شَيمي لَحاظَكِ عَنّا ظَبيَةَ الخَمَرِ
لَيسَ الصِبا اليَومَ مِن شَأني وَلا وَطَري
My cheek's beauty forsakes intoxicating wine
Youth's pleasure is not my business today nor my desire
ماتَ الغَرامُ فَما أُصغي إِلى طَرَبٍ
وَلا أُرَبّي دُمُوعَ العَينِ لِلسَهَرِ
Passion has died, so I do not hearken to musical rhythm
Nor make my eyes shed tears through wakefulness
مَن يَعشَقُ العِزَّ لا يَعنو لِغانِيَةٍ
في رَونَقِ الصَفوِ ما يُغني عَنِ الكَدَرِ
He who loves glory pays no heed to singers
A handsome appearance brings no joy to a gloomy heart
شُغِلتُ بِالمَجدِ عَمّا يُستَلَذُّ بِهِ
وَقائِمُ اللَيلِ لا يَلوي عَلى السَمَرِ
I have been busy with glory, neglecting what gives pleasure
And the sleepless arise not for conversation
طَوَيتُ حَبلَ زَمانٍ كُنتُ أَندُبُهُ
إِذا جَذَبتُ بِهِ باعاً مِنَ العُمُرِ
I have folded the rope of time which I used to mourn
When I pulled at it, taking some lifetime with it
لا يُبعِدِ اللَهُ مَن غارَت رَكَائِبُهُم
وَأَنجَدَ الشَوقُ بَينَ القَلبِ وَالبَصَرِ
May God not distance those whose litters are covered
And yearning has brought heart and sight together
يا وَقفَةً بِوَراءِ اللَيلِ أَعهَدُها
كانَت نَتيجَةَ صَبرٍ عاقِرِ الوَطَرِ
O a halt behind the night I was accustomed to
That was the result of patience, whose desire was barren
وَالوَجدُ يَغصِبُني قَلباً أَضَنُّ بِهِ
وَالدَمعُ يَمنَعُ عَيني لَذَّةَ النَظَرِ
And ecstasy overpowers me, a heart I cuddle
And tears prevent my eyes the pleasure of seeing
طَرَقتُهُم وَالمَطايا يُستَرابُ بِها
وَاللَيلُ يَرمُقُني بِالأَنجُمِ الزُهُرِ
I came upon them when the camels were being saddled
And the night glanced at me with bright stars
أُصانِعُ الكَلبَ أَن يُبدي عَقيرَتَهُ
وَالحَيُّ مِنّي إِذا أَغفوا عَلى غَرَرِ
I pretend to the dog to show its barrenness
And the living one from me, when they sleep in negligence
وَفي الخِباءِ الَّذي هامَ الفُؤادُ بِهِ
نَجلاءُ مِن أَعيُنِ الغِزلانِ وَالبَقَرِ
And in the tent which my heart worried about
A glitter from the eyes of the does and cows
أَبرَزتُها فَتَحاضَرنا مُباعَدَةً
عَنِ الخِيامِ نُعَفّي الخَطوَ بِالأُزُرِ
I brought her out and we conversed from a distance
From the tents, lightly stepping in slippers
ثُمَّ اِنثَنَيتُ وَلَم أَدنَس سِوى عَبَقٍ
عَلى جُنوبي لِرَيّا بُردِها العَطِرِ
Then I turned away and dirtied nothing but some fragrance
On my bosom, from the wind blowing its sweet scent
لا أَغفَلَ المُزنُ أَرضاً يَعقِلونَ بِها
وَلا طَوى عَنهُمُ مستَعذَبَ المَطَرِ
The clouds do not neglect land where they dwell
Nor did the sweet rain pass over them
جَرَّ النَسيمُ عَلى أَعطافِ دارِهِمُ
ذَيلاً وَأَلبَسَها مِن رِقَّةِ السَحَرِ
The breeze dragged over their abode
A train and clothed it in the softness of magic
وَما بُكائي عَلى إِلفٍ فُجِعتُ بِهِ
إِلّا لِكُلِّ فَتىً كَالصارِمِ الذَكَرِ
And my weeping is not for a familiar group I was anguished about
Except for every blooming hero
ما حارَبوا الدَهرَ إِلّا لانَ جانِبُهُ
إِنَّ المُشَيَّعَ أَولى الناسِ بِالظَفَرِ
They did not fight against fate unless its side
Truly the mourned one is most deserving of victory
يا لِلرِجالِ دُعاءٌ لا يُشارُ بِهِ
إِلّا إِلى غَرَضٍ بِالذُلِّ وَالحَذَرِ
O for men a prayer not pointed to
Except for a purpose, in humiliation and caution
رِدّوا الرَحيلَ فَإِنَّ القَلبَ مُرتَحِلٌ
وَسافُروا إِنَّ دَمعَ العَينِ في سَفَرِ
Return the departure, for the heart is departing
And travel, for the eye's tear is traveling
وَيَومَ ضَجَّت ثَنايا بابِلٍ وَمَشَت
بِالخَيلِ في خِلَعِ الأَوضاحِ وَالغُرَرِ
And the day the valleys of Babylon roared
With horses in the finery ofsegmentation and fraud
قُمنا نِجَلّي وَراءَ اللَثمِ كُلَّ فَتىً
