وَثَناياكِ إِنَّها إِغريضُ

وَلِآلٍ تومٌ وَبَرقٌ وَميضُ

Your undulations are alluring

With lightning and glinting stars a-glowing

وَأَقاحٍ مُنَوَّرٌ في بِطاحٍ

هَزَّهُ في الصَباحِ رَوضٌ أَريضُ

And spangled glades in the morn breeze blowing

A lush, verdant garden there lies, mirth bringing.

وَاِرتِكاضِ الكَرى بِعَينَيكِ في النَو

مِ فُنوناً وَما لِعَينَي غُموضُ

In the languorous eye-glancing coyness showing

Are diverse charms; though to my eyes no joy is owing

لَتَكاءَدنَني غِمارٌ مِنَ الأَح

داثِ لَم أَدرِ أَيَّهُنَّ أَخوضُ

Billows of events overwhelm, each route fraught

With murk; unsure which path I next ought

أَتأَرَتنِيَ الأَيّامُ بِالنَظَرِ الشَز

رِ وَكانَت وَطَرفُها لي غَضيضُ

To tread. Sternly the days eye me in their passing

And their glance to me was ever bitter, lashing

كَيفَ يُضحي بِرَأسِ عَلياءَ مُضحٍ

وَجَناحُ السُمُوِّ مِنهُ مَهيضُ

What aspiring spirit risks all, seeking the crest

When the wing toward the heights cannot wrest!

هِمَّةٌ تَنطَحُ النُجومَ وَجَدٌّ

آلِفٌ لِلحَضيضِ فَهوَ حَضيضُ

A will that would gore the stars, and tradition

Wedded to baseness; thus its lot and mission.

كَم فَتىً ذَلَّ لِلزَمانِ وَقَد أَل

قى مَقاليدَهُ إِلَيهِ القَبيضُ

How many heros bowed before advancing days

Who'd helplessly yielded up all earthly ways!

لَوذَعِيٌّ يُهَلِّلُ المَشرَفِيُّ ال

عَضبُ عَنهُ وَالزاعِبيُّ النَحيضُ

The merits of Maʿrūf and partner neglecting

Qudāma's varied rhythms they are perfecting,

وَبِساطٍ كَأَنَّما الآلُ فيهِ

وَعَلَيهِ سَحلُ المُلاءِ الرَحيضُ

While over the carpet they stridently tread,

Caparisoned steeds tossing their graceful head.

يُصبِحُ الداعِرِيُّ ذو المَيةِ المِر

جَمُ فيهِ كَأَنَّهُ مَأبوضُ

At daybreak, he of the revered white beard seems

Immobile there amidst them, trance serene.

قَد فَضَضنا مِن بيدِهِ خاتَمَ الخَو

فِ وَما كُلُّ خاتَمٍ مَفضوضُ

We've shed from their hands the seal of awe, but not

Every ring in the end will emerge unblot.

بِالمَهارى يَجُلنَ فيهِ وَقَد جا

لَت عَلى مُسنَماتِهِنَّ الغُروضُ

With songstresses moving in rhythmic delight,

Their plaited forelocks softly sway left and right.

جازِعاتٍ سودَ المَروَراةِ تَه

ديها وُجوهٌ لِمَكرُماتِكَ بيضُ

Dark beauties guide them, brightly pale of face,

Secured 'gainst all threats in your noble grace.

سُعُمٌ حَثَّ رَكبَهُنَّ أَمانٍ

فيكَ تَترى حَثَّ القِداحِ المُفيضُ

Greyhounds spurred by the huntsmen race apace,

Vying in speed with the falcon flying through space.

فَاِشمَعَلّوا يُلَجلِجونَ دَؤوباً

مُضَغاً لِلكَلالِ فيها أَنيضُ

Tirelessly working their jaws all the while

They gnaw their leashes; though fierce, they are docile.

لَن يَهُزَّ التَصريحُ لِلمَجدِ وَالسُ

ؤدَدِ مَن لَم يَهُزَّهُ التَعريضُ

None can attain glory or high estate,

Whom covert suggestion cannot motivate.

كُلَّ يَومٍ يُقَضّيهِ نَوعٌ

وَعَروضٌ يَتلوهُ فيكَ عَروضُ

Each day you spend has its own special quality,

Measured by verse--and more verse follows freely.

وَقَوافٍ قَد ضَجَّ مِنها لِما اِستُع

مِلَ فيها المَرفوعُ وَالمَخفوضُ

Rhymes that echo within you, for words never lacked

To voice the vocative case or words underscored.

المَديحُ الجَزيلُ وَالشُكرُ وَالفِك

رُ وَمُرُّ العِتابِ وَالتَحريضُ

Lavish praise and thanks and thoughts speculative,

Censure that stings and spurs to deeds effective.

وَحَياةُ القَريضِ إِحياؤُكَ الجو

دَ فَإِن ماتَ الجودُ ماتَ القَريضُ

For poetry is your openhanded munificence;

Should that diminish, so too would poetic licence.

كُن طَويلَ النَدى عَريضاً فَما سادَ

ثَنائي فيكَ الطَويلُ العَريضُ

Abundant be your fresh streaming charity;

I've gained naught from you but noble magnanimity.

إِنَّما صادَتِ البُحورُ بُحوراً

إِنَّها كُلَّما اِستُفيضَت تَفيضُ

It's bountiful seas that have brought oceans repute--

The more they pour forth, still more pours forth their briny loot.

يا مُحِبَّ الإِحسانِ في زَمَنٍ أَص

بَحَ فيهِ الإِحسانُ وَهوَ بَغيضُ

O you who love kindness in an age when it

Has become despised! Say to the son of Grief, naught he owns,

قُل لَعاً لِاِبنِ عَثرَةٍ ما لَهُ مِن

ها بِشَيءٍ سِوى نَداكَ نُهوضُ

No haven at all, save the shelter you provide.

Be not as folk who, when events them deride

لا تَكُن لي وَلَن تَكونَ كَقَومٍ

عودُهُم حينَ يُعجَمونَ رَفيضُ

And humble them, turn to aloofness, hiding

In their isolation, nursing wounds unabiding.

عِندَهُم مَحضَرٌ مِنَ البِشرِ مَبسو

طٌ لِعافٍ وَنائِلٌ مَقبوضُ

A broad assembly of mortals, yet one that is wanting:

Healthy words and deeds while their lives are rotting!

وَأَقَلُّ الأَشياءِ مَحصولَ نَفعٍ

صِحَّةُ القَولِ وَالفَعالُ مَريضُ

The least benefit deriving from existence

Is physical health when their spirits lie in sickness.