طالَ عَلَيها القِدَم
فَهيَ وُجودٌ عَدَم
Time has worn upon her
So she is existence, nonexistence
قَد وُئِدَت في الصِبا
وَاِنبَعَثَت في الهَرَم
Suppressed in youth
Resurrected in old age
بالَغَ فِرعَونُ في
كَرمَتِها مَن كَرَم
Pharaoh went too far
Honoring her honor
أَهرَقَ عُنقودَها
تَقدِمَةً لِلصَنَم
He spilled her clusters
An offering to the idol
خَبَّأَها كاهِنٌ
ناحِيَةً في الهَرَم
A priest hid her
In a corner of the pyramid
اِكتُشِفَت فَاِمَّحَت
غَيرَ شَذاً أَو ضَرَم
She was discovered, winked
Without being sharp or sour
أَو كَخَيالٍ لَها
بَعدَ مَتابٍ أَلَم
Or like an illusion of hers
After much pain and suffering
نَمَّ بِها دَنُّها
وَهيَ عَلَيهِ أَنَم
Her close one slept on her
While she raised him
بي رَشَأٌ ناعِمٌ
ما عَرفَ العُمرَ هَم
Pure, delicate sprout
That has not known worry
أَخرَجَها اللَهُ كَال
زَهرَةِ وَالحُسنُ كِم
God brought her out like a
Flower and beauty perfection
تَخطُرُ عَن عادِلٍ
لَم يُرَ إِلّا ظَلَم
She comes across an unjust one
Who saw only darkness
تَبسِمُ عَن لُؤلُؤٍ
قَدَّرَهُ مَن قَسَم
She smiles with pearls
Ordained by the one who divided
كَرَّمَهُ في النَوى
هَذَّبَهُ في اليُتَم
Honored her in the seeds
Refined her in the juice
مُضطَهَدٌ خَصرُها
جانِبُهُ مُهتَضَم
Her waist persecuted
Her side oppressed
طاوَعَ مِن صَدرِها
أَيَّ قَوِيٍّ حَكَم
She obeyed from her chest
Any strong ruler
حَمَّلَهُ ثِقلَهُ
ثُمَّ عَلَيهِ اِدَّعَم
Loaded him his weight
Then supported him
تَسأَلُ أَترابَها
مومِئَةً بِالعَنَم
She asks her female friends
Hinting with coyness
أَيُّ فَتىً ذَلِكُن
نَ العَرَبِيَّ العَلَم
Which man is that
The knowledgeable Arab
يَشرَبُها ساهِراً
لَيلَتَهُ لَم يَنَم
Drinks her up at night
His night did not sleep
قُلنَ تَجاهَلتِهِ
ذَلِكَ رَبُّ القَلَم
They said she ignored him
That is the Lord of the pen
شاعِرُ مِصرَ الَّذي
لَو خَفِيَ النَجمُ لَم
The poet of Egypt whose
Light the stars did not obscure
قُلتُ لَها لَيتَ لَم
نُرمَ وَفي نُتَّهَم
I said to her if only we did not
Throw and blame
عاذِلَتي في الطِلى
لَو أَنصَفَت لَم أُلَم
My blamer in the dark nights
If she were fair I would not be pained
إِن عَبَسَ العَيشُ لي
عُذتُ بِها فَاِبتَسَم
If life frowned upon me
I took refuge in her so she smiled
يَشرَبُها كابِرٌ
بَينَ ضُلوعي أَشَم
Drinks her up with pride
Between my ribs I smell
يَبذُلُ إِلّا النُهى
يَهتِكُ إِلّا الحُرَم
Gives nothing but prohibition
Violates nothing but sanctities
يُكسِبُها خُلقَهُ
يَمزُجُها بِالشِيَم
His manners grace her
Mix her with decency
يَمنَعُها حِلمَهُ
إِن دَفَعَتهُ اِحتَشَم
His patience prevents her
If modesty pushed her away
تِلكَ شُموسُ الدُجى
أَم ظَبِيّاتُ الخِيَم
Those are suns of the darkness
Or gazelles of the tents
تُقبِلُ في مَوكِبٍ
شَقَّ سَناهُ الظُلَم
Comes in procession
Whose age the injustice split
خِلتُ بِأَنوارِهِ
قَرنَ ذُكاءٍ نَجَم
I was left with her lights
A pair of glorious stars
مَقصِدُها سُدَّةٌ
آلَ إِلَيها العِظَم
Her destination is the highest class
To which the great reached
حَيثُ كِبارُ المَلا
بَعضُ صِغارِ الخَدَم
Where the elders of the nation are
Some of the young servants
قَد وَقَفوا لِلمَها
فَاِنسَرَبَت مِن أَمَم
They stood to the tribute
So she sneaked from the throngs
