لِحاظُ المَهى لا بابِلٌ تَنفُثُ السِحرا
وَخَمرُ اللَّمى يُنسي صَريفَينِ وَالخَمرا
The delighted glances are not sorceresses breathing magic,
And the wine of bliss makes my two companions forgetful, not the wine.
رَنونَ فَلَو أَلفَينَ هاروتَ نافِثاً
وَماروتَ جاءاها لِيقَتَبِسا السِحرا
The turtledoves are cooing; even if Harut and Marut come,
Breathing magic, they will not snatch the magic from it.
وَدونَ الكَثيبِ الفَردِ مِن أَيمنِ الحِمى
ظِباءٌ لَها أُسدُ الشَرى في الهَوى أَسرى
Below the solitary hill on the right side of the sanctuary,
There are gazelles, for which the lion of evil is a prisoner of love.
وَسَمراءُ في فيها يَنابيعُ قَرقَفٍ
وَلَكِنَّها مِن ثَغرِها حُصِبت دُرّا
And a dark one among them, in whom are bubbling springs,
But she is veiled with pearls from her mouth.
أُحلَّأُ عَنها ظامِياً غَيرَ أَنَّني
وَإِن لَم أَذُقها لَلصَريعُ بِها سُكرا
I refrain from her, though I am her lover,
And even if I do not taste her, I will be drunk with longing for her.
رَمَتني بِوَجدٍ ثِقلُهُ ثِقلُ رِدفِها
فَها أَنا مِنهُ ناحِلٌ أُشبِهُ الخَصرا
She shot me with a passion whose weight is like the weight of her buttocks,
So here I am, made thin by it, resembling a waist.
فَمِن رِدفِها وَالوَجهِ وَالقَدِّ سافِراً
رَأَيتُ اِرتِجاجَ الحِقفِ وَالخَوط وَالبَدرا
By her buttocks and face and stature, I saw
The shaking of her braids and the swaying of her hair and full moon.
أَبى طَيفُها الزَوّارُ إِلّا اِزوِرارَهُ
فَهَل عَلمتهُ في الكَرى الصَدَّ وَالهَجرا
The visitors refused her shadow, desiring only her place of visitation.
So did you recognize separation and estrangement from her in the two worlds?
يَدوسُ أَداحِيِّ النَعامِ اِعتِسافُهُ
وَيَخطو أَفاحيصَ القَطا كُلَّما أَسرى
He walks upon the sand grouse of the ostriches submissively,
And he steps over the lynxes of the wildcats whenever he travels.
أَتى الشامَ مِن أَكنافِ حاجِر موهِناً
وَعادَ وَأسدافُ الدُجى تَكتُمُ الفَجرا
He came to Syria from the valleys of Hajar submissively,
And returned while the darkness of night conceals the dawn.
فَقُلتُ لَهُ أَهلاً وَسَهلاً وَمَرحَباً
بِطَيفِ حَبيبٍ طارِقٍ أَبعَدَ المَسرى
So I said to him, "Hello, welcome, greetings,
To the beloved visitor who has lengthened the journey."
وَجابَ المَوامي البيدَ تَعزِفُ جِنُّها
وَفيها قُلوبُ الرَّكبِ طائِرَةٌ ذُعرا
The tents were struck by the east wind, its jinn making music,
And the hearts of the caravan inside them were terrified.
فَما نِلتُ مِنهُ غَير أَن صَدَّ مُعرِضاً
فَأَسمَعتُهُ الشَكوى فَأَوسَعَني هَجرا
I got nothing from him but aloofness and rejection,
So I heard his complaint, and it distanced me.
وَوَلّى وَأَلقى الوَجدَ بِالقَلبِ بَركَهُ
فَأَذَرَت غُروبَ الدَمعِ مُقلَتي الشَّكرى
He turned away and cast passion into my heart with his glance,
So the setting of my tears shed the mucus of my eyes.
