لِمَنِ الشُّموسُ غَرَبْنَ في الأَكوارِ
وطَلَعْنَ بين معاقِدِ الأَزرار
For whom did the suns set in the horizons,
And rose between the knuckles of buttons?
القَاتلاتِ بأَعيُنٍ أَشفارُها
في الفَتْكِ أَمْضَى من ظُباتِ شِفارِ
The killers, whose eyelids in killing
Are sharper than the edges of swords.
عَرَّضْنَنِي للسُّقْمِ حِينَ عَرَضْنَ لي
يخطِرْنَ زَهْواً كالقَنَا الخَطَّارِ
They exposed me to illness when they passed by,
Swaying coquettishly like the fluttering flag.
ولَوَيْنَ أَجياداً يُحَلِّيها النَّوَى
بفرائِدٍ من فَيْضِ دَمْعٍ جارِي
If only they were horses fed with grains,
Adorned with beads of flowing tears.
سارَ الحُداةُ بمن أُحِبُّ وخلَّفوا
قلبي رهينَ الوَجْدِ والتذكارِ
The departing beloveds took away my love,
Leaving my heart hostage to passion and reminiscence.
نَضَت البَرَاقِعُ عن رياضِ محاسِنٍ
لم تحتكِمْ فِيها يَدُ الأَمْطارِ
The veils were lifted from gardens of beauty,
Untouched by the hands of rain.
وَرَنَتْ إِليَّ بطَرْفِ ريمٍ أَكْحَلٍ
فرنا الرقيبُ بطَرْفِ لَيْثٍ ضَارِ
She glanced at me with a blue, kohl-lined eye,
So the vigilant glanced back with a vicious, deadly eye.
كيفَ السَّبيلُ إِلى بدائِعِ جَنَّةٍ
حُفَّتْ لطالِبِ نَيْلِها بالنَّارِ
How can I reach the wonders of a garden
Surrounded by fire for those seeking access?
لا يُبْعِدِ الله الجمالَ مَحَبَّةً
عَذْبَ العذابِ مُهَوِّنَ الأَخطارِ
God does not keep beauty distant out of hatred,
Sweet agony makes dangers tolerable.
فَدَعِ الصِّبا أَبداً شِعاري واستَمِعْ
أَوصافَ نَجمِ الدِّينِ في أَشعاري
So leave forever the banner of youth as my creed,
And listen to descriptions of the star of faith in my poems.
مَلِكٌ يُريكَ نَوالُه وجمالُه
فيضَ البحارِ وبهجةَ الأَقمارِ
A king who shows you his gifts and beauty,
The overflowing oceans and radiance of moons.
مَا إِنْ رأيتُ أَسيرَ عُسْرٍ أَمَّهُ
إِلا وأَنقذه من الإِعسارِ
Whenever I saw a prisoner of hardship,
I rescued him from adversity.
رَقَّ الزمانُ لنا برِقَّةِ طَبْعِه
حتى لأَصبحَ كالزُّلال الجاري
Time flowed gently for us by his kind nature,
Until it became like pouring water.
ردَّ الهواجِرَ كالأَصائِلِ وانثنى
فكا الليالي رَوْنَقَ الأسحارِ
He brought back the émigrés like noble Arabians,
Redeeming the elegance of dawns.
متقسمٌ بين الهلالِ المُجْتَلَى
حُسْناً وبين الضَّيْغَمِ الزَّءَّارِ
Split between the crescent's beauty,
And the planet Saturn's might.
فإِذا سَطَا فَالسيفُ يَضْحَكُ غُرَّةً
وإِذا عفا فالمالُ ذو اسْتْعبارِ
When he draws his sword it laughs eagerly,
When he forgives, wealth holds arrogance.
جَذْلاَنُ يُطْرِبُهُ السُّؤالُ كأَنما
يَسْقِيهِ سائِلُهُ بكأَسِ عُقَارِ
He is delighted by requests, as if
His asker quenched his thirst with a drink of life.
وتراهُ فِي ويوم الوغى وكأَنه
من نفسه في عسكرٍ جرَّارِ
You see him on days of turmoil as if
He were an army on his own in battle.
من معشرٍ ما فيهمُ إِلا فتىً
طامِي عُبابِ الجودِ رحبِ الدارِ
His company contains only young heroes,
Seeking vast generosity and hospitality.
وَلرُبَّ أَصْفَرَ في يَدَيْهِ فَعَالُه
ينْسِيكَ فِعْلَ الأَبيضِ البَتَّارِ
By his deeds, many a yellow man makes you forget
The actions of sharp white swords.
كالحَيَّةِ النَّضْنَاضِ إِلا أَنَّهُ
مُتَقَسَّمٌ للنفعِ والإِضرارِ
Like the hissing cobra, except
He alternates harm and benefit.
الله جارُكَ قد بَنَيْتَ مراتباً
في المجدِ لا تَفْنَى مع الأَعْصارِ
God protects you, you built heights of glory
That will not fade away over time.
أَجريتَ من يمناكَ بحرَ سماحةٍ
وَقَفَتْ عليكَ نَتَائِجَ الأَفكارِ
You let your generosity flow like a sea from your right hand,
And sound principles stand by you.
وإِذَا جَعَلْتَ الجودَ غَرْسَكَ لم تَزَلْ
تَجْنِي ثِمارَ الشَّكْرِ خَيْرَ ثِمارَ
When you make generosity your livelihood, you will keep
Reaping the fruits of gratitude, the best fruits.
وعزائمٍ لك ما السيوفُ قواطعٌ
أَنَّي تُعَدُّ ولا النجومُ سوارى
You have resolves no swords can match,
How can they be counted when the stars are not?
تمضي متى أَمْضَيْتَها فكأَنما
تأْتي على قَدَرٍ مع الأَقدار
They prevail when you prevail them, as if
They come to pass along with destiny.
