ما كُنتُ أَوَّلَ حافِظٍ لِمُضَيَّعٍ
وَالغَدرُ مِن حَسناءَ غَيرُ بَديعِ
I was not the first keeper of a wasted love,
And betrayal from a beautiful one is nothing new.
ماذا عَلى الأَيّامِ أَيّامِ الصِبى
لَو أَنَّها سَمَحَت لَنا بِرُجوعِ
What's past of the days of my youth -
If only they would allow us to return!
وَعَلى اللَيالي لَو تَكُرُّ مُعيدَةً
ما فَرَّقَت مِن شَملِنا المَجموعِ
If only the nights would repeat themselves,
Restoring our gathered lives again.
وَعَلى شَموسٍ في الخُدورِ غَوارِبٍ
لَو أَذَّنَت بَعدَ النَوى بِطُلوعِ
Suns setting in darkened chambers -
If only their disappearance heralded a dawn.
لَم تَبكِ يَومَ فِراقِكُم عَيني دَماً
إِلا وَقَد نَزَحَ البُكاءُ دُموعي
My eyes did not weep blood the day we parted -
Except that my tears had already drained me.
وَدَّعتُ عيسَهُمُ فَيا لِلَّهِ ما
صَنَعَت بِقَلبي ساعَةَ التَوديعِ
I bid farewell to my loved ones, and oh! What
That moment of parting did to my heart!
بانوا بِسَكرى اللَحظِ صاحٍ قَلبُها
مِمّا تُجِنُّ جَوانِحي وَضُلوعي
They left with an intoxicating glance, their hearts
Wounded by what my soul and ribs endure,
لَحظٍ بِهِ يَدوى الصَحيحُ فَليتَها
أَبقَت عَلى قَلبٍ بِها مَصدوعِ
A glance that makes even the healthy scream -
Would that it had spared a heart it broke!
قالَت أَتَقنَعُ أَن أَزورَكَ في الكَرى
فَتَبيتَ في حُكمِ المَنامِ ضَجيعي
She said, "Can you be content if I visit you in dreams,
So you spend the night in imaginary union?"
وَأَبيكَ ما سَمُحَت بِطَيفِ خَيالِها
إِلّا وَقَد مَلَكَت عَلَيَّ هُجوعي
But she would not permit even the ghost of her image
Except to dominate my waking reveries.
يا سَلمَ إِنَّ الحُبَّ أَسلَمَني إِلى
شُغلَينِ مِن وَجدٍ بِكُم وَوُلوعِ
O Salma, love has surrendered me to the passion
Of longing for you and being obsessed with you.
وَهَواكِ يا ذاتَ اللِما المَعسولِ غا
دَرَني أَبيتُ بِلَيلَةِ المَلسوعِ
Your sweet lips, O beautiful one, have seduced me -
I spend the night in the madness of desire.
يا قارِعاً بِالعَذلِ سَمعي بَعدَ ما
عَلِقَ الفُؤادُ دَعَوتَ غَيرَ سَميعِ
O you who reproach me, though now my heart is deaf
To all but its own fervent call.
أَنا في الغَرامِ بِها وَمَجدُ الدينِ في
حُبِّ النَدى لِلعَذلِ غَيرَ مُطيعِ
I am enraptured with her, while Majd ad-Din's love
Is ever obedient to the reproach of palms.
مَلِكٌ أَنافَ عَلى المُلوكِ بِسودَدٍ
عالٍ وَبيتٍ في الأَنامِ رَفيعِ
I am a king towering over other kings -
Noble of lineage and highly esteemed.
فَالعِزُّ تَحتَ رِواقِهِ المَرفوعِ وَال
تَأيِيدُ فَوقَ سَريرِهِ المَوضوعِ
Glory dwells beneath my lofty dome, and aid
Rests upon my appointed throne.
تَغنى بِهِ إِن شِمتَ بَرقَ سَمائِهِ
عَن كُلِّ خَلّابِ البُروقِ لَموعِ
If you behold the lightning flash of my sky,
You can dispense with every flaring torch.
