لِعَينَيهِ عَلى العُشّاقِ إِمرَهْ

وَلَيسَ لَهُم إِذا ما جارَ نُصرَهْ

His eyes rule over lovers,

And they have no succor when he is stubborn.

فَأَمّا الهَجرُ مِنهُ فَهوَ إِلفٌ

وأَمّا الوَصلُ مِنهُ فَهوَ نَدرَهْ

As for his estrangement, it is familiarity,

And as for his intimacy, it is seldom.

إِذا ما سَرَّهُ قَتلي فَأَهلاً

بِما قَد ساءَني إِن كانَ سَرَّهْ

When my death pleases him, so be it—

Whatever grieves me pleases him.

تَلِفتُ بِشَعرِهِ وَسَمِعتُ غَيري

يَقولُ سَلِمتُ مِن تَلَفي بِشَعرَه

I gathered his hair and others heard me

Saying I was spared gathering his hair.

لَقَد خَدَعَتكَ أَلحاظٌ مِراضٌ

وَتَمَّمَ بِالفُتورِ عَلَيكَ سِحرَه

Sickly gazes and perfect magic

Overpowered you.

فَيا حَذِرَ البَصيرَةِ كَيفَ حَتّى

وَقَعتَ كَما رَأَيتُ وُقوعَ غِرَّه

So beware, O insightful one, of how

You fell as I saw fools fall.

فَإِنَّ الحَربَ تَزرَعُها بِلَفظٍ

وَإِنَّ الحُبَّ تَجنيهِ بِنَظرَه

War is sown by words

While love is reaped by gazes.

وَبَعدُ فَإِنَّ قَلبي في يَدَيهِ

فَإِن هُوَ ضاعَ مِنهُ أَذاعَ سِرَّه

And after that, my heart is in his hands,

So if it is lost from him, he divulges its secret.

وَأَعظَمُ حَسرَةٍ أَنّي بِدائي

أَموتُ وَفي فُؤادي مِنهُ حَسرَه

The greatest regret is that I die

With sorrows for him still in my heart.

لَقَد جَمَعَ الإِلَهُ لِناظِرَيهِ

بِنَضرَةِ خَدِّهِ ماءً وَخُضرَه

God combined for his sight

The water of his cheek and its greenery.

وَحُمرَتُهُ بِماءِ العَينِ تُذكَى

وَما جَفَّت بِها لِلشِعرِ زَهرَه

Its redness is kindled by the water of the eye

And its blossoms were never dried out by it.

وَعِندي أَنَّهُ لَبَنٌ وَخَمرٌ

وَقالَ حَسودُهُ ماءٌ وَجَمرَه

I think it is milk and wine

While his enviers say it is water and embers.

وَإِبريقُ المُدامِ بِريقٍ فيهِ

وَلَم أَشرَب فَكَيفَ وَجَدتُ سُكرَه

The wine pitcher poured a draft

And I did not drink, so how did I find its intoxication?

حَكى الإِبريقَ في عُنُقٍ وَريقٍ

وَقَد حَلّى الحَبابُ الدُرُّ ثَغرَه

It portrayed the pitcher in a neck and draft

While the cheeks of the lovely one sweetened his lips.

يُرَوِّعُ قُرطَهُ مِن بُعدِ مَهوىً

فَإِن يُرعَدْ فَقَد أَبدَيتُ عُذرَه

His earring frightens a distant lover,

So if it thunders, I have revealed its excuse.

وَلَولا جودُهُ ما كانَ ظُلماً

يُغَلِّظُ رِدفَهُ وَيُرِقُّ خَصرَه

Were it not for his generosity, injustice

Would not thicken his saddle or soften his waist.

وَلَولا بُخلُهُ ما كانَ نَظمي

لَهُ شَفَتانِ تَستَلِمانِ ثَغرَه

Were it not for his stinginess, my composition

Would not have two lips receiving its mouth.

وَأَعجَبُ مِن ذُبولِهِما ظَماءً

وَقَد مَنَعا الوَرى مِن وِردِ خَمرَه

More wondrous than their withering thirstily

Is that they denied mankind the drinking of his wine.

