لامَتهُ لامَ عَشيرُها وَحَميمُها
مِنها خَلائِقُ قَد أَبَنَّ ذَميمُها
Her tribe blamed her, and her intimate friend;
Yet she was of a character whose vileness time disclosed.
لَم تَدرِ كَم مِن لَيلَةٍ قَد خاضَها
لَيلاءَ وَهيَ تَنامُها وَتُنيمُها
She knew not how many a night she spent awake,
While she was sleeping in my eyes and I was making her drowsy.
نَكِرَت فَتىً أَذرى بِنَضرَةِ وَجهِهِ
وَبِمائِهِ نَكَدُ الخُطوبِ وَلومُها
She slighted a youth whose face was brightened
By freshness, and whose gravity checked her blame and censure.
لا تُنكِري هَمّي فَإِنّي زائِدي
حَزماً حِضارُ النائِباتِ وَشومُها
Do not deny my anxiety, for I am more
Prudent than the violent power of misfortunes and their evils.
فَلَقَبلُ أَظهَرَ صَقلُ سَيفٍ أَثرَهُ
فَبَدا وَهَذَّبَتِ القُلوبَ هُمومُها
So the first thing revealed was the effect of the polishing of a sword,
And hearts were tried and sorrows disciplined.
وَالحادِثاتُ وَإِن أَصابَكَ بوسُها
فَهوَ الَّذي أَنباكَ كَيفَ نَعيمُها
And if events have kissed you with their lips,
It is He who has told you of their pleasures and blessings.
أَوَ ما رَأَيتَ مَنازِلَ اِبنَةِ مالِكٍ
رَسَمَت لَهُ كَيفَ الزَفيرُ رُسومُها
Have you not seen the abodes of Malik's daughter,
How the sigh figured its forms?
آناؤُها وَطُلولُها وَنِجادُها
وَوِهادُها وَحَدِثُها وَقَديمُها
Its backing and facing, its length and breadth,
Its ruins and new parts and old;
تَغدو الرِياحُ سَوافِياً وَعَوافِياً
فَتُضيمُ مَغناها وَلَيسَ يَضيمُها
The winds blow over it gently and strongly,
Restraining their song, without restraining it.
وَكَأَنَّما أَلقى عَصاهُ بِها النَوى
مِن شَقَّةٍ قَذَفٍ فَلَيسَ يَريمُها
As if he had cast his staff on it when fully ripened -
An erratic piercing throw - without hitting the mark.
إِنّي كَشَفتُكِ أَزمَةً بِأَعِزَّةٍ
غُرٍّ إِذا غَمَرَ الأُمورَ بَهيمُها
Truly I relieved you of trouble with valor
Of a noble sort when the affairs were confused.
بِثَلاثَةٍ كَثَلاثَةِ الراحِ اِستَوى
لَكَ لَونُها وَمَذاقُها وَشَميمُها
With three like the three of perfume that gained perfection;
Its color, taste, and odor were yours.
وَثَلاثَةِ الشَجَرِ الجَنِيِّ تَكافَأَت
أَفنانُها وَثِمارُها وَأَرومُها
And three like the three of the garden produce that matched each other:
Its twigs, fruit, and shade were yours.
وَثَلاثَةِ الدَلوِ اِستُجيدَ لِماتِحٍ
أَعوادُها وَرِشاؤُها وَأَديمُها
And three like the well-rope's three that favored the bucket's drawer:
Its posts, poles, and leather were yours.
وَثَلاثَةِ القِدرِ اللَواتي أَشكَلَت
أَأَخيَرُها ذو العِبءِ أَم قَيدومُها
And three like the cooking-pot's three that perplexed:
Was the last of them, the one with the contents, or its keeper?
وَإِذا عَلوقُ الحاجِ يَوماً سُكِّنَت
بِهِمُ فَقَد رَئِمَتكَ حينَ تَرومُها
And when the vexation of the pilgrim is stilled one day,
With them you have been vexed when you wished for tranquility.
عَبدُ الحَميدِ لَها وَلِلفَضلِ الرُبا
فيها وَمِثلُ السَيفِ إِبراهيمُها
Abd al-Hamid belongs to Layla and to the overflowing bounty
In her, and is like her sword, her father Ibrahim.
جازوا خَلائِقَ قَد تَيَقَّنَتِ العُلى
كُلَّ التَيَقُّنِ أَنَّهُنَّ نُجومُها
They surpassed people whose elevation has become certain.
All certainty that they are its stars.
لَو أَنَّ باقِلاً المُفَهَّهِ يَنبَري
في مَدحِها سَهُلَت عَلَيهِ حُزومُها
If foolish Buqayl undertook to praise her,
His folly would be made easy for him.
وَلَو أَنَّ سَحبانَ المُفَوَّهَ يَنتَحي
في ذَمِّها لَم يَدرِ كَيفَ يَذيمُها
And if eloquent Suhban undertook to blame her,
He would not know how to show hostility to her.
إِنّا أَتَيناكُم نَصونُ مَآرِباً
يَستَصغِرُ الحَدَثَ العَظيمَ عَظيمُها
We have come to you, keeping a secret purpose
Whose greatness makes great things insignificant.
بِالعيسِ قاسَمنا الفَلا أَشلاءَها
وَالبيدُ لا يُعطى السَواءَ قَسيمُها
With swords we have apportioned the necks that oppose hers,
And wrong cannot be given rights like her right.
فَلَنا أَمينُ فُصوصِها وَشُخوصِها
وَلَها وَرِيُّ سَديفِها وَلُحومُها
For us are the keys of her covers and saddle-bags,
While the groom has charge of her provisions and meat.
أَخَذَت مَحالَتَها السُهوبُ وَبَدءَها
فَالبُعدُ يَعذِرها وَنَحنُ نَلومُها
The deserts have taken her stages and halts,
So that distance excuses her while we blame her.
صُفُحٌ عَنِ النَبآتِ لَيسَ يَؤودُها
جَرسُ الدُجى مَكّاؤُها وَنَئيمُها
There is clearing of her plants that cannot be watered
By the sound of the night rain pouring on them.
لَيلِيَّةٌ قَد وَقَّرَت هاماتِها
مِن قَبلُ أَصداءُ الفَلاةِ وَبومُها
She is a night one whose anxiety
Has been calmed before by the echoes of desolation and its owls.
مَهرِيَّةٌ بَلَغَ الكِرايَةَ رَكبُها
مِنها وَغابَ مُريحُها وَمُسيمُها
She is a sharply fleeing one whose troop
Outwent its guide and its driver disappeared.
فَعَنيقُها يَعضيدُها وَوَسيجُها
سَعدانُها وَذَميلُها تَنّومُها
Her sturdy camel carries her and her howdah,
While her Sa'dan and Dhamil make her drowsy.
مَلَكَ الكِلالُ رِقابَها وَأُنوفَها
فَنُعوبُها دينٌ لَها وَسُعومُها
Weariness has conquered her necks and nostrils,
So her limited endurance is a loan to her.
فَكَأَنَّ مُهمَلَها مُخَيَّسُ غَيرِها
وَكَأَنَّما مَخلوعُها مَخطومُها
It is as if her neglected mount is reined in anger,
And as if her lost one is destined to be slaughtered.
