واهاً لأيّامي بأكْنافِ اللِّوى

والدّهْرُ طَلْقُ المُجْتَلى رَطْبُ الثّرى

Alas for my days in the embraces of anguish,

While fate smiles at the bereaved and the earth is still damp.

إذِ الشّبابُ الغَضُّ يندىً ظِلُّهُ

وصَبْوَتي يعْذِرُني فيها الصِّبا

When my exuberant youth cast its shadows,

And my boyhood excused my heedlessness,

ولِمّتي داجيَةٌ إذا بَدَتْ

سَدّتْ خَصاصَ الخِدْرِ أحْداقُ المَها

And my infatuation, whenever it appeared,

Filled the eye sockets of the bashful with languor.

ثمّ انْقَضَتْ أزْمانُهُ حَميدَةً

ومَنْ يُرَجّي عودةً لِما مَضى

Then its time passed, pure,

While he who hopes for the return of the past,

فَلا الصِّبا يرْجِعُ إذْ تَصَرَّمَتْ

أيّامُهُ ولا عَشيّاتُ الحِمى

Neither will youth come back when it grows old,

Nor the vigils of the fever return.

ولي حَنينٌ لمْ تَسَعْهُ أضْلُعي

إِلى اللّوى يُذكي تَباريحَ الجَوى

And I have a yearning too great for my ribs,

For the meadow keeps a fire burning in the bowels.

وبَيْنَ جَنْبَيَّ هَوًى أُسِرُّهُ

ولَوْعَةٌ تَسْكُنُ ألْواذَ الحَشى

And inside me a passion I keep secret,

And an agony that dwells in the folds of my heart.

يا حبّذا عَصْرُ اللِّوى وأهْلُهُ

حيثُ ظِباءُ الإنْسِ تَحْميها الظُّبا

Happy the age of meadows, and its people,

Where gazelles are protected by thickets.

والرّوضُ مَطْلولٌ يَميدُ زَهْرُهُ

تحتَ حَصى المَرْجانِ منْ قَطْرِ الندىً

The garden extends, blossoming,

Its flowers beneath the pebbles of sprinkling dew.

والأُقْحُوانُ ابتَسَمَتْ ثُغورُهُ

غِبَّ مُناجاةِ النّسيمِ إذ وَنى

And the anemones smile

When whispered to by the breeze at night.

وقد رَنا نَرْجِسُهُ بمُقْلَةٍ

يَحارُ فيها الدّمْعُ منْ صَوْبِ الحَيا

Their narcissi reveal a flirtatious glance

That makes tears almost flow from the corners of the eyes.

فَذاكَ دَهْرٌ لمْ أجُدْ بأدْمُعي

داميَةً حتّى تولّى وانْقَضى

Such were my times; my tears knew no stopping

Until that time passed and came to an end.

وانْقَرَضَتْ شَبيبةٌ كأنّها

سَبيبَةٌ في دِمنَةِ الحَيِّ لَقى

And a youth perished as if

It were a prisoner in the pit of life.

واشْتَعَلَ الرّأسُ فزالَتْ مَيْعَتي

شَيْباً وفي الشّيْبِ الوَقارُ والنُّهى

And my head ignited, so my freshness faded

Into whiteness, and in white hair are dignity and maturity.

وهْوَ منَ الشّبابِ أبْهى مَنظَراً

وأينَ منْ مُنبَلَجِ الفَجْرِ الدُّجى

It is more splendid to look at than youth,

While far from the radiant dawn is gloom.

والمَرْءُ لا يروقُهُ طُلوعُهُ

ويَجْتَويهِ والشَّبابُ يُشْتَهى

Man is not pleased by its rising;

It troubles him, while youth is craved.

فبَعدَهُ الشّيْبُ وفيه مَلْبَسٌ

والشّيبُ ليسَ بعدَهُ إلا الرّدى

After it comes white hair, and in it is a garment;

And after white hair there is only decay.

وكلُّ ما ساقَ الهَلاكُ نحوَهُ

فهْوَ لَديهِ كالهَلاكِ مُجْتَوى

All that death leads towards

Is to it as death leading to the grave.

والنّفْسُ تَلْهو بالمُنى مُغْتَرّةً

وللمَنايا رَصَدٌ على الوَرى

The soul plays with wishes, foolishly,

While death lies in wait for souls.

