أَما تَرى الأَنواءَ وَالسَحائِبا
قَد أَصبَحَت دُموعُها سَواكِبا
Don't you see the clouds and mist
Whose tears have become stars
فَاِكتَسَتِ الأَرضُ بِها جَلابِبا
فَأَظهَرَت أَزهارَها عَجائِبا
The earth has worn robes
Revealing wonders of flowers
غَرائِباً أَضحَت لَنا رَغائِبا
هَذي الرَوابي بِالكَلا قَد تُوِّجَت
Becoming strange marvels for us
These hills are crowned with barrenness
وَنَسمَةُ الخَريفِ قَد تَأَرَّجَت
وَقَد صَفَت مِياهُهُ وَرَجَّجَت
And the autumn breeze has become fragrant
Its waters have calmed and flowed
وَالأَرضُ بِالأَزهارِ قَد تَدَبَّجَت
وَأَصبَحَ الطَلُّ عَليها ساكِبا
And the earth is adorned with flowers
Dew pouring upon it
فَقُم فَقَد تَمَّ لَنا طيبُ الهَنا
وَالدَهرُ قَد مَنَّ عَلينا بِالمُنى
So arise, for our joy is complete
And time has favored us with wishes
وَالعَيشُ قَد رَقَّت حَواشيهِ لَنا
وَمُسعِدي شَرخُ الشَبابِ وَالغِنى
Life's edges have softened for us
And my bliss is the prime of youth and riches
هُما اللَذانِ غَمَرا لي جانِبا
يا سَعدُ باكِر فَاللَبيبُ مَن بَكَر
The two that have flooded my side
O happiness, wake early, for the rational rises early
وَاِبرِز بِنا لَيسَ العِيانُ كَالخَبَر
فَاِغتَنِم الصَفوَ بِنا قَبلَ الكَدَر
And set out with us, for seeing is not like hearing
So seize the sword with us before bitterness comes
فَالدَهرُ مِن زَلّاتِهِ قَد اِعتَذَر
وَجاءَنا مِنَ الذُنوبِ تائِبا
For time has apologized for its stumbling
And come to us repentant of sins
لا تَسكُبِ الدَمعَ عَلى عَيشٍ مَضى
وَلا تَقُل كانَ زَمانٌ وَاِنقَضى
Do not shed tears over a life passed
Nor say there was a time, now gone
وَاِغتَنِمِ الغَفلَةَ مِن صَرفِ القَضا
فَالمَوتُ كَالسَيفِ مَتى ما يُنتَضى
Make use of the unmindfulness of destiny's turning
For death, whenever it is drawn,
تُضحي لَهُ أَعمارُنا ضَرائِبا
فَدَع حَديثَ الزَمَنِ القَديمِ
Makes our lives its tithes
Leave talk of the old days
وَالذِكرَ لِلأَطلالِ وَالرُسومِ
فَإِن تَكُن عَوني عَلى الهُمومِ
And remembering ruins and artifacts
For if you aid me against worries
حَدِّث عَنِ القَديمِ وَالنَديمِ
وَاِذكُر لَدَيَّ رامِياً أَو سارِيا
Speak of the old and the companion
And recall for me a lover or friend
ما دامَتِ الأَيّامُ في نَصاحَتي
وَالعِزُّ مُلقٍ رَحلَهُ بِساحَتي
As long as the days are advising me
And glory has pitched its tent in my domain
لَأَبذُلَنَّ ما حَوَتهُ راحَتَي
أُتلِفَ ما في راحَتي في راحَتي
I will give whatever my ease contains
I harmonize what is in my ease, in my ease
وَأَقصِدُ اللَذّاتِ وَالمَلاعِبا
فَقُم بِنا مُبتَكِراً يا صاحِبي
And seek pleasures and play
So arise with me early, my friend
نَقضي بِأَيّامِ الصِبى مَآرِبي
وَلا تَكُن تَفكُرُ في العَواقِبِ
To spend the days of youth on pleasures
And do not think of consequences
وَخَلِّ خِلّاني وَدَع أَقارِبي
وَاِقصِد بِنا الأَحلافَ وَالقَرائِبا
