يذكِّرُني ثناياهنَّلماّ

تبسَّمَ في الرياضِ الاقْحُوانُ

Its branches remind me

When the anemones smiled in the gardens

اياللهِ مِن برقٍ لموعٍ

تبلَّجَ عن شرارتِهِ العَنانُ

Oh God, from the lightning of a flashing scimitar

Whose hilt gleamed from its sparks

اضاءَلناظري والليلُ داجٍ

عليهِ من الغياهبِ طيانُ

It illuminated my sight though the night was dark

With darkness draped over it like a shroud

فبتُّ كأننَّي منه لديغٌ

سقاه مُجاجَ فيه الافُعُوانُ

I was struck as if bitten by it

Given to drink a poison in which snakes mingled

سَقَى زمنُ الشبيبِة كلُّ مُزْنٍ

غَدَتْ حُلَلُ الربيعِ به تُزانُ

The days of youth gave every dissolved drunk

The garments of spring thereby became ragged

هو الزمنُ الذي لم يُلْفَ فيه

مع الاحبابِ ضيرُ وامتهانُ

It was the time in which

No harm or humiliation was found with loved ones

لقد افنى التغرُّقُ لاصطباري

دروعاً لايُنَفِّدُها الطعانُ

Waiting has worn away my endurance

With shields that no spears can pierce

واعيسَ يذرعُ الفلواتِ وخداً

يطيرُ على خُطاهُ الَهيِّبانُ

And I see the steed traversing the deserts with pride

While over its steps the sand grouse flutter

يجاذِبُنى الزمامَ وليس يَثنى

عزيمتَهُ خِشاشُ او عِرانُ

It tugs at the reins and does not waver

Whether faced by a fox or a wild donkey

ولا الهَجْلُ الذى تمَشي المطايا

بعرصِتهِ تُذالُ ولا الِمتانُ

Neither the commotion with which the steeds

Plod heavily, nor the camel litters

جَزَعتُ به الغاوزَ في ليالٍ

تهيَّبَ قطعَهنَّ الشَّيذُ مانُ

I frightened the cowardly hyenas in nights

When the howling wolf fears to cross them

الى حيَّ كتمتُ هواىَ فيه

اِذا الاهْواءُ دنسَّهَا العِلانُ

To the beloved I concealed my love

When passions are defiled by being made public

نديمىوالنديمُ الحرُّ ممِّا

يُزانُ به اللبيبُ ولايشانُ

My friend and the free spirited friend

By whom the sensible are measured, not the vile

ادِرْها مثلَ ذوبِ التَّبرِ صرفاً

تطيرُ بها مِنَ الفحرحِ الدِّنانُ

Guide it gently like melting butter

With which the oils take flight from the churning

اِذا ما الليلُ مُدَّ له رواقُ

واُلِقيَ مِنْ دجنتِهِ الجِرانُ

When the night extends its corridor

And the veil is lifted from its darkness

ولم يصدحْوقد طاحَ النَّدامى

بهاقبلَ الصباحِ العُْترُفانُ

And though the regrets have fallen

The remorseful will cry at dawn

فبادِرْهاولا يمنعكَ عنها

فلانُ بالنصيحةِأو فلانُ

So take the initiative, and do not be prevented

By so-and-so or so-and-so with their advice

فخيرُ الوقتِ ما واتاكَ فيِهِ

زمانُأوشبابُ أومكانُ

For the best time is what comes upon you

Whether days, youth, or places

فيوُمَ فيهِ للكاساتِ حظُّ

لها قي رأسِ شارِبها عِنانُ

On a day in which cups have their fortune

With a rein on the head of those who drink them

يُقادُ بهِ فيصحَبُ مستقيداً

رخيْ البالِ ليسَ بهِ حِرانُ

By which he is led, walking freely

Easy in spirit, having no caution

ويومَُ فيهِ للأعدا ءِ كأسَُ

يَغَصُّ بفضلِ سورتِها الِهدانُ

And a day in which for the enemies are cups

That choke by the evil of their bitterness

يُذيقهُمُ بها حُرَعَ المنايا

وللاْقرانِ بالموتِ ارتهانُ

Making them taste the burning pangs of death

And binding them to die

ترى دُفَعَ النجيعِ على المذاكي

كما خَضَبَ الخَد لََّجَةَ الرَّقانُ

You see the cleaning of the cups in the taverns

As dye paints the cheeks with red stains

أحِنُّ وللهوارقِ في الدياجي

وميضُ سناً تُنارُ به الرِّعانُ

I yearn for the lightning in the dark nights

And the flashing of blades by which the meadows blaze

اذا لمعتْ حسبتَ الأرضَ يكسو

رُباها الريشَ منها الحَيْقطانُ

When they gleam you would think the land

Was clothed by bird plumage and down

فلي شأنَُاذا طفقتْ تراءَ ى

على حَضَنٍ وللأشواقِ شانُ

So I have a purpose when they begin to be seen

Upon a cheek, and passions have a role

خليليَّ انظرا هل لاَح مغنىً

لعلوةَ يطَّبيني أو مَعانُ

My friend, look - has any habitation appeared

That might cheer me, or a place of shelter?