تَنافَسوا فوقَ الثّرى في ثَرْوَةٍ

وتحتَهُ فَقيرُهُمْ كَذي الغِنى

They competed above the earth for wealth,

Yet the poor and the wealthy are equal underneath it.

والعَبْدُ كالمَوْلى رَميمٌ عَظْمُهُ

والطِّفْلُ كالشّيْخِ وكالكَهْلِ الفَتى

Slave and master, their bones are alike,

As are child and elder, and young man and aged.

وأنتَ لا تأوي لِما تَرُبُّهُ

منْ جَسَدٍ مَصيرُهُ إِلى البِلى

Yet you do not house well what you nurture

Of a body destined for ruin.

تُوقِرُهُ وِزْراً ولا يَصْحَبُ مَنْ

أُلْقيَ في ضَريحِهِ إلا التُّقى

You honor it, yet none accompanies the one

Thrown in his grave, save piety.

وها أنا نَهْنَهَ ما أحْذَرُهُ

منْ غُلَوائِي فالنّذيرُ قد أتَى

And here am I, warned against what I fear

Of my excess, so the warner has come.

ومَنْ يُناغِ الأرْبَعينَ عُمْرُهُ

ويَحْتَضِنْهُ غَيُّهُ فَلا اهْتَدَى

Whoever nears forty years of age

And is confused by his passion, will not be guided.

والشّيبُ لمّا نُشِرَتْ أفوافُهُ

طَوَيْتُ أحْشائي على جَمْرِ الغَضى

When the white hairs of my forelock spread,

I wrapped my intestines around burning embers.

وإنْ أظَلَّ صُبْحُهُ فَوْدي فَما

فارَقَني لَيلُ الشّبابِ عنْ قِلى

And if its morning cast shadows upon me,

The night of youth did not abandon my heart.

ولم أزَلْ أخْطِرُ في رِدائِهِ

بينَ رَعابيبَ حِسانٍ كالدُّمى

And I continued to wander in its gown

Among the doe-eyed gazelles, like succulent fruits.

مِنْ كُلِّ بَلْهاءِ التّثَنّي إنْ مَشَتْ

حَسِبْتَها منْ كَسَلٍ نَشْوى الخُطا

However she walked with affected gait, I thought her

Weary, while the magic was drawn from her.

كالظّبْيَةِ الغَيْداءِ جِيداً إنْ عَطَتْ

والجؤْذَرِ الوَسْنانِ طَرْفاً إنْ رَنا

She is like a bough shaken with luxury,

Or like a bucket jangling at the well.

رَخيمةٌ ألْفاظُها فاتِرةٌ

ألحاظُها والسِّحْرُ منها يُجْتَنى

She lowers her eyes like a frightened gazelle,

Or blinks like a soft-eyed doe.

فهْيَ كَما اهْتزَّ القَنا منْ تَرَفٍ

تَمْشي الهُوَيْنى أو كما ارْتَجَّ النَّقا

Her words are relaxed, her glances weakened,

Yet sorcery is extracted from her.

كُنتُ سَوادَ عَيْنِها حتى رأتْ

بَياضَ شَعْري فتصدّتْ للنّوى

I was the black of her eye until she saw

The whiteness of my hair, so she turned away.

وخالَسَتْني اللّحْظَ مِنْ مَكْحولَةٍ

كُنتُ كَرىً فيها فأصْبَحْتُ قَذى

She gave me a sly glance from eyes

In which I had been an infatuation, but became a speck.

وانقَشَعَ الجَهْلُ فأخْبى نارَهُ

لَمْعُ قَتيرٍ بثَّ أنْوارَ الحِجى

Ignorance dispersed, so it hid its fire,

When the sparkle of a cinder emitted rays of proof.

وارْفَضَّ عنْ أجْفانِ عَيني رَقْدَةٌ

أطارَها عنها انْتِباهي للعُلا

A drowsiness was stripped from my eyelids

By my consciousness of the Most High.

فلُثْتُ أعْرافَ جِيادٍ حَمَلَتْ

صَحْبي بأعْرافِ جِيادٍ للْعِدا

So I wiped the saddlebags of thoroughbred steeds

That carried my companions with the saddlebags of racers.

