سَلاَمٌ عَلَى الأَطْلاَلِ وَحْشٌ خِيَامُهَا
وَهَلْ مُسْتَطَاعٌ أَنْ يُرَدَّ سَلاَمُهَا
Greetings to the ruins, though their dwellings are desolate,
Can their greeting ever be returned?
تَحِيَّةَ مُشْتَاقٍ أَطَاعَ دُمُوعَهُ
وَأَسْعَدَهَا بَيْنَ الرُّسُومِ انْسِجَامُهَا
The longing lover's greeting obeyed his tears
And gladdened her amidst the drawings with its harmony.
غَدَتْ لِظَلِيْمِ الوَحْشِ بَعْدَ ظُلُومِهَا
وَحَالَفَهَا مِنْ بَعْدِ نُعْمٍ نَعَامُهَا
After her oppression, she became a dwelling for the beasts of the wilderness
And after prosperity, ostriches share her abode.
فَأَيْنَ عُيُونَ العَيْنِ وَالأَوْجُهِ الَّتِي
إَذَا لُحْنَ فِي الظَّلْمَاءِ جِيْبَ ظَلاَمُهَا
Where are the eyes and faces that,
When they yearned in the darkness, their yearning kept them awake?
نَأَيْنَ وَفِيْهِنَّ الَّتِي لِفِرَاقِهَا
نَأَى عَنْ جُفُونِ المُسْتَهَامِ مَنَامُهَا
Where are those that parting from them,
Made sleep shy away from the eyes that lamented?
مُعَدَّلَةُ الأَقْسَامِ لِلْبَدْرِ وَجْهُهَا
وَلِلْغُصْنِ مِنْهَا قَدُّهَا وَقَوَامُهَا
Her face is fair as the full moon and her stature is like a branch,
Balanced in its proportions.
وَكَمْ عَاذِلٍ لَوْ كَانَ يُصْغَى لِعَذْلِهِ
وَلاَئِمَةٍ لَو كَانَ يَنْهَى مَلاَمُهَا
How many critics, if heeded,
And blamers, if forbidden from blaming her!
لَحَتْنِي وَأَرْبَتْ فِي المَلاَمِ وَأَنْكَرَتْ
مَقَامِي وَسَامَتْ خُطَّةً لاَ أُسَامُهَا
They blamed me and mounted on blame while discrediting
My position, attributing to me what I am innocent of.
وَقَدْ يُتَّقَى مِنْ صَوْلَةِ الأُسْدِ رَبْضُهَا
وَيُحْمَدُ لِلْغُرِّ الجِيَادِ جَمَامُهَا
Yet the lion's pounce can be guarded against
And the horses' zeal can be reined.
تُحَاوِلُ أَنْ أَعدُو وَأَتْبَعَ مَعْشَرَاً
أَرَاذِلَ تَنْبُو عَنْ كِرَامٍ لِئَامُهَا
I try to pursue and follow folk
Whose villainy cloaks any generosity they may have.
وَتُغْمَدُ مَحْمُودُ النُّصُولِ وَيَخْتَبِي
وَقَدْ يُنْتَضَى فِي كُلِّ حِيْنٍ كَهَامُهَا
The noble sheathed their swords and went into hiding
While their zeal can always be hoped for.
فَيَا لَيْتَ نَفْسَاً لاَ يُصَانُ مَصُونُهَا
عَنِ الذُّلِّ لاَقَاهَا وَشِيْكَاً حِمَامُهَا
Would that a soul whose dignity cannot be protected
From humiliation would meet its fate and perish!
سَأُكْرِمُ نَفْسِي أَنْ يُهَانَ كَرِيْمُهَا
وَأَحْرُسُهَا مِنْ أَنْ يَزِلَّ مَقَامُهَا
I will honor myself though the honorable perish
And guard it from losing its position.
أَبَا حَسَنٍ حُسْنُ الأُمُورِ تَمَامُهَا
وَزِيْنَتُهَا إِكْمَالُهَا وَخِتَامُهَا
O Abu Hasan, the perfection of things is their completion
And their adornment is in their consummation.
وَلَيْسَ يَرُبَّ العُرْفَ بَعْدَ اصْطِنَاعِهِ
جَدِيْدٌ مِنَ الأَمْلاَكِ إِلاَّ كِرَامُهَا
Nothing remains novel to custom after its observance
Except their generosity which is ever renewed.
وَكَمْ لَكَ عِنْدِي مِنْ صَنِيْعَةِ مُجْمِلْ
وَبِيْضِ أَيَادٍ طَوَّقَتْنِي جِسَامُهَا
How many fine deeds have you done for me,
The largesse of which has embraced me!
