أَبدَت أَسىً أَن رَأَتني مُخلِسَ القُصَبِ
وَآلَ ما كانَ مِن عُجبٍ إِلى عَجَبِ
She showed sorrow when she saw me free of youth,
And turned from wonder to wonder.
سِتٌّ وَعِشرونَ تَدعوني فَأَتبَعُها
إِلى المَشيبِ وَلَم تَظلِم وَلَم تَحُبِ
Twenty six she calls me, yet I follow her,
To gray hair, wronging and loving not.
يَومي مِنَ الدَهرِ مِثلُ الدَهرِ مُشتَهِرٌ
عَزماً وَحَزماً وَساعي مِنهُ كَالحِقَبِ
My day from fate is like fate, intent
On resolve, determination, striving like epochs.
فَأَصغِري أَنَّ شَيباً لاحَ بي حَدَثاً
وَأَكبِري أَنَّني في المَهدِ لَم أَشِبِ
Consider me small that grayness shines on my youth,
And great that in the cradle I was not gray.
وَلا يُؤَرِّقكِ أَيماضُ القَتيرِ بِهِ
فَإِنَّ ذاكَ اِبتِسامُ الرَأيِ وَالأَدَبِ
Let not the blinking of dimness trouble you,
For that is the smile of reason and propriety.
رَأَت تَشَنُّنَهُ فَاِهتاجَ هائِجُها
وَقالَ لاعِجُها لِلعَبرَةِ اِنسَكِبي
She saw his harshness so her passions were aroused,
And she said to her unrest, spill your tears.
لا تُنكِري مِنهُ تَخديداً تَجَلَّلَهُ
فَالسَيفُ لا يُزدَرى إِن كانَ ذا شُطَبِ
Do not deny his sternness though it is concealed,
For the sword is not despised if it has sheaths.
لا يَطرُدُ الهَمَّ إِلّا الهَمُّ مِن رَجُلٍ
مُقَلقِلٍ لِبَناتِ القَفرَةِ النُعُبِ
Only care from a man dispels care,
Who shakes the sturdy she-camels' humps.
ماضٍ إِذا الكُرَبُ اِلتَفَّت رَأَيتَ لَهُ
بِوَخدِهِنَّ اِستِطالاتٍ عَلى النُوَبِ
When distresses turn, you see him resist them
With his cheeks' towers against the assaults.
سَتُصِبحُ العيسُ بي وَاللَيلُ عِندَ فَتىً
كَثيرِ ذِكرِ الرِضا في ساعَةِ الغَضَبِ
Dawn will spend the night for a man
Often mentioning consent in times of anger.
صَدَفتُ عَنهُ فَلَم تَصدِف مَوَدَّتُهُ
عَنّي وَعاوَدَهُ ظَنّي فَلَم يَخِبِ
I turned from him but his affection turned not
From me, and my hopes resumed unfailing.
كَالغَيثِ إِن جِئتَهُ وافاكَ رَيِّقُهُ
وَإِن تَحَمَّلتَ عَنهُ كانَ في الطَلَبِ
Like rain, if you meet it its drizzle comforts you,
And if you leave it, it seeks you.
خَلائِقَ الحَسَنِ اِستَوفي البَقاءَ فَقَد
أَصبَحتِ قُرَّةَ عَينِ المَجدِ وَالحَسَبِ
Of praiseworthy traits he fulfilled permanence so he
Became the apple of glory and nobility's eye.
كَأَنَّما هُوَ مِن أَخلاقِهِ أَبَداً
وَإِن ثَوى وَحدَهُ في جَحفَلٍ لَجِبِ
It is as if it were of his traits forever
Though he dwelled alone in a formidable desert.
صيغَت لَهُ شَيمَةٌ غَرّاءُ مِن ذَهَبٍ
لَكِنَّها أَهلَكُ الأَشياءِ لِلذَهَبِ
A splendid nature was fashioned for him of gold
But it destroyed people for gold.
لَمّا رَأى أَدَباً في غَيرِ ذي كَرَمٍ
قَد ضاعَ أَو كَرَماً في غَيرِ ذي أَدَبِ
When he saw propriety in one lacking nobility
Lost or nobility in one lacking propriety,
سَما إِلى السورَةِ العَلياءِ فَاِجتَمَعا
في فِعلِهِ كَاِجتِماعِ النَورِ وَالعُشُبِ
He reached for the highest company, and they gathered
In his deed like the joining of light and herbage.
بَلَوتُ مِنكَ وَأَيّامي مُذَمَّمَةٌ
مَوَدَّةً وُجِدَت أَحلى مِنَ النَشَبِ
I have tested your affection while my days are blemished,
Affection was found sweeter than drink.
مِن غَيرِ ما سَبَبٍ ماضٍ كَفى سَبَباً
لِلحُرِّ أَن يَعتَفي حُرّاً بِلا سَبَبِ
With no past reason, it sufficed as reason
For the noble that a noble acknowledge with no reason.