مِنْ كُلِّ مَحْبوكِ السّراةِ شَيْظَمٍ

لا يتشكّى مَلَحاً ولا وَجى

All rugged, not complaining of salt or gravel,

The winds blow hot upon their manes as the lightning flashes behind them when they race.

تَحبو الرّياحُ الهُوجُ في أشْواطِهِ

والبَرْقُ يَكْبو خَلْفَهُ إذا عَدا

Like fire if you rouse them in their settlement,

And like water if you calm them, they flow.

كالنّارِ إنْ حرَّكْتَهُ في حُضْرِهِ

وإنْ تُسكِّنْهُ فكالْماءِ جَرى

They stamp the ground with each hoof

Like a staff, yet they are as smooth as a plateau.

تَنْتَهِبُ الأرْضَ بكُلِّ حافِرٍ

كالقَعْبِ وهْوَ كالصَّفا على الصّفا

And they are disheveled like horses accustomed

To walking beautifully among the dunes during battle.

وهُنَّ شُعْثٌ كالسّعالي عُوِّدَتْ

حُسْنَ المِشَى بينَ العوالي في الوَغى

Above them is the swaying of wolves

Under the saddlecloth like forest lions.

لهُنَّ إرْخاءُ الذِّئابِ فوقَها

تحتَ القَنا كالغابِ آسادُ الشّرى

Fiery-necked like falcons, their battle cries

Mingle with their glittering swords like flocks of vultures.

شُوسٌ كأمْثالِ الصّقورِ أعْنَقَتْ

بهِمْ مَذاكِيها كأسْرابِ القَطا

And they ignited two fires of might and sharpness

Where the vanguards were consumed by them, or the rear guards.

وأوْقَدوا نارَيْنِ بأساً وندىً

حيثُ الطُّلى تَشْقى بهِمْ أوِ الشّوى

One of them for battle, harsh,

The other for the homes, rekindled,

فمِنْهُما للحرْبِ وهْيَ مُرّةٌ

واحدَةٌ تُذْكى وأخرى للقِرى

Wearing armors like mirrors

off of which swords glance, their blades bent.

تَضْفو عَليهِمْ أدْرُعٌ مَوضونَةٌ

يَرْتَدُّ عنها السّيفُ مَفْلولَ الشَّبا

Polished links as if

Woven with the eyes of gold dust.

مُسْتَبِكاتٌ حَلَقاً كأنّها

مَسْرودَةٌ بأعْيُنٍ منَ الدَّبى

If spears penetrated them you would think them

Fish swimming through water.

إنْ نَفَذَتْ فيها الرِّماحُ خِلْتَها

أراقِماً يَسْبَحنَ في الماءِ الرّوى

So their fringes stroke swords

As if stamped with steel.

فصافَحتْ أذْيالُها صَوارِماً

كأنّها مَطْبوعَةٌ منَ الجِذا

Or the sun glanced at them

And stole its rays - the brilliance of daybreak.

أو سَرَقَ الشّمسُ إليها نَظرَةً

فاسْتَلَبَتْ شُعاعَها رأْدَ الضُّحى

And the coward did not set his eyes upon them

Unless they met his gaze with their blades.

ولم يُجِلْ فيها الكَميُّ طَرْفَهُ

إلا تلقَّتْ ناظِرَيْهِ بالعَشا

The quivering of my friend's mount

For whoever called for war or confessed defeat.

وللرُّدَيْنيّ اهْتِزازُ مَعْشَري

لمنْ دَعا إِلى الوَغى أوِ اعْتَفى

Its back almost bends double

Like a tree snake in its burrow bending its trunk.

يكادُ يَلْويَ مَتْنَهُ لُدونَةً

كالصِّلِّ في مَهْرَبِهِ يَلْوي المَطا

And the women launch

Smooth pebbles at the enemy with the hands of boys.

واليَثْرِبيّاتُ بأيْدي غِلْمَةٍ

تهوي إِلى أعدائِهِم خَساً زَكا

No blindness or paralysis is condoned among them,

Tell them, no feebleness or blindness!

وليسَ تُنْمَى عِندَهُمْ رَميّةٌ

فقُلْ لهُمْ لا شَلَلاً ولا عَمى

It is as if their eyes are reddened

With anger, lined with menace.

كأنّما أعيُنُهُمْ مُحْمَرّةً

منْ غَضَبٍ مُكتَحِلاتٌ باللّظى

Whenever they make an oath to an enemy -

A pillar erected to the heavens from the Umayyads.

