أَما وَاِلتِفاتِ الرَوضِ عَن أَزرَقِ النَهرِ

وَإِشراقِ جيدِ الغُصنِ في حِليَةِ الزَهرِ

The garden turns from the blue river,

And the branch shines in its flower necklace,

وَقَد نَسَمَت ريحُ النُعامى فَنَبَّهَت

عُيونَ النَدامى تَحتَ رَيحانَةِ الفَجرِ

The breeze of ostriches has blown, arousing

The eyes of the regretful under the basil of dawn.

وَخِدرِ فَتاةٍ قَد طَرَقتُ وَإِنَّما

أَبَحتُ بِهِ وَكرَ الحَمامَةِ لِلصَقرِ

And the languor of a girl I have courted, though

I disclosed it, and the dove takes shelter from the falcon.

وَقَدٍّ خَلَعتُ البُردَ عَنهُ وَإِنَّما

نَشَرتُ بِهِ طَيَّ الصَحيفَةِ عَن سَطرِ

I have taken off the cloak from it, though

I have spread by it the page’s fold from the line.

لَقَد جُبتُ دونَ الحَيِّ كُلَّ تَنوفَةٍ

يَحومُ بِها نَسرُ السَماءِ عَلى وَكرِ

I have lived less than the alive, every

Eagle of the sky hovering over its nest.

وَخُضتُ ظَلامَ اللَيلِ يَسوَدُّ فَحمُهُ

وَدُستُ عَرينَ اللَيثِ يَنظُرُ عَن جَمرِ

And I waded the darkness of the night, its gloom is black,

And I crept into the lion’s den, looking from embers.

وَجِئتُ دِيارَ الحَيِّ وَاللَيلُ مُطرَفٌ

مُنَمنَمُ ثَوبِ الأُفقِ بِالأَنجُمِ الزُهرِ

And I came to the homeland and the night is long,

Embroidered the dress of the horizon with star flowers.

أَشيمُ بِها بَرقَ الحَديدِ وَرُبَّما

عَثَرتُ بِأَطرافِ الرُدَينِيَّةِ السُمرِ

I smell by it the lightning of iron, and sometimes

I stumbled on the edges of the dark brownish cloak.

فَلَم أَلقَ إِلّا صَعدَةً فَوقَ لامَةٍ

فَقُلتُ قَضيبٌ قَد أَطَلَّ عَلى نَهرِ

But I did not find except desolation over infertility,

So I said a staff overlooking a river.

وَلا شِمتُ إِلّا غُرَّةً فَوقَ شُقرَةٍ

فَقُلتُ حَبابٌ يَستَديرُ عَلى خَمرِ

And I sensed nothing but a bud over a nipple,

So I said a seed rounding on wine.

وَدونَ طُروقِ الحَيِّ خَوضَةُ فَتكَةٍ

مُوَرَّسَةِ السِربالِ دامِيَةِ الظِفرِ

And below the homelands of the alive is a deadly struggle,

Fortified with chainmail, bloody-clawed.

تَطَلَّعُ في فَرعٍ مِنَ النَقعِ أَسوَدٍ

وَتَسفُرُ عَن خَدٍّ مِنَ السَيفِ مُحَمَرِّ

It peeks out from a black branch,

And reveals from a reddened cheek of the sword.

فَسِرتُ وَقَلبُ البَرقِ يَخفُقُ غَيرَةً

هُناكَ وَعَينُ النَجمِ تَنظُرُ عَن شَزرِ

So I walked, and the heart of lightning throbs with jealousy,

There, and the eye of the star looks with blinking.

وَطارَ إِلَيها بي جَناحُ صَبابَةٍ

فَطارَ بِها عَنّي جَناحٌ مِنَ الذُعرِ

And the wing of madness flew to it in me,

So the wing of panic flew away from me.

فَقُلتُ رُوَيداً لاتُراعي فَإِنَّنا

لَنَطوي ضُلوعَ اللَيلِ مِنّا عَلى سِرِّ

So I said: "Slow down, do not be startled, we

Will fold the ribs of the night away from us in secret."

وَسَكَّنتُ مِن نَفسٍ تَجيشُ مَروعَةٍ

وَمَسَّحتُ عَن عِطفٍ تَمايَلَ مُزوَرِّ

And I calmed a soul raging in fright,

And I wiped an inclining shoulder that leaned in pretense.

