وَقفٌ عَلى العَبَراتِ هَذا الناظِرُ
وَكَفاهُ سُقماً أَنَّهُ بِكِ ساهِرُ
Standing looking at the ruins is this observer,
Suffering illness is enough for him that he stayed up with you.
رُدّي عَليهِ ما نَضا مِن لَحظِهِ
خَدّاكِ وَالغُصنُ الوَريقُ الناضِرُ
Give him back what glistened in his glance,
Your cheek and the fresh, leafy branch.
فَلَأَنتِ آمَنُ أَن يَلومَكِ عاذِلٌ
في فَرطِ حُبٍّ أَو يَغُرَّكَ عاذِرُ
So you are safe from any blamer blaming you
For the excess of love, or any admirer deluding you,
هَذا الفِراقُ وَأَنتِ أَعلَمُ بِالهَوى
فَاِرعَي فَأَيّامُ المُحِبِّ غَوادِرُ
This is separation, and you know more of passion,
So beware - the days of the lover are fickle.
وَأَنا الفِداءُ لِمَن أَباحَ حِمى الهَوى
فَغَدَت تَطاهُ مَناسِمٌ وَحَوافِرُ
I ransom anyone who made the sanctuary of love lawful
So it was entered openly by riders and walkers.
حوشيتِ أَن أَلقاكَ سارِقَ لَحظَةٍ
تَلِدُ الوَفاءَ وَأُمُّ عَهدِكِ عاقِرُ
I fear to meet you stealing a glance
That gives birth to fidelity, though its mother is barren.
وَأَبى الهَوى ما كِدتُ أَسلو في الكَرى
اِلّا اِرتَقى طَرفي الخَيالُ الزائِرُ
In my cares, I tried to be distracted,
But imagination's vision came to me unbidden.
اليَومَ جارَ البَينُ في أَحكامِهِ
فَكَأَنَّ أَسبابَ الوَفاءِ جَرائِرُ
Today, distance has judged in its decrees,
So it is as if the means to fidelity are crimes.
هَذي الدِيارُ لَها بِمُنعَرَجِ اللِوى
قَفراً تَجَنَّبَها الغَمامُ الباكِرُ
These abodes whose winding paths
The early cloud avoided, leaving them desolate,
أَرضٌ أَقولُ بِها لِسانِحَةِ المَها
أَنا إِن عَثَرنَ لَعاً وَقَلبي العاثِرُ
A land where I say to the wild cows roaming it:
If I stumble, my heart has caused me to stumble.
قالَت وَقَد غَمرَت دُموعي وَجنَتي
لِلَّهِ ما فَعَلَ المَحَلُّ الدائِرُ
She said, as my tears flooded my cheeks:
What has time, ceaselessly turning, done!
أَغضَيتُ عَن وَجهِ الحَبيبِ تَكَرُّماً
وَأَرَيتُهُ أَنَّ الجُفونَ كَواسِرُ
I turned my face from the beloved out of nobility
And showed him that my eyelids are breakers.
هَب لي وَحَسبي نَظرَةٌ أَرنو بِها
فَمَقَرُّها وَجهُ الحُسَينِ الزاهِرُ
Come to me, it is enough for me a glance by which
I look my fill, for its resting place is al-Husayn's brilliant face.
فَلَثَمَّ أَبلَجُ إِن أَهَلَّ جَبينُهُ
جَمَحَت إِلَيهِ خَواطِرٌ وَنَواظِرُ
Were the new moon to adorn his brow,
Thoughts and glances would throng to kiss it.
قَرُبَ الغَمامُ فَعَن قَريبٍ يَنثَني
فَيَبُلُّ مَربَعَكَ العَريضُ الماطِرُ
The clouds draw near, so before long they will fold
Their shadowy folds around your wide, raining courtyard.
إِن حَلَّ بيداً فَالخَلاءُ مَحافِلٌ
أَو قادَ خَيلاً فَالسُروجُ مَنابِرُ
If you travel by land, the solitudes are gathering places,
Or lead horsemen, then the saddles are pulpits.
يا اِبنَ الأَكابِرِ لا أَقَمتَ بِمَشهَدٍ
إِلّا وَذِكرُكَ في المَكارِمِ سائِرُ
O son of great ones, you stayed nowhere
But that the mention of you flows free with generosity.
ما سِرتَ حَتّى سارَ نَعتُكَ أَوَّلاً
فَسَرَيتَ تَتبَعُهُ وَهَمُّكَ آخِرُ
You never traveled until the fame of your description went first,
Then you followed it, though your care was for what comes after.
نَفَثَت لَكَ الأَمطارُ في عُقدِ الرُبى
فَقَصَدتَها إِنَّ الغَمامَ لَساحِرُ
The rains poured to you through the knot of the rope,
For the clouds are enchanting wherever they go.
ذَلِّل رِكابَكَ أَينَ سِرتَ كَأَنَّما
وَصّى المَطِيَّ بِكَ الجَديلُ وَداعِرُ
Your mount abases itself wherever you travel, as if
The smooth-gaited camel was charged by the jerboa and hedgehog to serve you.