إذا اعْتَزَوْا عَدّوا أباً سَمَيْدَعاً

منْ عَبْدِ شَمْسٍ أُمَويَّ المُنْتَمى

From a stock whose origin

Lies deep in the ground and its branches touch the sky.

منْ دَوْحَةٍ نالَ السّماءَ فَرْعُها

وأصْلُها في سُرّةِ الأرضِ رَسا

The descendants of God's friend, his elect,

The upright caliphs, and through them

بَنو خَليلِ اللهِ فيهمْ عرَّقَتْ

أرومَةٌ مِنها النّبيُّ المُصطفى

The religion was illuminated by a beacon and guided.

The Umayyads who planted

والخُلفاءُ الراشِدونَ وبهمْ

أوضِحَ للدّينِ مَنارٌ وصُوَى

In its defense the tips of spears in kidneys.

The Abbasids met their enemies,

والأُمَويّونَ الذين رَكَزُوا

في نَصْرِهِ سُمْرَ الرِّماحِ في الكُلى

So their swords arbitrated upon the vanguards.

And a people like mine, from Arabs

وآلُ عبّاسَ لَقوا أعداءَهُ

فاحْتَكَمَتْ سُيوفُهُمْ على الطُّلى

And from Ma'add ibn Adnan among the tribes.

Love of them is the protection of every reverent soul,

ومَنْ كقَوْمي وهمُ منْ يَعْرُبٍ

ومِنْ نِزارِ بنِ مَعَدّ في الذُّرا

They are the lanterns of guidance for the misguided.

Whoever puts his hopes in them

فحبّهُمْ عِصْمَةُ كُلِّ مُتَّقٍ

وهُمْ مَصابيحُ الهُدى لمَنْ غَوى

Clings to a rope the strong cannot sever.

If you pass them for others

ومَنْ يَحُمْ عليهِمْ رَجاؤُهُ

يَعْلَقْ بِحَبْلٍ لا تَهي منهُ القُوى

The allure of wishes will take hold of you.

The aspiration of one seeking

وإنْ تخطّاهُمْ إِلى غَيرِهمُ

تمكّنَتْ منهُ أضاليلُ المُنى

Salvation has no ascent but to them.

They are the shelter for people. Whoever does not

وليسَ للهِمّةِ ممّنْ يَبْتَغي

نَجاتَهُ إلا إليْهِمْ مُرْتَقى

Take refuge in them, his religion is on the brink.

Successors who ruled the people while they

وهُمْ ثِمالُ النّاسِ مَنْ لا يَعْتَصِمْ

بِهِمْ يَكُنْ مِنْ دِينهِ على شَفا

Were like beneficent camels, open-handed and compliant.

They possessed the world while it was barren,

خَلائِفٌ ساسوا الأنامَ وهُمُ

كالنَّعَمِ الهامِلِ فَوْضى وسُدى

It had no beauty but their pursuits.

If they waged war, their anger satisfied the swords,

قد مَلَكوا الدُّنيا وكانتْ عاطِلاً

فما لَها غَيْرَ مَساعِيهمْ حُلى

Or if they made peace, they steadfastly pursued forbearance.

No scandal is uttered about them, and through them

إنْ حارَبوا أرْضى السّيوفَ سُخْطُهُمْ

أو سالَموا شَدّوا على الحِلْمِ الحُبا

The ignorant avoid insulting the honored.

And they extend open-handed

لا تُنْطَقُ العَوْراءُ فيهمْ وبهِمْ

يَجْتَنِبُ الجاهِلُ إهْداءَ الخَنى

Such that the cups of wealth are filled by them.

I will follow their guidance to the heights,

ويَبْسُطونَ بالنّوالِ أيْدياً

منها أفاويقُ الثّراءِ تُمْتَرى

And below their forests lies the attainment of my goal.

How I avert my eyes from the speck

وسوفَ أقْفو في المَعالي هَدْيَهُمْ

ودونَ غاباتِهِمُ نَيْلُ السُّها

And fold up my eyelids from the burning!

In a clan whose nearness enriches the noble,

فكَمْ أغُضُّ ناظِري على قَذىً

وتَنْطَوي تَرائِبي على شَجى

While the worst of your ills contains rancor.

