جَمالٌ ولكنْ أينَ منكَ جَميلُ

وحُسْنٌ وإحسانُ الحسانِ قَليلُ

Beauty, but where is your beauty from you, little beauty?

And charm, but the charm of the charmer is little.

ولكنّ لي حُبّاً تقَادَمَ عَهْدُه

فليس إلى الإقصار عنه سَبيل

But I have a love whose era has passed,

So there is no way to fall short of it.

سَجِيّةُ نَفْسٍ ما تَحولُ فتَرعَوي

على أنّ حالاتِ الزّمانِ تَحُول

It is the disposition of a soul that does not change, so it pastures

Even though the states of time do change.

سقَى اللهُ أرضاً ما تَزالُ عِراصُها

يُجَرُّ عليها للسَّحابِ ذُيول

May God water a land whose stubble remains,

With its tails being dragged for the clouds.

يَبيتُ بها قلبي ولَحظُكِ والصَّبا

جَميعاً وكُلٌّ يا أُمَيمُ عَليل

In it resides my heart, your gaze, and the morning breeze -

All together, and each one, my little dove, is ill.

وما تَفْتَأُ الحسناءُ تَفْتِكُ إن رنَتْ

بلَحْظٍ يَقُدُّ القلبَ وهْو كَليل

The beauty does not cease to flirt if she glanced

With a look that leads the heart while it is infirm.

فللّهِ عَيْنا مَن رأَى مثْلَ سَيْفِها

لوَ انّ به غيرَ المُحبِّ قَتيل

By God, the eye of one who saw the likes of her sword -

None but the lover by it is killed.

وحَيْرانُ أمّا قلبُه فهْو راحِلٌ

غَراماً وأمّا حَبُّه فحُلول

And confused - as for his heart it travels,

Passionately, and as for his love it lodges.

ألمَّ به ساري الخيالِ ببَلْدةٍ

وأُخْرَى بها أهْلُ الحبيبِ نُزول

The specter of imagination has inflicted him in one land,

And in another where the loved ones descend.

ونحن نَجوبُ البِيدَ فوقَ ركائبٍ

تَراها معَ الرَكْبِ العِجالِ تَجول

While we roam the expanse on our mounts

You see them roving with the hastening caravan.

فلو وقَفوا في ظلِّ رُمْحٍ ونَوَّخوا

لضَمّهُمُ والعِيسَ فيه مَقيل

If only they stopped in the shade of a spear and reproached -

I would gather them while the wolf in it is asleep.

وماذا يُريدُ الطّيفُ منّا إذا سَرَى

وفي الصَّدْرِ منّي لَوعةٌ وغَليل

And what does the specter want from us, when it traveled,

While in my chest from me are agony and bile?

وخَدِّيَ من صِبْغِ الدُّموعِ مُورَّدٌ

وطَرْفيَ باللّيلِ الطّويل كَحيل

My cheek from the dye of tears is reddened,

And my eyelid at night long as kohl.

تَأوَّبَني هَمٌّ كما خالَط الحَشا

من البيضِ مَطْرورُ الغِرارِ صَقيل

A worry has bent me as the white has mixed with the dust

Of polished iron from polishing.

لِفُرقَةِ قَومٍ ضَمَّنا أمسِ رِحلةٌ

ويُفْرِدُهمْ عنّي الغداةَ قُفول

For the separation of a people yesterday's journey has gathered us

And separates them from me tomorrow's return.

وإنّي إذا قالوا مَتى أنت راحِلٌ

فقد حانَ للمُسْتَعْجِلينَ رَحيل

And if they say when are you traveling,

Then the time for the hasty ones to travel has come.

وقَضّى لُباناتِ المَقامِ مُودِّعٌ

ولم يَبْقَ إلاّ أن تُزَمَّ حُمول

And I bid farewell to the remains of the stay

And there remains only to tighten the loads.

لكالطّائرِ المَقْصوصِ منه جَناحُه

له كُلَّ صُبْحٍ رَنّةٌ وعَويل

Like a bird whose wing is clipped,

Every dawn it sings and wails.