بِحُمرَةِ خَدِّهِ لِلشَعرِ خُضرَه

وَقَد زانَ البَياضَ سَوادُ طُرَّه

By the redness of his cheek, the poetry has greenery.

While the whiteness of his complexion is adorned by black hair.

فَيا شَمساً تَبَدَّت لي عِشاءً

وَيا قَمَراً وَلَيسَ يغيبُ بُكرَه

So it is a sun that appeared to me in the evening

And a moon that does not set in the morning.

قَد اِستَخدَمتَ في الأَفكارِ سِرّي

وَما أَطلَقَت لي بِالوَصلِ أُجرَه

You employed my secret thoughts

And did not release to me the reward of union.

وَقَد ضَمِنَ اِغتِرامي عَنكَ صَبري

وَكَم مِن ضامِنٍ يُبلى بِكَسرَه

My patience guaranteed being lovesick for you

And how many guarantors wear out from breaking!

وَلَم أَرَهُ عَلى الأَيّامِ إِلّا

عَقَدتُ مَحَبَّةً وَحَلَلتُ صُرَّه

I have not seen him be

Except that I strengthened love and released its fetters.

وَلا عاتَبتُهُ إِلّا ثَناهُ

عَلَيَّ الغَيظُ وَهوَ عَليَّ شَفرَه

I have not reproached him

Except that anger prevailed over me while he had the upper hand.

وَلا اِستَمطَرتُ سُحبَ العَينِ إِلّا

بَقيتُ بِأَدمُعي في الشَمسِ عُصرَه

I did not shed tears from my eyes

Except that I pressed oil in the sun.

بَكَيتُ عَلَيكَ يا مَولايَ حَتّى

صُرِعتُ وَلَيسَ في عَينَيَّ قَطرَه

I cried over you, my Master, until

I collapsed and there were no more tears in my eyes.

وَكَم زَمَنٍ نُواصِلُهُ وَكُنّا

نَقولُ لِذاكَ كَيفَ قَطَعتَ عِشرَه

How much time we spend together and we used to say

To that: How did you cut off our camaraderie?

صَبَبتُ عَلَيهِ لَمّا زادَ دَمعي

فَأَنكَرَهُ فَقُلتُ الماءُ نَثرَه

I poured it on him when my tears increased,

So he denied it. I said: “The water spilled it.”

وَخَوَّفَني مِنَ الأَوزارِ فيهِ

وَمَن لِمُحِبِّهِ لَو نالَ وِزرَه

He frightened me of the burdens in it

But for a lover, what is the burden of his sin!

وَحَلَّمَني هَواهُ فَصِرتُ فيهِ

أُسامِحُ كُلَّ مَن لَحِقَتهُ ضَجرَه

His love trained me, so I became

One who overlooks all who are annoyed by him.

بَدا بَدَراً جَلاهُ لَيلُ شَعرٍ

وَقَد أَهدى لَهُ الشَفَقَ المَزَرَّه

A full moon appeared whose night of hair

Adorned it with twilight glow.

وَجُملَةُ ما أُريدُ بِأَن يَراني

مَكانَ الخَيطِ مِنهُ وَهوَ إِبرَه

O sun that dawned for me in the evening

And O moon that does not set in the morning.

وَقُلتُ لَهُ لَقَد أَحرَقتَ جَسمي

وَأَنتَ بهِ فَكَيفَ سَكَنتَ سِرَّه

You made use of my secret thoughts in reflections

And did not release to me the reward of union.

فَلَو قَبَّلتَني وَقَبِلتَ مِنّي

فَقالَ أَخافُ بَعدَ الحَجِّ عُمرَه

My patience guaranteed my infatuation with you

And how many guarantors wear out from their role!

تَمَيدَنَ خَدُّهُ لِخُيولِ لَثمي

وَصَولَجَ صُدغَهُ وَالخالُ أُكرَه

I did not instill the fire of estrangement in a heart

That had in its love even a mustard seed’s weight.

إِذا عايَنتُهُ وَبَدا رَقيبي

فَيا لَكَ حُمرَةً نُسِخَت بِصُفرَه

Days will restore him to me unwillingly

And trials will turn him gentle even if he refuses.

