يا قَلبِ قَد جَدَّ بَينَ الحَيِّ فَاِنطَلَقوا
عُلِّقتُهُم هَكَذا حَيناً وَما عَلِقوا
O heart, they have set out briskly between the living, so set out.
I attached them this way for a while, but they did not attach.
فَتِلكَ دارُهُمُ أَمسَت مُجَدَّدَةً
وَبِالأَبارِقِ مِنهُم مَنزِلٌ خَلَقُ
Their abode has now become renewed,
and, by lightning bolts, a dwelling fashioned from them.
كَأَنَّ آثارَ وَحشيَّ الظِباءِ بِها
دِرعٌ تُخَلِّفُهُ أَظلافُهُ نَسَقُ
It is as though the tracks of a shy oryx are in it -
a coat of mail its flank-bones leave in order.
لا مَثلَ مَن يَعرِفُ العُشّاقُ حُبَّهُمُ
بَل أَنتَ مِن بَينِهِم تَشقى بِمَن تَمِقُ
None resembles those who know their lovers' love,
but you are among them, suffering for whom you desire.
نَأوا بِلَيلٍ فَزَمّوا كُلَّ يَعمَلَةٍ
وَيَعمَلٍ جَمَلٍ في أَنفِهِ الحَلَقُ
They set out by night and hastened every working
camel and working camel in its leading halter.
يَلقى الفَلاةَ بِخُفٍّ لا يَقَرُّ بِها
كَأَنَّ تَنقيطَهُ في تُربِها طَبَقُ
It meets the wastes with a slipper wherein it finds no rest,
as though its dripping onto its soil is laminae.
إِنّي وَأَسماءَ وَالحَيَّ الَّذينَ غَدوا
بِها عَلى الكُرهِ مِن نَفسي وَما وَثِقوا
I and Asma and the living who set out at dawn
thereby, against my soul's desire, and they did not pledge.
لَكَالرَبيطِ وَقَد سيقَت قَرينَتُهُ
يُنازِعُ الحَبلَ مَشدوداً وَيَنطَلِقُ
They are like a prisoner whose mate has been led forth,
struggling against the rope, that pulls and slips.
فَطَيَّروا القَلبَ وَجداً بَينَ أَضلُعِهِ
وَعَذَّبوا النَفسَ حَتّى ما بِها رَمَقُ
They have made the heart fly and leap between its ribs
and tortured the soul until no life remains in it.
كَأَنَّني ساوَرَتني يَومَ بَينِهِمُ
رَقشاءُ مَجدولَةٌ في لَونِها بُرَقُ
It is as though there encircled me, the day I was among them,
a green snake interwoven in its hues.
كَأَنَّها حينَ تَبدو مِن مَكامِنِها
غُصنٌ تَفَتَّحَ فيهِ النورُ وَالوَرَقُ
When it appears from its lairs, it is as though
a branch in which light and leaves have opened.
يَنسَلُّ مِنها لِسانٌ يَستَغيثُ بِهِ
كَما تَعَوَّذَ بِالسَبّابَةِ الفَرِقُ
A tongue slips from it that cries out for help,
as fingers that make signs cry for aid.
ما أَنسَ لا أَنسَ إِذ قامَت تُوَدِّعُنا
بِمُقلَةٍ جَفنُها في دَمعِها غَرِقُ
Unforgettable - no, unforgotten as she bade us farewell
with eyes whose lids were drowned in her tears.
تَفتَرُّ عَن مُقلَةٍ حَمراءَ مُوقَدَةٍ
تَكادُ لَولا دُموعُ العَينِ تَحتَرِقُ
She parts her reddened, flaming eyelids
that would burn, were it not for the tears' quenching.
كَأَنَّها حينَ تَبدو مِن مَجاسِدِها
بَدرٌ تَمَزَّقَ في أَركانِهِ الغَسَقُ
When she appears from her curtained litters,
it is as though a rent moon in whose corners night falls dark.
وَفِتيَةٍ كَسِيوفِ الهِندِ قُلتُ لَهُم
سيروا فَما أَخطَأوا قَولي وَما خَرَقوا
And warriors like Indian swords, I said to them,
"Go!" They disobeyed not my word and did not tear it.
ساروا وَقَد خَضَعَت شَمسُ الأَصيلِ لَهُم
حَتّى تَوَقَّدَ في ثَوبِ الدُجى الخَفَقُ
They went out, and the sun of night submitted to them,
until the stirrings of darkness flared in its robe.
لِحاجَةٍ لَم أُضاجِع دونَها وَسَناً
وَرُبَّما جابَ أَسبابَ الكَرى الأَرَقُ
For a need for which I have not slept a wink,
while the causes of fate, perhaps, have robbed of sleep.
لا أَشرَبُ الماءَ إِلّا وَهوَ مُنجَرِدٌ
مِنَ القَذى وَلِغَيري الشَوبُ وَالرَنِقُ
I drink no water unless it is pure
of motes, and for others the turbid and tainted.
عَزمي حُسامٌ وَقَلبي لا يُخالِفُهُ
إِذا تَخاصَمَ عَزمُ المَرءِ وَالفَرَقُ
My resolution is an Indian sword, and my heart does not oppose it
when a man's resolution and neck sinew contend.
مَيتُ السَرائِرِ ضَحّاكٌ عَلى حَنَقٍ
ما دامَ يَعجَزُ عَن أَعدائِيَ الحَنَقُ
Dead to hidden thoughts, laughing bitterly,
so long as rancor prevails against my foes.
