1. تذكَّرتُ أَيامَ الصَّبابَة والصِّبا

    وعيشاً مليحاً بالمَلحيةِ مُعْجِبَا

    I recalled the days of ardent love and youth,

    And a lovely, delightful life at al-Malhiyya,

  2. وثوبَ نعيمٍ لا يحِلُّ لباسُه

    لذي ورعٍ لأَنه كان مُذهَبَا

    And a robe of bliss whose wearing is not lawful

    For a pious man, because it was gilded.

  3. مذهبةُ الخدَّيْن يحمر خدها

    لجني ويجري الماء فيه ليشربا

    She whose cheeks are gilded—her cheek reddens

    For plucking, and water flows in it to be drunk.

  4. ومن خدها يحمَرُّ ياقوتُ عِقْدِها

    ويصفَرُّ إِمَّا خَجْلةً أَو تَهيُّبا

    From her cheek the ruby of her necklace turns red,

    And turns yellow, either from shame or awe.

  5. أَبو ثَغْرِهَا الدُّرُّ الذي في عقودِها

    ولكن رأَيت الإِبنَ قد فضل الأَبَا

    The pearls in her necklaces are her mouth's father,

    But I saw the son surpass the father.

  6. تُغير فتَسْبي باللِّحاظِ عقولَنَا

    وكم من شجاعٍ قد أَغارَ وما سَبَى

    She raids, and with her glances takes our minds captive,

    Yet many a brave man has raided and taken no captives.

  7. وقد أُوتِيتْ فَصْلَ الخطابِ ملاحةً

    فأَوجَز فيها الخصرُ والرِدْفُ أَسْهَبَا

    She has been granted decisive eloquence in beauty:

    So her waist speaks briefly, while her buttocks speak at length.

  8. مُعذِّبَتي لولاك لم يَعذُبِ الرَّدى

    ولا كنتُ في جناتِ عدن مُعذَّبا

    My tormentress, but for you death would not be sweet,

    Nor would I be tormented in the gardens of Eden.

  9. ولا كان قَلْبي بالهموم مُكَحَّلاَ

    ولا كَانَ طرْفي بالدِّماءِ مخضَّبا

    Nor would my heart be lined with kohl of cares,

    Nor would my eye be dyed with blood.

  10. ولا كان جسمِي من هُزالي مُخْصِباً

    ولا كان خَدِّي من شُحوبيَ مُعْشِبَا

    Nor would my body have grown fertile from my wasting,

    Nor would my cheek have sprouted grass from my pallor.

  11. وأَبْصَر طَرْفي في الدُّجى أَلْفَ كَوْكبٍ

    فلم أَر فيهم غَيرَ وجهِك كَوْكَبَا

    My eye beheld a thousand stars in darkness,

    Yet among them I saw no star but your face.

  12. تحيَّر دَمْعي بين جَرْيٍ ووقفةٍ

    فكيف تُراهُ مِثْلَ قَلبي مُذَبْذَبَا

    My tears hesitated between flowing and stopping;

    How, then, do you find them wavering like my heart?

  13. ومذ قوَّضوا أَطْنَابَهُمْ صار ناظِري

    خِباءً ولكن بالدموعِ مُطَنَّبَا

    Since they took down their tent ropes, my eye became

    A tent, but with tears for its guy ropes.

  14. سقى الله أَيامَ الشَّباب مدامِعي

    على زينبٍ لا واخَذَ الله زينبا

    May God water the days of youth with my tears

    For Zaynab—may God not hold Zaynab to account.

  15. فذاك زمانٌ كلُّ عيشي به رِضاً

    وكلُّ نسيمٍ هبَّ من صَبْوتي صَبَا

    For that was a time when all my life was contentment,

    And every breeze that blew from my passion was the east wind.

  16. وتُضمِرُ حُبِّي كلُّ ضامرةِ الحشَا

    وتُنْعِمُ عيِشي كلُّ ناعمةِ الصَّبا

    And every slender-waisted woman hid her love for me,

    And every tender young woman made my life delightful.

  17. تكاثرَ لَثْمُ الغَانياتِ بعَارِضِي

    فكدتَ تراهُ بالمباسِمِ أَشْنَبَا

    The beauties' kisses multiplied upon my cheek,

    So you almost saw it bright-toothed with their smiling mouths.

