لِلَّهِ ما هاجَ لَمعُ البارِقِ السَّارِي
عَلى فُؤادِ غَريبٍ نازِحِ الدَّارِ
For God, what has disturbed the lightning flash
That flickered over a stranger’s heart fleeing home?
أَكَبَّ في الأُفقِ مِنهُ قادِحٌ عَمِلٌ
يَنقَدُّ ثَوبُ الدُّجَى عَن زَندِهِ الوارِي
It forged ahead in the horizon like active fire
That strips the night’s clothes from its outstretched hand.
كانَ الصِّبا وَطَري إِذ كُنتُ في وَطَنِي
فَقَد فُجِعتُ بِأَوطانِي وَأَوطارِي
The zephyr and the birds were mine when I lived in my country,
But I've been distraught by my home and environs.
فَأَينَ تِلكَ الرُّبى وَالسَّاكِنونَ بِها
وأَينَ فيها عَشِيَّاتِي وَأَسحارِي
Where are those meadows and their dwellers?
And where are my evenings and dawns there?
مَلاعِبٌ نَثَرَت أَيدِي الرِّياحِ بِها
ما شِئتَ مِن دِرهَمٍ ضَربٍ وَدينارِ
Playgrounds that the winds’ hands scattered.
Take what coins you want minted and stamped!
ما لِلزَّمانِ أَلا حُرٌّ يُنَهنِهُهُ
يَفرِي أَديمي بِأَنيابٍ وَأَظفارِ
Why doesn't time have a noble one to gently restrain it
When it bares its fangs and claws to shred my skin?
نَشَدتُهُ حَقَّ آدابي فَأَشعَرَني
بِأَنَّ ذَنبِيَ آدابي وَأَشعارِي
I held it to the right of manners but it made me feel
That manners and poems are the wrong I’ve done.
تَكَنَّفَتنِيَ مِنها كُلُّ مُظلِمَةٍ
كَمَنتُ فيها كُمونَ الخَمرِ في القارِ
Every dark night encompassed me,
Where wine lay hidden in its vat.
إِنِّي أَبا حَسَنٍ قَد ضِعتُ بَينَكُمُ
وَقَلَّ ما ضاعَ حُرٌّ بَينَ أَحرارِ
Abu Hasan, I've grown weak among you
And seldom has a free soul weakened mid the free.
أَتُسلِمُونَ لِجَورِ الدَّهرِ جارَكُمُ
وَلَم تَضِع قَطُّ فيكُم ذِمَّةُ الجارِ
Will you submit to the injustice of Time, your neighbor,
When the duty of neighbors never lapsed in you?
وَكَم يَدٍ لَكَ عِندي لَستُ أَكفُرُها
أَمطَيتُها مِن ثَنائِي ظَهرَ طَيّارِ
How many hands extended to you have I not denied,
Giving them my commendation swift as birds in flight?
إِذا المَدائِحُ لَم يُسفِر لَها أَمَلٌ
فَخَلِّني لِمَناديحي وَأَسفارِي
When praise yields no hope, leave me to my poems
And travels for I've grown aloof from life's delight.
فَقَد عَزَبتُ عَنِ الدُّنيا وَبَهجَتِها
وَقُلتُ لِلنَّفسِ صَبراً أُمَّ صَبَّارِ
I told my soul, "Patience, O most patient mother!"
Poverty's hardship but I'm pleased with it
ما أَصعَبَ الفَقرَ لَكِنّي رَضيتُ بِهِ
لَمّا رَأَيتُ الغِنى في جانِبِ العارِ
When I see wealth stained with disgrace.