أَموالُهُ نَهبُ العُفاةِ وَجارُهُ
في مُشمَخِرٍّ مِن سُطاهُ مَنيعِ
My wealth is plunder for ruffians, and my neighbor
Shelters in an impregnable stronghold,
نيطَت أُمورُ المُلكِ مِن آرائِهِ
بِقَوٍ أَشَمِّ المَنكِبَينِ ضَليعِ
The affairs of my kingdom empowered by counsels
From one worldly-wise and greatly experienced.
رُدَّت إِلى تَدَبيرِهِ فَاِنتاشَها
مِن قَبضَةِ الإِهمالِ وَالتَضيِيعِ
Restored by his management from neglect
And loss, until poured forth in his courtyard,
أَفضَت وَقَد نَزَلَت بِساحَتِهِ إِلى
صَدرٍ كَمُنخَرِقِ الفَضاءِ وَسيعِ
Into a bosom vast as the rent firmament
And spacious as the water-logged plain.
كَم ذَبَّ عَنهُ مُصالِتاً كَيدَ العِدى
بِذُبابِ ما ضي الشَفرَتَينِ صَنيعِ
How often has he shielded me from the cunning of foes
With the striking blades of his able hands!
مِن مَعشَرٍ لَهُمُ إِلى أَمَدِ العُلى
سَعيٌ يَفوقُ نَجاءَ كُلِّ سَريعِ
A band aspiring to supremacy -
Their zeal surpasses the fleetest runner.
غُرٌّ هُجانٌ كَالسُيوفِ أَعِزَّةٌ
ما هُيِّجوا لِمُلِمَّةٍ بِخُضوعِ
Valiant warriors brandishing swords -
Too proud to stoop in surrender.
طارَت بِهِم في ذُروَةِ العَلياءِ وَال
أَحسابِ بَينَ مَشَقَّةٍ وَوُقوعِ
They soared to the height of glory, heedless
Of hardship and tribulation.
وَسَموا جِباهَ الدَهرِ مِن أَيّامِهِم
بِجَميلِ آثارٍ وَحُسنِ صَنيعِ
Their days marked the brow of Time
With the beauty of their deeds and work.
بُعِثوا لَنا وَالجودُ قَد نُسِخَت شَرا
ئِعُهُ بِدينٍ في النَدى مَشروعِ
We were revived when generosity was eclipsed
By a faith bringing fresh life to palms.
ما عَيبَ تالِدُهُم بِطارِفِهِم وَلا
خَجِلَت أُصولٌ مِنهُمُ بِفُروعِ
No shame to their origins from their branches,
No defect transmitted through their line.
شُمُّ الأُنوفِ إِذا اِنتَدوا فَإِذا دُعوا
لِمُلِمَّةٍ نَهَضوا طِوالَ البوعِ
Keen of scent when called to battle,
Rising tall and sturdy for the fray,
فَلّوا الأَسِنَّةِ وَالدُروعَ حَواسِراً
بِأَسِنَّةٍ مِن رَأيِهِم وَدُروعِ
Brandishing sharp tongues and shields,
With an onslaught from their counsel and armor.
بِالصاحِبِ اِبنِ الصاحِبِ التَأَمَت وَما
كانَت بِطَبعِ الإِلتِيامِ ضُلوعي
Through the grandson of my companion I found solace -
Not in my nature to seek comfort in diversions.
زالَت شِكاياتي بِهِ وَكَأَنَّني
أَنزَلتُها مِنهُ بِبَختيشوعِ
To him I poured out my complaints as if
He were a drain for my misfortunes and woes,
وَعَلِقتُ مِنهُ بِحَبلِ مَرهوبِ السُطى
وَالبَأسِ ضَرّارِ اليَدَينِ نَفوعِ
And I clung to the refuge of his dreaded power
And might, whose hands rain favors,
وَرَبَعتُ مِن مَعروفِهِ وَحِبائِهِ
في مُمرِعٍ خَضِلِ النَباتِ مَريعِ
Till my meadows grew verdant and flowered
With the bounty his hands bestowed on my pastures and hills.