أَراني كُنتُ في وَطَنِ التَصابي

وَأَشعارُ المَشيبِ دَليلُ سَفرَه

I have the confidence that filled my right hand

From the confidence that I dictated and you transcribed.

وَما أَخصَبتَ يا نَورَ الأَقاحي

وَإِن أَجدَبتَني إِلَا لِمَطرَه

I blame fate for blaming it.

He who blames his fate blames his fate.

وَيَنهَرُني نَهارُ الشَيبِ زَجراً

وَلَيلُ شَبيبَتي قَد كانَ سُترَه

A lord of leadership, hating ostentation,

A head of authority, and trustee of his people.

وَإِن رابَتكَ أَقوالي فَإِنّي

حَمَلتُ وَقارَهُ وَحَمَلتُ وِقرَه

Of a people who, when their discourse spreads,

Musk diffuses when it emanates.

وَلَيسَ يُجَوِّزُ الأَيّامَ إِلّا ال

تَخَيُّرُ وَالتَخيُّلُ لِلمَسَرَّه

Faces of leadership, theirs are faces

And the secret of generosity is in those families.

وَخِلٌّ لا يُخِلُّ بِشَرطِ وُدٍّ

وَلا يُبدي لَعَينِكَ وَجهَ عِذرَه

They perished in the path of glory but

They have a mention God prolonged in age.

وَبَعضُ الحِلمِ في الأَوقاتِ جَهلٌ

وَيُعجِبُني الحَليمُ وَلَو بِمَرَّه

I loved him long ago when he was obscure.

So he returned in glory to his own trace.

وَكَم قَد سَرَّ في سَمعي مَلامٌ

أَخَذتُ لُبابَهُ وَتَرَكتُ قِشرَه

I do not fear for you stumbling in the lead.

Does the illuminator of horizons fear stumbling?

وَما في الأَرضِ أَشعُرُ مِن أَديبٍ

يَقولُ الشِعرَ في البُخَلاءِ سُخرَه

The stumbling of the tolerant is glancing, so watch

For fortunes that were slow to bring abundance.

يَروقُنيَ الكَريمُ وَلَو بِفلسٍ

وَلا أَهوى البَخيلَ وَلَو بِبَدرَه

Hardships can intensely redouble

When moons are concealed.

وَكُلُّ مَذاقَةٍ تَحلو وَتُحلي

سِوى طَعمِ السُؤالِ فَما أَمَرَّه

Days differ in ruling

And the concerns of eve are erased in the morn.

مَرَرتُ عَلى حُطامٍ مِن حُطامٍ

وَيَملِكُني الصَديقُ بِحُسنِ عِشرَه

So O you who was pleased by my shortcomings,

When the preceded clarifies his excuse from you.

وَأَمّا سوءُ حَظّي مِن صَديقي

فَذاكَ مِنَ الرُسومِ المُستَقِرَّه

I thought his script an unsheathed sword.

I recalled his excuse, so I licked its line.

وَخِلٍّ كانَ مودِعَ كُلِّ سِرٍّ

فَكُنتُ أَصونُهُ وَأَصونُ سِرَّه

And poetry I did not consider lighter of soul

Or thicker of blossom or greener of flower.

حَفِظتُ عُهودَهُ وَأَضاعَ عَهدي

وَلَم يَكُ لي بِطُرْقِ الغَدرِ خِبرَه

The night of worries revealed it to me in robes of my night.

So the night of cares saw its dawn from it.

وَكَم آمَنتُهُ خَدعي وَمَكري

وَلَم آمَن خَديعَتَهُ وَمَكرَه

Eloquence unleashed from it an ocean

I wanted to cross, but feared its crossing.

بَذَلتُ لَهُ عَلى العِلّاتِ خَيري

وَلَكِن ما كَفاني اللَهُ شَرَّه

When a man drowns in the sword of the sea,

Do not mention its depth on your lips.

وَما أَدخَلتُ نارَ الهَجرِ قَلباً

بَقي مِن حُبِّهِ مِثقالُ ذَرَّه

Sweeter than pleasure after anger

And more delicious than union after estrangement.

