ظن الأراك لدى واديه أظعانا — Abn Hius

ظَنَّ الأَراكَ لَدى واديهِ أَظعانا

فَلَم يُطِق لِرَسيسِ الشَوقِ كِتمانا

He mistook the arak grove beside its valley for departing caravans,

And could not conceal the lingering ache of longing.

فَبانَ لِلرَكبِ شَجوٌ كانَ يَستُرُهُ

عَن كُلِّ مُستَخبِرٍ مِن حُبِّ مَن بانا

Then sorrow he had hidden became plain to the caravan,

Hidden from every inquirer, born of love for those who had departed.

وَفي الظَعائِنِ غِزلانٌ هَوادِجُها

تَحوي بُدوراً وَأَغصاناً وَكُثبانا

Among the departing women are gazelles whose howdahs

Contain full moons, branches, and sand dunes.

وَغادَةً عادَةٌ مِنها الصُدودُ فَما

تَنفَكُّ توسِعُنا مَطلاً وَلِيّانا

And a delicate maiden whose habit is to turn away, who

Never ceases to lavish delays and evasions upon us.

فَهَب نَواها اِستَبَدَّت دونَنا عَبَثاً

بِها وَإِن بَعُدَت في القُربِ هِجرانا

Suppose her separation has wantonly held sole sway, apart from us,

Over her, though she was distant through estrangement even when near:

فَما عَلى طَيفِها لَو عادَ يَطرُقُنا

فَطالَما زارَ أَحياناً فَأَحيانا

What harm would it do her dream-image to return and visit us by night?

How often it visited at times and brought us back to life!

إِن يُعقِبِ الحَزنُ حُزناً بَعدَ جيرَتِهِ

فَقَد نَعِمنا بِهِم دَهراً بِنَعمانا

If the rugged uplands bring grief after our sojourn beside them,

We once enjoyed their company for an age in Na'man.

أَو تُصبِحُ الدارُ صِفراً إِن دَنا صَفَرٌ

فَقَد تَلاءَمَ في شَعبانَ شَعبانا

Or if the dwelling becomes empty as Safar approaches,

Our two bands were united in Sha'ban.

وَقَد وَقَفتُ بِأَصحابي بِمَنزِلَةٍ

يَبيتُ يَقظانُها وَهلانَ وَلهانا

I halted with my companions at an abode

Whose wakeful inhabitant spends the night fearful and distraught.

فيها جَنى حينَ حَيّانا النَسيمُ بِما

سُفناهُ يَومَ اِلتَقى بِالجِزعِ حَيّانا

There the breeze did us harm when it greeted us with what

We had smelled the day our two clans met at the valley's bend.

نَبكي وَتُسعِدُنا كومُ المَطِيِّ فَهَل

نَحنُ المَشوقونَ فيها أَم مَطايانا

We weep, and the high-humped mounts join our mourning; are

We the ones yearning there, or our mounts?

وَلا وَمَن بَرَأَ الأَشياءَ ما وَجَدَت

كَوَجدِنا العيسُ بَل رَقَّت لِشَكوانا

No, by Him who created all things, they never felt

Longing like ours, those pale camels; they merely pitied our lament.

بِحَيثُ أُنشِدُ أَشعاري وَأَنشُدُهُم

لَو تَسمَعُ الدارُ إِنشاداً وَنِشدانا

There I recite my poems and seek tidings of them,

If only the dwelling could hear recitation and inquiry.

لا وَجدَ إِلّا كَوَجدٍ كُنتُ أَكتُمُهُ

خَوفاً وَلا مَجدَ إِلّا مَجدُ مَولانا

No longing equals the longing I used to conceal

In fear, and no glory but our lord's glory:

الحائِزُ الفَخرَ مَولوداً وَمُكتَسَباً

وَالحائِزُ الحُكمَ فيمَن شَطَّ أَو دانا

The possessor of honor both by birth and by attainment,

And the possessor of dominion over those far away or near.

مُصَدَّقٌ كُلُّ ما يُثنى عَلَيهِ بِهِ

كَأَنَّ مُدّاحَهُ يَتلونَ قُرآنا

Everything for which he is praised is accepted as true,

As though his panegyrists were reciting the Qur'an.

مَن أَظهَرَ العَدلَ في الآفاقِ فَاِمتَنَعَت

ظِباءُ وَجرَةَ مِن آسادِ خَفّانا

He who spread justice throughout the horizons, so that

The gazelles of Wajra are safe from the lions of Khaffan.

في دَولَةٍ جَعَلَ اللَهُ الكَريمُ لَها

حَوادِثَ الدَهرِ أَنصاراً وَأَعوانا

In a reign for which God, the Generous, made

The events of time supporters and helpers.

