أَعادَكَ طَيفُها وَبِما يَعودُ

وَحُبُّ الغانِياتِ جَوىً يَؤودُ

Her phantom has recalled you, and with what it recalls,

And love for singing girls is an affection that kills.

ذَكَرتُ القاطِعاتِ عَلى بِلادٍ

فَلِلعَينَينِ مِن سَبَلٍ فَريدُ

I recalled the parting ones in the lands,

So my eyes have a singular, amazing path.

غَداةَ يَروقُهُ كَفَلٌ نَبيلٌ

وَعَينٌ في النِقابِ لَها ضَيودُ

On a morn, his cheek pleases a noble palm,

And an eye in the veil that has for it tent walls.

وَيَومَ الحِنوِ حِنوِ بَني زِيادٍ

قَفا نَبَأٌ وَأَعيُنُهُم شُهودُ

And the day of weeping, the weeping of the tribe of Ziyad,

News arrived while their eyes were witnesses.

يُحَيّي بَعضُنا بَعضاً جِهاراً

كَأَنّا لا نُكادُ وَلا نَكيدُ

Some of us greet others openly,

As if we barely survive and do not plot.

وَمِن بالي وَإِن رَغِموا كَعابٌ

غَدَت في الخَزِّ أَو كادَت تَميدُ

And of my mind, even if they loathe me, a multitude

Who in the morning were lively or almost stretched out dead.

مُشَهَّرَةُ الجَمالِ بِعارِضَيها

إِذا سَفَرَت لَها نَظَرٌ جَديدُ

She who reveals her beauty with her cheeks,

When an ardent look travels to her, it is renewed.

مِنَ الخَفِراتِ لَم تَطلُع بِفُحشٍ

عَلى جارٍ وَلا بَكَرَت تَرودُ

Of the lovely women, she did not openly commit indecency

Toward a neighbor, nor did she seek to return.

عَفا أَثَرٌ لِعَبدَةَ كانَ عَفّاً

وَأَبقى الحُزنُ ما ضَرَبَ الوَريدُ

The effect of worshippers of the past has vanished,

And grief remains for what the vein has recorded.

وَقَد طَفِقَ الوَليدُ يَلومُ فيها

وَأَيَّ الدَهرِ ساعَفَكَ الوَليدُ

Al-Walid has begun to blame her,

And which time has doubled you, O Al-Walid?

فَمَهلاً لا أَبا لَكَ بَعضَ لَومي

ضَجِجتَ مِنَ الهَوى وَأَنا العَميدُ

So wait - I do not approve of some of my blame -

You raved from passion, and I am the chief.

لَقَد تَرَكَ الفُؤادُ لِتِلكَ وُدّاً

وَسُؤلاً لا يَشيدُ بِهِ مُشيدُ

The heart has left for that one some love

And a request that no one who desires approves.

لَيالِيَ نَلتَقي بِحِمادِ حَوضى

عَلى لَطَفٍ يُطالِعُهُ الحَسودُ

Nights we would meet at the basin of my abode,

With charm that onlookers would envy.

فَأَصبَحَ عَيشُنا فيها تَوَلّى

وَهَل لِلعَيشِ في الدُنيا خُلودُ

So our life therein was severed,

And does life in this world have eternity?

وَلَمّا قُرِّبَت لِبُكورِ ثَنيٍ

جِمالُ الحَيِّ فَاِنقَعَرَ العَمودُ

And when she was brought close for the prime of youth,

The camel litter of the living collapsed.

تَصَدَّت تَستَزيدُكَ في هَواها

عُبَيدَةُ بَعدَما جَهِدَ المَزيدُ

Ubaydah persisted, asking you for more of her love,

After the utmost endeavor was exhausted.

فَيا كَبِدا مِنَ الطَرَبِ المُعَنّى

إِلَيها إِنَّ أَهوَنَهُ شَديدُ

So calm, O my liver, from the pleasing musicality -

To it, even the easiest thing is difficult.

فَقَدتُ الحُبَّ مِن شَرعٍ لِصادٍ

فَبِئسَ الوِردُ يَألَفُهُ الوَرودُ

I have lost love from a firm tradition,

So evil are the flowers that the flowers accompany.

رَأَيتُ الدَهرَ يَشعَبُ كُلَّ إِلفٍ

وَلا يَبقى لِوَحدَتِهِ الوَحيدُ

I saw time divide every intimacy,

And no one remains for its solitude but the unique one.

قَريبٌ ما مَلَكتَ وَإِن تَراخى

وَبَيتُ الجارِ مَطلَبُهُ بَعيدُ

What you possessed is soon gone, even if you are calm,

And the house of a neighbor is a far sought desire.

