لِغَيرِ العُلى مِنّي القِلى وَالتَجَنُّبُ

وَلَولا العُلى ما كُنتُ في الحُبِّ أَرغَبُ

For the high-minded I have little virtue and avoidance,

And were it not for the high-minded, I would not seek love.

إِذا اللَهُ لَم يَعذُركَ فيما تَرومُهُ

فَما الناسُ إِلّا عاذِلٌ أَو مُؤَنِّبُ

If God does not excuse you for what you intend,

Then people are but blamers or reproachers.

مَلَكتُ بِحِلمي فُرصَةً ما اِستَرَقَّها

مِنَ الدَهرِ مَفتولُ الذِراعَينِ أَغلَبُ

With my forbearance I gained a chance that I seized

From time, though fate's arms be stronger.

فَإِن تَكُ سِنّي ما تَطاوَلَ باعُها

فَلي مِن وَراءِ المَجدِ قَلبٌ مُدَرَّبُ

If my years reach what their length encompassed,

Then behind glory my heart is well-trained.

فَحَسبِيَ أَنّي في الأَعادي مُبَغَّضٌ

وَأَنّي إِلى غُرِّ المَعالي مُحَبَّبُ

It suffices me that I am hated by enemies

And beloved unto the noblest goals.

وَلِلحِلمِ أَوقاتٌ وَلِلجَهلِ مِثلُها

وَلَكِنَّ أَوقاتي إِلى الحِلمِ أَقرَبُ

Forbearance has its times and ignorance has the like,

But my times are closer to forbearance.

يَصولُ عَلَيَّ الجاهِلونَ وَأَعتَلي

وَيُعجِمُ فيَّ القائِلونَ وَأُعرِبُ

The ignorant assault me and I rise above,

And those who speak in me babble while I articulate.

يَرَونَ اِحتِمالي غَصَّةً وَيَزيدُهُم

لَواعِجَ ضَغنٍ أَنَّني لَستُ أَغضَبُ

They see my endurance as an annoyance, and it increases

The barking pangs in them that I do not rage.

وَأُعرِضُ عَن كَأسِ النَديمِ كَأَنَّها

وَميضُ غَمامٍ غائِرُ المُزنِ خُلَّبُ

I turn away from the cup of the companion as though it were

The fading of a passing cloud, dimmed of lightning.

وَقورٌ فَلا الأَلحانُ تَأسِرُ عَزمَتي

وَلا تَمكُرُ الصَهباءُ بي حينَ أَشرَبُ

And dignified, so tunes do not capture my resolve,

Nor does the blond one conspire against me when I drink.

وَلا أَعرِفُ الفَحشاءَ إِلّا بِوَصفِها

وَلا أَنطِقُ العَوراءَ وَالقَلبُ مُغضَبُ

I know not indecency but by its description,

And I speak not of disgrace while my heart is angry.

تَحَلَّمُ عَن كَرِّ القَوارِضِ شيمَتي

كَأَنَّ مُعيدَ المَدحِ بِالذَمِّ مُطنِبِ

My nature is forbearing from the harm of carnivores,

As though the praiser through blame were erecting a monument.

لِساني حَصاةٌ يَقرَعُ الجَهلَ بِالحِجى

إِذا نالَ مِنّي العاضِهُ المُتَوَثِّبِ

My tongue a pebble that strikes ignorance with argument,

When the biter pounces at me from afar.

وَلَستُ بِراضٍ أَن تَمَسَّ عَزائِمي

فُضالاتِ ما يُعطي الزَمانُ وَيَسلُبُ

I am not pleased that the bounties that time gives and takes away

Touch my resolves.

غَرائِبُ آدابٍ حَباني بِحِفظِها

زَماني وَصَرفُ الدَهرِ نِعمَ المُؤَدِّبِ

Marvels of manners that my time endowed me in retaining them,

My time and the turning of fate, what an excellent tutor!

تُرَيِّشُنا الأَيّامُ ثُمَّ تَهيضُنا

أَلا نِعمَ ذا البادي وَبِئسَ المُعَقِّبُ

The days feather us then rouse us—

Behold, excellent is the first but miserable is the successor!

نَهَيتُكَ عَن طَبعِ اللِئامِ فَإِنَّني

أَرى البُخلَ يَأتي وَالمَكارِمَ تُطلَبُ

I warned you against the nature of villains, for I see

Stinginess comes while generosity is sought.

تَعَلَم فَإِنَّ الجودَ في الناسِ فِطنَةٌ

تَناقَلَها الأَحرارُ وَالطَبعُ أَغلَبُ

You know that generosity among people is cleverness

Passed down by the noble while nature overcomes.

