أبر شهودي أنني لك عاشق — Abn Almqrb Alaaona

أَبَرُّ شُهُودِي أَنَّني لَكَ عاشِقٌ

سُهادي وَسُقمي وَالدُمُوعُ الدَوافِقُ

My truest witnesses that I am in love with you

are my sleeplessness, my sickness, and the streaming tears.

فَجُودا بِلا مَنٍّ وَجُودَا بِلا أَذىً

فَما ماتَ مَومُوقٌ وَلا عاشَ وَامِقُ

Then give generously, both of you, without reproach, and give without hurt;

for no beloved has died, nor has a lover lived.

فَلا عارَ في وَصلِ اِمرِئٍ ذِي صَبابَةٍ

فَذا الناسُ مُذ كانُوا مَشُوقٌ وَشائِقُ

There is no shame in granting union to a man of ardent longing:

such have people always been—longing and inspiring longing.

وَلا تَحسَبِ الشَكوى الدَليلَ عَلى الهَوى

فَكَم صامِتٍ وَالدَمعُ عَن فيهِ ناطِقُ

Do not suppose complaint is the proof of love:

many a silent man's tears speak for his mouth.

لَقَد مُنِعَ النُطقَ اللِسانُ وَعاقَهُ

عَنِ البَثِّ وَالشَكوى مِن البَينِ عائِقُ

The tongue has indeed been denied speech and held back

from outpouring and complaint of separation by a barrier.

وَمِن أَينَ لي قَلبٌ يُؤَدّي عِبارَةً

إِلى مَنطِقي وَالبَينُ بِالقَلبِ آبِقُ

And where could I find a heart to convey an utterance

to my tongue, when separation has fled with my heart?

فَآهٍ عَلى سُلطانِ حَقٍّ مُوَفَّقٍ

لِما جاءَ في القُرآنِ حَقّاً يُوافِقُ

Ah, for a just, well-guided sovereign,

truly conforming to what has come in the Qur'an,

فَيَقطَعُ في حَقّي يَدَ البَينِ إِنَّهُ

لِسَوداءِ قَلبي يَومَ نُعمانَ سارِقُ

to cut off separation's hand on my behalf, for it

stole my heart's core on the day at Nu'man.

خَليلَيَّ مِن ذُهلِ بنِ شَيبانَ إِنَّني

بِحِبلِكُما دونَ البَرِيَّةِ واثِقُ

My two friends of Dhuhl ibn Shayban, I

trust your bond above all mankind.

أَبُثُّكُما وَجدي وَأَشكُو إِلَيكُما

جَوىً بَينَ أَثناءِ الحَشا لا يُفارِقُ

I confide my passion to you both and complain to you

of anguish that never leaves the folds of my breast.

وَأُنبِيكُما أَنّي عَلى ما عَهِدتُما

إِذا ضَيَّعَ العَهدَ المَلُولُ المماذِقُ

And I tell you both that I remain as you knew me,

when the fickle, false-hearted man neglects his pledge.

فَعَزماً فَفي وَخدِ المَطايا تَعِلَّةٌ

لِذي هِمَمٍ وَالمَوتُ غادٍ وَطارِقُ

Resolve, then! In the camels' swift stride is solace

for men of aspiration; death visits morning and night.

وَقَد يَفجَأُ المَرءَ الحِمامُ وَما قَضى

لَهُ وَطَراً وَالناسُ ماضٍ وَلاحِقُ

Death may surprise a man before he has fulfilled

a wish of his; people pass ahead and follow after.

أَلا لَيتَ شِعري هَل أَبيتَنَّ لَيلَةً

بِحَيثُ اِلتَقى سِقطُ اللِّوى وَالأَبارِقُ

If only I knew: shall I ever spend a night

where Siqt al-Liwa and al-Abariq meet?

وَهَل أَرَيَنَّ العِيسَ تَهوي رِقابُها

بِنا حَيثُ أَنقاءُ العُيونِ الشَواهِقُ

And shall I see the pale camels thrusting their necks forward,

bearing us toward the towering dunes of al-'Uyun?