سَتُرجِعُهُ لِيَ الأَيّامُ طَوعاً

وَتَعطِفُهُ التَجارِبُ وَهوَ مُكَره

Little in words but abundant in meanings.

If you gain them precisely, they are plentiful.

لِيَ الثِقَةُ الَّتي مَلَأَت يَميني

مِنَ الثِقَةِ الَّذي أَملَيتُ شُكرَه

It comforts then disheartens like a sea—

You see it, so the immersed belittle its immersion.

أُذِمُّ الدَهرَ مِن ذَمّي بِمَدحي

وَذَمَّ خَليلَهُ مَن ذَمَّ دَهرَه

In the poetry of mankind is fraud and ignorance,

And this—each of its verses—is its forest.

رَبِيُّ رِياسَةٍ وَأَبِيُّ نَفسٍ

وَرَأسُ سِيادَةٍ وَأَمينَ حَضرَه

Steeds wandering, rising,

To the command of the Able who they do not disobey.

مِنَ القَومِ الَّذينَ لَهُم حَديثٌ

إِذا نُشِرَ اِستَطابَ المِسكُ نَشرَه

You brought them to the measure, so they came

Showing us your measure in fate.

وُجوهُ رِياسَةٍ لَهُمُ وُجوهٌ

وَسِرُّ الجودِ في تِلكَ الأَسِرَّه

It is not like one who changes meanings

Then, if flaws appear, claims foolishness in critique.

تَفانَوا في سَبيلِ المَجدِ لَكِن

لَهُم ذِكرٌ أَطالَ اللَهُ عُمرَه

Delicate in nature, perceptive,

As for his notions, they are like the sword’s danger.

لَقَد أَحبَبتُهُ سَلَفاً رَميماً

فَعادَ لِإِثرِهِ في المَجدِ أَثرَه

He knew matters and matters made him known,

So he came to have knowledge of the outcome of the matter.

وَما أَخشى عَلَيكَ عِثارَ سَبقِ

أَيَخشى نَيِّرُ الآفاقِ عَثرَه

He does not hide wealth from a friend

But he sees only his own poverty.

وَعَثرُ السَمحِ لَمحٌ فَاِرتَقِبها

حُظوظاً أَبطَأَت لِتَجي بِكَثرَه

May God reward you well for a friend

By lightening the sorrow that weighed his back.

وَقَد تَتَضاعَفُ الأَنواءُ جِدّاً

إِذا الأَقمارُ كانَت مُستَسِرَّه

Brides adorned by the face of my critique

So they select from the purity of love their bride-price.

وَلِلأَيّامِ في الحُكمِ اِختِلافٌ

وَهَمُّ عَشِيَّةِ يُمحى بِبُكرَه

If it came easy, it became difficult and turned

Into a meadow—the roads and wilderness below it.

فَيا مَن سَرَّهُ مِنّي قُصوري

إِذا المَسبوقُ يوضِحُ مِنكَ عُذرَه

So do not consider all verse to be poetry

Then assume each black thing to be its dates.

حَسِبتُ كِتابَهُ خَدّاً صِقيلاً

ذَكَرتُ عِذارَهُ فَلَثَمتُ سَطرَه

An ailment of the sedentary and song of travel

An overseer of the drinker and friend of desolation.

وَشِعرٍ ما حَسِبتُ أَخَفَّ روحاً

وَأَثقَبَ زُهرَةً وَأَغَضَّ زَهرَه

It lowers the period of reflection from me

And how much it crept intoxicated in its slowness!

جَلاهُ عَلَيَّ في أَثوابِ لَيلي

فَأَبصَرَ مِنهُ لَيلُ الهَمِّ فَجرَه

So take it—a daughter of its night—improvised

Though it became disheveled by the sorcery of morning.

وَفَجَّرَتِ البَلاغَةُ مِنهُ بَحراً

أَرَدتُ عُبورَهُ فَخَشيتُ عَبرَه

If it grew long, it became pleasant and agreeable

To the sight of thoughts—beautiful is its sight.

