ما اِبيَضَّ مِن لَونِ العَوارِضِ أَفضَلُ
وَهَوى الفَتى ذاكَ البَياضُ الأَوَّلُ
No color whiter than the cheeks’
The youth fell for that first whiteness
مِثلانِ ذا حَربُ المَلامِ وَذا لَهُ
سَبَبٌ يُعاوِنُ مَن يَلومُ وَيَعذُلُ
We were alike - fighting blame, and for him
A reason, aiding whoever blames and dispraises
أَرنو إِلى يَقَقِ المَشيبِ فَلا أَرى
إِلّا قَواضِبَ لِلرِقابِ تُسَلَّلُ
I look to the thickening of white hair, I see nothing
But nooses on necks creeping
وَاللِمَّةُ البَيضاءُ أَهوَنُ حادِثٍ
في الدَهرِ لَو أَنَّ الرَدى لا يَعجِلُ
And the white mark, a slight misfortune
If only destiny does not hasten
وَلَقَد حَمَلتُ شَبابَها وَمَشيبَها
فَإِذا المَشيبُ عَلى الذَوائِبِ أَثقَلُ
I carried its youth and white hair
Yet white hair weighs down more on the chins
إِنّي غُرِرتُ مِنَ الهَوى فَشَرِبتُهُ
لَم أَدرِ أَنَّ عَقيبَ شُربِيَ حَنظَلُ
I was tempted by passion and drank it
Unaware that bitterness followed my drinking
وَعَلِمتُ أَنَّ وَرايَ أَطوَلَ سَكرَةٍ
مِمّا أُعَلُّ مِنَ الغَرامِ وَأُنهَلُ
And I knew what intoxication comes after
Is lengthier than my fervor and deeper draughts
عَجَباً لِمَن يَلقى الهَوى بِفُؤادِهِ
عَجلانَ وَهوَ مِنَ التَجَلُّدِ أَعزَلُ
Wondrous! One who meets passion with his heart
Hasty, while most patient and steadfast of all
إِن لا يُعَرِّض لِلذَوابِلِ قَلبَهُ
إِنَّ الطِعانَ مِنَ البَلابِلِ أَسهَلُ
One who does not expose his heart to piercing
Arrows find the stabs of calamities gentler
الآنَ جَلَّلَني الوَقارُ رِداءَهُ
وَاِنجابَ عَن عَينَيَّ ذاكَ الغَيطَلُ
Now dignity cloaks me in its gown
And distracted me from that coquetry
وَنَزَعتُ وَجداً كانَ يَشمَخُ كُلَّما
أَغرى المَلامُ بِهِ وَلَجَّ العُذَّلُ
I shook off fervor which grew bolder
Whenever blame enticed it and dispraise enveloped
أَنا مَن عَلِمتَ وَلَيسَ يُطفِىءُ سَطوَتي
غُلَواءُ مَن يَطغى إِلَيَّ وَيَجهَلُ
I am he whom you knew, and none can extinguish my domination
Not even the injustice of one who transgresses against me, ignorant
يُغضي العَدوُّ إِذا طَلَعتُ وَقَلبُهُ
يَغلي عَلَيهِ مِنَ الضَغائِنِ مِرجَلُ
The enemy’s eye dims when I appear
His heart boiling with resentments like embers
وَيُزيغُني عَمّا أُجِنُّ مُخاتِلاً
وَالأَورَقُ العاديُّ لا يَتَزَلزَلُ
He would distract me from my purpose, evading
Yet the sturdy, smooth spear cannot waver
أَجلو عَلَيهِ ناجِذي وَلَوِ اِجتَلى
ما بَينَ أَضلاعي لَباتَ يُقَلقِلُ
I revealed my incisors, and if he faced me
He would spend the night restless, writhing in pain
فَعَلامَ أُزجَرُ بِالوَعيدِ وَأَجتَري
وَإِلامَ أَطلُبُ بِالدُخولِ وَأُمطَلُ
Why then do I threaten or attack in vain,
What do I seek by entry or withdrawal?