وَهَل أَرِدَن ماءَ العُذَيبِ غُدَيَّةً

وَقَد مَلَّ حادينا وَضَلَّ الفُرانِقُ

And shall I reach al-'Udhayb's water one morning,

when our camel-driver has tired and the guide has gone astray?

وَهَل تَصحَبَنّي فِتيَةٌ أَبَواهُمُ

عَلِيٌّ وَفَضلٌ لا صَدِىٌّ وَغافِقُ

And will young men accompany me whose forefathers are

Ali and Fadl, not Sadiyy and Ghafiq?

وَشُعثٌ أطارَ النَومَ عَنها وَلاحَها

رُكوبُ المَرامي وَالهُمومُ الطَوارِقُ

And shaggy ones, robbed of sleep and wasted away

by journeys to distant goals and cares that come by night.

سَرَت مِن قُرى البَحرَينِ وَاِستَنهَضَتهُمُ

هُمومٌ بِأَدناها تَشيبُ المَفارِقُ

They traveled by night from Bahrain's villages, roused

by cares whose least would whiten their hair-partings.

أَقُولُ لَهُم وَالعِيسُ تَسدُو كَأَنَّها

بِنا بَينَ أَجزاعِ المُرارِ النَقانِقُ

I tell them, as the pale camels stride as though

they were ostriches bearing us among al-Murar's valley bends:

صِلُوا اللَيلَ وَخداً بِالمَطايا فَإِنَّها

شَوارِفُ بُزلٌ لَيسَ فيها حَقائِقُ

'Keep the night unbroken with the camels' swift pace, for they

are aged, fully mature beasts, with no young she-camels among them.'

فَقالَوا رُوَيداً بِالمَطِيِّ فَإِنَّها

رَذايا وَذا يَومٌ مِن الحَرِّ ماحِقُ

They said, 'Gently with the mounts, for they

are exhausted, and this is a day of annihilating heat.'

فَقُلتُ أَبُقياً كُلُّ هَذا وَرأَفَةً

عَلَيها وَهَل لِلسَيرِ إِلّا الأَيانِقُ

I said, 'Is all this sparing and compassion

for them? What else are she-camels for but travel?

فَمِيلُوا عَلَيها بِالسِياطِ وَعَرِّفُوا

ذَوي الجَهلِ مِنّا كَيفَ تَحوي الوَسائِقُ

Ply them with the whips, and teach

the ignorant among us how driven herds are gathered.

وَعَدُّوا وَرُدُّوا عَن كَظيمٍ وَنَكِّبُوا

غَضايا فَما بِالنَومِ تُطوى السَمالِقُ

Press onward, turn aside from Kazim, and avoid

Ghadaya: broad wastes are not crossed in sleep.

وَلا تَرِدُوا إِلّا اِلتِقاطاً وَلَو أَتى

ظَماها عَلى أَجرانِها وَالوَدائِقُ

Take water only in passing, even if

their thirst and the scorching heats consume their bodies.

فَإِن هِيَ لِلوَفراءِ تاقَت فَإِنَّني

إِلى مَورِدٍ عَذبٍ بِحَرّانَ تائِقُ

If they yearn for al-Wafra, I

yearn for a sweet watering place at Harran:

إِلى مَورِدٍ لا يَعرِفُ الأَجنَ ماؤُهُ

وَلا نَبَتَت في حافَتيهِ الغَلافِقُ

a watering place whose water knows no staleness,

and on whose banks no waterweeds grow.

جَرى مِن يَمينِ الأَشرَفِ المَلكِ ماؤُهُ

فَكُلُّ خَليجٍ مِنهُ لِلعَينِ رائِقُ

Its water flows from the right hand of King al-Ashraf,

and every channel from it delights the eye.

حَرامٌ عَلَيها دُونَهُ الماءُ وَالكَلا

وَأَن تَلتَقي أَعضادُها وَالمَفارِقُ

Before reaching him, water and pasture are forbidden them,

as is resting their crowns against their upper forelegs.