وَأَتبَعتُهُ لَمّا تَوَلّى التِفاتَةً
وَأَنَّةَ مَصدوعِ الحشا تَصدَعُ الصَخرا
I followed him when he turned, with a glance,
Like the glance of a wounded gazelle that splits rocks.
وَأَنفاسَ صَبٍّ لَو دَنا مِن زَفيرِهِ
لَظى الرُمح قَيدَ الرُمحِ أَحرَقَتِ الجَمرا
And the breaths of a raging lion - if he came near his breath,
The spear would be burnt by the spear, kindling embers.
تَوَلّى وَلَمّا أَقضِ مِنهُ لُبانَةً
أَكانَ عَلَيهِ أَن يُعَذِّبَني نَذرا
He turned away before I got any sweetness from him.
Was it for him to torture me with vows?
أَبى الحُبُّ إِلّا أَنَّني بَعدَ عِزَّةٍ
ذَليلٌ لِمَن بِالحُبِّ يَستَعبِدُ الحَرّا
Love refused except that after pride,
I am now humiliated by the one who enslaves the free with love.
وَما عاشِقٌ مَن لَيسَ يَخضَعُ ذِلةً
لِمَعشوقِهِ إِذ يلزَمُ العِزَّ وَالكبرا
No lover is one who does not submit with humiliation
To his beloved, when honor and glory are required.
إِذا ما اِمرُؤٌ وَدَّ الغَواني صَرَمنَهُ
وَأَضرَمنَ في مَكنونِهِنَّ لَهُ الغدرا
When a man loves singing girls and draws near to them,
Desiring lasting wealth and youth,
يُرِدنَ ثَراءً دائِماً وَشبيبَةً
فَأحسِن بِقَدري عِندَهُنَّ إِذن قَدرا
Treat me well, in their eyes, with what I have,
Since my youth perished, and I have no more youth or plenty.
هُريقَ شَبابي وَاِستُشِنَّ لِشَقوَتي
أَديمي فَلَم أَملِك شَباباً وَلا وَفرا
How can a lover attain the white and the brown
When he is seen bankrupt, without any white or yellow?
وَكَيفَ يَنالُ البيضَ وَالسُمرَ عاشِقٌ
يُرى مُفلِساً لا يَملِك البيضَ وَالصُفرا
A shining thread of dawn became clear to me
Next to a gloomy thread - the parting line of hair.
تَبَيَّنَ لي خَيطٌ مِنَ الفَجرِ ناصِعٌ
إِلى جَنبِ خَيطٍ حالِكٍ وَخَط الشَعرا
It warned me of my youth when I did not hope for return,
And it parted from me, its shade and greenness.
نَبا بي شَبابي حينَ لَم أَرجُ عَودَةً
وَفارَقت مِنهُ الظِلَّ وَالورق الخُضرا
Oh how I yearn for the pleasures of youth and its prime!
How good are its pleasures and how beautiful its prime!
أَلهفي عَلى لَهوِ الشَبابِ وَعَصرِهِ
فَيا طيبَهُ لَهواً وَيا حُسنَهُ عَصرا
Expecting Salah al-Din to be virtuous lessened my despair
Over the return of my youth; may he grant me plenty!
وَهَوَّنَ عِندي اليَأسَ مِن عَودَةِ الصِبى
رَجاءُ صَلاحِ الدينِ أَن يَهَبَ الوَفرا
Good fortune shouted for him through time, with wealth,
But none complained of poverty except me.
لَقَد هَتَفَت يُمناهُ في الدَهرِ بِالغِنى
فَما أَحَدٌ غَيري بِهِ يَشتَكي الفَقرا
It sufficed to take his place during his absences,
His good fortune taking luck's place, and for ill-fortune, its counterpart.
فَكَفّاهُ كَفّا نائِبات نُيوبِهِ
وَلليُمنِ يُمناهُ وَلِليُسُرِ اليُسرى
So welcome is the one who brings me eloquence!
He will be like the one who gave dried dates to estrangement.
فَصيحٌ فَمَن أَهدى إِلَيهِ فَصاحَةً
يَكُن مِثلَ مَن أَهدى إِلى هَجَر التمرا
His swords and his spears have become like him,
Grieving at the calamities of war - victory and triumph!
