أَلهاكِ عَنّا رَبَّةَ البُرقُعِ
مَرُّ الثَلاثينَ إِلى الأَربَعِ
The one who distracted you from us, mistress of the mantle
Is crossing from thirty to forty
أَنتِ أَعَنتِ الشَيبَ في مَفرِقي
مَعَ اللَيالي فَصِلي أَو دَعي
You have helped gray hair in my temples
Whether the nights pass in devotion or neglect
يا حاجَةَ القَلبِ أَلَم تَرحَمي حاجَةَ
جِنايَةَ الدَمعِ عَلى مَدمَعي
O heart's desire, have you no mercy on the heartache
The crime of tears upon my tear ducts
لَولا ضَلالاتُ الهَوى لَم يَكُن
عِنانُ قَلبي لَكِ بِالأَطوَعِ
If not for the misguidance of passion, my heart
Would not have been so yielding to you
كَيفَ طَوى دارَكِ ذو صَبوَةٍ
عَهدي بِهِ يَطرَبُ لِلمَربَعِ
How has one with temerity passed by your house
My pact with him is disturbed by the square
كانَ يَرى ناظِرَهُ سُبَّةً
إِن مَرَّ بِالدارِ وَلَم يَدمَعِ
A viewer would see him as an ignominy
If he passed by the house and did not weep
يا حَبَّذا مِنكِ خَيالٌ سَرى
فَدَلَّهُ الشَوقُ عَلى مَضجَعي
How wonderful an apparition of you came by
And longing guided it to my bed
أَنّى تَسَرّى مِن حَقيقِ الحِمى
مَنازِلَ الحَيِّ عَلى لَعلَعِ
How could an authentic fever mirage
Travel the abodes of the living for a mere phantom
باتَ يُعاطيني جَنى ظَلمِهِ
وَبِتُّ ظَمآنَ وَلَم أُنقَعِ
He spends the night hurting me
While I sleep thirsty and unquenched
مُعانِقاً كانَ عِناقي لَهُ
وَراءَ أَحشائِيَ وَالأَضلُعِ
Embracing me while his embrace
Is behind my intestines and ribs
عاقَرَني يَشرَبُ مِن مُهجَتي
رَيّا وَيَسقينِيَ مِن أَدمُعي
He impregnates me, drinking from my brain
Quenched, and gives me my tears to drink
هَل تُبلِغَنّي الدارَ مِن بَعدِهِم
عَلى الطَوى جائِلَةُ الأَنسُعِ
After them, will the house still reach me
Weary, worn out by the females' claws
كَأَنَّ مَجرى النِسعِ في ذَفِّها
مُضطَرَبُ الأَيمِ عَلى الأَجرَعِ
As if the course of misfortune in its knolls
Is the confused rain on barren land
تَحَمِلُني وَالشَوقُ في كَورِها
أَنّى دَعاني طَرَبٌ أَسمَعِ
It carries me while passion in its burrows
Calls me wherever frenzy makes me hear
إِنَّ بَهاءَ المُلكِ إِن أَدعُهُ
وَالخَطبُ قَد نازَلَني يَمنَعِ
The luster of glory, if I summon it
Has come over me, preventing and refusing
رُبَّ زِمامٍ لِيَ في ضِمنِهِ
لَم أَتَقَوَّلهُ وَلَم أَدَّعِ
How many reins are tied for me
That I have not exaggerated nor claimed
مُصطَنِعي وَالسَنُّ في رَوقِها
أَصابَ مِنّي غَرَضَ المَصنَعِ
My lovers, though gray hair is in its prime
Have gotten what they want from me
لَم أَرضَ إِلّاهُ وَمِن قَبلِهِ
أَقنَعَني الدَهرُ وَلَم أَقنَعِ
I have been satisfied by none but him
And time has sufficed me though I was not satisfied
أَغَرُّ إِن رُوِّعَ جيرانُه
لَم يَذُقِ الغَمضَ وَلَم يَهجَعِ
The neighbor was frightened if he was disturbed
He did not sleep a wink or rest
كَأَنَّما الضَيمُ إِلَيهِ سَرى
وَهوَ عَلى المُطَّلَعِ الأَمنَعِ
As if injustice went only to him
While he is on the most unassailable watch
