عَرَضَتْ كَخُوطِ البانَةِ الأُمْلودِ

تَختالُ بينَ مَجاسِدٍ وعُقودِ

Like the threads of an embroiderer's loom

You saunter between carpets and cushions

هيفاءُ ليّنَةُ التّثَنّي أقْبَلَتْ

في خُرَّدٍ كَمَها الصّرائِمِ غِيدِ

Graceful, supple in your swaying gait

In a gown whose trains the buckles restrain

ومَرَرْنَ بالوادي على عَذَبِ الحِمى

فحَكَيْنَ هِزّةَ بانِهِ بِقُدودِ

And we passed by the valley's soft sands

Where they told of the swaying of slender date palms

وحَكى الشقيقُ بهِ اسْوِدادَ قُلوبِها

وأُعيرَ منهُنّ احْمِرارَ خُدودِ

And the anemones told of the darkening of their hearts

And their blushing cheeks borrowed redness

وكأنّ أعيُنَهُنَّ منْ وَجَناتِها

شَرِبَتْ على ثَمَلٍ دَمَ العُنْقودِ

As though their eyes from their lids

Had drunk the red juice of grapes on a vine

فَطَرَقْنَني والليْلُ رقَّ أديمُهُ

والنّجْمُ كادَ يهُمُّ بالتَّعْريدِ

So they passed me when night's veil was frail

And stars began to peer out to twinkle and glitter

ووَجَدْتُ بَرْدَ حُلِيّهِنّ وهَزَّ منْ

عِطفَيْهِ ذو الرّعَثاتِ للتّغْريدِ

I felt the cool touch of their jewelry and the breeze

Shaking unkempt locks played notes lyrical

فانْجابَ منْ أنوارِهِنَّ ظَلامُهُ

وأظَلَّهُنّ دُجى ذَوائِبَ سُودِ

So their light pierced its darkness and they

Were shaded by the gloom of trailing black trains

وأنا بحَيثُ القُرْطُ من أجْيادِها

يَنْأى ويَقْرُبَ مِحْمَلي مِنْ جِيدي

While I where the distance rings from their steeds

Fell far and drew near the load on my chest

كَرُمَتْ مَضاجِعُنا فلِيثَ على التُّقى

أُزْري وَجيبَ عنِ العَفافِ بُرودي

Our beds honor guests with utmost decorum

My cheek covers my abstinence with its flush

أزْمانَ يَنْفُضُ لِمّتي مَرَحُ الصِّبا

وهوَ الشّفيعُ إِلى الكَعابِ الرّودِ

My youth fades but my whim is its advocate

To the stern judge, appealing for clemency

ومَشارِبي زُرْقُ الجِمامِ فلَمْ يَنَلْ

منّي الأُوامُ بمَنهَلٍ مَورودِ

My drink is the blueness of clouds, so no days

Could water their herds at my runnels

فارْفَضَّ شَملُ الأُنْسِ إذ جمَعَ البِلى

بِزَرودَ بينَ مَعاهِدٍ وعُهودِ

So the one who destroys severed the tie of fellowship

Binding covenants and pacts with decay

وتَقاسَمَتْني بعْدَهُ عُقَبُ النّوى

حتى لَفَفْتُ تَهائِماً بنُجودِ

Then after fortunes divided me, their turns

Left me wandering, bereft of resolve or goal

وفَلَيْتُ ناصِيَةَ الفَلا بمَناسِمٍ

وَسَمَ المَطِيُّ بِها جِباهَ البيدِ

Would that the horse had perished in a land

Where no rider's path crossed the barren waste

فسَقى الغَمامُ ولسْتُ أقنَعُ بالحَيا

أيّامَنا بينَ اللِّوى فَزَرودِ

Clouds gave rain but I find no life in the world

Between mere recreation, like orient pearls

بلْ جادَها ابنُ العامِريِّ براحَةٍ

وَطْفاءَ صِيغَ بَنانُها منْ جُودِ

Rather the son of Amer bestowed it freely

Quenching the molded stars of its sphere in his munificence

مُتَوقِّدُ العَزَماتِ لو رُمِيَتْ بِها

زُهْرُ النُّجومِ لآذَنَتْ بخُمودِ

Kindling strong resolves which if thrown could

Extinguish celestial bodies, reducing them to embers

ومُواصِلٍ أرَقاً على طَلَبِ العُلا

في مَعْشَرٍ عن نَيْلِهِنَّ رُقودِ

Seeking exaltation sleeplessly among a tribe

Slumbering heedless of attaining any height

ذو ساحَةٍ فَيحاءَ مَعروفٍ بِها

وَزَرُ اللّهيفِ وعُصْرَةُ المَنْجودِ

With a plain none dare accuse and the repute

Of selflessness, and a crop self-sown

مَلْثومَةُ العَرَصاتِ في أرْجائِها

مَثْوى جُنودٍ أو مُناخُ وفودِ

Whose fertile crescents are dwelling places for regiments

Or halting places for caravans on the move

لمّا تَوشَّحَتِ البِلادُ بفِتْنَةٍ

ما إنْ تَصيدُ سوى نُفوسِ الصِّيدِ