يرَى الطّيرَ أسراباً تَطيرُ وما لَه

إلى ألْفِه النّائي المَكانِ وُصول

It sees birds in flocks flying, and it cannot

Reach its distant tribe and arrive.

ويَذكُرُ فَرْخَيهِ ببَيْداءَ بَلْقَعٍ

تَشُق على مَن جابَها وتَطول

And it remembers its chicks in a barren plain

That is hard on whoever crossed it and is long.

وتُضحي جِبالُ الثّلْجِ من دونِ عُشّه

وريحٌ كوقْعِ المَشْرفيِّ بَليل

The mountains of ice in lieu of its nest become sacrificed

And wind like the fall of an observatory at night.

فما هو إلاّ ما يُقلِّبُ طَرْفَه

ويَعروه داءٌ في الضُّلوعِ دَخيل

Thus it only tosses its glance

And a hidden disease in its ribs has dwelt.

فحالي كتلك الحالِ واللهُ شاهدٌ

ولكنّ صَبْرَ الأكرمينَ جميل

So my state is like that state, and God is witness,

But the patience of the generous is beautiful.

فهل حامِلٌ عنّى كتابَ صَبابتي

إلى ساكني أرضِ العراقِ رَسولُ

Is there a carrier from me of the message of my passion

To the residents of the land of Iraq, a messenger?

فواللهِ لم أكتُبْه إلاّ وعَبْرتي

معَ النِّقْسِ منِّي في البَياضِ تَجول

By God, I only wrote it and my tears

Wander with the manuscript on the page.

لِيَهْنِ الرّجالَ الأغنياءَ مُقامُهمْ

وإنَّ عناءَ المُقْتِرينَ طويل

To dishearten the wealthy men their stay

And the toil of the poor is long.

وإنّي لأُمْضي للعُلا حَدَّ عَزْمةٍ

بها من قراعِ النَّائباتِ فُلول

I spend until the limit of resolve

With which fragments of catastrophes are demolished.

وما قَصَّرتْ بي هِمّةٌ غيرَ أنّه

زمانٌ لِما يَرْجو الكرامُ مَطول

My ambition has not been short except that

It is an era what the generous hope is long for.

وقَلَّ غَناءُ الطِّرْفِ والقِدْحِ كُلّما

يَضيقُ مَجالٌ أو يَضيقُ مُجِيل

The singing of the cup and wine as the opportunity narrows

Or the gathering place narrows, decreases.

وقالوا تشَبَّثْ بالرّجاءِ لعلّه

يُديلُك من رَيْبِ الزّمانِ مُديل

And they said hold on to hope, perhaps

It will trickle down to you from the harm of time a trickle.

ويَكْفُلُ عُمْرُ المَرءِ يوماً بحَظِّهِ

فقلتُ وهل لي بالكَفيلِ كَفيل

I said: and do I have for the guarantor a guarantor?

May Ahmad - O time - elegy Ahmad

عسى أحمدٌ يا دَهْرُ يَرْثي لأحمدٍ

فيُدرَكَ من بَيْنِ الحوادثِ سُول

So from between events he is caught slipping.

Never do my praises meet like my praise one day

فما يَلتقي يوماً على مثْلِ مِدْحَتي

وجودُ يدَيِه سائلٌ ومَسول

And the existence of his hands asking and sought.

Of the people, as for his face for his chastity

منَ القومِ أمّا وجهُه لعُفاتِه

فطَلْقٌ وأمّا رِفدُه فجَزيل

It is smooth, and as for his knowledge it is plenty.

The water of dew from his right hand overflows

يَفيضُ لنا ماءُ النّدى من يَمينِه

وفي وجههِ ماءُ الحياءِ يَجول

And in his face the water of modesty wanders.

And he spreads for the world and the religion tranquility

ويَبْسُطُ للدّنيا وللدّينِ راحةً

تَفاخَرُ أقلامٌ بها ونُصول

Pens boast of it and papyruses.

And he wrings out effort as one who loosens

ويَستَمْطِرُ الجَدْوَى كما انهلَّ واكفاً

من المُزْنِ مَحلولُ النِّطاقِ هَطول

The bindings of coherent speech a downpour.

