بدعةُ عندي كاسمها بدعَهْ

لا إفك في ذاك ولا خدعَهْ

My innovation is as its name implies an innovation

No pretense in that, and no deception

يجتمع الظرف لجلّاسها

والحسن والإحسان في بقعه

Circumstance assembles for her gathering

Beauty and benevolence in her land

يا أيها السائل عن حظها

للناس جزء ولها تسعه

O you who ask about her fortune

To people a share, to her nine shares

كأنما غنت لشمس الضحى

فألبستها حسنها خلعه

As though she sang to the morning sun

So she dressed it in her splendor and finery

ممن قضى الله بإحسانه

ما أحسنت قُمْرِيَّةٌ سَجْعه

Of one whose benevolence God has decreed

How excellent is my Qumariyya’s chanting

لها مسير في أغانيها

توسَّطَ الإبطاءَ والسرعه

She has a tempo in her songs

Moderating slowness and speed

كأنما رقة مسموعها

رقَّةُ شكوى سبقت دمعه

As though the softness heard in her

Is the softness of a lament that preceded her tear

تهدي إلى قلبك ما يشتهي

كأنها قد أُطلِعَت طِلعه

She guides to your heart what it desires

As though she was made privy to its secrets

تحسن في البدأة لكنها

أحسن من بدأتها الرجعه

She excels at the start but

More excellent still is her return

لو أسندت ميتاً إلى نحرها

أو عودها ثاب من الضجعه

If she were to sing to a corpse at its bier

Or her lute enlivened one listless

غنت فلم تحوج إلى زامرٍ

هل يحوج الصبح إلى شمعه

She sang without need for a musician

Does dawn require a candle?