عَزَّت فَمَن دانَ لَم يُلمِم بِساحَتِهِ

خَطبٌ وَمَن خانَ يَوماً رَبَّها حانا

It grew mighty: whoever obeyed, his courtyard was never visited

By calamity; whoever once betrayed its lord met his doom.

يا اِبنَ الكِرامِ الأُلى كانَت سُيوفُهُمُ

قَواعِداً لِمَعاليهِم وَأَركانا

O son of the noble men whose swords were

Foundations and pillars of their lofty eminence.

لَكَ الأُصولُ الَّتي طابَت مَغارِسُها

قِدماً فَجاوَزَتِ الجَوزاءَ أَغصانا

Yours are roots whose planting grounds were good

Of old, so that their branches rose beyond al-Jawza.

فَمِن جُدودِهِمُ الأَملاكُ في حَلَبٍ

وَمِن جُدودِهِمُ أَملاكُ بَغدانا

Among their ancestors are the kings in Aleppo,

And among their ancestors the kings of Baghdad.

الطَيِّبونَ أَحاديثاً وَأَندِيَةً

وَمَكرُماتٍ وَأَفياءً وَأَفنانا

Men noble in their speech and gatherings,

In generous deeds, sheltering shade, and branches.

رُجوا قَديماً لِما تُرجى الرِجالُ لَهُ

أَجِنَّةً وَاِستَحَقّوا المُلكَ وِلدانا

Long ago, they were looked to for what men are looked to for,

While still unborn, and they deserved kingship as children.

إِذا نَبَت بِالوَرى أَوطانُهُم فَنَأَوا

كانَت لَهُم رُتَبُ العَلياءِ أَوطانا

When men's homelands grew inhospitable and they went afar,

The ranks of exalted glory became their homelands.

وَقَبلَكُم وَالجِيادُ الجارِياتُ بِكُم

تَشتَدُّ ما اِمتَطَتِ الآسادُ عِقبانا

Before you, with racing steeds carrying you

At full gallop, lions had never ridden eagles.

وَريعَ حَيٌّ لَقاحٌ لا يَروعُهُمُ

مِنَ المُلوكِ عَظيمٌ كانَ مَن كانا

An independent tribe was terrified, one whom no

Mighty king, whoever he might be, could frighten.

حَتّى مَضَوا يَحسِبونَ اللَيلَ مِن فَرَقٍ

نَقعَ الرَدى وَنُجومَ اللَيلِ خِرصانا

Until they went away, imagining the night, from terror,

To be the dust of death, and the night's stars spearheads.

كَمِ اِستَقَيتُم نُفوساً عَزَّ ناصِرُها

مُنذُ اِتَّخَذتُم رِماحَ الخَطِّ أَشطانا

How many souls, whose defender was mighty, you drew forth,

Since you took the spears of al-Khatt as well ropes!

حَتّى بَدَت أَنجُماً في الأَرضِ باقِيَةً

فَكَم رَجَمتُم بِها مِنَ الإِنسِ شَيطانا

Until they appeared as stars abiding on earth:

How many a devil among men you stoned with them!

قَد أُعجِمَت طاءُ طُعّانِ العِدى فَتُرى

لِخَوفِها قَبلَ وَشكِ الرَوعِ ظُعّانا

The ṭāʾ in the foes' ṭuʿʿān ('spearmen') is dotted, so they appear

For fear of the spears, before terror approaches, as ẓuʿʿān ('departing men').

يا طالَما ناجَزوكُم عِندَ مُعتَرَكٍ

حيناً فَجَرَّ طِلابُ الرِبحِ خُسرانا

Ah, how often they fought you on a battlefield

For a time, but their pursuit of gain brought loss!

أَبَيتُمُ سَلبَ قَتلاهُم فَلَو دُفِنوا

لَاِستَصحَبوا حَلَقَ الماذِيَّ أَكفانا

You refused to strip their slain; had they been buried,

They would have taken the rings of gleaming mail as shrouds.

مَلَأتُمُ الأَرضَ إِقداماً وَمَرحَمَةً

وَفُقتُمُ أَهلَها شيباً وَشُبّانا

You filled the earth with courage and mercy,

And surpassed its people, gray-haired and young.

وَأَنتَ أَرهَفُهُم حَدّاً وَأَسعَدُهُم

جَدّاً وَأَعظَمُهُم في سُؤدُدٍ شانا

And you are the keenest-edged of them, the most fortunate

In luck, and the greatest of them in lordly stature.

أَرى رَعاياكَ حَلَّت رَوضَةً أُنُفاً

يَجودُها الأَمنُ وَالإِنصافُ تَهتانا

I see your subjects settled in a meadow never yet grazed,

Watered by safety and fairness in abundant showers.

