عَلى مِثلِها مِن أَربُعٍ وَمَلاعِبِ
أُذيلَت مَصوناتُ الدُموعِ السَواكِبِ
On the likes of her, of pure descent and noble play,
The stars of heaven cast down their veils in homage.
أَقولُ لِقُرحانٍ مِنَ البَينِ لَم يُضِف
رَسيسَ الهَوى تَحتَ الحَشا وَالتَرائِبِ
To a lover consumed with yearning's smart I say -
No healing comes to one whose love's derangement
أَعِنّي أُفَرِّق شَملَ دَمعي فَإِنَّني
أَرى الشَملَ مِنهُم لَيسَ بِالمُتَقارِبِ
Still swells his heart beneath a cloak of melancholy.
Help me divide my tears! Their unity I see
وَما صارَ في ذا اليَومِ عَذلُكَ كُلُّهُ
عَدُوِّيَ حَتّى صارَ جَهلُكَ صاحِبي
No more. Disunion's now their fate. Distraught, disconsolate am I.
No enemy is yours this day. Your ignorance
وَما بِكَ إِركابي مِنَ الرُشدِ مَركَباً
أَلا إِنَّما حاوَلتَ رُشدَ الرَكائِبِ
Has turned against me and become my closest intimate.
In me no guidance did you seek. You only thought
فَكِلني إِلى شَوقي وَسِر يَسِرِ الهَوى
إِلى حُرُقاتي بِالدُموعِ السَوارِبِ
To tutor one who rode the winds and walked the seas.
Leave me to my passion and the mysteries of love,
أَمَيدانَ لَهوي مَن أَتاحَ لَكَ البِلى
فَأَصبَحتَ مَيدانَ الصَبا وَالجَنائِبِ
To burn in tears rushing like floods, torrents from my eyes.
Is this how you reward your lover's constancy,
أَصابَتكَ أَبكارُ الخُطوبِ فَشَتَّتَت
هَوايَ بِأَبكارِ الظِباءِ الكَواعِبِ
Becoming thus the giddy world of maid and youth?
New brides assailed me, scattering my love abroad,
وَرَكبٍ يُساقونَ الرِكابَ زُجاجَةً
مِنَ السَيرِ لَم تَقصِد لَها كَفُّ قاطِبِ
Like fleeing deer before the baying hounds unleashed.
They ride their steeds and none can stop their wanton power.
فَقَد أَكَلوا مِنها الغَوارِبَ بِالسُرى
فَصارَت لَها أَشباحُهُم كَالغَوارِبِ
No hand can seize their reins, no cry their heedless course impede.
Swifter than mirage-bolts they raced into the gloom
يُصَرِّفُ مَسراها جُذَيلُ مَشارِقٍ
إِذا آبَهُ هَمٌّ عُذَيقُ مَغارِبِ
And like mirage their forms melted in the murk and haze.
The tresses of the dawn he takes at whim and sweeps
يَرى بِالكَعابِ الرَودِ طَلعَةَ ثائِرٍ
وَبِالعِرمِسِ الوَجناءِ غُرَّةَ آيِبِ
Them back, as evening shadows throng from east to west.
He sees the morning star at nightfall in the Pleiades
كَأَنَّ بِهِ ضِغناً عَلى كُلِّ جانِبٍ
مِنَ الأَرضِ أَو شَوقاً إِلى كُلِّ جانِبِ
And then at dawn the ruddy glow within the Hyades.
As though he bore the burdens of all men, but wished
إِذا العيسُ لاقَت بي أَبا دُلَفٍ فَقَد
تَقَطَّعَ ما بَيني وَبَينَ النَوائِبِ
For more, still burdened by the world's immensity.
Whenever the Virgins rose to meet Abu Dhulf, then all
هُنالِكَ تَلقى الجودَ حَيثُ تَقَطَّعَت
تَمائِمُهُ وَالمَجدَ مُرخى الذَوائِبِ
Between us was cut off. Gone happiness and peace!
