طَرِبْتُ وَعَادَتْنِي الْمَخِيلَةُ وَالسُّكْرُ

وَأَصْبَحْتُ لا يُلْوِي بِشِيمَتِي الزَّجْرُ

I was disturbed and imagination and intoxication returned to me,

And I became unable to restrain myself with reproach.

كَأَنِّيَ مَخْمُورٌ سَرَتْ بِلِسَانِهِ

مُعَتَّقَةٌ مِمَّا يَضِنُّ بِهَا التَّجْرُ

As if I was drunk, flowing on my tongue,

Is an untamed love that stinginess resents.

صَرِيعُ هَوىً يُلْوي بِيَ الشَّوْقُ كُلَّمَا

تَلأْلأَ بَرْقٌ أَوْ سَرَتْ دِيَمٌ غُزْرُ

Languishing in passion that twists me whenever

Lightning flashes or a pouring rain flows.

إِذَا مَال ميزَانُ النَّهارِ رَأَيْتنِي

عَلَى حَسَراتٍ لا يُقَاوِمُها صَبْرُ

When the balance of day tilts I see myself

Succumbing to regrets that patience cannot withstand.

يَقُولُ أُنَاسٌ إِنَّهُ السِّحرُ ضَلَّةً

وَمَا هِيَ إِلَّا نَظْرَةٌ دُونَهَا السِّحْرُ

Some people say it is magic that misleads me,

Yet it is nothing but a gaze beyond which is magic.

فَكَيْفَ يَعِيبُ النَّاسُ أَمْرِي وَلَيْسَ لِي

وَلا لاِمْرِئٍ فِي الْحُبِّ نَهْيٌ وَلا أَمْرُ

So how can people blame me when neither I

Nor anyone in love has prohibition or command?

وَلَوْ كَانَ مِمَّا يُسْتطَاعُ دِفَاعُهُ

لأَلْوَتْ بِهِ الْبِيضُ الْمَباتِيرُ والسُّمْرُ

If it could be deflected white doves and nightingales would have done so,

But it is love which if its sparks clung to embers, embers would ignite.

وَلَكِنَّهُ الْحُبُّ الَّذِي لَوْ تَعَلَّقَتْ

شَرَارَتُهُ بِالْجَمْرِ لاحْتَرَقَ الْجَمْرُ

Though I concealed in my chest a burning

Of ecstasy that no chest can bear to carry.

عَلَى أَنَّنِي كَاتَمْتُ صَدْرِيَ حُرْقَةً

مِنَ الْوَجْدِ لا يَقْوَى عَلَى حَمْلِهَا صَدْرُ

And I held back tears which if I let flow

None would doubt they were the sea spilling on earth.

وَكَفْكَفْتُ دَمْعَاً لَوْ أَسَلْتُ شُؤُونَهُ

عَلَى الأَرْضِ مَا شَكَّ امْرُؤٌ أَنَّهُ الْبَحْرُ

Out of shyness and pride that it be said

Clouds drizzled from its setting or rain poured.

حَيَاءً وَكِبْراً أَنْ يُقَالَ تَرَجَّحَتْ

بِهِ صَبْوَةٌ أَوْ فَلَّ مِنْ غَرْبِهِ الْهَجْرُ

Yet I am a man whom if not for obstacles

Nomads and settled folk alike would have yielded to his rule.

وَإِنِّي امْرُؤٌ لَوْلا الْعَوائِقُ أَذْعَنَتْ

لِسُلْطَانِهِ الْبَدْوُ الْمُغِيرَةُ والْحَضْرُ

Among the valiant whose swords

Have in the margins of every dark night, dawnings.

مِنَ النَّفَرِ الْغُرِّ الَّذِينَ سُيُوفُهُمْ

لَهَا فِي حَوَاشِي كُلِّ دَاجِيَةٍ فَجْرُ

When one of their masters draws his sword,

The celestial spheres tremble and time turns.

إِذَا اسْتَلَّ مِنْهُمْ سَيِّدٌ غَرْبَ سَيْفِهِ

تَفَزَّعَتِ الأَفْلاكُ وَالْتَفَتَ الدَّهْرُ

For them erected columns and fortified citadels,

Crimson towers and green courts.

لَهُمْ عُمُدٌ مَرْفُوعَةٌ وَمَعَاقِلٌ

وَأَلْوِيَةٌ حُمْرٌ وَأَفْنِيَةٌخُضْرُ

And fire that has in every east and west,

For the armed darkness, crimson tongues.

وَنَارٌ لَهَا فِي كُلِّ شَرْقٍ وَمَغْرِبٍ

لِمُدَّرِعِ الظَّلْمَاءِ أَلْسِنَةٌ حُمْرُ

Extending hands skyward bloodied,

Clasped by comets and caressed by forgiveness.

تَمُدُّ يَداً نَحْوَ السَّمَاءِ خَضِيبَةً

تُصَافِحُهَا الشِّعْرَى وَيَلْثِمُهَا الْغَفْرُ

And steeds whose neighing fills both horizons,

On their manes victory knots are tied.

وَخَيْلٌ يَعُمّ الْخَافِقَيْنِ صَهِيلُهَا

نَزَائِعُ مَعْقُودٌ بِأَعْرَافِها النَّصْرُ

Accustomed to traversing wildernesses as if they are

Khadriyya horses fearless with no lair.

مُعَوَّدَةٌ قَطْعَ الْفَيَافِي كَأَنَّهَا

خُدَارِيَّةٌ فَتْخَاءُ لَيْسَ لَهَا وَكْرُ

They lasted awhile then disunity scattered them,

Rancor in its nature whose trait is betrayal.

أَقَامُوا زَمَاناً ثُمَّ بَدَّدَ شَمْلَهُمْ

مَلُولٌ مِنَ الأَيَّامِ شِيمَتُهُ الْغَدْرُ

So nothing remains of them but traces of blessing

Which stories and remembrance propagate.

فَلَمْ يَبْقَ مِنْهُمْ غَيْرُ آثارِ نِعْمَةٍ

تَضُوعُ بِرَيَّاهَا الأَحَادِيثُ وَالذِّكْرُ

Traces speak though silent,

And flowers eulogize its ruins.

وَقَدْ تَنْطِقُ الآثَارُ وَهْيَ صَوَامِتٌ

وَيُثْنِي بِرَيَّاهُ عَلَى الْوابِلِ الزَّهْرُ

By your life however long one’s journey extends,

The living is not immortal, only the departed held captive.

لَعَمْرُكَ مَا حَيٌّ وَإِنْ طَالَ سَيْرُهُ

يُعَدُّ طَلِيقَاً وَالْمَنُونُ لَهُ أَسْرُ

These days are but stages,

Wherein travels stay and travels depart.

وَمَا هَذِهِ الأَيَّامُ إِلَّا مَنَازِلٌ

يَحُلُّ بِهَا سَفْرٌ وَيَتْرُكُها سَفْرُ

So do not consider anyone in them lasting,

But he strives and his goal is life’s end.

فَلا تَحْسَبَنَّ الْمَرْءَ فِيها بِخَالِدٍ

وَلَكِنَّهُ يَسْعَى وَغَايَتُهُ الْعُمْرُ