عامَت سُلَيمى وَمَسَّها سَغَبُ
بَل مالَها لا تَزالُ تكتَئِبُ
Suleima grew old and decay overtook her,
Yet she continues in constant grief.
تَذَكَّرَت عيشَةً بِذي سَلَمٍ
عِشنا بِها نَجتَني وَنَحتَلِبُ
She recalled a life with Salam,
We lived it, saved me and gave me comfort.
وَأَكبَرَت بَدرَةً شَرَيتُ بِها
عِرضي مِنَ الذَمِّ وَالشِرا حَسَبُ
And I grew up with Badra, through whom
I protected my honor from blame and evil.
يا سَلمَ عِرضي حِمىً سَأَمنَعُهُ
وَالعِرضُ يُحمى وَيوهَبُ الذَهَبُ
O Salam, my honor is protected,
Honor is protected and gold is gifted.
لا تَذكُري ما مَضى وَشَأنَكِ بي ال
يَومَ فَإِنَّ الزَمانَ يَنقَلِبُ
Do not recall what is past for your affair is with me,
One day, for time surely changes.
حُلواً وَمُرّاً وَطَعمَ ثالِثَةٍ
في كُلِّ وَجهٍ مِن صَرفِهِ عَجَبُ
Sweet and bitter and a third taste,
In each of its phases is wonder.
ديني لِدَهرٍ أَصَمَّ مُندَلِثٍ
يُهرَبُ مِن رَيبِهِ وَلا هَرَبُ
My religion to a deaf age,
Flees from its doubt and does not flee.
أَودى بِأَهلِ الغَديرِ فَاِنقَرَضوا
لَم يَبقَ مِنهُم رَأسٌ وَلا ذَنَبُ
It destroyed the people of Ghadir so they perished,
Not a head or tail remained of them.
وَاِرضَي بِما راعَكِ الزَمانُ بِهِ
ما كُلُّ يَومٍ يَصفو لَكِ الحَلَبُ
And be content with what time has shepherded you with,
Not every day will the teat flow sweet for you.
جَرَّبتِ ما جَرَّبَ الحَليمُ فَهَل
لاقَيتِ عَيشاً لَم يَعرُهُ نَصَبُ
You have experienced what the forbearing experienced, so have you
Found a living not known to misery?
لا يَنفَعُ المَرءَ مالُ والِدِهِ
غَدا عَيِيّاً وَيَنفَعُ الأَدَبُ
A man is not benefited by his father’s wealth
Tomorrow if poor, but benefited by manners.
وَغادَةٍ كَالحُبابِ مُشرِقَةٍ
رَودٍ عَلَيها السُموطُ وَالقُضُبُ
And Ghadah like pearls gleaming,
Upon which the black night and dry wood descend.
كَأَنَّ ياقوتَها وَعُصفُرَها
في الشَمسِ إِذ لَهَّبَتهُما لَهَبُ
As if her ruby and yellow jacinth
In the sun when it kindled them aflame.
قالَت تَرَكتَ الصِبا فَقُلتُ لَها
لا بَل تَجالَلتُ وَالصِبا لَعِبُ
She said you left your youth but I said to her
No, but my youth left and play is for the youth.
وَقَد نَهاني الإِمامُ فَاِنصَرَفَت
نَفسي لَهُ وَالإِمامُ يُرتَقَبُ
The Imam prohibited me so my soul turned
To him while the Imam is awaited.
آلَيتُ يَأبى الصِبا وَأَتبَعَهُ
هَيهاتَ بَيني وَبَينَهُ نَجَبُ
I determined but my youth refused and followed
Alas between me and it are inhibitions.
فَاِستَبدِلي أَو قِري شَرَعتُ إِلى ال
حَقِّ وَبِئسَ المَطِيَّةُ النُغَبُ
So replace it or settle, I have set forth to
The truth and evil is the gait of ambition.
يا سَلمَ إِنّي اِمرُؤٌ يُوَقِّرُني
حِلمي إِذا القَومُ في الخَنا وَثَبوا
O Salam I am a man honored for
My forbearance when people plunge into discord.
وَقَد أَتاني وَعيدُ شِرذِمَةٍ
فيهِم طِماحٌ وَما بِهِم صَلَبُ
And the threat of villainous rabble has come to me
Among them ambition but no firmness.
مَهلاً بِغَيري اِعرُكوا شَذاتَكُمُ
لِلحَربِ مِمَّن يَحُشُّها حَطَبُ
Hold off, take out your discords on others
Worthy of war, who gather its kindling.
قَد أَذعَرُ الجِنَّ في مَسارِحِها
قَلبي مُضيءٌ وَمِقوَلي ذَرِبُ
My heart illuminates and my speech horrifies devils
In their dwellings, I castrated Audan after his insolence,
خَصَيتُ عَدوانَ بَعدَ شَيلَتِهِ
وَاللَيثُ يُخصى وَيُخدَعُ الشَبَبُ
The lion is castrated and the young lion is deceived.
No glory but the young man whose high glories
لا غَروَ إِلّا فَتى العَشيرَةِ عا
فَتهُ المَنايا وَدونَهُ أَشَبُ
Death has tested and beneath it the graves.
He would sing while death sought him
باتَ يُغَنّي وَالمَوتُ يَطلُبُهُ
وَالمَرءُ يَلهو وَحَينُهُ كَثَبُ
And man plays distracted, while his time pounces.
So now I have been lenient to disasters, may my heart
فَالآنَ أَسمَحتُ لِلخُطوبِ فَلا
تَلقى فُؤادي مِن حادِثٍ يَجِبُ
Not meet any serious incident that brings alarm.
Time has tossed me into its molds,
قَلَّبَني الدَهرُ في قَوالِبِهِ
وَكُلُّ شَيءٍ لِكَونِهِ سَبَبُ
And for everything is a cause for its being.