غَدَت مِثلهُ أَسيافُهُ وَرِماحُهُ
يَحُزنَ بِحَوماتِ الوَغى الفَتح وَالنَصرا
Damascus is paradise, good in its scent,
He is the sun; none has made for it besides him a veil.
دِمَشقُ هِيَ الفِردَوسُ طيباً وَعَدلُهُ
هُوَ الشَمسُ لَم يَجعَل لَها دونَهُ سِترا
O king of Islam, you have remained in the world
For ages, with good remembrance - oh, what a remembrance!
فَيا مَلِكَ الإِسلامِ أَبقَيتَ في الوَرى
لَكَ الدَهرَ ذِكراً طيباً يا لَهُ ذِكرا
You attained what was beyond the hopes of wishes in your worldly life,
And reasoning was absorbed in thought of your kingdom.
لَنِلتَ الَّذي فاتَ الأَمانِيَّ شَأوُهُ
مِنَ الملكِ في دُنياكَ وَاِستَغرَقَ الفِكرا
Your generosity covered all people and singled them out,
And we have not seen before it generosity that filled the ages.
فَجودُكَ عَمَّ العالَمينَ وَخَصَّهُم
وَلَم نَرَ جوداً قَبلَهُ مَلأَ الدَّهرا
The brown refused that you should own it completely
And the drinking of the mouths of the white refused your conquest.
أَبى لَكَ لَثمُ السُمرِ إِعمالَكَ السُّمرا
وَرَشفُ ثُغورِ البيضِ أَن تَملِكَ الثَغرا
The she-camel foal ran with your galloping in battle,
A virgin she-camel upon which you wreak havoc with the virginity of war.
وَضم الحِصان البكر رَكضَكَ في الوَغى
حِصاناً عَلَيهِ تَفتِكُ الفَتكَةَ البِكرا
Your love, demolishing the tents of your enemies,
Reconciled the tents of hostility to live in the palaces.
وَحُبُّكَ تَطنيبَ الخِيام مُقَوِّضاً
خِيامَ العِدا بِالقَسرِ أَن تَألَفَ القَصرا
Your entering the banners as yellow lions
And sending them out as banners saturating with red blood.
وَإيرادُكَ الراياتِ صُفراً صَوادِياً
وَإِصدارُها رَيّا تَمُجُّ دِماً حُمرا
Your horses covering fearful cowardice with dishevelment,
Accustomed by you to victory and triumph.
فَخَيلُكَ تَغشى الرَّوعَ شُعثاً ضَوامِراً
شَوازِبَ قَد عَوَّدتها الفَتحَ وَالنَصرا
You see war as a meadow, and the coats of mail upon it as meadows,
And the spearheads as blossoms and their poles as flowers.
تَرى الحَربَ رَوضاً وَالدُروعَ بِها أَضىً
وَسُمرَ القَنا دَوحاً وَخِرصانَها زَهرا
Their blades glorified by your humiliating the enemies,
So they trampled cheeks that were terrible in their glory.
سَنابِكُها عَزَّت بِإِذلالِكَ العِدا
فَداسَت خُدوداً كُنَّ مِن عِزِّها صُعرا
And how many an invincible fortress you married by surrendering,
Then divorced from it after its chastity of disbelief!
وَكَم قَلعَةٍ أَنكَحتَها السِلمَ عاصِماً
وَطَلَّقتَ مِنها بَعدَ عِصمَتِها الكُفرا
Islam then sang of it, raising its voice,
Singing, while the enemies looked upon it with dismay.
فَغَنّى بِها الإِسلامُ رافِعَ صَوتِهِ
يُغَرِّدُ وَالأَعداءُ تَنظُرُها شَزرا
We did not willingly marry their brides,
Rather, we married them by force of our swords.