ما لي قَنِعتُ كَأَنَّ لَيسَ مُهَنَّدي
بِيَدي وَلا جَدّي النَبِيُّ المُرسَلُ
I was not content, as if my ancestor
Were not the prophet, the messenger sent
فَلَآخُذَنَّ مِنَ الزَمانِ غُلُبَّةً
حَقّي وَأَمنَعُ ما أَشاءُ وَأَبذُلُ
I will seize supremacy over time
My right, forbid what I wish, spend what I please
وَلَأَدخُلَنَّ عَلى النِساءِ خُدورَها
وَاليَومَ لَيلٌ بِالعَجاجَةِ أَليَلُ
I will enter the homes of women
And today darkness is deeper with clouds
مُتَضايِقٌ يَدعو القَريبَ ضَجاجُهُ
أَبَداً وَيَلمَعُ بِالبَعيدِ القَسطَلُ
The desperate calls out his near while the deluded
Yearns for the distant, deceived star
وَعَلَيَّ أَن يَطَأَ العِراقَ وَأَهلَها
يَومٌ أَغَرُّ مِنَ الدِماءِ مُحَجَّلُ
It is incumbent on me to tread on Iraq and its people
A day redder than blood, armed
يَومٌ تَزِلُّ بِهِ القُلوبُ مِنَ الرَدى
جَزَعاً وَأَحرى أَن تَزِلَّ الأَرجُلُ
A day when hearts slip away in fear of fate
And feet should slip even more in dread
وَعَجاجَةٍ تَلقى السَماءَ بِمِثلِها
عِظَماً كَما مَدَّ الغَمامُ المُثقَلُ
With clouds reaching equally high
As if the laden clouds stretched
لَو شامَ موسى كَفَّهُ في لَيلِها
خَفيَ البَياضِ عَلى الَّذي يَتَأَمَّلُ
Had Moses glimpsed its night with his palm
The whiteness would conceal even deep examination
طَلَبَ العُلى وَالجَدُّ فيهِ مِنَ العُلى
وَإِلى المَرامِ نَأى وَطالَ تَغَلغُلُ
He sought loftiness, and seriousness toward the loftiness,
Keep away from the goal, persisting in struggle
فَاِعزِم فَلَيسَ عَلَيكَ إِلّا عَزمَةٌ
وَالعَجزُ عُنوانٌ لِمَن يَتَوَكَّلُ
Be determined - nothing left but determination
Incapacity the mark of one who depends
أَو حَمِّلِ اللَومَ القَضاءَ فَإِنَّهُ
عَودٌ لِأَثقالِ المَلامِ مُذَلَّلُ
Or blame fate, for it is
A rod leveling the blame heaped
وَيُجيرُ مِن عَوراءِ هَمِّكَ سابِحٌ
أَو صارِمٌ أَو ذابِلٌ أَو مِقوَلُ
A swimmer, horseman, languid or spoken
May provide cover during your concerns
لا تُحدِثَن طَمَعاً وَجَدُّكَ مُدبِرٌ
وَاِطلُب مَدى الدُنيا وَجَدُّكَ مُقبِلُ
Do not create hope while your fervor retreats
And seek the life of the world while desire comes
وَاِعقِل رَجاءَكَ بِالحُسَينِ فَإِنَّهُ
حَرَمٌ يُذِمُّ مِنَ الزَمانِ وَمَعقِلُ
Tether your hopes to the excellent
Sanctum diminishing the times, and stronghold
جَذلانَ تَقطُرُ نِعمَةً أَيّامُهُ
لِلطالِبينَ فَراغِبٌ وَمُؤَمِّلُ
Generous hands from which his days drip
Favors for seekers, hopeful and expectant
ماضي المَقالِ يَكادُ مِن تَطبيقِهِ
يَومَ الجِدالِ يَئِنُّ مِنهُ المَفصِلُ
My words nearly crumple, when applied
On the day of trial, from their precision
غَيرِ المُعاجِلِ بِالعِقابِ إِذا هَفا
جُرمٌ وَيَسبُقُ بِالعَطاءِ وَيَعجَلُ
He does not hastily punish a crime, once it wanes,
And is quick to bestow, hastening
ضِرغامِ هَيجاءٍ كَفاهُ بِأَنَّهُ
