أَأَبجَرُ هَل لِهَذا اللَيلِ صُبحُ
وَهَل بِوِصالِ مَن أَحبَبتُ نُصحُ
Do I see the dawn for this night,
Or the fulfillment of one I've loved as solace?
أَأَبجَرُ قَد هَويتُ فَلا تَلُمني
عَلى كَبِدي مِنَ الهِجرانِ قُرحُ
Do I see - for I've fallen in love, so blame me not
For the wounds of yearning that mar my liver.
جَرى دَمعي فَأَخبَرَ عَن ضَميرٍ
كَجاري المِسكِ دَلَّ عَلَيهِ نَفحُ
My tears flowed and exposed the feelings
Hidden within, like the scent of musk exudes from its pod,
كَأَنّي يَومَ سارَ بَنو يَزيدٍ
يَؤُمُّ دَليلُهُم بُصرى وَيَنحو
As if I were with the Bani Yazid the day they departed,
Guided by their guide towards Busra, inclined away.
خَرَجتُ بِنَشوَةٍ مِن بَيتِ رَأسٍ
تَدورُ بِهامَتي وَالطَرفُ طَمحُ
I set out impetuously from the house of Rass,
My glance circulating as the pleiades circle in their orbit.
أَسائِلُ أَينَ سارَ بَنو يَزيدٍ
وَعِندي مِنهُم الخَبَرُ المِصَحُّ
"Where did the Bani Yazid go?" I ask,
When the true news has reached me.
أَأَبجَرُ هَل تَرى بِالنَقبِ عيراً
تَميلُ كَأَنَّها سَلَمٌ وَطَلحُ
Do I see, in the pass, a caravan inclining
Like a ladder or stalks of talh wood?
خَرَجنَ عَلى النَقا مُتَواتِراتٍ
نَواعِبَ في السَرابِ لَهُنَّ شَبحُ
Beauties emerged in the mirage, appearing and disappearing,
Phantoms dancing for them in the quivering air.
فَواعَجَبا صَفَوتُ لِغَيرِ صافٍ
وَأَعطَيتُ الكَريمَةَ مَن يَشِحُّ
And so I was amazed at an unworthy man,
And gave the noble maiden to a miser.
وَذي مالٍ وَلَيسَ بِذي غَناءٍ
كَزُبِّ الشَيخِ لا يَعلوهُ نَضحُ
A rich man, but with no spirit of generosity -
Like the hide of an old goat that cannot be tanned.
صَبَرتُ عَلَيهِ حَتّى بانَ فَسلاً
كَأَنَّ إِخاءَهُ خُبزٌ وَمِلحُ
I was patient with him until his vileness appeared,
His brotherhood seeming but bread and salt.
وَفَيّاضِ اليَدَينِ عَلى المَوالي
لَهُ فَضلٌ يُعاشُ بِهِ وَمَنحُ
One who butters up chiefs, yet is generous at hand
To me with praise, and bounty to him.
مِنَ المُتَحَرِّفينَ يَداً وَجوداً
عَلَيَّ مَديحُهُ وَعَلَيهِ نُجحُ
He brought me his affection and money,
And made me a client; and some of the Nile's flooding is profit.
أَتاني وُدُّهُ خَدَماً وَمالاً
وَعَيَّلَني وَبَعضُ النَيلِ وَتحُ
So much for him; but say of Umm Bakr -
I see she does not give, and I do not complain;
مَضى هَذا فَقُل في أُمِّ بَكرٍ
أَراها لا تَجودُ وَلَستُ أَصحو
I saw an apparition of her in the sand,
And to see whom you love brings well-being.
رَأَيتُ لَها عَلى الرَوحاءِ طَيفاً
وَرُؤيَةُ مَن تُحِبُّ عَلَيهِ صُلحُ
And the day I met her at my cistern
Was like driving cattle to be watered at an old well.
وَيَومَ لَقيتُها بِجِنابِ حَوضى
كَعَضبِ العيرِ سيقَ إِلَيهِ رِبحُ
Questions concerning Umm Bakr come in waves -
She wins, and the flagon circulates to you.
تَتابَعَتِ الثَوائِجُ لِاِمِّ بَكرٍ
تَفوزُ بِها وَحالَ عَلَيكَ قَدحُ
When I wish, anxiety from the departed settles on me,
Or a disturbing bout of passion.
إِذا ما شِئتُ راحَ عَلَيَّ هَمٌّ
مِنَ الغادينَ أَو طَرَبٌ مُلِحُّ
And they said, "If only you would pardon the Christians!"
By God, you have no pardon for your brother!
وَقالوا لَو صَفَحتَ عَنِ النَصارى
وَلا وَاللَهِ ما بِأَخيكَ صَفحُ
I yearn for the charms of Umm Bakr,
And without seeing her, long widowhood and marriage!
أَحِنُّ إِلى مَحاسِنِ أُمِّ بَكرٍ
وَدونَ لِقائِها دُكحٌ وَنُكحُ
I control myself; final events do not alarm me,
Nor does the inherited death-pall make me blench.
وَأَضبَطُ لا تُوَزِّعُهُ المَنايا
أَبَلَّ مُشَيَّعٌ بِالمَوتِ سَمحُ
Be proud and scornful, not like Ibn Nihya
Whose spear does not avail his spear thrust.
تَعَزَّ وَلا تَكُن مِثلَ اِبنِ نِهيا
لَهُ رُمحٌ وَلا يُغنيهِ رُمحُ
Hammād ibn Nihya blames grey hairs,
Yet earns no praise from the youths.
يَذُمُّ الشَيبَ حَمّادُ بنُ نِهيا
وَلَيسَ لَهُ مِنَ الشُبّانِ مَدحُ
The clucking of monkeys suits him -
If he strokes his bald pate, even that is profit!
يُوافِقُهُ اِرتِكاضُ القِردِ فيهِ
وَإِن مَسَحَ الضُراطَ فَذاكَ رِبحُ
By it is a wound from the sharpened spear,
Yet no wound from things repeated in verse.
بِهِ جُرحٌ مِنَ الرُمحِ المُذَكّى
وَلَيسَ بِهِ مِنَ المَأثورِ جُرحُ
