خَفِّضْ عليكَ وإنْ أطَلْتَ تأَمُّلا
فلقد عذَلْتَ من الرّجالِ مُعذَّلا
Lower yourself even if you are haughty in contemplation
For you have certainly wronged the most wronged of men
أعياكَ إسْعادي فصِرْتَ مُعنِّفي
ليتَ الّذي عدَم الجَميلَ تَجمَّلا
You made me despair of pleasing you, so you maltreated me
If only the ungenerous would pretend to be generous
ماذا تُريدُ إلى رَدِيِّ مَطالِبٍ
مُنِعَ الرِّضا من حاجةٍ فتَعلّلا
What do you want with someone whose requests are denied?
Excuses abound when desires go unsatisfied
ما لي شكَوتُ إليك نارَ جوانِحي
لتكونَ مُطفِئَها فكنتَ المُشْعِلا
Why did I complain to you of the fires within me
If you would only ignite them instead of extinguishing them
دَعْني وأطماري أَجُرُّ ذُيولَها
وأُنَزِّهُ الدِّيباجتَيْنِ عنِ البِلى
Leave me be with my robes as I let down their trains
And keep the two silks safe from decay
أنا صائنٌ وَجْهي وإنْ صفِرَتْ يَدي
كم من أَغَرَّ ولا يكونُ مُحَجَّلا
Though my hands are yellow, I guard my face
Many are deluded though not made up
إنّا على عَضِّ الزَّمانِ لَمَعشرٌ
من دونِ ماءِ وجُوهنا ماءُ الطُّلى
We are a people the passing days have worn down
Our faces glisten without water or kohl
ذهَب البخيلُ يَصونُ فَضْلَ ثَرائه
ويَسومُ عِرْضَ الحُرِّ أنْ يتَبذّلا
The miser left hoarding his surplus wealth
And bartering the honor of the noble, too stingy to give
هيهاتَ مدَّ يَدٍ إلى ما عندَه
إلاّ إذا صَحِبَتْ إليه مُنْصُلا
Far off is the outstretched hand from what he owns
Unless holding a carving knife, it will not draw near
هو ما عَلِمْتَ من الزّمانِ فَخلِّني
يا لائمي إنّ الكريمَ لَيُبتَلى
This is what I know of time, so leave me be
O you who blame me, for even the generous are tested
ولئنْ شكَوْتُ لأشكُوَنَّ تَعلُّلاً
ولئن صَبَرْتُ لأَصبِرَنَّ تَجَمُّلا
If I complained, I would only complain peevishly
And if I were patient, I would only pretend patience
ولئن طَلَبْتُ لأَطلُبَنَّ عظيمةً
تُشْجي العِدا ولأَعصِيَنّ العُذَّلا
If I sought, I would only seek great things
To defy enemies and disobey the censorious
هِيَ حليةُ الأَدبِ الّتي مُلِّكْتُها
فقضَتْ عَليَّ منَ الغنى أن أعطَلا
These are the ornaments of refinement I was granted
Which led me away from wealth into destitution
فلْيَجْهلَنَّ على اللّيالي آنِفاً
فَتْكي وغايةُ عالمٍ أن يَجْهَلا
May the nights henceforth obscure my every glory
Since the wise man's utmost is obscurity
بظُبىً يَمانيَةِ النِّجارِ وفِتْيَةٍ
بيضٍ كذاكَ يُناسبونَ الأنْصُلا
With Yemeni ibexes the color of sandalwood
And noble steeds as white as Indian swords
آدابُهمْ وَصْلُ الصّوارِمِ بالخُطا
في الرَّوْعِ أو مَشْقُ الأسنّةِ في الكُلى
Their manners are tying blades to lances
Or piercing flanks with spears in battle
ما للمُسائلِ عندَهمْ إلاّ الّذي ال
جَحّافُ قام به يُجيبُ الأخطَلا
They care not for empty words save those which
Eloquent Al-Akhṭal would answer
وهَبوا التّقيّةَ للنّصيحِ وأصبَحوا
أتباعَ ما طلَبوه كيف تَخَيّلا
They eschewed hypocrisy for sincerity and now
Follow whatever they desire, however far-fetched
ومضَوا وشَوكُ السَّمهَريِّ طَريقُهمْ
فعَلَوْا مِن المَجْدِ اليَفاعَ الأَطْولا
They marched on though the path was strewn with thorns
