أُجِلُّكَ إِن يَسخُ الزَمانُ وَتَبخَلُ

وَيَعدِلُ فينا بِاللِقاءِ فَتَعدِلُ

I adore you if time is harsh and miserly

And makes amends by bringing us together

وَيُسعِفُنا بِالقُربِ مِنكَ فَتَغتَدي

وَدونَكَ أَستارُ التَحَجُّبِ تُسبَلُ

And helps us come closer to you and you feast

While curtains of modesty are lowered around you

فَمِل نَحوَ إِخوانِ الصَفاءِ وَلا تَقُل

فَإِنَّني إِلى قَومٍ سِواكُم لَأَميَلُ

Incline towards the company of the sincere and do not say

That I would ever incline towards other people

فَإِن لَم تَزُرنا وَالخِيامُ قَريبَةٌ

وَلا سِترَ إِلّا الأَتحَمِيَّ المُرَعبَلُ

If you do not visit while the tents are nearby

With no screen but a tattered, patched cloak

فَكَيفَ إِذا حَقَّ التَرَحُلُ في غَدٍ

وَشُدَّت لِطَيّاتٍ مَطايا وَأَرحَلُ

How will it be when moving on is a must

And mounts are readied with gear and provisions?

فَقَد مَرَّ لي يَومٌ سَعيدٌ لِغَيمِهِ

لَبائِدُ عَن أَعطافِهِ ما تَرَجَّلُ

For I had a blissful day, blessed by its clouds

Shining from its edges however much it poured

وَليلَةِ سَعدِ يَصطَلي العودَ رَبُّها

سُروراً وَفي آنائِها البَدرُ يُشغَلُ

And on a blessed night, its lord serenades the lute

Happily while the full moon wanders in its hours

أَدارَ بِها الوِلدانُ كَأساً رَوِيَّةً

وَشَمَّرَ مِنّي فارِطٌ مُتَمَهِّلُ

The youths passed around a drafted cup

And a messenger set out at a leisurely pace

فَنَحنُ وَقَد حَيّا السُقاةُ بِشُربِها

فَريقانِ مَسؤولٌ وَآخَرُ يَسأَلُ

We are now greeted by the drinkers’ toasting

One group being questioned, the other asking

وَهَبَّ لَنا شادٍ حَكى الغُصنَ قَدُّهُ

أَلفٌ إِذا ما رُعتَهُ اِهتاجَ أَعزَلُ

Shad brought us the branch, telling of its straightness

A thousand that would stir if you shepherd it

يَجُسُّ مِنَ الأَوتارِ صُهباً كَأَنَّها

خُيوطَةُ مارِيٍّ تُغارُ وَتُفتَلُ

It produces notes from the strings as if they

Were threads of twisted rope fraying and unravelling

يَفِرُّ بِها مِن نَحرِهِ فَكَأَنَّهُ

يُطالِعُها في أَمرِهِ كَيفَ يَفعَلُ

He sweeps them with it from his throat, as though

Consulting them on what he should do

إِذا هَزَّ لِلتَرجيعِ رَخصَ بَنانِهِ

يَثوبُ فَتَأتي مِن تُحَيتٍ وَمِن عَلُ

If he plucks the strings for the return they respond

With welcome and grace

تُتابِعُهُ فيها رُموزٌ كَأَنَّها

مُرَزَّأَةٌ ثَكلى تُرِنُّ وَتَعولُ

Accompanying it with symbols as though they

Were a bereaved mother wailing and crying

إِذا واحِدٌ مِنها اِستَعانَ بِصَحبِهِ

دَعا فَأَجابَتهُ نَظائِرُ نُحَّلُ

When one relies on its company and calls

The like of it, pure and sincere, responds

وَقامَت لَنا عِندَ السَماعِ رَواقِصٌ

عَذارى عَلَيهِنَّ المُلاءُ المُذَيَّلُ

For us, to the tune, dancers stood

Maidens in long flowing dresses

يُحَرِّكنَ في الكَفَّينِ شيزاً كَأَنَّهُ

قِداحٌ بِكَفَّي ياسِرٍ تَتَقَلقَلُ

They wave in their palms something like

A cup in the palm of a relaxed pourer flipping about

إِذا الرَقصُ هَزَّ الرِدفَ مِنهُنَّ خِلتَهُ

يَظَلُّ بِهِ المُكّاءُ يَعلو وَيَسفُلُ

When the dance shook their hips free

The braids sway, rising and falling

فَثُب نَحوَ صَحبٍ لَم تَزَل مُتَفَضِّلاً

عَلَيهِمُ وَكانَ الأَفضَلَ المَتَفَضِّلُ

So leap towards companions who never ceased

To oblige them, the most graceful of those obliging

فَذا العَيشُ لا مَن أَصبَحَ السيدُ جارَهُ

وَأَرقَطُ زُهلولٌ وَعَرفاءُ جَيأَلُ

Such is life - not one who finds himself lord

In the morning and a beggar by dusk