وَمَزَّقتُ جَيبَ اللَيلِ عَنها وَإِنَّما

رَفَعتُ جَناحَ النَسرِ عَن بَيضَةِ الخِدرِ

And I tore the pocket of the night away from it, though

I raised the wing of the eagle away from the egg of languor.

وَقَبَّلتُ ما بَينَ المُحَيّا إِلى الطُلى

وَعانَقتُ ما بَينَ التَراقي إِلى الخَصرِ

And I kissed between the cheek and the halo,

And I embraced between the neck and waist.

وَأَطرَبَ سَجعُ الحَليِ مِن خَيزُرانَةٍ

تَميلُ بِها ريحُ الشَبيبَةِ وَالسُكرِ

And the rhyme of the necklace was enraptured from a bracelet,

The youth’s breeze and intoxication swaying with it.

غَزالِيَّةُ الأَلحاظِ ريمِيَّةُ الطُلى

مُدامِيَّةُ الأَلمى حَبابِيَّةُ الثَغرِ

Gazelle-eyed, wild cow-lipped,

Wine-colored, cherry-lipped.

تَرَجَّحُ في مَوشِيَّةٍ ذَهَبِيَّةٍ

كَما اِشتَبَكَت زُهرُ النُجومِ عَلى البَدرِ

Swaying in a gold bracelet,

As the flowers of stars intertwined over the full moon.

تَلاقى نَسيبي في هَواها وَأَدمُعي

فَمِن لُؤلُؤٍ نَظمٍ وَمِن لُؤلُؤٍ نَثرِ

My passion and my tears met in her love,

So from strung pearls and from scattered pearls.

وَقَد خَلَعَت لَيلاً عَلَينا يَدُ الهَوى

رِداءَ عِناقٍ مَزَّقَتهُ يَدُ الفَجرِ

And the hand of love has robed us at night

With a gown of embrace that the dawn’s hand tore.

وَلَمّا تَجَلّى ضَوءُ صُبحٍ كَأَنَّهُ

مَشيبٌ بِفَودِ اللَيلِ طالِعَ مِن قَطرِ

And when the light of dawn appeared, it was as if

Gray hair appeared on the night’s temple from dripping.

وَحَطَّ رِداءَ الغَيمِ عَن مَنكِبِ الصَبا

وَنَمَّ عَلى ذَيلُِ الدُجى نَفسُ الزَهرِ

And it dropped the cloud’s gown from the morning’s shoulder,

And the spirit of flowers slept on the tail of darkness.

صَدَرتُ وَدونَ النَجمِ سِترُ غَمامَةٍ

يَشِفُّ كَما شَفَّ الرَمادُ عَنِ الجمرِ

I set out, and below the star is a cloud’s veil

That heals as ash healed over embers.

وَلا لَيلَ إِلّا بِالثَوِيَّةِ أَقمَرٌ

تَنَفَّسَ في السُكرُ عَن نَفحَةِ الشُكرِ

Every night is crescent-lit with happiness,

Intoxication breathed in it the breath of gratitude.

وَلا كَفَّ إِلّا لِلأَميرِ كَريمَةٌ

تَبَسَّمَ فيها النَصلُ عَن مَبسِمِ النَصرِ

And every palm for the prince is generous,

In it the blade smiled with the smile of victory.

وَهَبَّ بِها يَمضي فَيَفري كَأَنَّما

شِهابٌ بِها يَنقَضُّ أَو قَدَرٌ يَجري

And it dashed with it, going away as if

A shooting star dashing or a fate running.

فَلِلَّهِ مَحمولٌ هُناكَ وَحامِلٌ

بَعيدُ مَجالِ الصَوتِ وَالصيتِ وَالذِكرِ

To God belongs what is carried there and who carries,

Far from the range of voice and fame and mention.

تَلوذُ المُنى مِنهُ بِأَصيَدَ أَمجَدٍ

صَقيلِ فِرِندِ الحَمدِ وَالمَجدِ وَالبِشرِ

Refuge is sought from it through the best lion-hunting,

The shining of the praise, glory and good news.

وَأَبلَجَ مَنصورِ اللِواءِ إِذا سَرى

أَظَلَّت عُقابُ النَصرِ أَجنِحَةُ النَسرِ

And it whitened the insignia-bearing Mansur when he walked,

The wings of victory shaded the wings of the eagle over him.

عَلَيهِ يَمينٌ أَن تَفيضَ يَمينُهُ

وَأَن لا يَغُضَّ السَيفُ جَفناً عَلى وِترِ

Upon him is a right hand that overflows his right hand,

And that the sword does not close an eyelid over a chord.

