بانَت وقد كلَّفتُها تَوديعي
ما بين قَيظ جَوى وفَيضِ دُمُوعِ
She departed, though I had pressed her to bid me farewell,
between the scorching heat of longing and the flood of my tears.
وتجلَّدَت للبَينِ مثل تَجُلدي
والنارُ حَشَوُ ضلوعها وضلوعي
She bore herself firmly at the parting, just as I did,
while fire filled her ribs and mine.
ولكم تُعَلَّلُها مواعيدُ المُنى
منى على المرئيِّ والمسموعِ
How often I consoled her with promises—
promises from me, grounded in things seen and heard.
قالت ذَمَمت البَينَ قلتُ لها عَسَى
أن تشكري عُقبَاهُ عند رجوعي
She said, “You have condemned our parting.” I said, “Perhaps
you will praise its outcome when I return.”
يا هذه لولا وثوقي بالغنى
لغدا هُلُوعُك وهوَ دونَ هلوعي
My lady, were it not for my confidence in prosperity,
your anguish, however dreadful, would fall short of mine.
تاللَه ما أمَّلت غيرَ مُؤَمَّلٍ
سَمح ولا ناديتُ غيرُ سميعِ
By God, I have placed my hope only in one who inspires hope,
a generous man—and called only upon one who hears.
حَسبي رجاءٌ ابنِ الزُّبَيرِ فإنَّ لي
قَصداً أراهُ لديه خَيرَ شَفيعٍ
My hope in Ibn al-Zubayr suffices me, for I have
an aim I deem my finest intercessor with him.
لأهاجرنَّ إلى نَدا من كفَّهِ
هامٍ وَرَوضٍ بالنَّوال مَريعٍ
I shall surely journey toward bounty from whose hand
come a downpour and a stream brimful with largesse.
ولأرفعنَّ بقصدِهِ النفسَ التي
هانت عليَّ بقصدٍ كلِّ وضيعِ
By seeking him I shall raise up the soul that
grew cheap in my eyes through seeking every base man.
تاللَه ما اخترتُ الخمولَ وإنما
لله حكمٌ ليس بالمدفوع
By God, I did not choose obscurity; it is only that
God has a decree that cannot be repelled.
مالي قَنِعتُ فصرتُ أُدعَى عاجزا
والعَجزُ منسوبٌ لكلِّ قَنُوعٍ
Why did I remain content until I came to be called helpless,
when helplessness is ascribed to every contented man?
ما بين آمالي وبين بلوغها
بِرَجاء يعقوب سوى أُسبُوعٍ
Between my hopes and their attainment,
through hope in Ya‘qub, lies no more than a week.
نَدبٌ يحجُّ القاصدون لنائلٍ
يوم الرجاء ببشرِهِ مَشفُوع
A noble man to whose bounty seekers journey as pilgrims;
on hope’s day, his gift comes attended by a smiling welcome.
سَل عنه وأرحَل نحوه تُنجِح ولا
تَسأل عن التَثليث والتربيعِ
Ask after him and journey toward him—you will succeed; do not
ask whether his bounty comes threefold or fourfold.
هُوَ ناظرٌ هَجر الهجوعَ لعلمه
أنَّ المعالي لم تُنَل بهجُوعِ
He keeps watch, forsaking sleep, for he knows
that lofty honors are never won through sleep.
قد قلتُ حين تَصَنَّعَت سُحُبُ الحَيَا
معناه في سَح وحُسن صَنيع
I said, when the rain clouds arrayed themselves,
“Their meaning lies in pouring rain and gracious action.”
ياغيثُ حسبك ليسَ تحي جُودَهُ
فَضَحَ التَطبّثعَ شِيمَةُ المَطبُوعَ
O rain cloud, enough—you cannot imitate his generosity;
innate character puts affected imitation to shame.
يا من يهونُ ماله تفريقه
بخلاف مكرم ماله المجموعِ
O you for whom scattering wealth is easy,
unlike one whose sole distinction is his gathered wealth.
بلغت بكل النفس التي شَرُفَت إلى
شأوٍ بعيدٍ في الفخار بديعِ
Aspiring with your whole soul, you attained
a far and wondrous summit of glory.
فغدوتَ ذا فضل بسيط كامل
يُلقى وجود وافر وسريع
Thus you came to possess ample, perfect excellence,
where generosity is found abundant and swift.
وقفوت آثار العدا بمصارعٍ
فجمعت تقفيةً إلى تصريعِ
You followed the enemy’s tracks to where they fell,
joining pursuit to felling—taqfiya to tasri‘.
مولاي زين الدين دعوة من رجا
بنَدَاك جَبر فُؤاده المَصدُوع
My lord Zayn al-Din, hear the plea of one who hopes
that your bounty will mend his stricken heart.
ما إن تَغَيَّرَ بعد بينك وُدُّهُ
لكن تغيَّرَ دَمعُهُ بنجيعِ
His love has not changed since parting from you;
only his tears have changed—into fresh blood.
يشكو لفضلك من يسلم عرضَهُ
للذمِّ رغبة ماله المجموعِ
To your bounty appeals the man who will not surrender his honor
to humiliation; the herald is the wealth amassed in its train.
ولقد كسوتكَ من قريضٍ حُلَّةً
جَلَّت عن التلفيقِ والترقيعِ
I have clothed you in a robe of verse,
too sublime for piecing together or patching,
حَسنت برقمٍ من خلالك فاغتدت
كالروض في التسهيم والتوشيع
beautifully figured with the pattern of your virtues, until it became
like a garden in its striped and variegated designs.
وِثقَت بخفضِ العيشِ عندك فاغتدت
تسمُو بقصد محلَّك المرفوعِ
Assured of an easy life with you, it set forth,
aspiring in its purpose toward your exalted station.
