وما الشِّعْرُ حُبٌ شاغِفٌ وصَبابةٌ
فَحَسْبُ. ولكنْ حكمةٌ وتأمُّلُ!
Poetry is not just passionate love and youthful folly,
That is hardly sufficient. It is wisdom and reflection!
جذبْتُ به نَحْوي الفَواتِنَ فَتْرَةً
من العُمْرِ. ثم انْجابَ عَنِّي التَّدَلُّلُ!
For a while it drew me to beauties,
In the springtime of my life. Then, it weaned me off infatuation!
فقد أَطْفَأَت دُنْيايَ مِن وقْدَةِ الصِّبا
وَوَلَّى شَبابٌ كان يَسْطو ويَجْهَلُ!
It extinguished the flame of my youth kindled by the morning glow,
And bid farewell to a heedless youth given to ignorance.
وأَصْبَحَ شِعْري يَنْشُدُ الحَقَّ جاهراً
وما عادَ يُشْجِيهِ الهوى والتَّغَزُّلُ!
Now my verse sings of truth openly,
No longer stirred by passion or amorous overtures.
أراني. وما أَرْضى لِشِعْري تَدَلُّهاً
ولا ظَمَأً لِلْكأْس. فالْكأْسُ يَسْطِلُ!
Look at me! I do not approve of verse that is coy,
Nor a thirst for the cup. For the cup overflows!
وحُسْنُ الغَواني يَسْتَطِيلُ على الوَنى
ويُعْرِضُ عنه.. وهو شِلْوٌ مُجَدَّلُ!
The charms of the lovely ones fail over time,
And one turns away from them... For they are withering roses.
وقد صِرْتُهُ فالشِّعْرُ عِنْدي مُقَدَّسٌ
فما أَرْتَضِيهِ. وهو يَهْوِي فَيَسْفُلُ!
I have elevated it so that poetry to me is sacred,
I do not approve if it aspires low.
ولا أَرْتَضِيهِ عانِياً مُتَزَلِّفاً..
ولا حاقِداً يَفْرِي حَناياهُ مِنْجَلُ!
Nor do I approve it humiliated and groveling,
Or malicious unleashing its sickles.
سَمَوْتُ به للنَّجْمْ أَغْشى مشارِفاً
تُطِلُّ على كَوْنٍ به الحَقُّ فَيْصَلُ!
I carried it aloft to the stars, overcoming horizons
That look out on a universe in which truth prevails!
تُطِلُّ به غُرُّ المَشاعِرِ والنُّهى
عليك بِسَلْسالٍ زُلالٍ فَتَنْهَلُ!
They look out with it on surging emotions and desires
Quench your thirst through a gentle chain from which you drink!
وتَرْوِي غَليلاً كَانَ لِلْمَجْدِ ظامِئاً..
فَلاقاهُ لا يُكْدِي. ولا يَتَبَذَّلُ!
And revive an ardor that was thirsty for glory...
It found no relief or servility in it!
فَقُلْتُ هُنا طابَ المُقامُ لِوامِقٍ
إلى كلِّ ما يُسْدي. ولا يَتَعَلَّلُ!
So I said, here is the abode for lofty aims,
For all that soothes and does not rationalize!
ولاقَيْتُ فيه مَعْشَراً مُتَرَفِّعاً
فما فِيهِ أَوْحالٌ. ولا فيه جَنْدَلُ
No muck or filth among them.
But fine silk... and lustrous pearls...
بَلى فيه إِبْرِيزٌ نَقِيٌّ.. ولُؤْلُؤٌ
سنِيٌّ. ورَوْضٌ عَبْقَرِيٌّ.. وجَدْوَلُ!
And a fragrant meadow...and a stream!
They wrapped my soul in warmth and it responded,
وحَفُّوا بِرُوحِي فاسْتَجابَتْ فإِنَّهُمْ
كِبارٌ بِما يَبْدو وما يَتَغَلْغَلُ..!
For they are great in what appears and what stirs beneath!
These are, in their generosity, Hatim and Antarah,
بَهالِيلُ. هذا حاتِمٌ في سَخائِهِ
وعَنْتَرَةٌ هذا. وهذا السَّمَوْأَلُ!
And this is Simawal!
And they said, "You have entered a welcoming land,
وقالوا. لقد آنَسْتَ رَبْعاً مُرَحِّباً
بمن جاءه واسْتَكْرَمُونِي.. وأَجْزَلوا!