وَما أَنكَحونا طائِعينَ فَتاتَهُم
وَلَكِن نَكَحناها بِأَسيافِنا قَسرا
The armies of polytheism rushed to seek vengeance,
Facing you, so they were the sacrifice, awaiting slaughter.
وَجاشَت جُيوشُ الشِركِ تَطلُبُ ثَأرَها
لَدَيكَ فَكانوا الهَديَ يَنتَظِرُ النَّحرا
They came to you, and the mouths of death were gaping
To stab them and strike them a violent blow.
أَتَوكَ وَأَفواهُ المَنايا فَواغِرٌ
لِتَطعَنَهُم شَزراً وَتَضرِبَهُم هَبرا
You struck winter in its sinuses, striving,
Then you left an easy plain from what did not cease to be difficult.
ضَرَبتَ الشِتا في أَخدَعَيهِ مُجاهِداً
فَغادَرتَ سَهلاً مِنكَ ما لَم يَزَل وَعرا
Your army is not turned back from the enemies by heat,
Nor did it fear a rugged mountain or dread a boulder.
فَجَيشُكَ ما يُثنيهِ قَيظٌ عَنِ العِدا
وَلا خافَ مِن صِنٍّ وَلا هابَ صِنبرا
It is patient, as if patience were its companion that preoccupies it,
Whenever your enemies see patience, it sees patience.
صَبورٌ كَأَنَّ الصَّبرَ أَريٌ يَشورُهُ
إِذا ما رَأَت أَعداؤُكَ الصَّبِرَ الصَّبرا
The hearts of the Franks, all of them, are behind their rear,
While you in the land of Syria have terrified hearts.
قُلوبُ الأولى خَلفَ الفَرَنجَةِ كُلِّهِم
وَأَنتَ بِأَرضِ الشامِ طائِرَةٌ ذُعرا
May the God of mankind reward you with the best of His rewards
And make you succeed in the world and grant you gratitude.
جَزاكَ إِلَهُ الناسِ خَيرَ جَزائِهِ
وَخَوَّلَكَ الدُنيا وَأَوزَعَكَ الشُكرا
Every day you bring a renewed victory,
Wishing by it good tidings, and you give us glad tidings,
فَلا يَومَ إِلا فيهِ فَتحٌ مُجَدَّدٌ
تُريدُ بِهِ بِشراً وَتُهدي لَنا بُشرى
With al-Malik al-Nasir, support increased,
We subdue the tyrants of time by force.
بِالمَلِكِ الناصِرِ زادَ نَصرا
نَقهَرُ لَزباتِ الزَمانِ قَهرا
It suffices to take his place when his might grows intense,
His good fortune giving luck, and misfortune its counterpart.
كَفّاهُ كَفّا نابَ بَأسائِهِ
يُمناهُ يُمنٌ وَاليَسارُ اليُسرى
He pursued humiliation with more humiliation,
And Caesar by force of swords - defeat.
أَتبَعَ ذُلّاً تُبَّعاً وَقَيصَرا
قَسراً وَكِسرى بِالسُيوفِ كَسرا
And I have companions who lavished favors on me and them
With gifts that do not cease to be seen.
وَلي صِحابٌ عَمَّني وَعَمَّهُم
بِمَكرُماتٍ ما تَزالُ تَترى
But I have less fortune than them
In what comes to me from his gifts.
لَكِنَّني أَنقَصُ حَظّاً مِنهُمُ
فيما أَتاني مِن نَداهُ بِرّا
And so my banners have become, in merit,
Yellow, while the hands of the people from it are yellow.
هَذا وَراياتِيَ في الفَضلِ غَدَت
صُفراً وَأَيدي القَومِ مِنهُ صِفرا
The utmost ingratitude is to make those
Five good deeds, in my view, ten.
وَغايَةُ البُغيَةِ أَن تُجعَلَ تِل
كَ الحَسَناتُ الخَمسُ عِندي عَشرا
Or to see them resembling his swords,
Wanting white but returning red.
أَو أَن أَراها أَشبَهَت سُيوفَهُ
يَرِدنَ بيضاً وَيَعُدنَ حُمرا
