تذكَّرتُ أَيامَ الصَّبابَة والصِّبا

وعيشاً مليحاً بالمَلحيةِ مُعْجِبَا

I recalled the days of my youth and prime

And a fine life enjoying the salt flats was sublime

وثوبَ نعيمٍ لا يحِلُّ لباسُه

لذي ورعٍ لأَنه كان مُذهَبَا

A garment of bliss but not for the devout

For it was embroidered, inducement to sin throughout

مذهبةُ الخدَّيْن يحمر خدها

لجني ويجري الماء فيه ليشربا

Her rosy cheeks aflame, water flows there to imbibe

Rubies glow from her cheeks, pale at times from her shy

ومن خدها يحمَرُّ ياقوتُ عِقْدِها

ويصفَرُّ إِمَّا خَجْلةً أَو تَهيُّبا

Pearls from her sweet mouth, though the son excels his father

She changes, enslaves minds with her glance, nothing other

أَبو ثَغْرِهَا الدُّرُّ الذي في عقودِها

ولكن رأَيت الإِبنَ قد فضل الأَبَا

Many a brave soul she conquered, though no captives taken

Gifted with eloquence, her waist and hips undertaking

تُغير فتَسْبي باللِّحاظِ عقولَنَا

وكم من شجاعٍ قد أَغارَ وما سَبَى

My tormentor, without you torment would not persist

Nor would I in Paradise feel anguish I've missed

وقد أُوتِيتْ فَصْلَ الخطابِ ملاحةً

فأَوجَز فيها الخصرُ والرِدْفُ أَسْهَبَا

Nor would my heart be lined with worries untold

Nor my eyes bloodshot from tears uncontrolled

مُعذِّبَتي لولاك لم يَعذُبِ الرَّدى

ولا كنتُ في جناتِ عدن مُعذَّبا

Nor would my body be fertilized by my wasting away

Nor my cheek from my pallor be grassy and gray

ولا كان قَلْبي بالهموم مُكَحَّلاَ

ولا كَانَ طرْفي بالدِّماءِ مخضَّبا

My eyes perceive a thousand stars in the dark

But none as a star except your visage's spark

ولا كان جسمِي من هُزالي مُخْصِباً

ولا كان خَدِّي من شُحوبيَ مُعْشِبَا

My tears confused between flowing and keeping still

So how can they be, like my heart, swayed at your will

وأَبْصَر طَرْفي في الدُّجى أَلْفَ كَوْكبٍ

فلم أَر فيهم غَيرَ وجهِك كَوْكَبَا

Since they shortened their visit, my gaze in its shyness

Became a tent, though with tears it finds its fullness

تحيَّر دَمْعي بين جَرْيٍ ووقفةٍ

فكيف تُراهُ مِثْلَ قَلبي مُذَبْذَبَا

God watered my youth's days with my tears

For Zainab, then God took Zainab those years

ومذ قوَّضوا أَطْنَابَهُمْ صار ناظِري

خِباءً ولكن بالدموعِ مُطَنَّبَا

That was a time when all my living was pleasant and nice

Every breeze in my youth blew soft, sweet, and nice

سقى الله أَيامَ الشَّباب مدامِعي

على زينبٍ لا واخَذَ الله زينبا

And your love was concealed by every concealer

And my life was blessed by each gentle feeler

فذاك زمانٌ كلُّ عيشي به رِضاً

وكلُّ نسيمٍ هبَّ من صَبْوتي صَبَا

The kisses of the singing girls against my cheek

You'd think my cheek by their touch was nothing but sleek

وتُضمِرُ حُبِّي كلُّ ضامرةِ الحشَا

وتُنْعِمُ عيِشي كلُّ ناعمةِ الصَّبا

You'd accept from me a thousand kisses and more

And for love's sake this usury was condoned before

تكاثرَ لَثْمُ الغَانياتِ بعَارِضِي

فكدتَ تراهُ بالمباسِمِ أَشْنَبَا

Then fate bereaved me of my youth, though after that stage

I obey only, for youth has passed, disengaged

تقبلُني عن قبلةٍ أَلفَ قبلةٍ

وحُلِّل في شَرْع الهَوى ذلِك الرِّبَا

The planets were cruel, their stars attacked me

Never removing my cloak of sadness fully

فأَثكلَني الدَّهرُ الشبابَ وإِنَّما

أُطَاعِنُ من بعدِ الشَّبابِ بلا شَبَا

Oh, who can I complain to! Do I address a bull?