يَعُبُّ عُبابَ البَحرِ في السِلمِ وَالوَغى

بِبَذلِ اليَدِ الغَرّاءِ وَالفَتكَةِ البِكرِ

It stirs the floods of the sea in peace and commotion

With the spending of the noble hand and fresh conquest.

لَهُ رايَةٌ لَو زاحَمَ الدَهرُ تَحتَها

لَعُدَّت بِهِ دُهمُ اللَيالي مِنَ الشُقرِ

He has a banner, if fate contended under it

The eras of nights would be counted as blond from dark-haired.

وَعَزمٌ يُذِلُّ الطَودَ هَدّاً وَنَجدَةٌ

تَهُزُ قُدودَ السُمرِ في الحُلَلِ الحُمرِ

And a resolve that humiliates mountains submissively, and championship

That shakes the lofty necks of the reddish bold ones.

وَوَجهٌ وَضيءٌ شَفَّ عَنهُ لِثامَهُ

كَما شَفَّ رَقراقُ الغَمامِ عَنِ البَدرِ

And a bright face that its mask unveiled,

As the thinning of clouds unveiled the full moon.

إِذا كَتَمتَهُ بِالمَفاضَةِ دِرعُهُ

تَراءى هِلالٌ مِنهُ يَطلُعُ مِن بَحرِ

If his coat of mail concealed it in closure

A crescent of it would appear rising from a sea.

سَرى بَينَ نُوّارٍ لِزُرقِ أَسِنَّةٍ

حِدادٍ وَأَوراقٍ لِراياتِهِ خُضرِ

He walked between fires of lances’ blue steel,

Blacksmiths and banners’ green leaves for his banners.

فَهَزَّت إِلَيهِ عِطفَها كُلَّ رايَةٍ

تَهُزُّ عَلَيهِ الغُصنَ في الوَرَقِ النَضرِ

So every banner leaned its shoulder toward him,

As branches lean upon it in green leaves.

وَحَنَّ إِلَيهِ كُلُّ وِردٍ مُحَجَّلٍ

كَأَنَّ لُجَيناً سالَ مِنهُ عَلى تِبرِ

And every rosy blossom inclined toward him,

As if a flood streamed from it over straw.

يَجولُ في عَنانٍ بِهِ الصَبا

وَيَزخُرُ في لِبدٍ بِهِ البَحرُ في البَرِّ

He tours with him the bridle of morning,

And the sea foams in the land with him.

وَأَشهَبُ وَضّاحٌ تَحَمَّلَ رُقعَةً

مِنَ الحُسنِ لَم تَعبُر بِهِ العَينُ في بَسرِ

And the gray Waddah who bore a sheet

Of beauty that the eye did not pass in insight.

تَحُطُّ سُطورَ الضَربِ في صَدرِهِ الظُبى

وَيَعجِمُها وَخرُ المُثَقَّفَةِ السُمرِ

It lowers the lines of writing on his antelope chest,

And he obscures it, and the cultivated dark-skinned woman.

وَيَدرُجُ مِنهُ السِلمُ ما تَنشُرُ الوَغى

فَطَوراً إِلى طَيٍّ وَطَوراً إِلى نَشرِ

And peace flows from him what war provokes,

At times to peace and at times to publishing.

وَأَدهَمُ لَولا أَنَّهُ راقَ صورَةً

لَما عَرَفَتهُ العَينُ مِن لَيلَةِ الهَجرِ

And brown, had he not maintained an image

The eye would not have recognized him from the night of estrangement.

طَويلُ سَبيبِ العُرفِ وَالعُنقِ وَالشَوى

قَصيرُ عَسيبِ الذَيلِ وَالأُذنِ وَالنَسرِ

Long of honorable forelock and neck and passion,

Short of tail and ear and eagle.

لَهُ غُرَّةٌ تَستَصحِبُ النَصرَ طَلقَةٌ

كَفاكَ بِها في سَورَةِ الحَشرِ مِن عَشرِ

He has a glory that victory accompanies, a shooting star

It suffices you in the Chapter of The Victory out of ten.

أَما وَاِنتِشارِ النَقعِ عَنهُ صَحيفَةً

لَقَد راعَ في تِلكَ الصَحيفَةِ مِن حِبرِ

As for the opening of the bright banner about him a page,

He certainly saw in that page from ink.

