حَدَرَ القِناعَ عَنِ الصَباحِ المُسفِرِ
وَلَوى القَضيبَ عَلى الكَثيبِ الأَعفَرِ
The morning cast aside its veil in splendor
And brandished its wand over the sandy dune
وَتَمَلَّكَتهُ هِزَّةٌ في عِزَّةٍ
فَاِرتَجَّ في وَرَقِ الشَبابِ الأَخضَرِ
Then a tremor seized it in its vigor
And it swayed amongst the leaves, so fresh and green
مُتَنَفَّساً عَن مِثلِ نَفحَةِ مِسكَةٍ
مُتَبَسِّماً عَن مِثلِ سِمطَي جَوهَرِ
Breathing out a fragrance like pure musk
Smiling with teeth like glistening pearls
سَلَّت عَلَيَّ سُيوفَها أَجفانُهُ
فَلَقَيتُهُنَّ مِنَ المَشيبِ بِمَغفَرِ
Her glances assailed me like swords
But I faced them with the wisdom of old age
مُتَجَلِّداً أَربا بِنَفسي أَن يُرى
هَذا الهِزبَرُ قَتيلَ ذاكَ الجُؤذُرِ
Enduring with my soul lest this old man
Should seem the victim of that impetuous youth
فَحَشا بِطَعنَتِهِ حَشى مُتَنَفَّسٍ
تَحتَ الدُجى عَن مارِجٍ مُتَسَعِّرِ
With his daring stab he pierced the breast
Of one breathing at dusk beneath the gloom
يَغشى رِماحَ الخَطِّ أَوَّلَ مُقبِلٍ
وَيَكُرُّ يَومَ الرَوعِ آخِرَ مُدبِرِ
He charges at the forefront of battle
And on the day of panic is last to retreat
فَتَراهُ بَينَ جِراحَتَينِ لِلَحظَةٍ
مَكسورَةٍ وَلِعامِلٍ مُتَكَسِّرِ
For an instant between two wounds he stands
Broken yet determined he remains
نَزَرَ الكَرى يَرمي الظَلامَ بِمُقلَةٍ
سَهِرَت لِأُخرى تَحتَهُ لَم تَسهَرِ
Fate sowed only a handful in the darkness
While another spent the night awake beneath
مِن لَيلَةٍ أَرخى عَلَيَّ جَناحَهُ
فيها غُرابُ دُجُنَّةٍ لَم يُزجَرِ
On a night whose wing it laid upon me
In it the ravens of darkness were undeterred
لا يَستَقِلّ بِها السُرى فَكَأَنَّما
باتَت تُسري عَن صَباحِ المَحشَرِ
Dawn cannot make its way through it
As if it creeps towards resurrection's morn
وَلَقَد أَقولُ لِبَرقِ لَيلٍ هاجَني
فَمَسَحتُ عَن طَرفٍ بِهِ مُستَعبِرِ
And I say to the lightning of an arousing night
I wiped my eyes though they were overflowing
اِقرَأ عَلى الجِزعِ السَلامَ وَقُل لَهُ
سُقّيتَ مِن سَبَلِ الغَمامِ المُمطِرِ
Read peace upon the stranger's grave and say
You were watered from the rains of the cloudburst
بَيني وَبَينَكَ ذِمَّةٌ مَرعِيَّةٌ
فَإِذا تُنوسِيَتِ المَوَدَّةُ فَاِذكُرِ
Between you and I lies an ancient bond
If affection wanes, remember
وَإِذا غَشيتَ دِيارَ لَيلى بِاللِوى
فَاِسأَل رِياحَ الطيبِ عَنها تُخبَرِ
And when you pass the abode of Layla
Ask the sweet winds for news of her
وَاِلمَح صَحيفَةَ صَفحَتي فَاِقرَأ بِها
سَطرَينِ مِن دَمعٍ بِها مُتَحَدِّرِ
And see the page of my legacy and read there
Two lines of tears running down it
كَتَبَتهُما تَحتَ الظَلامِ يَدُ الضَنى
خَوفَ الوُشاةِ بِأَحمَرٍ في أَصفَرِ
Written by the hand of woe in red and yellow