فَيَومَ تُوافيهِ تُراحُ وَيَنقَضي

شَقاها وَيُلقى مَيسُها وَالنَمارِقُ

On the day they reach him, they shall rest, and end

their misery; their wooden saddles and cushions shall be cast off.

وَتُضحي بِحَيثُ العِزُّ عَودٌ لنابِه

صَريخٌ وَحَيثُ الجُودُ غَضٌّ غُرانِقُ

They will stand where might is a seasoned camel whose fang

cries aloud, and bounty a fresh, handsome youth.

تكَفِّرُ إِجلالاً وَتَسجُدُ هَيبَةً

وَقَد حَزَّتِ الأَوساطَ مِنها المَناطِقُ

There is bowing in reverence and prostration in awe,

while belts have bitten into their waists,

مُرِمِّينَ إِلّا عَن حَديثٍ مُصَرَّدٍ

تُخالِسُهُم أَبصارُهُم وَتُسارِقُ

all silent, save for a few broken words,

their eyes exchanging furtive, stolen glances,

لَدى مَلكٍ مِن آلِ أَيّوبَ لَم تَسِر

بِأَحسَنِ نَشرٍ مِن ثَناهُ المَهارِقُ

before a king of Ayyub's house: never have

parchments traveled with sweeter fragrance than his praise.

كَريمٍ مَتى تَقصِدهُ تَقصِد مُيَمَّماً

جَواداً زَكَت أَعراقهُ وَالخلائِقُ

A noble man—whenever you seek him, you seek one much sought,

a generous man whose ancestral roots and character are pure.

فَتىً لَو يُباري جُودَهُ البَحرُ لاِلتَقَت

دَرادِيرُ في حِيرَانِهِ وَمَغارِقُ

A man—were the sea to rival his bounty, there would meet

whirlpools and engulfing depths within its pools.

لَهُ هَيبَةٌ كَم ضَيَّقَت مِن مُوَسَّعٍ

وكَم قَد غَدا رَهواً بِها المتَضايِقُ

His awe—how often it has narrowed what was spacious,

and how often through it the straitened has grown spacious!

يَرُدُّ مِنَ المُستَصعَباتِ بِطَرفِهِ

وَإِيمائِهِ ما لا تَرُدُّ الفَيالِقُ

With his glance he repels such formidable foes,

and with his gesture, as battalions cannot repel.

زَئيرُ لَيُوثِ الحَربِ حينَ تُحِسُّهُ

هَريرٌ وَإِمّا زَمجَرَت فَنَقانِقُ

The roar of war's lions, when they sense him,

is a growl; if they thunder, they are but ostriches.

إِذا غابَ فَهيَ الأُسدُ زأراً وَصَولَةً

وَإِن حَضَرَ الهَيجاءَ فَهيَ خَرانِقُ

When he is absent, they are lions in roar and assault;

when he enters battle, they are young hares.

أَحَلَّتهُ أَعلى كُلِّ مَجدٍ وَسُؤددٍ

صَوارِمُهُ وَالمُقرَباتُ السَوابِقُ

To the summit of all glory and lordship he has been raised

by his keen swords and his prized, fleet steeds.

وَأَلبَسَهُ تاجَ المَعالي سَخاؤُهُ

وَإِقدامُهُ وَالضَربُ فارٍ وَفارِقُ

His generosity has clothed him in the crown of high deeds,

and his daring, and blows that rend and cleave.

لَهُ الناسُ وَالدُنيا مِنَ اللَهِ نِحلَةً

حَباهُ بِها وَاللَهُ يُعطي وَيأفقُ

Mankind and the world are his, a gift from God,

who bestowed them upon him; God gives and surpasses all.

أَحَقُّ مُلوكِ الأَرضِ بِالمُلكِ مَن بِهِ

يَنالُ الغِنى الراجي وَتُحمى الحَقائِقُ

Most entitled of earth's kings to kingship is he through whom

the hopeful attain wealth and honor is defended.

هُمامٌ إِذا ما هَمَّ ضاقَت بِرَحبِها

مَغارِبُها عَن عَزمِهِ وَالمَشارِقُ

A resolute lord whose resolve makes, despite their breadth,

the world's western and eastern reaches too narrow for his purpose.

