أَجفانُ خوطِ البانَةِ الأُملودِ
مَشغولَةٌ بِكَ عَن وِصالِ هُجودِ
The eyelids of the graceful damsel's languid glances,
Preoccupied with you, neglect trysts of affection.
سَكَبَت ذَخيرَةَ دَمعَةٍ مُصفَرَّةٍ
في وَجنَةٍ مُحمَرَّةِ التَوريدِ
She poured the treasure of a yellow tear
In a blushed cheek of flowing crimson.
فَكَأَنَّ وَهيَ نِظامِها نَظمٌ وَهى
مِن يارِقٍ وَقَلائِدٍ وَعُقودِ
So her visage in its symmetry appears like braids,
Necklaces and strings of pearls.
أَذكَت حُميّا وَجدِها حُمَّةَ الأَسى
فَغَدَت بِنارٍ غَيرِ ذاتِ خُمودِ
Her fervent passion ignited sorrow’s blaze,
And it blazed with unabating flames.
طَلَعَت طُلوعَ الشَمسِ في طَرَفِ النَوى
وَالشَمسُ طالِعَةٌ بِطَرفِ حَسودِ
She rose like the dawn sun in the height of ecstasy,
While the sun rose in the sky of her envious beloved.
وَتَأَمَّلَت شَبَحي بِعَينٍ أَيَّدَت
عَمَدَ الهَوى في قَلبِيَ المَعمودِ
She glanced at my specter with an eye that lent
Support to passion’s pillar in my smitten heart.
فَنَحَرتُ حُسنَ الصَبرِ تَحتَ الصَدرِ عَن
جَيَدٍ بِواضِحِ نَحرِها وَالجيدِ
So I slaughtered patience’s beauty beneath my chest
With a clear slaughtering stroke across her neck.
حاشى لِجَمرِ حَشايَ أَن يَلقى الحَشا
إِلّا بِلَفحٍ مِثلِ لَفحِ وَقودِ
Far be it that sorrow’s ember should meet firewood
Except with a touch like the kiss of tinder.
أَضحى الَّذي بَقَّتهُ نيرانُ الحَشا
مِنّي حَبيساً في سَبيلِ البيدِ
He whom the fires of grief left of me
Has become a captive for destruction’s sake.
أَذراءُ أَمطاءِ الغِنى يَضحَكنَ عَن
أَذراءِ أَمطاءِ المَطايا القودِ
The delights of wealth laugh off the delights
Of mounts pacing with provisions for the road.
فَظَلَلتُ حَدَّ الأَرضِ تَحتَ العزمِ في
وَجناءَ تُدني حَدَّ كُلِّ بَعيدِ
So I roamed the earth’s expanse beneath resolve
In plains that diminish the range of all faraway places.
تَحثو إِذا حَثَّ العِتاقَ الوَخدُ في
غُرَرِ العِتاقِ النَقعَ بِالتَوحيدِ
They spur faster when the pillow's shift spurs on
The cheeks' profusion toward divine oneness.
تَعريسُها خَلَلَ السُرى تَقريبُها
حَتّى أَنَختُ بِأَحمَدَ المَحمودِ
Her wedding nights midst the bedchambers, her acclimation
Until I triumphed with the most praised Ahmad.
فَحَطَطتُ تَحتَ غَمامَةٍ مَغمورَةٍ
بِحَيا بُروقٍ ضاحِكاً وَرُعودِ
So I alighted beneath a cloudburst
With laughter-flashing and rumbling storms.
تَلقاهُ بَينَ الزائِرينَ كَأَنَّهُ
قَمَرُ السَماءِ يَلوحُ بَينَ سُعودِ
You find him amongst visitors as though he were
The moon of heaven gleaming among the stars.
لَو فاحَ عودٌ في النَدِيِّ وَذِكرُهُ
لَعَلا بِطيبِ الذِكرِ طيبَ العودِ
If aloes wood were to exude in the stream and its scent
Would rise with the scent of the finest aloes wood.
وَلّاهُ مَنصورٌ سَماحَ يَمينِهِ
وَمَضى فَقيدَ المِثلِ غَيرَ فَقيدِ
Mansur endowed him with his generous right hand
And he left unequaled without equal.
فَيَرى فَناءَ المالِ أَفضَلَ ذُخرِهِ
وَخُلودَ ذِكرِ الحَمدِ خَيرَ خُلودِ
So he sees wealth’s evanescence as the best of his treasures,
And endless praise as the best of eternity.
يُبدي أَبو الحَسَنِ اللُهى وَيُعيدُها
فَمُؤَمِّلوهُ مِنَ اللُهى في عيدِ
Abu al-Hasan shows kindness and restores it,
So those hopeful of kindness await his feast day.
حَيَّيتُ غُرَّتَهُ بِحُسنِ مَدائِحٍ
غُرٍّ فَحَيّا غَرَّتي بِالجودِ
I greeted his prime with excellent eulogies—
A greeting, so greet my prime with bounty!