تُضافِرُني فيكَ الصَوارِمُ وَالقَنا

وَيَصحَبُني مِنكَ العُذَيقُ المُرَجَّبُ

Against you the swords and spears ally with me

And the intimate relationship that buds accompanies me.

نَصَحتُ وَبَعضُ النُصحِ في الناسِ هُجنَةٌ

وَبَعضُ التَناجي بِالعِتابِ تَعَتُّبُ

I advised and some advice among people is madness,

And some whispering is with reproach and blame.

فَإِن أَنتَ لَم تُعطِ النَصيحَةَ حَقَّها

فَرُبَّ جَموحٍ كَلَّ عَنهُ المُؤَنِّبُ

If you do not give advice its due right,

Then many a stubborn one is stopped by the reproacher.

سَقى اللَهُ أَرضاً جاوَرَ القَطرُ رَوضَها

إِذِ المُزنُ تَسقي وَالأَباطِحُ تَشرَبُ

God watered a land whose verdure adjoined its meadow,

When the clouds were pouring and the lowlands drinking.

ذَكَرتُ بِها عَصرَ الشَبابِ فَحَسرَةً

أَفَدتُ وَقَد فاتَ الَّذي كُنتُ أَطلُبُ

I recalled through it the time of youth and regretfully

Wasted it, once passed what I was seeking.

سَكَنتُكِ وَالأَيّامُ بيضٌ كَأَنَّها

مِنَ الطيبِ في أَثوابِنا تَتَقَلَّبُ

I resided with you while the days were eggs as though

They rolled in our clothes scented with perfume.

وَيُعجِبُني مِنكَ النَسيمُ إِذا هَفا

أَلا كُلَّ ما سَرى عَنِ القَلبِ مُعجِبُ

And I like the breeze from you when it blows gently—

Behold, all that emanates from the heart is wondrous.

وَفي الوَطَنِ المَألوفِ لِلنَفسِ لَذَّةٌ

وَإِن لَم يُنِلنا العِزَّ إِلّا التَقَلُّبُ

And in the familiar homeland there is a delight for the self

Even if we obtain no honor but roaming.

وَبَرقٍ رَقيقِ الطُرَّتَينِ لَحَظتُهُ

إِذِ الجَوُّ خَوّارُ المَصابيحِ أَكهَبُ

I glimpsed delicate lightning whose gowns

When the atmosphere ripped like extinguished candles.

فَمَرَّ كَما مَرَّت ذَوائِبُ عُشوَةٍ

تُقادُ بِأَطرافِ الرِماحِ وَتُجنَبُ

It passed as the bundles of a picnic pass

Herded by the tips of spears and avoided.

نَظَرتُ وَأَلحاظُ النُجومِ كَليلَةٌ

وَهَيهاتَ دونَ البَرقِ شَأوٌ مُغَرِّبُ

We returned with it plunged with its abundant rain

As the hamlet greeted the ground—what billowing clouds!

فَما اللَيلُ إِلّا فَحمَةٌ مُستَشَفَّةٌ

وَما البَرقُ إِلّا جَمرَةٌ تَتَلَهَّبُ

As though the returning of frogs behind it

Were whistling attempted by the perforated bucket.

أَمِن بَعدِ أَن أَجلَلتَها وَرَقَ الدُجى

سِراعاً وَأَغصانُ الأَزِمَّةِ تُجذَبُ

We turned with it the water of darkness pouring

And for the night a milky way with droplets.

وَعُدنا بِها مَمغوطَةً بِنُسوعِها

كَما صافَحَ الأَرضَ السَراءُ المُعَبِّبُ

It startles the fowl from their burrows

So however it meets them they are startled.

كَأَنَّ تَراجيعَ الحُداةِ وَراءَها

صَفيرٌ تَعاطاهُ اليَراعُ المُثَقَّبُ

And it enjoys sipping the water gently as though

With glory a cool mouth with darkness drinking.

وَرَدنَ بِها ماءَ الظَلامِ سَواغِباً

وَلِلَّيلِ جَوٌّ بِالدَرارِيِّ مُعشِبُ

We surrendered to it the secret of concerns from our eyes

And the secret of glory between souls is veiled.

تُنَفِّرُ ذَودَ الطَيرِ عَن وَكَراتِها

فَكُلٌّ إِذا لاقَيتَهُ مُتَغَرِّبُ

For glory my smiling in its proximity is prohibited

And not one tribulation in it shook me.