يُسابِقُهُ في الرَوعِ عِرنِينُ أَنفِهِ

وَلِلرُّمحِ حملاقٌ وَلِلسَيفِ عاتِقُ

The bridge of his nose races ahead of him amid terror,

with an eye for the spear, and a shoulder for the sword.

وَيَومٍ يُواري الشَمسَ رَيعانُ نَقعِهِ

وَيَحوَلُ قَبلَ الطَرفِ فيهِ الحَمالِقُ

And many a day whose surging dust conceals the sun,

and in which eyes roll awry before a blink,

وَتَمشي نُسورُ الجَوِّ فَوقَ عَجاجِهِ

وَتَبني بِهِ أَوكارَهُنَّ اللقالِقُ

while the sky's vultures walk above its dust-cloud,

and storks build their nests within it.

كَأَنَّ العَجاجَةَ عارِضٌ وَكَأَنَّما

بِهِ المَشرَفِيّاتُ المَواضي عَقائِقُ

As though the dust-cloud were a rain cloud, and as though

the keen Mashrafi swords within it were lightning flashes.

وَتَحسَبُ مِن رَأيِ الأَسِنَّةِ أَنَّها

قَواذِفُ قَذفٍ صَوَّتَت وَصَواعِقُ

Seeing the spearheads, you would think them

resounding missile-hurlers and thunderbolts.

وَقَد أَبطَلَ الضَربُ القِسيَّ وَأُلقِيَت

فَلَم يَبقَ إِلّا ضارِبٌ وَمُعانِقُ

The striking has made bows useless, and they are cast aside:

none remains but a swordsman or a grappler.

مَشى نَحوَهُم مَشيَ السَبنتى فَداحِضٌ

بِشِكَّتِهِ أَو طائِشُ اللُبِّ زاهِقُ

He strode toward them with a leopard's gait—one falling

in his armor, another perishing, his wits scattered—

بِنَصلٍ يَقُولُ المَوتُ حينَ يَشُكُّهُ

بِزَوجَةَ مَن يُعلى بِهِ أَنتِ طالِقُ

with a blade that makes death say, when he plunges it in,

to the wife of whoever it is raised against, 'You are divorced.'

فَصَكَّ بِهِ الأَبطالَ صَكّاً بِهِ اِلتَقَت

لِقاءَ قِلىً أَقدامُها وَالعَنافِقُ

He smote the champions with blows that brought together

their feet and chin-tufts in a meeting of hatred.

سَلِ الكُفرَ مَن أَودى بِدمياطَ رُكنَهُ

وَقَصَّرَ أَعلى فَرعِهِ وَهوَ باسِقُ

Ask unbelief who brought down its pillar at Damietta

and cut short its highest branch while it towered.

يُخَبِّركَ صِدقاً أَنَّ مُوسى هُوَ الَّذي

بِصارِمِهِ باقَت عَلَيهِ البَوائِقُ

It will tell you truly that Musa is the one

whose sword brought calamities down upon it.

وَقَد جاءَت الإِفرَنجُ مِن كُلِّ وجهَةٍ

كَأَنَّ تَداعيها السُيُولُ الدَوافِقُ

The Franks had come from every direction,

as though their rallying were rushing torrents:

كَتائِبُ مِلءُ البَرِّ وَالبَحرِ مَن بَدَت

لَهُ قالَ ذا جُنحٌ مِنَ اللَيلِ غاسِقُ

battalions filling land and sea; whoever saw them

said, 'This is a darkening stretch of night.'

تَسيرُ بِسَدٍّ مِن حَديدٍ لَوَ اِنَّهُ

هُوَ السَدُّ لَم يَخرِقهُ لِلوَعدِ خارِقُ

They advanced in a wall of iron which, had it been

the Wall, no breaker at the promised hour could have breached.

لَهُ لجَبٌ كادَت مِراراً لِهَولِهِ

تَقَطَّعُ بَينَ المُسلِمينَ العَلائِقُ

Its clamor was such that, time and again, its terror nearly

severed the bonds among the Muslims.

