أَأَقامَ أَمسِ خَليطُنا أَم سارا
سائِل بِعَمرِكَ أَيَّ ذاكَ اِختارا
Did our gathering last night choose to depart or stay?
Asking, by your life, which of those did it prefer?
وَإِخالُ أَنَّ نَواهُمُ قَذّافَةٌ
كانَت مُعاوِدَةَ الفِراقِ مِرارا
And I feared their intention was to suddenly leave,
As parted lovers oft repeated their bitterness.
قالَ الرَسولُ وَقَد تَحَدَّرَ واكِفٌ
فَكَفَفتُ مِنهُ مُسبِلاً مِدرارا
The messenger said, tears flowing,
So I stopped him, letting those tears flow freely.
أَن سِر فَشَيِّعنا وَلَيسَ بِنازِعٍ
لَو شَدَّ فَوقَ مَطِيِّهِ الأَكوارا
"Travel secretly, none shall hinder you,
Even if mountains collapsed onto his mount."
في حاجَةٍ جَهدُ الصَبابَةِ قادَها
وَبِما يُوافِقُ لِلهَوى الأَقدارا
Needing help, the vigor of youth led him
To that which fate's caprice made congruous.
قامَت تَراءى بِالصِفاحِ كَأَنَّما
عَمداً تُريدُ لَنا بِذاكَ ضِرارا
She appeared, looking from her litter as though
She meant us harm by so revealing herself.
فَبَدَت تَرائِبُ مِن رَبيبٍ شادِنٍ
ذَكَرَ المَقيلَ إِلى الكِناسِ فَصارا
Charms peeked out from a blooming branch,
Recalling lodgings to the settled abodes.
وَجَلَت عَشِيَّةَ بَطنِ مَكَّةَ إِذ بَدَت
وَجهاً يُضيءُ بَياضُهُ الأَستارا
She shone one evening in Mecca's valley, her face
Lighting the curtains with its radiance.
كَالشَمسِ تُعجِبُ مَن رَأى وَيُزَينُها
حَسَبٌ أَغَرُّ إِذا تُريدُ فِخارا
Like the sun, pleasing those who saw her, and adorned
By pride enough when she wished to boast.
سُقِيَت بِوَجهِكِ كُلُّ أَرضٍ جُبتِها
وَبِمِثلِ وَجهِكِ نَستَقي الأَمطارا
Every desolate land was watered by your face,
And by your like we seek rains.
لَو يُبصِرُ الثَقفُ البَصيرُ جَبينَها
وَصَفاءَ خَدَّيها العَتيقَ لَحارا
If only the insightful Thaqifite saw her forehead
And the pristine clarity of her cheeks, he'd burn!
وَأَرى جَمالَكِ فَوقَ كُلِّ جَميلَةٍ
وَجَمالُ وَجهِكِ يَخطَفُ الأَبصارا
I see your beauty above all beauties,
Your beautiful face captures all eyes.
إِنّي رَأَيتُكِ غادَةً خُمصانَةً
رَيّا الرَوادِفِ لَذَّةً مِبشارا
I saw you leaving, redolent with perfume,
Swaying in the saddle, a delightful sight.
مَحطوطَةَ المَتنَينِ أُكمِلَ خَلقُها
مِثلَ السَبيكَةِ بَضَّةً مِعطارا
Poised on the camel, perfect in creation,
Like crafted silverwork, fragrant and pure.
تَشفي الضَجيعَ بِبادِرٍ ذي رَونَقٍ
لَو كانَ في غَلَسِ الظَلامِ أَنارا
Comforting one laid low with a graceful initiative -
It would illuminate deepest gloom.
فَسَقَتكَ بِشرَةُ عَنبَراً وَقَرَنفُلاً
وَالزَنجَبيلَ وَخِلطَ ذاكَ عُقارا
You intoxicated him with amber, cloves,
And ginger mixed into a healing potion.
وَالذَوبُ مِن عَسَلِ الشُراةِ كَأَنَّما
غَصَبَ الأَميرُ تَبيعَهُ المُشتارا
Like honey robbed by an emir from the sellers,
Or a draft of chilled Nabrid in tumblers.
وَكَأَنَّ نُطفَةَ بارِدٍ وَطَبَرذَداً
وَمُدامَةً قَد عُتِّقَت أَعصارا
It flows over your smiling lips whenever
You take a sip, though you know not its danger.
تَجري عَلى أَنيابِ بِشرَةَ كُلَّما
طَرَقَت وَلا تَدري بِذاكَ غِرارا
Quenching thirst when the thirsty beholds it -
Sweetly intoxicating the impassioned kisser.
يُروى بِهِ الظَمآنُ حينَ يَشوفُهُ
لَذَّ المُقَبَّلِ بارِداً مِخمارا
He who wears it in winter will succeed
More graciously than any fur cloak.
وَيَفوزُ مَن هِيَ في الشِتاءِ شِعارُهُ
أَكرِم بِها دونَ اللَحافِ شِعارا
Show kindness to one whose mind you've addled,
Who hasn't fulfilled his promise from you.
جودي لِمَحزونٍ ذَهَبتِ بِعَقلِهِ
لَم يَقضِ مِنكِ بُشَيرَةُ الأَوطارا
When I pine, I mark my heart with her absence,
And find it confused and distraught.
وَإِذا ذَهَبتُ أَسومُ قَلبي خُطَّةً
مِن هَجرِها أَلفَيتُهُ خَوّارا
My eyes well up when I pine for her,
While my heart rages at remembering her anger.
وَاِغرَورَقَت عَينايَ حينَ أَسومُها
وَالقَلبُ هاجَ لِذِكرِها اِستِعبارا
Thus do I rave, for as long as I live, O youths!
And by it in the morn I gray my hair.
فَبِتِلكَ أَهذي ما حَيِيتُ صَبابَةً
وَبِها الغَداةَ أُشَيِّبُ الأَشعارا
Who can maintain ties if you sever our bonds?
Or confide in us your secrets after you?
مَن ذا يُواصِلُ إِن صَرَمتِ حِبالَنا
أَم مَن نُحَدِّثُ بَعدَكِ الأَسرارا
Alas for Ku'ayqian and his people -
With those two sorrows his tomb overflowed.
هَيهاتَ مِنكِ قُعَيقِعانُ وَأَهلُها
بِالحَزنَتَينِ فَشَطَّ ذاكَ مَزارا
