يا لَلرِجالِ أَمِن شَخصٍ بِأَجيادِ
يَعتادُ شَوقي وَما نَومي بِمُعتادِ
O men, whose lord with spears is wont to smite,
My passion and my sleep, not as they wonted, are tonight,
كَأَنَّما أَقسَمَت عَيني تُسالِمُهُ
حَتّى تَرى أَحوَرَ العَينَينِ في الجادي
As though mine eyes, assured the loved one's sight to win,
Swore ne'er to close their lids, save on the pupils twain within.
مَن كانَ يَزدادُ مِن شَوقٍ إِلى شَجَنٍ
عِندَ النِساءِ فَإِنّي غَيرُ مُزدادِ
If it be joy increases lovers' grief,
Then I am not most wretched midst the tribe of lovers left.
يا سَلمَ إِن تُصبِحي بَسلاً مَحَرَّمَةً
وَتَنزِلي في مُنيفٍ بَينَ أَرصادِ
Ye tribe, if aught today your camels keep
Within the sacred limits or at Mina stop, be reft
فَقَد رَأَيتُ بَناتِ الدَهرِ غافِلَةً
في الغُبَّرَينِ وَما حَيٌّ بِخَلّادِ
Of them! For I have seen how changeful is the world,
Nor liveth any in felicity eterne empearled.
إِذا فَرِحتِ فَخافي تَرحَةً عَجَلا
وَإِن تَرِحتِ فَرَجّي أُمَّ عَبّادِ
If you rejoice, fear quickly changing chance!
And if you grieve, hope for the Umm Abad's deliverance.
مَن قَرَّ عَيناً رَماهُ الدَهرُ عَن كَثَبٍ
وَالدَهرُ رامٍ بِإِصلاحٍ وَإِفسادِ
Whose eye drew near his love, him sudden stroke
Of Fate cast down, though Fate create and joy and sorrow woke.
وَكَيفَ يَبقى لِإِلفٍ إِلفُ صاحِبِهِ
وَلا أَرى والِداً يَبقى لِأَولادِ
How shall a friend of friend ability retain,
Whenas I see no father that his son doth entertain?
بَل لَيتَ شِعرِيَ هَل يَدنو بِكُم سَبَبٌ
وَهَل تُعَودَنَّ أَيّامي بِأَجيادِ
But haply you will draw you nearer some fair chance
And dawn the happy days when all my wishes shall advance-
أَيّامَ لا أُعتِبُ العُذّالَ مِن صَمَمٍ
وَلا أُكَلِّفُ زَيداً غَيرَ إِسعادِ
The days when I shall chide the spy malign
Nor Zaid to other service than my love's assign.
يا جارَةً يَومَ راحَ الحَيُّ جارَتَنا
تَسبي الحَليمَ وَلا تَنساقُ لِلحادي
O neighbour mine! what while our friend was here,
Whenas the Pure was wroth, thou wouldst not tempt the Cavalier;
قامَت لِتَركَبَ فَاِرتَجَّت رَوادِفُها
في لينِ غُصنٍ مِنَ الرَيحانِ مُنآدِ
She rose to ride when her leg showed from her skirt,
As it were pearl in shell of glass that none may counterfeit:
كَأَنَّما خُلِقَت في قِشرِ لُؤلُؤَةٍ
فَكُلُّ أَكنافِها وَجهٌ بِمِرصادِ
As though her stature were of ball of pearl
Compact, where all is rounded grace that eye shall see or ear.
فَقُلتُ شَمسُ الضُحى في مِرطِ جارِيَةٍ
يا مَن رَأى الشَمسَ في مِرطٍ وَأَبرادِ
I cried, “Dawn tirelessly in skirt of lovely fair!
Who e'er saw sun that lit the morn shine from a cinctured air?”
تُلقى بِتَسبيحَةٍ مِن حُسنِ ما خُلِقَت
وَتَستَفِزُّ حَشى الرائي بِإِرعادِ
With specious praise her graces I reveal
And wake desire that sleepy lay in passion's pastime leil:
كَأَنَّ عَيني تَراها في مَجاسِدِها
إِذا رَأَيتُ رُسومَ الدارِ وَالنادي
As though her form were in her dwelling houst,
Whenever I descry the walls and every lodging of the house.
بَيضاءُ كَالدُرَّةِ الزَهراءِ غُرَّتُها
تَصطادُ عَيناً وَلا تُرجى لِمُصطادِ
White as the curling fleece her skin; her cares
Ensnare us, so thou ne'er attainest what the fair ensnares:
كَأَنَّها لا تَرى جِسماً تَخَوَّنَهُ
بَينُ الحَبيبِ وَلَم تَشعُر بِإِسهادِ
As though she never flesh of man enthralled
By love, and to her friend betrayal ne'er recalled
أَصومُ يَوماً فَأَرقا مِن تَذَكُّرِها
وَلا أُصَلّي الضُحى إِلّا بِعَدّادِ
At times I fast from thought of her then wake
To pray when dawn-light chargeth and when night begins to break
وَقَد عَجِبتُ وَإِغرامي بِها عَجَبٌ
ما لي أَقودُ حَروناً غَيرَ مُنقادِ
At her my wonder grows and grows desire;
How drive I back an ass unlike anass that bears his hire?
أَحينَ كُنتُ سِراجاً يُستَضاءُ بِهِ
يَكونُ في الغَيِّ إِفراعي وَإِصعادي
While I can light my brethren on their way,
Shall this and that turn back my steps when I advance to prey?
كَلّا سَأَترُكُ ذِكري تِلكَ إِذ رَقَدَت
عَنّي وَأَذكُرُ يَوماً غَيرَ رَقّادِ
Nay, leave thy mention of the Fair, since she
Hath left the mention, and recall the days gone by to thee!