إِذا غَرِقَ اِمرُؤُ في سيفِ بَحرٍ

فَلا تَذكُر عَلى شَفَتَيكَ قَعرَه

It walked or it became a star to the star

So it startled it and cast it down and captured it.

أَلَذُّ مِنَ الرِضا مِن بَعدِ سُخطٍ

وَأَعذَبُ مِن وِصالٍ بَعدَ هَجرَه

It introduces me to him though I do not see him

And ties for me the family ties of nobles.

قَليلُ اللَفظِ لَكِن في المَعاني

إِذا حَصَّلتَها بِالنَقدِ كَثرَه

The tribes of proper age—the law of poetry is that I am

A father to whoever I want to be a father-in-law.

وَيُؤنِسُ ثُمَّ يُؤيِسُ مِثلَ بَحرٍ

تَراهُ فَيَستَهينُ الغَمرُ غَمرَه

I held its reins with the right hand of my thought

And it was emancipated for the sake of glory.

وَفي شِعرِ الوَرى غُرٌّ وَدُهمٌ

وَهَذا كُلُّ بَيتٍ مِنهُ غُرَّه

May God prolong your life in ease

Dragging its train above the horizon.

قَوافٍ شارِداتٌ طالِعاتٌ

لِإِمرَةِ قادِرٍ لَم تَعصِ أَمرَه

وَجِئتَ بِها عَلى قَدرٍ فَجاءَت

تُرينا مِنكَ في التَقديرِ قُدرَه

وَلَيسَ كَمَن يُغيرُ عَلى المَعاني

فَإِن ظَهَرَ اِدَّعى بِالنَقدِ غِرَّه

رَقيقُ الطَبعِ مُرهَفُهُ فَأَمّا

خَواطِرُهُ فَمِثلُ السَيفِ خَطرَه

وَقَد عَرَفَ الأُمورِ وَعَرَّفَتهُ

فَصارَ لَهُ بعُقبَى الأَمرِ خِبرَه

وَما يُخفي غِناهُ عَن صَديقٍ

وَلَكِن ما أَراهُ أَراهُ فَقرَه

جَزاكَ اللَهُ خَيراً عَن صَديقٍ

بِتَخفيفِ الأَسى أَثقَلتَ ظَهرَه

عَرائِسُ يَجتَليها وَجهُ نَقدي

فَتَنقُدُ مِن صَفاءِ الوُدِّ مَهرَه

لَئِن سَهُلَت لَقَد صَعُبَت وَأَضحَت

كَرَوضٍ دونَهُ الطُرُقاتُ وَعرَه

فَلا تَعتَدَّ كُلَّ النَظمِ شِعراً

فَتَحسَبَ كُلَّ سَودا مِنهُ تَمرَه

تَعِلَّةُ حاضِرٍ وَنَشيدُ سَفرٍ

وَمَرشَفُ ناهِلٍ وَأَنيسُ قَفرَه

تُخَفِّضُ فَترَةَ الأَفكارِ عَنّي

وَكَم دَبَّت لَها بِالسُكرِ فَترَه

فَخُذها بِنتَ لَيلَتِها اِرتِجالاً

وَلَكِن أَصبَحَت شَمطاءَ سُحرَه

لَئِن طالَت لَقَد طابَت وَراقَت

عَلى نَظَرِ الخواطِرِ حُسنَ نَظرَه

وَسارَت أَو غَدَت لِلنَجمِ نَجماً

فَطَيَّرَها وَأَوقَعَ ثَمَّ نَسرَه

تُعَرِّفُني إِلَيهِ وَلا أَراهُ

وَتَعقِدُ لي مِنَ الفُضَلاءِ أُسرَه

عَقائِلُ سَنَّ شَرعُ الشِعرِ أَنّي

أبٌ مَن شاءَ كُنتُ بِهِنَّ صِهرَه

مَلَكتُ قِيادَها بِيَمينِ فِكري

وَقَد عُتِقَت لِوَجهِ المَجدِ حُرَّه

أَطالَ اللَهُ عُمرَكَ في سُعودٍ

تَجُرُّ ذُيولَها فَوقَ المَجَرَّه