كَم ذَميلٍ إِلَيكُمُ وَوَجيفِ
وَصُدودٍ عَنّا لَكُم وَصُدوفِ
How much yearning for you and passion,
And rejection from you, and rejection!
وَغَرامٌ بِكُم لَوَ اِنَّ غَراماً
جَرَّ نَفعاً لِلواجِدِ المَشغوفِ
And love for you - if only love
Brought benefit to the passionate lover -
صَبوَةٌ ثُمَّ عِفَّةٌ ما أَضَرَّ ال
حُبَّ في كُلِّ خَلوَةٍ بِالعَفيفِ
Chastity, then virtue - evil does not harm
Love in every tryst with the chaste one.
هَجَرونا وَلَم يُلاموا وَواصَل
نا عَلى مُؤلِمٍ مِنَ التَعنيفِ
They abandoned us, without blaming themselves, though they maintained
Contact with one who reproaches and censures.
وَطَلَبنا الوَفاءَ حَتّى إِذا عَ
زَ رَضينا بِالمَطلِ وَالتَسويفِ
And we sought loyalty until, when
Procrastination and delay became easy for us, we were content.
كَيفَ يَرجو الكَثيرَ مَن راضَهُ الشَو
قُ إِلى أَن رَضي بِبَذلِ الطَفيفِ
How can one who was satisfied by passion hope for much
Until he was content with little?
إِنَّ بَينَ الحِمى إِلى جانِبِ الرَم
لِ مَعاناً مِنَ الظِباءِ الهيفِ
Between the sanctuary and the side of the sand dune
Are meanings from the conversations of the tall gazelles.
عاطِياتٍ بَل عاطِلاتٍ وَما أَغ
نى الدُمى عَن قَلائِدٍ وَشُنوفِ
Givers - no, withholders - and the tearful ones do not complain
About necklaces and combs.
عارَضَتكَ الحُدوجُ بِالجِزعِ يُحدَي
نَ بِعِزِّ يَماتِهِم في السُيوفِ
They confronted you with courage - it is challenged
By the glory of their souls in the swords.
سائِلاتِ الرِفاقِ أَينَ مَصابُ ال
غَيثِ مِن جَوِّ مَربَعٍ وَمَصيفِ
Askers of the caravan, where is the rain cloud
From the atmosphere of the square and summer?
وَبُدورٍ يَلِطُّ مِن دونِها النَق
عُ وَلا يَكتَفي بِلَطِّ السُجوفِ
With tents around which the tracks abound but are not
Satisfied with the patches of the roofs.
بَعُدَت شِقَّةُ الوِصالِ إِذا كا
نَ بِخَوضِ القَنا وَخَرقِ الصُفوفِ
The pleasure of union is remote when there is
Plunging into the spear and tearing through the ranks.
وَوَراءَ الغَبيطِ مِن ذَلِكَ السَر
بِ أَجَمٌّ مُبَرقَعٌ بِالنَصيفِ
And beyond that ridge of mirage
Is a barren expanse covered in gravel.
مانِعٌ لا يَجودُ بِالنَيلِ مَمنو
عٌ بِرَزٍ مِنَ القَنا وَحَفيفِ
A withholder who does not give generously of the water,
Distracted by fear of the spear and the neighing.
مِن أَقاحٍ غُمِسنَ في البارِدِ العَذ
بِ طَويلاً وَمِن قَضيبٍ قَضيفِ
Made of sticks immersed in the cold sweet
For a long time, and of a strong rod.
مَورِدٌ يَنقَعُ الغَليلَ وَيَزدا
دُ صَفاءً عَلى طُروقِ الرَشيفِ
A place where sorrows are assuaged and
Purity increases over the roads of the lofty plateau.
كُلَّ يَومٍ وَداعُ رَكبٍ عِجالٍ
بِالنَوى أَو عَناءُ رَكبٍ وُقوفِ
Every day farewells of a hastening caravan
Or the effort of a standing caravan.
فَكَثيرٌ إِلى الحُمولِ اِلتِفاتي
وَطَويلٌ عَلى الدِيارِ وُقوفي
So I often glance towards the burdens,
And stand long at the abode.
