وَفِتيَةٍ كَمَصابيحِ الدُجى غُرَرٍ
شُمِّ الأُنوفِ مِنَ الصيدِ المَصاليتِ
And I accompanied youths like lamps in the darkness, bright of brow, / High-nosed, of the lineage of hunting lions and sharp blades.
They assaulted Time with the pleasure they maintained, / So their rope to joy was never severed.
صالوا عَلى الدَهرِ بِاللَهوِ الَّذي وَصَلوا
فَلَيسَ حَبلُهُمُ مِنهُ بِمَبتوتِ
Time revolved its spheres of good fortune for their sake, / And bent towards them affectionately, craning its neck.
I drank with them the trembling Isfant wine, pure and clear, / Chilled by the north wind, a captive taken from the vineyards of Tikrit.
دارَ الزَمانُ بِأَفلاكِ السُعودِ لَهُم
وَعاجَ يَحنو عَلَيهِم عاطِفَ الليتِ
One of those we betrothed in haste, / When we raised a clamor before the mistresses of the taverns.
Amidst a legion of darkness like a crashing sea, / A rising flood where even the sailor is bewildered by the terror.
نادَمتُهُم قَرقَفَ الإِسفَنطِ صافِيَةً
مَشمولَةً سُبِيَت مِن خَمرِ تِكريتِ
When suddenly a grey-haired crone appeared, / Dressed in the garb of the humble and pious.
She asked, "Who are these folk?" We replied, "Those you know well: / Every generous soul, renowned for boundless bounty."
مِنَ اللَواتي خَطَبناها عَلى عَجَلٍ
لَمّا عَجَجنا بِرَبّاتِ الحَوانيتِ
"They have alighted at your abode while passing through, so seize / The largesse of the noble, and ask whatever price you wish."
"You have won the purity of life as your prize, / Like the spoils David took from the armor of Goliath."
في فَيلَقٍ لِلدُجى كَاليَمِّ مُلتَطِمٍ
طامٍ يَحارُ بِهِ مِن هَولِهِ النوتي
"So live by their grace in the shadow of honor, / And when they depart from your home, then you may die."
She said, "I have what you seek, so wait / Until the morning." We replied, "Nay, bring it to us now!"
إِذا بِكافِرَةٍ شَمطاءَ قَد بَرَزَت
في زَيِّ مُختَشِعٍ لِلَّهِ زِمّيتِ
"It is the morning; its clarity transforms the night, / When it casts off sparks like glinting rubies."
"Like the strike of watching angels when they stone / The rebellious demons with falling stars in the night."
قالَت مَنِ القَومُ قُلنا مَن عَرَفتِهُمُ
مِن كُلِّ سَمحٍ بِفَرطِ الجودِ مَنعوتِ
So she came forward like the light of the sun, pouring / Into the cup from a vessel with a pierced, bleeding waist.
We asked her, "How long has it been veiled within the jar?" / She said, "It was laid down since the days of King Saul."
حَلّوا بِدارِكِ مُجتازينَ فَاِغتَنِمي
بَذلَ الكِرامِ وَقولي كَيفَما شيتِ
"Hidden within the jar, growing old in seclusion, / Buried in the earth within the belly of a coffin."
"You have been brought the very essence from its mine, / So beware when you take it in the cup as though it were mere food."
فَقَد ظَفِرتِ بِصَفوِ العَيشِ غانِمَةً
كَغُنمِ داوُدَ مِن أَسلابِ جالوتِ
It grants the drinkers a perfume when they taste it, / Like the breath of musk from a split gland, crumbled fine.
As though, when mixed with the pure water of rain clouds, / It were a netting of pearls upon a brocade of rubies.
فَاِحيَي بِريحِهِم في ظِلِّ مَكرُمَةٍ
حَتّى إِذا اِرتَحَلوا عَن دارِكُم موتي
A moon-faced youth passes it round, with eyes of striking contrast, / As if the ancient magic of Harut was drawn from his gaze.
And among us a musician sings, enchanting our spirits: / "O abode of Hind at the valley's bend, peace be upon you!"
قالَت فَعِندي الَّذي تَبغونَ فَاِنتَظِروا
عِندَ الصَباحِ فَقُلنا بَل بِها إيتي
The reins of our glances are turned towards him; / Were you to see us watching him, you would think us lost in a trance.
A man of Hit, generous of spirit and possessed of culture; / To whom I say in jest, "Hand it over, O man of Hit!"
