قُم قَبلَ إِسفارِ الصَباحِ
قُم فَاِكسُ راحَكَ كَأسَ راحِ
Arise before the dawn departs,
Arise, so your worries’ cup you upend.
قُم يا نَديمُ فَنادِ في ال
نَدمانِ حَيَّ عَلى الفَلاحِ
Arise, O reveler, and call out
To the repentant: “Awake for gain!”
فَالعَيبُ أَن تَبدوا
تَباشيرُ الصباحِ وَأَنتَ صاحِ
The shame is that the morn appears
While you are drunk and acting insane,
مَع فِتيَةٍ باتوا يَرَونَ
بِها الخَسارَ مِنَ الرَباحِ
Amongst lads who all night have seen
In it loss, though they hoped for gain.
مِن كُلِّ مُغرىً بِالصَبا
بَةِ مولَعٍ بِهَوى المِلاحِ
Of every libertine taken with youth,
Obsessed with carnal lust and pain,
كَلِفٍ بِعِصيانِ اللَوا
إِمِ في البَطالَةِ وَاللَواحي
Burdened with disobeying edicts
In idleness and jesting vain,
جَذلانَ يَركُضُ في مَيا
دينِ الهَوى خَيلَ المِراحِ
Foolish steeds running in the race‐course
Of wantonness, seeking their bane,
مَلَكَت هَواهُ كُلُّ نا
عِمَةِ الصِبى رَؤُدٍ رَداحِ
His every whim has controlled
The youth, agreed and profane.
مِن كَفِّ مَهضومِ الحَشا
وَالكَشحِ مِقلاقِ الوِشاحِ
From a palm slighted and in poverty,
Tattered clothes and cloak worn and plain.
أُخفي بِهِ حُزني وَيَأ
بى حُسنُهُ إِلّا اِفتِضاحي
I hid my sadness, though his beauty
Brings me nothing but distress and stain.
لَعِبَت مِراضُ جُفونِهِ
مِنّا بِأَفإِدَةٍ صِحاحِ
The illness of his eyelids toyed with us,
As healthy hearts know not feign.
هَزَجٍ يُغَنّينا بِمَدحِ
أَبي الفُتوحِ أَخي السَماحِ
A warbler singing our praise
Of my father Al‐Fatuh the benign,
القَرمِ ذي العِرضِ المَصونِ
حِماهُ وَالعَرضِ المُباحِ
My brother Al‐Samah the honored
Of unblemished, guarded honor and fame,
وَمُؤَيَّدِ العَزمِ الصَريحِ
بِآيَةِ الكَرَمِ الصُراحِ
And supporter of resolve sincere
By signs of generosity plain,
مُخضَرَّةٌ أَكنافُهُ
وَالعامُ مُغبَرُّ النَواحي
His environs ever flourishing,
Though the year be dusty and dry.
هَشٌّ إِلى الإِحسانِ ذو
طَرَبٍ إِلَيهِ وَاِرتِياحِ
Gentle towards benevolence, disposed
To it, at peace and entertainment.
أَمسى وَلَيسَ لَهُ إِلى غَيرِ
المَكارِمِ مِن صِياحِ
He has come to evening and cares
Only for all that is noble and fair.
نَسَخَ الكِرامَ بِجودِهِ
كَاللَيلِ يُنسَخُ بِالصَباحِ
His generosity blots out the exemplars
As the night blots out the dawn’s glare.
خُلُقٌ كَما مُزِجَت سُلا
فُ الخَمرِ بِالماءِ القَراحِ
A manner well mixed like wine
Mixed with cool limpid water, clear.
وَشَمائِلٌ كَالرَوضِ يَضحَكُ
في نَواحيهِ الأَقاحي
A cheek that smiles like a meadow
Laughing on all its sides so fair.
في كَفِّهِ قَلَمٌ تَخُر
رُ لِبَأسِهِ قُلَلُ الرِماحِ
In his palm a pen that would shake
The mountain‐tops when armies prepare.