Or reproach a scorpion? That would be foolish

أَساءَت بي الأَفلاكَ غارْت نجومُها

ولا نزعَتْ من مَلْبسِ الحُزْنِ غَيْهَبَا

I returned from the honored and sublime presence

Alone, though I was the chosen and brought hence

ويا ليت شِعْري مَنْ لمن أَشْتِكي لها

أُخَاطِبُ ثَوْراً أَمْر أُعَاتِبُ عَقْرَبا

And I became outcast when once I was the elect

Spurned when once I was selected and checked

رجعتُ بها عن حَضْرَةِ العزِّ والعُلاَ

وحيداً وقد كنت النَّجيَّ المُقَرَّبَا

I avoided the fair-skinned beloved ones for sure

And I avoided for passions the greens' secure

وأَصبحتُ مُقْصىً بعد أَن كنت مُصْطَفى

وأَمسيتُ مُلقىً بعد ما كنت مُجْتَبى

Than even the greatest angel in wisdom and knowledge

And the best of them in learning, patience, and privilege

نأَيتُ فيا شوقاهُ عن أَبيضِ الجَدا

وسرتُ فيا لهفاهُ عن أَخضرِ الرُّبَا

The kings of earth traverse its far reaches

To a door they see lowly but exalted in speeches

عَنِ المالكِ الأَمْلاكِ رأْياً وحكمةً

وفاضِلهم عِلْماً وحِلْماً ومَنْصِباً

I saw them come to it magnified indeed

And I saw them ask permission of one concealed

تجوبُ ملوكُ الأَرض أَقصَى بلادِها

لِبابٍ تراها خسأَى ولُغَّبا

They pace a carpet where the sun has position

Just as the clouds across it have transmission

رأَيتُهمُ يأْتُونَ منه معظَّماً

وأَبصرتُهُمْ يستأَذِنُونَ المُحَجَّبا

I stayed with happiness and settledness

And if you wish, say between fondness and finesse

يَطَوْنَ بِساطاً فيه للشمس مَنصِبٌ

كما أَنَّ فيه للسَّحائبِ مَسْحَبَا

I hug firmly the hopes though they're broken inside

And I kiss lips of yearnings gap-toothed and wide

أَقمتُ به بَيْنَ البشَاشةِ والقِرى

وإِن شئْتَ قُل بين المحبَّة والحَبَا

I deliver provisions that once were denied

And I rouse a grandfather who once was belied

أعانقُ للآمالِ قَدّاً مُهَفْهَفَاً

وأَلْثمُ ثغراً للأَمانيِّ أَشْنَبا

I intercede until intercession of mine

Is not refused, though once I was of sins the sign

وأُوصِلُ رزقاً كان من قبلُ قد نأَى

وأُنْهِضُ جدّاً كان من قَبْلُ قد كَبا

And how much favor and grace was brought to me

And how often I was welcomed heartily

وأَشفعُ حتى لا تُردَّ شفاعَتي

ولو فيَّ إِذ أَصبحتُ بالبُعدِ مَذْنِبا

Let no one mentioning the Al Mahallabi tribe persist

For one has come making them all desist

وكم سِيقَ من نُعمى إِليَّ ونعمةٍ

وكم قيل لي أَهلاً وسهلاً ومَرْحَبَا

My eternal friend, if you are present forever

Oh my sorrow when from you I endeavor

فلا يَذكُرَنْ آلَ المهلَّب ذاكرٌ

فقد جاءَ من يُنسيهمُ المُهَلَّبَا

Due to my poor choices, you were averse to me

Though my heart held no aversion to thee

فيا جَذَلِي إِن كنتَ في الخلدِ حاضراً

ويا أَسفي إِذ كنْتُ عَنهُ مغَيَّبَا

And were it not that I was not lured from you

How could I view Paradise itself as untrue?

