للطَّيفِ بَحرُ بُكايَ يَنْفَرِقُ

وإذا تقحّمَ عُذَّلي غَرِقوا

The gentle one has a sea of tears that flows

When the lovesick dive in, they drown

إعجازُ وَجْدٍ قد شَرعْتُ به

دينَ الغرام لكُلِّ مَن عَشِقوا

The miracle of passion I have embarked upon

Is the religion for all who have loved

مطَرتْ سَحابةُ عَبْرتي دِيَماً

من طُولِ ما رَعدوا وما بَرقُوا

The cloud of my sorrow has rained continuously

From the long thunder and lightning

قالَ الوشاةُ لقد سلوتهُمُ

كَذِبَ الوشاةُ وليتَهم صَدقوا

The slanderers said I have parched them

The slanderers lied, if only they had told the truth

بالقلبِ يَسْلو إن سلا دَنِفٌ

والقلبُ رَهْنٌ عندهم غَلِق

With the heart one becomes parched, if it becomes parched

While the heart is locked away with them

أَبني كنانةَ من قبائلِكمْ

بالحَزْنِ حيث تَلاقَتِ البُرَق

O people of Kananah, from your tribes

In sorrow wherever lightning has struck

نَبّالةٌ يومَيْ وغىً وهوىً

أَهدافُها وسهامُها الحَدَق

Arrows one day, passion and love another

Their targets are the pupils of eyes

وإلى المَقاتلِ لَحْظُ أَعيُنِهمْ

من نَبْلِهمْ أَهدَى إذا رشَقوا

And to the warrior, a glance of their eyes

From their arrows, the finest gift if they shoot

رمَقوا فما تَركوا غداتَئذٍ

فوق البسيطةِ مَن بهِ رمَق

They shot until they left no dawn thereafter

Above the plain someone they could shoot

أَرأَيتَ كيف غدا يُديرُ لنا

عينَيْهِ ذاك الشّادِنُ الخَرِق

Have you seen how he turns his eyes to us

That gallant man, though rent his garb

ليس العجيبُ إذا هُما رمَتا

والقلبُ لامةُ صَبْرِه مِزَق

No wonder if they both shoot

While his heart is torn, patience in rags

أنْ لم يكُنْ عندَ النِّضالِ بدا

من نابلَيْنِ لحاسِرٍ فَرَق

If there was no choice in struggle

But two archers for a reckless horseman

عَجِبَ الخلائقُ من فؤادِ فتىً

أَرسَى بحيثُ الأسهُمُ المِرَق

People were amazed by the heart of a youth

Who camped where the arrows pierce

يَلتَذُّ ما أَصماهُ قاتِلُه

وبه إذا لم يَرْمِه القَلَق

Delighting in the one who, if he does not shoot him

Causes him anxiety and turmoil

أشجِعْ بقَلْبي حين تَرشُقُه

لو أنّ صُدْغَك فوقَه حَلَق

Encourage with my heart when you shoot him

If only your neck was above it, laid bare

يا صاحِ أَسعِدْني فكم أَنا قد

أَسعَدُْت أَصحابي الأُلَى عَشِقوا

O friend, gladden me, for how many

I have gladdened, my companions who loved

سَلْ حَيَّهمْ عنّي وعن نفَري

كم صُبِّحوا منّا وكم طُرِقوا

Ask the neighborhood about me and my company

How often they were kept awake by us and frequented

عُقُباً فإمّا زائرٌ طَرِبٌ

وَجْداً وإمّا ثائرٌ حَنِق

Afterward, either a troubled visitor

Passionate or angry, sullen

فبأدْهَمِ الإظْلامِ أَطرُقُهمْ

وبأَشَهبِ الإصباح أَنطلِق

I meet them in the darkness of night

And at the dawn of morning I venture forth

من دونِ ديباجِ الخدودِ لهم

كُسِيَ القِبابَ سُجوفَها السَّرق

