أَرِقتُ لِبَرقٍ بِالحِمى يَتَأَلَّقُ
فَقَلبي أَسيرٌ حَيثُ دَمعِيَ مُطلَقُ
I was sleepless from lightning flashing in the fever,
My heart captivated wherever my tears flow freely.
إِذا فُهتُ بِالشَكوى تَرَنَّمَ صاحِبي
كَما طارَحَ الغُصنَ الحَمامُ المُطَوَّقُ
When I complain my companion sings softly,
As a ringdove discards a branch it clasps.
فَبِتنا قَرينَي لَوعَةٍ نَصطَلي بِها
كَأَنّا عَلى النارِ النَدى وَالمُحَلَّقُ
We are both suffering from a torment we ignite,
As if we were embers and sparks hurtling through air.
نَقَضّي دُيونَ الشَوقِ حَتّى قَضى عَلى
غُرابِ الدُجى بازي الصَباحِ المُحَلِّقُ
We pay off debts of yearning until the dusk raven
With its morning hawk pierce the black night.
وَشَفَّ عَنِ النورِ الظَلامُ كَأَنَّهُ
حِدادٌ عَلى بيضِ الصُدورِ يُمَزَّقُ
Darkness then reveals the light as if it were
Mourning rent white doves torn from a breast.
يُمانِعُ ضَوءَ الفَجرِ وَالفَجرُ صادِعٌ
كَما عارَضَ البُرهانَ قَولٌ مُلَفَّقُ
It disputes dawn’s light while dawn blazes forth
As if its proof were met by fabricated words.
كَأَنَّ اِحمِرارَ الأُفقِ وَالفَجرَ وَالدُجى
دَمٌ وَحُسامٌ مَشرَفِيٌّ وَمَفرِقُ
The red horizon, dawn and dusk are like
Blood, a sword and a Yemeni blade that pierces.
أَيا جَنَّةً حَلَّت لَظىً مِن جَوانِحي
أَطَيَّ ضُلوعي جَنَّةٌ وَهوَ يُحرَقُ
O paradise that filled my soul with burning agony
And folded my ribs in its hellish embrace!
أَيُنكِرُ قَلبُ الصَبِّ مُنذُ سَكَنتَهُ
لَهيباً وَحَرّاً وَهوَ لِلشَمسِ مُشرِقُ
Can the heart of one who loves reject it
When it dwells there, all fire and flame and light?
رَعى اللَهُ عَهداً لِلصِبا لَيسَ يُرتَجى
وَأَخبارُهُ مَتلُوَّةٌ تُتَشَوَّقُ
By youth’s troth no fulfilment can be hoped for
And the tales told of it are those that kindle desire.
وَأَرضاً يَكادُ اللَيلُ في عَرَصاتِها
لِشِدَّةِ ما قَد ضاوَعَ المِسكُ يَعبَقُ
A land where night’s shadows are so perfumed
The amber there is saturating to the point of excess.
سَقاها سَحابٌ مِثلُ دَمعي وَميضُهُ
كَقَلبي تَشُبُّ النارُ فيهِ وَيَخفِقُ
A raincloud nourished it, its lightning like my tears,
My heart afire, fluttering like a flame.
يُداني الرُبى حَتّى قَصيرُ نَباتِها
يَكادُ بِهِ مِن شَوقِهِ يَتَعَلَّقُ
Vegetation grows so close it can barely extend
As if from yearning it would cling there and twine.
كَأَنَّ حَياهُ الجَودَ وَالنَبتَ وَالثَرى
بَنانُ أَبي بَكرٍ وَخَطٌّ وَمَهرِقُ
The life in its beauty, growth and soil
Is like the fingers, script and cloak of Abu Bakr.
فَتىً فيهِ ما في الشُهبِ وَالبَرقِ وَالحَيا
فَمِنها لَهُ ذِهنٌ وَكَفٌّ وَمَنطِقُ
A youth in whom is the spark, lightning and vitality
So his mind, hand and speech are illuminated thereby.