And climbed high, higher than high ridges
بَيْتاً بأشطانِ الرّماحِ مُطنَّباً
ويَنْسج أيدي المُقْرَباتِ مُظَلَّلا
Their abode has pillars of spears for columns
And fair hands weave a shady canopy
من كلِّ مُستَبِقِ اليدَيْنِ إلى الظُّبَى
طَرِباً إلى يومِ الوغَى مُستَعجِلا
Every nimble-handed one vies in horsemanship
Eagerly till the day of clamor arrives
ويَخالُ مُحْمَرَّ الصّفائحِ وجْنةً
ويَعُدُّ سَمراءَ الوشيجِ مُقَبَّلا
He fancies the red leather shields a garden
And deems the dark mail coats to be kissed
حَنِقٌ إذا رَكِبَ اليَمينَ حُسامُه
للقِرْنِ لاحظَ رأسَه فتَرجّلا
When his right hand draws the sword against the nape
He glances at the head then dismounts
هانَتْ مَنِيَّتُه عليه لعزِّه
فأبَى لضَيْمِ الدَّهْرِ أن يتَحَمّلا
He scorns turning down a challenge due to his honor
And refuses to bear the oppression of fate
قَومٌ إذا إبتَدروا الوغَى عَصَفَتْ بهمْ
جُرْدٌ تُصافحُها النُّسورُ على المَلا
A people whom, when war is kindled, squadrons bear off
That the vultures alight upon in battlefields
قَيْدُ الأوابدِ والنّواظرِ كُلّما
طلعتْ عليها سُبَّقاً أو مُثَّلا
Bridling steeds and gazing upon them whenever
A star rises at dusk or a crescent at dawn
من طُولِ ما اجتَبْنَ الحديدَ وخُضْنَه
في الرَّوعِ بَرْقَعَها سَناهُ وخَلْخلا
Their coats are dyed from the sheer time they've spent
Scraping them in war - some trailing, some hemmed
وكأنّ صُبْحاً سال من جَبهاتِها
صَبَباً فكان له القَرارُ الأرجُلا
As if dawn flowed down their foreheads in streams
With feet like granite boulders rounded by flood
من كلِّ ذي مَرَحٍ يُلاعِبُ عِطْفَهُ
ويَهُمُّ من جَنْبَيْهِ أن يَتَسَلّلا
Each lovable flirt they tease with their hands
And threaten slyly to sneak up from the sides
طَوْعُ الفتَى إن شاء يَنْصِبُ مِجْدلاً
من شَخْصيِه أو شاء يُطلِقُ أَجْدَلا
The youth does as he pleases - if he desires, he lifts
His stature; if he wants, he casts it down
جَذْلانُ يَحْجُبُ شَطْرَهُ عن شَطْرِهِ
طُولاً أُتمَّ له وعَرْضاً أُكمِلا
His unkempt hair conceals half his face from the other
Made perfect in length and width when combed
فكأنّما يَكبُو إذا استَدْبَرْتَه
وكأنّما يُقْعي إذا ما اسْتُقْبِلا
So that when you stand behind him he seems hunched
And when you face him he appears supine
ويَهُزُّ جيداً كالقناةِ مُرنَّحاً
ويُديرُ سَمْعاً كالسّنانِ مُؤلَّلا
Swaying his luxuriant locks like a bough in the breeze
Circling his ear like a ring of twisted wire
فإذا دنا فجَع الغزالَ بأُمّه
وإذا رنا خطفَ الظّليمَ المُجْفِلا
So a deer forgets to fear when it draws near
And a frightened oryx is snatched when it brays
فيَفوتُ مَطْرَحَ طَرْفه مُتَرفِّعاً
ويَجيءُ سابقَ ظلِّه مُتَمهِّلا
He lets his gaze pass by haughtily lifted
And comes pacing slowly ahead of his shadow
وتَخالُ منه صاعِداً أو هابِطاً
سَجْلاً هَوى مَلآن أو سَهْماً عَلا
Rising or descending, his figure calls to mind
An arrow launched high or a plunging stone
وأَغرَّ في ثِنْيِ العِنانِ مُحَجَّلٌ
فتخالُ يومَ وغاهُ فيه مُثِّلا
Another has an unruly forelock, dyed red, that makes him
Look bound for battle, destined for spears
إمّا كُمَيْتٍ في قُنُوِّ أَديمه
يَحْكي سَميَّتَه الرَّحيقَ السَّلْسَلا