في حَسَبٍ أَصبَحَ وَضّاحُهُ
قَد غَلَبَ الشَمسَ عَلى المَطلَعِ
His bright truth overpowered the sunrise
Over the horizon without having risen
لَئِن نَأى عَنّا فَإِحسانُهُ
أَدنى مِنَ الناظِرِ وَالمَسمَعِ
If his benevolence is far from us
It is nearer than the onlooker and hearer
سَومُ الحَيا أَقلَعَ عَن أَرضِنا
وَنَحنُ في آثارِهِ نَرتَعي
The black snake has pulled away from our land
While we graze in its trails
كَم نَفحَةٍ مِنهُ عَلى فاقَةٍ
تُنبِتُ عُشبَ البَلَدِ البَلقَعِ
How many whiffs from him to destitute poverty
Make the plants of the arid country grow
وَنَظرَةٍ تَجبُرُ وَهنَ الفَتى
وَعَظمُهُ مُنصَدِعٌ ما وَعِي
How many glances mend the weakness of a gallant man
Whose bone had shattered beyond recovery
إِذا قَضى مَرَّ عَلى نَهجِهِ
وَاِستَوقَفَ الحَقَّ عَلى المَقطَعِ
When he passes judgment after reviewing a case
And justice stands still at the crossroad
كَم طارَ في مُلكِكَ ذو نَخوَةٍ
قالَت لَهُ ريحُ المَنايا قِعِ
How many honorable souls have flown in your kingdom
The wind of death said, “Wait, do not be proud”
إِن شَمَخَ اليَومَ بِعِرنينِهِ
فَهوَ غَداً يَعطُسُ عَن أَجدَعِ
If today he struts with his spears
Tomorrow he sneezes out of an uncloven hoof
لَم يَلقَكَ المَغرورُ إِلّا غَدا
يُقَوِّمُ الجَنبَ عَلى المَصرَعِ
The deluded man will not face you except tomorrow
Straightening his side on the death bed
يَنتَظِرُ الحَيُّ بِهِم هَتفَةً
مِنَ النَواعي وَكَأَن قَد نُعِي
The living await them with a single shout
As if they had already been eulogized
مِن جاهِدٍ خابَ وَمِن طالَبٍ
أَوفى عَلى الفَجِّ وَلَم يَطلُعِ
Of a warrior who failed and a seeker
Who fulfilled at the crevasse without rising
وَمُسرِعٍ أَقلَعَ مِن عَثرَةٍ
رَوعاءَ وَالعَثرَةُ لِلمُسرِعِ
One hurrying who desisted from stumbling
Terrified, though stumbling befalls the hasty
وَنادِمٍ أَطرَقَ عَن حِزبِهِ
قَد نادَمَ الناجِذَ بِالإِصبَعِ
A remorseful one who turned away from his party
Regretting his ally with a gesture
مَعاشِرٌ ما اِختَلَطوا بِالعُلى
وَلا رَبوا وَالعِزَّ في مَوضِعِ
A people who never mixed with the lofty
Nor cultivated glory wherever it may lie
شابَهَتِ السَوأَةُ ما بَينَهُم
ما أَشبَهُ الحالِقَ بِالأَنزَعِ
Adversity made them equal, just as
The barber resembles the bleeder
اِرتَضَعوا وَالعارَ مِن فيقَةٍ
وَنَزَعوا وَاللُئمُ مِن مَنزِعِ
They were suckled disgrace from a sip
And pulled it while the infamy is from its source
مِن عاقِدٍ أَغدَرَ مِن مومِسٍ
وَواعِدٍ أَكذَبَ مِن يَلمَعِ
Of one who betrayed from a whore
And another who lied more than a polished sword
راموكَ بِالأَيدي وَكانَ السُهى
أَعلى مِن أَن يُدرَكَ بِالأَذرُعِ
They have targeted you with their hands, but temptation
Is too lofty to be reached by outstretched arms
قَد عَلِموا عِندَ قِراعِ الصَفا
أَنَّ الصَفا العاديَّ لَم يُقرَعِ
They realized, when the battle drum was struck
That the oft-struck drum was never touched
قُل لِبُهامٍ نُشِرَت في الرُبى
