الدارُ أَطبَقَ إِخراسٌ عَلى فيها
وَاِعتاقَها صَمَمٌ عَن صَوتِ داعيها
Silence has clamped the mouth of the dwelling tight, and deafness holds it back from answering its caller.
From my grief I possess an eye which endless blame cannot prevent from pouring out its tears.
وَلي مِنَ الحَينِ عينٌ لَيسَ يَمنَعُها
طولُ المَلامَةِ أَن تَجري مَآقيها
O ruin stripped of all its former joy, now clothed in the tattered remnants of the drought,
It drew forth rebellious tears that yielded to it when I cast my gaze upon its corners.
يا دِمنَةً سُلِبَت مِنها بَشاشَتُها
وَأُلبِسَت مِن ثِيابِ المَحلِ باقيها
Turn rather toward the reddish wine, away from ruins where nothing remains of their epoch but cooking-stones.
Described by arts of fragrance, aged so long a time that its very substance has thinned to delicacy.
أَبدَت عَواصِيَ مِن دَمعٍ أَطَعنَ لَها
لَمّا رَمَيتُ بِطَرفي في نَواحيها
You see its peers bow down before its majesty, and I am drunk with pride to see them honor it.
I shared it with a lover who adores it—a war to those who shun it, peace to those who sip.
لَأَعطافِهِنَّ عَلى الصَهباءِ عَن دِمَنٍ
لَم يَبقَ مِن عَهدِها إِلّا أَثافيها
Then a high-withered she-camel rushed me forth, while her guide controlled the rein and wielded the whip,
Crossing a dusty waste where winds contend in turn—the East, the South, the Tihami, and the Syrian gale.
مَوصوفَةٌ بِفُنونِ الطيبِ طالَ لَها
عُمرٌ فَلَم تَعدُ أَن رَقَّت حَواشيها
At times the night-traveler strikes out with his spear, and at times he whispers secrets to the silence.
If steeds were to race on wagering day, she would run the victors' course, kicking dust into their forelocks.
تَرى نَظائِرَها يَخضَعنَ هَيبَتَها
فَقَد ثَمِلتُ لِما أَجلَلنَها تيها
To Abu al-Fadl Abbas—and to no other, neither this one nor that—did my soul's motives call.
Indeed, the rain clouds feel shame when they behold his bounty and measure it against their own stores,
عاطَيتُها صاحِباً صَبّاً بِها كَلِفاً
حَرباً لِعايِفِها سِلماً لِحاسيها
Intending to cease their downpour, yet held back by fear of punishment for disobeying their Creator.
The tread of al-Rabi‘ and al-Fadl spread out a carpet of noble deeds when they built glory’s heights.
فَأَعنَقَت بي أَمونٌ فاتَ غارِبُها
قادَ الزِمامَ وَقادَ السَوطَ هاديها
Al-Rabi‘ and al-Fadl built for him, gathering the highest summits of kingship for their heir.
They prepared him for the task, and when he rose to it, he ran the course; he spoke, and they cried out, "Proceed!"
تَجتابُ أَغبَرَ تَفتَنُّ الرِياحُ بِهِ
صَبّاً جَنوباً تُهامِيّاً شَآميها
فَتارَةً يَطعَنُ الساري بِحَربَتِهِ
وَمَوضِعُ السِرِّ أَحياناً مُناجيها
إِذا الجِيادُ جَرَت يَومَ الرِهانِ جَرَت
جَريَ السَوابِقِ تَحثو في نَواصيها
إِلى أَبي الفَضلِ عَبّاسٍ وَلَيسَ إِلى
هَذا وَلا ذا دَعَت نَفسي دَواعيها
إِنَّ السَحابَ لَتَستَحيِي إِذا نَظَرَت
إِلى نَداهُ فَقاسَتهُ بِما فيها
حَتّى تَهُمُّ بِإِقلاعٍ فَيَمنَعُها
خَوفُ العُقوبَةِ في عِصيانِ مُنشيها
وَطءُ الرَبيعِ وَوَطءُ الفَضلِ ما اِفتَرَشا
مِنَ المَكارِمِ إِذ شادا مَعاليها
بَنى الرَبيعُ لَهُ وَالفَضلُ فَاِحتَشَدا
غاياتِ مُلكٍ رَفيعاتٍ لِبانيها
وَشَمَّراهُ فَلَمّا شَمَّراهُ لَها
جَرى فَقالَ كَذا قالا لَهُ إيها
