, are men
Sluggish in their saddles, heavy-laden.
وفي أيديهمُ أَسَلٌ طِوالٌ
لهَاذِمَةٌ إلى الأَرواح هِيمُ
In their hands, long sharp swords
That plunge into souls, destroying lives.
إذا غضبوا رأيتَ الموتَ صِرفاً
على مُهَجِ الكرامِ بهمْ يحومُ
When enraged, you see death hovering
Over the corpses of the brave among them.
وعِيدُ النّحْرِ يُخبر أنّ ظِلّاً
مَنَنْتَ به على الدّنيا يدومُ
The appointed time for slaughter tells
The lasting favor you've shown the world.
وقد جادتْ سحائبه سعوداً
ونُعْمى لا تجود بها الغيومُ
His clouds poured out good fortune and bounty
The likes of which clouds never bestow.
فنلْ منه الطِّلابَ فكلُّ يومٍ
أَنَالَكَ ما طلبتَ أخٌ حميمُ
So take your full from him, as every day
You obtain, dear brother, all you request.
فعيشٌ لا تكون به مماتٌ
ودهرٌ لست عاذرَه مَلومُ
A life never ending, no death,
And days you cannot blame or fault.
وأُمُّ الدّهر ناسلةٌ ولكنْ
لمثلك أنْ يكون لها عقيمُ
Fate bears others, but for your like,
She is barren, and cannot produce your equal.
وما نخشى صُرُوفَ الدّهرِ جَمْعاً
وأنّك من بوائقها حريمُ
We fear not the turns of fate,
For you are safe from its fluctuations.
