أَمَن بَعد ما بانَ الفَريق وَأَدلَجا
لِمثلي يَرى وَجه اِصطِبار وَيُرتَجى
After the party had departed and night fell,
Is there hope for one like me to show patience and expect?
سَروا فَاِستَطارَ البَرق خَلفَ رِكابَهُم
وَقَد رَقَّ جُلباب الظَلام وَأَنهَجا
They traveled and lightning flashed behind their mounts,
As the robe of darkness fluttered and flowed.
يَشبم هَوى وَالجنس مَغرى بِجِنسِهِ
بِأَظعانِهم ثَغراً شَنيباً مُفلجا
One smells passion while the soul inclines towards its own,
With their black and tender lips and languid eyes.
وَهَبت مَها الوادي تُؤمل نَظرت
تَزوَّدها مِن سَحر أَحورَ أَدعَجا
The valley’s winds blew towards her, filling her sight,
Drawing enchantment from a most skilful sorceress.
وَفي رَكبِهُم بِالصَفائح وَالقَنا
فَلَستَ تَرى إِلّا وَشيجاً وَسملجا
In their group were lances and spears,
You see none but bent and twisted forms.
وَعقبان حَرب فَوق جَرد لَو أَنَّهُم
أَغاروا عَلى نسر السَماء لَما نَجا
They are war hawks, if they attacked
The hawk of heaven they would not escape.
وَغَيران يُمسي بِالدِماء مسوراً
فَيُصبح بِالعزّ المشيد مُتوَّجا
Sated with blood in the evening,
In the morning crowned with glorious might.
فَيا ريح لَو حاوَلت غشيانُهُ لَما
تَولجت مِن بَين الأَسنة مولَجا
O breeze, if you tried to cover them
You could not penetrate their tough armor.
وَيا أَنجُم الجَوزاء لَو رَصعوكَ في
نسوع المَطايا لاستقلوك زَبرجا
O stars of Gemini, if they placed you
Among the saddles, they would make you packsaddles.
وَلَو كُنتِ لَما أَزَمَعوا في طَريقَهُم
لَقى يا ثُريا ما اِرتَضوا بِكِ هَودَجا
If you had gone when they set out on their journey
O Sirius, they would have made you luggage.
آيست وَقَد بانوا مِن العَيش بَعدَهُم
يَقيناً وَفي غَير النَوى بِحُسن الرَجا
I lost hope of life after them,
Yet I have fair hope in other than desire.
لَقَد رَكدت ريح اللُقا بَعدَ أَن جَرَت
رَخاءً وَهبت شَمأل الهَجر سيهَجا
The breeze of meeting has stalled after blowing
At ease, and the wind of parting blew destructively.
وَأتعبكَ اللَيل الطَويل عَلى الغَضا
وَكانَ بِذات البان لَيلَك سَجسجا
The long night has wearied you
While it was to the new moon a burdensome night.
فَذُب بَعدَهُم وَجداً فَما أَنتَ جَلمدٌ
وَلا لَكَ مِن جور الصَبابَة مُلتَجى
Melt away after them and do not be frigid,
You have no refuge from the tyranny of youth.
وَهَذي الرِياح الهَوج تُبلى رُسومَهُم
فَما يَمنَع الأَحشاءَ إِن تَتَأجَجا
These raging winds will wear away their vestiges,
What will prevent my insides from blazing?
غَدا كَرَةً قَلبي وَصَدريِ مَلعَباً
لِخَيل خُطوب الدَهر وَالهَمّ صَولَجا
Tomorrow my heart and breast will be
A playground for the steeds of fate and cares.
أَغثني بِكَأس يا نَديم لَعَلَني
أَرى لي بِها مِن ربقة الهَم مَخرَجا
Give me a cup, o boon companion, perhaps
I will find through it an outlet from anxiety's gloom.
وَلا تَحسَبَنَّ العَقل لِلمَرءِ لَعَلَني
أَرى لَي بِها مِن ربقة الهَم مُخرِجا
Think not the mind a refuge for man,
The guided may be seized before reaching sanctuary.
وَلا تَحسَبَنَّ العَقل لِلمَرءِ معقلاً
فَقَد يُؤخَذ المَجدود مِن قَبل الحِجى
And bring tales of our nights of union,
Perhaps this gloom will clear in the morning.
وَهاتِ حَديثاً عَن لَيالي وِصالَنا
عَسى صُبح هَذا الهَمّ أَن يَتَبَلَجا
Fate is obscure only to be hoped for,
The collar of distress tight only to be relieved.