لسوءِ اختياري كان لي عنك مَذْهَبٌ

على أن قلبي لم يجد عنك مذهبا

And how much favor to you—had my luck not been poor

You could have called it "father"—and then even more

ولولا أني ما كان بي عنك مرغب

وكيف أَرَى عن جنَّةِ الخلدِ مَرْغَبَا

After my father how much grace came from you I admit

Sweeter, gentler, more wondrous all of it

وكم لكَ لولا سوءُ بختي نعمةٌ

مَنَنْتَ بها لو شئتَ سميتَها أَبَا

It refused that I remain happy by their claim

Misery refused one could be happy, it's the same

وبعد أَبي كم نعمةٍ منك نلتُها

فأَلفيتُها أَحْلى وأَهْنَا وأَعجبا

Misery that stained me and I couldn't resist

And disaster that met me with no way to desist

أَبَى لي أَن أَبقى السعيدَ بزعمهم

شقاءٌ أبَى أَن يسعدَ المرءُ إِنْ أَبَى

And what person does fortune befriend and embrace

That would choose to avoid that noble place?

شقاءٌ دهاني لم أَجد عنه مَصْرِفاً

وخطبٌ أَتاني لم أَجد عنه مَهْرَبا

And if I returned with fruitless rule, I just

Would have returned frustrated, that's a must

وأَيُّ امرئٍ يختاره السَّعْد مأْلفاً

فيختارُ عن ذاك الجناب تَجَنُّبَا

I returned biting my hand, and my solace

Is when my chest tightens to weep and bemoan this

ولو عُدْتُ بالملكِ العقيم وإِنني

رَجعْتُ به ما كنت إِلاَّ مُخَيَّبَا

I seek after separation a perfect reunion

So I seek after dawn a setting constellation

رجعت أَعَضُّ الراحتين ورَاحَتي

إِذا ضاقَ صدرِي أَن أُبَكى وأَنْدُبَا

Oh, the longing in my soul, if I stayed arising

Is a beacon, my Master, whose light is unceasing

وأَطْلبُ بعد البين شملاً مُنظماً

فأَطلبُ بعد الصبحِ نجماً مُغَرِّبَا

It would know which wilderness hosts humankind

And would see which of men is cultivated and refined

فيا لهفَ نفسِي لو أَقمتُ فقَامَ لي

مَنَارٌ بِموْلىً نُورُه قطُّ ما خَبَا

It would meet on my path a lethal adversity

Seeing me as a tested sword of ferocity

وكان دَرَى أَيَّ البرية عِندَه

وكان رأَى أَيَّ الرجالِ المهذبَا

O Greatest of Masters—in my ode it's true

I complained to inspire, not delight in you

وكان ذا لاقى بِحَدَّيْ صَريمة

رآنيَ سَيْفاً في الرقاب مُجرَّبَا

Carry me, carry me, I repent repenting

Of a counselor, that you be pleased, not dissenting

أَمولىَ الموالي إِنني بقصيدتي

شكوْتُ لِتَرْثي لا شَدَوْتُ لتَطْرَبَا

And I have honest hopes of your good opinion

My hopes in your good view have no misapprehension

أَقِلْني أَقِلْني تُبتُ توبةَ ناصحٍ

لترضَى ولم أُذْنِبْ بجهلي لتغضبَا

ولي طمعٌ في حسن رأْيك صادقٌ

وما طمعِي في حسنِ رأْيكَ أَشعبا