دَعَانِي إِلَى غَيِّ الصِّبَا بَعْدَ مَا مَضَى
مَكَانٌ كَفِرْدَوْسِ الْجِنَانِ أَنِيقُ
He called me to the folly of youth after it had passed,
A place like the gardens of Paradise, elegant,
فَسِيحُ مَجَالِ الْعَينِ أَمَّا غَدِيرُهُ
فَطَامٍ وَأَمَّا غُصْنُهُ فَرَشِيقُ
With open vistas for the eyes. As for its pond,
It is clear, and as for its branches, they are lush.
كَسَا أَرْضَهُ ثَوْبَاً مِنَ الظِّلِّ بَاسِقٌ
مِنَ الأَيْكِ فَيْنَانُ السَّرَاةِ وَرِيقُ
A robe of dense shade covered its land
Of lofty acacia trees and slender willows.
سَمَتْ صُعُداً أَفْنَانُهُ فَكَأَنَّمَا
لَهَا عِنْدَ إِحْدَى النَّيِّرَاتِ عَشِيقُ
Its branches climbed high as if
One of the nymphs had a lover among them.
يَمُدُّ شُعَاعُ الشَّمْسِ فِي حَجَراتِهَا
سَلاسِلَ مِنْ نُورٍ لَهُنَّ بَرِيقُ
The sun's rays penetrate its chambers
With chains of light that have luster for them.
وَيَشْدُو بِهَا الْقُمْرِيُّ حَتَّى كَأَنَّهُ
أَخُو صَبْوَةٍ أَوْ دَبَّ فِيهِ رَحِيقُ
And the moon sings to them until it seems
A companion of the Pleiades or imbued with nectar.
تَمُرُّ طُيُورُ المَاءِ فِيها عَصَائِباً
كَرَكْبٍ عِجَالٍ ضَمَّهُنَّ طَرِيقُ
The birds of the water pass through it in lines
Like a mounted army brought together by fate.
إِذَا أَبْصَرَتْ زُرْقَ الْمَوَارِدِ رَفْرَفَتْ
عَلَيْهَا فَطَافٍ فَوْقَهَا وَغَرِيقُ
When they see the blueness of the ponds they flutter
Above them like one swooping down or diving.
غَدَوْنَا لَهُ وَالْفَجْرُ يَنْصَاحُ ضَوْؤُهُ
فَيَنْمُو وَأَقْطَارُ الظِّلامِ تَضِيقُ
We went to it at dawn, as its light was bursting forth,
Expanding, while the regions of darkness narrowed.
وَلِلطَّيرِ فِي مَهْدِ الأَرَاكَةِ رَنَّةٌ
وَلِلطَّلِّ فِي ثَغْرِ الأَقَاحَةِ رِيقُ
The birds in the cradle of the boughs were singing,
And the young gazelles at the lips of the meadows were crying.
مَلاعِبُ زَانَتْهَا الرِّفَاقُ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ
لِيَحْسُنَ لَهْوٌ لَمْ يَزِنْهُ رَفِيقُ
Its pleasures were adorned by companions, and there was no
Joyful diversion that a comrade did not grace.
وَمَنْزِلُ أُنْسٍ قَدْ عَقَدْنَا بِجَوِّهِ
رَتَائِمَ لَهْوٍ عَقْدُهُنَّ وَثِيقُ
We established at its beautiful spot a place of companionship,
Binding the links of play—their knot was tight.
جَمَعْنَا بِهِ الأَشْتَاتَ مِنْ كُلِّ لَذَّةٍ
وَمَا كُلُّ يَوْمٍ بِالسُّرُورِ حَقِيقُ
We gathered there all the scattered parts of delight,
For not every day is genuinely happy.
وَغَنَّى لَنَا شَادٍ أَغَنُّ مُقَرْطَقٌ
رَفِيقٌ بِجَسِّ الْمِلْهَيَاتِ لَبِيقُ
A singer sang for us in the sweetest melodies,
A comrade well-versed in the instruments of joy.
إِذَا مَدَّ مِنْ صَوْتٍ وَرَجَّعَ أَقْبَلَتْ
عَلَيْنَا وُجُوهُ الْعَيْشِ وَهْوَ رَقِيقُ
When he stretched out a note and drew it back,
The faces of living happily turned toward us.
فَيَا حُسْنَهُ مِنْ مَنْزِلٍ لَمْ يَطُفْ بِهِ
غَويٌّ وَلَمْ يَحْلُلْ حِمَاهُ لَصِيقُ
What a beautiful place, untouched by one who leads astray,
Its sanctuary unviolated by a shameless person!
أَقَمْنَا بِهِ يَوْماً طَلِيقاً وَلَيْلَةً
دُجَاهَا بِلأْلاءِ الْمُدَامِ طَلِيقُ
We stayed there a day at leisure and a night
Lit up by the radiance of flowing wine.
فَلَمَّا اتَّعَدْنَا لِلرَّوَاحِ تَرَوَّعَتْ
قُلُوبُ النَّدَامَى وَالْمُحِبُّ شَفِيقُ
But when we prepared to leave, the hearts of the sorrowful
Were shaken, and the loving one was tender.
فَلِلَّهِ قَلْبٌ بِالْفِرَاقِ مُرَوَّعٌ
حَزينٌ وَجَفْنٌ بِالدُّمُوعِ شَرِيقُ
By God, there is a heart terrified by parting,
Grieving, and an eyelid flowing with tears!
وَقَالَ لِيَ الْخُلَّانُ صِفْ حُسْنَ يَوْمِنَا
فَأَنْتَ بِنَجْدِيِّ الْكَلامِ خَلِيقُ
The boon-companions said to me, “Describe the beauty of our day,”
For you have the talent of fine speech.
فَرَوَّيْتُ شَيْئَاً ثُمَّ جِئْتُ بِمَنْطِقٍ
ذَكِيٍّ يَفُوقُ الْمِسْكَ وَهْوَ فَتِيقُ
So I portrayed something, then came up with eloquent
And witty words more fragrant than musk.
وَكَيْفَ يَغُبُّ الْقَوْلُ عَنِّي وَفِي فَمِي
لِسَانٌ كَغَرْبِ الْمَشْرَفِيِّ ذَلِيقُ
How could speech fail me when my mouth contains
A tongue like the saber of Mashrafi, sharp and pliant!