Without the silks of cheeks, their tents

Have been covered, hollow their ceilings

فإذا ذهبْتَ مُسارِقاً نظَراً

أَعياكَ من سَرَقٍ بها السَّرق

So if you steal glances

You will find me stealing what they have stolen

أُمسي إذا ملأوا العيونَ كَرىً

والجَفْنُ منّي مِلْؤه أَرَق

At night, when they fill their eyes with sleepy intoxication

While my eyelid from me, its fullness keeps awake

وأَزورهمْ طَيْفاً وأَحسَبُني

لو زُرتُهمْ شَخْصاً لَما فَرِقوا

I visit them in apparition, and imagine

If I visited them in person, they would not leave

للهِ أهيفُ خَصْرُه أَبداً

بنواظرِ العُشّاقِ مُنْتَطِق

By God, their waist is never still

With the glances of lovers conversing

شمسٌ إذا غربَتْ غداةَ نوىً

فبُكايَ في آثارِها شَفَق

A sun when it has set in the morning

Its vestiges remain ablaze at sunset

قد قلتُ للقلبِ امتلِك جلَداً

أَو فاستَعِرْ فالرَّكْبُ مُنْطَلِق

I said to my heart: have patience

Or borrow some, for the journey is departing

فأجابَ لا تَتْعَبْ بتَوْصيَتي

قبلَ التّفرُّقِ نحن نَفْتَرِق

It replied: do not trouble yourself advising me

Before parting, we will part

لك أَدمعٌ لو سار رَكْبُهمُ

قُطِعَتْ بهِنّ عليهمُ الطُّرق

You have tears, if their caravan flowed with them

The roads to them would be cut off

أطفأْتَ نارَ الخَدِّ منك بها

وتَركْتَ صَدْرَك مِلْؤه الحُرَق

You extinguished the fire of your cheek

And left your breast filled with burning

كتَم الهوَى قَلْبي فأحْرَقَه

والزَّنْدُ حينَ يَبوحُ يَحْتَرِق

Passion concealed my heart, so it burned

And sulfur, when it speaks, catches fire

وبكَيتُ من شَوْقٍ ومن عجَبٍ

ظَمْآنُ وهْو بمائهِ شَرِق

I cried from yearning and wonder

Thirsty while drowning in its water

أمّا الوُشاةُ فكم لنا طلَبوا

عَيْباً وأعيا الصِّدْقُ فاخَتلَقوا

As for the slanderers, how much they asked us

For a fault, but truthfulness tore them apart

من قبلِ أن خلَقوا لنا قِصصاً

يا لَيتَهمْ في النّاسِ ما خُلِقوا

Before they created tales for us

Oh, if only among people they were never created

أعطَيتُ أَيّامي القِيادُ على

قَسْرٍ وكيف يُجاذَبُ الوَهَق

I gave my days leadership without willingness

How can the fluttering be harnessed?

ورَضِيتُ عن بَحْرٍ أُجاوِرُه

إن كانَ لا رِيٌّ ولا شَرَق

I was content with a sea that has

No downpour or east wind

وقصائدٍ غُرٍّ مُحبَّرةٍ

هيَ من فؤادي لو دَرَوْا شِقَق

And rough, scribbled poems

If they realized are torn from my heart

آتي بها سُوقَ الكَسادِ وقد

حُشِدَتْ بها الأملاكُ والسُّوَق

I bring them to the market of recession

Crowded with property and the market

فَيُرخِّصونَ ويَرْخُصون وقد

قُطِعَتْ بهِنَّ إليهمُ شُقَق

They devalue and devalue though

Torn by them are the routes to them

كَذِبَ الأُلَى قالوا المديحُ لنا

رِيحٌ فلِمْ يُعطَى بهِ الوَرِق

The loved ones said: Praise is for us

Wind, so why should paper be given?