أَمضى وَأَنفَذُ في الخُطوبِ
مِنَ المُهنَّدَةِ الصِفاحِ
Swifter to strike in battles
Than an Indian sword sharp and bare.
يا خَيرَ مَرجُوٍّ حَلَل
تُ بِهِ وَأَكرَمَ مُستَماحِ
O best hope! You came to me
So I succeeded, aspiring there!
أَفنَيتَ آمالي وَزِدت
تَ عَلى رَجائي وَاِقتِراحي
You ended my hopes, and gave
Beyond my dreams, exceeding my prayer!
فَغَدَوتُ وارِيَةً زِنادي
فيكَ فائِزَةً قِداحي
So I came to you, my arrow quivered
In you its target, straight and fair.
يا مَن كَفاني أَن أَمُدَّ
يَداً إِلى الأَيدي الشِحاحِ
O you who spared me having to stretch
My hand out to miserly hands so spare!
خُلُقٍ تَشِفُّ وَرائَها
صَفَحاتُ أَخلاقٍ قِباحِ
Of an manner that heals, and behind it
Pages of manners ugly and impaired.
فَهُمُ إِذا صَدَقَت وَعودُ
نَداكَ أَكذَبُ مِن سَجاحِ
Thus when your promises speak true,
More lying even than phantoms of air.
فَإِلَيكَ عِزَّ الدينِ
شارِدَةً مِنَ العُرُبِ الفِصاحِ
To you belongs glory of the religion,
An Arab maiden untouched by man there.
عَذراءَ لَم تُسمِح لِغَيرِ
بَني المُظُفَّرِ في نِكاحِ
She permitted none but the sons
Of Muzaffar to take her, without compare.
قَومٍ شَفوا بِنَدى أَكُفِّهِمُ
أُوامِيَ وَاِلتِياحي
A people who cured my worries with but
A handful of water fresh and rare.
ما بالُهُم يَعنونَ بي
وَالدَهرُ يَطمَعُ في اِجتِياحي
Why do they blame me, while fate
Seeks to conquer me, harm me, ensnare?
لا عُذرَ لي إِن رامَتِ ال
أَيّامُ ظُلمي وَاِطِّراحي
I have no excuse if days wish
To wrong me and cast me in despair,
وَبِهِم أَروضُ مَصاعِبِ ال
أَيّامِ مِن بَعدِ الجِماحِ
With them I tame the calamities
Of days, after loss and hardship to bear
وَهُمُ الأَمانُ مِنَ الزَما
نِ وَحُسنُ رَأيِهِمُ سِلاحي
They are safety from fate, and excellence
Of their viewpoint is my weapon and ware,
وَيحَ الزَمانِ إِلامَ يُس
فِرُ لي عَنِ الوَجهِ الوَقاحِ
From fate, what will they scare?
Except to avert from me hurt and impair.
زَمَنٌ أُسالِمُهُ وَيَأ
بى صَرفُهُ إِلّا كِفاحي
A time I befriend, but its course
Brings me nothing but struggle and care.
يَكفيهِ ما لِتَغايُرِ ال
أَحداثِ فِيَّ مِنَ الجِراحِ
Enough what events changing
Have wounded me, beyond all repair.
يا مَن لَهُ مِنَنٌ تُعَظ
ظَمُ أَن تُقابَلَ بِاِمتِداحِ
O you who has favor that grows
Too great to just praise and declare!
لا زِلتَ تُسحَبُ في الأُمورِ
عَلَيكَ أَذيالُ النَجاحِ
You still trail the garment’s train
Of success between dawn and prayer.
تَعتادُكَ الأَفراحُ ما
بَينَ الغُدُوِّ إِلى الرَواحِ
Joys are accustomed to you from going
To returning in fortune and fanfare.
فَتَظَلُّ ما بَينَ اِغتَبا
قٍ بِالسَعادَةِ وَاِصطِباحِ
Remaining between sudden victories
And joy, greeted by goodness and care.
