أجمْلٌ على بُخْلِ الغواني وإجمالُ

تفاءلتُ باسمٍ لا يصحّ به الفالُ

More beautiful than the grudging gazelles is my beauty,

I took good omens from a name unprosperous in divination,

وحَلّيْتُ نفسي بالأباطيلِ في الهوَى

ونفسٌ تُحَلّى بالأباطيل مِعْطالُ

And I adorned myself with idle fancies in love,

A soul adorned with idle fancies is ever unfortunate.

وكنتُ كصادٍ خالَ رِيّاً بقفرةٍ

وقد غيضَ فيها الماءُ واطّرَد الآلُ

I was like a hunter in a waterless waste,

The water there had sunk away and the cattle departed.

أيَشْكو بِحَرِّ الشوقِ مِنكَ الصّدى فَمٌ

وَماءُ المآقي فَوقَ خَدِّكَ هَطّالُ

Shall I complain to you of the heat of passion

When the water of life is on your cheek copiously flowing?

وَتَغْرِسُ مِنكَ العينُ في القلبِ فتنةً

وَوَجْدٌ جَناها بِالضميرِ وبلبالُ

Your eye plants temptation in my heart,

And emotion found by the conscience in ardour.

وَلا بُدَّ مِن أمنيَّةٍ تَخدَعُ الهوى

لِتُدْرَكَ منها بالتعلّلِ آمالُ

There must be some wish that beguiles love

That we may attain our hopes by making excuses.

فَمَثِّلْ لِعَينَيكَ الكرى فَعَسى الكرى

يزورُكَ فيه من حَبيبِكِ تِمثالُ

So represent to your eye the thickets and perhaps

Some image of your beloved may visit you among them,

وَسَلْ أَرَجَ الريحِ القبولَ لَعَلَّهُ

لِمعرِضَةٍ عَطْفٌ عَلَيكَ وَإِقبالُ

And ask the soft breeze for acceptance that so it

May show kindness and favour to one averse.

وَإِن لم تَفُزْ فوزَ المُحِبِّينَ بِالهَوى

فقد نِلْتَ من بَرْحِ الصّبابةِ ما نالوا

And if you have not gained the success of lovers in love,

You have attained some of the largesse of youth such as they attained.

وليلٍ حكى للناظرين ظَلامُهُ

ظَليماً له من رَوْعَةِ الصبحِ إِجفالُ

A night whose darkness frightened the gazers,

As though it gloomily resented the terrors of dawn,

كَأَنَّ لَهُ ثَوباً عَلى الأفقِ جَيبُه

وقد سُحِبَتْ مِنهُ على الأَرضِ أَذيالُ

As though it had a garment on the horizon with skirts

Trailed over the earth beneath.

عَجِبتُ لِطَودٍ مِن دُجاهُ تَهيلُهُ

لَطائفُ أَنفاسِ الصباحِ فَيَنهالُ

I wondered at a mass of darkness with fireflies flashing-

Flashes of the dawn-breath scattering and streaming down.

وقد نَشَرَتْ في جانبيه ليَ النّوى

قِفاراً طَواها بي طِمِرٌّ وَشملالُ

On either side of me the meadows had spread

Wastes covered over for me with brushwood and late grass.

وَدونَ مَصُوناتِ المَها بَذلُ أَنفُسٍ

تُريكَ ولوعَ البيضِ فيهِنَّ أبطالُ

Without the guarded pastures are lives freely squandered

You see in them the ardour of heroes.

وَفي مُضمَرِ الظلماءِ كالِئُ ظَبيَةٍ

بِثَعلَبةٍ يُسقى بها المَوتَ رِئبالُ

And in the dark places prowling she-wolves

To whom death is given to drink from the spotted bowl.

فصيحٌ بأسماءِ الكماةِ مبارزاً

لِتُعْملَ فيها بالمهنَّدِ أَفعالُ

A warrior challenging the names of the valiant,

To make exploits among them with the bright sword.

فيا بُعْدَ قُرْبٍ لم يبتْ فيه نافعاً

بسيرك بالبزلِ الرّواسمِ إيغالُ

O remote nearness, where my journeying to you avails naught,

My pressing onwards is to no purpose.

