يا دارُ مَن قَتَلَ الهَوى بَعدي
وَجَدوا وَلامِثلَ الَّذي عِندي
O abode of one who after me has killed passion,
They have found none like the passion that was mine,
لا تَعجَبي يا دارُ أَنَّهُمُ
أَبدوا وَمَن يَكُ واجِداً يُبدي
Marvel not, O abode, that they
Have recited poems, and he who finds will recite,
رَبعٌ قَريبُ العَهدِ أَحسَبُهُ
بِالظاعِنينَ وَقَد مَضى عَهدي
A youth nigh upon his time, methinks,
Of wantons, though my time is past,
لَو حَرَّكَت ذاكَ الرَمادَ يَدٌ
لَرَأَت بَقايا الجَمرِ وَالوَقدِ
Had one but stirred the ashes with his hand,
He'd see the remnants glowing embers yet.
إِنّي لَيُعجِبُني حِماكَ إِذا
نَشَرَ النَسيمُ ذَوائِبَ الرَندِ
Truly, thy wall, when the breeze spreads
The ringlets of the myrtle branch, delights me,
وَالماءُ تَصقُلُهُ الرِياحُ كَما
أَبدى العِيابُ مُضاعَفَ السَردِ
And water polishes it, as the winds reveal
The doubled intertwining branches of the lote-tree.
حَيّا مَريضَ ثَراكَ غادِيَةٌ
تُعطيهِ ريحَ العَنبَرِ الوَردِ
A lovely damsel in thy shade draws nigh
To give the myrtle's spicy fragrance to the sick man,
أَو ذاتُ نَهدٍ بَينَ سارِيَةٍ
تَتَلَوَّيانِ تَلَوِّيَ القِدِّ
Or a slim-waisted figure sways between the trailing skirts
That twist and twine like candle-wicks.
يَتَشَقَّقُ البَرقُ اللَموعُ بِها
وَتَروعُهُ بِتَهَزُّمِ الرَعدِ
Lightning flashes, gleaming through her,
And thunder startles at the sound of her anklets' bells.
لي مُقلَةٌ ما تَستَفيقُ جَوىً
تَدمى وَيَقرَعُ ماؤُها خَدّي
I have a gesturing glance that will not waken ardour,
That sheds tears copiously and beats against my cheek,
وَالعيسُ ما وَجَدَت تَحِنُّ وَلا
تُخفي وَأَكتُمُ دائِماً وَجدي
And tender looks that find no warmth, nor yet
Conceal or hide my constant passion.
وَمَلامُ أَيّامٍ وَلَيسَ لَها
عَطفٌ وَبَعضُ اللَومِ لا يُجدي
Blame visits me from days that know no pity,
Though some blame profits not.
لاخَيرَ في دُنيا نَوائِبُها
تَدري وَداءُ مَنونِها يُعدي
In a world whose blows strike constantly
One knows, and its declining is infectious.
لا تَحسَبَنَّ الرِزقَ مُطَّرَحاً
فَالرِزقُ بَينَ مَواضِعِ الأُسدِ
Think not sustenance is out of reach;
Sustenance is between the lion's paws.
وَلَرُبَّ مَصحوبٍ غَرِضتُ بِهِ
غَرَضَ الخَوامِسِ مِن قَذى الوِردِ
And many a dear companion have I ventured on
Whose whim was as the gnat's towards a rose.
دانى يَدي فَنَفَضتُها حَذَراً
مِن أَن يُدَنِّسَ هَزلُهُ جِدّي
I offered up my hand, then snatched it back,
Lest his frivolity should stain my earnestness.
وَمُبَخَّلٍ إِن جادَ بَعدَ مَدىً
فَالماءُ يَطلُعُ مِن صَفاً صَلدِ
And one who, having not responded for a time,
At last accedes, is like the water rising out of solid ice.
كَيفَ السَبيلُ إِلى بُلَهنِيَةٍ
في ذا الزَمانِ وَعَيشَةٍ رَغدِ
What road leads to contentment nowadays
In such an age, with life so soft and pleasant?
