هُمُ منَعوا منّي الخيالَ المُسلِّما

فلا وَصْلَ إلاّ أن يكونَ تَوَهُّما

They denied me the surrendering imagination,

So there is no union except what is fancied.

وكيف طُروقُ الطّيْفِ لا العَيُن غَيّضتْ

لها الدَّمعَ تقليلاً ولا الصّبُّ هَوَّما

How can the specter of the beloved appear, if the eyes

Do not shed tears or the youth yearn?

وقد وَتّد اللّيلُ النُّجومَ مُطنِّباً

جُفوني بأهدابي إليها وخَيّما

The night has pitched its stars like tent pegs,

And draped my eyelids with its darkness.

وهانَ على مَن الثّويّةِ دارُه

مَبيتي بزَوراءِ العراقِ مُتَيّما

He whose home was al-Thuwayyah,

Now abides in the outskirts of Iraq in gloom.

إذا ما سَرى رَكبُ النَّسيم اعتَرضْتُه

لأخبار مَن أحبَبْتُه مُتَنسِّما

Whenever the caravan of breeze passes by,

I waylay it for news of my beloved in sighs.

فيا ليلَ نَجْدٍ ما صَباحُك عائداً

ولكنَّ مَن بالغَوْرِ وَهْناً تَبسَّما

O night of Najd, your morn returns not,

Yet he in seclusion smiles at me in languor.

تَمزَّقتِ الظّلماءُ عن نُورِ غادةٍ

أضاءَ من الآفاقِ ما كان مُظْلِما

The darkness was rent by the light of radiant Ghada,

Illuminating what had been obscured.

إذا وَجْهُها والبَدْرُ لاحا بلَلْيةٍ

فما أَحَدٌ يَدْري مَنِ البَدْرُ مِنْهما

When her face and the full moon appeared in their beauty,

None can tell which of the two is the moon.

فأُقسِمُ لو لم يَدْنُ من بَرْدِ ريقِها

لأوشَكَ جَمْرُ الخَدِّ أن يَتَضرّما

I swear if not for the touch of her saliva’s coolness,

The embers of my cheek would have blazed.

ولو لم يَزِدْني لَذّةً مَرُّ ذِكْرِها

بسَمْعي لَما أرعَيْتُه الدَّهْرَ لُوَّما

And if the bitter mention of her did not give me pleasure

In my ears, I would not have borne her blame all my life.

خليلَيّ إن الشّوقَ حارَ دَليلُه

فأَنجدَ بالقلبِ المُعنَّى وأَتْهَما

O my friend, when longing took over its guide,

It inspired my heart and became decisive.

ومدَّتْ مَطايانا عُيونَ طلائح

تَقاضَى من الحادي الطّروبِ تَرنُّما

Our steeds carried us to demand the song

From the singer, raising their neighs rhythmically.

وتحتَ خباءِ اللّيلِ منّي ابْنُ فَتْكةٍ

يَسِرُّ عنِ العُذّالِ حُبّاً مُكَتّما

And under night’s veil, that son of murderous valor

Concealed his love, whispering surreptitiously.

فمِيلا بأعناقِ المَطيِّ رواسِماً

عسى مَنْزِلٌ بالجِزْعِ أنْ يُتَرَسّما

So tilt your mounts’ necks forward into a gallop,

Hoping to alight at the dwellings in alarm.

خلا الرَّبْعُ إلاّ مَوقفَ الرَّكْبِ وَسْطَه

لِسَلْمَى فإن أَسعَدْتُماني فسَلِّما

The resting place is empty but for the caravan at its center,

For Salma, so if you grant me success, convey my greetings.

وقد لامَ سَعْدٌ يومَ عُجْنا رِكابَنا

على حينَ رُمْنا منه أن يَتَلَوَّما

Sa’d blamed us the day our mounts mingled

When we departed from him, fearing his discontent.

وطارَتْ به في أوّلِ الرَّكْبِ جَسْرةٌ

غُرَيرِيّةٌ تَخْشَى القَطيعَ المُحرَّما

And a snarling, growling mare carried him off

At the lead of the pack, fearing the forbidden herd.

تُريكَ لرَجْعِ الصّوتِ أُذْناً سميعةً

وبينَ الخُطا والسَّوطِ طَرْفاً مُقسَّما

You see in the reverberating voice an attentive ear

And between the whip and reins a watchful eye.

رأى أنّ داءَ الحُبِّ يُعْدِي رَسيسُه

فأسلَم مَوْلاهُ ومَرَّ لِيَسْلَما

When he saw that the malady of love had afflicted his companion,

He surrendered himself and passed in acquiescence.

أيا صاحبَيْ نَجْوايَ إن لم تُشاكِلا

طِباعي فَقُولا أَقْطَعِ الحَبْل مِنْكما

O you two intimates, if you do not oppose

My nature, then say: sever the rope from you!