فما بانُ الحِمى والأثلُ لمّا

تناءَتْ دارُها أثْلٌ وبانُ

But the tribe and family did not appear when

Their abode disappeared, a family and home

ولا وجدي ولو أسهبتُ مِمّا

يقومُ بوصفِ أيسرِه اللسانُ

Nor did I find, even if I enumerated

What the tongue could accomplish in description

فليس مِنَ الغرائبِ أن تُعينا

عريبَ هوىً تكنَّفِهُ الهوانُ

It is no wonder that a stranger's love

Would be surrounded by humiliation

فاِنَّ أخا الغرامِ إذا تمادىَ

بهِ داءُ الهوى أمسى يُعانُ

For the brother of passion, when enflamed

By the sickness of love, ends up suffering

واِنْ تمنعكُما مثلي دموعٌ

دفاقٌ لا يَجِفُّ لهنَّ شانُ

And if tears like mine prevent you

Copiously flowing, their condition unchanging

وأعلامٌ لنجدٍ شاهقاتٌ

تقاصرُ دونَ شامِخِها القِنانُ

And signs of Nejd, towering,

Before whose towering heights the spear-shafts bow

فلي قلبٌ يراها كلُّ وقتٍ

بناظرِه إذا عُدِمَ العِيانُ

I have a heart that sees them every moment

With its gaze, if they are beyond eyesight

ولي دمعٌ يخبَّرُ عن ضميري

كما شرَح الكلامَ التُّرجُمانُ

And I have tears that tell of my conscience

As the interpreter relates speech

فدونَ الناظمينَ واِنْ تمالوَا

عليَّ وزوَّروا اِفكاً ومانوا

So apart from the composers, though they

Turned against me, lied, and refused

قصائدُ مِن بناتِ الفكر تَترى

اِذا سَمِعوا غرائبَهُنَّ دانوا

There are poems from the daughters of thought that flow

When they hear its marvels, they surrender

مودَّتُهمْ على مَضَضٍ وقسرٍ

وقد كَرِهوا مقاومتي دِهانُ

Their affection is with reluctance and coercion

For they disliked resisting my inkwell

أخَصُّهمُ كَهامٌ حيث شامُوا

سيوفَهمُ الكَليلَةَ أو دَدانُ

I specifically mean the adders, wherever they crept

Whether their worn out swords or their gums

وكيف تُضيءُ للأضدادِ نارٌ

وقد نصعتْ مناقبيَ الهِجانُ

And how can a fire illuminate the foes

When my glorious deeds have shone?

وأين مِنَ الربيطِ الجأشِ تبدو

عزيمتُه أخو الفشلِ الجَبانُ

Where amidst the dried-up pastures can be seen

Resolution, the brother of failed cowardice?

فلو أن النجومَ الزُّهْرَ تبغي

مطاولَتي زواهنَّ الكِيانُ

If the stars sought to rival me

Their entities would be destroyed

على أنّي منحتُهمُ ودادي

وبعض الودَّ يَجْلِبُه الحَنانُ

Although I gave them my affection

And some affection is brought by amnesty

ولكنيّ حُسِدْتُ على قوافٍ

سَبَقْتُ بها وقد جَدَّ الرَّهانُ

But I was envied for natural talents

By which I surpassed, and the wager was set

اِذا سَمِعوا قريضي في نَديًّ

علا تلكَ الوجوهَ الرَّيهَقانُ

When they heard my compositions read beautifully

Those sullen faces brightened

ولا عجبٌ إذا أخفَى سناهُ السُّها

لمّا تجلَّى الزَّبرِقانُ

And no wonder if its brilliance hid

When the full moons appeared

وقد علِموا بأنَّيَ لا أُبارَى

ولو ملأَ الصدورَ الاِضطِغانُ

And they knew that I do not equivocate

Even if breasts were filled with resentment

فحسبُهمُ واِنْ غَبَطُوا بياني

بأنَّهمُ لأَشعاري استكانوا

So enough for them, even if they envied my eloquence

By surrendering to my poetry