أُراقِبُ مِن طَيفِ الحَبيبِ وِصالا
وَيَأبى خَيالٌ أَن يَزورَ خَيالا
I watch for a glimpse of my beloved, hoping for a union,
But an apparition refuses to visit an apparition.
وَهَل أَبقَتِ الأَشجانُ إِلّا مُمَثَّلاً
تُعاوِدُهُ أَيدي الضَنا وَمِثالا
Do branches remain except as fuel,
Set aflame by the hands of separation and likeness?
أَلَمَّ بِنا وَاللَيلُ قَد شابَ رَأسُهُ
وَقَد مَيَّلَ الغَربُ النُجومَ وَمالا
The night grew old and its hair turned white.
The west tilted the stars and they leaned.
وَأَنّى اِهتَدى في مُدلَهِمِّ ظَلامِهِ
يَخوضُ بِحاراً أَو يَجوبُ رِمالا
How does one find his way in the darkness of its still blackness,
Crossing a sea or traversing a desert?
تَأَوَّبَ مِن نَحوِ الأَحِبَّةِ طارِداً
رُقادي وَما أَسدى إِلَيَّ نَوالا
He startled my sleep coming from the direction of my loved ones,
But brought me no gifts.
أَوائِلُ مَسَّ الغَمضِ أَجفانَ ناظِري
كَما قارَبَ القَومُ العِطاشُ صِلالا
When drowsiness first touched my eyes,
It was as if the thirsty tribe approached watering holes.
وَما كانَ إِلّا عارِضاً مِن طَماعَةٍ
أَزالَ الكَرى عَن مُقلَتَيَّ وَزالا
But it was only a dream caused by longing
That cleared the worry from my eyelids and departed.
سَقى اللَهُ أَظعاناً أَجَزنَ عَلى الحِمى
خِفافاً كَأَقواسِ النِصالِ عِجالا
May God water the camels that swiftly crossed the sanctuary,
Like arrows released from bows in haste.
يُغالِبنَ أَعناقَ الرُبى عَجرَفيَّةً
قِراعُ رِجالٍ في اللِقاءِ رِجالا
They defeat the necks of the hillsides arrogantly,
Men meeting men in battle.
وَجَدتُ اِصطِباري دونَهُنَّ سَفاهَةً
وَأَبصَرتُ رُشدي بَعدَهُنَّ ضَلالا
I found my patience with them to be folly,
And saw my sanity after them to be misguidance.
وَما ضَرَّ مَن أَمسى زِمامي بِكَفِّهِ
عَلى النَأيِ لَو أَرخى لَنا وَأَطالا
It did no harm to whoever held my reins firmly
To release us for a while had he so lengthened.
تَذَكَّرتُ أَيّامَ القَرينَةِ وَالهَوى
يُجَدِّدُ أَقراناً لَنا وَحِبالا
I recalled the days of companionship and passion
Renewing for us friends and covenants.
مَضَينَ بِعَيشٍ لا يَعُدنَ بِمِثلِهِ
وَأَعقَبنَنا مَرَّ الزَمانِ خَيالا
We lived a life that time will not replicate,
And the passing days left us with only a mirage.
سَلي عَن فَمي فَصلَ الخِطابِ وَعَن يَدي
رِماحاً كَحَيّاتِ الرِمالِ طِوالا
Ask my mouth which parts ways in speech and ask my hands
For spears like the snakes of the sand dunes, long.
وَبيضاً تُرَوّى بِالدِماءِ مُتونُها
إِذا ما لَقينَ الدارِعينَ نِهالا
And white swords quenched with blood in their blades
When they meet armored men as saplings.
فَما لِيَ أَرضى بِالقَليلِ ضَراعَةً
وَأوسِعُ دَينَ المَشرَفيَّ مِطالا
Why should I be content with little out of cowardice
And extend the debt of the nobleminded without end?
تُريدُ اللَيالي أَن تَخِفَّ بِمِقوَدي
وَأَيُّ جَوادٍ لَو أَصابَ مَجالا
The nights try to outpace me,
But what horse wouldn’t seize an opportunity?
سَآخُذُها إِمّا اِستِلاباً وَفَلتَةً
وَإِمّا طِراداً في الوَغى وَقِتالا
I will take them either by force or escape,
Either by pursuit in battle and fighting.