لا تُوَلِّ الأَظعانَ عَيناً فَما تَر
جِعُ إِلّا بِناظِرٍ مَطروفِ
Do not turn your eyes to misfortunes, for they only
Return to one with downcast eyes.
وَدَعِ المَرءَ بِالدِيارِ فَما يُج
دي عَلى واقِفٍ وَلا مَوقوفِ
Leave a man in his abode, for you will not find
One standing still, nor anyone being stood still.
وَاِعدُدِ الجيرَةَ الحُضورَ إِذا ضَن
نوا عِدادَ النائينَ عَنكَ الخُلوفِ
Count the neighbors present when they are stingy
In counting those far from you who are aloof.
شَغَلَ الهَمُّ أَهلَهُ وَاِستَقَلنا ال
لَيلَ مِن زَورَةِ الخَيالِ المُطيفِ
Worry preoccupied its people, and we had
A night free of the imaginary visitor's deception.
وَضُيوفُ الهُمومِ مُذ كُنَّ لا يَن
زِلنَ إِلّا عَلى العَظيمِ الشَريفِ
And the guests of worries - since they only alight
On the great and noble.
كَالجَنابِ المَمطورِ يَزدَحِمُ الوُر
رادُ فيهِ وَالمَنزِلِ المَألوفِ
Like a soaking wet person, the visitors crowd him
And his familiar dwelling.
لَم يُثَقِّف عودي الزَمانُ وَلَكِن
ضَجَّ عودُ الزَمانِ مِن تَثقيفي
Time has not refined me, but it has
Caused the time's branch to creak under my refining of it.
قُلتُ لِلدَهرِ يَومَ رامَ اِختِداعي
عَن جَناني الماضي وَنَفسي العُزوفِ
I said to fate one day when it tried to distract me
From my past gardens and my aloof soul:
عُد ذَميماً هُبِلتَ وَاِطلُب لِشَمِّ ال
ذُلِّ يا دَهرُ غَيرَ هَذي الأُنوفِ
Go back in disgrace, and seek for the stench of
Humiliation, Oh time, others than these proud souls!
لَم تُوَفِّ العِشرينَ سِنّي وَإِنَّ ال
حِلمَ مِنّي عَلى الجِبالِ لَموفي
You have not completed my twentieth year, and yet
Forbearance from me is abundant in the mountains.
فيَّ مَعنى المَشيبِ حُكماً وَإِن كا
نَ نُهوضي عَنِ الصِبا وَخُفوفي
In me is the meaning of old age in wisdom
Even if my rising from youth was easy.
وَإِذا البُردُ كانَ في اليَدِ وَالعَي
نِ صَنيعاً أَغنى عَنِ التَفويفِ
And when there is cold in the hand and eye
It makes warmth unnecessary.
هَزَّ عِطفي إِلى الأَغَرِّ أَبي إِس
حَقَ وُدٌّ يَلوي عَلَيهِ صَليفي
It shook my compassion for the most uncouth father,
A grudge that twists upon it, and my leaning towards him,
وَنِزاعٌ يَهفو إِلَيهِ بِلُبّي
هَفَواتِ المُصَرصِرِ الغِطريفِ
And a conflict that inclines to him with the calls
Of my disdainful scolding and rebuke.
كَيفَ لا أَغلِبُ الزَمانَ وَهَذا ال
نَدبُ يَغدو عَلى الزَمانِ حَليفي
How can I not conquer time when this
Reproach rises over time as my ally?
كَلِمٌ كَالنُصولِ هَذَّبَها القَي
نُ وَوَجهٌ كَالهِرقَليِّ المَشوفِ
Words like spearheads - the whetstone made them smooth -
And a face like that of Heraclius, frowning.
إِنَّ شَكواكَ لِلزَمانِ مُبينٌ
لي عَلى قَدرِ عَقلِهِ المَضعوفِ
Your complaining about fate indicates to me
The level of its weak intellect.
أَيَعومُ المَجهولُ بَحراً وَلا يَن
قَعُ غُلّاً لِلفاضِلِ المَعروفِ
Does the unknown swim an ocean and not shed
A drop for the virtuous and well-known?