آثَرتَهُم بِالكَرى لَمّا مَلَكتَ وَمَن

أَضافَ هَمَّكَ باتَ اللَيلَ يَقظانا

You favored them with sleep when you took power; whoever

Hosts your concern spends the night awake.

هَمٌّ إِذا ما عَرى أَفضى إِلى هِمَمٍ

جاوَرنَ بَهرامَ أَو جاوَزنَ كيوانا

A concern which, when it assails, leads to aspirations

That dwell beside Bahram or rise beyond Kaywan.

بَني كِلابٍ أَطيعوا أَمرَ سَيِّدِكُم

فَقَد أَعَزَّ حِماهُ مَن لَهُ دانا

Sons of Kilab, obey your lord's command,

For his protection has made mighty those who obey him.

تُضحي النَعامُ أُسوداً تَحتَ طاعَتِهِ

وَتُمسَخُ الأَسدُ إِن عاصَتهُ ظِلمانا

Ostriches become lions when they obey him,

And lions, if they disobey him, are transformed into male ostriches.

لا تُضمِروا حَسَداً مَحصولُهُ عَطَبٌ

إِنَّ التَحاسُدَ أَفنى آلَ ذُبيانا

Do not harbor envy, whose harvest is ruin:

Indeed, mutual envy destroyed the house of Dhubyan.

وَلِلتَنافُسِ صارَ المُسلِمونَ إِلى

ما يَكرَهونَ وَعادَ الدينُ أَديانا

Through rivalry, the Muslims came to

What they hate, and religion became many religions.

لوذوا بِأَروَعَ يُعطي الأَلفَ مُقتَضِباً

قَبلَ السُؤالِ وَيَلقى الأَلفَ جَذلانا

Seek refuge with an awe-inspiring man who gives a thousand outright,

Before being asked, and faces a thousand joyfully.

فَلَو تَقَدَّمَ لَم تَفخَر بِحاتِمِها

وَعَمرِها سالِفاً أَبناءُ قَحطانا

Had he lived earlier, there would have been no boasting of their Hatim

And their 'Amr of old by the sons of Qahtan.

وَلَم تُؤَبِّن إِيادٌ في مَحافِلِها

مَن ماتَ في طاعَةِ المَعروفِ ظَمآنا

Nor would Iyad have eulogized in its assemblies

The man who died thirsty in the service of kindness.

أَبا المُظَفَّرِ جاوَزتَ المَدى وَعَنا

لَكَ الزَمانُ فَما يَسطيعُ عِصيانا

Abu al-Muzaffar, you have surpassed all bounds, and submissive

To you is time, unable to disobey.

لا يَدَّعِ الآنَ ما أوتيتَ مِن شَرَفٍ

مَن لا يُقيمُ عَلى دَعواهُ بُرهانا

Let none now claim the honor you have received

Who offers no proof to support his claim.

فَالمَجدُ لَو أَنَّهُ شَخصٌ يَرى وَيُرى

إِذاً لَكُنتَ لَهُ روحاً وَجُثمانا

For if glory were a person who sees and is seen,

Then you would be its soul and body.

أَتَيتَهُ مِن طَريقٍ قَطُّ ما طُرِقَت

أَكانَ عَنها جَميعُ الناسِ عُميانا

You reached it by a path never before trodden:

Were all people blind to it?

مَناقِبٌ لَكَ لَو فازَ المُلوكُ بِها

لَصَيَّروها عَلى التيجانِ تيجانا

Virtues are yours which, had kings attained them,

They would have set them as crowns upon their crowns.

أَهَنتَ ما لَو أَهانوهُ لَما حَمَلوا

عَلى المَفارِقِ ياقوتاً وَعِقيانا

You held cheap what, had they held it cheap, they would not have borne

Upon their heads rubies and pure gold.

مُناقِضاً لَهُمُ في الأَرضِ تُبدِلُها

بِالخَوفِ أَمناً وَبِالإِخرابِ عُمرانا

Unlike them, you transform the earth,

Replacing fear with safety, and devastation with flourishing.

وَكُلُّ صامِتَةٍ فيها وَناطِقَةٍ

تَدعو لَكَ اللَهَ إِسراراً وَإِعلانا

And every silent thing and speaking being in it

Prays to God for you, in secret and openly.

أَمّا أَبوكَ الَّذي بَذَّ المُلوكَ إِلى

مَدى الثَناءِ بِما أَعطى اِبنَ سَلمانا

As for your father, who outstripped the kings toward

The utmost reach of praise through what he gave Ibn Salman,

أَهانَ بِالجودِ ما لَو فُضَّ أَيسَرُهُ

عَلى كِرامِ بَني الدُنيا لَما هانا

Through generosity he held cheap what, if even its least part were distributed

Among the noble sons of the world, would not have seemed paltry.

