رَأَيتُ فيها بَرقَها لَمّا وَثَب
كَمِثلِ طَرفِ العَينِ أَو قَلبٍ يَجِب
In it I saw lightning flash when it leapt,
Like the flutter of an eye or a pounding heart,
ثُمَّ حَدَت بِها الصَبا كَأَنَّها
فيها مِنَ البَرقِ كَأَمثالِ الشُهُب
Then the morning breeze blew it along as if
In it were flashes of lightning like shooting stars.
باكِيَةٌ يَضحَكُ فيها بَرقُها
مَوصولَةٌ بِالأَرضِ مُرماةُ الطُنُب
Weeping yet its lightning laughs,
Connected to the ground, its poles cast down.
كَأَنَّها وَرَعدُها مُستَعبِرٌ
لَجَّ بِهِ عَلى بُكاهُ ذو صَخَب
As if it and its thunder were seeking refuge,
Sheltering its weeping with loud clamor.
جاءَت بِجَفنٍ أَكحَلٍ وَاِنصَرَفَت
مَرهاءَ مِن إِسبالِ دَمعٍ مُنسَكِب
It came with darkly lined eyes and left
Wiping away copiously flowing tears.
إِذا تَعَرّى البَرقُ فيها خِلتَهُ
بَطنَ شُجاعٍ في كَثيبٍ يَضطَرِب
When its lightning bared itself its deficiency appeared
Like the belly of a courageous man on a quaking dune.
وَتارَةً تُبصِرُهُ كَأَنَّهُ
أَبلَقُ مالَ جَلُّهُ حينَ وَثَب
At times you see it as if it were
A piebald horse when its entirety leapt.
وَتارَةً تَخالَهُ إِذا بَدا
سَلاسِلاً مَصقولَةً مِنَ الذَهَب
And at times you imagine it when it appears
As polished golden chains.
وَاللَيلُ قَد رَقَّ وَأَصغى نَجمُهُ
وَاِستَوفَزَ الصُبحُ وَلَمّا يَنتَقِب
And the night softened and its stars listened
As dawn urged itself on before it could peer out
مُعتَرِضاً بِفَجرِهِ في لَيلَةٍ
كَفَرَسٍ بَيضاءَ دَهماءَ اللَبَب
Intercepting with its dawn a night
Like a grey mare with dark lips.
حَتّى إِذا لَجَّ الثَرى بِمائِها
وَمَلَّها صَدَّت صُدودَ مَن غَضِب
Until when its water soaked the earth
And it tired those who were angry recoiled.
كَأَنَّها جَمعُ خَميسٍ حَكَمَت
عَلَيهِ أَبطالُ الرِجالِ بِالهَرَب
As if it were a party of Khums that the heroes
Had judged against so they fled.
يَومَ يَخوضُ الحَربَ مِنّي عالِمٌ
إِنَّ يَدَ الحَتفِ تُصيبُ مَن طَلَب
The day I plunge into battle, I, a learned one, know
The hand of death will strike the seeker.
كَم غَمرَةٍ لِلمَوتِ يُخشى خَوضُها
جَرَيتُ فيها جَريَ سِلكٍ في ثَقَب
How many deadly plunges where survival is feared
Have I slipped through like a thread through a needle’s eye.
حَتّى إِذا قيلَ خَضيبٌ بِدَمٍ
نَجَمتُ فيها بِحُسامٍ مُختَضِب
Until when it was said my blood was shed
I emerged from it with a bloodstained sword.
المَوتُ أَولى لِلفَتى مِن أَن يَرى
ظالِعَ دَهرٍ كُلَّما شاءَ اِنقَلَب
Death is better for a youth than to see
An unjust time that shifts however it desires.
وَصاحِبٍ نَبَّهَني بِكَأسِهِ
وَالفَجرُ قَد لاحَ سَناهُ وَثَقَب
And a companion who woke me with his cup
As dawn had shone, its brightness pierced the dark.
لا عُذرَ لي في سِمَتي وَلِمَّتي
سَيّانَ مِن شَيبٍ وَشَعرٍ لَم يَشِب
I have no excuse in my will or determination,
Both are equal from hoary hair or hair not gone white.