Fate struck me with them, though I know not

في عُصَبٍ يُضْني الكَريمَ قُرْبُهُمْ

وشرُّ أدْوائِكَ ما فيهِ الضّنى

Which enemy of mine it aimed at.

If only you knew some of what he conceals

وقد رَماني نَكَدُ الدّهْرِ بهِمْ

وما دَرى أيَّ معاوِيٍّ رَمى

You would not be reassured by all you see.

He composes himself despite his anger

فلا رَعى اللهُ لِئاماً وَهَبوا

نَزْراً وقد شِيبَ بمَنٍّ وأذى

While his heart contains agony.

He does not smile when fortune lifts him

ناموا شِباعاً فُقِئَتْ عُيونُهُمْ

وجارُهُمْ أرّقَ عَينَيْهِ الطّوى

Or hardship casts him down, he does not weep.

The sword, its melodiousness is not known

والمَدْحُ والهَجْوُ سَواءٌ عندَهُمْ

فمَنْ هَذى بمَدْحِهِمْ كَمَنْ هَجا

While it is sheathed, until it is drawn.

And if action does not prove a saying

فقَرِّبا يا صاحبَيَّ أيْنُقاً

كِدْنَ يُبارينَ الرِّياحَ في البُرى

Its verification, then it is fabricated talk.

And this is a poem resembling

إنّ مُناخَ السّوءِ لا يَثْوي بهِ

مَنْ لمْ تَكُنْ أوْطانُهُ إلا الفَلا

Water you pour upon echoing stone.

If the reciter warbles it to a tune

أرْوَعُ لا يَقْرَعُ بابَ باخِلٍ

لمْ يتّزِرْ بسُؤْدَدٍ ولا ارْتَدى

The listener picks up the parts he narrates.

And whoever desires to attain its heights

لَسْتُ كَريمَ الوالِدَيْنِ ماجِداً

إنْ لمْ أصِلْ تأويبَهُنَّ بالسُّرى

Will plummet into hardship from its summits.

For poetry is rejected unless its composer

فَبي صَدًى يَحْرِقُني أُوارُهُ

ولا تَلوبُ غُلّتي على صَرى

Defends it, and natural genius protects it from contrived artifice.

ولا أرومُ المالَ مَنْهوماً بهِ

فالمالُ مَحْفورٌ حَوالَيْهِ الزُّبى

والمَجْدُ ممّا أقْتَني وأبْتَني

فإنْ عَثَرْتُ دونَهُ فلا لَعَا

ولا أحُطُّ بالوِهادِ أرْحُلي

والعَبْشَميّونَ يحِلّونَ الرُّبا

ولي مَدىً لابُدّ منْ بُلوغِهِ

وكلُّ ساعٍ يَنتَهي إِلى مَدَى

للهِ دَرّي أيُّ ذي حَفيظَةٍ

في مِدْرَعي يا سَعْدُ وهْوَ يُزْدَرى

فلَوْ عَلِمْتَ بَعْضَ ما يُجِنُّهُ

لمْ تَسْتَرِبْ منهُ بكُلِّ ما تَرى

يَرْبِطُ فيما يعتَريهِ جأشَهُ

وقَلبُهُ مُشْتَمِلٌ على الأسى

لمْ يَبْتَسِمْ إذْ أنْهَضَتْهُ نِعْمَةٌ

وأجهَضَتْهُ شدّةٌ فَما بَكى

والسّيفُ لا يُعْرَفُ ما غَناؤُهُ

وهْوَ لَجيُّ الغِمْدِ حتى يُنْتَضى

والقولُ إنْ لم يَقْرُنِ الفِعْلُ بهِ

تَصْديقَهُ فهْوَ الحديثُ المُفْتَرى

وهذهِ قَصيدَةٌ شَبيهةٌ

بالماءِ تُسْقاهُ على بَرْحِ الصّدى

إنْ غرّدَ الرّاوي بِها تطَرُّباً

تلقّفَ السّامِعُ منْها ما رَوى

ومنْ تمنّى أنْ يَنالَ شأْوَها

هَوى بهِ إِلى العَناءِ ما هَوى

فالشِّعْرُ ما لَمْ يُقْتَسَرْ أبيُّهُ

وذادَ عنهُ الطّبْعُ وحْشيَّ اللُّغى