عوارضُ أشغالِ الزّمانِ كَثيرةٌ

فلا تَجْعَلا إلاّ المُهِمَّ المُقدَّما

The diversions of time are many,

So place nothing before the important.

وما فُرَصُ الإمكانِ إلاّ مُعارةٌ

فإن كُنتُما لم تَعْلَما ذاك فاعْلَما

The opportunities of life are but on loan,

If you did not know that, then know it now!

لحَى اللهُ في الفتيانِ مَن خُلِقَتْ له

يَدانِ ولم يُصْدِرْ يداً قَطُّ عنهما

May God disfigure the youth for whom hands were created

Yet has not extended a hand to help them.

أَعِينا على دَهْرٍ أرابَ برَيْبِه

وشَوقٍ على قلبي الغداةَ تَحكَّما

Eyes on a time which confounded with its calamities,

And a yearning which overpowered my heart at dawn.

وقَفتُ بأطلالِ الدّيارِ كأنّني

من السُّقْم رَسْمٌ زارَ بالعِيسِ أَرْسُما

I stood amidst the ruins of the dwellings

Like a picture of grief upon the mourner imprinted.

وقد نَسجَتْ كَفُّ الثُّريّا على الثّرى

من الرَّوْضِ وَشْياً بالأقاحي مُنَمْنَما

And the dainty hand of Pleiades embroidered

A mantle fringed with rays upon the ground.

ورَقْرقَ فيه دَمْعَها كُلُّ دِيمةٍ

ولو أنّه من مُقلتي كان أَدْوَما

And the dew dripped its tears upon it every morning,

As if it flowed from my own watering eye.

وما الجُودُ في صَوْبِ السَّحابِ سجيّةٌ

ولكنّه من دَمْع عَيْني تَعلّما

The clouds’ generosity is no habit,

But know it is from my tears they learned it.

فيا ليتَ لا ينفكَّ طَرْفي وخاطري

مدَى الدَّهْرِ يُلْقي الدّرَّ فَذّاً وتَوأما

Would that my eyes and thoughts never desist,

Scattering pearls plentifully, ceaselessly.

لِمْلاّكِ قلبي بالهوَى ولِمالِكي

بسالفةِ النُّعْمَى الّتي كان أَنْعَما

For the owner of my heart by love, and my owner

By the favors I knew which brought me bliss.

فأُذْري لهمْ دُرَّ البكاء مُبَدَّداً

وأُهدي لهمْ دُرَّ الثّناء مُنظَّما

I scatter for them the strung pearls of weeping,

And weave for them necklaces of praise with skill.

لأعلَى الوَرى في قُنّةِ المجدِ مَطْلَعاً

وأَكثرِهمْ من قِنْيةِ الحَمْدِ مَغْنَما

Rising to the highest pinnacle of glory,

And gaining from treasuries of praise their fill.

بظلِّ عزيزِ الدِّينِ قد عَزَّ أهلُه

فهمْ في سماء العزِّ يَحكونَ أَنجُما

In the shade of the mighty Faith they gained honor,

Thus they dwell in the heavens of might like stars.

إذا ما شكا المُلْكُ اعْوجاجَ قَناتِه

كَساها ثِقافَ الرَّأي حتّى تَقَوّما

When the realm complains of its pillar being bent,

The soundness of their counsel makes it straight.

سَواءٌ عليه جَرَّد الرَّأيَ ثاقباً

لِحادثةٍ أو جَرَّدَ السّيفَ مِخْذَما

To them, it is equal if the keen mind strips

For a new event, or the sword unsheathed for fate.

خليعُ عِنانِ الجودِ يَجْري بلا مدَى

وبالحزمِ يُضْحي بأسُه الدّهرَ مُلْجَما

The steed of generosity runs without end,

And with wisdom, their might makes epochs submit.

إذا اقتسمَ الفَضْلَ الرّجالُ بمَشْهدٍ

أصابَ سناماً منه والقومُ مَنْسَما

When men share glory in an assembly,

Some gain a portion while the rest get crumbs.

هُمامٌ جلا في شَخْصِه اللهُ كُلَّ مَن

خلا عصرُه من فاضلٍ وتَصرَّما

High-minded men whose time was devoid

Of any virtuous peer and so became unique!

مضَوْا سلَفاً قَطْراً وخلَّف بَعدَهمْ

غديراً حوى تلك القطارَ فأُفْعِما

A caravan has departed before, leaving after them

A river brimful with crowds from their torrent.

دَعُوا المدْحَ يا أهلَ الزّمانِ ومَجدَهُ

فما خُلِقا إلاّ سِواراً ومِعْصَماً

Leave off praise, O people of the age, and its glory,

For they were not created but as bracelets and amulets.