فَإِن أَنا لَم أَركَب إِلَيها مُخاطِراً
وَأُعظِمُ قَولاً دونَها وَقِتالا
For if I do not attack them boldly
And speak ill of them and fight,
فَهَذا حُسامي لِم أُرِقَّ ذُبابَهُ
مَضاءً وَهَذا ذابِلي لِمَ طالا
Then here is my sword - why haven’t I sharpened its edge
And made it smooth? And here is my spear – why have I let it languish?
وَأَطلُبُها بِالراقِصاتِ كَأَنَّما
أُثَوِّرُ مِنها رَبرَباً وَرِئالا
And I seek them in dancing girls as if
I gather from them scraps and plenty.
إِذا أَسقَطَ السَيرُ العَنيفُ نِعالَها
مِنَ الأَينِ أَحذَتها الدِماءُ نِعالا
When the violent journey made them take off their slippers,
The blood took away their slippers.
وَكُلُّ غَضَنيٍّ إِذا قُلتُ قَد وَنى
مِنَ الشَدِّ جَلّى في الغُبارِ وَجالا
And whenever I said that any young gazelle bent
From intensity, it showed itself pale in the dust.
وَأَكبَرُ هَمّي أَن أُلاقِيَ فاضِلاً
أُصادِفُ مِنهُ لِلغَليلِ بَلالا
My greatest concern is that I meet a superior man
From whom I can obtain relief from anguish.
فِدىً لِأَبي الفَتحِ الأَفاضِلُ إِنَّهُ
يَبَرُّ عَلَيهِم إِن أَرَمَّ وَقالا
My father Al-Fatah – the superior men are ransoms for him.
He prevails over them if he shoots and speaks.
إِذا جَرَتِ الآدابُ جاءَ أَمامَها
قَريعاً وَجاءَ الطالِبونَ إِفالا
When manners prevail, he comes forward
Rebuking, while the seekers remain silent.
فَتىً مُستَعادُ القَولِ حُسناً وَلَم يَكُن
يَقولُ مُحالاً أَو يُحيلُ مَقالا
A young man retrieving excellent speech – he didn’t use
To say what is impossible or make what is said impossible.
لِيَقرِيَ أَسماعَ الرِجالِ فَصاحَةً
وَيورِدُ أَفهامَ العُقولِ زُلالا
To please the ears of men loudly
And lead the minds of intellects to clarity.
وَيُجري لَنا عَذباً نَميراً وَبَعضُهُم
إِذا قالَ أَجرى لِلمَسامِعِ آلا
And he brought us fresh soft speech, while some of them,
If they speak, make harsh sounds flow to the hearing.
أَسَفُّهُمُ إِن مُيِّزَ القَومُ خِلَّةً
وَأَثقَبُهُم يَومَ الجِدالِ نِصالا
I pity them if the people notice a fault with them,
And they are most heavily burdened on the day of debate and swords.
وَما كانَ إِلّا السَيفَ أَطلَقَ غَربَهُ
وَزادَ غِرارَي مَضرَبَيهِ صِقالا
He unleashed only his sword, releasing its edge,
Increasing the polishing of its two sides.
وَلَمّا رَأَيتُ الوَفرَ دونَ مَحَلِّهِ
جَزاءً وَقَد أَسدى يَداً وَأَنالا
And when I saw the abundance was less than it deserved
As a reward when he offered his hand and attained,
بَعَثتُ لَهُ وَفراً مِنَ الشِعرِ باقِياً
وَكَنزاً مِنَ الحَمدِ الجَزيلِ وَمالا
I sent to him an abundance of poetry remaining
And a treasure of generous praise and wealth.
فَسِم آخِراً مِنهُ كَوَسمِكَ أَوَّلاً
وَشُنَّ عَلَيهِ رَونَقاً وَجَمالا
Name the last part of it like you named the first,
And grant it grace and beauty.
وَمِثلُكَ إِن أَولى الجَميلَ أَتَمَّهُ
وَإِن بَدَأَ الإِحسانَ زادَ وَوالى
And one like you, if he perfects the beautiful,
Started with benefaction and then increased and remained loyal.
