أَرِقتُ وَما هَذا السُهادُ المُؤَرِّقُ
وَما بِيَ مِن سُقمٍ وَما بِيَ مَعشَقُ
I could not sleep, and what a sleeplessness that disturbs me!
I have no illness, and I have no beloved.
وَلَكِن أَراني لا أَزالُ بِحادِثٍ
أُغادى بِما لَم يُمسِ عِندي وَأُطرَقُ
Yet I find myself still shocked
By news that previously did not concern me, and I frown.
فَإِن يُمسِ عِندي الشَيبُ وَالهَمُّ وَالعَشى
فَقَد بِنَّ مِنّي وَالسِلامُ تُفَلَّقُ
If old age, anxiety and nightfall befall me,
I have built in me a resolution, and farewell cracks apart.
بِأَشجَعَ أَخّاذٍ عَلى الدَهرِ حُكمَهُ
فَمِن أَيِّ ما تَجني الحَوادِثُ أَفرَقُ
With the most valiant, judicious soul, I judge the days.
So whatever events may reap, I separate and disperse.
فَما أَنتَ إِن دامَت عَلَيكَ بِخالِدٍ
كَما لَم يُخَلَّد قَبلُ ساسا وَمورَقُ
You are not, if Khālid’s reign lasts over you,
As no other was made eternal before Sāsā and Mūrāq.
وَكِسرى شَهِنشاهُ الَّذي سارَ مُلكُهُ
لَهُ ما اِشتَهى راحٌ عَتيقٌ وَزَنبَقُ
And Kisrā, the shahinshah whose realm spread,
For him all he wished: a lofty palace and lilies.
وَلا عادِيا لَم يَمنَعِ المَوتَ مالُهُ
وِردٌ بِتَيماءَ اليَهودِيِّ أَبلَقُ
Nor ‘Ād who was not saved by his riches from death,
Returning to Taymā’ a Jew made abject.
بَناهُ سُلَيمانُ بنِ داوُودَ حِقبَةً
لَهُ أَزَجٌ عالٍ وَطَيٌّ مُوَثَّقُ
Sulaymān son of Dāwūd built it for a time
With lofty pillars and ties secured.
يُوازي كُبَيداءَ السَماءِ وَدونَهُ
بَلاطٌ وَداراتٌ وَكِلسٌ وَخَندَقُ
Matching the sky's Kubaydah in height beneath it
A courtyard, halls, plasterwork and moats.
لَهُ دَرمَكٌ في رَأسِهِ وَمَشارِبٌ
وَمِسكٌ وَرَيحانٌ وَراحٌ تُصَفَّقُ
For him a dais atop, and drinking-places,
Ambergris, basil, and wind perfumed.
وَحورٌ كَأَمثالِ الدُمى وَمَناصِفٌ
وَقِدرٌ وَطَبّاخٌ وَصاعٌ وَدَيسَقُ
Houris like statues, companions
Cauldrons, a cook, platters and trays.
فَذاكَ وَلَم يُعجِز مِنَ المَوتِ رَبَّهُ
وَلَكِن أَتاهُ المَوتُ لا يَتَأَبَّقُ
That one, and his Lord did not make him immune from death,
But death came to him unswayed and unavoidable.
وَلا المَلِكُ النُعمانُ يَومَ لَقيتَهُ
بِإِمَّتِهِ يُعطي القُطوطَ وَيَأفِقُ
Nor the King Nu‘mān when you met him
Giving bonds among his people, awake.
وَيُجبى إِلَيهِ السَيلَحونَ وَدونَها
صَريفونَ في أَنهارِها وَالخَوَرنَقُ
Collecting from them the armaments, and below them
Seriphos in its rivers and the marshes.
وَيَقسِمُ أَمرَ الناسِ يَوماً وَلَيلَةً
وَهُم ساكِتونَ وَالمَنِيَّةُ تَنطِقُ
Apportioning people’s affairs day and night
While they are silent and death speaks.