ما ضَرَّ مَن شَرِبَ الحِمامَ تَكَرُّهاً
بِظُباكَ في رَوعٍ وَأَنتَ تُعاقِرُ
It does no harm to one who drinks the dove's water despite himself,
Frightening him - while you subdue it.
قُضُبَ الأَعادي لا تَرومي ضَربَهُ
أَبَداً فَأَنتِ لِما يَخُدُّ مَسابِرُ
Do not ever try to strike the staff of enemies,
For you are equal to whatever brings humiliation.
سايَرتُ أَزماني فَلَم أَبلُغ مَدىً
حَتّى اِستَقَلَّ بي الثَناءُ السائِرُ
I traveled my time but did not reach any goal
Before praise flowed free of me though I did not seek it.
وَصَحِبتُ أَيّامَ الهَوى فَرَأَيتُها
سَرحاً حَمَتهُ عَواذِلٌ وَعَواذِرُ
I accompanied the days of love and saw them
A pasture whose people were maidens and chaste women.
وَرَأَيتُ أَكبَرَ ما رَأَيتُ مُتَيَّماً
مُتَنازِعاهُ آمِرٌ أَو زاجِرُ
And I saw the greatest sight I ever saw
Contended over by one who commands and one who forbids.
فَنَدِمتُ بَعدَ الحُبِّ كَيفَ أُطيعُهُ
وَعَصَيتُ عَزماتي وَهُنَّ أَوامِرُ
After love, I regretted obeying it
And disobeyed my resolves, which are commands.
أَبكي عَلى الأَيّامِ وَهيَ ضَواحِكٌ
في وَجهِ غَيري وَهوَ فيها حائِرُ
I weep for the days while they laugh
In another's face, and he wanders among them confused.
لَو شابَ طَرفٌ شابَ أَسوَدُ ناظِري
مِن طولِ ما أَنا في الحَوادِثِ ناظِرُ
If an eyelid had turned white, my black-eyed glance
Would have turned white from all the events I have witnessed.
أَو أَنَّ هَذي الشَمسَ تَصبُغُ لِمَّةً
صَبَغَت شَواتي طولَ ما أَنا حاسِرُ
Or if this sun were to change color one day
It would dye my hair from all the time I have been deprived.
أَو كانَ يَأنَسُ بِالأَنيسِ أَوابِدٌ
يَوماً لَزَمَّ لِيَ النِعامُ النافِرُ
Or if the sociable were to make friends with the desolate one day,
The ostrich that avoided flowers would pasture there.
ما المَجدُ إِلّا في السُرى وَالحَمدُ إِل
لا في القِرى وَالمُستَغِرُّ الخاسِرُ
Glory is only in traveling, and praise only
In homelands, while the one who stays behind is the loser.
وَغَداً أُمَشّي العيسَ بَينَ حَطيطَةٍ
وَوَديقَةٍ لَم يُغنِ فيها ماطِرُ
Tomorrow I will walk my stallion between Hatitat
And Wadaika, which no rain saturates,
تَندى مَناسِمُها دَماً وَشِفاهُها
تَندى لُغاماً وَالخِفافُ مَشافِرُ
Its lips bleed and its mouth drips thickened blood
While the hooves knock together bones.
يَخبِطنَ أَجوازَ الصَفيحِ عَلى الوَجى
وَاللَيلُ مُنتَشِرُ القَوادِمِ طائِرُ
And night spreads out its arriving wings
Until it hurls us into sleep while fleeing.
بَينا يُوَسِّدُنا الكَرى أَعضادَها
حَتّى قَذَفنَ النَومَ وَهيَ نَوافِرُ
Bay horses as if their eyes in their forelock
Were hearts that turned away from blossoms.
خوصٌ كَأَنَّ عُيونَها في هامِها
قُلبٌ بَعُدنَ عَنِ الوُرودِ غَوائِرُ
When they cross the water of a valley, its width spans
Them like racing mares.
وَإِذا عَبَرنَ بِماءِ وادٍ جُزتَهُ
عُجُلاً يَخِدنَ كَأَنَّهُنَّ صَوادِرُ
To you the excellent horses went lightly,
Tribes and buildings are rounded up by them.
وَإِلَيكَ أَنحَلَتِ الفَلا أَخفافَها
تُطوى بِهِنَّ قَبائِلٌ وَعَمائِرُ
They bear lovers intoxicated when they traveled;
Beneath the darkness, graves were lifted up to them.
يَحمِلنَ رَكباً مُغرَمينَ إِذا سَروا
رُفِعَت لَهُم تَحتَ الظَلامِ عَقائِرُ
They shared the afflictions of their pacing mount
So it was as if the packs atop them were also burdened.
نَحِلوا مِنَ البَلوى نُحولَ مَطِيِّهِم
فَضَوامِرٌ مِن فَوقِهِنَّ ضَوامِرُ
If you tasked them, the turns of time would have come to you
Panting as they sped to you.
