هِيَ الدارُ إِلّا أَنَّها مِنهُمُ قَفرُ
وَإِنّي بِها ثاوٍ وَإِنَّهُمُ سَفرُ
It is the house though now desolate of them,
And I in it live though they in travel are.
حَبَستُ بِها لَحظي وَأَطلَقتُ عَبرَتي
وَما كانَ لي في الصَبرِ لَو كانَ لي عُذرُ
I fixed here my glance though my tears flowed free,
No excuse for me had I, had I patience store.
كَأَنّي وَأَيّامي الَّتي طَوَتِ النَوى
نَجِيّانِ باتا دونَ لُقياهُما سِترُ
As though my days with their purpose charged
Slept in this place, to meet them ne’er woke they or stirred
تَوَهَّمتُ فيها مَلعَباً وَمَسارِحاً
وَنُؤياً كَمُلقى الطَوقِ ثَلَّمُهُ القَطرُ
I fancied it an arena and theater,
And a dream, as though piercing showers its sand had blurred.
فَدَع ذِكرَ بُثنى قَد مَضى لَيسَ راجِعاً
فَذَلِكَ دَهرٌ قَد تَوَلّى وَذا دَهرُ
Leave the mention of Buثn now passed, back returns it not,
For that is Time, turned away, and this Time’s wont.
مُهَفهَفَةٌ صِفرُ الوِشاحِ كَأَنَّها
مَهاةُ خَلاءٍ ظَلَّ يَكنُفُها الدُرُّ
Desolate, bleached robes like wilderness wastes,
As though she were bereaved mother, whom sorrows hurt.
لَها وَجَناتٌ يَضحَكُ الوَردُ فَوقَها
وَطَرفٌ مَريضٌ حَشوُ أَجفانِهِ السِحرُ
Gardens laughter-thronged has she, roses above,
And languid eyes, sleepless all night, fever’s smart.
فَما رَوضَةُ الزَهرِ الَّتي تَلفُظُ النَدى
وَيُصبِحُ فيما بَينَها لِلنَدى نَشرُ
No meadows with blossoms, no dew’s freshness is like
To Salma’s art, or anything sweet, the moon’s work.
بِأَطيَبِ مِن سَلمى وَلا كُلُّ طَيِّبٍ
وَلا مِثلُ ما تَحلو بِهِ يَفعَلُ البَدرُ
No rain’s bounty, greening the soil, whose land is as
Though clad in green robes of youth, all smiling, blithe.
وَغَيثٍ خَصيبِ التُربِ تَندى بِقاعُهُ
بَهيمَ الذُرى أَثوابُ قَيعانِهِ خُضرُ
No plain so wide as a sea where stallions race,
And wealth sinks in its midst, opulent, without dearth.
رَحيبٍ كَمَوجِ البَحرِ يَلتَهُمُ الرُبى
وَيَغرَقُ في أَكلائِهِ النَعَمُ الدَثرُ
Insistent the pregnant clouds weep over it still,
When their lids drop tears, the flowers laugh in their mirth.
أَلَحَّت عَلَيهِ كُلَّ طَخياءَ دَيمَةٍ
إِذا ما بَكَت أَجفانُها ضَحِكَ الزَهرُ
Never the dawn’s sun arose or remained at rest,
But over it poised were hearts and eyes alert.
فَما طَلَعَت شَمسُ النَهارِ ضُحيَّةً
وَلا أُصُلاً إِلا وَمِن دونِها خِدرُ
As though the music of pipes and the dawn were but
Kindling blaze, no embers glowed in its hearth.
كَأَنَّ عُيونَ العاشِقينَ مَنوطَةٌ
بِأَرجائِها فَما يَجِفُّ لَها شَفرُ
As though lightning flashed in the dark from your abode,
The throbbing of hearts came forth from their cage: my breast.
