وَأَغيدَ لَيِّنَ الأَعطافِ رَخصٍ
كَحيلِ الطَرفِ ذي عُنقٍ طَويلِ
With soft and pliant limbs, and flexible grace,
Like the bending neck of the roe in its pace,
تَرى ماءَ الشَبابِ بِوَجنَتَيهِ
يَلوحُ كَرَونَقِ السَيفِ الصِقيلِ
Behold the dew of youth on his cheek appears
Bright as the sheen of the sword when it nears.
مِنَ ابناءِ الغَطارِفِ قَيصَرِيَّ ال
عُمومَةِ حينَ يُنسَبُ وَالخُؤولِ
A Caesar he is in the family's line,
When his ancestry is reckoned and defined,
كَأَنَّ أَديمَهُ نِصفاً بِنِصفٍ
مِنَ الذَهَبِ الدِلاصِ أَو الوَذيلِ
His person so lovely, you'd think it combined,
Gold and silver thrice purified and refined.
وَرُبَّتَما أُكَرِّرُ فيهِ طَرَفي
فَأَحسَبُ أَنَّهُ مِن عَظمِ فيلِ
Often I glance at him, rapt and amazed,
Deeming his legs to be from an elephant grazed,
عَلى قَدٍّ سَواءِ لا قَصيرٍ
فَتَحقِرُهُ وَلا هُوَ بِالطَويلِ
With a shape evenly balanced, not too long
To despise, nor too short, but a medium strong,
وَلَكِن بَينَ ذَلِكَ في اِعتِدالٍ
كَغُصنِ البانِ في قُربِ المَسيلِ
Like a supple banana twig near a stream,
Swaying graceful to catch the sun's beam.
يَحِنُّ إِلَيَّ مُطِّرِفاً لِشَكلي
وَيُكثِرُ لي الزِيارَةَ بِالأَصيلِ
He comes up wooing me with shape so fine,
Visiting me often, a dear friend of mine.
أَتى يَوماً إِلَيَّ بِزِقٍّ خَمرٍ
شَمولِ الرِيحِ كَالمِسكِ الفَتيلِ
One day he brought me wine in a pot,
Fragrant as musk, the aroma redolent, hot,
لِيَشرَبِها مَعي وَيَبيتَ عِندي
فَيَثبُتَ بَينَنا وُدُّ الخَليلِ
To drink it with me and rest by my side,
That the love of true friends may by us abide.
وَجاءَت أُمُّهُ مَعَهُ فَكانا
كَأُمِّ الخِشفِ وَالرَشَأِ الكَحيلِ
Then came his mother walking with him there,
Like a partridge with chicken in watchful care.
تُوَصّيني بِهِ وَتَقولُ أَخشى
عَلَيهِ البَردَ في اللَيلِ الطَويلِ
She cautioned about him while the night is long,
Lest he catch cold, he being frail and young.
فَقُلتُ حَماقَةً مِنّي وَنوكاً
فَدَيتُكَ لَستُ مِن أَهلِ الشُمولِ
فَأَيَّةُ غِرَّةٍ سُبحانَ رَبّي
لَو اِنّي كُنتُ مِن أَهلِ العُقولِ