وَتَلتَذُّ رَشفَ الماءِ رَنقاً كَأَنَّهُ

مَعَ العِزِّ ثَغرٌ بارِدُ الظَلمِ أَشنَبُ

My suspicions in calamities are startled

And my determination avoids requests.

أَذَعنا لَهُ سِرَّ الكَرى مِن عُيونِنا

وَسِرُّ العُلى بَينَ الجَوانِحِ يُحجَبُ

I traversed a pitch dark night, singing antiphony,

While the night prowlers howled.

حَرامٌ عَلى المَجدِ اِبتِسامي لِقُربِهِ

وَما هَزَّني فيهِ العَناءُ المُقَطِّبُ

If I wished, the doves would sing to me at dusk,

But I drink from the water of my eyes.

تَهُرُّ ظُنوني في المَآرِبِ إِربَةٌ

وَيَجنُبُ عَزمي في المَطالِبِ مَطلَبُ

I say when the night conversations delve in the darkness,

Discussions that seem rising and setting.

وَدَهماءَ مِن لَيلِ التَمامِ قَطَعتُها

أُغَنّي حِداءً وَالمَراسيلُ تَطرَبُ

Sing to me in talk for I have seen

The sweetest words are those that enchant.

وَلَو شِئتُ غَنَّتني الحَمامُ عَشيَّةً

وَلَكِنَّني مِن ماءِ عَينَيَّ أَشرَبُ

Singing, when it probes the ears, is not

Trustworthy over its constantly moving robe.

أَقولُ إِذا خاضَ السَميرانِ في الدُجى

أَحاديثَ تَبدو طالِعاتٍ وَتَغرُبُ

And drowsiness from the wine of sleep I startled it

While the specter of concerns in the eye floats and settles.

أَلا غَنِّياني بِالحَديثِ فَإِنَّني

رَأَيتُ أَلَذَّ القَولِ ما كانَ يُطرِبُ

It has an eyelid that conjures sleep upon it

To it as restfulness alighted upon a starry night.

غِناءً إِذا خاضَ المَسامِعَ لَم يَكُن

أَميناً عَلى جِلبابِهِ المُتَجَلبِبُ

I traversed the terrain’s paths heedlessly and deliberately—

You find with them the hands of steads playing.

وَنَشوانَ مِن خَمرِ النُعاسِ ذَعَرتُهُ

وَطَيفُ الكَرى في العَينِ يَطفو وَيَرسُبُ

It is not my desire to blame the companion, but

As boots and horseshoes meet in traveling.

لَهُ مُقلَةٌ يَستَنزِلُ النَومَ جَفنُها

إِلَيهِ كَما اِستَرخى عَلى النَجمِ هَيدَبُ

I wondered how others accompanied its star

While my traveling in it, O girl of the people, is more wondrous.

سَلَكتُ فِجاجَ الأَرضِ غُفلاً وَمَعلَماً

تَجِدُّ بِها أَيدي المَطايا وَتَلعَبُ

I travel and my saddle is studded with stars,

I camp while my abode in the highlands is carpeted.

وَما شَهوَتي لَومَ الرَفيقِ وَإِنَّما

كَما يَلتَقي في السَيرِ ظِلفٌ وَمِخلَبُ

And the smooth flanks in its sides

Are cradles for the highland’s edges and playground.

عَجِبتُ لِغَيري كَيفَ سايَرَ نَجمَها

وَسَيرِيَ فيها يَا اِبنَةَ القَومِ أَعجَبُ

It drags across the road’s surface jaggedly

Cast aside by a horn of the sun—broken!

أَسيرُ وَسَرجي بِالنِجادِ مُقَلَّدٌ

وَأَثوي وَبَيتي بِالعَوالي مُطَنَّبُ

A day with the radiance of swords shredded

And a sky with the redness of spears gilded.

وَمَصقولَةِ الأَعطافِ في جَنَباتِها

مِراحٌ لِأَطرافِ العَوالي وَمَلعَبُ

You see the day red like blood

Poured upon the atmosphere dripping.

تَجُرُّ عَلى مَتنِ الطَريقِ عَجاجَةً

يُطارِحُها قَرنٌ مِنَ الشَمسِ أَعضَبُ

We clashed with the enemies and the night is spreading

Its corridors, the army tents most ruined.

نَهارٌ بِلَألاءِ السُيوفِ مُفَضَّضٌ

وَجَوٌّ بِحَمراءِ الأَنابيبِ مُذهَبُ

We seized them with swords and spears

While the shepherd of the night stars wanders confused.