Leave my associates and kin
And intend with me ties and relations
وَاِعتَبِرِ الجَنَّةَ في الطَريقِ
وَاِنتَخِبِ الرَفيقَ لِلمَضيقِ
And consider Paradise on the path
And choose a companion for hardship
وَلا تُصاحِب غَيرَ ذي التَحقيقِ
فَالتَمُّ لايَطيرُ بَينَ الشيقِ
Do not accompany anyone but the true
For the incomplete cannot fly high
وَالكَيُّ لا يَرضى الوَريدَ صاحِبا
أَما تَرى الطَيرَ الجَليلَ قَد أَتى
And the unhealthy will not accept a companion
Don't you see the honored birds have come
مُستَبشِراً يَمرَحُ في فَصلِ الشِتا
فَقُم بِنا إِنَّ الصِبى عَونُ الفَتى
Rejoicing, frolicking in winter
So rise with us, for youth aids the young man
وَلا تَقُل كَيفَ وَأَنّى وَمَتى
إِنَّ الأَماني لَم تَزَل كَواذِبا
And do not say how and when and where
For hopes have never ceased to lie
بِمُدمَجاتٍ زانَها إِدماجُها
مُعَوَّجاتٍ حُسنُها اِعوِجاجُها
With decorated scabbards made beautiful by their embellishing
Bent swords made handsome by their bending
أَهِلَّةٍ أَكُفُّها أَبراجُها
حَوامِلٍ إِذا دَنا نِتاجُها
Sheaths emptied, though their stars remain
Pregnant, when their offspring draw near
تَقذِفُ مِن أَكبادِها كَواكِبا
ما خَيَبَت يَوماً لَنا مَساعِيا
They cast stars from their livers
Their efforts have never disappointed a day
لَكادَ حُسناً أَن تُجيبَ الداعِيا
تُغني بِها الجَليلَ وَالمَراعِيا
Were almost beautiful enough to answer the caller
Singing to the honored and pastures
إِن كَم دَنَت ظَنَنتَها أَفاعِيا
أَو أَوتَرَت حَسبَتَها عَقارِبا
Though when they approached I thought them snakes
Or strung them up believing them scorpions
وَمُدمَجٍ كَالنونِ في تَعريقِهِ
أَشهى إِلى العاشِقِ مِن مَعشوقِهِ
And a decorated sword like a noon in its sheath
More desirable to the lover than his beloved
كَالصارِمِ المَصقولِ في بَريقِهِ
لَو أَنَّهُ يُسكِنُ مِن خُفوقِهِ
Like a polished sword in its flash
If only it would dampen its beating
أَضحى عَلى عَينِ الزَمانِ حاجِباً
مُستَأنِفٍ قَد تَمَّ في أَقسامِهِ
It would veil the eye of time like an eyebrow
A resumption completed in its sections
لَكِنَّ نَقصَ الطَيرِ في تَمامِهِ
قَد نَبَتَ العودُ عَلى لِحامِهِ
But the bird's defect is in its perfection
The bough has sprouted on its cheekbone
مَن خَطِفَ الخَطفَةَ في مَقامِهِ
أَتبَعَهُ مِنهُ شِهاباً ثاقِبا
Whoever snatched at opportunity in its place
A piercing star followed him from it
مُرَدَّدٍ يُرضيكَ في تَرديدِهِ
شُهرَتُهُ تُغنيكَ عَن تَحديدِهِ
Echoing, pleasing you in its echo
Its reputation suffices you from specifying it
لا فَرقَ بَينَ شاخِهِ وُعودِهِ
يُحَقِّقُ البُندُقَ في صُعودِهِ
No difference between its branch and rod
It ascertains the hazelnut in its ascent
وَيَضمَنُ المَصروعَ وَالصَوائِبا
أَصلَحَهُ صالِحٌ عِندَ جَسِّهِ
And ensures the fallen and the rising
