أَلا مَن لِمَطروبِ الفُؤادِ عَميدِ
وَمَن لِسَقيمٍ باتَ غَيرَ مَعودِ
Alas, who will aid the troubled heart?
Who will help the sick who cannot find rest?
بِأُمِّ سَعيدٍ جَفوَةٌ عَن لِقائِهِ
وَإِن كانَتِ البَلوى بِأُمِّ سَعيدِ
Umm Sa'eed is aloof, though meeting her would mend me,
For my adversity lies with Umm Sa'eed.
إِذا قُلتُ داوي مَن أَصِبتِ فُؤادَهُ
بِسُقمِكِ داوَتهُ بِطولِ صُدودِ
When I say, "Cure the one whose heart your sickness pierced,"
Her long estrangement is my only medicine.
وَإِن جيدَ مَنَّتهُ المُنى بِلِقائِهِ
خَلايا وَلا يَلقاهُ غَيرَ مَجودِ
Though her beauty brings me blessing when we meet,
I find no joy except in her.
كَأَنَّ عَلَيها أَلوَةً لا تَسُرُّهُ
بِجائِزَةٍ مِنها وَلا بِشَديدِ
She seems to disdain any gift or harsh word from me,
As if mischievous jinn in my heart provoke me to forget
وَجَلَّدَني عَنها البَريءُ مِنَ الهَوى
وَلَستُ عَلى هِجرانِها بِجَليدِ
All prayers but a few since she occupies my thoughts,
Leaving no time for friend or stranger.
فَقُلتُ لَهُ بَعضَ المَلامَةِ إِنَّني
عَلى اللَومِ مِنها ضامِنٌ لِمَزيدِ
I spurn Sa'da's affection however brightly it shines,
Even when she intends intimacy for us.
أَعُدُّ سُجودي بِالحَصى وَتَلومُني
وَلَولا الهَوى أَوهَمتُ بَعضَ سُجودي
For I seek only the virtuous habits of Sa'eed's family,
Having desired no others before.
كَأَنَّ بِقَلبي جِنَّةً تَستَفِزُّهُ
بِنِسيانِ ما صَلَّيتُ غَيرَ عَديدِ
Every person has a goal; the soul has its limits.
No illness but illness will find good will.
شَغَلتُ بِها نَفسي فَلَستُ بِفارِغٍ
لِدانٍ يُرَجّيني وَلا لِبَعيدِ
When her eyes flash, their scent travels far,
Lightning that never strikes arid ground.
أَدُرُّ لِسُعدى عَن لِبانِ مَوَدَّتي
صَفاءً وَإِن هَمَّت لَنا بِجُمودِ
Of calamities that befall the youth, her glances are the least—
Lightning softer than young hyacinths and pearls.
وَإِنّي لَوَصّالٌ لِأَخلاقِ حَبلِها
وَما كُنتُ وَصّالاً لِغَيرِ جَديدِ
I envy everything that touches her though I am not,
Without loving her, an envious man.
وَكُلُّ اِمرِىءٍ ساعٍ وَلِلنَفسِ غايَةٌ
وَما الداءُ إِلّا الداءُ غَيرُ وَدودِ
So if you blame me for singing slave-girls, say to him:
"Live a single day when I am not alone!"
وَرائِحَةٍ لِلعَينِ مِنها مَخيلَةٌ
إِذا بَرَقَت لَم تَسقِ بَطنَ صَعيدِ
I drank it till it yellowed like saffron
At the sound the singer's yellow wraps make as they drag.
مِنَ المُستَهِلّاتِ الهُمومَ عَلى الفَتى
خَفا بَرقُها مِن عُصفُرٍ وَعُقودِ
A lovely woman the death of warriors cannot breach—
The roar of lions following lions.
حَسَدتُ عَلَيها كُلَّ شَيءٍ يَمَسُّها
وَما كُنتُ لَولا حُبُّها بِحَسودِ
As though a prince sat veiled while eyes
Awaiting his view flock to him.
فَمَن لامَني في الغانِياتِ فَقُل لَهُ
تَعِش واحِداً لا زُلتُ غَيرَ وَحيدِ
I roused the doves of her breast when they rested
And they came having spent the night wakeful.
وَأَصفَرَ مِثلِ الزَعفَرانِ شَرِبتُهُ
عَلى صَوتِ صَفراءِ التَرائِبِ رودِ
Heavy of body and fair of face unique among mortals,
The eyes of an addict, the color of none but her.
رَبيبَةِ سِترٍ يَعرِضُ المَوتُ دونَها
زَئيرُ أُسودٍ تابِعاتِ أُسودِ
She passes by gently, her collar lifted high.
What a face she has there, so beautiful!
كَأَنَّ أَميراً جالِساً في حِجابِها
تُؤَمِّلُ رُؤياهُ عُيونُ وُفودِ
She is not lavish toward commoners with plaster and tar,
Nor raises the veil of the lowly.
أَهَبتُ بَناتِ الصَدرِ بَعدَ رُقادِها
فَأَصبَحنَ قَد وافَينَ غَيرَ رُقودِ
As though a sorcerer's tongue speaks with her tongue,
Bewitching eyes with a voice like steel.
ثَقيلَةُ ما بَينَ البُرينَ إِلى الحَشا
لَها عَينُ أَدمانٍ وَلَونُ فَريدِ
As though gardens were scattered in her speech
Though some of the nomads are uncouth.
تَروحُ بِمِثلِ الأَيمِ فَوقَ نِطاقِها
وَيا لَكَ مِن وَجهٍ هُناكَ وَجيدِ
She repeatedly kills and revives our minds and hearts
After they despair.
مِنَ البيضِ لَم تَسرَح عَلى أهل غُنَّةٍ
وَقيراً وَلَم تَرفَع حِداجَ قَعودِ
When she speaks our swords ring out, and for us the echo
Shouts like armies attacking armies.
كَأَنَّ لِساناً ساحِراً في لِسانِها
أُعينَ بِصَوتٍ كَالفِرَندِ حَديدِ
We spent that whole day in her shade, as though
We dwelled in paradise, everlasting.
كَأَنَّ رِياضاً فُرِّقَت في حَديثِها
عَلى أَنَّ بَدواً بَعضُهُ كَبُرودِ
No harm done, though we were exposed among her family,
For our minds were not composed.
تُميتُ بِها أَلبابَنا وَقُلوبَنا
مِراراً وَتُحييهِنَّ بَعدَ هُمودِ
When the night grew dark we returned cheered
By living with them in friendship.
إِذا نَطَقَت صِحنا وَصاحَ لَنا الصَدى
صِياحَ جُنودٍ وُجِّهَت لِجُنودِ
Though the enemy unsettle our abode
We are no less playful than the youth at rest.
ظَلِلنا بِذاكَ الدَيدَنِ اليَومَ كُلَّهُ
كَأَنّا مِنَ الفِردَوسِ تَحتَ خُلودِ
وَلا بَأسَ إِلّا أَنَّنا عِندَ أَهلِها
شُهودٌ وَما أَلبابُنا بِشُهودِ
فَلَمّا رَأَينا اللَيلَ شَبَّ ظَلامُهُ
وَشُبَّ بِمِصباحٍ لِغَيرِ سُعودِ
رَجَعنا وَفينا شيمَةٌ أَريَحِيَّةٌ
مِنَ العَيشِ في وُدٍّ لَهُنَّ وُجودِ
فَلَسنا وَإِن هَزَّ العَدُوُّ سَوادَنا
عَنِ اللَهوِ ما عَنَّ الصِبا بِقُعودِ