لَو رامَ جُلموداً بِجانِبِ صَخرَةٍ
يَوماً لَرَضَّضَ جانِبَ الجُلمودِ
If solidity were to intend one day to cleave
The side of solidity it would split asunder.
وَإِذا الثُغورُ اِستَنصَرَتهُ شَبا القَنا
أَروى الشَبا مِن ثُغرَةٍ وَوَريدِ
When the land's expanses need his aid, the youth’s resolve
Quenches their thirst from a spring and artery.
يَستَلُّ إِثرَ عَدُوِّها عَزَماتِهِ
فَيَعُمُّها بِالنَصرِ وَالتَأيِيدِ
He pursues their enemies with his determination
Granting them triumph and support.
ذو ناظِرٍ حَدِبٍ وَسَمعٍ عائِرٍ
نَحوَ الطَريدِ الصارِخِ المَجهودِ
With a sharp, intent gaze and hearing set toward
The screaming, exhausted prey.
تَلقاهُ مُنفَرِداً وَتَحسَبُ أَنَّهُ
مِن عَزمِهِ في عُدَّةِ وَعَديدِ
You find him alone, and suppose that he is,
Through his resolve, an army and multitude.
يا أَيُّها المَلِكُ المُرَجّى وَالَّذي
قَدَحَت بِهِ فِطَني نِظامَ نَشيدي
O you, the hoped-for King, whom my insight has moved
To compose the rhythm of my poem.
أَنا راجِلٌ بِبِلادِ مَروٍ راكِبٌ
في جَودَةِ الأَشعارِ كُلَّ مُجيدِ
I am a footman in the land of Ma'arr, mounted
Atop the steeds of sublime poetry.
فَأَعِزَّ ذِلَّةَ رُجلَتي بِمُهَذَّبٍ
حُلوَ المَخيلِ مُقَذَّذٍ مَقدودِ
So honor the lowliness of my legs with one who is refined,
Sweet of gait, elegant and extended.
ذي كُمتَةٍ أَو شُقرَةٍ أَو حُوَّةٍ
أَو دُهمَةٍ فَهِمُ الفُؤادِ سَديدِ
Of brown, blond or bay coat,
Or dusky—the very marrow of sagacity.
تَتَنَزَّهُ اللَحَظاتُ في حَرَكاتِهِ
كَتَنَزُّهي في ظِلِّكَ المَمدودِ
The glances dance gracefully in his motions
Like my dances in your extended shade.
مُتَسَربِلٌ بُرداً يَفوقُ بِوَشيِهِ
بَينَ المَواكِبِ حُسنَ وَشيِ بُرودِ
Clad in a coat that surpasses in its lightness
The beauty of the coats of brocade.
فَإِذا بَدا في مَشهَدٍ قامَت لَهُ
نُبَلاءُ صَدرِ المَحفِلِ المَشهودِ
So when he appears in a scene, the nobles
Of the honored assembly's breasts stand for him.
يَجِدُ السُرورَ الراكِبُ الغادي بِهِ
كَسُرورِهِ بِالفارِسِ المَولودِ
The rider finds joy in the one carrying him
Like his joy in the natural-born knight.
إِن سابَقَتهُ الخَيلُ في مَيدانِها
قَذَفَت إِلَيهِ الخَيلُ بِالإِقليدِ
If the horses outpace him in the race-course
They fling their reins to him in surrender.
فَيَروحُ بَينَ مُؤَدِّبيهِ مُخالِفاً
مُتَعَصِّباً بِعِصابَةِ التَسويدِ
So he goes amongst his trainers defying
And girt with the sash of the blackest black.
وَمُشَيِّعوهُ مُعَوِّذوهُ بِكُلِّ ما
عَرَفوهُ مِن عُوَذٍ مِنَ التَحميدِ
While his entourage charm him against every
Incantation they know to avert praise.
يَتَعَشَّقونَ نَضارَةً في وَجهِهِ
عُشقَ الفَتى وَجهَ الفَتاةِ الرودِ
They fall for the radiance in his face—
The love of a boy for a rosy-cheeked girl.
أَغضى عَلَيكَ جُفونَ شُكرِكَ إِنَّها
ثَقُلَت عَلَيَّ لِجودِكَ المَوجودِ
I lower my eyelids in gratitude to you—they
Grew heavy upon me due to your bounty.
إِنّي اِعتَصَمتُ بِطولِ طَودِكَ إِنَّهُ
طَودٌ يَقومُ مَقامَ طَودِ حَديدِ
I take refuge in the height of your towering mountain,
A mountain that takes the place of steel bastions.
لا يَهتَدي صَرفُ الزَمانِ إِلى اِمرِىءٍ
مُتَصَرِّفٍ بِفَنائِكَ المَعهودِ
The course of time arrives at no man
Presiding in your familiar domain.