فَأَتَتكَ لَو كَلَّفتَ ما كَلَّفتَها
نُوَبَ الزَمانِ أَتَتكَ وَهيَ زَوافِرُ
With your patience as the gazelles separate
Between valleys and the canyons, contending.
لِلَّهِ صَبرُكَ حَيثُ تَفتَرِقُ الظُبى
بَينَ الهَوادي وَالقَنا مُتَشاجِرُ
Today is blackened by its night
Veils and curtains protected you from it.
وَاليَومُ أَسوَدُ لِمَّةً مِن لَيلِهِ
سَتَرَتكَ مِنهُ ذَوائِبٌ وَغَدائِرُ
Where the birds' way was closed off
Until the ostrich shepherded whatever was in the reserves.
في حَيثُ سُدَّ عَلى الطُيورِ مَجالُها
حَتّى رَعى ما في الوُكورِ الطائِرُ
The sun's cheek took from it a black stain,
And the light testifies that your face is radiant.
لَثَّمتَ خَدَّ الشَمسِ مِنهُ بِأَسوَدٍ
وَالنورُ يَشهَدُ أَنَّ وَجهَكَ سافِرُ
A day when the fledglings wish their chests
Could tally what your hands have done as girths.
يَومٌ تَوَدُّ السُمرُ أَنَّ صُدورَها
لِتَعُدَّ ما كَسَبَت يَداكَ خَناصِرُ
The captives push their palms into their purses
Set against what they pushed away of spear and sword points.
وَالسَبيُ تَعصِفُ بِالجُيوبِ أَكُفُّها
في جَنبِ ما عَصَفَت قَناً وَبَواتِرُ
So the women have tatters of rent clothing
And the men have forgiveness for the little they possess.
فَعَلى النِساءِ مِنَ الخُروقِ يَلامِقٌ
وَعَلى الرِجالِ مِنَ النَجيعِ مَغافِرُ
They turned, covering their heads with their hands,
As if those palms were shovels.
وَلَّوا وَأَيديهِم عَلى هاماتِهِم
فَكَأَنَّما تِلكَ الأَكُفُّ مَعاجِرُ
You sacrificed the bodies of the champions to the wild beasts
So they knew you were supreme among them.
وَبَذَلتَ أَجسادَ الكُماةِ لِوَحشَةٍ
فَعَلِمنَ أَنَّكَ أَنتَ فيهِ الظافِرُ
Where do you wed when the meadows are empty
For the camels of your camel herd, and the wild beasts roam free?
أَنّى تُعَرِّسُ فَالرِياضُ مَطافِلٌ
لِسَوامِ إِبلِكَ وَالوُحوشُ جَآذِرُ
When you make peace, the poisons are streaming;
When you make war, the soft winds flee.
وَإِذا تُسالِمُ فَالسَمومُ صَوارِدٌ
وَإِذا تُحارِبُ فَالنَسيمُ هَواجِرُ
As if your spear is one that drinks the blood of heroes
And your sword one that slaughters skulls.
وَكَأَنَّ رُمحَكَ حالِبٌ لِدَمِ الطُلى
وَكَأَنَّ سَيفَكَ في الجَماجِمِ جازِرُ
If the spheres knew I was your son,
They would not be pleased that I am allied to the heavens!
لَو تَعلَمُ الأَفلاكُ أَنَّكَ والِدي
لَم تَرضَ أَنّي لِلسَماءِ مُصاهِرُ
It is enough, by your generosity, that I praise you,
And enough, by my glory, that I pride myself on you.
وَبِحَسبِ جودِكَ أَنَّني لَكَ مادِحٌ
وَبِحَسبِ مَجدي أَنَّني بِكَ فاخِرُ
The one graced by my praises,
Which clothed him in virtues and glories, was prompted by passion.
إِنَّ الَّذي حَلَّتهُ غُرُّ مَدائِحي
نَدبٌ كَساهُ مَفاخِرٌ وَمَآثِرُ
Praise of his noble traits proliferated in praising him
As if his eloquent praiser was chatting idly.
كَثُرَت نُعوتُ صِفاتِهِ في مَدحِهِ
فَكَأَنَّ مادِحَهُ المُفُوَّهَ سامِرُ
He guaranteed eternity by his own self, so if
This age vanished, time past would restore him.
كَفَلَ البَقاءَ بِنَفسِهِ فَلَوِ اِنقَضى
ذا الدَهرُ عاوَدَهُ الزَمانُ الغابِرُ
Today, how many hopes rest in his chest to reward you
And how many backs bent in weakness to thank you!
وَاليَومَ كَم في صَدرِهِ لَكَ آمِلٌ
يُعطى وَكَم في عَجزِهِ لَكَ شاكِرُ
O company of the young in their prime
My praises reach you while ancestral deeds are remembered.
أَمُعَشِّرَ الأَحداثِ في أَذيالِها
ناجاكَ مَدحي وَالجُدودُ عَواثِرُ
I was pleased for you to be praised in time
And your ascent does not please me to be a poet!
إِنّي رَضيتُكَ في الزَمانِ مُمَدَّحاً
وَعُلاكَ لا تَرضى بِأَنِّيَ شاعِرُ