Beneath the darkness, safe from spying eyes
وَلَقَد جَريتُ مَعَ الصِبا جَرِيَ الصَبا
وَشَرِبتُها مِن كَفِّ أَحوى أَحوَرِ
Many times I raced with the morning breeze
And drank it from the palm of my beloved
ناجَيتُ مِنهُ عُطارِداً وَلَرُبَّما
قَبَّلَتهُ فَلَثمتُ وَجهَ المُشتَري
I whispered to it and sometimes it would
Kiss her and I would kiss the face of Venus
تَندى بِفيهِ أُقاحَةٌ نَفّاحَةٌ
شَرِبَت عَلى ظَمَإٍ بِماءِ الكَوثَرِ
Her mouth is restless, ever blowing
She drank with thirst from the heavenly Kauthar
شَهِدَت لَهُ فَتَكاتُهُ في مُهجَتي
يَومَ الغَميمِ بِنِسبَةٍ في قَيصَرِ
Her glances bear witness on the day we met
To her passion in an encounter with Caesar
وَلَقَد خَلَوتُ بِهِ أُقَسِّمُ نَظرَتي
ما بَينَ جُؤذِرِ كِلَّةٍ وَغَضَنفَرِ
And I confided in her, I swear I saw
Between a gazelle's ankle and neck, pure beauty
يَثني مَعاطِفَهُ وَأَذرُفُ عَبرَتي
فَإِخالُهُ غُصناً بِشاطِئِ جَعفَرِ
She folds her cloak and I shed tears
As if she were a branch on the bank of Ja'far
وَأَهابُ بي شَرخُ الشَبابِ لِريبَةٍ
فَرَمَيتُ جانِبَهُ بِعَطفٍ أَزوَرِ
And the fear of youth made me shy
So I covered her flank with a slanted glance
وَأَخٍ زَأَرتُ لَهُ وَلَولا أَنَّني
آنَستُ ما أَنكَرَتهُ لَم أَزأَرِ
And though I feigned ignorance, had I not
Perceived what I perceived, I would not have
آنَستُ ما آنَستُهُ مِن عَتبِهِ
فَأَقامَ تَحتَ غَمامَةٍ لَم تُمطِرِ
I saw what I saw of her subtle reproach
So she remained under a cloud that would not rain
وَلَو اِلتَقَينا حَيثُ يَصغي ساعَةً
لَسَقتهُ بَينَ مَلامَةٍ وَتَشَكُّرِ
And had we met when she was alone for an hour
I would have given her both blame and gratitude
تَهمي بِماءِ الوَردِ في أَردانِهِ
وَبَلاً وَتَحصُبُ سَمعَهُ بِالجَوهَرِ
I would satisfy her with rosewater on her mouth
And problems, though her ear hears only luxury
وَعُلاهُ لَولا بَرقُ وَعدٍ شِمتُهُ
في عارِضٍ مِن بِرِّهِ مُستَمطِرِ
And were it not for the lightning of a promise I saw
In a hair of her innocence, pouring down
لَنَسَختُ أَسطارَ الكِتابِ كَتائِباً
مُصطَفَّةً وَطَرَقتُهُ في عَسكَرِ
I would have torn up the pages of the book in despair
Lined up and thrown it into the camp
وَمقامِ بَأسٍ في الكَريهَةِ قُمتُهُ
فَسَبحتُ في بَحرِ الحَديدِ الأَخضَرِ
And I took a stance of valor in battle
And swam in a sea of steely green
أَضحَكتُ ثَغرَ النَصرِ فيهِ مِنَ العِدى
وَلَرُبَّما أَبكَيتُ عَينَ السَمهَري
Laughing at the mouth of victory over the enemy
And maybe crying for the Samhar's eye
وَرَمَيتُ هَبوَتَهُ بِلَبَّةِ أَشهَبٍ
فَسَفَرتُ لَيلاً عَن صَباحٍ مُسفِرِ
And I threw its stabbing glance with a gray spear
Traveling at night from a bright morning
يَجري فَتَحسَبُهُ اِنصِباباً كَوكَباً
يَنقَضُّ في غَبشِ العَجاجِ الأَكدَرِ
