إِن كانَ لَم يَتَّرِك قَيسٌ لَهُ وَطَراً
إِلّا قَضاهُ فَما قَضَّيتُ مِن وَطَرِ
If Qays did not leave any desire
Unfulfilled, I have fulfilled what I desired.
وَرُبَّ نَفسٍ أَصابَت عيشَةً رَغَداً
لَو لَم تَبِت مِن مَناياها عَلى خطَرِ
And many a soul found a life of ease
Had she not slept in the midst of danger.
أُمورُ دُنياكَ سَطرٌ خَطَّهُ قَدَرٌ
وَحَبُّها في السَجايا أَوَّلُ السَطرِ
The matters of your world a line traced by fate
And love of it is the first line written.
صُمنا عَنِ القوتِ يَوماً ثُمَّ أَعقَبَهُ
فِطرٌ وَلا صَومَ نَرجوهُ مِنَ الفِطرِ
We fast a day, then comes breakfast,
No fasting we hope for after breakfast.
شاطِر ضَعيفَكَ ما أُتيتَ مِن نَشبٍ
وَعَدِّ ذِكرَكَ أُختَ الجيرَةِ الشُطُرِ
Share your bounty, however little you were given,
And count your neighbour, though poor, a partner.
عَيشي بِعِزٍّ وَمَوتي غَيرَ خاضِعَةٍ
شَفيتِ بِالمَطَرِ بَعدَ السَقيِ بِالمَطَرِ
My life with honour, my death not in submission,
Quenched by rain after watering with rain.
تَضوعُ دارُكِ مِسكاً وَهِيَ خالِيَةٌ
مِثلَ القَسيمَةِ بَعدَ الأَصهَبِ العَطِرِ
Your abode diffuses musk though empty
Like a perfume-seller after the fragrance is gone.
كَأَنَّما الرَوضُ لَمّا طُلَّ باكِرَها
شَفيتِ بِالمَطَرِ بَعدَ السَقيِ بِالمَطَرِ
As though the meadow, when its flowers blossomed,
Quenched by rain after watering with rain.
وَما اِختِيالُ مَغانيها بِمُنقِصَةٍ
إِذ لَيسَ ذَلِكَ مِن عُجبٍ وَلا بَطَرِ
Her melodies feign no artifice,
For that is not of wonders or miracles.
وَما أَصيحُ بِغِربانِ الشَبابِ قَعي
وَلا أُنادي غُرابَ الراسِ لا تَطِرِ
I make no loud cries for the ravens of youth to return,
Nor call the raven perched on the head to take flight.
وَيَحمِلُ الهَمَّ قَلبي مُعفِياً جَسَدي
رَأسي أَحَمُّ وَظَهري غَيرُ مُنأَطِرِ
My heart bears the sorrow, giving respite to my body,
My head I protect and my back is not bent.
وَما أَميرُكَ يا اِبنَ المَجدِ مُنتَسِباً
لَكِنَّهُ اِبنُ تُرابٍ عَنهُ مُنفَطِرِ
Your prince, son of glory, claims no lineage,
But he is a son of dust, of him we were created.
وَالإِسمُ لَفظٌ أَتاكَ القائِلونَ بِهِ
نَأى وَلَم يَدنُ لِلمَعنى وَلم يَطُرِ
A name is but a word brought to you by speakers,
It came not near to the meaning nor took flight.
أَبو نَعامَة بِالأَعدانِ مَولِدُهُ
فَكَيفَ أَصبَحَ مَعزوّاً إِلى قَطَرِ
Abu Nuwas, though born in Ahwaz,
How did he become attributed to Qatar?