  18. تقبلُني عن قبلةٍ أَلفَ قبلةٍ

    وحُلِّل في شَرْع الهَوى ذلِك الرِّبَا

    She kisses me a thousand kisses in return for one,

    And that usury was made lawful under the law of love.

  19. فأَثكلَني الدَّهرُ الشبابَ وإِنَّما

    أُطَاعِنُ من بعدِ الشَّبابِ بلا شَبَا

    Time bereaved me of youth, and I can only

    Joust after youth without a spearpoint.

  20. أَساءَت بي الأَفلاكَ غارْت نجومُها

    ولا نزعَتْ من مَلْبسِ الحُزْنِ غَيْهَبَا

    The celestial spheres wronged me—may their stars sink,

    And may they never strip deep darkness from grief's robe.

  21. ويا ليت شِعْري مَنْ لمن أَشْتِكي لها

    أُخَاطِبُ ثَوْراً أَمْر أُعَاتِبُ عَقْرَبا

    Oh, would I knew who—to whom I might complain of them!

    Do I address the Bull, or reproach the Scorpion?

  22. رجعتُ بها عن حَضْرَةِ العزِّ والعُلاَ

    وحيداً وقد كنت النَّجيَّ المُقَرَّبَا

    Through them I returned from the court of honor and eminence,

    Alone, though I had been the favored confidant.

  23. وأَصبحتُ مُقْصىً بعد أَن كنت مُصْطَفى

    وأَمسيتُ مُلقىً بعد ما كنت مُجْتَبى

    I became excluded after having been chosen,

    And was cast aside after having been singled out.

  24. نأَيتُ فيا شوقاهُ عن أَبيضِ الجَدا

    وسرتُ فيا لهفاهُ عن أَخضرِ الرُّبَا

    I went far—oh, my longing!—from one white in bounty,

    And journeyed—oh, my sorrow!—from one whose hills are green,

  25. عَنِ المالكِ الأَمْلاكِ رأْياً وحكمةً

    وفاضِلهم عِلْماً وحِلْماً ومَنْصِباً

    From him who masters kings in judgment and wisdom,

    And surpasses them in learning, forbearance, and rank.

  26. تجوبُ ملوكُ الأَرض أَقصَى بلادِها

    لِبابٍ تراها خسأَى ولُغَّبا

    The kings of the earth traverse its remotest lands

    To a gate where you see them humbled and weary.

  27. رأَيتُهمُ يأْتُونَ منه معظَّماً

    وأَبصرتُهُمْ يستأَذِنُونَ المُحَجَّبا

    I saw them come through it to one revered,

    And saw them seek permission from the one behind the veil.

  28. يَطَوْنَ بِساطاً فيه للشمس مَنصِبٌ

    كما أَنَّ فيه للسَّحائبِ مَسْحَبَا

    They tread a carpet where the sun has a station,

    Just as the clouds have a place to trail upon it.

  29. أَقمتُ به بَيْنَ البشَاشةِ والقِرى

    وإِن شئْتَ قُل بين المحبَّة والحَبَا

    I stayed with him amid cheerful welcome and hospitality,

    And, if you wish, say: amid love and gifts.

  30. أعانقُ للآمالِ قَدّاً مُهَفْهَفَاً

    وأَلْثمُ ثغراً للأَمانيِّ أَشْنَبا

    I embrace the slender figure of hopes,

    And kiss the bright-toothed mouth of wishes.

  31. وأُوصِلُ رزقاً كان من قبلُ قد نأَى

    وأُنْهِضُ جدّاً كان من قَبْلُ قد كَبا

    And draw near a livelihood that once had been far away,

    And raise a fortune that had once stumbled.

  32. وأَشفعُ حتى لا تُردَّ شفاعَتي

    ولو فيَّ إِذ أَصبحتُ بالبُعدِ مَذْنِبا

    And I intercede, so my intercession is not refused,

    Even for myself, since absence has made me guilty.

  33. وكم سِيقَ من نُعمى إِليَّ ونعمةٍ

    وكم قيل لي أَهلاً وسهلاً ومَرْحَبَا

    How much bounty and how many favors were brought to me,

    And how often I was told, 'Welcome, be at ease, welcome!'

  34. فلا يَذكُرَنْ آلَ المهلَّب ذاكرٌ

    فقد جاءَ من يُنسيهمُ المُهَلَّبَا

    So let no one mention the house of al-Muhallab:

    For one has come who makes them forget al-Muhallab.

