وَغَزالٍ غازَلتُهُ بَعدَ بَينِ

أَلَّفَت بَينَهُ المُدامُ وَبَيني

A gazelle I courted after a long parting;

wine brought him and me together.

صالَحَتني الأَيّامُ بِالقُربِ مِنهُ

بَعدَما كُنتُ مِنهُ صِفرَ اليَدَينِ

The days made peace with me by bringing him near,

after I had come away from him empty-handed.

مِن بَني التُركِ لا أُطيقُ لَهُ تَر

كاً وَلَو حانَ في المَحَبَّةِ حَيني

One of the sons of the Turks—I cannot bear to leave—

him, though my hour in love should come.

بِتُّ أُسقى بِثَغرِهِ وَيَدَيهِ

مِن لَماهُ وَراحِهِ قَهوَتَينِ

All night I was given drink by his mouth and his hands:

two wines—his dark-lipped sweetness and his wine.

مَزَجَ الكَأسَ لي فَمُذ عَبَثَ السُك

رِ بِعَطفي قَوامِهِ المُترَفَينِ

He mixed the cup for me; and when drunkenness toyed

with the two sides of his pampered, swaying form,

قالَ لي مازِحاً وَقَد طَغَتِ الرا

حُ وَجالَ التَضريجُ في الوَجنَتَينِ

he said to me in jest, when the wine had run riot

and crimson coursed across both cheeks:

قَد مَلَلمنا فَهاتِ نَلعَبُ بِالشَط

رَنجِ كَيما أُريحُ قَلبي وَعَيني

“We have grown bored; come, let us play at chess,

so I may give my heart and eyes some ease.”

قُلتُ سَمعاً وَطاعَةً لَكَ مَولا

يَ وَلَكِن لُعبُنا في رُهَينِ

I said, “To hear is to obey, my lord—

but our game must be for a wager.

فَأَجَلُّ الشَطرَنجِ مِنّي وَلي مِن

كَ أَقَلُّ النُقوشِ في الكَعبَتَينِ

The finest chess set shall be my stake, while mine from—

you shall be the slightest ornament upon your two ankles.”

فَاِنثَنى ضاحِكاً وَقالَ لَعَمري

تَنثَني راجِعاً بِخُفّي حُنَينِ

He bent laughing and said, “By my life,

you will turn back wearing Hunayn’s two sandals!”

فَاِرتَضَينا بِذا الرِهانِ وَصَيَّر

تُ إِلَيهِ الخِيارَ في الحِليَتَينِ

We accepted that wager, and I gave—

him his choice between the two sets.

قالَ لي السودُ لِلأَسودِ وَذي البي

ضِ لِمَن يَبتَغي بَياضَ اللُجَينِ

He said, “Black belongs to the black one; the white—

to whoever seeks the whiteness of silver.”

فَصَفَفنا الجَيشَينِ تُركاً وَزَنجاً

وَاِعتَبَرنا تَقابُلَ العَسكَرَينِ

We arrayed the two armies, Turks and Zanj,

and surveyed the opposed hosts.

فَاِبتَداني بِدَفعِهِ بَيدَقَ الفِر

زانِ مِن حِرصِهِ عَلى نَقلَتَينِ

He opened against me by pushing the pawn of the—

vizier, eager to gain two moves.

وَأَدارَ الفِرزانَ في بَيتِ صَدرِ ال

شاهِ نَقلاً يَظُنُّهُ غَيرَ شَينِ

He wheeled the vizier into the square before the—

king—a move he thought no blemish.

فَعَقَدتُ الفِرزانَ مَعَ بَيدَقِ الصَد

رِ وَسُقتُ الفيلَينِ في الطَرَفَينِ

I tied up the vizier with the central pawn—

and drove my two elephants out along the wings.

فَتَدانى بِالرُخِّ بيتاً وَأَجرى

خَيلَهُ بَينَ مُلتَقى الصَفَيّنِ

He brought his rook one square nearer and sent

his cavalry between the meeting ranks.

فَرَدَدتُ الفِرزانَ ثُمَّ نَقَلتُ ال

فيلَ في بَيتِهِ عَلى عُقدَتَينِ

I drove the vizier back, then moved the—

elephant into its square across two stations.

ثُمَّ شاغَلتُهُ وَأَرسَلتُ فيلي

مِنجَنيقاً يَرمي عَلى القِطعَتَينِ

Then I kept him occupied and launched my elephant,

a catapult hurling at both pieces.

