ومُسمعٍ لا عدمْتُ فُرقَتَهُ
فإنها نعمةٌ من النعمِ
His company I never lack, its loss brings me no ease,
For it's a blessing among other boons and joys.
يطولُ يومي إذا قُرِنْتُ به
كأنني صائمٌ ولم أصُمِ
My day seems long when he's apart, as though
I'm fasting but forgot the fast's decrees.
إذا تغنَّى النديمُ ذكَّرهُ
أخْذَ السياق الحثيثِ بالكظمِ
When entertained, I check his mirth lest he in joy exceed,
And hold the flowing stream of talk in rein.
يفتحُ فاهُ من الجهادِ كما
يفْتَح فاهُ لأعظم اللُّقمِ
He opens not his mouth except with toil, as if
It gaped but for the hugest mouthful's gain.
مجلسه مأتمُ اللذاذاتِ وال
قَصْفِ وعُرسُ الهموم والسَّدمِ
His circle is the rally of delights, no scanty fare,
No feast of sorrows, griefs, regrets, and pain.
ينشدنا اللهو عند طلعته
من أوحشتْه البلاد لم يقمِ
He chants when he arrives: "Be glad, though far from kin,
Homesick, heartsore, you pined in loneliness vain!"
كأنني طولَ ما أُشاهِدُهُ
أشربُ كأسي ممزوجةً بدمي
As long as I behold him there I seem to sip
My wine-cup mixed with blood-drops from my veins.
تشهدُه فرْطَ ساعتين فيُنْ
سِيكَ عهوداً لم تُؤْتَ من قِدمِ
When met two hours he makes old covenants new
Which time destroys not, though it rends the chain.
يُريكَ ما قد عَهِدْتَ في أمسك ال
أدنى كشيءٍ في سالِفِ الأُمَمِ
He shows whate'er you knew in bygone terms is naught,
The least of things in days and years of bane.
عِشرتُهُ عشرةٌ تُبارك في ال
أعمارِ لولا تعجُّلُ الهرمِ
His comradeship is fortune's gift, that blesses life
But for the swift-paced steed that brings old age's wane.
إذا الندامى دعوْهُ آونةً
تنادموا كأسهم على ندمِ
When boon-companions hail him for a space, their talk
Turns ever to regrets and grief and pain.
نبردُ حتى يظلَّ يُنشِدنا
هل بالديار الغداةَ من صممِ
Till eve we converse, then he asks, "Shall morning light
Once more the house with all therein again?"
يستطعمُ الشربَ أن يقال لهُ
أحسنْتَ والقومُ منه في وَكمِ
He craves a draught, and when 'tis said, "You've done us well,"
His folk smile blandly though with rage they're fain.
وكيفَ للقوْم بالتَّصنُّع لا
كيفَ ولو صُوِّروا من الكَرمِ
How feign them pleasure in hypocrisy, how pretend,
When nature's self is fused in their disdain?
تظهرُ في وجهه إساءتُه
كأنّها مَسْحةٌ من الحُمَمِ
Dislike appears upon his face as though a blot
Of soot had marred its brightness' sheen and stain.
يسْوَدُّ من قُبْحِ ما يجيء به
حتّى كأنْ قد أُسِفَّ بالفحمِ
Naught have I tasted, but to hold my peace near him
Is worse than poison's burning in my brain.
ما ذُقْتُ شيئاً ولستُ ذائقه
أوقَعَ من صَمْتِه على القرمِ
When comes the call to prayer, relief rewards our pain,
As 'twere to one long racked repose made plain.
نرتاح منه إلى الأذان كما
يرتاح ذو شُقَّةٍ إلى علمِ
He chants in voice offensive to the hearer's soul,
Praise God who fashioned Man from clotted strain!
يشدو بصَوْتٍ يسوءُ سامِعَهُ
تبارك اللَّهُ بارئُ النسمِ
He bursts in rough uncouthly rhymed lines that appall,
Like braying discord in a monkish train.
أبحَّ فيه شُذور حَشرجةٍ
منظومةٍ في مقاطعِ النغمِ
His chant a choking grief, his tremulousness like the bleat
Of silly camels in a mourning train.
نَبْرتُهُ غُصَّةٌ وهِزَّتُهُ
مثلُ نبيب التيوسِ في الغنمِ
Had it but hallowed God of Might, the Speaking One
Ne'er raised the goodly Word man's creed to gain.
لو قُدِّسَ اللَّهُ ذو الجلال به
لم يرفعِ اللَّهُ طيِّب الكلِمِ
It terrifies the children small when some poor brat
Falls weeping, since he slept not, as 'twere slain.
يُفزَّع الصبية الصغارُ به
إذا بكى بعضهُم ولم ينمِ
My heart is flint when hearing him, though dear ones sigh
And greet his cruelty with tear and rain.
يقسو له القلبُ حين يسمعُه
على أحِبَّائهِ بلا جرَمِ
I swear by God who hath no like, no match, no peer,
'Tis naught but surfeit of God's boons of bane!
أحلفُ باللَّهِ لا شريكَ له
فإنها غايةٌ من القسمِ
None hath God shown before him who so lacked all good,
No dearth of bounty like his ban and bane!
ما عرَّفَ اللَّهُ قبلهُ أحداً
ما فَضْلُ نعمائهِ على النقمِ