  35. فيا جَذَلِي إِن كنتَ في الخلدِ حاضراً

    ويا أَسفي إِذ كنْتُ عَنهُ مغَيَّبَا

    Oh, my joy, if you are present in Paradise,

    And oh, my sorrow, since I am kept away from it.

  36. لسوءِ اختياري كان لي عنك مَذْهَبٌ

    على أن قلبي لم يجد عنك مذهبا

    My poor choice gave me a way away from you,

    Though my heart found no way away from you.

  37. ولولا أني ما كان بي عنك مرغب

    وكيف أَرَى عن جنَّةِ الخلدِ مَرْغَبَا

    But for myself, I would have had no wish to leave you;

    And how could I wish to leave the Garden of Eternity?

  38. وكم لكَ لولا سوءُ بختي نعمةٌ

    مَنَنْتَ بها لو شئتَ سميتَها أَبَا

    How many a favor of yours—were it not for my ill luck—

    You bestowed, which you could, if you wished, call a father.

  39. وبعد أَبي كم نعمةٍ منك نلتُها

    فأَلفيتُها أَحْلى وأَهْنَا وأَعجبا

    And after my father, how many a favor I gained from you,

    And found it sweeter, more delightful, more wondrous.

  40. أَبَى لي أَن أَبقى السعيدَ بزعمهم

    شقاءٌ أبَى أَن يسعدَ المرءُ إِنْ أَبَى

    It refused to let me remain 'the happy one,' as they claimed—

    Misery, which will not let a man be happy if it says no.

  41. شقاءٌ دهاني لم أَجد عنه مَصْرِفاً

    وخطبٌ أَتاني لم أَجد عنه مَهْرَبا

    Misery befell me; I found no way to turn from it,

    And calamity came upon me; I found no escape from it.

  42. وأَيُّ امرئٍ يختاره السَّعْد مأْلفاً

    فيختارُ عن ذاك الجناب تَجَنُّبَا

    And what man whom good fortune chooses as companion

    Would choose to shun that noble presence?

  43. ولو عُدْتُ بالملكِ العقيم وإِنني

    رَجعْتُ به ما كنت إِلاَّ مُخَيَّبَا

    Even had I returned with barren sovereignty—and indeed I

    Returned with it—I would have been nothing but disappointed.

  44. رجعت أَعَضُّ الراحتين ورَاحَتي

    إِذا ضاقَ صدرِي أَن أُبَكى وأَنْدُبَا

    I returned biting both palms; my relief,

    When my breast is tight, is to be moved to tears and lament.

  45. وأَطْلبُ بعد البين شملاً مُنظماً

    فأَطلبُ بعد الصبحِ نجماً مُغَرِّبَا

    And after parting I seek a reunited gathering,

    So I seek, after dawn, a setting star.

  46. فيا لهفَ نفسِي لو أَقمتُ فقَامَ لي

    مَنَارٌ بِموْلىً نُورُه قطُّ ما خَبَا

    Oh, my soul's grief! Had I stayed, there would have risen for me

    A beacon through a lord whose light never dimmed.

  47. وكان دَرَى أَيَّ البرية عِندَه

    وكان رأَى أَيَّ الرجالِ المهذبَا

    And he would have known which of mankind was with him,

    And would have seen which of men was truly refined.

  48. وكان ذا لاقى بِحَدَّيْ صَريمة

    رآنيَ سَيْفاً في الرقاب مُجرَّبَا

    And when he engaged with resolve's two edges,

    He would have seen me a sword tested upon necks.

  49. أَمولىَ الموالي إِنني بقصيدتي

    شكوْتُ لِتَرْثي لا شَدَوْتُ لتَطْرَبَا

    O lord of lords, in my poem I

    Have complained for your pity, not sung for your delight.

  50. أَقِلْني أَقِلْني تُبتُ توبةَ ناصحٍ

    لترضَى ولم أُذْنِبْ بجهلي لتغضبَا

    Forgive me, forgive me: I have repented sincerely,

    To please you; I did not sin in my ignorance to anger you.

  51. ولي طمعٌ في حسن رأْيك صادقٌ

    وما طمعِي في حسنِ رأْيكَ أَشعبا

    And I have sincere hope in your favorable regard,

    And my hope in your favorable regard is not Ash'ab's.