أَجَلْ. أنا لَيْلايَ من عاشَرَ البَلوى
سِنيناً. ولم يُبْدِ الدُّموعَ ولا الشَّكْوى!
Yes, I am the one who spent ten years in affliction
Yet did not shed a tear or utter a complaint
أَجَلْ أنا هذا المُسْتَوي بِضَمِيِرِهِ...
بِذَرْوةِ صَبْرٍ لا يَضِيقُ بها المَثْوى!
Yes, I am the one with the steadfast conscience
With patience that this abode cannot constrain
أَجَلْ أنا هذا فاذْكري ذلكَ الذي
رآك فلم يَمِلِكْ هُداهُ ولا التَّقْوى!
Yes, I am the one, so remember the one who saw you
And could not restrain himself or piety
وكْنْتِ له نَبْضَ الحياة ورَاحَها
ورَيْحانِها . والمَجْدُ والشِّعْرُ والنَّجْوى!
You were the pulse of his life and its comfort
And its basil, his glory, poetry and whispering confidences
وكانت زِياراتُ. وكانتْ مَواثِقٌ
تَعَهَّدْتِ فيها أَنَّكِ السَّعْدُ والرَّضوى!
There were visits, pledges you made
In which you vouched that you were his happiness and acceptance
وضَحَّيْتِ من أَجْلى بِشَتَّى أًَواصرٍ
وآثَرْتِ عَنْها كلَّها ذلكَ المأْوى!
And for my sake you forfeited all bonds
Preferring over them all only that shelter
نعِمْنا به حِيناً من الدَّهْر حالياً
نَعِيشُ به كالطَّيْرِ يَسْتَعْذِبُ الجَوَّا!
For a while we reveled in the days of life
Living like birds savoring the air
يداعِبُنا شَجْوٌ فَيَطوٍي جَوانِحاً
عليه. ونَأْبى أَنْ تُخامِرَه السَّلوى!
Melancholy toys with us, then folds its wings over us
And we refuse to let it disturb our joy
وما كانَ أَحْلاهُ هَوًى وطَراوَةً
فَكُنَّا به النَّشْوانَ يَثْمَلُ والنَّشوى!
And however sweet his passion and freshness may be
In it we delighted, bountifully intoxicated
تقَمَّصَ رُوحَيْنا فكُنَّا كَتوْأَمٍ
يَراه الورى فَرْداً .. فما أكْرَمَ الشّجوا!
It wore both our souls so we were like twins
Seen by people as one .. How noble is sadness!
فكيف هَوى النَّجْمُ الوَضيءُ إلى الثَّرى؟!
وكيف غَدا العِملاقُ يا حُلْوتي شِلْوا؟!
So how did the shining star fall to the ground?
And how did the giant become, my sweetness, withered?
قدِرْتِ على هذا المُحال فَرُعْتِني
بِهَوْلِ فِراقٍ كان أَنْكى من البّلْوى!
You had the power for this impossible thing, and terrified me
With the horror of a separation more painful than affliction
فجِعْتُ به كالرُّزْءِ يَحْطِمُ.. كالرَّدى
يُمِيتُ. فلم أَمْلِكْ سُلُوّاً. ولم أَقْوى!
I grieved it like one crushed .. or killed by debris
I could not master composure or strength
فللَّه أَمْسٌ كانَ حُبّاً مُدَلَّلاً
يُناغِي . فَيُغْرِيني بأنْ آكُلَ الحَلْوى!
By God, yesterday there was a pampered love
That cajoled me, tempting me to eat something sweet
ولله يَوْمٌ دامسٌ مُفْزعٌ الحَشا
رُؤاهُ .. غدا اللَّيْثٌ الهَصُورُ به نِضْوا!
By God, there is a terrible day, dreadful to behold
The affectionate lion has become in it, alas, hostile
وكانَ له الصِّنْوَ الحَبِيبَ فخانَهُ
وعَذَّبَهُ.. ما كانَ أَشْأَمَهُ صِنْوا!
It had a loving companion but betrayed him
And tortured him - no companion was more inauspicious
وأوْرَدَهُ المِلْحً الأُجاج تَجَنِّياً
وقد كانَ يَسْقِيه النَّمِيرَ الذي أَرْوى!
And made him drink bitter, burning water
When it once gave him the purest drink
تمَنَّيْتُ أَنَّ الحُبَّ لم يَكُ جَذْوةً
بِصَدْري. فقد أَوْدى بِصَبْري . وقد أَلْوى !
I wish love had not been an ember
In my heart, for it has destroyed my patience and twisted me
وأنِّي رأّيتُ النَّخْلَ تُغْرِي ثِمارُهُ
بِقَطْفٍ . فَلَمْ أَقْطِفْ به أبَداً قِنوا!
I wish I had not seen the date palm tempt
With its fruit, for I never plucked from it a cluster
لقد كادَني حتى كَرِهتُ رِحابَهُ
ولُمْتُ بِما قد ذُقْتُهُ كُلَّ مَن يَهْوى !
It nearly made me hate even its sanctuary
And I blamed myself for what I tasted, like all who passionately love
فَمَن كان مَزْهُوّاً بِحُبِّ فَقُلْ له
تَمَهَّلْ. فما أحْراكَ أَنْ تَتَركَ الزَّهْوا!
