أَخَذتُ بِرأيٍ في الصبا أَنا تاركُهْ
فلم تَرَني في مَسْلكٍ أنت سالكُه
In my youth I took a view that now in age I leave behind,
You'll never see me take a path that you yourself now wind.
وإن لم أعاقرْكَ المدامَ فإنّني
حَقَنْتُ دمَ الزِّقّ الذي أنت سافِكُه
And if I've never censured you when taking a deep drink,
I've staunched the blood that you have spilled and left behind to sink.
وإنَّ رَزايا العُمرِ مِنْهُنّ مركبي
ثقالٌ بأعطانِ المنايا مَبارِكُه
For in the turns of life I’ve found my ship cannot withstand
The heavy, blessed ropes of death that it is forced to bind.
دُفِعْتُ ولم أمْلِكْ دفاعَ مُلِمّةٍ
إلى زَمَنٍ في كُلِّ حينٍ أُعاركُه
I'm thrust against my will to face a time that does conspire
In every moment new to foil and countermand.
وجيشِ خطوب زاحمٍ كلّ ساعةٍ
فما أنْفُسُ الأحياءِ إلّا هوالكُه
An army of misfortunes presses in on every hour,
Can mortal souls survive except what death will grind?
كأنّ البروقَ الخاطفاتِ بُرُوقُهُ
وَزُهْرُ النجومِ اللائحاتِ نَيازِكُه
The bolts of lightning snap like bones, the blossoms of the stars
Burn out and fall to earth like soft meteors to find.
فإن تَنْجُ نفسي من كلومِ سلاحِهِ
فَإِنَّ بِرَأسي ما أَثارَتْ سَنابِكُه
And if my soul escapes the bite of his rapacious sword,
My head still raised the storm its sabers dark rain down to blind.
مَضَى كُلُّ عَصرٍ وهو حرْبٌ لأهْلِهِ
وهل تَصْرَعُ الآسادَ إلّا مَعارِكُه
An age has come and gone still locked in battle with its peers,
Can lions shun the vicious fight? It is their life defin'd.
بِرَغمي وَما في الحُبِّ بِالرغمِ لذَّةٌ
أُحِبّ مشيبي والغواني فَوَارِكُهْ
Though love and spite for me commingle, in them both joy has birth,
I love my fading locks, my wasting form, though pain they bind.
مُغَيّرُ حسني عن جميل رُوائِهِ
وَمُوهِنُ جسمي بالليالي وناهِكُه
Sulayma saw me and exclaimed, as if the sun had breathed
New life on me and blanched my darkness, no more confin'd.
رَأَتْني سُلَيمَى والقذالُ كأنّما
تَنَفّسَ فيه الصبحُ فابيَضَّ حالِكُه
Just as Salma looked on Du'bil's head, though peppered gray,
She marveled as his smiling hair silver strands did wind.
كما نَظَرَتْ سلمى إلى رأس دعبلٍ
وقد عَجِبَتْ والشيبُ يُبكيه ضاحِكُه
I glimpse a girl whose eyes match mine, competing in her grace,
Her beauty foils my own, contending charms together twined.
فتاةٌ أرَى طرفي لِطرفيَ حاسِداً
يغايِرُهُ في حُسنِها وَيُماحِكُه
To reach her beauty veil there lies, who now can rend its shield
When all the prime of life from me has been erased and shrin'd?
عَلى وَصلِها سِترٌ فَمَن لي بِهَتكِهِ
إِذا ما مَضى عَنّي منَ العمرِ هاتِكُه
My youth once held the purest wine of love enrapturing,
And all the soft gazelles its every whim and want defin'd.
شبابٌ له القِدْحُ المُعَلّى من الهوى
وما شِئتَ من رقّ الدّمى فَهوَ مالِكُه
It's as though no gentle doves could cheer my lonesome heart,
Indifferent, languid glances have my will entwined.