وَيَأمُرُ لِليَحمومِ كُلَّ عَشِيَّةٍ
بِقَتٍّ وَتَعليقٍ وَقَد كادَ يَسنَقُ
And ordering every evening
Phlebotomy, poultices, though he nearly faltered.
يُعالى عَلَيهِ الجُلَّ كُلَّ عَشِيَّةٍ
وَيُرفَعُ نُقلاً بِالضُحى وَيُعَرَّقُ
Every evening he is raised high
And transported at dawn drenched in sweat.
فَذاكَ وَما أَنجى مِنَ المَوتِ رَبَّهُ
بِساباطَ حَتّى ماتَ وَهوَ مُحَزرَقُ
That one, but his godhood did not save him from death
Until, shrouded, he died in Sābā.
وَقَد أَقطَعُ اليَومَ الطَويلَ بِفِتيَةٍ
مَساميحَ تُسقى وَالخِباءُ مُرَوَّقُ
Today I shared the long hours with a band
Of camels watered, while the tents were fixed.
وَرادِعَةٍ بِالمِسكِ صَفراءَ عِندَنا
لَجَسَّ النَدامى في يَدِ الدَرعِ مَفتَقُ
A yellow she-camel, redolent of musk with us
The regretful have grasped the coat-of-mail's hem torn apart.
إِذا قُلتُ غَنّي الشَربَ قامَت بِمِزهَرٍ
يَكادُ إِذا دارَت لَهُ الكَفُّ يَنطِقُ
When I say “Sing!” she rises with a wineskin
That nearly, when her palm turns, speaks.
وَشاوٍ إِذا شِئنا كَميشٌ بِمِسعَرٍ
وَصَهباءُ مِزبادٌ إِذا ما تُصَفَّقُ
A grilled lamb if we wish, stuffed with herbs,
And a gray-haired milkskin goat if she is slapped.
تُريكَ القَذى مِن دونِها وَهيَ دونَهُ
إِذا ذاقَها مَن ذاقَها يَتَمَطَّقُ
You see the gazelles from afar while she is beyond them
When those who taste her taste start to nibble.
وَظَلَّت شَعيبٌ غَربَةُ الماءِ عِندَنا
وَأَسحَمُ مَملوءٌ مِنَ الراحِ مُتأَقُ
Shu‘ayb remained dry-ground water for us
And overfull Sakhin saturated with spirits.
وَخَرقٍ مَخوفٍ قَد قَطَعتُ بِجَسرَةٍ
إِذا خَبَّ آلٌ فَوقَهُ يَتَرَقرَقُ
And a dreadful stony tract I crossed with a swift she-camel
When her family climbed on her she quaked.
هِيَ الصاحِبُ الأَدنى وَبَيني وَبَينَها
مَجوفٌ عِلافِيٌّ وَقِطعٌ وَنُمرُقُ
She is the closest companion, while between her and I
Is a hollow expanse, abandoned regions and clefts.
وَتُصبِحُ مِن غِبِّ السُرى وَكَأَنَّما
أَلَمَّ بِها مِن طائِفِ الجِنِّ أَولَقُ
She spends the nightfar from habitations as though
Jinns from Taiy’s tribe had terrified her at dusk.
مِنَ الجاهِلِ العَريضِ يُهدي لِيَ الخَنا
وَذَلِكَ مِمّا يَبتَريني وَيَعرُقُ
From the uncouth Bedouin he sends me camel-milk;
That vexes and angers me!
فَما أَنا عَمّا تَعمَلونَ بِجاهِلٍ
وَلا بِشَباةٍ جَهلُهُ يَتَدَفَّقُ
I want none of your acts, you fool,
Whose ignorance pours forth unchecked.
نَهارُ شَراحيلَ بنِ طَودٍ يُريبُني
وَلَيلُ أَبي لَيلى أَمَرُّ وَأَعلَقُ
The day of Shurāhil son of Tuwd troubles me
And the night of Umm Laylā is more bitter and binds me.