فَما كانَ إِلّا أَن أَحَسُّوا قُدُومَهُ

تَحُفُّ بِهِ تِلكَ البُنودُ الخَوافِقُ

Yet no sooner did they sense his coming,

those fluttering standards thronging around him,

يَهُزُّ حُساماً لَم يَكُن مِن دِمائِها

لَهُ صابِحٌ مِنهُم برِيٍّ وَغابِقُ

as he brandished a sword that, from their blood,

no morning or evening server among them had given its fill,

وَمالوا لِقَذفِ المالِ في اليَمِّ بِالضُحى

وَبِاللَيلِ ثارَت في الرِحالِ الحَرائِقُ

than they turned to casting wealth into the sea by daylight,

and by night fires broke out in their camps.

وَأَزعَجَهُم مَن ذاقَ لِلجُرحِ بَعدَهُم

بِأَمسٍ وَهَل يَستَعذِبُ المَوتَ ذائِقُ

They were alarmed by one who, after leaving them, had tasted wounds

the day before; does anyone who tastes death find it sweet?

فَوَلّوا فَمُنكَبٌّ عَلى أُمِّ رَأسِهِ

لَدُن ذاكَ لَم يَنفُق وَآخَرُ نافِقُ

They turned and fled: one fell headlong,

there and then not yet dead, while another was dead;

وَمُستَعصِمٌ بِالبَحرِ مِنهُ وَعائِدٌ

بِأَخلَقَ تَنبُو عَن صَفاهُ المَطارِقُ

one sought refuge from him in the sea, another resorted

to a smooth crag from whose hard face hammers rebound.

وَلَم يَبقَ يُثني مِن عَنانِ جَوادِهِ

أَبٌ لِاِبنِهِ وَالمَوتُ لِلقَومِ خانِقُ

No father remained to turn his horse's reins

back for his son, while death strangled the host.

فَسالَ دَمٌ لَو سالَ في الأَرضِ لَاِستَوى

بِها رَدَغٌ ما عُمِّرَت وَمَزالِقُ

Such blood flowed that, had it flowed on land, there would have formed

mire and slippery places there for all its inhabited days.

جَرى مِنهُ فَوقَ البَحرِ بَحرٌ فَمَوجُهُ

إِلى الآنِ مِن بَعدِ الأَقاحي شَقائِقُ

A sea of it ran over the sea, whose waves

to this day are anemones where once they were daisies.

فَصارَ نَئيماً ذَلِكَ الزَأرُ وَاِغتَدَت

بُغاماً لِفَرطِ الخَوفِ تِلكَ الشَقائِقُ

That roaring became a faint moan, and

those bellowings became soft lowing from sheer terror.

وَلَم يُنجِ مِنهُم لُجُّ بَحرٍ وَلا حَمَت

حُصونٌ أُديرَت حَولَهُنَّ الخَنادِقُ

Neither the deep sea saved any of them, nor protected them

fortresses ringed about with moats.

وَلا مَنَعت في مُلتَقاها مُلوكها

قَرابَتُها صُهبُ اللِّحى والبَطارِقُ

Nor were their kings protected at the clash

by their kinsmen—the tawny-bearded and the patricians.

فَيا لَكَ عَصراً أَلبَسَ الكُفرَ حُلَّةً

مِنَ الذُلِّ لا تَبلى وَلِلمِسكِ ناشِقُ

What an age, that clothed unbelief in a robe

of abasement, never to wear out while anyone inhales musk!

وَمَدَّ عَلى الإِسلامِ سِتراً مُوَفَّقاً

مِنَ العِزِّ يَبقى ما تَأَوَّهَ عاشِقُ

And spread over Islam a blessed covering

of might, lasting as long as a lover sighs.

فَلَولاهُ لَم يَنطِق بِدِمياطَ داعِياً

إِلى كَلِمَةِ التَوحيدِ وَالعَدلِ ناطِقُ

But for him, no speaker in Damietta would have called

to the declaration of God's oneness and justice.

