بِعَينَيكَ ضَوءُ الأُقحُوانِ المُفَلَّجِ
وَأَلحاظُ عَينَي ساحِرِ اللَحظِ أَدعَجِ
In your eyes the gleam of delirious stars,
And glimpses of my eyes, the sorcerer of fleeting glances.
شَجىً مِن هَوىً زادَ الغَليلَ تَوَقُّداً
وَكانَ الهَوى أَلباً عَلى المُغرَمِ الشَجِي
Yearning of passion increased my torment,
And passion was testing for the lovesick and troubled one.
يُهَيِّجُ لي طَيفُ الخَيالِ صَبابَةً
فَلِلَّهِ ما طَيفُ الخَيالِ المُهَيِّجِ
The specter of fantasy stirs youthfulness in me,
By Allah! How stirring is the specter of imagination!
تَأَمَّلتُ أَشخاصَ الخَطوبِ فَلَم أُرَع
بِأَفظَعِ مِن فَقدِ الأَليفِ وَأَسمَجِ
I observed the forms of misfortunes, but found nothing,
More dreadful than the loss of the dear and intimate one.
وَما حَسَنٌ وَهوَ القَريبُ مَحَلَّةً
بِأَقرَبِ مِن وَفرٍ مَنالاً وَزِبرَجِ
No goodness when the dear one is close,
More vile than aloofness after nearness and intimacy.
أَيَظلِمُني المُستَضعَفونَ وَقَد رَأَوا
تَهَجُّمَ ظَلّامٍ مَتى يَكوِ يُنضِجِ
Do the weak oppress me, after they had seen,
The assault of injustice whenever it ripens?
أَرومُ اِنتِصاراً ثُمَّ يَثني عَزيمَتي
تُقايَ الَّذي يَعتاقُني وَتَحَرُّجي
I intend victory, then my determination wavers,
Restrained by that which emancipates me and my dignity.
هُما حَجَزا شَغبي وَكَفّا شَكيمَتي
فَلَم أَتَوَعَّر في وَشيعَةِ مَنهَجي
They both curbed my audacity and bridled my resolve.
So I did not go astray in the path of my approach.
وَلَم أَسرِ في أَعراضِ قَومٍ أَعِزَّةٍ
سُرى النارِ شُبَّت في أَلاءٍ وَعَرفَجِ
Nor did I jeopardize the honor of a proud people,
The heat of fire was kindled in the family and home.
وَقَد يُتَّقى فَتكُ الحَليمِ إِذا رَأى
ضَرورَةَ مَدلولٍ عَلى الفَتكِ مُحرَجِ
Yet the forbearance of the calm could be guarded against,
When dire need demands violence however regrettable.
تَهَضَّمَني مَن لَو أَشاءُ اِهتِضامَهُ
لَأَدرَكَهُ تَحتَ الخُمولِ تَوَلُّجي
I was attacked by one whom had I wished to attack,
I would have reached him in his slumber and laziness.
وَمِن عادَتي وَالعَجزُ مِن غَيرِ عادَتي
مَتى لا أَرُح عَن حَضرَةِ الذُلِّ أُدلِجِ
It is my habit, and weakness is not my habit,
That I do not depart from the presence of humiliation.
فَلَولا الأَميرُ اِبنِ الأَميرِ وَوَعدُهُ
لَقَلَّ عَلى أَهلِ العِراقِ مُعَرَّجي
Were it not for the Emir, son of the Emir and his promise,
Those in Iraq would have few places for me to take refuge.
أَخو العَزمِ لَم تَصدُر صَريمَةُ عَزمِهِ
بِمُقتَضَبٍ مِن عاثِرِ الرَيِ مُخدَجِ
The brother of determination, the neigh of his determination,
Does not issue from one stumbling over snares.
وَعِندَ الأَميرِ نُصرَةٌ إِن أُهِب بِها
أُضَلِّل أَساطيرَ الخَؤُونِ المُبَهرَجِ
With the Emir there is support, if called upon with it,
I will bewilder the legendary sorrows that confuse.
