عِذَري إِن عَذَلتَ في خَلعِ عُذري
غُصُنٌ أَثمَرَت ذُراهُ بِبَدرِ
My excuse, if you tire of excusing me,
Is a branch laden with fruit at the full moon.
هَزَّ مِنهُ الصَبا فَقَوَّمَ شَطراً
وَتَجافى عَنِ الوِشاحِ بِشَطرِ
The morning breeze shook off some clusters,
And turned away from the scarf with others.
رَشَأٌ أَقصَدَ الجَوانِحَ قَصداً
عَن جُفونٍ كُحِلنَ عَمداً بِسِحرِ
A shoot aimed straight for the gazelles,
At eyes darkened on purpose with magic.
كُسِيَ الحُسنَ فَهُوَ يَفتَنُّ فيهِ
ساحِباً ذَيلَ بُردِهِ المُسبَكِرِّ
Beauty donned its garb, seducing in it,
Trailing robes of splendor embroidered with conceit.
تَحتَ ظِلٍّ مِنَ الغَرارَةِ فَينا
نَ وَوُرقٍ مِنَ الشَبيبَةِ نُضرِ
Beneath the shade of luxuriant youth
And leaves of budding manhood, verdant,
أَبرَزَ الجيدَ في غَلائِلَ بيضٍ
وَجَلا الخَدَّ في مَجاسِدَ حُمرِ
It revealed a smooth cheek in blushing apples
And an ivory forehead amidst red anemones.
وَتَثَنَّت بِعِطفِهِ إِذ تَهادى
خَطرَةٌ تَمزُجُ الدَلالَ بِكِبرِ
With its bend, as it swayed, a coquette
Mingled allure with pride.
زارَني بَعدَ هَجعَةٍ وَالثُرَيّا
راحَةٌ تَقدِرُ الظَلامَ بِشِبرِ
It visited me after an afternoon nap,
A siesta that gauges the dark in spans -
وَالدُجى مِن نُجومِهِ في عُقودٍ
يَتَلَألَأنَ مِن سِماكٍ وَنِسرِ
And dusk spun with stars in necklaces
That glittered silver and golden from heaven's blue.
تَحسَبُ الأُفقَ بَينَها لازَوَرداً
نُثِرَت فَوقَهُ دَنانيرُ تِبرِ
You'd think the horizon a meadow strewn
With dandelions, and dinars scattered over it.
فَرَشَفتُ الرُضابَ أَعذَبَ رَشفٍ
وَهَصرتُ القَضيبَ أَلطَفَ هَصرِ
I sipped the wine most exquisitely,
And nibbled delicately on the fruit.
وَنَعِمنا بِلَفِّ جِسمٍ بِجِسمٍ
لِلتَصافي وَقَرعِ ثَغرٍ بِثَغرِ
We reveled in the intertwining of body and body,
The touching of mouth to mouth.
يا لَها لَيلَةً تَجَلّى دُجاها
مِن سَنا وَجنَتَيهِ عَن ضَوءِ فَجرِ
Oh what a night it was when its darkness
Was lit up by its teeth and dimples more than dawn!
قَصَّرَ الوَصلُ عُمرَها وَبِوُدّي
أَن يَطولَ القَصيرُ مِنها بِعُمري
Our union was too short. But my love
Would prolong the brief time with my life.
مَن عَذيري مِن رَيبِ دَهرٍ خَؤونٍ
كُلُّ يَومٍ أُراعُ مِنهُ بِغَدرِ
Who excuses me from the guile of cruel Time
Where each day I'm ambushed by betrayal?
كُلَّما قُلتُ حاكَ فيهِ مَلامي
نَهَسَتني مِنهُ عَقارِبُ تَسري
Whenever I say it's been unkind,
Its scorpions sting me, creeping slowly,
وَتَرَتني خُطوبُهُ في صَفِيٍّ
فاضِلٍ نابِهٍ مِنَ الدَهرِ وِترِ
And its calamities beset me, excellent
In merit, but defective against Fate's injustice,
بانَ عَنّي وَكانَ رَوضَةَ عَيني
فَغَدا اليَومَ وَهُوَ رَوضَةُ فِكري
It was my garden of delight, and now
Today it is my garden of reflection.
فَكِهٌ يُبهِجُ الخَليلَ بِوَجهٍ
تَرِدُ العَينُ مِنهُ يَنبوعَ بِشرِ
A fruit that brightens a friend with a face
From which the eyes gush springs of good news,
لَوذَعِيٌّ إِن يَبلُهُ الخُبرُ يَوماً
أَخجَلَ الوَردَ عَن خَلائِقَ زُهرِ
A fawn, that should news some day reach it,
Would shame the blossoms' varied hues,
وَإِذا غازَلَتهُ مُقلَةُ طَرفٍ
كادَ مِن رِقَّةٍ يَذوبُ فَيَجري
And when a languishing glance flirts with it,
It almost melts from tenderness and flows.
يا أَبا القاسِمِ الَّذي كانَ رِدئي
وَظَهيري عَلى الزَمانِ وَذُخري
O Abu l-Qasim, who was my protection
And support against Time and my treasure,
يا أَحَقَّ الوَرى بِمَمحوضِ إِخلا
صي وَأَولاهُمُ بِغايَةُ شُكري
O most deserving, by my sincere devotion,
And most rewarded with my utmost gratitude,
طَرَقَ الدَهرُ ساحَتي مِن تَنائيكَ
كَ بِجَهمٍ مِنَ الحَوادِثِ نُكرِ
Fate knocked upon my domain with misfortunes
And calamities, odious and strange.