When dissension wrapped the lands in its gown

It harvested nothing but the souls of the preyed upon

وتَشُبُّ شَعْثاءَ الفُروعِ وتَمْتَري

أخْلافَ حَرْبٍ للمَنونِ وَلودِ

Igniting discords, feeding on fruits of war

Begetting strife and nursing anger and feud

أوْهى مَعاقِدَها وأطْفأَ نارَها

قبلَ انْتِشارِ لَظىً وبعْدَ وَقودِ

Subduing its bonds and quenching its flames

Before fury's inferno and after the fuel is burned

بالجُرْدِ تَمتاحُ العَجاجَ وغِلْمةٍ

في الغابِ منْ أسَلِ القَنا كأُسودِ

With the naked blade the deadly strokes are struck

Like lions amid canes in the bosky wood

مِنْ كُلِّ وطّاءٍ على قِمَمِ العِدا

بحَوافِرٍ خُلِقَتْ منَ الجُلْمودِ

On the hilltops of enmity, on hooves created

From stubborn rock and frozen into solidity

وصَوارِمٍ عُرِّينَ منْ أغْمادِها

حتى ارْتَدَيْنَ منَ الطُّلى بغُمودِ

With sharp swords drawn from their sheaths

As though clad in coats of mail and armor

ولَوِ انْتَضى أقلامَهُ السّودَ احْتَمى

بِيضُ الصِّفاحِ بِها منَ التّجْريدِ

Had he let loose his dark plumed arrows

The white pages would have sought refuge from being torn

والسُّمْرُ منْ حَذَرِ التّحَطُّمِ في الوَغى

تُبدي اهْتِزازَ مُنَضْنِضٍ مَطْرودِ

While the red spears from fear of being shattered in fray

Show a tremor, ejected and cast out

فكأنّهُنّ أُعِرْنَ منْ أعدائِه

يومَ اللّقاءِ تَلَوّيَ المزْؤودِ

As if unveiled before enemies on the day

Destinies cross and death foretold arrives

وهمُ إذا ما الرّوعُ قلّصَ ظلَّهُ

عنْ كُلِّ مُسْتَلَبِ الحُشاشَةِ مُودِ

But when fears shrink their shadow from each

Craven heart given to panic and dread

مِنْ سائِلٍ صَفَداً يُؤَمِّلُ سَيْبَهُ

ومُكَبَّلٍ في قِدِّهِ مَصْفودِ

Whether prisoner hoping for leniency, fettered at waist

Or both from awe or greed, ferocity and generosity

وكِلاهُما من رَهْبَةٍ أو رَغْبَةٍ

بَأساً وجُوداً مُوثَقٌ بقُيودِ

Manacled in shackles and bound fast

How often have I told the cunning in their affairs

كمْ قُلْتُ للمُتَمَرّسينَ بشأْوِهِ

أرْميهِمُ بقَوارِعِ التّفْنيدِ

To hurl at them the calamities of refutation

Loyalty is betrayed so their hearts hold no water

غاضَ الوفاءُ فليسَ في صَفَحاتِهِمْ

ماءٌ وفي الأحشاءِ نارُ حُقودِ

But inside, fires of hatred smolder and burn

Whether present at events or absent they are the same

وحُضورُهمْ في حادِثٍ كمَغيبِهمْ

وقِيامُهُمْ لمُلِمّةٍ كقُعودِ

Sitting for grievances as though in prayer bowed

They built no lofty glory or gained any lasting

لم يَبْتَنوا المَجْدَ الطّريفَ ولا اقْتَنَوا

مِنهُ التّليدَ بأنْفُسٍ وجُدودِ

Renown with themselves or their forebears' devotion

Seek it not for the worst that can befall a man

لا تَطْلُبوهُ فشَرُّ ما لَقيَ امْرُؤٌ

في السَّعْي خَيْبَةُ طالِبٍ مَكْدودِ

Is seeking disappointment for petitioner rejected

O Ali, yours are deeds compared to which

لكَ يا عَليُّ مآثِرٌ في مِثلِها

حُسِدَ الفتى والفَضْلُ للمحسودِ

A man is envied and excellence claimed by the envious

Your attributes that malice did not obscure

وَضَحَتْ مَناقِبُكَ التي لمْ يُخْفِها

حَسَدٌ يُلثِّمُهُ العِدا بجُحودِ

Are evident despite the enemies' disavowal

While other men went astray, all glory is yours

والناسُ غَيْرَكَ والعُلا لكَ كُلُّها

ضَلّوا مَعالِمَ نَهْجها المَسْدودِ

Losing the markers on its blocked, dead-end path

So turn your face to the auspicious New Year

فاسْتَقْبِلِ النّيروزَ طَلْقَ المُجْتَلى

والدّهْرَ عَذْبَ الوِرْدِ نَضْرَ العُودِ

And time, fragrant as blossoms, soft as lute's wood

In a state lowering its banners over a glory

في دَولَةٍ تُرْخي ذَوائِبها على

عِزٍّ يُلاذُ بظِلِّهِ المَمْدودِ

Sheltered in its shade, ever-extending