هِلالٌ بدا نَجْمٌ سَما قَدَرٌ سَطا

سَحابٌ هَمى طَوْدٌ رَسا أَسدٌ حَمى

The crescent appeared, a star rose, destiny decreed,

Clouds gathered, a hillock stood tall, a lion roared.

لهُ كُلَّ يومٍ رفْعةٌ بعدَ رِفْعةٍ

كذلكَ في العَلْياء فَلْيَسْمُ منَ سَما

Each day he rises higher than the one before,

Forever towering in the heights sublime.

هو الطَّودُ ما حَمَّلْتَه فهْو حامِلٌ

إذا العَوْدُ لم يَجْشَمْ سِوى الوُسْعِ مَجْشَما

He is the towering hillock, bearing all you load upon him,

If the rod does not break, bearing only what it can withstand.

وكنتُ وأحداثُ الزّمانِ مُطيفةٌ

مُؤخّرَ رِجْلٍ تارةً ومُقدِّما

I was, and the events of time were shifting about,

At times lagging behind and at others preceding.

فها أنا لمّا حَلَّ دهري عِقالَهُ

غدا بيَ رامي فَرْطِ شوقي وقد رَمى

So here I am, when my time decided its rein,

It made me cast the excess of my passion and so cast off.

أتَتْكَ المَطايا كالحنايا ضوامِراً

وقد حملَتْ شوقاً من الوَفْدِ أَسْهُما

The steeds have come to you like the white-footed ostriches,

Bearing the arrows of my passion in their quivers.

عدَدْتُ سوى ناديكَ في الأرض مَجْهَلاً

وجِئْتُك لمّا كنتَ للعِلْمِ مَعْلَما

I deemed everywhere but your sanctuary in the land as ignorance,

And came to you when you were the signpost of knowledge.

لأخْدُمَ مِن فِكْري عُلاكَ بِمدْحةٍ

وأَرجِعَ عن سامي ذُراكَ فأُخْدَما

To serve your eminence with a eulogy from my thoughts,

And return from my sublime only your scattered rays.

لأحمدَ إن زارتْ ركابي ابنِ حامد

أَعودُ لِحُسّادي بنُعْماهُ مُرْغِما

That if my mounts visit the son of the praised Hamed,

I would return to my enviers with his favors humbled.

فَنصْراً أبا نَصْرٍ لراجٍ بك العُلا

على الدّهرِ أن يُلْفَى له مُتَهضِّما

So victory, Abu Nasr, to an exalter in you,

Over fate, though it be found morseling him greedily!

أبعْدَ بُلوغي فيكَ ما كنتُ آمِلاً

يَراني العِدا أُكْلاً لهمْ مُتَخضِّما

The utmost I hoped in reaching you,

My enemies see me as food for them to devour whole.

قَصدْتُك لَمْ أَمدُدْ بمُعْجِبةٍ يَداً

لديكَ ولم أَفغَرْ بمُرضيةٍ فَما

I came to you without extending in your presence

A hand in praise, nor opening in illness a mouth.

ولكنّني لمّا رأيتُكَ كَعبةً

أتيتُكَ من كُلِّ الوسائلِ مُحْرِما

But when I saw you were the Kaaba,

I came to you by every lawful way a pilgrim.

حلَلْتَ من الإفضالِ والفَضْلِ منزلاً

يَرُدُّ فصيحَ القوم عندَك أَعجَما

You have attained from bestowal and virtue such a station

That the eloquent stammer before you in dismay.

وأَخجَلُ في مَدِحيك خجلةَ غائصٍ

يَرُدُّ على البَحْرِ الّلآلى وقد طَما

I am shy in praising you with the shyness of a diver

Repulsed by the deep sea though he dove to plumb.

وأَغْنِ بنَحْرِ البَحرِ عن عِقْدِ ناظمٍ

ومِن عندِه إخراجُ ما هو نَظَّما

And the sea’s gullet suffices over the composer’s necklace,

And makes unnecessary what he has threaded and strung.

بقولِكَ مَسروقاً لَقِيتُكَ مادِحاً

فأصغَيْتَ عن علْمٍ إليَّ تَكَرُّما

I came to you, my praise plagiarized, reciting it,

So you listened to me with a knowledge that honored.

كأنّك في ذاك السَّموألُ مُنصَتاً

يُعيرُ صَداه السّمْعَ لمّا تَكلما

As if you in your towering summit hearkened

To an echo that lent hearing though you spoke not.

لأَوسعْتَ إنعاماً فلا زلْتَ مُنعِماً

وبالَغْتَ إكراماً فلازْلتَ مُكْرِما

Had you expended generously, you would not cease being generous,

Or shown utmost honor, you would not cease to honor.

ولا خفَض الأقدارُ مَن كنتَ رافعاً

ولا نقَض الأيّامُ ما كنْتَ مُبرِما

Time does not demean whom you raise,

Nor do days destroy what you have decreed.