عَتَبَتْ سُعادُ ولم أكُنْ بالمُذنبِ
وعَرَفتُ عادَتها فلم أتَعتَّبِ
Su'ad reproached me, though I was not to blame,
And I knew her habit, so I did not protest.
شِيَمُ الغواني إن تَدِلَّ إذا رأت
صبَّاً يَذِلُّ لها بقلبٍ طيِّبِ
It is the nature of beauties, if they see
A young man humbled for them, with a pure heart.
أمَرَتْ لواحظُها الفَتَى فأطاعها
وَدَعَت فلبىَّ الشيخُ غيرَ مكذِبِّ
Her glances ordered the youth, so he obeyed,
She called, and the old man answered, unhesitating.
فَتَّانةُ العينينِ يَسكَرُ طَرْفُها
وأنا أُحَدُّ وها أنا لم أشرَبِ
The coquette's eyes intoxicate, her glance makes drunk,
And I envy, yet here I am, not having drunk.
سالَتْ ذوائِبُها ولاحَ جبينُها
فرأيتُ بدراً حلَّ بُرجَ العَقرَبِ
Her tresses flowed, and her brow gleamed,
So I saw a full moon rising in Capricorn's tower.
وتكلَّمتْ وتبسَّمَتْ لمَّا رأتْ
دمعي فتلكَ لآلئٌ لم تُثقَبِ
She spoke and smiled when she saw
My tears - so those are pearls that have not been pierced.
قد كُنتُ أطمَعُ في المَوَدَّةِ عِندَها
فإذا مَودَّتُها كبرْقٍ خُلَّبِ
I hoped for affection from her,
But her affection was like flickering lightning.
ومَوَدَّةُ الحَسناءِ ضَيفٌ راحلٌ
مِيعادُهُ لثلاثةٍ أو أقرَبِ
A beauty's affection is a guest soon departing,
Its tryst no more than two or three days.
ذُقتُ الصَّبابةَ في الشَبيبةِ أمرَداً
واليومَ شِبتُ فهل تليقُ بأشَيبِ
I tasted the thrill of youth vigorously in my prime,
But today I have grown old - does it suit a grey hair?
كلٌّ يعافُ العيبَ فيه فلو دَرَى
عيباً بهِ لم تَلقَ غيرَ مُهذَّبِ
Each overlooks the faults in himself, so if he saw
A fault in himself, he would not meet an undisciplined one.
ولقد عَرَكتُ الدَّهرَ أطلُبُ حِكمةً
فأفادَني والدَّهرُ خيرُ مؤدِّبِ
And I have struggled with fate, seeking wisdom,
And fate has benefited me, the best mentor.
تُعطي التجاربُ حِكمةً لمجرِّبٍ
حَتَى تُرِّبي فوقَ تربيةِ الأبِ
Experiences give wisdom to one who tries,
Until they educate beyond a father's upbringing.
ولقد تأمَّلتُ الزَمانَ وحُكمَهُ
فبُلِيتُ منهُ بعُجمةٍ لم تُعرَبِ
And I contemplated fate and its judgments,
But I was afflicted by obscurities never explained.
عارٌ عليَّ وشيخُنا المفتِي لهُ
رأيٌ يخلِّصُ بينَ بَكْرَ وتَغلبِ
Shame on me, when our Mufti, whose
Opinion distinguishes between Bakr and Taghlib.
هوَ كوكبٌ في الشرقِ يسطَعُ نُورُهُ
ويلوحُ فضلُ شُعاعِهِ في المَغربِ
He is a star in the east whose light shines,
And the excellence of his rays gleams in the west.
يجلو الخُطوبَ وينجلي لكَ وَجهُهُ
فتَراهُ في الحالينِ أفضلَ كوكبِ
He dispels troubles and makes your face shine for you,
So you see him in both cases as the best star.
حَسَنُ الإصابةِ عِندَ كل مُلمَّةٍ
بادي البشاشةِ عندَ سُخطِ المغُضَبِ
Skillful in resolving any dilemma,
His cheerfulness apparent despite the anger of the wrathful.
مُتواضعٌ لجليسهِ من لُطفهِ
حتى كأنَّ جليسَهُ ذو المَنصبِ
Humble towards his companion out of his kindness,
As if his companion were a man of high station.
رَيَّانُ من كأسِ الحقيقةِ لم يَدَعْ
إلا ثُمالَتَها التي لم تُطلَبِ
Quenching thirst from the cup of truth, he left
Nothing but the dregs which were not sought.
لم يَعشَقِ الدُنيا فلم يَجْزَعْ إذا
ولَّت وإنْ هيَ أقبَلَتْ لم يَطرَبِ
He did not love worldly things, so he was not distraught when
It turned away, and if it approached, he was not disturbed.
هانَ الزمانُ عليهِ لا مُتعَجِبٌ
مما يَرَى فيهِ وليسَ بمُعجَبِ
Time is nothing to him - he does not marvel
At what he sees in it, nor is he amazed.
وَسِعَ العلومَ بجانبٍ من صَدرِهِ
رَحْبٍ وللعَمَلِ استَعَدَّ بأرحَبِ
He encompassed the sciences with an ample
Spacious, prepared heart, and broader work.
أحصى من الكُتُبِ الذي كَتَبوا لنا
فيها وزادَ عليهِ ما لم يُكَتبِ
He enumerated what the books have written for us
In them, and added to them what was not written.
يجني فوائدَهُ الحكيمُ كغيرهِ
وتُفيدُ فَتْواهُ شُيوخَ المَذهبِ
The wise man reaps its benefits like others,
And his judgments benefit the jurists of the school.
يا مَن إذا اتَّسعَ القريضُ بذَكرِهِ
ضَغَطَ الأعاريضَ اقتحامُ الأضربِ
O you, when the ode expands with your mention,
Impromptu compositions burst in, breaking through poems.
تزهو قوافينا لَدَيكَ سليمةً
ويُعابُ بالتقصيرِ قولُ المُطنِبِ
Our rhymes flourish, faultless, in your presence,
And my insufficient words are chastised.
غَمَضَتْ صِفاتُكَ يا مُحمَّدُ دِقةً
فتحجَّبَتْ وبَرَزْتَ غيرَ محجَّبِ
The delicacy of your virtues, O Muhammad, is veiled,
So it is hidden, while you appear unveiled.
إن كُنتَ تَبغِي من يَقومُ بحقِها
فاطلُبِ سِوايَ وقُل عذَرتُكَ فاذهَبِ
If you seek one who will uphold her right,
Then seek me, and excuse yourself, so be gone.