وَيا بِأَبي مَن لَم يَزَلْ مِن حُلِيِّها

لَدى الغيدِ غَرثانانِ قَلبٌ وَخلخالُ

O, by the life of her who has about her anklets

By the pool a heart and tinkling ornaments,

فَتاةٌ تداوي كلَّ حين بِصحَّتي

سقامَ جفونٍ ما لها منه إبلالُ

A girl who heals my sickness at all times

With the health of eyelids that pay it no respect,

منعَّمةٌ سَكْرَى بصهباءِ ريقةٍ

لها في اللمى طعمٌ وفي الخدّ جريالُ

A pampered one intoxicated with saliva of lips

Sweet to the touch, and on the cheek flowing tresses,

نَظرتُ إِلَيها نَظرَةً عَرَفَتْ بِها

إشارةَ لحظٍ بالصبابةِ عُذّالُ

I looked at her a look by which she knew

A hint of the ardour of my passion.

فَقَالوا لَأدْمَى خَدَّها وَحْيُ طَرْفِهِ

فَقُلتُ لَعَمري فَتَّحَ الوردَ إِخجالُ

Then they said, "Her cheek grew red and the inspiration of her eye,"

And I said, "By my life, the rose opens in bashfulness."

فَلَجُّوا وقَالوا جَنَّةٌ كَذَّبَتْ بِها

ظنونٌ ظنَنّاها ويا صِدْقَ ما قالوا

So they went aside, saying, "A garden that belied their fancies,

O the truth of what they said!"

أَبِنتَ كريمِ الحيِّ هل من كرامةٍ

تُرَفّعُ مَخفوضاً بِهِ عِندكِ الحالُ

Daughter of the generous man, is there any generosity

To raise up my abased condition with you?

نَهَضتِ إِلى هَجْرِ الوصالِ نَشيطَةً

وَأَنتِ أَناةٌ في النواعِمِ مِكْسالُ

You rose light-heartedly to abandon intimacy,

While you are gentleness itself in character.

أَرى العِينَ مِن عَينَيكِ جانَسْنَ خِلْقةً

فَمِن أَجلِها حَوليكِ تَرتَعُ آجالُ

I see the eyes are twins in nature to your eyes,

So that deaths throng about you for their sake.

فَما لكِ عنّا تَنفُرينَ نِفَارَهَا

أَفي الخَلْقِ مِنَّا عِندَ شَكلِك إِشكالُ

Why then are you averse from us

When in creation we are free from fault in your form?

متى نَتَلَقّى منكِ إنجازَ مَوْعِدٍ

وفِعلُكِ ذو بُخلٍ وقَولُكِ مِفضالُ

When shall we enjoy the fulfilling of a tryst

When your actions are niggardly and your words lavish?

وفيكِ الرُّوَّاضِ إدلالُ صعبةٍ

ينالُ بها عزَّ امرئ القيس إذلالُ

In you are the coquetries of one proud and disdainful

By which the pride even of Amr son of Kulthum might be abased.

ويُقْسمُ للتقبيلِ فوكِ مُصَدَّقاً

بِأَنَّ الَّتي تَحوي القَسيمَةَ مِتْفَالُ

And one who swears to kiss your mouth believing

That she who contains the covenant is surely fortunate.

وَلَو سُلَّ روحي مِن عُروقي لَرَدَّهُ

إِلَيَّ رُضابٌ مِن ثَناياكِ سِلسالُ

Were my spirit withdrawn from my veins it would be restored

By a draught from your trailing tresses.

أَرى الوَقْفَ أضحى مِنكِ في الزندِ ثابِتاً

وَلَكِنْ وِشاحٌ منك في الخَصرِ جَوّالُ

I see your halting is fixed for you now on the high ground,

But you have a girdle flowing over your waist.

وَأَنتِ كَعَذبِ الماءِ يُحْيي وَرُبَّما

غدا شَرَقٌ مِن شربه وهوَ قَتّالُ

You are like fresh water which gives life, but sometimes

Becomes in the morning a death-draught from the tank.