فَما أَبهم المَقدور إِلّا لِيَرتَجى
وَلا ضاقَ طَوق الكَرب إِلّا لِيفرجا
An apparition passed by and reached out
Reeling from the horror of that apparition.
وَطَيف سَرى حَتّى تَناوَلَ شاحِباً
تَولَج مِن هَول السَرى ما تَوَلَجا
The flowers of nightfall felt it and shuddered,
The full moon saw it and dodged.
أَحست بِهِ زُهر الدَجى فَتَخاوَصَت
وَآنسهُ بَدر السَماء فَعَرَّجا
It pained him, whenever he passed,
To rend the robes of darkness wherever he tread.
وَشَقَ عَلَيهِ أَنَّهُ كُلَّما سَرى
يَشق جَلابيب الدُجى حَيثَما دَجا
He passed the valley of passion which was scented
By his scent throughout the valley's breadth.
وَمَرَّ عَلى وادي الحِمى فَتَعَطَرَت
بِرياهُ أَرجاء الحِمى إِذ تَأَرَجا
He had the intention to visit but met
On his path only the way of anxiety.
أَلَمَّ بِنَضو لِلزيارة مُرتجِ
فَصادَف مِنهُ مَسلَك الهَم مرتجا
From the length of time the eyelid was rapt with sleep
If he saw the letters of destiny he would recoil.
وَمِن طول أَلف الجفن لِلسُهد لَو رَأى
حُروف الكَرى مَرقومة لِتحرجا
A bird dictates to me the tale of his yearning,
Exceeding my capacity to carry my fervor and troubling me.
وَطَيرٌ غَدا يُملي حَديث شُجونِهِ
فَأَعجَزَني عَن حَمل وَجدي وَأَزعَجا
He shunned them with indifference so I was wary,
And hid it in the folds of his discourse and concealed it.
وَعَرَّض بِالأَعراض عَنهُم فَراعَني
وَأَخفاهُ في طَي الحَديث وَأَدمَجا
My heart had not feared events,
So I have come to hope for safety from your tales.
لَقَد كانَ قَلبي لا يَراع لَحادث
فَقَد صرت أَرجو مِن أَحاديثَك النَجا
I thought remoteness a course for patience,
Yet for me there was only death appointed.
وَكُنتُ أَظن النَأي للصَبر مَنهَجاً
فَما كانَ لي إِلّا المَوت مُدرَجا
The days of play turned away save for memories
Whenever fervent love kindled the heart.
تَولى زَمان اللَهو إِلّا تَذَكُرٌ
مَتّى فَاجأَ القَلب الوَفي تَوَهَجا
Truly in this age proprieties are lost
And ignorance in it became more agreeable and prevalent.
عَلى أَن هَذا العَصر ضاعَت بِهِ النُهى
وَأَصبَحَ فيهِ الجَهل أَرجى وَأَروَجا
The leading lights were hampered from seeking the sublime,
So to it each morrow grew heedless.
وَقيد أَهل السَبق عَن طَلب العُلى
فَأَضحى إِلَيها كُل وَغد مهملجا
The vulgar laugh until they gain eloquence
And scowl in the face of the eloquent, stuttering.
وَضاحك أَهل العَيّ حَتّى تَفصحوا
وَقطب في وَجهِ البَليغ فَلَجلَجا
Whenever the draught of my tears poured down
And burning sighs whispered mournfully,
وَكانَ إِذا ما اِنَهَلَّ درُ مَدامِعي
وَصافح يَحموم الزَفير تَسبجا
No length of grief remained a tear when it broke forth
Except what my poetry comforted.
فَلم يَبقَ طول الحُزن دَمعاً إِذا اِنهَمى
أَراح بِهِ إِلّا القَريض المُدبجا
Its breeze never stirred the sea of poetry
With the palm of the Zephyr except surging and swelling.
فَما صافَحَت بَحر القَوافي نَسيمُهُ
لِكَف الصِبا إِلّا طَما وَتَموَجا
Poetry nourished on tears grew delicate
And its meaning resided in pure commingled nectar.
قَريض غَدا يَربى عَلى الدَمع رقة
وَيَسكُن مَعناهُ الرَحيق المَمزجا
When cares scalded the wounds of the heart
And the burning heart was seized with ice.
إِذا ضاقَ القرحان أَحمى شُجونَهُ
وَإِن خالج القَلب المُؤَجَج أَثلَجا