كَأَنَّ الرَبابَ الجَونَ وَالفَجرُ ساطِعٌ
دُخانُ حَريقٍ لا يُضيءُ لَهُ جَمرُ
I tossed as the travelers leaned ready to ride,
Plunging in the dark, their steeds, and my lids knew no rest,
أَمِنكِ سَرى يا شُرُّ بَرقٌ كَأَنَّهُ
جَناحُ فُؤادٍ خافِقٍ ضَمَّهُ صَدرُ
Ice of night wrapped them until they were like
Idols in robes where the moon shines at its best.
أَرِقتُ لَهُ وَالرُكبُ مَيلٌ رُؤوسُهُم
يَخوضونَ ضَحضاحَ الكَرى وَبِهِم وَقرُ
Till the star doffed the gown of darkness in display,
And their guide said, “ Dawn rent night’s veil pierced its curtain crest.”
عَلاهُم جَليدُ اللَيلِ حَتّى كَأَنَّهُم
بُزاةٌ تَجَلّى في مَراقِبِها قُمرُ
Their camel litter they loaded when day again
Rose o’er them, as though it were an eagle in flight.
إِلى أَن تَعَرّى النِجمُ مِن حُلَّةِ الدُجى
وَقالَ دَليلُ القَومِ قَد ثَقَبَ الفَجرُ
An army black as the night though in day conquering,
Crushing foe on land and sea resistless in might.
وَقَدّوا أَديمَ القَومِ حينَ تَرَفَّعَت
لَهُم لَيلَةٌ أُخرى كَما حَلَّقَ النَسرُ
I witnessed many a wry glance and drawing of sword,
On its blade the marks of war and its fearful plight.
وَجَيشٍ كَمِثلِ اللَيلِ يَسوَدُّ شَمسُهُ
وَيَهمَرُّ مِن أَعدائِهِ البَرُّ وَالبَحرُ
When the ranks clashed our eyes were parted by
Gleam of swinging white swords and brown lances bright.
شَهِدتُ بِطِرفٍ أَعوَجيٍّ وَطِرفَةٍ
وَعَضبِ حُسامِ الحَدِّ في مَتنِهِ أَثرُ
Back they reeled, tasting what they recognized,
Excuses they had; victory and fame our right.
وَلَمّا اِلتَقى الصَفّانِ فَرَّقَ بَينَنا
بَريقُ ضِرابِ البيضِ وَالأَسَلُ السُمرُ
When I mount the steed, sword ready, say to men
To obey their marshal, act as his word and might.
فَوَلّوا وَقَد ذاقوا الَّتي يَعرِفونَها
فَكانَ لَهُم عُذرٌ وَكانَ لَنا فَخرُ
Many friends whose troth I never tasted fully
Before fate let slip the chance, treachery's blight.
إِذا ما رَكِبتُ الجَونَ وَالسَيفُ مُنتَضىً
فَقُل لِبَني حَوّاءَ يَجمَعُهُم أَمرُ
I forgave them, though gratitude be their duty,
Yet no thanks returned they me nor requital's rite.
وَكَم مِن خَليلٍ لَم أُمَتَّع بِعَهدِهِ
وَفَيتُ لَهُ بِالوِدِّ فَاِجتاحَهُ الغَدرُ
My destined lot from men of rank and station
Whom if I shun, loneliness weighs as a plight.
فَقَدَّمتُ صَفحاً عَنهُ يوجِبُ شُكرَهُ
وَما كانَ لي مِنهُ جَزاءٌ وَلا شُكرُ
The best of my wealth is theirs when poverty befalls them
And my triumph swift when their might knows defeat.
وَذَلِكَ حَظِّ مِن رِجالٍ أَعِزَّةٍ
عَلَيَّ فَإِن أَهجُرهُمُ يَكثُرِ الهَجرُ
When ease comes to us, our faces show
Open hands and good news the lips recite.
لَهُم خَيرُ مالي حينَ يَعتَلُّ مالَهُم
وَسُرعَةُ نَصري حينَ يَعتَذِرُ النَصرُ
إِذا جاءَنا العافي رَأى في وُجوهِنا
طَلاقَةَ أَيدينا وَبَشَّرَهُ البِشرُ