A righteous one repaired it when it was forged
وَزانَهُ وَاِختارَهُ لِنَفسِهِ
مَنظَرُهُ يُغني الفَتى عَن لَمسِهِ
And balanced it and chose it for himself
Its view suffices the youth from touching it
فَهوَ لَهُ بَعدَ حُلولِ رَمسِهِ
يُهدي الثَنا وَيُظهِرُ المَناقِبا
So after the arrival of its imprint
It gives praise and shows virtues
وَبُندُقٍ مُعتَدِلِ المِقدارِ
كَأَنَّما قُسِّمَ بِالعِيارِ
A well-proportioned hazelnut
As if it had been divided precisely
قَد حَمَلَ الحِقدَ عَلى الأَطيارِ
فَهوَ إِذا اِنقَضَّ مِنَ الأَوتارِ
Bearing hatred for the birds
So when it is loosed from the bowstrings
يَرى فَناءَ الطَيرِ فَرضاً واجِبا
يُريكَ في وَقتِ الصَباحِ لَهَبا
It sees the extinction of birds as obligatory
It shows you a flame in the morning
كَأَنَّهُ بَرقٌ أَضاءَ وَخَبا
يَقطَعُ مَتنَ الريحِ مِن غيرِ شَبا
As if it were lightning that illuminated and went out
Cutting through the wind without branches
يَقظانَ لا يَصبو إِلى خَفقِ الصَبا
وَلا يَلينُ لِلجَنوبِ جانِبا
Awake, neither inclining to the winds of youth
Nor softening a side for the southern winds
وَخَيشَةٍ لُطِّفتُ في مِقدارِها
تَغنى بِها الأَطيارُ عَن أَوكارِها
Arrows refined in their measure
Singing to the birds without their dens
لا يَبرَحُ الريشُ عَلى نُوّارِها
وَالدَمُ مَسفوكاً عَلى أَقطارِها
Their feathers do not stop their shining
And blood poured on their compass points
إِذ كانَ في اللَونِ لَها مُناسِباً
كَأَنَّها مِن كَثرَةِ الصُروعِ
As their color was appropriate
As if from frequent deaths
قَد خَضِبَت بِخالِصِ النَجيعِ
لَم تَخلُ في البُروزِ وَالرُجوعِ
They were dyed with pure blood
Never missing in appearing and disappearing
مِن صارِعٍ يُحمَلُ أَو مَصروعِ
تَحمِلُ آتٍ أَو تُقِلُّ ذاهِبا
Bearing a fallen one or one made to fall
Carrying a coming or leaving rider
وَحُلَّةٍ جِفتِيَّةٍ كَالعَندَمِ
لَطيفَةِ التَجليسِ وَالتَهَندُمِ
Raiment coarse as iron
Delicate in sitting and leaning
مُؤَخَرُها في الحُسنِ مِثلُ المُقدَمِ
يَظُنُّها الطَيرُ لَهُ نَطعَ الدَمِ
Its latter beauty like its former
The birds think it their blood's nectar
وَلَم يَكُن فيما يَظُنُّ كاذِبا
فَلَو شَهِدتَ طَيرَنا فيمَن رَمى
And it was no liar in what they thought
Had you witnessed our birds in their shooting
وَجَيشَهُ مِن جَمعِنا قَد هُزِما
وَبُندَقَ الصُحبِ إِلَيهِ قَد سَما
And their army from our group made to flee
And the rifles of the companions rising to them
عَجِبتُ مِن راقٍ إِلى جَوِّ السَما
أَرسَلَتِ الأَرضُ عَليهِ حاصِبا
I would wonder at a spy soaring to the sky's expanse
The earth sent a barrage over him
مِن كُلِّ شَهمٍ كَالهِزَبرِ الباسِلِ
وَكُلِّ قيلٍ قائِلٍ وَفاعِلِ
Of every valiant hero like a warrior
And every saying speaker and doer
ذَخرِ الزَميلِ عِدَّةُ المُقاوِلِ
وَبَينَهُم حِملٌ بِلا تَحامُلِ
The friend's provisions, the extractor's supplies