وشيع الزمرُ أعاجيبَها

من ظبية أوفت على تلعه

And a band paid tribute to her wonders

From a gazelle who finished its frolicking

فكان تاجاً زاد في بهجة

لا كُمَّةً غطَّت على صلعه

So it was a crown that increased the delight

Not a turban covering over a bald head

ويح ابن أيوب لقد فاته

منها السماع اللَّذُ والصنعه

Woe to the son of Ayyub for missing

The pleasurable hearing and artfulness

فما يبالي بعدما ناله

مما وصفنا ما دهى سمعه

What cares he after attaining

What we have described that raptured his hearing

وكم شقي ملكت قلبه

فقطعته قطعةً قطعه

And how wretched is he whose heart

She captured rending it to pieces

عانده في أمرها نحسه

وساعدتها الأنجم السبعه

Misfortune opposed her command

While the seven stars assisted her

كذاك من يقرب من خطة

تكن له الخطَّة بالشفعه

So too whoever draws near her perimeter

Let the perimeter intercede for him

ظلت وقد أبدت لنا وجهها

في ضحوة الجمعة كالجمعه

She remained displaying her face to us

In the prime of Friday like a congregation

كأنما تجلو لأبصارنا

من شمس يوم غائم لمعه

As though the sun on an overcast day

Flashed its glimmer for our eyes

أقسمت لو مكنت من شدوها

وكان وتراً لا أرى شَفعه

I swear had I been able to capture her chanting

And it was a string I would see no pairs

لم أحفل الملك ولا ملكه

ما حنَّتِ النيبُ ولا نزعه

I would not care for any kingdom or queen

No matter how the Prophet urged or strove

وكان قلبي أبداً ظرفه

وكان سمعي أبداً قمعه

And my heart would be forever her jurisdiction

And my hearing forever her guard

وخلتني ما دمت تلقاءها

من جنة الخلد على تُرعه

And she would leave me, as long as I faced her

On the meadow of immortality grazing

طفِّل على من حَصُلت عنده

فبعض تطفيل الفتى رفعه

Impose on whoever you have favor with

For some of a young man’s imposition raises him

واستفتح الباب الذي دونها

تفتح لدى فتحكه قلعه

And open the door that lies beyond her

It will open to you at your conquest like a fortress

تلك ربيع فانتجع روضه

فلن يعاب الحر بالنجعه

That is a spring whose meadow we took joy in

So the free born will not be blamed for negligence

حافظ على مجلسها جاهداً

فإنه ناهيك من متعه

Safeguard her gathering actively

For by God it is a pleasure without parallel

وحدث الناس به فاخراً

فإنه ما شئت من سُمْعه

And relate it to people proudly

For however you wish from its loftiness

أسمعنيها سيدٌ ماجدٌ

يفوز بالمجد لدى القرعه

A noble master who wins glory on the day of trial caused me to hear her

But then he habitually wronged me

لكنه عودني ظالماً

أن يتبع الفرحة بالفجعه

To follow joy with anguish

He showed me generosity

بيناه قد ألبسني نخوة

بالعطف إذ ألبسني خشعه

Cloaking me in daring

While my face by him was joyous

وبينما وجهي به مسفر

إذ برقعت وجهي به سُفعه

He covered my face with a slap

Awakening me from the intoxication of his pleasures

يفيق لي من سكر لذاته

إفاقة تتبعها هجعه

To an awakening followed by slumber

I am summoned so I hasten but then see a frown

أُدعَى فأَسعى فأرى حاجباً

جهماً لديه المنع والمنعه

Sullen before him is the refusal and refusal

So an intercessor goads him and a patch goads another patch

فشافعٌ يحفزه شافعٌ

ورقعة تحفزها رقعه

And the soul is in confusion and bewilderment

While my body’s freshness complains of its ribs

والنفس في لبس وفي حيرة

والجسم نضوُ يشتكي ظَلعه

From a blow followed by a pull

And a pull followed by a blow

من دفعةٍ تتبعها جذبةٌ

وجذبةٍ تتبعها دفعه

Pulling me to push with such force

Pushing me to pull with haste

يجذبني للدفع ذو قوة

يدفعني للجذب في سرعه

Woe! How bitter is the draught from him

And how salty is the draught

ويحيَ كم تعذب لي جرعة

منه وكم تملُحُ لي جرعه

As though in his actions a bee

That follows a sting with sweetness

كأنه في فعله نحلة

تتبع منها مجَّةً لسعه

The best of speech is from a brother whose honesty

O you who refused the reins and let them go

خير حديثٍ من أخٍ صدقُهُ

يا من أبت أعراقه وضعه

Your servant, if you give me my due from clarity

But if you transgress then who can stop you

عبدك إن أنصفت من بانة

فإن تعديت فمن نَبعه

There present yourself whatever private matters confine you

For your circumstances have narrowed their breadth

ها هو مبدٍ لك مكنونَهُ

فقد أضاقت حاله ذرعه

And if you hoped for affection short of striving

What has expanded to you would not narrow

ولو رجا ودك دون الجدا

ما كظ ما قد سُمتَه وُسعه

But you discern only coolness from him

Away from a suspicion that shook its pillar

لكنه يلحظُ منك القلى

عن ظنة قد زلزلت ربعه

Neither have his eyes wept from regret

Nor has he complained of agony to the intimately familiar

وما بكت عيناه من حسرة

ولا شكا بين الحشا لذعه

Nor has God seen him beseeching

The origin of consent from you or a branch

ولا رآه الله مستعطفاً

أصل الرضا منك ولا فرعه

So why should I beseech my estranged

Not for an ambitious one seeking a bond

فكيف أستعطف مستنفري

لا لطماح يبتغي قذعه

Nor for a sin have I come deserving

Turn me back if I have come without being called

ولا لذنب جئتُهُ موجبٍ

ردِّي إذا جئت ولم أُدْعه

The free man is not provoked by one who provokes

Even if his nose is cleaved

والحر ما استنفرتَه نافرٌ

ولو تلقّى أنفه جدعه

In the loyalty of the brethren is my safekeeping

And in hope of God is my satisfaction

في بُلَغِ الإخوان لي عصمةٌ

وفي رجاء الله لي شبعه

Whenever have I sought affection from a hater

Or directed my foot to rugged terrain

متى توددتُ إلى مبغضٍ

أو يممت بي قدمي صقعه

May God not destine for me a stumbling

Or diminish for me a collapse

فلا أقال الله لي عثرة

ولا أقل الله لي صرعه

Do you not know whose neighbor in his ruling

I see the deposing of a king

أما درى من جار في حكمه

من ملك أني أرى خلعه

My condition with the angels is that I do not see

For myself everyday interaction with him

شرطي من الأملاك من لا أرى

لي كل يوم معه وقعه

Who does not follow the elite to pelt me with gravel

Nor tranquility with panic

لا يتبع الصفوة لي بالقذى

ولا الطمأنينة بالفزعه

Of one whose sword fraternizes with its sheath

But does not fraternize with the drawing of its blade

ممن يؤاخي سيفُهُ غمدَهَ

ولا يؤاخي سيفه نِطعه

And does not see that when I visit him

I intended the brawl and altercation

ولا يرى أني إذا زرته

قصدت للهرسة والمقعه

Leave this one and move on to another

And consent to one whose nature you have angered

دع ذا وجاوزه إلى غيره

وارضَ لمن أغضبتَه طبعه

And shelter fleeing one enraged

Restraining yourself suffices to subdue him

وَأْمَنْ شواظاً فار من غيظه

يكفِكَ حلمٌ راجح قمعه

God forbid prominence pursues him

Prominence pursued by humility

حاشاه أن تتبعه عزة

من عزة تتبعها خضعه

And if I saw despair from his pardon

None would have seen this flattery from me

ولو رأيت اليأس من عفوه

لم ير مني هذه الخنعه

A servant has no obligation to obey

A master who neglected him and did not shepherd him

وما على عبد أخي طاعة

ضيعه مولى ولم يرعه

I angered him until his ignorance was excessive

But he did not say in blame what pierces

أغضبه حتى طغا جهله

فلم يقل في لومه قذعه

O you hoped for in his time

Be gentle with the tender sprigs with dew

يا أيها المأمول في دهره

زع من عُرامي بالندى وزعه

Take initiative doing good to ward off its detriments

For the foundation of life is on bastions

بادر بمعروفك آفاته

فَبِنيةُ الدنيا على القُلعه

And sow crops whose harvest you will approve

For all are reapers of what they have sown

وازرع زروعاً ترتضي ريعها

يوماً فكلٌّ حاصدٌ زرعه

I had solace in knowing you

Had you not let me taste beginnings

قد كنت عن عرفك ذا سلوةٍ

لو لم تكن ذوقتني طَلْعه

But I aspired for its fruits

So grant my hand fruits

لكن تشوَّفْتُ إلى ينعه

بطلعه فامنح يدي يَنْعه

Does the freeborn begrudge his rightful share

Of one who gently shook his soft trunk?

هل يمنع الحرُّ جنى حظِّهِ

من هزَّ هزّاً ليِّناً جِذْعه