فَأُقسِمُ ما والاهُ إِلّا مُوَحِّدٌ

تَقِيٌّ وَما عاداهُ إِلّا مُنافِقُ

I swear: none befriends him but a believer in the One,

devout; and none is his enemy but a hypocrite.

فَلا يُعدِمَنَّ اللَهُ أَيّامَهُ الَّتي

بِها يَفتُقُ الإِسلامُ ما الكُفرُ راتِقُ

May God never take away his days, in which

Islam unseams what unbelief has sewn shut.

أَبا الفَتحِ لا زالَت بِكَفَّيكَ تَلتَقي

مَفاتيحُ أَرزاقِ الوَرى وَالمَغالِقُ

Abu al-Fath, may there ever meet in your hands

the keys to mankind's livelihoods and their locks.

إِلَيكَ رَمَت بِي نائِباتٌ هَوارِقٌ

لِدَمعي وَأَحداثٌ لِعَظمي عَوارِقُ

To you I was cast by calamities that pour out

my tears, and events that strip my bones bare.

أَبِيتُ وَفي صَدري مِنَ البَينِ خارقٌ

وَفي عُنُقي مِن كَظمَةِ الغَمِّ خانِقُ

I pass the night with separation piercing my breast,

and choking grief tightening about my neck.

وَلَم يَبقَ بَعدَ اللَهِ إِلّاكَ مَقصِدٌ

تَمُدُّ إِلَيهِ بِالأَكُفِّ الخَلائِقُ

After God, no destination remains but you,

toward whom all people stretch out their palms.

فَكَم لُجِّ تَيّارٍ إِلَيكَ اِعتَسَفتُهُ

تُهالُ لِرُؤياهُ العُيونُ الرَوامِقُ

How many a surging deep I have forced my way across toward you,

whose very sight terrifies watching eyes!

وَكَم جُبتُ مِن مَجهولَةٍ وَمُشَيِّعي

بِها قَلبُ مَأثورٍ وَشَيخانُ آفِقُ

How many an unknown waste I have crossed, escorted

there by a lion's heart and a mighty, far-ranging camel.

وَما لِيَ خُبرٌ بِالفَيافي وَإِنَّما

سَناؤُكَ فيها قائِدٌ لي وَسائِقُ

I have no knowledge of the deserts; rather,

your radiance is my leader and my driver there.

شُهورٌ تِباعٌ سَبعَةٌ وَثَلاثَةٌ

أُرافِقُ لا أَلوي بِها وَأُفارِقُ

Months in succession—seven and three—

I join companions and part from them, never turning aside.

أَسيرُ مُجدّاً أَربَعاً وَيَعوقُني

ثَمانٍ مِنَ الحُمّاءِ وَالخَوفِ عائِقُ

I travel earnestly for four nights, and am hindered

for eight by the impediment of fever and fear.

وَأَينَ مِنَ البَحرَينِ سَنجارُ وَالقَنا

وَمِن راحَتَيها كِندَةٌ وَالجَرامِقُ

How far from Bahrain are Sinjar and the spears,

and from its two palms, Kinda and the Jaramiq!

وَلَكِن إِذا ما المَرءُ لَم يَلقَ يَومَهُ

أَتى أَيَّ أَرضٍ رامَها وَهوَ رافِقُ

Yet if a man has not met his appointed day,

he reaches whatever land he seeks, at ease.

وَحُسنَ حَديثِ الناسِ عَنكَ اِستَفَزَّني

إِلَيكَ وَوُدٌّ يَعلَمُ اللَهُ صادِقُ

The beauty of what people say of you has drawn me

to you, and a love God knows is sincere.

فَداكَ مِنَ الأَسواءِ كُلُّ مُضَلَّلٍ

عَنِ الرُشدِ لَم يَطرُقه لِلجُودِ طارِقُ

May every misguided man ransom you from misfortunes,

far from right guidance, never visited by a seeker of bounty.

وَلا زِلتَ مَحرُوسَ الجَنابِ مُمَلَّكا

رِقابَ عِدى عَلياكَ ما ذَرَّ شارِقُ

May you ever be guarded in your domain, made master

of the necks of your high rank's enemies, as long as the sun rises.