We have honored and been generous to those who came."
So my soul found peace with them...and my companions found peace,
فطِبْتُ بِهم نَفْساً.. وطِبْتُ بِهِمْ نَدىً
فقد ضَمَّني صَحْبٌ كِرامٌ.. ومَنْزِلُ!
For a generous company...and home embraced me!
I made my inspiration shine brightly with them...
وأَلْفَيْتُ إِلهامِي بِهِمْ مُتَأَلِّقاً..
تَعَزُّ بِهِ مِنْهُمْ جَنُوبٌ وشَمْأَلُ!
My sides and left hand drew pride from them!
So if I were to soar I would not lie,
فَلَوْ أَنَّني أَطْرَيْتُ لم أَكُ كاذِباً
ولا مادِحاً مَنْ غابَ عنه التَّفَضُّلُ!
Or flatter one who lacks nobility!
Nor grovel in hypocrisy and overindulge
ولم أَتَمَرَّغْ في الرِّياءِ وأَغْتَدِي
بما قُلْتُ.. بِئْسَ المادِحُ المُتَوسِّلُ!
In what I have said...how vile the flattering supplicant!
Oh how wretched are those who make verse seductively sweet
ألا ساءَ مَنْ يُزْجِي القَوافِيَ حُلْوَةً
إلى قَزَمٍ جَدْواهُ شَوْك وحَنْظَلُ!
To a pygmy whose armor is thorns and brambles!
Contemptible. It brings no shame or begging!
هنا الشِّعْرُ مَجْدٌ.. لا رِياءَ ولا هَوىً
مَقِيتٌ. فما يَخْزى. ولا يَتَسَوَّلُ!
With it a group ascended to the stars and rejoiced,
While another plunged into darkness howling with it!
سما مِنْهُ رَهْطٌ لِلنُّجومِ فَهلَّلُوا
وأَهْوى بِه للدَّرْكِ رهْطٌ فَأَعْوَلُوا!
You are blessed to find glory and honor from it,
While the invalid and misguided found shame and disgrace!
تَبارَكْتَ لاقي مِنْكَ مَجْداً وعِزَّةً
مُحِقٌ. ولاقى الخِزْيَ والهُونَ مُبْطِلُ!
I prostrated in gratitude to its dew and loftiness,
For I was not of those who opposed and were shaken!
سَجَدْتُ امْتِناناً لِلنَّدى مِنْكَ والعُلا
فما كُنْتُ مِمَّنْ خالَفُوكَ فَزُلْزِلُوا!
Nor was I of those who blasphemed...and stumbled,
And none were deluded but the blind misguided!
وما كُنْتُ مِمَّنْ جَدَّفُوا.. فَتَعَثَّروا
وما مِنْهموا إلاَّ العَمِيُّ المُضَلَّلُ!
And they were misled by cheap façades, so they went astray
Through barren wilds with no shelters!
وأَغْراهُموا الزَّيْفُ الرَّخِيصُ فَأَوْغَلوا
بِهِ من قِفارٍ لَيْس فيهِنَّ مَوْئِلُ!
For abundance is but machinery, containing no drink,
And glory but drought, containing no food!
فما الوَفْرُ إلاَّ الآلُ ما فِيهِ مَشْرَبٌ
ولا المَجْدُ إلاَّ الجَدْبُ ما فِيهِ مأْكَلُ!
Both ruin their master if he is not,
Submissive to his Lord, at peace and resigned!
كلا اثْنَيْهما يُرْدِي إذا كانَ سَيِّداً
على رَبِّهِ.. والسَّالِمُ المُتَبَتِّلُ!
But glory I seek...and wealth...
From You they are my glory and abundance, Most Sublime!
ولكنَّ مَجْداً أَبْتَغِيهِ.. وثَرْوَةً..
لَدَيْكَ هُما مَجْدِي وَوَفْرِي المُجَلِّلُ!
My soul disdains hastening to them...
And my contentment comes from what is deferred...ordained!
ستَعْتَزَّ نَفْسي بالمُعَجَّلِ مِنْهُما..
ويُرْضي رُفاتي من المَعادِ.. المُؤَجَّلُ!
You are glorified, my Lord... For I look to them both...
You are the Most Generous, Most Hopeful!
تَمَجَّدتَ رَبَّي.. إنَّي مُتَطَلِّعٌ..
إلى اثْنَيْهما.. أَنْتَ الكَرِيمُ المُؤَمَّلُ!