حَتّى غَدَت مُبيَضَّةً مُخضَرَّةً
بِنَدى يَديهِ مَطالِبي وَرُبوعي
So it was as if his virtues blended
The tides of the sea and the gardens of Spring.
فَكَأَنَّما جاوَرَتَ مِن أَخلاقِهِ
تَيّارَ بَحرٍ أَو رِياضَ رَبيعٍ
Through him I was safe from the striking adversity
And joined the ranks of the unvanquished defender of Islam.
وَأَمِنتُ رائِعَةَ الخُطوبِ بِهِ وَجا
رُ مُؤَيِّدِ الإِسلامِ غَيرُ مَروعِ
I confronted tribulations with one who cannot
Be matched by days however adverse.
قارَعتُهُنَّ بِمُحسِنٍ لا تُحسِنُ ال
أَيّامُ أَن تَأتي لَهُ بِقَريعِ
Of ample favor, you are praised if granted success,
And pardon if you meet refusal.
ذي المَورِدِ المَشفوهِ تَحمَدُهُ إِذا
يَمَّمتَهُ وَالنائِلِ المَشفوعِ
My champion against the tyranny of an unjust fate!
Nobler than I can say is my intercessor -
يا مُنصِفي مِن جَورِ دَهرِ قاسِطٍ
وَأَجِلُّهُ مِن أَن أَقولَ شَفيعي
If my palms are dry, you are my refuge;
If my land is arid, you are my Spring.
إِن أَقتَرَت كَفّي فَأَنتَ ذَخيرَتي
أَو أَجدَبَت أَرضي فَأَنتَ رَبيعي
For the thirst of my hopes and the zeal of my stead
Without you, would never taste fulfillment.
وَعِطاشُ آمالي وَهُنَّ حَوائِمٌ
لَولاكُمُ ما ذُقنَ يَومَ شُروعِ
Listen, O noble one, to a poet
Who recites his rhymes for you,
سَمعاً أَبا الفَضلِ الجَوادَ لِشاعِرٍ
يُدلي إِلَيكَ بِشِعرِهِ المَطبوعِ
Bringing you a pearl thrown forth
From its shell by a fount gushing clear,
وافاكَ مِنهُ بِدُرَّةٍ قَذفَت بِها
أَصدافُها مِن زاخِرٍ يَنبوعِ
Like a bride whose dress exhales a fragrance
From the praise of you it carries,
مِثلِ العَروسِ يَفوحُ مِن أَردانِها
أَرَجٌ بِطيبِ ثَنائِكَ المَسموعِ
Coming to you adorned with figures of speech -
Paronomasia, parallels, and assonance,
جاءَتكَ حالِيَةً تَرائِبُها مِنَ ال
تَجنيسِ وَالتَطبيقِ وَالتَرصيعِ
Joining the chastity of a noble woman of her clan
To the modesty of Nahid and the gleam of lamps.
جَمَعَت عَفافَ حَسيبَةٍ في قَومِها
وَحَياءَ ناهِدَةٍ وَدَلَّ شَموعِ
So rule, gathering the realm under your protection
In the shade of an enduring union,
فَتَمَلَّ مُلكاً أَنتَ جامِعُ أَمرِهِ
في ظِلِّ شَملٍ بِالبَقاءِ جَميعِ
And judge the world, obeyed in command,
Following custom and sealing decrees.
وَاِحكُم عَلى الدُنيا مُطاعَ الأَمرِ مُت
تَبَعَ المَراسِمِ نافِذَ التَوقيعِ
No dawning storm heralded abundance,
No lightning writhed from the clouds,
ما بَشَّرَت بِالخِصبِ أُمُّ بَوارِقٍ
تَفتَرُّ عَن واري الزِنادِ لَموعِ
No full moon rose from the belly of darkness,
No dawn emerged from the rim of gloom,
وَأَضاءَ بَدرٌ مِن سُجوفِ غَمامَةٍ
وَاِستَلَّ فَجرٌ مِن قِرابِ هَزيعِ
When you gave me good tidings with your auspicious presence,
O embodiment of all I hope for!