أَيُؤمَن مِنك الحَتفُ وَالكَيدُ في الهَوى

وطرفُكِ مُغْتالٌ وعِطْفُك مُخْتالُ

Can treachery and guile be trusted in love

When your glance is deadly and your charm deceitful?

حبيسٌ عليكِ العُجْبُ إذْ ما لبستِهِ

مِنَ الحُسْنِ نَعلاً عند غَيركِ سِربالُ

Self-admiration has made you a prisoner since you put on

As shoes for others the beauty you wear.

وَلابِسةٍ ظِلَّيْ دُجاها وَأَيْكِها

وللسجع منها في القلائد أَعمالُ

Wearing the shade of darkness yet glancing

With tresses which make ornaments in necklaces.

تَكَفّلَ في الوادي لها بنعيمها

رياضٌ كوَشيِ العبقريّ وأوشالُ

Gardens took it upon themselves to provide her with luxury in the valley

Like the leather bag of the perfumer and aromatic roots.

شَدَت فانثَنى رَقصاً بكلِّ سَميعةٍ

مِنَ الطيرِ مُهتزٌّ مِنَ القضب ميَّالُ

The warbler's singing was silenced in it and swayed dancing

At every harmonious note from the birds and bending branches.

فهل علماءٌ في الشوادي مصيخةٌ

إليهنّ خُرْسٌ بالتّرنّم جُهّالُ

Are there then no learned ones in the valleys, fair singer,

To whom the twitterings speak plain meaning?

فورقاءُ لم تأرقْ بحزنٍ جفونُها

وبلبلةٌ لم يدرِ منها الأسى بالُ

Neither did Roseleaf know sorrow in her eyes

Nor Bulbul‚ grief in her song.

وَأَذكَرتِني عَصْرَ الشبابِ الذي مضى

لِبرديَ فيه بالتَّنَعُّمِ إِسبالُ

You reminded me of the springtime of youth now passed,

My ample garments trailing in luxury then.

ونضرةَ عيشٍ كان همّيَ جامداً

بِهِ حَيثُ تَبري في الزجاجَةِ سَيّالُ

And the life of ease when my aspiration was frozen

By it, while in the flask the wine flowed free.

وَدارٍ غَدَونا عَن حِماها وَلَم نَرُحْ

وَنَحنُ إِلَيها بِالعَزائِمِ قُفّالُ

The abode from whose protection we departed

Yet our resolves to it are padlocked.

بها كنتُ طفلاً في ترعرع شِرّتي

أُلاعبُ أيّام الصّبا وهي أطفالُ

In it I was a child in the wantonness of my teens

Playing with the days of youth which were children.

كستني الخطوبُ السودُ بيضَ ذوائبٍ

ففي خلّتي منها لدى البيض إخلالُ

My black locks clothed me in whiteness of side curls

So that their absence now leaves disorder among the curls.

أبعد أنسياتِ الهوى أقطعُ الفلا

ويسنحُ لي منْ وحشها الجأبُ والرّالُ

After the loves of passion I break the string

And from their desolation comes to me elation and joy.

وَمِن بَعدِ وَردٍ في مقيلي وَسَوْسَنٍ

أقيلُ ومشمومي بها الطّلْحُ والضالُ

And after roses in my bed and lilies

I repose with the acacia and gum-plants clothing me.

أُخالفُ كُورَ الحرفِ من كلّ مهمهٍ

تَوَارَدَ فيه الماءَ أطْلَسُ عَسّالُ

I turn aside from every undertaking

Into which the water has conducted the smooth pebble.

له في حِجاجِ العين ناريّةٌ لها

إذا طُفِئَتْ ناريّةُ الشَّمسِ إِشعالُ

It has in the fire of the eye a flame which if

Quenched, rekindles the fire of the sun.

وَيَهديهِ هادٍ مِن دَلالَةِ مَعْطِسٍ

إلى ما عليه من ظلامِ الفلا خالُ

And a guide who by hint of thin lips

Points to what darkness of desolation lies beyond.

إِذا جاءَ في جنح الدجى نحو غيله

تَصَدّى له في القوس أسمَرُ مُغْتالُ

When he comes in the wings of night to his love

A swarthy archer ambushes him in the rainbow.