For there men's generosity was pledged and glory's train
تَكادُ عَطاياهُ يُجَنُّ جُنونُها
إِذا لَم يُعَوِّذها بِنَغمَةِ طالِبِ
Unrolled its banners outspread in the winds at large.
His gifts could drive one mad, did not the hand restrain,
إِذا حَرَّكَتهُ هِزَّةُ المَجدِ غَيَّرَت
عَطاياهُ أَسماءَ الأَماني الكَواذِبِ
Curb their wild frenzy with the poet's gentle touch.
Ambition shook him and his gifts put on new guises,
تَكادُ مَغانيهِ تَهِشُّ عِراصُها
فَتَركَبُ مِن شَوقٍ إِلى كُلِّ راكِبِ
Exchanging their old names for empty, windy boasts.
His songs poured from his throat till they could barely breathe,
إِذا ما غَدا أَغدى كَريمَةَ مالِهِ
هَدِيّاً وَلَو زُفَّت لِأَلأَمِ خاطِبِ
Gasping with love and yearning for each listener's heart.
If he set out one morn, his wealth's bright fountainhead,
يَرى أَقبَحَ الأَشياءِ أَوبَةَ آيِبٍ
كَسَتهُ يَدُ المَأمولِ حُلَّةَ خائِبِ
His bounty flowed - though brides made far more modest claims.
To him the ugliest thing seemed like the morn's first light,
وَأَحسَنُ مِن نَورٍ تُفَتِّحُهُ الصَبا
بَياضُ العَطايا في سَوادِ المَطالِبِ
Which disappointment's hand had clothed in radiant hues.
Fairer than fairest light, bounty's whiteness shone
إِذا أَلجَمَت يَوماً لُجَيمٌ وَحَولَها
بَنو الحِصنِ نَجلُ المُحصِناتِ النَجائِبِ
Against the gloom, a darkness cleft by suppliants' cries.
When War's black standards rose and sovereigns of strongholds,
فَإِنَّ المَنايا وَالصَوارِمَ وَالقَنا
أَقارِبُهُم في الرَوعِ دونَ الأَقارِبِ
Nobles and dames from curtained litters stared aghast,
Then doom and death and steel were kinsmen. Not in name
جَحافِلُ لا يَترُكنَ ذا جَبَرِيَّةٍ
سَليماً وَلا يَحرُبنَ مَن لَم يُحارِبِ
Alone they were related. In their terrible, fearsome might,
No creature did they spare of overweening pride
يَمُدّونَ مِن أَيدٍ عَواصٍ عَواصِمٍ
تَصولُ بِأَسيافٍ قَواضٍ قَواضِبِ
Or enemy that shunned and sought no war with them.
Their hands stretched forth destroying swords to rend and crush,
إِذا الخَيلُ جابَت قَسطَلَ الحَربِ صَدَّعوا
صُدورَ العَوالي في صُدورِ الكَتائِبِ
Brandished by warriors, thirsty blades that drink their fill of blood.
Their horses roamed through battle's realm and hacked apart
إِذا اِفتَخَرَت يَوماً تَميمٌ بِقَوسِها
وَزادَت عَلى ما وَطَّدَت مِن مَناقِبِ
The foe till spear and sword dripped red with flowing gore.
Once Tameem proudly vaunted their superior bows
فَأَنتُم بِذي قارٍ أَمالَت سُيوفُكُم
عُروشَ الَّذينَ اِستَرهَنوا قَوسَ حاجِبِ
And all the glory binding fame about their name,
Your swords at Dhi Qar struck down those noble lords
مَحاسِنُ مِن مَجدٍ مَتى تَقرِنوا بِها
مَحاسِنَ أَقوامٍ تَكُن كَالمَعايِبِ
Who made their eyebrows' bow the bowmen's guarantee.
When you compare your glorious deeds with actions of men
مَكارِمُ لَجَّت في عُلُوٍّ كَأَنَّها
تُحاوِلُ ثَأراً عِندَ بَعضِ الكَواكِبِ
Whose repute is stained, yours shine out pure and free of blame.