فَأَخَذتُ الفِرزانَ حُكماً وَوَلّى

رَخُّهُ ناكِصاً عَلى العَقِبَينِ

I took the vizier as a matter of course, and—

his rook retreated upon its heels.

ثُمَّ حَصَّنتُ مِنهُ نَفسي عَنِ الشا

هِ بِعَقدِ الفِرزانِ بِالبَيدَقَينِ

Then I fortified myself against his king—

by knotting the vizier to the two pawns.

ثُمَّ بَرطَلتُهُ بِبَيدَقِ فيلي

وَدَفَعتُ الثاني عَلى الفَرَسَينِ

Then I bribed him with my elephant’s pawn,

and drove the other forward against the two horses.

فَأَخَذتُ اليُمنى وَأَجفَلَتِ اليُس

رى شَروداً تَجولُ في الحَومَتَينِ

I brought out the right-hand one, while the left broke loose—

two fierce steeds coursing through the two battlefields.

وَتَقَدَّمتُ مِن خُيولي بِمُهرٍ

أَدهَمِ اللَونِ مُصمَتِ الصَفحَتَينِ

From among my horses I advanced a colt,

jet-black, solid on both flanks.

ثُمَّ سَلَّطتُهُ عَلى الشاهِ وَالرَخ

خِ فَعَجَّلتُ أَخذَهُ بَعدَ ذَينِ

Then I loosed it upon the king and the rook;

I hastened to take the rook after that double attack.

ثُمَّ لَقَّطتُ مِن بَيادِقِهِ الشُر

رَدِ خَمساً عاجَلتُهُنَّ بِحَينِ

Then from his straggling pawns I picked off—

five, swiftly sending them to their doom.

فَاِنثَنى يَطلُبُ الفِرارَ وَجَيشي

راجِعاً نَحوَهُ مِنَ الجانِبَينِ

He turned to seek escape, while my army

wheeled back toward him from both sides.

ثُمَّ ضايَقتُهُ فَلَم يَبقَ لِلشا

هِ عَلى رُغمِهِ سِوى بَيتَينِ

Then I hemmed him in until nothing remained for the—

king, against his will, but two squares.

فَمَلَكتُ الأَطرافَ مِنهُ وَسلَّط

تُ عَلَيهِ تَطابُقَ الرَخَّينِ

I mastered his flanks and set—

the two rooks in concert against him.

ثُمَّ صِحتُ اِعتَزِل فَشاهُكَ قَد ما

تَ بِلا مِريَةٍ وَقَد حَلَّ ديني

Then I cried, “Resign! Your king has—

died, beyond doubt, and my debt is due.”

فَكَسا وَجهَهُ الحَياءُ وَأَمسى

نادِماً سادِماً يَعَضُّ اليَدَينِ

Shame covered his face, and he became

remorseful, stunned, biting both hands.

وَاِنثَنى باكِياً يُقَبِّلُ كَفَّي

يَ وَيَهوي طَوراً عَلى القَدَمَينِ

He turned away weeping, kissing both my palms,

and now and again falling at my feet,

قائِلاً إِن عَفَوتَ قيلَ كَما قي

لَ وَما شاعَ عَنكَ في الخافِقَينِ

saying, “If you pardon, it will be said—as has been said—

and as your fame has spread through both horizons:

إِنَّ في رُتبَةِ الفُتُوَّةِ أَصلاً

لَكَ يُعزى إِلى أَبي الحَسَنَينِ

that in the order of chivalry you have a root—

traced to Abu al-Hasanayn,

صاحِبِ النَصِّ وَالأَدِلَّةِ وَالإِج

ماعِ في المَشرِقَينِ وَالمَغرِبَينِ

the man of the text, the proofs, and the consensus—

throughout the two easts and the two wests;

وَمُجَلّي الكُروبِ عَن سَيِّدِ الرُس

لِ بِبَدرٍ وَخَيبَرٍ وَحُنَينِ

and the dispeller of troubles from the Master of the

Messengers at Badr, Khaybar, and Hunayn.”

قُلتُ بُشراكَ قَد أَقَلتُكَ إِكرا

ماً لِذِكرِ المَولى أَبي السِبطَينِ

I said, “Rejoice—I have let you off, in honor—

of your mention of the lord Abu al-Sibtayn.”

فَعَلَيهِ السَلامُ ما جَنَّ لَيلٌ

وَأَنارَ الصَباحُ في المَشرِقَينِ

Peace be upon him whenever night draws its veil,

and morning shines in the two easts.