سَرَتِ الهُمومُ فَبِتنَ غَيرَ نِيامِ
وَأَخو الهُمومِ يَرومُ كُلَّ مَرامِ
Worries crept in, so I couldn't sleep,
And the brother of worries plots every scheme.
ذُمَّ المَنازِلُ بَعدَ مَنزِلَةِ اللِوى
وَالعَيشُ بَعدَ أُلائِكَ الأَقوامِ
Homes became confined after the broad plain,
And life became hard after those people.
ضَرَبَت مَعارِفَها الرَوامِسُ بَعدَنا
وَسِجالُ كُلِّ مُجَلجِلٍ سَجّامِ
After we left, the caravan leaders went their own ways,
And the camel-drivers marched on their paths.
وَلَقَد أَراكِ وَأَنتِ جامِعَةُ الهَوى
نُثني بِعَهدِكِ خَيرَ دارِ مُقامِ
I saw you as the one who gathered love,
Binding with your promise the best abode.
فَإِذا وَقَفتُ عَلى المَنازِلِ بِاللِوى
فاضَت دُموعي غَيرَ ذاتِ نِظامِ
When I stood at the plain, overcome with love,
My unrestrained tears flowed.
طَرَقَتكَ صائِدَةُ القُلوبِ وَلَيسَ ذا
وَقتَ الزِيارَةِ فَاِرجِعي بِسَلامِ
The hunter of hearts approached you inappropriately,
Not the proper time for visiting, so go back in peace!
تُجري السِواكَ عَلى أَغَرَّ كَأَنَّهُ
بَرَدٌ تَحَدَّرَ مِن مُتونِ غَمامِ
You brushed your teeth with the most delicate twig,
As if it were frost descending from rainclouds.
لَو كانَ عَهدُكِ كَالَّذي حَدَّثتِنا
لَوَصَلتِ ذاكَ فَكانَ غَيرَ رِمامِ
If your promise were as you told us,
It would have reached that, not fallen apart.
إِنّي أُواصِلُ مَن أَرَدتُ وِصالَهُ
بِحِبالِ لا صَلِفٍ وَلا لَوّامِ
I join those whose company I desire
With ropes, neither rough nor frayed.
وَلَقَد أَراني وَالجَديدُ إِلى بِلىً
في فِتيَةٍ طُرُفِ الحَديثِ كِرامِ
And I saw myself, though still youthful,
Among honorable young men of pleasant conversation.
طَلَبوا الحُمولَ عَلى خَواضِعَ في البُرى
يُلحِقنَ كُلَّ مُعَذَّلٍ بَسّامِ
They sought burdens to carry into the lands
To join each outcast and distant wanderer.
لَولا مُراقَبَةُ العُيونِ أَرَينَنا
مُقَلَ المَها وَسَوالِفَ الآرامِ
If not for others' watchful eyes, we would have shown
Lowered spears and intimate conversation.
وَنَظَرنَ حينَ سَمِعنَ رَجعَ تَحِيَّتي
نَظَرَ الجِيادِ سَمِعنَ صَوتَ لِجامِ
When they heard my greetings, they looked
Like steeds hearing the jingling bridle.
كَذَبَ العَواذِلُ لَو رَأَينَ مُناخَنا
بِحَزيزِ رامَةَ وَالمَطِيُّ سَوامِ
The maidens lied - had they seen our resting place
With the snorting stallion and galloping mare!
وَالعيسُ جائِلَةُ الغُروضِ كَأَنَّها
بَقَرٌ جَوافِلُ أَو رَعيلُ نَعامِ
The stallions, spare but with sturdy legs
Like cows with hanging udders or strutting ostriches.
نَصّي القُلوصَ بِكُلِّ خَرقٍ ناضِبٍ
عَمِقِ الفِجاجِ مُخَرَّجٍ بِقَتامِ
I lead the mares, each with a smooth saddlecloth,
Deeply set, bound with strong girth.
يَدمى عَلى خَدَمِ السَريحِ أَظَلُّها
وَالمَروُ مِن وَهَجِ الهَجيرَةِ حامِ
Their sweat sprinkles the saddlecloth's hem
As the branding iron glows red hot.
باتَ الوِسادُ لَدى ذِراعِ شِمِلَّةٍ
وَثَنى أَشاجِعَهُ بِفَضلِ رِمامِ
The pillow lies by the arm of my beloved
As I fold its straps with a short rope.
إِنَّ اِبنَ آكِلَةِ النُخالَةِ قَد جَنى
حَرباً عَلَيكَ ثَقيلَةَ الأَجرامِ
The son of the date-pit eater has unjustly
Waged heavy war against you.
خُلِقَ الفَرَزدَقُ سَوأَةً في مالِكٍ
وَلَخَلفِ ضَبَّةَ كانَ شَرَّ غُلامِ
Al-Farazdaq was born into the worst family of Malik -
And for successors, the worst boy ever nursed.
مَهلاً فَرَزدَقُ إِنَّ قَومَكَ فيهُمُ
خَوَرُ القُلوبِ وَخِفَّةُ الأَحلامِ
Wait, Farazdaq! Among your people are
Faint hearts and fleeting dreams.
الظاعِنونَ عَلى العَمى بِجَميعِهِم
وَالنازِلونَ بِشَرِّ دارِ مُقامِ
Slandering the blind, all of them,
And settling in the worst abode.
بِئسَ الفَوارِسُ يَومَ نَعفِ قُشاوَةٍ
وَالخَيلُ عادِيَةٌ عَلى بِسطامِ
Evil horsemen on the day of Nuqasha's bier!
The horses bolting with snapped reins.
لَو غَيرُكُم عَلِقَ الزُبَيرَ وَرَحلَهُ
أَدّى الجِوارَ إِلى بَني العَوّامِ
Had it been others who hosted az-Zubayr and his camel,
They would have shown proper neighborliness to the commoners.
كانَ العِنانُ عَلى أَبيكَ مُحَرَّماً
وَالكيرُ كانَ عَلَيهِ غَيرَ حَرامِ
The reins were forbidden to your father
While wine was not prohibited.
عَمداً أُعَرِّفُ بِالهَوانِ مُجاشِعاً
إِنَّ اللِئامَ عَلَيَّ غَيرُ كِرامِ
I openly acknowledge my humiliation,
Since the vile are not honorable to me.
إِنَّ المَكارِمَ قَد سُبِقتَ بِفَضلِها
فَاِنسُب أَباكَ لِعُروَةَ بنِ حِزامِ
You have been surpassed in virtues -
So attribute your father to Urwa ibn Hizam!
ما زِلتَ تَسعى في خَبالِكَ سادِراً
حَتّى اِلتَبَستَ بِعُرَّتي وَعُرامي
You persist running confusedly in your foolishness
Until you have become entangled with me and my she-camels.
إِنّي إِذا كَرِهَ الرِجالُ حَلاوَتي
كُنتُ الذُعافَ مُقَشَّباً بِسِمامِ
When men dislike my sweetness,
I become bitter, whetted like an Indian sword.
فيمَ المِراءُ وَقَد عَلَوتُ مُجاشِعاً
عَلياءَ ذاتَ مَعاقِلٍ وَحَوامي
Why argue when I have surpassed you,
Lofty one, with fortresses and sanctuaries?
وَحَلَلتُ في مُتَمَنِّعٍ لَو رُمتَهُ
لَهَوَيتَ قَبلَ تَثَبُّتِ الأَقدامِ
I penetrated an aloof man - had you thrown him,
He would have fallen before getting his footing.
