نَديميَ علّلْني بمَشْمولَةٍ واسْقِ

ولا تولِجَنْ سَمْعي حَديثاً عنِ العِشْقِ

My friend, refresh me with a sip and pour,

But speak no words to me of love's allure,

فقد ضاقَ ميْدانُ الشّبابِ عنِ الهَوى

فآثَرتِ النّفْسُ الرّجوعَ الى الحَقِّ

For the field of youth is too constricted for passion now,

So my soul returns to truth and equity.

وهَذا زمانُ الزّهْرِ حيّاكَ باسِماً

تَلوحُ سِماتُ البِشْرِ في وجْهِهِ الطّلْقِ

This is the season of blossoms, greeting you by name,

The traits of mankind apparent on its serene face.

وقد قادَ يوْمُ الغيْمِ سُحْباً كأنّها

رِفاقٌ أتتْ تمشي الهُوَيْنى على رِفقِ

The day of clouds has led a procession, as though

They are companions come walking gently apace.

كأنّ حُداةَ الرّعْدِ ضلّتْ طريقَها

فهزّتْ لكَيْما تهْتَدي مِشْعَلَ البرْقِ

Like thunder’s guide that lost its way,

Shaking the lightning’s torch to find its place.

وكعْبَةِ روْضٍ زارَها القَطْرُ والتَقَتْ

بميقاتِها جوّابةُ الغَرْبِ والشّرْقِ

A meadow’s sanctuary the rain visited and met

Its east and west pilgrims at the set time and space.

وقد قلَبَ السّوسانُ فيه رِداءَهُ

كأنّ النُعامَى أبرزَتْهُ ليَسْتَسْقي

The lily has turned its gown therein,

As ostriches displayed it to partake of grace.

كأنّ عليلَ النّرْجِسِ اهْتاجَ داؤهُ

وقدْ قعَلَتْ تبْكيهِ ساجِعةُ الوُرْقِ

The narcissus’ ailing soul grew restless,

As foliage wept loudly in its place.

وقد أشفَقَ الغيْمُ الظّليلُ لِما بهِ

فتَنفُثُ فيهِ سُحْبُه والصَّبا ترْقي

The shady raincloud pitied what it held

Spilling its clouds as the breeze climbed to its place.

حلَلْتُ بِها والوَرْدُ هدْيٌ مقَرَّبٌ

فما كان إلا أنْ نحَرْتُ بها زِقّي

I arrived with roses, a gift of oblation,

So I could sacrifice my drinking horn in their place.

وسيّلْتُها حَمْراءَ والغيْمُ عاكِفٌ

فضاءَ لها جوّي وضاعَ بها أفْقي

I flooded it red as the raincloud hovered

Above, making room for it in the aerial space.

وقد هرِمَتْ ممّا تطاوَلَ عُمْرُها

وممّا محَتْ أعْضاءَها حَمْيَةُ الزِّقِّ

It has aged from the elongation of its life

And the burning of its limbs in the kiln’s embrace.

وحيّيْتُ أكْواسي بها فكأنّها

جُسومٌ تُشِفُّ الرّوحَ في بَدْأةِ الخَلْقِ

I toasted it with cups as if they were

Bodies that revive the soul at existence’s base.

تخالُ بِها الإبريقَ عندَ سُجودِهِ

إماماً يُطيلُ المَكْثَ في أحْرُفِ الحلْقِ

The pitcher mistakes them during its prostration

For an imam prolonging his bow at “qalqalah’s” place.

يُرَدِّدُها كيْ يكْسِبَ الطّبْعَ دُرْبَةً

بهِنّ ولكِنْ ليسَ يُفْصِحُ في النُّطْقِ

It repeats them to train its nature through practice,

But cannot articulate them with eloquence and grace.

وعودٌ حنى أضْلاعَهُ فوقَ كاهِنٍ

يفوهُ بِما يوحِي البَنانُ وما يُلْقي

The lute has bent its ribs over a priest

Who utters what the fingerboard prompts at its place,

ويُعْرِبُ عمّا في الضّميرِ كأنّما

قصَدْنا سَطيحا أو حُبِسْنا الى شِقِّ

And expresses what is in the heart as though

We sought augury or were confined in a strait place,

عكَفْنا علَيْهِ والبُروقُ كأنّها

مُطهّمةً شُقرٌ تبارَتْ الى السّبْقِ

We dwelled on it as lightning, resembling

A herd of blond gazelles racing to the winning place.

وقد شابَ فَوْدُ اللّيلِ منْ روعةِ الضِّيا

وطارَتْ قلوبُ النّجْمِ من شِدّةِ الخَفْقِ

The night’s expanse was filled with awe from the light’s radiance,

And the hearts of stars raced from the intensity apace.

إذا ما اللّيالي أنْهَجَتْ بُرْدَة الصِّبا

وسدّتْ الى اللّذّاتِ سالِكَةَ الطُّرقِ

If nights don the coldness of the morning breeze

And block the paths to pleasures in that time and space,

تَعَلّلْ بنَزْرِ منْ زَمانٍ مُساعدٍ

فما لكَ إنْ ولّى سَبيلٌ الى اللّحْقِ

Console yourself with a hint of favoring days,

What loss if a way leads you to pursue and chase?