بِجَدِّكَ يا اِبنَ قَزعَةَ نِلتَ مالاً

أَلا إنّ اللِئامَ لَهُم جُدودُ

By your grandfather, O son of Qaza'ah, you have attained wealth,

Beware, the vile are to them ancestry.

وَلَو تُعطى بِسَعيِكَ مُتَّ جوعاً

وَلَم تَظفَر يَداكَ بِما تُريدُ

And if you were given for your effort a starving one,

And your hands did not obtain what you seek,

أَمِن خَوفِ الزِيادَةِ في الهَدايا

أَقَمتَ دَجاجَةً فيمَن يَزيدُ

Is it from fear of increased gifts

That you have remained stingy with those who increase?

كَسَوتُكَ حُلَّةً مِمّا أُسَدّي

بُروداً لا يُفارِقُها بُرودُ

I have clothed you in a garment of what I was generous with,

Cloaks that their fur coat does not part with.

مَلابِسَ لا تَرِثُّ عَلى اللَيالي

وَلا تَبلى وَإِن بَلِيَت جُلودُ

Clothes that do not get worn down by the nights,

And do not wear out even if the skins do so.

جَلَستُ أَحوكُها وَاللَيلُ داجٍ

مُحَبَّرَةً تُبيدُ وَلا تَبيدُ

I sat weaving them while the night was dark,

Embroidered, vanishing but not vanishing.

يُوَرِّثُها بَنوكَ بَني بَنيهِم

إِذا هَلِكوا وَمَنشَرُها جَديدُ

Your sons will inherit them, the sons of their sons,

When they perish while their material is new.

كَذاكَ الدَهرُ يُبلي كُلَّ شَيءٍ

وَلا يَفنى عَلى الدَهرِ القَصيدُ

Thus time wears out everything,

And poetry about time does not perish.

فَهَل مِن عارِفٍ شُرباً لِصادٍ

يَنالُ بِجودِهِ ما لا تَجودُ

Is there one with understanding of a drink for a departing one,

Who attains with his generosity what does not give?

صَبَبتُ عَلى اِبنِ قَزعَةَ مِن عَذابي

أَذاةً لا يُسَكِّنُها البَرودُ

I have poured upon the son of Qaza'ah from my torment

Harm that coldness does not soothe.

عَلى الضُعَفاءِ لَيثٌ حينَ يَسطو

وَتوعِدُهُ فَيُسهِرُهُ الوَعيدُ

Upon the weak he is a lion when he pounces

And his threat keeps him awake at night.

مولَينا عَلى الأُمّاتِ جَلدٌ

عَلى وَجَلٍ فَدِرهَمُهُ قَيودُ

Our lord is harsh on the servant girls -

On a neck in chains, so his dirham is fetters.

يَخالُ البُخلَ مُفتَرَضاً عَلَيهِ

فَيَجمَدُ مِثلَ ما جَمَدَ الحَديدُ

He imagines stinginess an obligation upon him

So he freezes like what iron has frozen.

فَأَفرَخَ رَوعُهُ لا أَجتَديهِ

وَلَكِن سَوفَ يَبلُغُهُ النَشيدُ

Thus his cowardice hatched that I cannot suffice,

But soon the melody will reach him.

لَهُ وَجهٌ يَخِفُّ عَلى المَوالي

وَكَفٌّ لا يُؤَمِّلُها الوُفودُ

He has a face that hides from intimates

And a palm that delegations do not hope for.

يَقومُ بِهِ القَليلُ إِلى المَخازي

وَيَخزِلُهُ عَنِ المَجدِ القُعودُ

He undertakes with the little to the lowness

And sitting keeps him from glory.

غَبِيُّ العَينِ عَن طَلَبِ المَعالي

وَفي السَوآتِ شَيطانٌ مَريدُ

Ignorant of the eye from seeking lofty things,

And in evil deeds a rebel devil.

أَبا يَحيى عَلامَ تَكونُ وَغداً

كَبِرتَ وَفيكَ عَن كَرَمٍ صُدودُ

Abu Yahya, why will you be tomorrow

You have grown old and in you generosity is blocked.

فَإِن تَكُ ناقِصاً مِن كُلِّ خَيرٍ

فَما لَكَ في مَساءَتِنا تَزيدُ

So if you are lacking in every good,

Why for you in our fellowship any increase?

سَتَهجُرُكَ الكِرامُ فَبِن ذَميماً

فَإِنَّكَ لِلِّئامِ أَخٌ وَدودُ

The generous will shun you, so be vile,

For you to the ignoble are a loving companion.