أَرَابَهُ البانُ إِذ لم يَقْضِ آرابا
فارتدَّ ناظرُهُ المرتادُ مرتابا
The gazelle bewildered him, for it did not settle to rest,
So his glancing view turned back puzzled and disturbed.
وكان أَوطانَ أَوطارٍ محَاسِنُها
تَسْتَنْفِذُ اللَّفْظَ إِطراءً وإطرابا
The homelands of the family of Otâr had charms that
Exhaust vocabulary with praise or make it stray.
حيثُ المغانِي غَوَانٍ ما اشْتَكَتْ يَدُها
يوماً من الخُرَّدِ الأَترابِ إِترابا
Where are the singing parties not complaining
Of hands grown weary of playing the well-worn instruments?
ولا أَلَمَّ بها مثلي بأَدْمُعِهِ
فاستَعْجَزَ الغَيْبَ إِرباءً وإِربابا
Nor did the tears afflict me as they did my like
So magic was baffled how to make them start or flow.
يا حبذا البانُ إِذ أَجني فَوَاكِهَهُ
على ذُرَى البانِ أَعناباً وعُنَّابا
Would that the gazelle had reaped its fruits to me
As bunches of grapes on the boughs of the gazelle's land.
وإِذْ أَبِيتُ وكأْسُ الراح مالئَةٌ
كَفِّي حَبَاباً وطَرْفِي فيه أَحْبَابا
When my drinking companions brimmed the cup of wine for me,
My palm vied with my bright companions in passing it round.
سقاهُ كالدَّمْعِ إِلا ما يُؤَثِّرُهُ
فإِنه مَنَع الإِجْدَاءَ إجْدَابا
I yielded it to them like the tears, save what
My preference retained, that kept beneficence from being cut off,
وجَرَّ فيه كأَنفاسِي غَلاَئِلَهُ
شَذاً تقولُ له الأَطْنَابُ إِطْنابا
And my breaths blew gently amidst its little waves
Bearing royal perfume that set imagination working overtime.
قِفَا لأَعْتِبَ دَهْراً لانَ ثُمَّ عَسَى
عَسَاهُ يُعَقِبُ هذا العَتْبَ إِعْتَابا
Pause, and blame Time that failed you, and then mayhap
It will make amends for this blame afterward.
واستنزِلاَ بلطيفٍ من حديثِكُمَا
قلباً طواهُ على الأَحقادِ أَحْقَابا
Beguile him subtly, by your sweet talk, to let down
A heart wrapped up in grudges and sealed by misgivings.
للهِ ما ضَمَّتِ الأَوزاعُ من قَمَرِ
أَرْخَى ذوائِبَ عنهُنَّ الدُّجَى ذَابا
By God, the maiden stars did not contain
A crescent that unveiled before them its trailing skirts of dark night!
أُغَمِّضُ اللحْظَ منه حينَ ينظُرُ عن
جفنٍ هُوَ النصلُ إِرهافاً وإِرهابا
From him I veil my eyes whenever his looks
Dart from an eyelid that is a piercing, terrifying blade.
وربما زارَني زَوْراً وشَقَّ إِلى
وَصْلِي حِجاباً يراعيهِ وحُجَّابا
Sometimes he pays me a visit, forcing his way
Through barriers guarding my love-union and chamberlains;
ما كنتُ أُسْكِرُ طرْفِي من مُدامِ كَرًى
لو لَمْ يُحَرِّمْ على الإِصْحَاءِ أَصحابا
I did not intoxicate my eyes time and again from being lovesick
Had not my virtuous friends forbidden me to indulge.
يا مَنْ إِذا ما وَفَى اسْتَوْفَى الحُشَاشَةَ لا
عَدِمْتُ حالَيْكَ إِعطاءً وإِعْطَابا
O you who, whenever you fulfilled the clan's highest fame, I missed
Your company, giving or attaining eminence!
ومُغْرِياً جَفْنَ عَيْنِي بالمنامِ لقد
أَبدَعْتَ في ذلك الإِغراءِ إِغْرَابا
Tempting my drowsy eyes in sleep, indeed
You have excelled in such tempting, beyond all customary bounds!
وفاضَ لي من أَبي الفَيَّاضِ بَحْرُ نّدًى
أَنشا سحاباً من المعروفِ سَحَّابا
From my bountiful father the flood of blandishment ran over for me
That made rise a cloud of favor Voluptuous with folds.
المالكَ الموسعَ الأَملاكَ ما بَرَقَتْ
صوارِمُ الحَرْبِ إِجلاءً وإِجلابا
The owner of expansive realms – the ample domains – has never
Brandished the gleaming swords of war to dislodge and bring low,
والمُقْطِعَ المعشرَ الراجينَ ما لقِحَتْ
سمائمُ الجدب إِنهالاً وإِنهابا
Nor cut down the hope of yearning souls, nor sucked dry
The dugs of dearth with devastating, exhausting draughts.
