وَصَقيلِ إِفرِندِ الشَبابِ بِطَرفِهِ

سَقَمٌ وَلِلعَضبِ الحُسامِ ذُبابُ

With the polish of youth's blade its edge

Frail, though wasps throng on angry steel

يَمشي الهُوَينا نَخوَةً وَلَرُبَّما

أَطَرتَهُ طَوراً نَشوَةٌ وَشَبابُ

He walks leisurely, and sometimes

Exuberance transports him, and youth

شَتّى المَحاسِنِ لِلوَضاءَةِ رَيطَةٌ

أَبَداً عَلَيهِ وَلِلحَياءِ نِقابُ

Of varied charms the brightness a veil

Upon it always, and for shyness a screen

وَبِمَعطِفَيهِ لِلشَبيبَةِ مَنهَلٌ

قَد شَفَّ عَنهُ مِنَ القَميصِ سَرابُ

In his sleeves for the youths a spring

From his shirt it had bared an illusion

عَبَرَ الخَليجَ سِباحَةً فَكَأَنَّما

أَهوى فَشَقَّ بِهِ السَماءَ شِهابُ

He crossed the gulf swimming, as though

A meteor plunged with him through heaven

تَطفو لِغُرَّتِهِ هُناكَ حَبابَةٌ

وَيَموجُ مِن رِدفٍ أَلَفَّ عُبابُ

Foam rises there for his diving, and

A thousand breakers surge and heave

وَلَئِن تَرَكتُ مِنَ التَصابي مَركَباً

وَلِكُلِّ مَرحَلَةٍ تُجابُ رِكابُ

And if I left in the good-byes a ship

For each stage will bring passengers back

لَقَد اِحتَلَلتُ بِشاطِئَيهِ يَهُزُّني

طَرَباً شَبابٌ راقَني وَشَرابُ

I had gained on its banks which shake me

With thrill - youth, wine that thrilled me and sipped

وَاِنسابَ بي نَهرٌ يَعُبُّ وَزَورَقٌ

فَتَحَمَّلَتني عَقرَبٌ وَحُبابُ

And a river flowed in me and a boat

So scorpions bore me and bubbles of love

وَرَكِبتُ دِجلَتَهُ يُضاحِكُني بِها

فَرِحاً حَبيبٌ شاقَني وَحَبابُ

And I rode its Tigris, laughing with

A lover provoking me, and tenderness

نَجلو مِنَ الدُنيا عَروساً بَينَنا

حَسناءَ تُرشَفُ وَالمُدامُ رُضابُ

We slipped from the world, between us a bride

Fair sipping, and wine flowing red

ثُمَّ اِرتَحَلتُ وَلِلسَماءِ ذُؤابَةٌ

شَهباءُ تُخضَبُ وَالظَلامُ خِضابُ

Then I left, and for the sky a glow

Rosy staining, and darkness a dye

تَلوي مَعاطِفي الصَبابَةُ وَالصِبا

وَاللَيلُ دونَ الكاشِحينَ حِجابُ

My friends' cloaks twist, and youths

And night, below the ardent, a veil

حَيثُ اِستَقَلَّ الجِسرُ فَوقَ زَوارِقٍ

نُسِقَت كَما تَتَواكَبُ الأَحبابُ

Where the bridge rose over boats

Ranged as lovers stand in line

لَم تَستَبِق وَكَأَنَّها مُصطَفَّةً

دُهمٌ تُنازِعُكَ السِباقَ عِرابُ

None outsped, as if arrayed

Rival steeds contention's war

مِن كُلِّ غِربيبِ الأَديمِ لَوَ اِنَّهُ

قَبلَ النَعيبِ لَعيفَ مِنهُ غُرابُ

Of each far tent, if it were

Rent already, from it a raven fled