عِندَ القَواضِبِ وَالقَنا بي مُشبِلُ
The confusion of stirring up turmoil, it is enough
To be near destruction and the writhing of agony
نَستَعطِفُ الأَمرَ المُوَلّي بِاِسمِهِ
فَيَعودُ أَو نَدعو العَلاءَ فَيُقبِلُ
We appeal to authority by his name
And it responds, or we call the Most High, and He comes
وَلَرُبَّ يَومٍ قَد مَلَأتَ فُروجَهُ
خَيلاً تَدَرَّعُ بِالغُبارِ وَتُرقِلُ
And perhaps one day, you filled its expanse
With steeds clad in dust, milling about
وَفَوارِساً يَتَزاحَمونَ عَلى الرَدى
نَهلاً وَقَد عَزَّ البَرودُ السَلسَلُ
And horsemen vying over bodies
Stabbing them, while the cutting blades are scarce
مِن كُلِّ أَروَعَ ماجِدٍ في كَفِّهِ
قَلَقٌ هَتوفٌ بِالمَنونِ وَمَعوِلُ
In each valiant hand, anxiety waving
His death flag, and tools of annihilation -
ضَرباً كَأَشداقِ الهِجانِ رَواغِياً
وَوَغىً كَما اِضطَرَمَ الأَباءُ المُشعَلُ
Blows like the cheeks of warriors, faces distorted
Tumult as fierce as the ignited inferno
وَعُيونَ طَعنٍ كَالعُيونِ يَمُدُّها
ماءٌ مَذانِبُهُ العُروقُ الذُبَّلُ
Eyes of piercing like eyes it sends forth
Water whose veins have shriveled
مِن كُلِّ شَوهاءَ الضُلوعِ مُثيرُها
مُتَعَوِّذٌ وَالناظِرُ المُتَأَمِّلُ
Out of every horrible gash in the ribs, it’s cause
A hostage-taker, and an onlooker examining
شَهّاقَةٍ تَدِقُ النَجيعَ وَتَنطَوي
فيها المَسائِلُ أَو تَضَلُّ الأُنمُلُ
Voracious in consuming the soft internal organs
Gathering inquiries, or losing fingers
يَنزو لَها عَلَقٌ تُمُطِّقَ خَلفَهُ
أَو عانِدٌ يَلقى النَواظِرَ شَلشَلُ
There descends to it soft things it chews after
Or a challenger meeting stares askance
وَلَدَيكَ إِن طَمَحَ العَدوُّ صَوارِمٌ
تُدمى عَرانينَ العِدا وَتُذَلِّلُ
While you - should the enemy aspire - have swords
That bloody the foe’s forearms and humble them
كَالنارِ ما يَسأَلنَ غَيرَ ضَريبَةٍ
وَالسَيفُ أَعلى مَن يَجودُ وَيُسأَلُ
Like fire that requires no more than a slight
While the sword is loftier to give and is asked
يُستَبهَمُ الأَمرُ الفَظيعُ فَلا تَرى
إِلّا القَواضِبَ مَطلَعاً يُتَقَبَّلُ
The horrific unknown, you see nothing but
Rising nooses that are welcomed
ما بَينَ مَن يَخشى المَنيَّةَ وَالَّذي
يَصلى بِها في العُمرِ إِلّا مَنزِلُ
Nothing between he who fears death and he
Who has it for life’s companion but halting places
لا تَنظُرِ الباغي لِقُربى وَاِرمِهِ
بِالذُلِّ وَاِقطَع ما عَلَيهِ يُعَوِّلُ
Do not regard a wrong-doer as kin and make him suffer disgrace
Sever ties he depends on and pull his pillars down
هَذا الأَمينُ أَدالَ مِنهُ شَقيقُهُ
وَمَضى عَقيراً بِاِبنِهِ المُتَوَكِّلُ
This trusted one, his brother is more equitable than him
He died estranged from his trusting son
وَالعَفوُ مَكرُمَةٌ فَإِن أَغرى بِها
مُتَغافِلٌ قالَ الرِجالُ مُغَفَّلُ
Pardoning is honorable - when conceded
To one forgetful, the men say: Oblivious!