Flowing so you'd think it a star descending
Crashing into the darkness of the gloomy night
أَورَدتُهُ نُطَفَ الأَسِنَّةِ أَشهَباً
وَنَزَلتُ مِنهُ ظافِراً عَن أَشقَرِ
I made it taste the swords of tongues until it turned
And I returned from it triumphant over the blond one
وَلَقَد خَبَطتُ الغابَ أَسأَلُ لَيلَةً
عَن سِرِّ صُبحٍ في حَشاهُ مُضمَرِ
Conversation turned to the memory of Tahir
So I made its kindling with ambergris
وَحَطَطتُ عَن بِنتِ الزِنادِ قِناعَها
لَيلاً لِسارٍ تَحتَهُ مَتَنَوِّرِ
And I began to stir it, reminding myself
That this and that are of one element
وَمَسَحتُ مِنها عَن مَعاطِفِ مُهرَةٍ
شَقراءَ تُذعَرُ مِن شَمالٍ صَرصَرِ
As if she and the wind were flirting with it
Dancing in a red shirt
وَجَرى الحَديثُ بِبَعضِ ذِكرى طاهِرٍ
فَجَعَلتُ جَزلَ وَقودِها مِن عَنبَرِ
The mother of leadership bore in him an only one
Containing the meaning of many more
وَطَفِقتُ أُذكيها وَأَذكُرُ ذِهنَهُ
فَإِخالُ ذاكَ وَهَذِهِ مِن عُنصُرِ
His ascendance goes beyond his country so for him
Jupiter's beauty lies with the celestial orbs
فَكَأَنَّها وَالريحُ عابِثَةٌ بِها
تُزهى فَتَرقُصُ في قَميصٍ أَحمَرِ
And if I stand before him I sanctify him
As if I walk with him in the hallowed valley
وَلَدَت بِهِ أُمُّ السِيادَةِ أَوحَداً
مُتَضَمِّناً مَعنى العَديدِ الأَكثَرِ
The sublime came from him in a unique game
Sweet of nature, face of clarity and honesty
تُعدي عُلاهُ دِيارَهُ فَلَها بِهِ
في مُرتَقى زُحَلٍ جَمالُ المُشتَري
He amazed the choicest of hearing
Eloquent speech and compelling eyes
وَإِذا وَطِئتُ جَنابَهُ قَدَّستُهُ
فَكَأَنَّني أَمشي بِهِ في مَشعَرِ
His ties held strong from the house of Aamir
Where once a new moon rose from Muhjar
أَتَتِ العُلى مِنهُ بِأَوحَدَ أَصيَدٍ
حُلوِ السَجِيَّةِ طَلقِ وَجهِ المَخبَرِ
Clear of brow as if I am meeting
The face of youth turned back
وَأَغَرَّ أَروَعَ مِلءِ سَمعِ المُنتَقى
حُرِّ الكَلامِ وَمِلءِ عَينِ المُبصِرِ
Eloquent words to the ear of his companion
As if in his mouth lies the tongue of one who gives good news
حَلَّت أَواصِرُهُ بِهِ مِن عامِرٍ
في حَيثُ حَلَّت مُقلَةٌ مِن مِحجَرِ
No doubts assail him, rather it is as if
He walks in the full light of brilliant day
طَلقِ الجَبينِ كَأَنَّني مُستَقبِلٌ
بِلِقائِهِ وَجهَ الشَبابِ المُدَبِّرِ
Bearing heavy burdens on shoulders and hands
Without wrapping himself in an apron
رَطبِ الكَلامِ عَلى سَماعِ جَليسِهِ
فَكَأَنَّ في فيهِ لِسانَ مُبَشِّرِ
As if he moves straight ahead on high
On twisted roads in the most rugged of terrain
لا تَعتَريهِ شُبهَةٌ فَكَأَنَّما
يَمشي عَلى وَضحِ النَهارِ النَيِّرِ
مُتَحَمِّلِ العِبءِ الثَقيلِ بِمَنكِبٍ
أَيدٍ وَلَم يَشدُد لَهُ مِن مِئزَرِ
فَكَأَنّهُ مُتَصَوِّبٌ في المُرتَقى
دَمِثَ المَسالِكِ في الطَريقِ الأَوعَرِ