لَيتَ شِعري وَالنَفسُ تَعلَمُ أَنَّ لَي
سَ بِمُجدٍ عَلى الفَتى لَيتَ شِعري
Would that I knew - though my soul knows -
Glory brings no gain for the youth. Would that I knew!
هَل لِخالي زَمانِنا مِن رُجوعٍ
أَم لِماضي زَمانِنا مِن مَكَرِّ
Can our departed days return?
Or does our past time hold any guile?
أَينَ أَيّامُنا وَأَينَ لَيالٍ
كَرِياضٍ لَبِسنَ أَفوافَ زَهرِ
Where are our days, and where are nights
Like gardens dressed in petals' motley colors,
وَزَمانٌ كَأَنَّما دَبَّ فيهِ
وَسَنٌ أَو هَفا بِهِ فَرطُ سُكرِ
And times as though drunk with wine
Or high on the excess of intoxication,
حينَ نَغدو إِلى جَداوِلَ زُرقٍ
يَتَغَلغَلنَ في حَدائِقَ خُضرِ
When we rose to brooks of turquoise
Meandering through gardens of green,
في هِضابٍ مَجلُوَّةِ الحُسنِ حُمرٍ
وَبَوادٍ مَصقولَةِ النَبتِ عُفرِ
On terraces exquisite in beauty, reddish,
And plains polished with tawny plants,
نَتَعاطى الشَمولَ مُذهَبَةَ السِر
بالِ وَالجَوُّ في مَطارِفَ غُبرِ
Where we savored reconciliation with a secret
That sent the mind into raptures of delight,
في فُتُوٍّ تَوَشَحوا بِالمَعالي
وَتَرَدّوا بِكُلِّ مَجدٍ وَفَخرِ
While the air in the meadows' dust
Caressed youths robed in excellence and pride,
وُضَّحٍ تَنجَلي الغَياهِبُ مِنهُم
عَن وُجوهٍ مِثلِ المَصابيحِ غُرِّ
Young men whose faces the darkness lifts
To reveal lamps glowing bright,
كُلُّ خِرقٍ يَكادُ يَنهَلُّ ظَرفاً
زانَ مَرأىً بِهِ بِأَكرَمِ خُبرِ
Each cheek almost overflows with charm
And perfects its view with utmost decorum,
وَسَجايا كَأَنَّهُنَّ كُؤوسٌ
أَو رِياضٌ قَد جادَها صَوبُ قَطرِ
And their features like goblets
Or gardens showered from clouds with rain,
يَتَلَقّى القَبولَ مِنّي قُبولٌ
كُلَّما راحَ نَفحُها اِرتاحَ صَدري
Receiving my approval with approval
Each time their fragrance soothed my breast.
فَهُوَ يَسري مُحَمَّلاً مِن سَجايا
كَ نَسيماً يُزهى بِأَفوَحِ عِطرِ
Thus it flowed, laden with their features,
Like a breeze scented with perfume.
يا خَليلَيَّ وَواحِدي وَالمُعَلّى
مِن قِداحي وَالمُستَبِدُّ بِبِرّي
My friend, only one, highest
Of my wine cups, monopolizing my devotion!
لا يَضِع وُدِّيَ الصَريحُ الَّذي أَر
ضاكَ مِنهُ اِستِواءُ سِرّي وَجَهري
My sincere affection, pleasing you,
Remains constant, whether hidden or open,
وَتَوالي أَذِمَّةٍ نَظَمَتنا
نَظمَ عِقدِ الجُمانِ في نَحرِ بِكرِ
And continuous tokens of affection
Have joined us like the pearls of a necklace.
لا يَكُن قَصرُكَ الجَفاءَ فَإِنَّ الوُدَّ
إِن ساعَدَت حَياتي قَصري
Do not deny me your mansion, for affection,
If my life allows, can be brief.
وَأَعِد بِالجَوابِ دَولَةَ أُنسٍ
قَد تَقَضَّت إِلّا عُلالَةَ ذِكرِ
Restore the intimacy whose circle is broken
Save for recollection's seclusion.
واكِسُ مَتنَ القِرطاسِ ديباجَ لَفظٍ
يَبهَرُ الفِكرَ مِن نَظيمٍ وَنَثرِ
Cover the parchment's surface with words
Dazzling the mind with eloquent prose and verse,
غُرَرٌ مِن بَدائِعٍ لا يَشُّكُ الدَه
رُ في أَنَّها قَلائِدُ دُرِّ
Unique pearls leaving no doubt
They are necklaces of priceless gems,
تَتَوالى عَلى النُفوسِ دِراكاً
عَن فَتىً موسِرٍ مِنَ الطَبعِ مُثرِ
Cascading upon the soul successively
From a naturally gifted and fruitful man,
شَدَّ في حَلبَةِ البَلاغَةِ حَتّى
بانَ فيها عَن شَأوِ سَهلٍ وَعَمرِ
Who raced in the field of rhetoric until
He surpassed the likes of Sahl and Amr.
وَإِذا أَنتَ لَم تُعَجِّل جَوابي
كانَ هَذا الكِتابُ بَيضَةَ عُقرِ
If you do not hasten my reply,
This letter will be an addled egg.
فَاِبقَ في ذِمَّةِ السَلامَةِ ما اِنجا
بَ عَنِ الأُفُقِ عارِضٌ مُتَسَرِّ
Remain under the protection of security
As long as the horizon's visitor travels hidden.
وَعَلَيكَ السَلامُ ما غَنَّتِ الوُر
قُ وَمالَت بِها ذَوائِبُ سِدرِ
And peace be upon you as long as the doves
Coo and the lote-trees' branches sway.