والبانِيَ المجدَ صَرْحاً من تِلاوَتِهِ
أَنا الَّذي أَبْلَغَ الأَسْبَابَ أَسْبابا
Rather he built with his sublime ascent a citadel of glory
To which I guided the most direct of all causes that lead up to it.
أَفناؤهُ الخُضْرُ تستَدْعِي بنَضْرَتِها
معاشِرَ الناسِ إِرْعاداً وإِرْعابا
Its fresh greenery invites mankind with its verdancy
To settle there, exciting panic,consternation or fearful awe.
هِيَ الحِمَى حَلَّ منهُ أَو نَأَى وكَذَا
كَ الليثُ إِنْ غابَ يَحْمِي بَأُسُهُ الغابا
This is the sanctuary that gave security if you approached or turned away,
For, even if absent, the formidable prowess of the lion protects the absent.
شَهْمٌ هُوَ السَّهْمُ تسديداً لشاكِلَةٍ
مَهْمَا أَصابَ شَفَى للدينِ أَوْصابا
Valiant, a swordsman aimed unerringly at the joints through the coats of mail,
However often he hit the mark, to bring healing to the religion or to its protégés.
غَضَنْفَرٌ لا يزالُ الماضِيانِِ له
إِن حادِثُ الدَّهْر نابَ الظُّفْرَ والنابا
A writhing dragon, winding, twisting, cleaves; the days gone by
Still course for him – if the chance of time brought reversal or hardship...
منْ كلِّ أبْيَضَ مهما التاجُ في وَهَجٍ
أَقامَ يُلْهِبُ نارَ الحربِ إِلهابا
Any white falcon, in the fury of battle, flames up
In the furnace of war, whatever the royal crown's effulgence,
وكُلَّ أَسْمَرَ مهما جالَ في حَرَجٍ
وانسابَ أَلْحَقَ بالحَيَّاتِ أَنْسابا
While every swarthy eagle, though spurning the burning heat,
Glides through the air and attaches itself to the serpents' kin.
لفَّ الشجاعَةَ منه بالتُّقَى فغدا
يُريكَ من دِمْنَةِ المحرابِ مِحْرَابا
It wrapped itself in courage and piety both and so became
A prayer niche for you from the devotions paid in prayer niches.
نَجْلُ الأَكابِرِ والأَمْلاكِ ما بَرِحُوا
للمُلْكِ مُنْذُ رُبُوا في الحِجْر أَرْبَابا
The descendants of great men and lords have never ceased
To be lords of the kingdom ever since they rode as babies in cradles
عَليه شَبُّوا ومن أَثْدَائِهِ رَضَعُوا
حتى لَصَارَتْ لَهُمْ آدابُه دَابا
On it they cut their teeth and from its bosom they suckled
Until its manners became innate habits for them.
طالوا وطابوا ومهما طالَ مكرُمَةً
فَرْعُ امرِىءٍ في العُلاَ فالأَصلُ قد طابا
They endured long and excelled long, and how often, though outstanding
For bounty, the scion of a man of high degree turns out well!
نَهَّابُ أَعدائِهِ وَهَّابُ أَنْعُمِهِ
أَحْسِنْ بحالَيْهِ نهَّاباً وَوَهَّابَا
Tearing his foes to pieces, lavishing gifts on loyal servants,
Deal in the same way yourself, tearing some to pieces, treating others lavishly.
لِلْجُودِ والبَأْسِ أَحزابٌ بِرَاحَتِهِ
ساقَتْ إِليه جيوشُ الشُّكْرِ أَحْزَابا
The hosts of gratitude formed ranks to attend him at his ease,
Bringing to him thanks in battalions and armed contingents.
أَتَتْ إِليه بناتُ الشِّعْرِ قاصِدَةً
وَكَمْ أَتَتْ قبلُ خَطَّاراً وخَطَّابا
The daughters of Poetry came to him with set purpose
While many came to him before as messengers and envoys.
من كُلِّ مُلْهَبَةِ الأَلفاظِ مُذْهَبَةٍ
تُشَعْشِعُ الطِّرْسَ إِلهاباً وإِذْهَابا
Tongues of flames, every dialect refined,
Gleaming, dazzling mail coats with their tongues of fire.
تَوَقَّدَتْ فَلَوَانَّ المَرْءَ يُنْشِدُها
في شهرِ كانُونَ ظنُّوا آبَ قَدْ آبَا
The self of man caught light from their fused metals—they fancied
That May had come in January when July was past.
كم مِنْ حقائِبِ أَحْقابٍ قد امْتَلأَتْ
بشُكْرِ بِرِّكَ إِنجازاً وإِنْجابا
How many scrolls of time have been filled to the full
With thanks for your kindness, fulfilling and bringing increase!
من كانَ مثلَكَ يُرْجَى خَيْرُهُ أَبّدًا
رَأَى جميعَ شهورِ العامِ أَرْجَابا
Who was ever like you from whom good might always be hoped?—
You made all the months of the year seem like kind lords.