في كُلِّ لَيلٍ لي وَقودُ مُنىً
وَمَطامِعٌ وَسَّدتُها عَضدي
Each night I have a wish and expectations
I have blocked up with my own strength.
وَالمَرءُ ما أَرضى أَمانَيهُ
يَنقادُ مِن لَعِبٍ إِلى جِدِّ
A man attains not his desires, but is led
From trifling to earnest business.
وَجهي مَجالٌ لِلطَعانِ فَما
خَوفي لِقاءَ الحَرِّ وَالبَردِ
My face is a wide field for censure, yet have I no fear
Of facing heat and cold.
فَلَأَشرَبَنَّ مَناقِباً بِدَمي
وَلَأَنقُبَنَّ عَلى العُلى جُهدي
With my blood I will drink to the glory
And strive after the highest with all my power.
وَلَأُرحِلَنَّ العيسَ مَرحَلَةً
عَوجاءَ بَينَ القورِ وَالوَهدِ
I will roam with my love in crooked paths
Between the rugged heights and valleys.
عَلّي أُلاقي مَن أُسَرُّ بِهِ
وَيُفَلُّ عِندَ لِقائِهِ كَدّي
Grant me to meet the one whose love delights me,
At whose greeting my sorrows disappear!
وَأَتوبُ مِن ذَمِّ الزَمانِ إِذا
عَلِقَت يَدايَ يَدي أَبي سَعدي
And I will recant the blame of Time, if
My hands can clasp the hands of my father Saʿdī.
خُلّي وَإِن بَعُدَ الزَمانُ بِهِ
يَوماً وَما طَلَني بِهِ وَعدي
O my friend, though the days have been long absent him,
No day of mine fulfilled my promise to him.
وَمُطالِعي في الأُنسِ إِن لُوِيَت
عَنّي الرِقابُ وَلَجَّ في صَدّي
My eyes sought him out, for yearning toward him,
If their gaze turned from him, pierced my breast.
لا تَحسَبوا ذا البُعدَ غَيَّرَني
فَالبُعدُ غَيرُ مُغَيِّرٍ وِدّي
Think not this absence changed me;
Absence changes not a loving friend's affection.
وَإِذا الفَتى حَسُنَت رِعايَتُهُ
في القُربِ ضاعَفَها عَلى البُعدِ
When a man has shown regard in presence,
He redoubles it over absence and distance.
لَو تَسأَلونَ دَمي سَمَحتُ بِهِ
مِن غَيرِ مَعصِيَةٍ وَلا رَدِّ
Were you to ask my blood, freely I would grant it,
Without disobedience or refusal.
أَو كانَ جِلدٌ يُستَعارُ إِذاً
يَومَ الطِعانِ لِعِرتُكُم جِلدي
Or had I skin to lend, when tongues wagged Death
Would clothe your nakedness with my skin.
أَو أَنَّ خُطواً يُستَرابُ بِهِ
مِنكُم سَحَبتُ وَراءَكُم بُردي
Or were steps traced, I'd follow in your footsteps
Dragging my skirt behind you.
كانَت غَيابَةَ حادِثٍ فَجَلا
دَيجورَها قَمَرٌ مِنَ السَعدِ
An accident of absence shone like the full moon,
Its trouble dispelled by a fortunate star,
وَنَهَصتُ مِنها غَيرَ مُكتَرِثٍ
مِثلَ الحُسامِ نَزا مِنَ الغِمدِ
And I sprang from it heedless,
Like a sword from the scabbard.
اللَهُ جارَكَ ما رَمَتكَ نَوىً
تُذري الرَكائِبَ أَو قَطا الجُردِ
God guard you! No purpose has overthrown you
That would cast down riders or piercing arrows.
وَأَنا الَّذي إِن تَدجُ نائِبَةٌ
يُصبِح أَمامَكَ مُوَرِياً زَندي
I am he, if fate grows dark, who will
Show my face before you at dawn.