هَذا قِوامُ الدينِ فَاِستَجمِعي
Tell the negligent one adorned with ample flesh
This is the pillar of religion, so pull yourself together
قَد أَصحَرَ الضَيغَمُ مِن غيلِهِ
أُظفورُهُ مِنكِ عَلى مَطمَعِ
The urchins are angry because of their hunger
With the crumbs of food scattered about
غَضبانَ قَد غَرَّكِ هَمهامُهُ
عَلى مَجازي اللَقَمِ المَهيَعِ
How many holes for their claws are in you
That cannot be patched like worn-out chest armor
كَم فيكِ مِن خَرقٍ لِأَظفارِهِ
كَمَلغَمِ الأَشدَقِ لَم يُرقَعِ
The wolf pack's raid is unlike the sanctuary guard dogs
If he passes by an acacia tree, he does not return
لَيسَ كَغَزوِ الذِئبِ بُهمَ الحِمى
إِن مَرَّ بِالسَخلَةِ لَم يَرجِعِ
If you do not consult his patience, by morning you become
A meal for wolves and hyenas
إِن لَم تِشاوِر حِلمَهُ تُصبِحي
وَليمَةَ الذُؤبانِ وَالأَضبُعِ
He hears advice though he has no need for it
A sword may be polished but not forged
يَستَمِعُ الرَأيَ وَعَنهُ غِنىً
قَد يُصقَلُ السَيفُ وَلَم يُطبَعِ
His frights are bound to ebb
Even if today he pardons without causing harm
لا بُدَّ أَن تُرمِضَ رَوعاتُهُ
وَإِن عَفا اليَومَ وَلَم يوقِعِ
The sword, if it passes by a head
Will terrify it even without cutting
وَالسَيفُ إِن مَرَّ عَلى هامَةٍ
رَوَّعَها إِن هُوَ لَم يَقطَعِ
Tell the envious wretch in losing it
You have lived with severe intestinal pain
قُل لِحَسودِ النَجمِ في فَوتِهِ
عِشتَ بِداءِ الكَمَدِ المَوجِعِ
The glutton is bound to scrape his bowl
So vent your anger or eat your fill
لا بُدَّ لِلبِطنَةِ مِن خَمصَةٍ
فَجُع عَلى غَيظِكَ أَو فَاِشبَعِ
Have they not forbidden enemies from trying
To shake the firmly fastened tent pole
أَما نَهى الأَعداءَ ما جَرَّبوا
مِنكَ بِزَعزاعِ القَنا الشُرَّعِ
Critical junctures wherein the sublime quiver
Undoes the formidable hero's resolute demeanor
مَواقِفُ تَفسَخُ فيها الظُبى
عُقدَةَ رَأيِ البَطَلِ الأَروَعِ
Your auspicious days donned like the lengths
Of burnished reeds that glittered
أَيّامُكَ الغُرُّ تَسَربَلتَها
مِثلَ مُتونِ القُضُبِ اللُمَّعِ
Basra has recovered from its disease
But alas, it did not heal the people
أَفاقَتِ البَصرَةُ مِن دائِها
وَقَد رَقى الناسَ وَلَم يَنجَعِ
The habits of your swords are foreign to others
A sword points only to one struck down
عاداتُ أَسيافِكَ في غَيرِها
وَالسَيفُ مَدلولٌ عَلى المَقطَعِ
Take me to what you have taken me before
Which unfamiliar region lies unexplored?
قُدني إِلى ما قُدتَني قَبلَها
أَيُّ جَنيبٍ لَكَ لَم يوضِعِ
I am no sluggard among veterans
Upon the towering mounts of watchmen that rise high
فَلَستُ بِالخامِلِ مِن غارِبي
عَلى سَنامِ النَقِبِ الأَظلَعِ
Those who awake tomorrow deprived of you
Woe is me, though fortune is with me because of you
قَد خابَ مَن أَصبَحَ مِن غَيرِكُم
عَلَيَّ وَالإِقبالُ مِنكُم مَعي
O sea, we have great hopes in you
Do you have any meadows for us?
يا أَيُّها البَحرُ بِنا غُلَّةٌ
فَهَل لَنا عِندَكَ مِن مَكرَعِ