So whoever prides himself on love, tell him
Go slowly - what makes you leave self glory?
فقد سَوْفَ تَلْقى في غِدٍ منه شِقْوَةً
فَتَعْرِفَهُ جِدّاً . وتَعْرِفَهُ لَغْوا!
For soon you will find in it one day misery
And truly know it, and know its nonsense
لقد كنت أمشي في مغانيه ناعماً
إلى أن غَدا مَشْيي البَطِيءُ بع عَدْوا!
I used to walk slowly in its pleasures
Until my walking became hurried flight
نَجَوْتُ بِجِلْدي مِن مآسِيهِ زاهداً
بِنُعْمى غَدورٍ لا أرى بَعْدها الصَّفْوا!
I escaped its woes with my skin
No longer seeing after it any purity
ولم أَجِدِ الحُسْنى به غَيْرَ فَتْرةٍ
تَولَّتْ. فما أوْهى جَداهُ. وما أغْوى!
And I found no goodness in it but a period
That passed - how weak its principles and how deviant!
فلا تَلْتَمِسْ جَدْواهُ إنَّي اخْتَبَرتُهُ
طَويلاً. فلم أَلْقَ السَّلامَ ولا الجَدوى!
So do not seek its principles, I have tested it
For long without finding peace or usefulness from it
ففي القَلَمِ الشَّادي . وفي الكُتْبِ مُتْعَةٌ
تمُنَّ ولا تُشْقِي لمن يَطْلُبُ اللَّذْوى!
But in the pen there is pleasure and in books
There is joy without misery for those who seek pleasure
رَضِيتُ بها عن عالَمِ الحُسْنِ والهوى
فألْهَمْنَني فَوْزي . واكْسَبْنَنِي الدَّعْوى!
I was satisfied with it instead of the world of beauty and passion
And it inspired my success and granted my claim
وأغْنَيْنَني عن حُبِّ هِنْدٍ وزَيْنَبٍ
وعن حُبِّ لَيْلى المُسْتَطيلَةِ أوْ فَدْوى!
It spared me love of Hind and Zainab
And love of the tall Layla or little Fadwa
فما عُدْوتُ أَحْبُو كَي أَفُوزَ بِصَبْوَتي
لدى الغِيدِ. إنَّ الحُرَّ يَسْتَنْكِفُ الحَبْوا!
I have not courted so I win the loyalty
Of the arrogant - the noble disdain simpering
أسالِكَةً قَصْدَ السَّبِيل بِناشِدٍ
هُداهُ.. لقد عَلَّمْتِني اللَّحْنَ والشَّدْوا!
So by your tune and chant
You taught me the melody and power of song
وعَلَّمْتني أَنْ أَتْرُكَ الهَجْرَ كُلَّما..
دُعِيتُ إلى قَوْلٍ. وأَنْ أتْركَ اللَّغوا!
And you taught me to leave estrangement whenever
I am called to speak and leave nonsense
فَلِلْمَجْدِ دُنْياه وقُصْواهُ. والمُنَى
أَقَلَّ بِدُنْياهُ.. وأَكْثَرُ بالقُصْوى!
Glory has its worldly life and triumphs, and death
Has less of the worldly existence but more of the final rewards
وما أَجْدَبَ الفَتْوى على كُلِّ قاِعِدٍ
وأمَّا على السَّارِي. فما أَخْصَبَ الفَتْوى!
And yearning is not infertile to the persevering
Rather, to the active it is most fertile
تبارَكَ من سَوَّى. تَبارَكَ من رَعى
فَأَغْنى الذي ما كانَ يَمْتِلِكُ الشَّرْوى!
Blessed is the One who leveled, blessed is the One who nurtured
And enriched those who did not possess any assets
لقد كانَ بَحْري هائِجاً فَركِبْتُهُ
بِعَزْمٍ. فأمْسى البَحرُ مِن بَعْدِهِ رَهْوا!
My sea was raging so I sailed it
With resolve - and after it the sea became gentle
فما عُدْتُ أَطغى إنْ قَدِرْتُ وسَّولتْ
لِيَ النَّفْسُ طُغْياناً. فما أشَأَمَ الطَّغْوى!
So I no longer tyrannize if I have the power
And self urges me to oppression - how inauspicious is tyranny!
فقد يُوُبِقُ السَّطْوُ الظَّلومُ على امْرِىء
ضَعِيفٍ فَيُرْدِيهِ إن اسْتَمْرأَ السَّطْوا!
For unjust power may destroy a weak man
If he takes liberties with power
بَرِئْتُ فما أُعْدِي امْرَءاً مُتَخوَّفاً
ولا أنا ذو قَلْبٍ خَؤُوفٍ من العَدْوى!
I am innocent - I do not oppress a frightened man
Nor am I one with a fearful heart of contagion
فَما كانَ من فَضْلٍ فَلِلَّه وحْدَه
تَمَجَّدَ واسْتَعْلى .. والتمس العفوا!
And whatever grace there was, is for God alone
He is glorified and most high - and seek forgiveness!