تَخايُلُهُ في الغَيثِ صَعقٌ وَرَحمَةٌ
وَفي الصارِمِ الهِندِيِّ حَدٌّ وَرَونَقُ
In rain his visions, like bolts, bring mercy;
In the Indian scimitar, edge and grace.
تَكَفَّلَ مِنهُ راحَةَالدينِ خاطِرٌ
تَعوبٌ وَنَومُ المَلكِ عَزمٌ مُؤَرَّقُ
From him assurance calms the land, though cares
Of state can render a ruler’s sleep disturbed.
يَظُنُّ بِهِ وَهوَ المَحوطُ ضَياعَهُ
كَما ساءَ ظَنّاً بِالأَحِبَّةِ مُشفِقُ
He feels his protection is neglected, though he is kept safe,
As one tenderly concerned fears for loved ones.
حِمىً في سَماحٍ في قَبولٍ كَدَوحَةٍ
تُظِلُّ وَتُجنى كُلَّ حينٍ وَتُنشَقُ
A refuge, gracious, welcoming, like a laden palm,
It gives shade and fruit at all times and splits open.
لَهُ قَلَمٌ قَد أوتِيَ الحُكمَ شيمَةً
فَلَو كانَ طِفلاً كانَ في المَهدِ يَنطِقُ
His pen was granted wisdom as its merit
So, were he an infant, from the cradle he would speak.
بَكى السَيفُ مِنهُ غَيرَةً فَبَريقُهُ
عَلى صَفحَتَيهِ عَبرَةٌ تَتَرَقرَقُ
The sword weeps from jealousy of him so its blade
Bears teardrops sparkling on its surface.
وَلَيسَ اِهتِزازُ الرُمحِ لِلطَعنِ خِفَّةً
وَلَكِنَّها مِن شِدَةِ الرُعبِ أَولَقُ
When the spear quivers it is not from feebleness of thrust
But from the intensity of fright makes it shake.
قَصيرٌ طَويلُ الباعِ شاكٍ مِنَ الضَنى
تَصُحُّ بِهِ مَرضى المَعاني وَتُفرِقُ
Small yet vast of reach, doubting scarcity,
The sick of spirit recover through him and are nourished.
إِذا ما جَرى بِالرِزقِ فَالمُزنُ جامِدٌ
وَمَهما جَرى في الطُرسِ فَالبَرقُ مُؤنِقُ
When gifts flow the miser is frozen
And when lightning flashes the lightning forks and flashes.
بَثَثتَ بِأُفقِ الغَربِ كُلَّ غَريبَةٍ
مِنَ القَولِ يَشجى الشَرقَ مِنها وَيَشرِقُ
You promulgated in the West every strange notion
That grieves the East, though it rises from there resplendent.
تَسيرُ فَتَحكي البَدرَ سَيراً وَغُرَّةً
خَلا أَنَّها مَعصومَةٌ لَيسَ تُمحَقُ
You travel telling tales of the full moon and crescent
Though you are safe from error and immune to loss.
يُحاكي ثُغورَ الغانِياتِ اِبتِسامُها
وَمَنظَرُها وَالوَردُ أَروى وَأَورَقُ
Your smile emulates the dimples of singing girls
And your aspect is fresher than blossoms in bloom.
إِذا وَرَدَت حَفلاً تَغامَزَ أَهلُهُ
صَحائِفُ فُضَّت أَم نَوافِجُ تُفتَقُ
When you attend a gathering, they glance at each other
As if pages are opened or pearls split open.
فَمِن مُطلِقٍ مِنهُم عُرى المَدحِ مُسهِبٍ
وَمِن صامِتٍ عَجزاً فَمُطرٍ وَمُطرِقُ
So some there unleash extravagant praise,
While others from awe are silent, raining or still.