وَنالَ فَطيماً سُؤدُدَ الكَهلِ في الصِبا

فَتَمَّ تَمامَ البَدرِ في غُرَّةِ الشَهرِ

And he attained noble qualities of old age in youth,

So the fullness of the moon was complete in the new moon of the month.

وَحَلَّت بِهِ الآمالُ وَهيَ شَريفَةٌ

مَحَلَّ لَيالي الصَومِ مِن لَيلَةِ القَدرِ

And hopes descended upon him, and they are noble,

The position of Ramadan’s nights from The Night of Destiny.

لَبيبٌ فَما نَدري أَرَأياً لِحادِثٍ

يُبَيِّتُ أَم سَهماً لِشاكِلَةٍ يَبري

Insightful, so we do not know if an opinion for an event

He contemplates or an arrow for a testing he aims.

تَقَسَّمَهُ جودٌ يَفيضُ وَهِمَّةٌ

فَمِن مَنهَلٍ غَمرٍ وَمِن جَبَلٍ وَعرِ

Bestowed upon him are bounty overflowing and ambition,

So from an abundant spring and from a tall mountain.

لَهُ كُلُّ نُعمى بَيَّضَت كُلَّ صَفحَةٍ

بِكُلِّ مَكانٍ فَالبَهيمُ مِنَ الغُرِّ

His are all comforts that whitened every page

In every place, so excellent things from pearls.

فَلَو مَسَحَت يُمناهُ عَن وَجهِ لَيلَةٍ

لَحَطَّت قِناعَ اللَيلِ عَن قَمَرٍ يَسري

If his right hand wiped over the face of a night,

It would uncover the mask of the night from a passing moon.

رَمَيتُ بِآمالي إِلَيهِ وَإِنَّما

حَمَلتُ بِها المَرعى الجَديبَ إِلى القَطرِ

I shot my hopes toward him, though

I carried them to the barren pasture for rain.

وَلا أَمَلٌ إِلّا كِتابُ شَفاعَةٍ

إِذا الخَطبُ أَعيا وِزرُهُ شَدَّ مِن أَزري

And there is no hope but the book of intercession,

When calamities burden, its burden pulled harder than my rope.

شَفيعٌ لَو اِستَعطَفتُ عَصرَ الصِبا بِهِ

لَعاجَ سَقَتهُ دَمعَةُ المُزنِ مِن عَصرِ

An intercessor, if I implored the era of youth through him,

The pressing of the sad tear would have poured from pressing.

وَبي مَسُّ شَكوى لاأُطيقُ لَها السُرى

فَإِن لَم أَطَأ بابَ الأَميرِ فَعَن عُذرِ

And in me is the touch of a complaint I cannot bear to reveal,

So if I do not come to the prince’s door, then for an excuse.

وَلَو مُلِئَت عَينُ الدُجى لَمَلَأتُها

بِغُرَّةِ شَمسِ العَصرِ في مَطلَعِ القَصرِ

And if the eye of darkness were filled, I would have filled it

With the new moon of the late morning at the palace’s rise.

وَما المَرءُ إِلّا قَلبُهُ وَإِذا سَرى

مَعَ الرَكبِ مِن شَوقٍ فَإِنّي مَعَ السَفرِ

And man is nothing but his heart, and if it walked

With the caravan of passion, then I am with the journey.

أَبا الطاهِرِ أَقبَلها إِلَيكَ تَحِيَّةً

أَرَقتُ بِها سَحرَةً رَونَقَ السِحرِ

Oh Abu Al-Tahir, I direct it to you as a greeting,

I was sleepless composing it, the charm of sorcery.

خَلَعتُ قَوافيها عَلَيكَ وَإِنَّما

نَظَمتُ بِها عِقداً نَفيساً عَلى نَحرِ

I cast its rhymes unto you, though

I strung with it a precious necklace over the throat.

فَسُد وَطَإِ التيجانَ عِزّاً وَذُد وَجُد

فَسيحَ فِناءِ المُلكِ عالي يَدِ الأَمرِ

So block the crowns of glory and power, and enrich generosity,

Spacious in the abolition of the kingdom, the command’s hand high.

طَليقَ لِسانِ السَيفِ وَالضَيفُ وَالنَدى

رَفيعَ مَنارِ القَدرِ وَالذِكرِ وَالفَخرِ

Unfettered is the tongue of the sword, the guest, and the dew,

Lofty is the minaret of destiny, fame, and pride.