وَما كُنتُ شاحِردا وَلَكِن حَسِبتُني
إِذا مِسحَلٌ سَدّى لِيَ القَولَ أَنطِقُ
I have not been engaging in magic, but I thought
If an addled mind interpreted for me, I would speak.
شَريكانِ فيما بَينَنا مِن هَوادَةٍ
صَفِيّانِ جِنِّيٌّ وَإِنسٌ مُوَفَّقُ
Two friends between us, one jinn and one human,
Faithful, harmonized.
يَقولُ فَلا أَعيا لِشَيءٍ أَقولُهُ
كَفانِيَ لا عَيٌّ وَلا هُوَ أَخرَقُ
He speaks, and I cannot discern a thing he says.
My eye is not bleary, nor is his ruptured.
جِماعُ الهَوى في الرُشدِ أَدنى إِلى التُقى
وَتَركُ الهَوى في الغَيِّ أَنجى وَأَوفَقُ
Gathering passion prudently draws nearer to piety,
While abandoning passion in misguidance is safer and preferable.
إِذا حاجَةٌ وَلَّتكَ لا تَستَطيعُها
فَخُذ طَرَفاً مِن غَيرِها حينَ تَسبِقُ
If a need turns you aside you cannot fulfill,
Take a bit of something else when it outstrips you.
فَذَلِكَ أَدنى أَن تَنالَ جَسيمَها
وَلِلقَصدُ أَبقى في المَسيرِ وَأَلحَقُ
That is nearer that you obtain its entirety.
Moderation is more lasting on the journey and more obtainable.
أَتَزعُمُ لِلأَكفاءِ ما أَنتَ أَهلُهُ
وَتَختالُ إِذ جارُ اِبنِ عَمِّكَ مُرهَقُ
Do you claim for peers what you are not fit for
And preen while the son of your uncle is abased?
وَأَحمَدتَ أَن أَلحَقتَ بِالأَمسِ صِرمَةً
لَها غُدُراتٌ وَاللَواحِقُ تَلحَقُ
You were glad to gain by night a tryst
With one who betrays while betrayers catch up.
فَيَفجَعنَ ذا المالِ الكَثيرِ بِمالِهِ
وَطَوراً يُقَنّينَ الضَريكَ فَيَلحَقُ
So the wealthy will be anguished by his wealth
And sometimes the needy gains and catches up.
أَبا مِسمَعٍ سارَ الَّذي قَد صَنَعتُمُ
فَأَنجَدَ أَقوامٌ بِذاكَ وَأَعرَقوا
O Father of Misma‘, whom you have wronged,
So champions supported him and exerted themselves.
وَإِنَّ عِتاقَ العيسِ سَوفَ يَزورُكُم
ثَناءٌ عَلى أَعجازِهِنَّ مُعَلَّقُ
The emancipation of al-‘Īs will surely visit you,
Praise to their backs is guaranteed.
بِهِ تُنفَضُ الأَحلاسُ في كُلِّ مَنزِلٍ
وَتُعقَدُ أَطرافُ الحِبالِ وَتُطلَقُ
By it shoulders in every abode shrug
And purse-ends are untied and loosened.
نَهَيتُكُمُ عَن جَهلِكُم وَنَصَرتُكُم
عَلى ظُلمِكُم وَالحازِمُ الرَأيِ أَشفَقُ
I forbade you your folly and supported you
Against your injustice, and the resolute mind is more compassionate.
وَأَنذَرتُكُم قَوماً لَكُم تَظلِمونَهِم
كِراماً فَإِن لا يَنفَدِ العَيشُ تَلتَقوا
And I warned you, a people you oppress,
Noble men. If lives do not end, you will converge.
وَكَم دونَ لَيلى مِن عَدُوٍّ وَبَلدَةٍ
وَسَهبٍ بِهِ مُستَوضِحُ الآلِ يَبرُقُ
How many a foe and land lie between Laylā
And a wilderness where the housefolk's scout wanders!
وَأَصفَرَ كَالحِنّاءِ طامٍ جِمامُهُ
إِذا ذاقَهُ مُستَعذِبُ الماءِ يَبصُقُ
A pool yellow as tumeric whose surface
When the sweet water's taster sips, he spews!
