اِفتَرى في عَذلِهِ كَذِبا
صَبَّهُ في سَمعِهِ فَنَبا
Does he falsely accuse me in his disdain
And pour it into my hearing as news?
فَأَبى مِن أَن يُقابِلَهُ
بِقَبولٍ لَو يَكونُ أَبى
Yet he refuses to reciprocate
With acceptance, even if he were to consent.
رُدَّ أَنباءً أَتاكَ بِها
كَم عَذولٍ رُدَّ مِنهُ نَبا
He rejects the news you brought to him,
Like the rejection of many blamers.
تَتَّقي الأَقوالَ تَكرَهُها
فَهيَ سَيفٌ أَو أَحَدُّ شَبا
You avoid words, disliking them,
As they are a sword or sharper than a blade.
وَلذا قالوا لِمُمتَعِضٍ
إِنَّهُ في بارِدٍ ضَرَبا
And so they said to the disgusted one,
“He has struck in the cold.”
قالَ جِدّاً ما أَتَيتُ بِهِ
قُلتُ بَل لَهواً وَبَل لَعِبا
He said seriously, “I did not do
What I said, but was joking and playing.”
إِن رَضوا عَنّي فَأَهونُ ما
كانَ مَن يَلحى إِذا غَضِبا
If they are pleased with me, then the least
Of what he who became angry did,
قَلَبَ الدُنيا عَلَيَّ وَما
رَدَّني عَنهُم وَلا قَلَبا
Was to turn the world against me, and he
Did not turn me away from them at all.
مَرَّ مَكدودُ النَسيمِ وَلَم
يَلتَفِت ثَهلانُ وَالهِضَبا
The soft blowing breeze passed by,
And neither the does nor the meadows turned.
قالَ مَحجوبٌ فَقُلتُ لَهُ
رُبَّ بَختٍ يَخرِقُ الحُجُبا
The veiled one spoke, so I said to him,
“Maybe fate tears through the veils.”
وَلَجاجي فَهوَ يغلِبُهُ
وَهوَ كَالدُنيا لِمَن غَلَبا
My stubbornness defeats him,
And it is like the world, for those who conquer.
لا عَلا كَعبُ العَذولِ عَلى
حُبِّهِ إِلّا إِذا صُلِبا
No glory rises above the pride
Of his love, unless crucified.
بِأَبي بَدرٌ يُضيءُ بِهِ
خاطِري إِن لاحَ أَو غَرَبا
By my father Badr, shining through
My thoughts, whether rising or setting.
وَنُجومُ الأَفقِ إِن كَثُرَت
لَم تُكاثِر عِدَّةَ الرُقَبا
And the horizon stars, if numerous,
Do not multiply the number of necks.
رُبَّما حاشاهُ يَكسِفُني
فيهِ واشٍ يُشبِهُ الذَنَبا
Sometimes, far from him, an eclipse darkens me,
Resembling a tail.
مُقبِلٌ نَحوي فَواطَرَبا
مُعرِضٌ عَنّي فَواحَرَبا
Coming towards me, so we were disturbed,
Turning away from me, so we fought.
يا لَهُ بَرداً عَلى كَبِدي
وَمَعَ الأَخرى فَيا لَهَبا
Oh, how coolly he treats my liver,
And with the other, oh how aflame!
أَنا بِالأَعطافِ مُمتَحَنٌ
وَأُسَمّيها لَهُم قُضبا
I am tested by glances,
And I call them to them, frowns.
غُصنُ بانٍ لَو أَقولُ لَهُ
غُصنَ بانٍ لا تَتِه لَنَبا
If I were to say to the bending branch,
“Bending branch, do not bend,” it would not straighten.
شَرُفَت آياتُ خالِقِهِ
وَإِلى تَمييزِها نَدَبا
The signs of its Creator have noble roots,
And He urged us to distinguish them.
آيَةٌ في الحُسنِ تَشهَدُ لي
كانَ مِن آياتِهِ عَجَبا
A sign in beauty that testifies for me -
Among His signs it was a wonder.
