يُطارحُني هَذا الزَمان بهمّهِ
كَأَنّ عَنائي عِندَهُ مِن أَهمِّهِ
This time treats me carelessly as though
My troubles to it are of its least care.
شَكَوت زَماني مِن أَذى كُلّ ناقص
خَؤون وَهُم لا شَكَّ أَبناء أُمِّهِ
I complained of my time for the harm of every blamer,
Evils and worries are no doubt sons of their mother.
فَماذا عَسى أَنّي أَرى ما يَسُرُّني
مِن الدَهر إِلّا زادَ بي برح غَمِّهِ
What then can I expect to see pleasing me
From fate but increase of its worries and grief?
أَلا لَيتَ شِعري هَل لأمريَ مُنجد
إِذا اِغتالَني دَهري بِبَعض ملمّهِ
Oh, would that I knew! Is there a helper for my matter
When my fate deceives me with some of its tricks?
لَقَد كانَ صَدري الرَحب فاِلتاعه الأَسا
بِأَضيق مِن وَخز الخياط وَسمّهِ
My chest was spacious but the misfortunes straitened it
To narrower than the stitching of the seamstress.
أَتاحَت صُروف الدَهر ساءت فِعاله
إِليَّ لُصوصاً هُم بَواعث هَمِّهِ
The turns of fate did evil so there came to me
Thieves who were causes of its worries.
فَلمّا رَأوني غائِباً أَسرَعوا إِلى
بوييجي البالي الحريِّ برمّهِ
When they saw me absent they hastened to
My being in misery, confused, and perplexed.
أَحاطوا بِهِ ما بَين لصٍّ وَسارقٍ
وَكُلّ رَذيلٍ لا يُبالي بذمِّهِ
They surrounded it, thieves and robbers,
And every villain who cares not for blame.
رَأوه فَكانوا أَحرص الناس رَغبَةً
بتقبيله طوراً وَطوراً بشمِّهِ
They saw it and were greediest of men in yearning
To kiss it again and again in passionate embrace.
وَأَمّا الَّذي أَخفاه حارَ بِوَضعِهِ
فَفي جَيبه حيناً وَحيناً بِكمّهِ
But that which it hid they were perplexed about its place
Now in its pocket, now on its sleeve.
فَسرّح فيهِ شعرهُ فَكأنّهُ
تَمسَّك من مسكِ الظبا بِأَنمّهِ
It let loose its hair on him so that it was as though
It clung to musk of the gazelle with its mouth.
فَيَرفَعهُ طَوراً عَلى هام رَأسه
وَيَخفض شَوقاً صَدره عِندَ ضَمّهِ
It would raise it up to the top of its head
And lower it lovingly to its breast when embracing.
وَيَضحك بابوجي عَلَيهِ بِجَيبِهِ
كَما ضحك الزَهر الأَنيقِ بكمِّهِ
My being laughs at it in its pocket
As the elegant flower laughs in its bud.
وَلَو كانَ ذا أَنف أشمّ لَما اِعتَدى
فَكانَ لريح الذُلّ عَين أشمّهِ
Had it a nose to smell it would not have transgressed.
So the smell of disgrace has the keenest nose!
يُناديهِ مستي قف وَخُذني مُصاحِباً
وَلا تَقف من ذا الأَمر غَير أَتَمّهِ
It calls him my beloved! Stop and take me as companion
And do not stop from this matter before perfecting it!
وَلَيسَ بذي سَمعٍ وَمَستيَ أخرس
وَهَل يسمعُ المخراس أُذن أَصمّهِ
But it has no hearing and my beloved is deaf,
And can the deaf hear the reproach of the critic?
أَتى صائِماً حَتّى إِذا جاعَ شامه
فَأَفطر فيهِ وَهوَ جُرعة سمّهِ
It came fasting until when hungry it broke its fast on it,
And it is a deadly poisonous draft.
وَلَو صامَ عَنهُ للدُجا تمَّ صَومهُ
وَهَل لَيسَ صَوم ثابت لمتمِّهِ
Had it fasted from it, its fasting for the two worlds would be complete,
And is the fasting of the steadfast not perfect?
فَإِن يَك أَحفى أخمصيَّ بِنَقصه
فَإِنّي سَأَحذوا الرَأس مِنهُ بِتمّهِ
If it makes my heel suffer from its deficiency,
Then I will surely cut its head off with determination.
أَيَسطو عَلى بابوج مِثليَ سارق
وَلَم يَخشَ إِغراقاً بِتَيّارِ يَمِّهِ
Does it dare to steal from my being like a thief
And not fear drowning in the currents of its ocean?
إِذا أَغرقته مِنهُ لجّة زاخر
عَلى مدّهِ اِستَلقاه جزر خضمِّهِ
When I drown it with the abundant billows
In its tide, it throws him on the ebb of its flood.
وَمَن لي بِمَن يُرجى لِتِبيان سارق
فيوضحه وَصفاً إِذا لَم يُسَمّهِ
And who can I hope will explain the thief
To elucidate him in description if not naming him?
وَإِن لَم يصرّح بِاِسمِهِ فَليكنّهِ
وَإِن لَم يَكُن يلغز بِهِ فَليعمّهِ
And if he does not name him outright then let him hint at him,
And if he doesn't hint then let him indicate generally!
سَأَفري القَفا مِنهُ بِمَفريّ نَعلِهِ
وَأَنزَعه وَجهاً بِصَفع أغمّهِ
I will uncover its foot with the remover of its slipper
And pull it off by a resounding slap.