وَلَقَد حَضَرتُ وَأَنتَ غائِبُ نَكبَةٍ
فَخَلاكَ ما قالَ العِدا وَتَقَوَّلوا
I was present when you were absent at a defeat
Your absence spared you what the enemies said and what they invented
لا يَغرُرَنَّكَ أَنَّهُم بِسِهامِهِم
أَشوَوا وَما بَلَغوا مَدى ما أَمَّلوا
Do not be fooled if their arrows
Scorched, for they have not reached what they hoped for
هَيهاتَ لَم يَرمِ العَدوُّ بِسَهمِهِ
وَإِنِ اِنزَوى إِلّا لَيَدمى المَقتَلُ
Never does an enemy’s arrow, even if it hits true
Wound except what is already destined for death
وَأَنا المُضارِبُ عَن عُلاكَ بِمِقوَلٍ
ماضي الغِرارِ وَلا الجُرازُ المِصقَلُ
I counter those who blame you with a saying
Past regrets, nor polished excuses
يُدمي الجَوارِحَ وَهوَ ساكِنُ غِمدِهِ
وَلَقَلَّما يَمضي بِغِمدٍ مُنصُلُ
That sheds blood while still in its sheath
Rarely does a drawn sword remain sheathed
هَيهاتَ يَلحَقُ بِالصَميمِ مُدَرَّعٌ
أَبَداً وَيُزري بِالبِحارِ الجَدوَلُ
Never can armor reach the mortal spot
Nor can the wave push back the rapids
ما صارِمٌ كَدِرُ الذُبابِ كَصارِمٍ
خَلَعَ الجَلاءَ عَلى ظُباهُ الصَيقَلُ
No blade’s like the buzzing of flies, not one
That bared its sharpness on smooth stone
وَسَماؤُنا الظَلماءُ يَكتُمُ شَخصَها
أَنّى أَضاءَ العارِضُ المُتَهَلِّلُ
Our gloomy sky hides its perspective
Wherever bright dawn leaks through
لَيسَ التَفَرُّدُ بِالعَلاءِ طَماعَةً
إِنَّ العُلى دَرَجٌ لِمَن يَتَوَقَّلُ
Being peerless is no arrogance
Loftiness is the rank of one who climbs
نَظمٌ وَنَثرٌ قَد طَمَحتُ إِلَيهِما
صُعُداً وَيَعنو لِلأَخيرِ الأَوَّلُ
Poetry and prose - I aspired to them
As ladders, while beginnings yearn for the last
وَحَديثُ فَضلي ضارِبٌ بِعُروقِهِ
في الأَرضِ يَنقُلُهُ المَطيُّ البُزَّلُ
And talk of my merit laid roots
Coursing the land, transported on a fleet horse
لَولاكَ ما سَمَحَت بِقَولٍ هِمَّتي
قَدري أَجَلُّ مِنَ القَريضِ وَأَفضَلُ
Had it not been for you, my resolve would not have approved
My pen more sublime than poetry, superior
هَذا وَفي بَعضِ الَّذي اِمتَلَأَت بِهِ
عَنّي البِلادُ لَقائِلٌ مِتَعَلِّلُ
Along with some of what the countries brimmed with
Are disapproving critics finding fault
لَمّا نَظَرتُ إِلى عُلاكَ غَريبَةٍ
وَمُضَيَّعٌ راعي المَناقِبِ مُهمَلُ
When I regarded your strange sublimity
While the guardian of glory was neglected
أَحرَزتُها مُتَوَغِّلاً غاياتِها
وَالمَجدُ مَلءُ يَدِ الَّذي يَتَوَغَّلُ
I seized it undetected, infiltrating its limits
For might fills the hand that infiltrates
في سيرَةٍ غَرّاءَ تُستَضوى بِها ال
دُنيا وَيَلبَسُها الزَمانُ الأَطوَلُ
In a splendid life story fire is borrowed
And eras don, the longest garb
مُلِئَت بِفَضلِكَ فَالوَليُّ مُكَثِّرٌ
ما شاعَ عَنها وَالعَدوُّ مُقَلِّلُ
Filled with your merit - authority proliferates
What circulates, while the enemy diminishes
يَفتَنُّ فيها القائِلونَ كَأَنَّما
طَلَعَت كَما طَلَعَ الكِتابُ المُنزَلُ
In it the critics are tested, as though
What descended like the Scripture sent down
هَنَّأتُ جَدَّكَ بِالتَحَلُّقِ في العُلى
وَلَأَنتَ نِعمَ المُقبِلُ المُتَقَبَّلُ
I congratulated your ancestor for clinging to the sublime
You are most worthy of coming and being welcomed
وَطَرَحتُ تَهنِئَةً بِأَيّامٍ أَرى
فيها سَواءً مَن يَقِلُّ وَيَنبُلُ
I presented congratulations for days in which I see
Equal whether diminished or ennobled
وَأَرى لِحاظَ الحاسِدينَ مُريبَةً
وَالغَيظُ بَينَ ضُلوعِهِم يَتَغَلغَلُ
I see the frowning faces of enviers
Enmity writhing within their ribs
ما لِلزَمانِ يَعُقُّني بِعِصابَةٍ
تَجفو عَلَيَّ مَعَ الزَمانِ وَتَثقُلُ
Why does time activate against me a gang
Who shun me, and my time weighs on them?
يَذوي عَلى قَدَمِ اللَيالي عَهدُها
مِثلَ الأَديمِ عَلى التَقادُمِ يَنغَلُ
The span of their nights fades like leather
Fragmenting over accumulation into fibers
وَدَّ الحَليمُ شِفاءَ دائِكَ كُلَّهُ
وَصَداقَةُ السُفَهاءِ داءٌ مُعضِلُ
The forebearing one cured all your maladies
While bonds with fools are an unsolved affliction
