أَلَمَّ بِصُحبَتي وَهُم هُجودٌ
خَيالٌ طارِق ٌ مِن أُمِّ حصن
My phantoms visited while my friends slept,
An apparition came from Umm al-Husn.
أَلَم تَرَها تُريكَ غَداةَ قامَت
بِمِلءِ العَينِ مِن كَرَمٍ وَحُسنِ
Did you not see her appear to you at dawn
With eyes full of generosity and beauty?
سُقَيّت بَينَ أَنهارٍ ووَدورٍ
وَزَرعٍ ثابِتٍ وَكُرومَ جَفنِ
She was nourished among rivers and valleys,
And lasting crops and folded vineyards.
لَها ما تَشتَهي عَسَلٌ مُصَفّى
إِذا شاءَت وَحُوّاري بِسَمنِ
She has whatever she desires, filtered honey
When she wants, and maidens with oils,
فَأَعطَت كُلَّما سُئِلَت شَباباً
فَانبتها نَباتاً غَيرَ جَحنِ
She gave whenever asked, youth,
Sprouting plants unlike any withered ones.
فَقُلتُ كَيفَ صادَتني سُلَيمى
وَلَمّا أَرمِها حَتّى رَمَتني
So I said, how did Sulayma ensnare me,
Without my seeing her until she shot me?
كَنودٌ لا تَمُنُّ وَلا تُفادي
إِذا عَلِقَت حَبائِلُها بِرَهنِ
She is an idol that does not refuse or avoid,
When her ropes are tied to the neck.
وَقُلتُ لِصحبَتي ماذا دَهاها
إِذا شَعثٍ وَاِنضاءِ يُمني
I said to my friends, what made her crazed,
Disheveled, with a right hand dyed red?
خَفِيّاتُ الشُخوصِ وَهُنَّ عيس
كَأَنَّ جُلودَهُنَّ ثِيابُ مَرنِ
Mysterious in their attributes, yet they are docile,
As if their skins are silken garments.
خَرَجنَ مِنَ الخُوارِ وَعُدنَ فيهِ
وَقَد وازَنَّ مِن أَجلي بَرَعنِ
They left the monastery and returned to it,
After equating me to the highest monk.
أَلا يا لَيتَني حَجَرٌ بِوادٍ
أَقامَ وَلَيتَ أُمي لَم تَلِدني
Oh, would that I were a rock in a valley
That stayed put! Would that my mother had not birthed me!
أَلا يا حادِ وَيحَكَ لا تَلُمني
وَنَفسُكَ لا تُضَيِّعُها وَدَعني
Oh guide, enough! Do not blame me!
And do not ruin yourself, leave me be!
فَإِنّي قَد لَبِستُ العيشَ حَتّى
مَلَلتُ مِنَ الحَياةِ فَقُلتُ قدني
For I have worn out life until
I grew weary of living, so I said, "Finish me!"
وَلاقَيتُ الخُيورَ وَأَخطَأَتني
شُرورٌ جَمَّةٌ وَعَلَوتُ قِرني
I met disasters and they went wrong against me,
Accumulated evils that rose over my peak.
يَلومُ أَخي عَلى إِهلاكِ مالي
وَما إِن غالَهُ ظَهري وَبَطني
My brother blames me for wasting my money,
But it did not go down my throat or into my belly.
وَلا ضَيَّعتُهُ فَألام فيها
فَإِنَّ ضَياعَ مالِكَ غَيرُ مَعنِ
Nor did I squander it, so do not blame me,
For wasting your money brings no benefit.
وَلَكِن كُلَّ مُختَبِطٍ فَقيرٍ
يَقولُ أَلا اِستَمِع أُنبِئكَ شَأني
Rather, every destitute leech will say,
"Listen, let me tell you of my plight!"
وَمِسكنٌ وَأَعمى قالَ يوماً
أَغِثني لِلآلِهِ وَلا تَدَعَني
A blind beggar once said,
"Help me, for God's sake, do not leave me!"
وَإِعطائي ذوي الأَرحامِ مِنهُ
وَتَوسيعي لِذي عَجزٍ وَضَفنِ
Giving to relatives,
And being generous to the frail and poor,
أَقي حَسبي بِهِ وَيَعِزُّ عِرضي
عَلَيَّ إِذا الحَفيظَةُ أَدرَكَتني
I protect my reputation through this, and preserve my honor
From me when the record keepers come for me.
وَأَعلَمُ أَن سَتُدرِكُني المَنايا
فَإِن لا اِتَّبَعَها تَتَّبِعني
And I know the Destroyer will come for me,
For if I do not follow, it will pursue me.
رَأَيتُ المانِعينَ المالَ يَوماً
مَصيرُهُم لالقاء فَدَفنِ
I saw those who hoard wealth one day,
Their fate is to meet burial.