فالرّيحُ أيضاً إنْ أُتيحَ لها

هَزُّ الغصونِ تَناثَر الوَرَق

Wind, if enabled, would also

Shake the branches, scattering the paper

أنا والبَدائعُ لن أَزالَ لها

أُمسي بجَفْنٍ ليس يَنطبِق

I and innovations will never cease

To spend the night with an unblinking eyelid

وبناتُ فِكْرٍ لي تَدورُ معي

وأَدورُ عُمْري وهْيَ تَأْتلِق

And offspring of ideas that revolve with me

While I revolve and they shine

كبناتِ نَعْشٍ والسُّها طَلباً

للاِشْتهارِ بهنّ مُلْتَصِق

Like daughters of a bier, seeking

To cling for fame with them

لكنْ تَرانا في سماءِ عُلاً

من حَولِ قُطْبِ المجدِ نَختَرِق

But you see us in the sky of greatness

Around the pole of glory we penetrate

قُطْبٌ عليه عادَ مُؤْتَنِفاً

فلَكُ الممالكِ وهْو مُتّسِق

A pole it has returned establishing

The orbit of realms and it is consistent

ما رأْيُه والمُلْكُ إن طرقَتْ

غَمّاءُ إلاّ الشّمسُ والأفُق

What is its view, and the realm, if

Gloomy clouds, but the sun and horizon?

وخِطابُه والخَطْبُ إن يَعْلُ ال

أَقوامُ إلاّ اللّيلُ والفَلَق

Its discourse, and speech, if it does not

People, but the night and daybreak?

هي دَولةٌ سَعِدَتْ بأوحدِها

فشَبيهُه في الدَّهْرِ ما رَمقوا

It is a state that has prospered with its uniqueness

Its parallel in time they never attained

في كلِّ شَيءٍ أَهلُه اختلفوا

لكنْ على تَفْضيلِه اتّفقوا

In everything people have disagreed

But upon preferring it they agreed

ما انفَكّ مِسْكُ ثَنائنا أَبداً

وله ببُرْدِ علائه عَبَق

Our praising it has not ceased ever

With the coolness of its heights, fragrant

ما إن يَزال حَجيجُ كعبته

فِرَقاً على آثارِها فِرَق

The pilgrims to its Kaaba will not cease

Travelling parties upon its traces travelling

مِن وجههِ لهمُ ومِن يده

شَمسٌ تُضيء وعَارِضٌ يَدِق

From its presence, for them, and from its hand

A sun that illuminates and a full moon shining

مُصْفٍ لسلطانِ الأنامِ هوىً

ففؤادُه بسِواهُ لا يَثِق

My passion for the sovereign of mankind is sincere

For none other does my heart trust

خلَصَتْ سَريرتُه وسائرهمْ

قد نافَقُوا غِشّاً فما نَفقوا

Its innermost thoughts are pure, while the rest

Were hypocritical, so they were not pure

قُلْ للمُهنَّا ما يليقُ به

هُنِّئْتَ أَنَّك بالعُلا لَبِق

Say to the one who gives congratulations what befits him:

