أَرواحٌ مُوَدِّعٌ أَم بُكورُ
لَكَ فَاِعمَد لِأَيِّ حالٍ تَصيرُ
Is it an evening farewell, or a departure at dawn
for you? Then make for whatever state you are to reach.
وَسطَهُ كَاليَراعِ أَو سُرُجِ المجد
دل حيناً يَخبو وَحيناً يُنيرُ
In its midst, like fireflies or the fortress lamps,
it fades at times, and at times it shines.
مِثلُ نارِ الحَرّاضِ يَجلو ذثرى المُز
نِ لِمَن شامَهُ إِذا يَستَطيرُ
Like the potash-burner's fire, it lights the cloud-tops
for whoever watches it when it flares.
مَرِحٌ وَبلُهُ يَسُحُّ سُبوبَ السـ
ـسَما مَجّاً كَأَنَّهُ مَنحورُ
Its downpour is exuberant, spilling the veils of
the sky in gushes, as though its throat were slit.
زَجَلٌ عَجزُهُ يُجاوِبُهُ دُفـ
ـف لِخُوانٍ مَأدوبَةٍ وَزَميرُ
Its rear resounds, answered by a tambourine
at a banquet table, and by piping.
كَدُمى العاجِ في المَحاريبِ أَو كَال
بَيضِ في الرَوضِ زَهرُهُ مُستَنيرُ
Like ivory figures in shrines, or like
eggs in a meadow whose flowers shine.
زَانَهُنَّ الشفُوفُ يَنضَحنَ بالمسـ
ـكِ وَعَيشٌ مُفانِقٌ وَحريرُ
Sheer robes adorned them, as they exuded
musk; luxurious living and silk adorned them too.
وَيَقولُ العُداةَ أَودى عَدِيٌّ
وَعَدِيٌّ بِسُخطِ رَبٍّ أَسيرُ
And the enemies say, "Adi has perished,"
and Adi is a captive under a lord's wrath.
أَيُّها الشامِتُ المُعَيِّرُ بِالدَهـ
ـر أَ أَنتَ المُبَرَّأُ المَوفورُ
O you who gloat and taunt me over Time,
are you exempt from harm, left untouched?
أم لَدَيكَ العَهدُ الوَثيقُ مِنَ الأيْـ
يامِ بَل أَنتَ جاهِلٌ مَغرورُ
Or have you a firm pledge from
the days? Rather, you are ignorant and deluded.
إِن يُصِبني بَعضُ الهَناتِ فَلا وا
نٍ ضَعيفٌ وَلا أَكَبُّ عَثورُ
If some misfortunes befall me, I am no
weak laggard, nor one who falls headlong and stumbles.
كَقَصيرٍ إِذ لَم يَجِد غَيرَ أَن جَد
دَعَ أَشرافَهُ لِمَكرٍ قَصيرُ
Like Qasir, when he found no course but to
mutilate his nose and ears for a ruse—Qasir.
مَن رَأَيتَ المَنونَ خَلَّدنَ أَم مَن
ذا عَلَيهِ مِن أَن يُضامَ خَفيرُ
Whom have you seen death make immortal? Or who
has a protector to keep him from being wronged?
لا تُؤاتيكَ وَإِن صَحَوتَ وَإِن أجـ
ـهَدَ في العارِضَينِ مِنكَ القَتيرُ
It will not favor you, though you are sober, though
gray hair spreads thickly on both your cheeks.
يَومَ لا يَنفَعُ الرَواغُ وَلا يُقـ
ـدم إِلّا المُشَيَّعُ النِحريرُ
On a day when evasion is useless, none advances
except the bold, resourceful man.
أَينَ كِسرى كِسرى المُلوكِ أَنوشِر
وانُ أَم قَبلَهُ سابورُ
Where is Kisra, the kings' Kisra, Anushirwan,
or Shapur before him?
وَبَنو الأَصفَرِ الكِرامُ مُلوكُ الرو
م لَم يَبقَ مِنهُمُ مَذكورُ
And the noble sons of al-Asfar, kings of Rome—
none of them remains to be mentioned.
وَأَخو الحَضرِ إِذ بَناهُ وَإِذ دِجْـ
ـلة تُجنى إِلَيهِ وَالخابورُ
And the lord of al-Hadr, when he built it, and when the Tigris
yielded its harvest to him, and the Khabur too.
شادَهُ مَرمَراً وَجَلَّلَهُ كِلْ
سا فَلِلطَيرِ في ذُراهُ وُكورُ
He built it in marble and coated it with
lime; so birds have nests upon its heights.
لَم يَهَبهُ رَيبُ المَنونِ فَبادَ الْـ
ـملك عَنهُ فَبابُهُ مَهجورُ
Death's vicissitudes did not fear him; so
kingship passed from him, and his gate stands deserted.
وَتَذَكَّر رَبُّ الخَوَرنَقِ إِذ أَشْـ
ـرفَ يَوماً لِلهُدى تَفكيرُ
And remember the lord of al-Khawarnaq, when he
looked out one day, with thoughts turned toward guidance.
Sol 6.1