تطيرُ معَ الفولاذِ والعُودِ نحوَهُ

مِنَ الموتِ في الريشِ الخفائِفِ أثقالُ

Birds fly against him with steel and wood

Light burdens of death in their fluttering feathers.

وَلي عَزْمَةٌ لا يَطْبَعُ القَيْنُ مثلَها

وَلَو أَنَّهُ في الغمدِ لِلهامِ فَصّالُ

I have a resolve that cannot be daunted

Were the mold also to forge it on blades.

وَحَزمٌ يَبيتُ العَجزُ عَنهُ بمعزلٍ

ورأيٌ به في اللبس يُرْفَعُ إشكالُ

And a purpose which failure spends the night remote from

And an opinion which when faced with problems solves them.

أُصَيِّرُ أَخفافَ النجيب مفاتحاً

لِهَمٍّ عليه للتنائف أقْفالُ

I make the lightnings of the noble keys

To a care that has on it for penetration locks.

وَأَركَبُ إِذ لا أَرض إلّا غُطامِطٌ

مطيّةَ ماءٍ سَبْحُها فيه إرقالُ

I ride when there is no land but all is a seething

Of water, swimming on it effortless.

حمامةَ أيْكٍ ما لها فوق غُصْنها

غِناءٌ له عند المعرِّيّ إِعوالُ

A dove of the valley, unknown to it

Is any song but the cooings told of by Mutanabbi.

وأُقسمُ ما هوّمتُ إلّا وَزَارَني

عَلَى بُعْدِهِ الوادي الَّذي عِندَهُ الآلُ

And I swear by my thought that was concerned with none

Save you, though the place where are the cattle stands far off.

بِأَرضٍ نَباتُ العزِّ فيها فَوارِسٌ

تَصولُ المنايا في الحروبِ إِذا صَالوا

By a land whose plants are champions

When the fates rage among the heroes if they meet.

تُظِلُّهمْ والرَوعُ يشوي أُوارهُ

ذوابلُ فيها للأسنّة ذُبّالُ

Their awe scorches them and their faces

Guide the paths when night quenches the stars,

إذا أطفأ الدجنُ الكواكبَ أسرجوا

وجوهاً بها تُهْدَى المسالكَ ضُلّالُ

From each tent in the meadow comes the noise of it

If anytime a deed or word of gloryissue.

فَمِن كُلِّ قَرْمٍ في الندِيِّ هَديرُهُ

إِذا ما احتَبى قيلٌ مِنَ المجدِ أَو قالُ

A hero who hunts the horn as though

When the spear invests it, it is a crested serpent,

شُجاعٌ يَصيدُ القِرْنَ حَتَّى كَأَنَّهُ

إِذا ما كَساهُ الرمحُ أحقبُ ذَيّالُ

Marked with white and black loins they swelled

Over them from the weaving of ostriches yashmaks,

وَمَوسومَةٌ بالبِيضِ وَالسمرِ هُلْهِلَتْ

عَلَيهِنَّ من نَسْجِ العجاجاتِ أجلالُ

Their battle ardour on the day of strife and their skill

Their horsemen among them lions and cubs.

فَقُرّحُهَا يوْمَ الوغى وَمِهَارُهَا

فوارسُها منهم ليوثٌ وأشبالُ

Ah, excellent indeed that abode and its households

And excellent indeed some of its rules and ruins,

أَلا حَبّذا تِلكَ الدِّيارُ أواهلاً

ويا حبّذا منها رُسومٌ وأَطلالُ

And excellent indeed the inhaling of a breeze

Morning winds convey to us and evening zephyrs,

وَيا حَبّذا مِنها تَنَسُّمُ نَفحَةٍ

تُؤَدّيهِ أَسحارٌ إِلَينا وَآصالُ

And excellent indeed the living among them, excellent

Indeed the joints of them in the graves and limbs,

وَيا حَبّذا الأحياءُ مِنهُم وَحَبَّذا

مفاصلُ منهم في القبور وأوْصَالُ

And excellent indeed what lies between them of a sleep

Whose terrors awaken me to the Resurrection,

وَيا حَبّذا ما بَينَهُمْ طولُ نَوْمَةٍ

تُنَبّهُني منها إلى الحشْرِ أهوالُ