لَكَ النُظمُ تَهوى الشَمسُ لَو كُسِيَت بِهِ
وَجُرِّدَ عَنها نورُها المُتَأَلِّقُ
Poetry loves you more than the sun cloaked in it
With her light stripped away, brilliant and coruscating.
فَيَعشو لَهُ الأَعشى إِذا لاحَ نورُهُ
وَيَجري جَريرٌ ظالِعاً حينَ يُعنِقُ
To you the blind poet sings when your light appears
And Jarir flows freely when your star rises.
هُوَ الدُرُّ يُهدي الدُرَّ بَحرٌ مُكَدَّرٌ
زُعاقٌ وَذا يَهديهِ عَذبٌ مُرَوَّقُ
You are the pearl who gives pearls, the bitter sea
Turbid, roiled, given sweetness by the purified dipped in it.
تَكامَلتَ بَينَ الجودِ وَالشِعرِ فَاِغتَدى
عَلَيكَ عِيالاً حاتِمٌ وَالفَرَزدَقُ
You combine generosity and poetry, so Hatim and Farazdaq
Depend on you though of independent means.
قَريضٌ وَقَرضٌ لِلنُهى فَمَسامِعٌ
تُشَنَّفُ مِنها أَو رِقابٌ تُطَوَّقُ
Averse to censure, your words make hearts joyful
Or necks that were surrounded by oppression freedom.
لَأَخضَلتَ جوداً وَاِشتَعَلتَ نَباهَةً
فَزِندُكَ يوري حَيثُ غُصنُكَ يورِقُ
In munificence and intelligence you shine green
While your branch and roots flourish and grow.
فَإِنَّكَ في نَفسِ المَكارِمِ وَالعُلا
طِباعٌ وَخُلقٌ وَالأَنامُ تَخَلُّقُ
In character itself, high-mindedness and noble deeds
You are nature, ethics, while people merely act refined.
أَلا وَتَهنَأ موسِماً لِوُفودِهِ
لَقَد كادَ قَبلَ الوَقتِ نَحوَك يَسبِقُ
Behold! Your season of bounty comes early
As if racing ahead of time to reach you.
وَزارَكَ دونَ الناسِ وَحدَكَ إِنَّما
ثَناهُ التُقى أَو عادَةٌ لَيسَ تَخلُقُ
You were visited ahead of others, alone,
Led only by piety not merely display.
وَما مِنكُما إِلّا سَعيدٌ مُهَنّأٌ
وَلَكِن لِذي اللُبِّ الهَناءُ المُحَقَّقُ
Yet both of you are joyous and in celebration
But true delight belongs to the one of profound mind.
وَدونَكَها حَسناءَ مِن غَيرِ مُحسِنٍ
كَما جاءَ مِن ذي الذَنبِ عُذرٌ مُنَمَّقُ
And beneath it a beautiful woman though no one did her beauty justice,
As a sinner comes with an excuse, though contrived.
أَأُهدي إِلى شَمسِ الضُحى كَوكَبَ السُها
وَيُنفِقُ لي في مَعدِنِ التِبرِ زِئبَقُ
Shall I present a star of Suhail to the morn’s sun
While springs of honor for me run dry of quicksilver?
تُحِبُّ الوَرى الآدابَ وَهيَ مُضاعَةٌ
فَأَحسَبُها الدُنيا تُلامُ وَتُعشَقُ
The people love culture though it is neglected
So I reckon the age is blamed while still indulged.
وَلَولاكَ إِذ أَصبَحتَ حُجَّةَ سَعدِها
لَكُنتُ بِدَعوى الشُؤمِ فيها أُصَدِّقُ
Had you not been, her gladness would have no proof,
Else in claiming ill-fortune there I would have agreed.
كَأَنَّ مُلِمَّ الرِزقِ طَيفٌ وَهِمَّتي
سُهادٌ وَلَيسَ الطَيفُ في السُهدِ يَطرُقُ
The portion of sustenance is like a specter while my dreams
Are a pillow, and no specter visits one asleep!
