تَذَكَّرَ مَحزوناً وَأَنّى لَهُ الذِكرى
وَفاضَت بِغُزرِ الدَمعِ مُقلَتُهُ العَبرى
He remembered sorrowfully, though whence came memory to him,
And his lash-fringed eyes overflowed with copious tears.
فُؤادٌ هُوَ الحَرّانُ مِن لاعِجِ الجَوى
إِلى كَبِدٍ جَمٍّ تَباريحُها حَرّى
A heart consumed with ardour for the beloved,
To a body whose veins course with fervent blood.
كَرىً حالَ سَكبُ الدَمعِ دونَ خِتامِهِ
فَلا دَمعَةٌ تَرقا وَلا مُقلَةٌ تَكرى
How often tears flow unchecked to their end,
No eye sheds a tear, no lash is wet.
وَكُنتُ وَكانَت وَالشَبابُ عُلالَةٌ
كَسَكرانَ مِن خَمرِ الصَبابَةِ أَو سَكرى
I was, and she was, and youth was sweet madness,
Intoxicated with the wine of childhood or innocence.
أَشارَت بِمِدراها فَأَصمَت وَلَم أَكُن
أُحاذِرُ إِصماءَ الإِشارَةِ بِالمِدرى
She hinted with a glance and was silent; I was not
On my guard against the silence of hints.
سَرى الطَيفُ مِن ظَمياءَ وَهناً فَمَرحَباً
وَأَهلاً بِمَسرى طَيفِ ظَمياءَ مِن مَسرى
A phantom came from Thamia and welcome!
Welcome the route of a phantom from Thamia!
أَلَمَّ بِسَفرٍ لاغِبينَ وَأَينُقٍ
ذَرَعنَ بِنا مِن أَذرِعاتٍ إِلى بُصرى
It made towards an absence and a gracefulness
That carried us on outstretched arms to Bosra.
لَقَد كانَ في يَومِ الثَنِيَّةِ مَنظَرٌ
وَمُستَمَعٌ يُنبي عَنِ البَطشَةِ الكُبرى
Truly there was on the day of al-Thaniya a sight
And hearing that warned of great violence,
وَعَطفُ أَبي الجَيشِ الجَوادَ يَكُرُّهُ
مُدافَعَةً عَن دَيرِ مُرّانَ أَو مَقرى
As my father wheeled his steed aside
To defend the monastery of Muran or Maghara.
فَكائِن لَهُ مِن ضَربَةٍ بَعدَ طَعنَةٍ
وَقَتلى إِلى جَنبِ الثَنِيَّةِ أَو أَسرى
So for him after a blow comes a stab,
And brave dead by al-Thaniya’s side or prisoners;
فَوارِسُ صَرعى مِن تُؤامٍ وَفارِدٍ
وَأَرسالُ خَيلٍ في شَكائِمِها عَقرى
Horsemen prone from assault and alone,
And horses with hamstrung legs.
رَأَيتُ تَفارِيقَ المَحاسِنِ جُمِّعَت
إِلى مُشتَرٍ أَهدى إِلى القَمَرِ الشِعرى
I saw charms gathered together
And sent as a gift to the moon-faced one.
مُحَمَّلَةً ما لَو تَحَمَّلَ آدَهُ
مِنَ الصَفَدِ المَنقولِ قَيصَرُ أَو كِسرى
Laden with what, were Adam himself to bear
The chains therefrom, Caesar and Chosroes might envy.
مُبارَكَةً شَدَّت قُوى السِلمِ بَعدَما
تَوالَت خُطوبُ الحَربِ مُقبِلَةً تَترى
Blessed the rope of peace, now that
The fortunes of war come in succession.
إِذا شارَفَت أَرضَ العِراقِ فَإِنَّهُ
سَيُسنى أَميرُ المُؤمِنينَ بِها البُشرى
When it nears Iraq’s land, its Amir
Will bring the believers the good tidings.
مَتى نَعتَرِض جَدوى أَبي الجَيشِ نَعتَرِف
مَواهِبَ يُلحِقنَ المُقِلَّ بِمَن أَثرى
When do we deny the excellence of my father, we admit
The gifts that equal the poor with the wealthy?
وَلا نَقصَ في الغَيثِ الدِراكِ يَغُضُّهُ
سِوى أَنَّهُ أَزرى بِهِ مِنهُ ما أَزرى
In copious rain that satisfies is no defect
Save that it enriches him even more than it enriches.
إِذا وَهَبَ الأولى مِنَ النَيلِ لَم يَدَع
مُتابَعَةَ الإِفضالِ أَو يَهَبَ الأُخرى
When first of Nile’s flood he grants, he does not neglect
To continue largesse or grant the last.