كَأَنَّ حِليَتَهُ في صَفحَةِ القَمَرِ
We stood, every hero shining behind the scarf
As if his adornment were in a page of the moon
إِنّي لَأَمنَحُ قَوماً لا أَزورُهُمُ
مَجَّ القَنا مِن دَمِ الأَوداجِ وَالثُغَرِ
I refuse a folk I do not visit
The herd bleated from the blood of the udders and lips
طَعناً كَما صَبَّحَ الغُدرانَ مُمتَحِنٌ
رَمى فَشَتَّتَ شَملَ الماءِ بِالحَجَرِ
A stab just as the betrayal examined at daybreak
He threw and scattered the water's union with a rock
وَجاهِلٍ نالَ مِن عِرضي بِلا سَبَبٍ
أَمسَكتُ عَنهُ بِلا عَيِّ وَلا حَصَرِ
And an ignorant one attacked my honor without cause
I restrained myself without weakness or limit
حَمَتهُ عَنّى المَخازي إِن أُعاقِبَهُ
كَذاكَ تُحمى لُحومُ الذَودِ بِالدَبَرِ
My friends protected him from me if I were to punish him
Just so are the fleshes of prey protected by the hyena
وَمَهمَهٍ كَشِفارِ البيضِ مُطَّرِدٍ
بِالآلِ عارٍ مِنَ الأَعلامِ وَالخَمَرِ
And a flashy one, like the claw of an egg
Disgraced by flags and wine
إِذا تَدَلَّت عَليهِ الشَمسُ أَوحَشَها
تَوَلُّعُ المَورِ بِالأَنهارِ وَالغُدُرِ
When the sun hangs over it, it angers her
The burning of timber by the rivers and treason
غَصَصتُ تُربَتَهُ بِالعيسِ مالِكَةً
عَلى النَجاءِ رِقابَ الوِردِ وَالصَدَرِ
I choked his dust by force prevailing
Over the survival, the necks of roses and breasts
أَطوي البِلادَ إِلى ما لا أَذِلُ بِهِ
مِنَ البِلادِ وَما أَطوي عَلى خَطَرِ
I roam the countries to what I am not disgraced by
Of countries, and what I conceal of danger
مَجاهِلاً ما أُظُنُّ الذِئبَ يَعرِفُها
وَلا مَشى قائِفٌ فيها عَلى أَثَرِ
Ignorantly, I do not think the wolf knows them
Nor has a tracker walked in them by a trace
يَنسى بِها اليَقِظُ المِقدامُ حاجَتَهُ
وَيُصبِحُ المَرءُ فيها مَيِّتَ الخَبَرِ
The wakeful brave forgets his need in them
And a man awakens in them with dead experience
لا تَبعَدَنَّ أَمانِيَّ الَّتي نَشَزَت
عَلى الزَمانِ بِأَيدي الأَينُقِ الصُعُرِ
Do not distance my wishes which rebelled
Against fate by the hands of the delicate slim
إِلَيكَ لَولاكَ ما لَجَّ البُعادُ بِها
تَرى المَنازِلَ بِالإِدلاجِ وَالبُكَرِ
To you, without you the distances would not have mingled with them
You see the dwellings in the darkness and innocence
يا اِبنَ النَبِيِّ مَقالاً لا خَفاءَ بِهِ
وَأَحسَنُ القَولِ فينا قَولُ مُختَصِرِ
O son of the Prophet, say unhidden words
And the best words about us are concise words
رَأَيتُ كَفَّكَ مَأوى كُلَّ مَكرُمَةٍ
إِذا تَواصَت أَكُفُّ القَومِ بِالعَسَرِ
I saw your palm the refuge of every glory
When the people's palms joined in hardship
لَطابَ فَرعُكَ وَاِهتَزَّت أَراكَتُهُ
في المَجدِ إِنَّ المَعالي أَطيَبُ الشَجَرِ
Your branch prospered and its boughs shook
In glory, truly the heights are the sweetest of trees
ما كُلُّ نَسلِ الفَتى تَزكوا مَغارِسُهُ
قَد يُفجَعُ العودُ بِالأَوراقِ وَالثَمَرِ
Not all the progeny of a blooming youth prosper
Sometimes the stick is anguished by leaves and fruit
إِنَّ الرِمّاحَ وَإِن طالَت ذَوائِبُها
مِنَ العِدى تَتَواصى عَنكَ بِالقِصَرِ
Truly the spears, though their points are long
From hostility, stop short of you
تَسُلُّ مِنكَ اللَيالي سَيفَ مَلحَمَةٍ
يَستَنهِضُ المَوتَ بَينَ البيضِ وَالسُمرِ
The nights drag from you a sword of battle
That rouses death between the white and brown
مُشَيَّعُ الرَأيِ إِن كَرَّت أَسِنَّتُهُ
جَرُّ القَنا بَينَ مُنآدٍ وَمُنأَطِرِ
The parade of opinion, if his tongues stumbled
Drags war between a summoner and encourager
فَاِسلَم إِذا نَكَبسَ المَركوبُ راكِبَهُ
وَاِستَأسَدَ الدَهرُ بِالأَقدارِ وَالغِيَرِ
So submit when the ridden throws off its rider
And time overpowers with foreordained destinies and others