هِيَ الصَباحُ تُحيلُ اللَيلَ صِفوَتُها
إِذا رَمَت بِشِرارٍ كَاليَواقيتِ
He launches into eloquent melody, singing tunes / That are refined, articulate, and perfectly measured.
Until, when the celestial sphere of strings spun us round / With the drums, we became as those cast into a stupor.
رَميَ المَلائِكَةِ الرُصّادِ إِذ رَجَمَت
في اللَيلِ بِالنَجمِ مُرّادَ العَفاريتِ
We won this joy in gardens thickly entwined / With fire-stick trees, acacia, pomegranate, and mulberry.
Its birds distract you from all other diversions / When they trill their echoing, melodic songs.
فَأَقبَلَت كَضِياءِ الشَمسِ نازِعَةً
في الكَأسِ مِن بَينِ دامي الخَصرِ مَنكوتِ
Pleasure did not cease to visit that watering-place, / Nor was I deaf to the call of its delights.
Until grey hair surprised me with its sudden arrival— / How ugly is the face of age, bringing no good fortune!
قُلنا لَها كَم لَها في الدَنِّ مُذ حُجِبَت
قالَت قَدِ اِتُّخِذَت مِن عَهدِ طالوتِ
To the lovely maidens, when they saw its signs, / It signaled the severing of love and our scattering apart.
I have repented for my past foolishness and sin, / And for wasting the times prescribed for prayer.
كانَت مُخَبَّأَةً في الدَنِّ قَد عَنَسَت
في الأَرضِ مَدفونَةً في بَطنِ تابوتِ
I call upon You—Glory be to You, O God!—so forgive me / As You forgave, O Most High, the Companion of the Whale.
فَقَد أُتيتُم بِها مِن كُنهِ مَعدِنِها
فَحاذِروا أَخذَها في الكَأسِ بِالقوتِ
تُهدي إِلى الشَربِ طيباً عِندَ نَكهَتِها
كَنَفحِ مِسكٍ فَتيقِ الفارِ مَفتوتِ
كَأَنَّها بِزُلالِ المُزنِ إِذ مُزِجَت
شِباكُ دُرٍّ عَلى ديباجِ ياقوتِ
يُديرُها قَمَرٌ في طَرفِهِ حَوَرٌ
كَأَنَّما اِشتُقَّ مِنهُ سِحرُ هاروتِ
وَعِندَنا ضارِبٌ يَشدو فَيُطرِبُنا
يا دارَ هِندٍ بِذاتِ الجِزعِ حُيِّيتِ
إِلَيهِ أَلحاظُنا تُثنى أَعِنَّتُها
فَلَو تَرانا إِلَيهِ كَالمَباهيتِ
مِن أَهلِ هيتٍ سَخِيِّ الجَرمِ ذي أَدَبٍ
لَهُ أَقولُ مِزاحاً هاتِ يا هيتي
فَيَنبَري بِفَصيحِ اللَحنِ عَن نَغَمٍ
مُثَقَّفاتٍ فَصيحاتٍ بِتَثبيتِ
حَتّى إِذا فَلَكُ الأَوتارِ دارَ بِنا
مَعَ الطُبولِ ظَلَلنا كَالسَبابيتِ
فُزنا بِها في حَديقاتٍ مُلَفَّفَةٍ
بِالزَندِ وَالطَلحِ وَالرُمّانِ وَالتوتِ
تُلهيكَ أَطيارُها عَن كُلِّ مُلهِيَةٍ
إِذا تَرَنَّمَ في تَرجيعِ تَصويتِ
لَم يَنثَني اللَهوُ عَن غِشيانِ مَورِدِها
وَلَم أَكُن عَن دَواعيها بِصَمّيتِ
حَتّى إِذا الشَيبُ فاجاني بِطَلعَتِهِ
أَقبِح بِطَلعَةِ شَيبٍ غَيرِ مَبخوتِ
عِندَ الغَواني إِذا أَبصَرنَ طَلعَتَهُ
آذَنَ بِالصَرمِ مِن وِدٍّ وَتَشتيتِ
فَقَد نَدِمتُ عَلى ما كانَ مِن خَطَلٍ
وَمِن إِضاعَةِ مَكتوبِ المَواقيتِ
أَدعوكَ سُبحانَكَ اللَهُمَّ فَاِعفُ كَما
عَفَوتَ يا ذا العُلى عَن صاحِبِ الحوتِ