تَرى اليَومَ مُحمَرَّ الخَوافي كَأَنَّما

عَلى الجَوِّ غَربٌ مِن دَمٍ يَتَصَبَّبُ

If it were a firm matter they would reason it

But it is the matter that is not tried.

صَدَمنا بِها الأَعداءَ وَاللَيلُ ضارِبٌ

بِأَرواقِهِ جَونُ المِلاطَينِ أَخطَبُ

They dread the dawn’s emergence while behind

The night’s veil a day guts twisting.

أَخَذنا عَلَيهِم بِالصَوارِمِ وَالقَنا

وَراعي نُجومِ اللَيلِ حَيرانُ مُغرِبُ

All heavy of chest from the clamor of spears

Is swift to passion while death hastens bringing.

فَلَو كانَ أَمراً ثابِتاً عَقَلوا لَهُ

وَلَكِنَّهُ الأَمرُ الَّذي لا يُجَرَّبُ

He gathers when the war overwhelms his strength

As the deceivers gathered and the water runs out.

يُراعونَ إِسفارَ الصَباحِ وَإِنَّما

وَراءَ لِثامِ اللَيلِ يَومٌ عَصَبصَبُ

Horses are but like the flints of their hooves—

So either triumphant or disappointed plunder.

وَكُلُّ ثَقيلِ الصَدرِ مِن جَلَبِ القَنا

خَفيفِ الشَوى وَالمَوتُ عَجلانُ مُقرِبُ

Leave the glory of ancestry O unjust people

For neither is the water to be had nor the earth good.

يَجُمُّ إِذا ما اِستَرعَفَ الكَرُّ جُهدَهُ

كَما جَمَّتِ الغُدرانُ وَالماءُ يَنضُبُ

If you are among the descendants of Fihr like stars

When one star sets another rises.

وَما الخَيلُ إِلّا كَالقِداحِ نُجيلُها

لِغُنمٍ فَإِمّا فائِزٌ أَو مُخَيَّبُ

My reputation among you is attributed openly

While not all stars are attributed!

دَعوا شَرَفَ الأَحسابِ يا آلَ ظالِمٍ

فَلا الماءُ مَورودٌ وَلا التُربُ طَيِّبُ

You accompanied the youth of noble women, continuous

From the cutting of peers—no blood shedder!

لَئِن كُنتُمُ في آلِ فِهرٍ كَواكِباً

إِذا غاضَ مِنها كَوكَبٌ فاضَ كَوكَبُ

I refine my thoughts praising villains

So I am truest in fair meanings and I lie.

فَنَعتي كَنَعتِ البَدرِ يُنسَبُ بَينَكُم

جَهاراً وَما كُلُّ الكَواكِبِ تُنسَبُ

Praise is but for the Prophet and his family—

It is intended while some words are better avoided.

صَحِبتُم خِضابَ الزاعِبيّاتِ ناصِلاً

وَمِن عَلَقِ الأَقرانِ ما لا يُخَضِّبُ

Worthier of my praise is one whose pride honors me

And only the refined thank the beneficent.

أُهَذِّبُ في مَدحِ اللِئامِ خَواطِري

فَأَصدُقُ في حُسنِ المَعاني وَأَكذِبُ

I see poetry in them enduring as though

The long-necked birds hover with poems.

وَما المَدحُ إِلّا في النَبيِّ وَآلِهِ

يُرامُ وَبَعضُ القَولِ ما يُتَجَنَّبُ

And they said “Wondrous! His wonder at himself!”

And where in eras is one like my father?

وَأَولى بِمَدحي مَن أُعِزُّ بِفَخرِهِ

وَلا يَشكُرُ النَعماءَ إِلّا المُهَذَّبُ

By your life, I was not wondrous but in praising them

And verses are thought to make me arrogant.

أَرى الشِعرَ فيهِم باقِياً وَكَأَنَّما

تُحَلِّقُ بِالأَشعارِ عَنقاءُ مُغرِبُ

I ready for my pride in stance Muhammad

And I call upon Ali for the heights when I mount.

وَقالوا عَجيبٌ عُجبُ مِثلي بِنَفسِهِ

وَأَينَ عَلى الأَيّامِ مِثلُ أَبي أَبُ

لَعَمرُكَ ما أُعجِبتُ إِلّا بِمَدحِهِم

وَيُحسَبُ أَنّي بِالقَصائِدِ مُعجَبُ

أَعِدُّ لِفَخري في المَقامِ مُحَمَّداً

وَأَدعو عَليّاً لِلعُلى حينَ أَركَبُ