يا صاحِ قُم فَاِسقِني بِالكَأسِ إِعرابا
وَلا تُطِع عاقِباً فينا وَعَقّابا
O friend, arise and pour me a cup to set me free,
And heed not the blamer or the watcher scornfully.
إِنَّ الهَوى حَسَنٌ حَتّى تُدَنِّسَهُ
فَاِطلُب هَواكَ سَتيراً وَاِرعَ أَحبابا
Passion is sweet until it is profaned;
Then seek it discreetly and fence those you love tenderly.
وَاِحفَظ لِسانَكَ في الواشينَ إِنَّ لَهُم
عَيناً تَرودُ وَتَنفيراً وَإِلهابا
Guard your tongue from the talebearers for slanderers have
Keen ears to hear, rancor to spread and rage to fan.
لا تُفشِ سِرَّ فَتاةٍ كُنتَ تَألَفُها
إِنَّ الكَريمَ لَها راعٍ وَإِن تابا
Betray no girl’s secret if her love you shared;
The noble soul keeps faith though the other may defame it angrily.
وَاِسعَد بِما قالَ في الحِلمِ اِبنُ ذي يَزَنٍ
يَلهو الكِرامُ وَلا يَنسَونَ أَحسابا
Rejoice in the maxim on tolerance from Zi Yazan’s wise son:
“The noble make merry but forget not their dignity.”
جَدُّ اِمرِئٍ جارَهُ مِن كُلِّ فاضِحَةٍ
فَاِنهَض بِجَدٍّ تَنَل جاهاً وَإِكسابا
Shield your neighbor’s honor from each shameless tongue,
And you shall rise in esteem and gain prosperity.
قَد شَفَّني حَزَنٌ ضاقَ الفُؤادُ بِهِ
وَسَرَّني زائِرٌ في النَومِ مُنتابا
Grief has overwhelmed me and anguish fills my heart,
Yet a visitor came in my dream to console me tenderly.
باتَت عَروساً وَبِتنا مُعرِسينَ بِها
حَتّى رَأَينا بَياضَ الصُبحِ مُنجابا
A bride she was when we lay down but ere morn rose
We saw the first light of day break clear brilliantly.
وَقائِلٍ نامَ عَن أَسماءَ شاكِيَةً
لا نَوَّمَت عَينَهُ إِن كانَ كَذّابا
And if the slanderer slept denying Asma’s name,
No sleep weighed down his eyes if he lied outrageously.
ما زِلتُ في الغَمِّ مِن وِردٍ يُقَلِّبُها
كَأَنَّني فيهِ لا أَلقى لَهُ بابا
Long have I remained in grief, ceaselessly turning it over,
As though no egress from it can I possibly see.
بَل كَيفَ أُسقى عَلى الرَيحانِ مُتَّكِئاً
وَقَد تَعَلَّقتُ مِن أَسماءَ أَسبابا
How can I recline on sweet basil when still I cling
To the train of Asma’s dress so desperately?
عادَ الهَوى بِلِقاءِ الغُرِّ مِن جُشَمٍ
يَمشينَ تَحتَ الغَمامِ الغُرِّ أَترابا
Passion returns with the cheeks’ soft sheen of Judham girls
Who walk beneath the clouds, their veils fluttering wantonly.
عُلِّقتُ مِنهُنَّ شَمسَ الدَجنِ أَو قَمَراً
غَدا لَنا لابِساً دِرعاً وَجِلبابا
For one like the sun or moon in Djinn’s valley I’m lost
Though tomorrow he don armor or robe Arabianly.
لا أَشتَهي بِهَواهُ جَنَّةً أُنُفاً
وَلَو تَدَلَّت لَنا تيناً وَأَعنابا
I want not by passion a reluctant paradise
Though grapes and figs should hang above conveniently.
لِلَّهِ دَرُّ فَتاةٍ مِن بَني جُشَمٍ
ما أَحسَنَ العَينَ وَالخَدَّينِ وَالنابا
Praiseworthy is a Juasham girl with beautiful eyes
And cheeks and mouth perfect harmoniously.
تُريكَ في القَولِ جَشّاباً وَإِن ضَحِكَت
أَرَتكَ مِن ثَغرِها المَثلوجِ جَشّابا
Her talk shows you a pert coquette; if she but smiled
Her brilliant teeth appeared in order charmingly.
بَدا لَنا مَنظَرٌ مِنها اِعتَبَرتُ بِهِ
وَشاهِدُ المِسكَ يَلقي الأَنفَ ما غَابا
A scene she made me contemplate and learn from;
To look on musk the nostrils gladly yield effusively.
قَد زُيِّنَت بِالمُحَيّا صورَةً عَجَباً
وَزانَها كَفَلٌ رابٍ وَما عابا
With kohl she adorned herself, a marvelous picture,
While manners enhanced her, no fault diminishing womanly.
إِذا رَآها نِساءُ الحَيِّ قُلنَ لَها
سُبحانَ مَن صاغَها يُغرِقنَ إِطنابا
When the women of the tribe saw her, they cried:
“Glory to Him who molded her extravagantly!”
كَأَنَّما خُلِقَت مِن جِلدِ لُؤلُؤَةٍ
نَفساً مِنَ العِطرِ إِن حَرَّكتَها ثابا
As if she was made of a pearl’s fragile substance,
Her breath all perfume should she stir it daintily.
يَطيبُ مِسواكُها مِن طيبِ ريقَتِها
وَإِن أَلَمَّ بِجِلدٍ جِلدُها طابا
The scent of her gums is the scent of her saliva
And where her skin touches, the touch is fragrant heavenly.
تِلكَ الَّتي أَرجَلَتني بِالهَوى سَنَةً
وَكُنتُ لِلمُهرَةِ الحَسناءِ رَكابا
She who enthralled me with love one year
When for the lovely brunette I was wont to wait patiently.
لَم أَنسَها طالَعَت مِن تَحتِ كِلَّتِها
فَأَعلَقَت عامِرِيّاً بَعدَ ما شابا
I'll ne’er forget when from beneath her mantle
She looked, enslaving Amir after he turned gray staidly.
يا أَسمُ جودي بِمَعروفٍ نَعيشُ بِهِ
وَلا تَكوني لَنا حَرباً وَأَوصابا
O goodness of Judd, be kind and we'll live virtuously;
And be no enemy of ours, no hardship forcing wrathfully.
وَاللَهِ أَنساكِ يا أَسماءُ ما طَرَفَت
عَيني وَما قَرقَرَ القُمرِيُّ إِطرابا
By God, Asma, I've not forgotten you since my eye espied you
And the full moon rose scintillating ecstatically.