قَدَّمَت غَيرَكَ الجُدودُ وَأُخَّز
تَ وَلَكِن أَنافَ غَيرَ مُنيفِ
Others before you presented offerings, and you were
Humiliated, but the noses of others are not prone to bleeding.
وَالحُظوظُ البَلهاءُ مِن ذي اللَيالي
أَنكَحَت بِنتَ عامِرٍ مِن ثَقيفِ
And blind fortunes - from the one with nights -
Married the daughter of Aamir from Thaqeef.
قَصَفَ الدَهرُ فيكَ رُمحاً مِنَ الكَي
دِ وَحامى عَنِ المَعيبِ المَؤوفِ
Fate shot an arrow of venom at you
And protected from blame the familiar stain.
إِن حُرِمتَ الرِزقَ الَّذي نالَ مِنهُ
فَدَواءُ العَيِيِّ داءُ الحَصيفِ
If you missed out on the provision that he attained
Then the remedy for the weak is the effort of the strong.
عَمَلٌ فاضِحٌ وَأَجمَلُ مِن بَع
ضِ الوِلاياتِ عُطلَةُ المَصروفِ
A known sin, yet more seemly than
The idleness of some rulers.
فَاِصطَبِر لِلخُطوبِ رُبَّ اِصطِبارٍ
شَقَّ فَجراً مِن لَيلِهِنَّ المَخوفِ
So be patient with troubles - the patience
Of many has cleaved a dawn from their fearful night.
إِنَّما نَلبَسُ الدُروعَ ثِقالاً
لِرُجوعٍ إِلى خِفافِ الشُفوفِ
We only wear armor as a burden
For returning to the lightness of the pliant coats of mail.
كَم تَحَمَّلتَها بِظَهرٍ مِنَ الصَب
رِ فَخَفَّت وَالعِبءُ غَيرُ خَفيفِ
How much you have borne with a back
Of patience, yet it lightened while the burden remained heavy!
إِنَّ أَولى بِالصَبرِ إِن حُرَّجَتهُ
مَن حَشاهُ مِنها كَثيرُ القُروفِ
The most deserving of patience, if it troubles him,
Is one whose close camaraderie with it is abundant.
لَم تَغِب عَن سَوادِ قَلبي وَإِن غِب
تَ مُعَنّى نَوائِبٍ وَصُؤوفِ
It is not absent from the blackness of my heart even if
The meaning of misfortunes and sorrows was absent.
قِرَّ عَيناً بِطارِقاتِ الشَكايا
ما تَجافَت مُطَرِّقاتُ الحُتوفِ
Be pleased with the descending misfortunes
As long as the descending candles do not shun you.
أَتُرانا نُطيقُ دَفعاً لِما أَع
يا صِلالَ النَقا وَأُسدَ الغَريفِ
Do you see us able to ward off what the renovator of the decayed palm branches and the courageous lion have brought?
The imperfect rushed, while fate hastily
أَمهَلَ الناقِصونَ وَاِستَعجَلَ الدَه
رُ بِسَوقٍ لِلفاضِلينَ عَنيفِ
Drove the virtuous with a painful whip.
One who is virtuous lives amongst people with
مَن يَكُن فاضِلاً يَعِش بَينَ ذا النا
سِ بِقَلبٍ جَوٍ وَبالٍ كَسيفِ
A brave heart and an afflicted mind.
Whenever one exceeds in intellect, he ends up
كُلَّما كانَ زائِدَ العَقلِ أَمسى
ناقِصاً مِن تَليدِهِ وَالطَريفِ
Lacking in adaptability and pliability.
It is no wonder that I surpassed and outstripped
لا عَجيبٌ أَنّي سَبَقتُ وَأَعرَق
تُ جِيادَ المَنثورِ وَالمَرصوفِ
The thoroughbred horses and the well-trained.
You, O horseman of words, went ahead
أَنتَ يا فارِسَ الكَلامِ تَقَدَّم
تَ وَأَخلَيتَ لي مَكانَ الرَديفِ
And left a place for me as follower.