One is blond, yellow like the changed leaf
That refuses to be shod, too proud for shoes
عَلِقَتْ به من ضوءِ صُبْحٍ قُرْحَةٌ
وأُعيرَ من لَيلٍ قِناعاً مُسْبَلا
Behind him at the racetrack are steeds near enough
That you imagine them coupled together
فَتراهُ بحراً والجبينَ ذُبالةٍ
ويَديْهِ ريحاً والحوافرَ جَنْدَلا
One is piebald - when he appears, eyes are dazzled
By this guest wandering at night, blanketed in fur
أو أشْقرٍ ذي غُرّةٍ فكأنّهُ
شَفقُ المَغاربِ بالهلالِ تَكَلّلا
Another is black - the two halves of his night and day
Are sundered and split then joined again for him
وكأنّه قد دُرّعَ النّارَ الّتي
قدحَتْ سَنابِكُه النّواهِبُ للفلا
Like an ugly slave girl who polished her cracked skin
And an old maid who revealed her gap-toothed smile
يَرتدُّ خَدُّ السّيفِ مِنه مُورَّداً
عَكْساً وطَرْفُ الشّمسِ منه مُكَحَّلا
The black he wears over white parts from us
As he tightens the top and loosens the bottom
أو أشْهَبٍ يَحْكي الشّهابَ إذا سرَى
يَجتابُ تحت النّقعِ لَيلاً ألْيَلا
One is yellow like sulfur that disdains
To imitate its color or agree to be shod
ربِذٌ إذا ما الحُضْرُ زَلزلَ أَرضَه
أَهْوَى يَفوتُ النّاظرَ المُتَأمِّلا
Another is gray - he describes the shooting star
Crossing the horizon in the depths of night
أو أدهمٍ قَرَنَ الحُجولَ بغُرّةٍ
لَطَمتْ له وجْهاً كريمَ المُجتَلى
A quaking, crumbling ruin when war shakes its ground
Eluding the eyes of those who look upon it
فظَننْتَ جَوناً ذا بَوارِقَ مُرعِداً
وحَسِبْتَ لَيْلاً ذا كواكبَ مُقْبِلا
Still another is dusky - he coupled the steeds with a forelock
Whose sheen struck a radiant face when it tossed
سَلَت الأكارعُ صِبْغَها كمُظاهرٍ
بُردَيْنِ شَمَّر ذا وهذا ذَيَّلا
You'd think him a raging storm heavy with lightning
Or a night studded with approaching stars
لَبِسَ السّوادَ على البياضِ فَراقَنا
أنْ قلَّص الأعلَى وأرخَى الأسفَلا
The racers' hooves dyed him their color
Like polished coats - this one magnificent, that trailing
كدُجُنّةٍ صَقلَتْ دَرارِيَ جَمّةً
ومُحِدَّةٍ كشفَتْ مَحاسِرَ نُصَّلا
He wore black over white and parted from us
Diminishing one half, letting down the other
أو أصفَرٍ كالتِّبْر يأبَى عزُّه
ألاّ يُحاكيَ لونَه أنْ يُنْعَلا
Like a kohl-eyed doe who bared her shiny pearls
And a sharp-tongued wife who revealed her gap-toothed smile
تَدْنو خُطا فَرَسِ المُسابِقِ خَلْفَه
فتَخالُه بحُجوله مُتَشكِّلا
Or one whose complexion is sallow - cracks run
Through his flanks like lightning in dark clouds
أو أبلَقٍ يَسْبِي العيونَ إذا بدا
من تحتِ فارسهِ الكَمِيّ مُجَوِّلا
The two threads of his night and day intertwined
Are torn apart and sown together for him
مثْلِ الجَهامِ تَشقَّقتْ أحضانه
بَرْقاً وراح له شَمالُك شَمْألا
So that you see the horizon's red glow on him
While his hands are the blowing wind, his hooves granite stones
وكأنّ خَيْطَيْ لَيله ونهارِه
قد قُطِّعَا مزَقاً عليه ووُصِّلا
With the likes of them and their equals I seek glory
And with the racers' gallop and warriors' blows
فبِمثْلهِنّ ومثْلِهم أَرمي العِدا
وبركضهِنّ وضَرْبهم أَبغي العُلا
How long will this stance persist in lifelessness
While fate brings the seeker all that he hopes for?
