وَيَومٍ كَأَنَّ الدَهرَ سامَحَني بِهِ
فَصارَ أَسمه ما بَينَنا هِبَةَ الدَهرِ
And a day when it seemed as though time forgave me for it
So its name between us became a gift of time
جَرَت فيهِ أَفراسُ الصِبا بِاِرتِياحِنا
إِلى دَيرُ مُرّان المُعَظَّمِ وَالعُمرِ
On it the steeds of youth flowed happily
To the honored monastery of Mourad and life
بِحَيثُ هَواءَ الغَوطَتَينِ مُعَطَّرِ الن
نَسيمِ بِأَنفاسِ الرِياحينَ وَالزَهرِ
Where the air of the two hills is fragrant
With the breeze of the winds and flowers
فَمِن رَوضَةٍ بِالحُسنِ تُرفِدُ رَوضَةً
وَمِن نَهرٍ بِالفيضِ يَجري إِلى نَهرِ
So from a garden of beauty another is fed
And from a river of plenty another river flows
وَفي الهَيكَلِ المَعمورِ مِنهُ اِفتَرَعتُها
وَصَحبي حَلالاً بَعدَ تَوفيةِ المَهرِ
And in the frequented shrine I took my fill of it
And my friends, lawful after paying the dowry
وَنَزَّهتُ عَن غَيرِ الدَنانيرِ قَدرَها
فَما زِلتُ مِنها أَشرَبُ التَبرَ بِالتبرِ
And I valued it beyond mere dinars
Thus have I continued to drink pure from the pure
وَحَلَّ لَنا ما كانَ مِنها مُحَرَّماً
وَهَل يُحظَرُ المَحظورُ في بَلَدِ الكُفرِ
And made lawful what was forbidden of it
Can the forbidden be forbidden in the land of infidels?
فَأَهدَت لي الأَيّامُ فيهِ مَوَدَّةً
دَعَتني في سِترٍ فَلَبَّيتُ في سِترِ
So the days gifted me on it an affection
That called me in secret and I responded in secret
أَتى مِن شَريفِ الطَبعِ أَصدَقَ رَغبَةً
تُخاطِبُني عَن مَعدَنِ النظمِ وَالنَثرِ
It came from noble nature, sincere inclination
Addressing me on the essence of poetry and prose
وَكانَ جَوابي طاعَةً لا مَقالَةً
وَمَن ذا الَّذي لا يَستَجيبُ إِلى اليُسرِ
And my reply was obedience not refusal
For who does not respond to ease?
فَلاقَيتُ مِلءَ العَينِ نُبلاً وَهِمَّةً
مَحَلّى السَجايا بِالطَلاقَةِ وَالبَشرِ
I found eyes full of grace and resolve
Features sweetened with cheerfulness and glad tidings
وَأَحشَمَني بِالبِرِّ حَتّى ظَنَنتُهُ
يُريدُ اِختِداعي عَن جَناني وَلا أَدري
And it shamed me with righteousness until I thought
It wanted to cheat me of my heavens though I knew not
وَنَزَّه عَن غَيرِ الصَفاءِ اِجتِماعَنا
فَكُنتُ وَإِيّاهُ كَقَلبَينِ في صَدرِ
And it was pure from all but sincerity in our gathering
So we were like two hearts in one chest
وَشاءَ السُرورُ أَن يَلينا بِثالِثٍ
فَلا طفنا بِالبَدرِ أَو بِأَخي البَدرِ
And happiness willed that a third join us
Whether we floated by the full moon or my brother the moon
بِمُعطى عُيون ما اِشتَهَت مِن جَمالِهِ
وَمَضني قُلوبٍ بِالتَجَنُّبِ وَالهَجرِ
With eyes that grant what they desire of his beauty
And hearts that avoid me and keep distant
جَنينا جَنيَ الوَردِ في غَيرِ وَقتِهِ
وَزَهرَ الرُبا مِن رَوضِ خَدَّيهِ وَالثَغرِ
We plucked roses in their off season
And the basil bloomed from the gardens of his cheeks and lips
وَقابَلَنا مِن وَجهِهِ وَشَرابِهِ
بِشَمسَينِ في جُنحى دُجى اللَيلِ وَالشَعرِ
And he met us with his face and wine
Like two suns amid the darkness of night and hair
وَغَنّى فَصارَ السَمعُ كَالطَرفِ آخِذاً
بِأَوفَرِ حَظٍّ مِن مَحاسِنِهِ الزُهرِ
And sang till hearing became like seeing
Grasping the amplest share of his brilliant charms
وَأَمتَعَنا مِن وَجنَتَيهِ بِمِثلِ ما
تَمَزَّجَ كَفّاهُ مِنَ الماءِ وَالخَمرِ
And delighted us from his two cheeks with the likes of what
His hands mixed of water and wine
سُرورٌ شكرنا منة الصحو إذ دعا
إِلَيهِ وَلَم نَشكُرُ بِهِ مِنَّةَ السُكرِ
A sober joy we thanked when it called
To it and did not thank the joy of drunkenness
كَأَنَّ اللَيالي نمنَ عَنهُ فَعِندَما
تَنَبَّهَنَّ نَكَّبنَ الوَفاءَ إلى الغَدرِ
As though the nights forgot him, so when
They awoke they turned loyalty to betrayal
مَضى وَكَأَنّي كُنتُ فيهِ مُهَوِّماً
يُحَدِّثُ عَن طَيفِ الخَيالِ الَّذي يَسري
He left and it was as though I had been
Worried, speaking of a phantom of the imagination passing
وَهَل يَحصُلُ الإِنسانُ مِن كُلِّ ما بِهِ
تُسامِحُهُ الأَيّامُ إِلّا عَلى الذِكرِ
Can man gain from all with which
Days indulge him save by remembrance?