وَإِنَّ اِمرَأً أَسرى إِلَيكِ وَدونَهُ
فَيافٍ تَنوفاتٌ وَبَيداءُ خَيفَقُ
A man traveled to you, and beyond him
Wastelands, spaces where the tentpegs drive.
لَمَحقوقَةٌ أَن تَستَجيبي لِصَوتِهِ
وَأَن تَعلَمي أَنَّ المُعانَ مُوَفَّقُ
Forbidden for you to answer his voice
And to know the passionate is harmonized.
وَلا بُدَّ مِن جارٍ يُجيزُ سَبيلَها
كَما جَوَّزَ السَكِّيَّ في البابِ فَيتَقُ
A neighbor must let her pass
As the bolt slid into place in the door and withdrew!
لَعَمري لَقَد لاحَت عُيونٌ كَثيرَةٌ
إِلى ضَوءِ نارٍ في يَفاعٍ تُحَرَّقُ
By my life many eyes have turned
To the light of a fire blazing in Yafā‘.
تُشَبُّ لِمَقرورَينِ يَصطَلِيانِها
وَباتَ عَلى النارِ النَدى وَالمُحَلَّقُ
They banter to two chatterers warming themselves by it
While the dew slept on the fire glowing red.
رَضيعَي لِبانٍ ثَديَ أُمٍّ تَحالَفا
بِأَسحَمَ داجٍ عَوضُ لا نَتَفَرَّقُ
Two sucklings of juice whose mother's teat
Joined them to a black shelter instead of us parting.
يَداكَ يَدا صِدقٍ فَكَفٌّ مُفيدَةٌ
وَأُخرى إِذا ما ضُنَّ بِالزادِ تُنفِقُ
Your hand, a hand of sincerity, so a palm beneficial
And another which provides when stinginess is suspected.
تَرى الجودَ يَجري ظاهِراً فَوقَ وَجهِهِ
كَما زانَ مَتنَ الهِندُوانِيُّ رَونَقُ
You see generosity openly flowing over his face
As the sheen adorned the Indian sword's blade.
وَأَمّا إِذا ما أَوَّبَ المَحلُ سَرحَهُم
وَلاحَ لَهُم مِنَ العَشِيّاتِ سَملَقُ
But when the place tilted their saddlecloths
And there came into sight for them evenings' remoteness,
نَفى الذَمَّ عَن آلِ المُحَلَّقِ جَفنَةٌ
كَجابِيَةِ الشَيخِ العِراقِيِّ تَفهَقُ
An eyelid's edge cleared the people of Dummuluq
Like the Khorasani shaykh's lower lids glistening.
يَروحُ فَتى صِدقٍ وَيَغدو عَلَيهِمُ
بِمِلءِ جِفانٍ مِن سَديفٍ يُدَفَّقُ
A sincere man's youth comes and goes to them
With two eyelids full from bowls overflowing.
وَعادَ فَتى صِدقٍ عَلَيهِم بِجَفنَةٍ
وَسَوداءَ لَأياً بِالمَزادَةِ تُمرَقُ
And a sincere man returned to them with an eyelid
And black ornaments sold in the auction bursting.
تَرى القَومَ فيها شارِعينَ وَدونَهُم
مِنَ القَومِ وِلدانٌ مِنَ النَسلِ دَردَقُ
You see the people bartering in it while beneath them
Are children of the lineage, small and minced.
طَويلُ اليَدَينِ رَهطُهُ غَيرُ ثِنيَةٍ
أَشَمُّ كَريمٌ جارُهُ لا يُرَهَّقُ
Long of hand, his lineage not sluggish,
A noble clan, his neighbor cannot be faulted.
كَذَلِكَ فَاِفعَل ما حَيِيتَ إِلَيهِمُ
وَأَقدِم إِذا ما أَعيُنُ الناسِ تَبرَقُ
So act while you live toward them
And draw near when people's eyes gleam.