لِأَيِّ غاياتي أَجري بَعدَما
رَأَيتُ أَترابي وَقَد صاروا تُرَب
To what ends shall I run after having seen
My peers who have become dust?
لَبِستُ أَطوارَ الزَمانِ كُلَّها
فَأَيُّ عَيشٍ أَرتَجي وَأَطَّلِب
I have worn every mask of time,
What life can I yearn for and seek?
وَسابِحٍ مُسامِحٍ ذي مَيعَةٍ
كَأَنَّهُ حَريقُ نارٍ تَلتَهِب
A slim gracefully gliding steed
As if it were a raging fire flaming up.
تَراهُ إِن أَبصَرتَهُ مُستَقبَلاً
كَأَنَّما يَعلو مِنَ الأَرضِ حَدَب
If you see it facing you,
It seems to rise up from the earth like a hillock.
عاري النَسا يَنتَهِبُ التُربَ لَهُ
حَوافِرٌ باذِلَةٌ ما يَنتَهِب
Bare of clothing, it rends the earth,
Its hooves pouring forth what it rends.
تُصالِحُ التُربَ إِذا ما رَكَضَت
لَكِنَّها مَعَ الصُخورِ تَصطَخِب
It makes peace with the earth when it gallops
But with rocks it clashes wildly.
تَحسَبُهُ يُزهى عَلى فارِسِهِ
وَإِنَّما يُزهى بِهِ إِذا رُكِب
You’d think it was adorned by its rider
But truly it adorns him when ridden.
أَسرَعُ مِن لَحظَتِهِ إِذا رَنا
أَطوَعُ مِن عِنانِهِ إِذا جُذِب
Swifter than its glance when it neighs,
More obedient than its rein when pulled.
يَبلوغُ ما تَبلُغُهُ الريحُ وَلا
تَبلوغُ ما يَبلُغُهُ إِذا طَلَب
It reaches what the wind reaches but cannot reach
What it reaches when sought.
ذو غُرَّةٍ قَد شَدَخَت جَبهَتَهُ
وَأُذُنٍ مِثلَ السِنانِ المُنتَصِب
With a forelock that combs its brow
And ears like upright spears.
وَناظِرٍ كَأَنَّهُ ذو رَوعَةٍ
وَكَفَلٍ مُلَملَمٍ ضافي الذَنَب
A look as if it has great timidity
And a docked tail sweeping its rear.
وَمِنخَرٍ كَالكيرِ لَم تَشقَ بِهِ
أَنفاسُهُ وَلَم يَخُنها في تَعَب
With nostrils through which its breaths have not worn holes
And which have not failed it in exertion.
يَبعَثُها شَمائِلاً وَيَنثَني
جَنائِباً إِلى فُؤادٍ يَضطَرِب
It sends them forth as nostrils and they curl back
Toward a pounding heart.
قَد خاضَ في يَومِ الوَغى في حُلَّةٍ
حَمراءَ تَسديها العَوالي وَالقُضُب
It plunged on the day of battle in a scarlet saddlecloth
Shaded by maple trees and brambles.
في غَمرَةٍ كانَت رَحى المَوتِ بِها
تَدورُ وَالصَبرُ لَها مِنّي قُطُب
In a flood where the mill of death
Spun and my patience for it was a pole.
وَلَيلَةٍ ضَمَّ إِلَيَّ شَطرَها
ضَيفي وَنادى بِاليَفاعِ تَلتَهِب
And a night whose half was pressed
To my chest by my guest as the kindling ignited.
حَلَّت بِهِ الأَقدارُ نَحوَ عاشِقٍ
لِحَمدِهِ صَبٍّ بِتَفريقِ النَشَب
Fortune came to a lover whose praise
Pours with the scattering of embers.
يَرى اِبتِزالَ الوَفرِ صَونَ عِرضِهِ
وَيَجعَلُ الذُخرَ لَهُ فيما يَهَب
Who sees surrendering splendor as protecting his honor
And makes surplus his provision in what it grants.
