أَلا رُبَّ لَهوٍ آنِسٍ وَلَذاذَةٍ
مِنَ العَيشِ يَغبيهِ الحَياءُ المُسَتَّرُ
Ah, many a convivial pastime and delight
of life has veiled, sheltered modesty kept hidden.
تَفَرَّقَ أَخداني وَبانَ حَبايَتي
فَأَيَّ هَواكَ اليَومَ إِذ شَكَّ تُبصِرُ
My intimates scattered, and my beloved went away;
which of your loves today can you discern when doubt intrudes?
عَفَت أَكَماتُ السِرِّ مِن أمِّ هاشِمِ
وَكُلُّ دِيارٍ سَوفَ تَعفو وَتَقفِرُ
The hillocks of al-Sirr, once Umm Hashim’s, are effaced,
and every habitation will be effaced and deserted.
فَأَقفَرَ مِنها ذو القَطا فَقُراقِرُ
وَأَحياءُ لَيلى فَالأَحَلُّ فَعَرعَرُ
Deserted now are Jaww al-Qata and Qaraqir,
and Layla’s encampments—al-Ahall, then Ar‘ar,
إِلى ذي الحِيافِ ما بِهِ اليَومَ نازِلٌ
وَما حَلَّ مُذ سَبتٌ طويلٌ مُهَجِّرُ
as far as Dhu al-Hiyaf; no one lodges there today,
nor has a traveler alighted there for a long, sun-scorched age.
أَماجِدُ أَنَّ القَلبَ رَهنٌ مُتَيَّمٌ
بِهِ سَقَمٌ أَعيا الأَطِبَّةَ مُضمَرُ
O Majid, the heart is captive, enthralled;
concealed within it is a sickness that has baffled physicians.
تَراءَت لَهُ حَتّى رَجا ثُمَّ أَدبَرَتُ
فَلا هُوَ مَوصولٌ وَلا هُوَ مُقصِرُ
She showed herself to it until hope arose, then turned away;
it is neither granted union nor able to desist.
بِساجٍ عَلى المَتنَينِ وَجفٍ كَأَنَّهُ
أَساوِدُ مِنهُ مُرسَلُ وَمُقَصَّرُ
With darkness over both shoulders, quivering as though
black serpents streamed from it, some long, some shortened.
لَقَد كانَ في نوحٍ وَداوُدَ عَبرَةٌ
لِمَن يَأتَسي بِالناسِ أَو يَتَغَيَّرُ
In Noah and David there was surely a lesson
for one who takes example from mankind or lets himself be changed.
رَأى اللَهُ نوحاً فَاِصطَفاهُ كَرامَةً
وَكانَ اِمرِءاً مِن أُمَّةٍ لَيسَ يُكفَرُ
God looked upon Noah and chose him out in honor;
he was a man among his people who did not disbelieve.
فَلَمّا عَلا الماءُ الجِبالَ تَحامَلَت
سَفينَةُ نوحٍ وَهوَ فيها يُكَبِّرُ
When the waters climbed above the mountains, onward bore
Noah’s ark, while within it he magnified God.
فَأَمرَعَ بِالجودِيِّ نوحٌ وَقَد بَدا
لَهُ ذِروَةٌ مِن جانِبِ الطَودِ مُجزِرُ
Noah found lush ground upon al-Judi, when there appeared
to him a crest on the great mountain’s flank as the water ebbed.
فَأَرسَلَ وَحفاً حالِكاً وَحَمامَةً
وَما مُتَبَغّي الخَير إِلّا مُغَرِّرُ
He sent out a heavy-feathered black bird and a dove—
whoever seeks the good must hazard himself.
فَما أَقلَعَت تَرتادُ حَتّى بَدا لَها
قَضيبٌ مِنَ الزَيتونِ يَهتَزُّ أَخضَرُ
She took wing, searching, until there appeared to her
a green olive twig, trembling.
فَجاءَت إِلى نوحٍ تَطيرُ بِغُصنِها
فَصَلّى عِلَيها إِذا أَتَتهُ تُبَشِّرُ
She flew back to Noah with her branch,
and he prayed over her when she came bearing glad tidings—
صَلاةَ مُجابٍ يَسمَعُ الله صَوتَهُ
وَأَورَثَها أَن لَيسَتِ الدَهرَ تَكبَرُ
the prayer of one answered, whose voice God hears—
and endowed her never to grow old through all time.
فَلَو كانَ إِنسِيٌّ مِنَ المَوتِ مُفلِتاً
لِأَفلَتَ كِسرى الفارِسِيُّ وَقَيصَرُ
If any human being could slip free of death,
Persian Chosroes and Caesar would have escaped.
وَكانَ سُلَيمانُ بنُ داوودَ عُبِّدَت
لَهُ الجِنُّ تَبني دونَهُ وَتُسَخَّرُ
Solomon son of David once had made servants
of the jinn: they built before him and were compelled.
وَمُلِّكَ ما لا يَملِكُ الناسُ قَبلَهُ
وَلا بَعدَهُ في الدَهرِ وَالدَهرُ أَعصُرُ
He was given dominion over what no people before him possessed,
nor any after him through time—and time is age upon age.
فَأَفنى ثَمودَ الحجرِ رَبُّكَ إِنَّهُ
يُعاقِبُ أَقواماً كَثيراً وَيَغفِرُ
Your Lord destroyed Thamud of al-Hijr; indeed, He
punishes many peoples, and forgives.
وَقَد مَنَعوا سَبتاً مِنَ الدَهرِ لَقحَةً
تَدُرُّ بِرُسلٍ فاضِلٍ ثُمَّ تَصدُرُ
For a span of time they barred a milch she-camel
that poured abundant milk, then left the watering place.