تَخطِرُ مِن جَمعِهِم
بَينَ لُيوثٍ بُهَم
She comes across from their gathering
Between ferocious lions
خارِجَةً مِن شَرىً
داخِلَةً في أَجَم
Going out from one evil
Entering into another
ناعِمَةً لَم تُرَع
لاهِيَةً لَم تَجَم
Soft, she was not startled
Playful, she did not bow
اِنتَشَرَت لُؤلُؤاً
في المُهَجاتِ اِنتَظَم
She scattered like pearls
Organized in the tear ducts
تَمرَجُ في مَأمَنٍ
مِثلَ حَمامِ الحَرَم
She swims safely
Like the doves of the holy site
مُؤتَلِفٌ سِربُها
حَيثُ تَلاقى اِلتَأَم
Her flock is harmonized
Where they meet and join
مُندَفِعاتٌ عَلى
مُختَلِفاتِ النَغَم
Rushing over
The different tunes
بَينَ يَدٍ في يَدٍ
أَو قَدَمٍ في قَدَم
Between hand and hand
And foot and foot
تَذهَبُ مَشيَ القَطا
تَرجِعُ كَرَّ النَسَم
She walks the walk of a cat
She returns like the blowing wind
تَبعَثُ أَنّى بَدَت
ضَوءَ جَبينٍ وَفَم
She inspires wherever she appears
The light of a forehead and mouth
تُعجِلُ خَطواً تَني
فاتِنَةً بِالرَسَم
She quickens a faint step
Charming in her stride
تَجمَعُ مِن ذَيلِها
تَترُكُهُ لَم يُلَم
She collects from her train
Leaves it unstitched
تَرفُلُ في مُخمَلٍ
نَمَّ وَلَمّا يَتِم
She struts in velvet
Slept but did not finish
تَتبَعُ إِلّا الهَوى
تَقرَبُ إِلّا التُهَم
She follows nothing but passion
Approaches nothing but suspicions
فَاِجتَمَعَت فَاِلتَقَت
حَولَ خِوانٍ نُظِم
So she gathered and met
Around systematic tables
مُنتَهَبٍ كُلَّما
ظُنَّ بِهِ النَقصُ تَم
Looted, whenever
Its shortage was assumed, fulfilled
مائِدَةٌ مَدَّها
بَحرُ نَوالٍ خِضَم
A table set for her
By a sea of plenty, swarming
تَحسَبُها صُوِّرَت
مِن شَهَواتِ النَهَم
You'd think it illustrated
From the desires of the gluttonous
لَم تُرَ في بابِلٍ
ما عُهِدَت في إِرَم
None was seen in Babylon
Known in Aram
حاتِمُ لَو شامَها
أَقلَعَ عَمّا زَعَم
Hatem, if he tasted it
Would stop his claims
مَعنُ لَوِ اِنتابَها
أَدرَكَ مَعنى الكَرَم
Ma'n, if he came across it
Would know the meaning of generosity
أَشبَهُ بِالبَحرِ لا
يُحرِجُها مُزدَحَم
Most like the sea, not
Embarrassed by the crowds
قامَ لَدَيها المَلا
يَبلُغُ أَلفَينِ ثَم
The nobles stood before her
Reaching two thousand or more
مُقتَرِحاً ما اِشتَهى
مُلتَقِياً ما رَسَم
Suggesting what they craved
Meeting what was decided
لَو طَلَبَ الطَيرَ مِن
أَيكَتِهِ ما اِحتَرَم
If they sought birds from
Its nests, they'd be regarded
يا مَلِكاً لَم تَضِق
ساحَتُهُ بِالأُمَم
Oh king, your reception
Did not strain from the nations
تَجمَعُ أَشرافَها
مِن عَرَبٍ أَو عَجَم
It gathered their elite
Arab or Persian
تُخطِرُ مَن أَمَّها
بَينَ صُنوفِ النِعَم
Circling those it brought up
Among the kinds of blessings
سادَةُ أَفريقيا
لُجَّتِها وَالأَكَم
Lords of Africa
Are its clubs and batons
أَنتَ رَشيدُ العُلى
في المَلأَينِ اِحتَكَم
You are wise leadership
To whom the two parties appealed
لَيلَتُكُم قَدرُها
فَوقَ غَوالي القِيَم
Your night is valued
Above my high appraisals
مُشرِقَةٌ مِثلُها
في زَمَنٍ لَم يَقُم
Radiant like it
In an age that did not stand
لا بَرَحَ الصَفوُ في
ظِلِّكُمو يُغتَنَم
The sword in your
Shadow is to be gained
ما شَرِبوها وَما
طالَ عَلَيها القِدَم
What they drank of it and what
Time has worn upon her