And in transcribing what he dictates sometimes reason errs

وفي نَسْخِ ما يُمليهِ ما يَغلطُ الحَيا

فَيعرِضُ في بَعْضِ البلادِ مُحول

So he presents in some countries altered.

O you, whose justice’s shadow

فيا أيُّها المَولَى الّذي ظِلُّ عَدْلِه

على الخَلْقِ طُرّاً والبِلادِ ظَليل

Upon the creation is happiness, and the countries a shade.

And O you, the branch that reached the heights

ويا أيُّها الفَرْعُ الّذي بلَغ العُلا

بما كَرُمَتْ في المجدِ منه أُصول

With what the roots were generous to him in glory.

You are the minister, son of the minister in eminence

لأنتَ الوزيرُ ابنُ الوزيرِ نَباهةً

إذا مَسَّ قوماً آخَرينَ خُمول

When sluggishness afflicts other people.

And a rain in the chest of requests is abundance

وغَيثٌ وفي صَدْرِ المَطالبِ غُلّةٌ

ولَيثٌ وأطرافُ الأسِنّةِ غِيل

And a lion though mouths of tongues are biting.

Help me against an unjust time

أَعِنّي على دَهرٍ تَعرَّضَ جائرٍ

فمالك في العَدْلِ العميمِ عَديل

That has transgressed, and in the complete justice you are the peer.

Every sanctuary it has not desecrated

فكلُّ حريمٍ لم تَحُطْهُ مُضَيَّعٌ

وكُلُّ عزيزٍ لا تُعِزُّ ذَليل

And every dear one it does not dishonor the disgraced.

With an army whose tread on me is heavy.

وهاهو قد هَزَّ الشّتاءُ لِواءه

بجِيْشٍ له وَطْءٌ عليَّ ثقيل

And its forgotton or lost one mentions me

And in including it is a rain how it pours!

ويَذْكرني منسيُّه أو مُضاعُه

وفي ضِمنها غَيثٌ بحيثُ يَصول

I conceal to it each day and night

And ask about it while the bewildered is questioned.

أَخِفُّ إليها كُلَّ يومٍ وليلةٍ

وأَسألُ عنها والحَفيُّ سَؤول

The delay of reply almost makes me doubtful

So the garden of hope in it fades.

وقد كاد تَأْخيرُ الجوابِ يُريبُني

فيَظْهرُ في رَوْضِ الرَّجاءِ ذُبول

You ordered to accomplish the matters so why do I see

The obstacles of a time around which they turn?

أَمرْتَ بإنجازِ الأُمورِ فلِمْ أَرَى

حَوائلَ دَهْرٍ دونَهُنَّ تَحول

Who from fate until today dares

That if you say a saying it tilts from it?

مَنِ الدَّهْرُ حتّى يَجْسُرَ اليومَ أنّه

إذا قلتَ قولاً ظلَّ عنه يَميل

Was it not from an ignorant beast and it has become

For your glory in it deceived and brand new?

ألم يك من لُؤْمٍ بهيماً وقد غدا

لمجدِك فيه غُرَّةً وحُجول

You have risen to the horizons of nobility a rising

While the moons of the eminent set.

طَلعْتَ لآفاقِ المكارمِ طَلْعةً

على حينَ أقمارُ العَلاءِ أُفول

And you are whom glory does not deny that

It is the best of what the generous have done.

وأنت الّذي لا يُنكِرُ المَجْدُ أنّه

لأحسنِ ما قال الكِرامُ فَعول

So what prevents seeking the minor fortune

While your generosity for the great fortune is spending?

فما يَمنَعُ الحظَّ اليسيرَ التِماسُه

وجُودُك للحظِّ الكبير بَذول

Is there among these pens a rebel and obedient?

And among them also a scholar and an ignorant?

أَفي هذه الأقلامِ عاصٍ وطائعٌ

وفيهنّ أيضاً عالِمٌ وجَهول

Or else what does the pen mean that

You allowed what I want and it is stingy?

وإلاّ فماذا يقْصِدُ القلَمُ الَّذي

سَمحْتَ بما أَبغيهِ وهْو بَخيل

And it is unseemly that it refuses while its Lord

For the greatest that the poor hope for is a giver.