كم ذا المُقامُ على الخُمولِ تَلوُّماً
والدّهرُ مُبلِغُ طالبٍ ما أَمَّلا
Leave the darling to her plotting and say to her:
"Adorn my mare's forelock, not my own!"
فدَعِ العقيلةَ للثّواءِ وقُلْ لها
حُلِّي عقالَ مطيّتي لا عن قِلى
Isfahan grew accustomed to hosting me and so
Pitched its tents without me needing to wander
أَلِفَتْ مُقاميَ أصفهانُ فأنشبَتْ
لهَواتِها من دُونِ أن أتَرحَّلا
I cannot sneak away from its lands
As if my words were trapped inside your mouth
لا أستطيعُ تَسلُّلاً من أرضِها
حتّى كأنّي في لسانِك قولُ لا
For it is he who gives speech its free rein
And perfects rhetoric like none other
وهو المُملِّكُ للكلامِ عنانَهَ
وهو المُطَبِّقُ في البيانِ المَفْصِلا
O pride of the writers of this age, hear the prayer
Of one whose misfortunes have shackled him
يا مَنْ تَقابَل في العُلا أطْرافُه
حتّى تَوسّطَها مُعَمّاً مُخْوَلا
Long have I been absent, now I come to you burdened
Though perhaps the companion wearies and wears
وتَناصفَتْ آدابُه وعُلومُه
فأتَى لكُلٍّ حائزاً مُستَكْمِلا
I, who whether blamed or unblamed
Rely on none but you in times of need
فخَرتْ بكَ الأقلامُ إذا قَلّبتَها
فكأنّما خُلِقَتْ لِكفِّكَ أنْمُلا
Gaze upon days whose magnanimity is a shining sun
That makes all other stars fade for mankind
من كلِّ مُنسكِبِ النّوالِ كأنّه
من بَحرِها الفَيّاضِ يَخْلُجُ جَدْولا
And listen to my musings, though to you
They may seem too inconsequential to consider
رَطْبِ اللّسانِ يَبُثُّ سرّاً كامِناً
خِلْوِ الجَنانِ يَحُثُّ دَمعاً مُسبَلا
Do not let your abundant gifts preclude
My meager offering from being accepted
ذي مُقْلةٍ عَجَبٍ لها من طرْسه
وَجْهٌ إذا انْهلّتْ عليه تَهلّلا
Glory is not content with your merit alone
Until you are the noble giver to the noble gift
يا فخْرَ كُتّابِ الزّمانِ دُعاءَ مَنْ
ألقَتْ نوائبُه عليه كلْكَلا
Forgive my feeble efforts, for it is in my nature
When weaving praises to sometimes falter
قد غبْتُ حَوْلاً ثُمّ جئتُ مُكلِّفاً
ولربّما ثَقُلَ الجليسُ وثَقّلا
I have suffered much injustice from time
That lost all favor for the generous patron
وأنا الّذي إمّا تُلمُّ مُلِمّةٌ
لم تُلْفني إلاّ عليكَ مُعَوِّلا
To them, my poetry is like an ugly mirror
And so I restrain my heart from seeking to polish it
فاطْلُعْ مدَى الأيّامِ شَمْسَ مَكارمٍ
تُنْسي الأنامَ نُجومَهُنَّ الأُفّلا
واسمَعْ مُحبَّرةً نفَثْتُ بها وإنْ
أضحَتْ تَقلُّ لديكَ أن تُتأَمَّلا
لا يَمنعَنَّ كثيرُ ما أُوتيتَهُ
لقليلِ ما أَهدَيْتُ أن تَتقَبّلا
فالمَجْدُ لا يَرضَى بفَضْلك وَحْدَه
حتّى تكونَ الفاضِلَ المُتفَضّلا
واعذِرْ على جُهْدِ المُقلِّ فإنّ لي
طَبْعاً إذا نسَج المدائحَ هَلْهَلا
فلقد بُلِيُت منَ الزّمانِ بعُصْبةٍ
فَقَدوا وحاشاكَ الكريمَ المُفْضِلا
شِعْري كمِرآةِ القبيحةِ عندَهمْ
فلذاك أمنَعُ خاطري أن يَصْقُلا