لَأَشكُرَنَّ هِباتٍ مِنكَ ما كَدِرَت

بِالمَنِّ يَوماً وَظَنّاً فيهِ ما مانا

I shall surely give thanks for gifts from you never clouded

By reminders of favor, and for an expectation of him that never proved false.

مَكارِمٌ زانَها الإِكرامُ وَاِتَّصَلَت

أَرى الجُحودَ لَهاً ظُلماً وَعُدوانا

Generous deeds adorned by graciousness and continuing unbroken:

I regard denial of them as injustice and transgression.

أَنسانِيَ اللَهُ ما أَعدَدتُهُ لِغَدٍ

إِنِ اِعتَمَدتُ لِما أَولاهُ نِسيانا

May God make me forget what I have prepared for tomorrow

If I deliberately forget what he has bestowed.

أَمِنتُ ما خِفتُ مُذ يَمَّمتُ حَضرَتَهُ

وَاِعتَضتُ مِن عَدَمِ الإيسارِ وِجدانا

I have been safe from what I feared since I made for his presence,

And exchanged lack of means for abundance.

وَلِلحَمِيَّةِ لا عَن زِلَّةٍ حَكَمَت

بِالبُعدِ فارَقتُ أَخداناً وَخُلّانا

Out of proud honor—not because of a lapse decreeing

Exile—I parted from companions and friends.

تُخيفُني بَلَدٌ حَتّى أَعودَ إِلى

أُخرى كَأَنِّيَ عِمرانُ بنُ حِطّانا

One land frightens me until I return to

Another, as though I were 'Imran ibn Hittan.

وَمُذ عَقَلتُ المُنى وَالعيسَ في حَلَبٍ

حَلَلتُ آمَنَ أَرضِ اللَهِ سُكّانا

Since I tethered my hopes and the pale camels in Aleppo,

I have settled in the safest of God's lands for its inhabitants.

لا يَطَّبيني مَكانٌ بَعدَ ظِلَّكُما

حَتّى يَهُزَّ هُبوبُ الريحِ ثَهلانا

No place can entice me after shelter beneath you both,

Until the wind's blowing shakes Thahlan.

حَسبي الَّذي جادَ لي تاجُ المُلوكِ بِهِ

وَما أَنالَ جَلالُ الدَولَةِ الآنا

Enough for me is what Taj al-Muluk generously gave me,

And what Jalal al-Dawla has bestowed now.

عُرفٌ حَوَيتَ بِهِ أَجراً مُوازِيَةً

فَخُذ ثَناءً يَجوبُ الأَرضَ رُجحانا

A kindness through which you gained a commensurate reward;

So take praise that traverses the earth, weightier still.

في كُلِّ مَعدومَةِ الأَشباهِ لَو طَرَقَت

سَمعَ اِبنَ جَفنَةَ لَم يَحفِل بِحَسّانا

In every matchless ode which, had it reached

The ear of Ibn Jafna, he would have disregarded Hassan.

أَعيَت زِياداً فَلَم يَحبُ الجُلاحَ بِها

وَلَم يَجِدها بِلالٌ عِندَ غَيلانا

It eluded Ziyad, who never rewarded al-Julah for such a poem,

Nor did Bilal find its like with Ghaylan.

لَها إِذا حَسَّنَ الشِعرَ الغِناءُ غِنىً

عَن أَن يَصوغَ لَها الشادونَ أَلحانا

When singing embellishes poetry, this ode has no need

For singers to compose melodies for it.

ما أُنشِدَت قَطُّ إِلّا ظَلَّ مِن طَرَبٍ

مَن لا تُحَرِّكُهُ الصَهباءُ نَشوانا

It is never recited without leaving, through rapture,

Even one unmoved by tawny wine intoxicated.

بِكرٌ إِذا رَدَّتِ الخُطّابَ خائِبَةً

جاءَتكَ خاطِبَةً يا فَخرَ عَدنانا

A virgin who, when she turns away suitors in disappointment,

Comes to woo you, O pride of 'Adnan.

فَهُنِّئَت بِكَ أَعيادُ الزَمانِ فَقَد

صَحا بِظِلِّكَ دَهرٌ كانَ سَكرانا

So the festivals of time are congratulated on you, for

An age once drunk has sobered under your shelter.

إِنّي وَجَدتُ لِطَرفِ المَجدِ مِنكَ عُلىً

سَما لَها وَلِطِرفِ المَدحِ مَيدانا

I have found in you heights for the gaze of glory

To rise toward, and an arena for the steed of praise.

فَاِسلَم لِباغي عَداً تَبتَزُّ مُهجَتَهُ

قَسراً وَباغي نَدىً توليهِ إِحسانا

So remain safe for the seeker of enmity, whose lifeblood you seize

By force, and the seeker of bounty, whom you grant kindness.