وغيرُ جميلٍ أن يَضِنَّ ورَبُّه

لأعظَمِ ما يَرجوُ العفاة مُنيل

No - by Him who the dressed visited His house

Upon she-camels their course is feeble.

فلا والّذي حَجَّ المُلَبّونَ بَيْتَه

على ناجِياتٍ سَيْرُهُنَّ ذَميل

No - by Him who sustains you for glory and sublimity

The lifetime of fate as youth blew and accepted.

ولا والّذي يُبقِيك للمجدِ والعُلا

مدَى الدَّهْرِ ما هَبّتْ صَباً وقَبول

By your right if you give or you prevent

I have from you regarding it only to you recourse.

يَميناً لئن أعطَيْتَ أو كنتَ مانعاً

لَما عنك لي إلاّ إليكَ عُدول

And that you do not stop until you sign it for me

You see me from this place withdraw.

وأنْ لم تَزُلْ حتّى تُوقّع لي بِها

تَرانيَ عن هذا المكانِ أَزول

And that upon you today is to ratify my oath

For in the law of favors you speak!

وأنّ عليك اليومَ تَصْديقَ حَلْفَتي

فأنت بشَرْعِ المَكْرُمات تَقول

So that each may know your place today

And acceptance for the merit with the knowledgeable.

لِيعلمَ كُلٌّ عندك اليومَ مَوضِعي

وللفضلِ عند العارِفين قَبول

You remain and no time ruins your enemies

And the slanderer of your sublimity perishes.

بَقِيتَ ولا أبقَى أعاديَكَ الرَّدى

وغالَ الّذي يَشنا عَلاءكَ غُول

So the envious of your prominence do not cease

To end up in stumbles which have no rest.

فلا بَرِحَتْ حُسّادُ علْياكَ تَنتهي

إلى عثَراتٍ ما لَهُنَّ مُقيل

For you alone prefer the elite of civility

And the rest of the country's rulers are subdivisions.

لأنت لباغي العُرْفِ وحْدَك مُفْضِلٌ

وسائرُ أملاكِ البلادِ فُضول

An example in matters is from you, and from them

To your command in them is standing with heads.

فمِنْكَ مِثالٌ في الأُمورِ ومنْهمُ

لأَمْرِك فيها بالرُّؤوسِ مثُول

Vanguard of fortune its face beamed for you

And the first to gift the Khamis treasure.

طَليعةُ إقبالٍ جلَتْ لكَ وجْهَها

وأوّلُ ما يَهْدي الخَميسَ رَعيل

You have left the kings of earth aside

While to my words with the ears inclined.

تَركْتَ ملوكَ الأرضِ طُرّاً وكُلُّهمْ

إلى كلِماتي بالمَسامعِ مِيل

Phrases whose meanings are gentle subtle

And its speaker formerly with them is great.

قَوافٍ مَعانيها لِطافٌ دقيقةٌ

وقائلها سَبْقاً بهِنَّ جليل

They have shaken and delighted the generous as if

A north wind blows or a tent pole shakes.

هَزَزَن وأطْرَبنَ الكِرامَ كأنّما

تَهُبُّ شَمالٌ أو تَهُزُّ شَمول

To you, so take them, they are born of an hour

Just as the two onlookers' sight hurried.

إليك فخُذْها إنّها بِنْتُ ساعةٍ

كما كَرَّ رَجْعَ النّاظِرَيْنِ عَجول

Progeny of a thought overwhelmed by its worries

So its beauty in it came while little.

سَليلةُ فِكْرٍ زاحمَتْها هُمومُه

فجاءك فيها الحُسْنُ وهْو ضَئيل

I have accepted poetry as entertainment

As if tethered in the bend of the bridle complacent.

وقد رُضْتُ بالفِكْرِ القريضَ رياضةً

كما قِيدَ في ثَنْيِ الزِّمامِ ذَلول

Let not the state ask for more if I fall short

Nor should the hearing seek aid when I prolong.

ولا تَستزيدُ الحالَ إن كنتُ مُقصِراً

ولا يَستغيثُ السَّمْعُ حين أُطيل