Your virtues soar to the sublime, as though they strove
وَقَد عَلِمَ الأَفشينُ وَهوَ الَّذي بِهِ
يُصانُ رِداءُ المُلكِ عَن كُلِّ جاذِبِ
To rival planets in their orbits through the heavens high.
The keeper of the cloak knows well - and he alone secures
بِأَنَّكَ لَمّا اِسحَنكَكَ الأَمرُ وَاِكتَسى
أَهابِيَّ تَسفي في وُجوهِ التَجارِبِ
The raiment of the throne from every grasping hand -
That when perils pressed round you and trials came in force,
تَجَلَّلتَهُ بِالرَأيِ حَتّى أَرَيتَهُ
بِهِ مِلءَ عَينَيهِ مَكانَ العَواقِبِ
You faced them with strong hearts, disdainful of misfortune's blows.
With wisdom then you counselled him till wisdom filled his eyes,
بِأَرشَقَ إِذ سالَت عَلَيهِم غَمامَةٌ
جَرَت بِالعَوالي وَالعِتاقِ الشَوازِبِ
Blinding them to all but what the wise diviner sees.
Brilliant, when clouds of doom burst over them, you drew
نَضَوتَ لَهُ رَأيَينَ سَيفاً وَمُنصَلاً
وَكُلٌّ كَنَجمٍ في الدُجُنَّةِ ثاقِبِ
Your sword and spear, twin meteors blazing through the dark.
In war's upheaval you were like the subtlest spells,
وَكُنتَ مَتى تُهزَز لِخَطبٍ تُغَشِّهِ
ضَرائِبَ أَمضى مِن رِقاقِ المَضارِبِ
Beyond all trickery, victors in the game of war.
Thus he recalls you in his heart of hearts and you
فَذِكرُكَ في قَلبِ الخَليفَةِ بَعدَها
خَليفَتُكَ المُقفى بِأَعلى المَراتِبِ
Remain his closest confidant, the best that may aspire
To fame and fortune's utmost; none shall reach so high.
فَإِن تَنسَ يَذكُر أَو يَقُل فيكَ حاسِدٌ
يَفِل قَولُهُ أَو تَنأَ دارٌ تُصاقِبِ
And if he forgets or malice whispers, let it die.
To him you're there though absent, gone, yet still in view.
فَأَنتَ لَدَيهِ حاضِرٌ غَيرُ حاضِرٍ
جَميعاً وَعَنهُ غائِبٌ غَيرُ غائِبِ
Both, neither, seen yet hidden from his searching eye.
To you we sent the poet, wanderer in verse, once he
إِلَيكَ أَرَحنا عازِبَ الشِعرِ بَعدَما
تَمَهَّلَ في رَوضِ المَعاني العَجائِبِ
Had loitered long amid the gardens of sublime conceits,
Where marvels met like old companions. At your court
غَرائِبُ لاقَت في فِنائِكَ أُنسَها
مِنَ المَجدِ فَهيَ الآنَ غَيرُ غَرائِبِ
They lost their strangeness, put aside their odd, exotic traits.
If verse could die your palace fount alone gave birth
وَلَو كانَ يَفنى الشِعرُ أَفناهُ ما قَرَت
حِياضُكَ مِنهُ في العُصورِ الذَواهِبِ
To springs whose flow nourished the ages as they passed.
But verse is reason's branch; from it clouds massed on high
وَلَكِنَّهُ صَوبُ العُقولِ إِذا اِنجَلَت
سَحائِبُ مِنهُ أُعقِبَت بِسَحائِبِ
Drip down in welcome rain when drought has parched the earth.
I say to my companions: "He's the solution, he untied
أَقولُ لِأَصحابي هُوَ القاسِمُ الَّذي
بِهِ شَرَحَ الجودُ اِلتِباسَ المَذاهِبِ
The knot of differences where creeds diverged in doubt."
And I hope your gifts reward my own poor eclogues, made
وَإِنّي لَأَرجو أَن تَرُدَّ رَكائِبي
مَواهِبُهُ بَحراً تُرَجّى مَواهِبي
A sea of generosity to answer my scant drops of praise.