عَتادي الَّذي آوى إِلَيهِ وَعُدَّتي
لِما أَختَشي مِن صَرفِ دَهري وَأَرتَجي
My gear which I resorted to and my weaponry,
For what I fear from the caprice of fate and shed tears over.
سَيُثلِجُ صَدري اليَأسُ وَاليَأسُ مَنهَلٌ
مَتى تَغتَرِف مِنهُ الجَوانِحُ تَثلَجِ
Despair will chill my heart, and despair is a spring,
Whence the souls draw chilliness when they scoop from it.
قَنِعتُ عَلى كَرهٍ وَطَأطَأتُ ناظِري
إِلى رَنقِ مَطروقٍ مِنَ العَيشِ حَشرَجِ
I resigned myself unwillingly and lowered my gaze,
To the choking livelihood, distressed and woeful.
وَلَجلَجتُ في قَولي وَكُنتُ مَتى أَقُل
بِمُسمِعَةٍ في مَجمَعٍ لا أُلَجلِجِ
And I faltered in my words and if I speak,
In an assembly I do not falter.
يَظُنُّ العِدى أَنّي فَنيتُ وَإِنما
هِيَ السِنُّ في بُردٍ مِنَ الشَيبِ مُتهَجِ
The foe thinks that I am finished, but nay,
It is old age in the chill of white hair.
نَضَوتُ الصِبا نَضوَ الرِداءِ وَساءَني
مُضِيُّ أَخي أُنسٍ مَتى يَمضِ لا يَجي
I outgrew youth like outgrowing a cloak, and it saddened me—
The passing of the brother of intimacy, when will he pass by!
فَمَن مُبلِغٌ عَنّي الثُمالِيَّ أَنَّهُ
مَكانُ اِشتِكائي خالِياً وَتَفَرُّجي
Who will convey on my behalf to the water-skin carrier that,
My place of complaint is vacant and my recreation.
مَتى يَأتِهِ الرُكبانُ يوصِل زَعيمُهُم
رِسالَةَ مَطرودٍ عَنِ اللَهوِ مُزعَجِ
When will the caravans come and their guide convey,
A message from one expelled from frivolity, annoyed?
أَرانا وَقيذى كَبرَةٍ وَتَكاوُسٍ
عَلى مُلتَقىً مِن مَطلَبِ الحاجِ أَعوَجِ
We are but the rubbish of a water-skin and old vessels,
At the crossroads of the pilgrim’s pursuit, twisted.
بَعيدينَ لا نُدنى لِأُنسِ فَنُجتَبى
عَلَيهِ وَلا نُدعى لِخَطبٍ فَنَنتَجى
Far apart, never to be drawn near for the intimacy;
To be chosen over it or invited to a discourse and avoid it.
مَضى جَعفَرٌ وَالفَتحُ بَينَ مُرَمَّلِ
وَبَينَ صَبيغٍ في الدِماءِ مُضَرَّجِ
Jaʿfar has gone and the Opening between Murammal,
And Sabīgh lies in blood, immersed.
أَأَطلُبُ أَنصاراً عَلى الدَهرِ بَعدَما
ثَوى مِنهُما في التُربِ أَوسى وَخَزرَجي
Shall I seek supporters against fate after,
Aus and Khazraj took abode in the soil?
أُولَئِكَ ساداتي الَّذينَ بِفَضلِهِم
حَلَبتُ أَفاويقَ الرَبيعِ المُثَجَّجِ
They were my masters whom through their merit,
I milked the prime of flourishing spring.
مَضَوا أَمَماً قَصداً وَخُلِّفتُ بَعدَهُم
أُخاطِبُ بِالتَأميرِ والِيَ مَنبِجِ
They passed away as fate intended, and after them I was left,
Addressing with authority the governor of Manbij.
