قَد قُلتُ لِلنَفسِ الشَعاعِ أَضُمُّها
كَم ذا القِراعُ لِكُلِّ بابٍ مُصمَتِ
I said to my soul, whose ray I fold:
How long will knocking be at every silent door?
قَد آنَ أَن أَعصي المَطامِعَ طائِعاً
لِليَأسِ جامِعَ شَملِيَ المُتَشَتِّتِ
It's time to disobey greedy hopes -
And despair, which gathers my scattered parts, obeys.
يَقضي الحَريصُ وَلَيسَ يَقضي أُربَةً
مُتَعَلِّلاً أَبَداً بِغَيرِ تَعِلَّةِ
The eager man passes away and doesn't pass an inheritance,
Always excusing himself with a false excuse.
قُل لِلَّذينَ بَلَوتُهُم فَوَجَدتُهُم
آلاً وَغَيرُ الآلِ يَنقَعُ غُلَّتي
Say to those I tested and found
Worthless, while the worthy drinks my tears.
أَعدَدتُكُم لِدِفاعِ كُلِّ مُلِمَّةٍ
عَنّي فَكُنتُم عَونَ كُلِّ مُلِمَّةٍ
I prepared you to defend me from every misfortune,
Yet you became the aid of every misfortune.
وَتَخِذتُكُم لي جُنَّةً فَكَأَنَّما
نَظَرَ العَدُوُّ مَقاتِلي مِن جُنَّتي
I made you a shield around me, but it was as if
The enemy saw my fighters through my shield.
سُمَعٌ يَبُلُّ بِها الحَسودُ غَليلَهُ
وَمَتى نُبِثنَ عَلى عَدوٍّ يَشمَتِ
A reputation that makes the envious sick with anguish,
And when we triumph over an enemy, exult.
تَأَبى ثِمارٌ أَن تَكونَ كَريمَةً
وَفُروعُ دَوحَتِها لِئامُ المَنبِتِ
Fruits refused to be generous,
And its branches are the scum of the planter.
لَمّا رَمَيتُ إِلَيكُمُ بِمَطامِعي
كَثُرَ الخِلاجُ مُقَلِّباً لِرَوِيَّتي
When I aimed my hopes at you,
The bowl churned, disturbing my calm.
وَوَقَفتُ دونَكُمُ وُقوفَ مُقَسَّمٍ
حَذَرَ المَنِيَّةِ راجِيَ الأُمنِيَّةِ
And I stood before you like one destined
To die, hoping for safety.
قَدَمٌ تَؤُمُّكُمُ وَأُخرى تَنثَني
عَنكُم وَحَزمُ الرَأيِ للمُتَثَبِّتِ
One foot takes you there, another draws me
Away from you, though the wise stay firm.
لَولا الحَوادِثُ ما أَفَدتُ تَجارِباً
يَعسو الرَطيبُ وَيَقرَحُ الجَذعُ الفَتي
Without misfortunes, I'd not gain experience -
The tender branch would not fruit, or the trunk grow stout.
يَأسٌ ثَنى سُنَنَ المَطالِبِ عَنكُمُ
وَلَوى إِلى الأَوطانِ عُنقَ مَطَيَّتي
Despair bent the path of my hopes away from you
And turned my steed's neck toward home.
لا عُذرَ لي إِلّا ذَهابي عَنكُمُ
فَإِذا ذَهَبتُ فَيَأسُكُم مِن رَجعَتي
I've no excuse but my leaving you -
For when I go, despair of my return!
فَلَأَرحَلَنَّ رَحيلَ لا مُتَلَهِّفٍ
لِفِراقِكُم أَبَداً وَلا مُتَلَفِّتِ
So I'll leave without looking back,
Not eager for our parting, never glancing back.
وَلَأَنفُضَنَّ يَدَيَّ يَأساً مِنكُمُ
نَفضَ الأَنامِلِ مِن تُرابِ المَيِّتِ
And I'll shake my hands of you in despair
As the bereaved shake dust off a corpse.
وَلَأَلمَعَنَّ بِكُلِّ بَيتٍ شارِدِ
لَمعَ المُهَنَّدِ في يَمينِ المُصلِتِ
I'll shine my verses on each outcast night
Like flash of sword in a worshipper's right hand.
مِن كُلِّ قافِيَةٍ تَخُبُّ إِلَيكُمُ
بِشَواظِها خَبَبَ الجَوادِ المُفلِتِ
From every rhyme that yearns to you
My steed bolts off with a loose rein.
وَأَقولُ لِلقَلبِ المُنازِعِ نَحوَكُم
أَقصِر هَواكَ لَكَ اللَتَيّا وَالَّتي
And I say to the heart disputing your love:
Shorten your passion - blame yourself, blame yourself!
أَأهُزُّ مَن لا يَنثَني وَأُديرُ مَن
لا يَرعَوي وَأَلومُ مَن لا يَختَتي
Shall I jostle one who won't bend, prod one
Who won't be guided, blame one who won't regret?
يا ضَيعَةَ الأَمَلِ الَّذي وَجَّهتُهُ
طَمَعاً إِلى الأَقوامِ بَل يا ضَيعَتي
O lost hope, which I aimed
Greedily at people - O my lost self!
وَسَرى السَفائِنُ يَنثَني بِصُدورِها
مَوجٌ كَأَسنِمَةِ الجِمالِ الجِلَّةِ
Ships sailed, bending with their prows
Like camels' necks, swaying gracefully.
قَومٌ إِذا حَضَروا النَدَيِّ مَهانَةً
عَطَسَت مَوارِنُهُم بِغَيرِ مُشَمِّتِ
A people who, when present at an assembly, disgrace it -
Their ships sneeze though unprovoked.
يا دَهرُ حَسبُكَ قَد أَصَبتَ مَقاتِلي
ما زِلتَ تَطلُبُ بِالمَقادِرِ غِرَّتي
O Time, enough! My warriors you have stricken -
You always seek my pride through destiny's decrees.
مالي أُحيلُ عَلى سِواكَ بِما جَنى
قَدَرٌ عَلى قَدَرٍ وَأَنتَ بَلِيَّتي
Why should I complain of any but you for what Fate wreaked?
Decree after decree, and you're my affliction!
