بانَت سُعادُ فَفي العَينَينِ مَلمولُ
مِن حُبِّها وَصَحيحُ الجِسمِ مَخبولُ
Joy has appeared, so my eyes are tearful
With love for her, though my body's healthful.
فَالقَلبُ مِن حُبِّها يَعتادُهُ سَقَمٌ
إِذا تَذَكَّرتُها وَالجِسمُ مَسلولُ
When I remember her, sickness haunts my heart,
And my frame grows limp, though vigorous at the start.
وَإِن تَناسَيتُها أَو قُلتُ قَد شَحَطَت
عادَت نَواشِطُ مِنها فَهوَ مَكبولُ
If I forget her or claim she's fled far away,
Her allure comes back, and I'm bound as her prey.
مَرفوعَةٌ عَن عُيونِ الناسِ في غُرَفٍ
لا يَطمَعُ الشُمطُ فيها وَالتَنابيلُ
She's kept safe in chambers, out of people's sight,
Where the spy can't hope to peer, or slip inside at night.
يُخالِطُ القَلبَ بَعدَ النَومِ لَذَّتُها
إِذَ تَنَبَّهَ وَاِعتَلَّ المَتافيلُ
When I wake from sleep, the heart she rules with delight
Stirs as the eyelids lift at first morning's light.
يُروي العِطاشَ لَها عَذبٌ مُقَبَّلُهُ
في جيدِ آدَمَ زانَتهُ التَهاويلُ
Her sweet lips quench the thirst which her necklace instills
As it adorns the soft skin where her braid spills.
حَليٌ يَشُبُّ بَياضَ النَحرِ واقِدُهُ
كَما تُصَوَّرُ في الدَيرِ التَماثيلُ
Like a carving it shines on her breast snowy white
As figures shine in churches, bestrewn with sunlight.
أَو كَالعَسيبِ نَماهُ جَدوَلٌ غَدِقٌ
وَكَنَّهُ وَهَجَ القَيظِ الأَظاليلُ
It sprouted like a sapling nourished by a brook
Sheltered from the noon blaze under a shady nook.
غَرّاءُ فَرعاءُ مَصقولٌ عَوارِضُها
كَأَنَّها أَحوَرُ العَينَينِ مَكحولُ
Smooth and bright are her cheeks, slit with laughing flashes
As if her eyes were kohled by unerring pens' slashes.
أَخرَقَهُ وَهوَ في أَكنافِ سِدرَتِهِ
يَومٌ تُضَرِّمُهُ الجَوزاءُ مَشمولُ
One day the hot season set it ablaze in its niche
Though sheltered in the lotus tree's leafy reach.
فَسَلِّها بِأَمونِ اللَيلِ ناجِيَةٍ
فيها هِبابٌ إِذا كَلَّ المَراسيلُ
Ask her quietly in the night's secrecy
When the messengers are still and all is husky.
قَنواءَ نَضّاخَةِ الذِفرى مُفَرَّجَةٍ
مِرفَقُها عَن ضُلوعِ الزَورِ مَفتولُ
With knees spread wide and prominent hips jumping free
While her thighs and waist bend lithely as a willow tree.
تَسمو كَأَنَّ شَراراً بَينَ أَذرُعِها
مِن ناسِفِ المَروِ مَرضوحٌ وَمَنجولُ
As if the sparks in her arms were set there for me
By the flint that loves to spark the blaze angrily.
كَأَنَّها واضِحُ الأَقرابِ في لِقَحٍ
أَسمى بِهِنَّ وَعِزَّتهُ الأَناصيلُ
She is like a mare of purest stock, proudly prancing,
While mares and fillies nobly circle her dancing.
تَذَكَّرَ الشِربَ إِذ هاجَت مَراتِعُهُ
وَذو الأَشاءِ طَريقُ الماءِ مَشغولُ
When thirst came to mind and the watering pools looked far,
And finding the water source seemed a hopeless star,
فَظَلَّ مُرتَبِئاً عَطشانَ في أَمرٍ
كَأَنَّ ما مَسَّ مِنهُ الشَمسُ مَملولُ
He gathered resolve and led the mares onward,
Though seawater can't slake a thirst left smoldering.