You have been congratulated that with greatness you have met

تَقليدُ مثْلِك شُغْلَ مملكةٍ

مثْلُ القِلادةِ زانَها العُنُق

Imitating the like of you is the occupation of a kingdom

Like a necklace adorned by the neck

شاني علائك قَلْبُه أَلِمٌ

طُولَ الزّمانِ وطَرْفُه أَرِق

Grieving for your ascension, his heart hurts

The length of time, though his eye is sleepless

حَنِقٌ دخيلُ الغَيْظِ ينفُخُه

حتّى بِزَرِّ الثّوبِ يَختَنِق

Sullen, the newcomer's rage fans it

Until with the hem of his garb he chokes

نَفْسي فِداؤك مِن أَخي ثقةٍ

للودِّ يَمحَضُ كُلَّ ما مَذَقوا

My soul ransoms you, from a brother of trust

For friendship sincere all they have tasted

صدْقٌ صداقتُه لصاحِبه

فلدَيْهِ لا كذِبٌ ولا مَلَق

A friendship whose truthfulness to his companion

With him no lies or guile

غَوّاصُ بَحْرِ يَمينِه قَلَمٌ

يَمتارُ منه اللُّؤْلُؤُ النَّسق

Diver of the sea of his right hand, a pen

Harvesting pearls of stringing

ويُضيءُ قرطاساً ومِن عجَبٍ

جَوْنٌ يُضيء بصِبْغِه يَقَق

Illuminating parchment, and wondrously

Essence that illuminates with its color so pure

للهِ أَبلجُ نُورُ غُرّته

مهما تَجلّى للعِدا صَعِقوا

By God, the radiance of his honor

Dazes enemies however it shines

يَسعَى الغمام وليس يُدرِكُه

مُتكلِّفاً بجَبينِه عَرَق

The clouds race but cannot reach it

Striving with its forehead to sweat

والبحرُ حينَ تَقيسُه كرَماً

في قَطْرةٍ من بَحْرِه غَرِق

The sea, when you measure his generosity

With a drop of his sea, sinks

عُودُ العُلا والمَجدُ مِطْرَفُه

مِثْلُ المشيبِ جَديدُه خَلَق

The staff of greatness, its head

Like grey hair, its youth renewed

والدّهرُ مِضمارُ الكرامِ وهُمْ

أَشباهُ خَيْلٍ فيه تَستَبِق

Time is the racecourse of noblemen, while they

Are like steeds racing in it

ما إن لَحِقْتَهُمْ وقد سَبقوا

حتّى سبقْتَهُمُ فما لَحِقوا

You did not catch up to them as they pulled ahead

Until you surpassed them, no longer caught up

من آلِ سالمٍ الألَى سَلِمَتْ

أَعراضُهمْ وتَمجَّد الخُلُق

From the family of Salim, the beloved, their

Honor is safe, ethics magnified

تَنْميكَ أَمْلاكٌ يَمانِيَةٌ

بِيضٌ كَدُرِّ العِقْدِ قد نُسِقوا

Yemeni wealth growing for you

White like a necklace's pearls, strung

أحسابُهمْ تَحكي سُيوفَهمُ

في الرَّوْعِ فهْي صَقيلةٌ عُتُق

Their accounts tell of their swords

Polished in striking, loosed from sheaths

غرَبوا فلمّا جئْتَ بعدَهمُ

وحكَيْتَهمْ فكأنّهمْ شَرَقوا

They traveled west, but when after them you came

And told of them, as if they traveled east

أَصفيَّ دينِ اللهِ دَعوةَ مَن

أَضحَى بذَيْلِ عُلاكَ يَعتَلِق

The purest in God's religion the call of one

Who sacrificed your train of greatness clasping

هل في الفضيلةِ أن أَعيشَ كذا

شِلْواً بكفِّ الدّهرِ أُعترَق

Is it virtuous that I live like this

Clinging to the palm of fate, emancipated?

أيّامَ أنت مُحَكِّمٌ قلَماً

في دَولةٍ ولديكَ مُرتَزَق

Days you the arbiter, rarely

In a state, while for you are mercenaries

وتَضُمُّنا عرَبيّةٌ كرُمَتْ

أَعراقُها فَفُروعُها سُمُق

And we are embraced by Arabness that was generous

Its roots so its branches are towering

إنْ تَعْتَنِقْ كُلَفي مُحافظةً

لا زال رَحْباً منك مُعتَنَق

If you embrace a region under your protection

Still spacious with you it remains embraced

فَلطالما والدّهرُ ذو دُوَلٍ

لِوَميضِ بَرْقِكَ بِتُّ أرتَفِق

For long, as time has its ups and downs

For the flash of your lightning waiting I have hoped

نَصْرُ ابْنِ نَصْرٍ قد قَنِعْتُ به

قَرُبتْ ليَ الأنصارُ أم سَحُقوا

Victory of the son of Nasr, I have been satisfied with it

Were the supporters brought near or did they crush?

وعُلا عَليٍّ فوقَ كُلِّ عُلاً

سكَتوا غداةَ الفَخْرِ أَم نَطَقوا

And the ascension of Ali is above all ascensions

Were they silenced the morning after pride or did they speak?

لا زال قُطْباً في الثّباتِ له

يَأْتي ويَمْضي الصُّبْحُ والغَسَق

It remains a pole in steadfastness for it

The dawn comes and goes and nightfall