كَأَنِّيَ لم يُؤنِسْ منَ السربِ وَحشَتي
مُشَنَّفُ أُذْنٍ فاتِرُ اللَّحظِ فاتِكُه
A gazelle who found me verse reciting was possessed
By a co-rival in each moment flanking side-aligned.
غَزالٌ تَراني ناصِباً من تَغَزّلي
له شَرَكاً في كلّ حالٍ يُشارِكُه
I turned the wine cask's spout toward a rain shower streaming down
Colliding with its pouring flow the wine and water joined.
وصادٍ إلى ريّ الكؤوسِ غَمَرْتُهُ
بِعارِضِها والغيثُ دَرّتْ حواشِكُه
And said, "Imbibe the coffee's aroma from its clay urn
Till in your hangover's cap all will be strained and pined.”
وَقُلتُ اغتَبِقْ مِن دَنِّها صرفَ قَهوةٍ
إلى قَدَحِ الندمانِ تفضي سَوالِكُه
A froth prevents its gentle scent from suddenly taking flight,
Circling its rim a lace, a net round its mouth entwined.
وَيَمنَعُها مِن أَنْ تَطيرَ لَطافَةً
حَبابٌ عَلَيها دائِراتٌ شَبائِكُه
A garden blossoms as if kings lie prostrate 'mong its beds,
Their bodies flush as the bright beads around their necks aligned.
عَلى زَهْرِ رَوْضٍ ناضِرٍ تَحسبُ الرّبى
مُلوكاً عَلَى الأَجسامِ مِنهُم دَرانِكُه
The courtyard pool frozen overnight as hail pelted down,
Our fires melted icy shards as morning rays reclin'd.
وَباتَ لجينُ الماء بالقرِّ جامداً
لنا ونُضارُ البرق ذابتْ سبائِكُه
Is that or aunta’s tyranny to hobble dancing girls,
Shackling their ankles in its clasp with rings their feet to bind?
أَذلِكَ خَيرٌ أَم تَعَسُّفُ سَبسَبٍ
يُعَقِّلُ أَخفافَ النّجائبِ عاتِكُه
If e'er a night for travel comes with mules in file prest,
Caparisoned their bridles, saddled, to the road consign'd,
وَإِن جَنّ لَيلٌ أقبَلَتْ نَحوَ سَفْرِهِ
مُجَلَّحَةً أغوالُهُ وصعالِكُه
Called "death defying" landmarks speck the desert's barren wastes,
But no real living can be found except these risks to mind.
مهالكُهُ بالفألِ تُسمى مَفاوزاً
وما الفوزُ إلا أن تُخاضَ مهالِكُه
On a crumbling wall I sought to build my hut and there erect
A shelter, which when done, came crashing down to crush and grind.
بِمُعطٍ غَداةَ السيرِ ظَهرَ حَنِيّةٍ
بَنَيتُ عَلَيها الكورَ فانْهَدَّ تامِكُه
My critic, senseless luxury is a crucifix,
While frugal living myPROFILE 1. I love reading books and writing poetry. Some of my favorite authors are Jhumpa Lahiri, Pablo Neruda, and Walt Whitman. In my free time, I enjoy nature walks, listening to classical music, and learning new languages. I have a BA in English Literature. Spiritually, I find meaning through quiet reflection and connection to nature. I value creativity, empathy and integrity. I'm looking for interesting conversation and new perspectives. Let's exchange thoughts on art, culture and the human experience!
أَلائِمَتي إِنَّ التجمُّلَ جَندلٌ
صَليبٌ وَإنّي بالتَّجَلُّدِ لائِكُه
أَرى طَرَفاً لي من لِسانِكَ جارِحاً
وفي طَرَفِ السيفِ المهَنَّد باتِكُه
تُريدينَ مِنِّي جمع مالي وَمَنْعَهُ
وهل ليَ بعدَ الموتِ ما أنا مالِكُه
إِذا أَدرَكَت خِلّاً مِنَ الدهرِ فاقَةٌ
فما بال جَدْوَى راحتي لا تُدارِكُه