And between them, a carrying without burden
مِن بَعدِ ما اِصطَفّوا لَهُ مَراتِبا
حَولَ قَديمٍ كَالحُسامِ الماضي
In order, after they lined up ranks for it
Around an old sword like one drawn
خالٍ مِنَ الأَغراضِ وَالأَعراضِ
يَطُبُّ داءَ الكَلِمِ المِراضِ
Empty of purposes and rejections
Curing the disease of imperfect words
يَرضى بِأَنَّ الجَمعَ عَنها راضِ
لا يَرقُبُ الأَسباقَ وَالمَواهِبا
Content that the group is pleased with them
Not watching for precedents and gifts
في مَوقِفٍ بِهِ الصُروعُ تُنثَلُ
تُلقى المَراعي وَالجَليلُ تَحمِلُ
In a stand where deaths are scattered
Pastures and the honored are borne
مَعدودَةٌ أَصنافُهُ لا تُجهَلُ
إِذ هِيَ في سَبعٍ وَسَبعٍ تَكمُلُ
Its types counted, not unknown
As they number seven and seven and complete
يَعرِفُها مَن كانَ فيها راغِبا
وَصاحِبٍ أُعُدُّهُ لي مالِكا
Known to those desiring them
And a friend I consider mine
كَلَّفَني في النَظمِ عَدَّ ذَلِكا
وَقالَ لَخِّص ذاكَ في نِظامِكا
Burdened me in composition, counting that
And said summarize that in your rhythm
قُلتُ عُلُوُّ صُنعِكَ اِحتِشامُكا
إِن كُنتَ لي حَلَّ الرُموزِ دائِبا
I said the loftiness of your making is your reverence
If you have been deciphering symbols for me without cease
لَم أَنسَ في ثَوبٍ شَليلٍ بَرزَتي
بَينَ ثِقافٍ مِن رُماةِ الحِلَّةِ
I have not forgotten among a loose garment I was distinguished
Between thickets from the shooters of the battalion
وَقَد أَتاني مُحرِقاً عَن جَفَّتي
مُزدَوِجٌ مِنَ العَنانينِ الَّتي
And he brought me burning beyond my coolness
Twice over from the double reins that
بَينَ الرُماةِ أَصبَحَت غَرائِبا
ثَبَّتُّ لِلزَوجِ وَقَد أَتاني
Among the shooters have become marvels
I steadied myself for the pair and he brought me
مُصَعصَعاً يَمرَحُ في أَمانِ
عاجَلتُهُ مِن قَبلِ أَن يَراني
Prancing, frolicking in safety
I confronted him before he could see me
صَرَعتُ حَدّاهُ وَصِبتُ الثاني
دَلّى البَراثِمَ وَوَلّى هارِبا
I felled his limit and poured the second
He slipped the straps and fled away
فَخَرَّ كَالنَجمِ إِذا النَجمُ هَوى
ما ضَلَّ عَن صاحِبِهِ وَما غَوى
He fell like a star when a star descends
Neither straying from his companion nor lost
وافاهُ وَهوَ ناطِقٌ عَنِ الهَوى
قَد هُدَّ مِنهُ الخَيلُ مِن بَعدِ القُوى
He met him while declaring passion
The horses stumbled beyond strength
وَأَصبَحَ الثاني عَليهِ نادِبا
فَيا لَها مِن فُرصَةٍ لَو تَمَّتِ
And the second mourned over him
Oh what a missed opportunity had it been completed
كُنتُ وَهَبتُ لِلقَديمِ مُهجَتي
وَلَم يَكُن ذو قَدمَةٍ كَقَدمَتي
I would have gifted my effort to the old
And he would not have had a step like my step
بَل فاتَني الثاني وَكانَت هِمَّتي
تَرى خَلاءَ الجَوِّ مِنهُ واجِبا
Rather the second escaped me, though my desire
Was to see the open sky emptied of him
