خُذها يُرِنُّ لَها الجَوادُ صَهيلا

وَتَسيلُ ماءً في الحُسامِ صَقيلا

Take her, the steed neighs for her a whinny,

And water flows in the sword, polished.

بَسّامَةً تُصبي الأَريبَ وَسامَةً

لَولا المَشيبُ لَسِمتُها تَقبيلا

With a smile that captivates the watcher, and a flawlessness,

If not for the gray hair, I would have kissed it.

حَمَّلتُها شَوقاً إِلَيكَ تَحِيَّةً

حَمَّلتُها عَتباً عَلَيكَ ثَقيلا

I carried longing for you as a greeting,

And carried reproach upon you, heavy.

مِن كُلِّ بَيتٍ لَو تَدَفَّقَ طَبعُهُ

ماءً لَغَصَّ بِهِ الفَضاءُ مَسيلا

If the essence of every house poured forth water,

The space would be flooded with a torrent.

إيهٍ وَما بَينَ الجَوانِحِ غُلَّةٌ

لَو كُنتُ أَنقَعُ بِالعِتابِ غَليلا

Alas! There is no rancor between the bosoms,

If only I could quench my thirst with reproach.

ما لِلصَديقِ وُقيتَ تَأكُلُ لَحمَهُ

حَيّاً وَتَجعَلُ عِرضَهُ مِنديلا

What is with a friend whose flesh you eat alive

And make his honor a handkerchief?

أَقبَلتَهُ صَدرَ الحُسامِ وَطالَما

أَضفَيتَهُ دِرعاً عَلَيهِ طَويلا

You met him with an exposed chest and long ago

Draped him in an extended coat of mail.

ماذا ثَناكَ عَنِ الثَناءِ وَنَشرِهِ

بُرداً عَلى الرَسمِ الجَميلِ جَميلا

What has turned you from praise and spreading it

As a cover on beautiful decor, beautiful?

أَرِجاً كَما عَثَرَ النَسيمُ بِرَوضَةٍ

لَدناً كَما نَضَحَ الغَمامُ مَقيلا

Slow down, as the breeze stumbled upon a meadow,

Gently, as the clouds drizzled at evening.

أَعِدِ اِلتِفاتَكَ وَاِدَّكِرها خِلَّةً

لاتَستَقِلُّ بِها عُلاكَ مُميلا

Resume your attention, and remember her as a confidante,

Do not consider your supremacy leaning on her.

وَأَصِخ إِلى سَجعِ القَريضِ فَرُبَّما

نَدبَ القَريضُ مِنَ الوَفاءِ هَديلا

And incline towards the rhyming of verse, perhaps

The verse will wail the loss of loyalty.

وَعُجِ المَطِيَّ عَلى الوَدادِ وَحَيِّهِ

طَلَلاً عَلى حُكمِ الزَمانِ مُحيلا

Urge ahead the steed of affection, and motivate it

As ruins upon the ruling of time, ruined.

وَاِبعَث بِطَيفِكَ وَاِعتَقِدها زَورَةً

وَصِلِ السَلامَ عَلى النَوى تَعليلا

Send forth your specter, and believe it an illusion,

And convey greetings to the intention, justifying.

وَلَئِن سَأَلتُ بِكَ الغَمامَةَ وابِلاً

يَسِمُ الجَديبَ لَما سَأَلتُ بَخيلا

If I asked the clouds for rain through you,

The torrents would water the valley if I asked the miserly.

وَإِذا دَعَبتُ وَلا دُعابَةَ غَيبَةٍ

فَاِغضُض هُناكَ مِنَ العَنانِ قَليلا

And if I jested without jesting absence,

Then restrain yourself there a little from the reins.

وَاِصحَب وَذِهنُكَ مِن هَجيرٍ لافِحٍ

ذِكراً كَما سَرَتِ القَبولُ بَليلا

And accompany your mind with the scent of burgeoning love,

A memory, as acceptance gently crept.

فَلَقَد حَلَلتَ مَعَ الشَبابِ بِمَنزِلٍ

يَرتَدُّ طَرفُ النَجمُ عَنهُ كَليلا

For you have dwelt with youth in an abode,

Where the gaze of stars turns from it timidly.

وَبَدَهتَ لا نَزرَ المَحاسِنِ مُجبَلاً

وَمَضَيتَ لاقَضمَ الغَرارِ فَليلا

You have appeared, no select beauty veiled,

And you passed, no coy glance askance.

مُتَدَفِّقاً أَعيا العُقولَ طَريقُهُ

فَكَأَنَّما رَكِبَ المَجَرَّ سَبيلا

Overflowing, its path perplexes minds,

As if it rode the orbit effortlessly.

يَستَوقِفُ العَليا جَلالاً كُلَّما

سَجَدَ اليَراعُ بِكَفِّهِ تَبجيلا

It pauses at the sublime, majestically, whenever

The commoners prostrate to it reverently.

لا تَستَنيرُ بِكَ السِيادَةُ غُرَّةً

حَتّى يَسيلَ بِكَ النَدى تَحجيلا

Supremacy is not illuminated through you impetuously,

Until dew flows through you profusely.

وَسِوايَ يُنشِدُ في سِواكَ نَدامَةً

يا لَيتَني لَم أَتَّخِذكَ خَليلا

And the like recites remorsefully about your like,

“Would that I had not taken you as a friend.”