تَغَيَّرَتِ الدِيارُ بِذي الدَفينِ
فَأَودِيَةِ اللِوى فَرِمالِ لينِ
The abodes have changed now that Dhū al-Dafīn has gone,
And the valleys of Luwa and sandy hills of soft dunes,
فَحَرجَي ذِروَةٍ فَقَفا ذَيالٍ
يُعَفّي آيَهُ سَلَفُ السِنينِ
And the crag of a summit marked by lingering clouds,
Its ancient vestiges worn away by the years.
تَبَصَّرَ صاحِبي أَتَرى حُمولاً
تُساقُ كَأَنَّها عَومُ السَفينِ
My companion, look, can you see them being led along
Like a line of ships floating on the sea?
جَعَلنَ الفَجَّ مِن رَكَكٍ شِمالاً
وَنَكَّبنَ الطَوِيَّ عَنِ اليَمينِ
They made the lowland northward by Rakk's udder
And inclined the high ground away to the right.
أَلا عَتَبَت عَلَيَّ اليَومَ عِرسي
وَقَد هَبَّت بِلَيلٍ تَشتَكيني
My litter reproached me today and in the night complained bitterly,
Saying, “You have grown old.” I said, “That is true,
فَقالَت لي كَبِرتَ فَقُلتُ حَقّاً
لَقَد أَخلَفتُ حيناً بَعدَ حينِ
For I have outlived many days and years.”
It showed me signs of aversion though once gentle with me,
تُريني آيَةَ الإِعراضِ مِنها
وَفَظَّت في المَقالَةِ بَعدَ لينِ
And spoke harshly though once soft in speech.
It knitted its brows when it saw
وَمَطَّت حاجِبَيها أَن رَأَتني
كَبِرتُ وَأَن قَدِ اِبيَضَّت قُروني
I had grown old and my temples turned white.
I said, “Gently, do not reproach me,
فَقُلتُ لَها رُوَيدَكِ بَعضَ عَتبي
فَإِنّي لا أَرى أَن تَزدَهيني
For I want only what will please you until
You wish to turn away, and then, leave me.
وَعيشي بِالَّذي يُغنِيكِ حَتّى
إِذا ما شِئتِ أَن تَنأَي فَبيني
If my youth has passed, bringing me sorrow,
And my head has turned hoary,
فَإِن يَكُ فاتَني أَسَفاً شَبابي
وَأَضحى الرَأسُ مِنّي كَاللُجَينِ
Though revelry was my comrade for a time,
Today it is severed from me.
وَكانَ اللَهوُ حالَفَني زَماناً
فَأَضحى اليَومَ مُنقَطِعَ القَرينِ
So I frequent the tents of maidens
As though their eyes were those of wild cows.
فَقَد أَلِجُ الخِباءَ عَلى العَذارى
كَأَنَّ عُيونَهُنَّ عُيونُ عينِ
They incline affectionately to me for a while
And a season, like a guarded flock,
يَمِلنَ عَلَيَّ بِالأَقرابِ طَوراً
وَبِالأَجيادِ كَالرَيطِ المَصونِ
And I have erected a red canopy for one of delicate complexion
Who perceives in me a guardian of faithfulness.
وَأَسمَرَ قَد نَصَبتُ لِذي سَناءٍ
يَرى مِنّي مُحافَظَةَ اليَقينِ
He tries to get up though enfeebled
By intimacies with a snub-nosed lad as companion.
يُحاوِلُ أَن يَقومَ وَقَد مَضَتهُ
مُغابِنَةٌ بِذي خُرصٍ قَتينِ
When some women visit him after a separation,
They let fall tears after their singing.
إِذا ما عادَهُ مِنها نِساءٌ
صَفَحنَ الدَمعَ مِن بَعدِ الرَنينِ
With him I have fretted my soul
Over fair ones wailing like moaning camels.”
وَخَرقٍ قَد ذَعَرتُ الجونَ فيهِ
عَلى أَدماءَ كَالعيرِ الشَنونِ
