لِمَها الرُّصافةِ في الهوى سِفْرُ
لِعيونِها يتفجَّرُ الشِّعْرُ
Why does she take such pains with her appearance,
When her eyes make poetry gush forth?
سَهِرَ الضِّياءُ على شواطئها
وصحا على لأْلائهِ النَّهرُ
The light kept vigil over her banks,
And awoke to her pearls in the river.
و أثارتِ النيران رِعشتُهُ
فتعلَّقتْهُ طُيوفُها الحُمرُ
She kindled fires that made me tremble,
And her red ghosts clung to me.
تكبو السَّمومُ فما تُقارِبُها
وتزورُها الأنسامُ والقَطْرُ
The poisons boil up but cannot touch her,
And the breezes and raindrops visit her.
وأبو نواسٍ سامِرٌ جَذِلٌ
في كأسِهِ تتألَّقُ الخَمرُ
Abu Nuwas, a delightful reveler,
In his cup the wine gleams.
يُومي لأهلِ الكرخِ في مَرَحٍ
ما تُؤجرونَ به هوَ السُّكرُ
Daily I revel with the people of Karkh,
The sugar they pay me is the best.
دارُ النِّخيلِ الكرخُ ، أطيبِهِ
فعلامَ طبعُ نَزيلِهِ مُـرُّ ؟
The date palm grove of Karkh is the sweetest,
Why then is the temper of its dweller so bitter?
وَلمَ الرُّصافةُ في تأنـُّقِها
بالكرخِ ليس لأهلها ذِكرُ ؟
Why does the perfumed quarter in its elegance
Not mention the people of Karkh?
يا ثِقلَ كرخيٍّ نُجاذبُه
لطفَ الهوى ، ووِصالُهُ نَزْرُ
Oh, the heaviness of a Karkhan I argue with,
Whose love is trifling and union meager.
مُتَرَدِّدٌ بالزهوِ ، أعْجَبَهُ
أنَّ الأحبَّةَ حَولَهُ كُثرُ
Hesitating in his vanity, he was amazed
That his loved ones around him are many.
يدنو ، فتحسَبُ أنتَ لامِسُهُ
ويغيبُ ليس لِلَيْلِهِ فجرُ
He comes close, and you’d think you’re touching him,
Then disappears, his night has no dawn.
ويقولُ : ” مُشتاقٌ ” . وفي غَدِهِ
يتمازجانِ : الشَّوقُ والهَجرُ .
And he says “I long for you,” while tomorrow
Mingles: longing and separation.
ونُريدُهُ ، وَنُـلِـحُّ نطلُـبُهُ
فيجيئُنا من صوبهِ عُذرُ
We want him and nag him and seek him out,
And from his direction come excuses.
ويَـظَلُّ هذا الجسرُ يفصلُنا
وكأنَّ دجلةَ تحته بحرُ
And this bridge remains separating us
As if the Tigris beneath were an ocean.
خُلِـقَتْ جسورُ الكونِ مُوْصِلَةً
إلاّ ” المُعَـلَّـقُ ” أمرُهُ أمرُ
The bridges of the universe were created to connect,
Except for “the suspended,” its affair is strange.