يَقسِمُ أَمراً أَبَطنَ الغَيلِ يورِدُها
أَم بَحرَ عانَةَ إِذ نَشفَ البَراغيلُ
Then down the slopes they plunged helter skelter
His hooves striking the ground - no strength left to welter.
فَأَجمَعَ الأَمرَ أُصلاً ثُمَّ أَورَدَها
وَلَيسَ ماءٌ بِشُربِ البَحرِ مَعدولُ
A two year old whose first youth was flying fast
His forelock dangling loose from his galloping past.
فَهاجَهُنَّ عَلى الأَهواءِ مُنحَدِرٌ
وَقعُ قَوائِمِهِ في الأَرضِ تَحليلُ
He raced like a prize stud's hasty gait I know
When the mares he's served discipline him with their blow.
قارِحُ عامَينِ قَد طارَت نَسيلَتُهُ
سُنبُكُهُ مِن رُضاضِ المَروِ مَفلولُ
He brought them to a blue-hued meadow drinking pool
Where the female deer and fawns could refresh when they're full.
يَحدو خِماصاً كَأَعطالِ القَسِيِّ لَهُ
مِن وَقعِهِنَّ إِذا عاقَبنَ تَخبيلُ
Drinking the fresh, cool water, their eyes still dart
Fearing the hunter who'll aim for their soft part.
أَورَدَها مَنهَلاً زُرقاً شَرائِعُهُ
وَقَد تَعَطَّشَتِ الجِحشانُ وَالحولُ
They drank but little, then shied in sudden alarm
At a hunter wearing congealed blood upon his arm.
يَشرَبنَ مِن بارِدٍ عَذبٍ وَأَعيُنُها
مِن حَيثُ تَخشى وَوارى الرامِيَ الغيلُ
They bolted like birds flushed by a noisy yell
As if ropes entwined them under the hunter's spell.
نالَت قَليلاً وَخاضَت ثُمَّ أَفزَعَها
مُرَمَّلٌ مِن دِماءِ الوَحشِ مَعلولُ
Facing the sun's blaze he rushed to scatter them,
Throwing the does into panicked mayhem.
فَاِنصَعنَ كَالطَيرِ يَحدوهُنَّ ذو زَجَلٍ
كَأَنَّهُ في تَواليهِنَّ مَشكولُ
If one revealed her rear, his attention stirred
A shaggy beast, raking her flesh, fangs bared.
مُستَقبِلٌ وَهَجَ الجَوزاءِ يَهجِمُها
سَحَّ الشَآبيبِ شَدٌّ فيهِ تَعجيلُ
He hounded them like storm winds blowing free
Gusts alternating, some strong and some fleeting.
إِذا بَدَت عَورَةٌ مِنها أَضَرَّ بِها
بادي الكَراديسِ خاظي اللَحمِ زُغلولُ
Oh you who'd ride out! Rush, do not delay!
Unless you hurry, dead you'll be this day.
يَتبَعُهُ مِثلُ هُدّابِ المُلاءِ لَهُ
مِنها أَعاصيرُ مَقطوعٌ وَمَوصولُ
Put no trust in his oath or vow to spare you
When the brigand reaches you, nothing can spare you.
يا أَيُّها الراكِبُ المُزجي مَطِيَّتَهُ
أَسرِع فَإِنَّكَ إِن أُدرِكتَ مَقتولُ
How often we charged them with drawn swords flashing white
Our steeds frothing, riders pressing the fight.
لا يَخدَعَنَّكَ كَلبِيٌّ بِذِمَّتِهِ
إِنَّ القُضاعِيَّ إِن جاوَزتَهُ غولُ
When their women wail, they only redouble their cries
Their robes hitched up high, nothing left to disguise.
كَم قَد هَجَمنا عَلَيهِم مِن مُسَوَّمَةٍ
شُعثٍ فَوارِسُها البيضُ البَهاليلُ
نَسبي النِساءَ فَما تَنفَكُّ مُردَفَةً
قَد أَنهَجَت عَن مَعاريها السَرابيلُ
