كفاني شكوى أن أرى المجد شاكيا — Abn Khafajah

كَفاني شَكوى أَن أَرى المَجدَ شاكِيا

وَحَسبُ الرَزايا أَن تَراني باكِيا

It is complaint enough for me to see glory complaining.

And calamities need only see me weeping.

أُداري فُؤاداً يَصدَعُ الصَدرَ زَفرَةً

وَرَجعَ أَنينٍ يَحلُبُ الدَمعَ ساجِيا

I soothe a heart that cleaves the chest with a sigh,

and the echo of a moan that milks the still tears.

وَكَيفَ أُوارى مِن أُوارٍ وَجَدتُني

لَهُ صادِراً عَن مَنهَلِ الماءِ صادِيا

And how can I be sheltered from a blaze, when I find myself

because of it leaving the watering-place thirsty?

وَها أَنا تَلقاني اللَيالي بِمِلئِها

خُطوباً وَأَلقى بِالعَويلِ اللَيالِيا

Here I am: the nights meet me with their full burden

of calamities, and I meet the nights with wailing.

وَتَطوي عَلى وَخزِ الأَشافي جَوانِحي

تَوالي رَزايا لا تَرى الدَمعَ شافِيا

And my ribs are folded over the pricking of awls

by successive calamities that find no cure in tears.

ضَمانٌ عَلَيها أَن تَرى القَلبَ خافِقاً

طِوالَ اللَيالي أَو تَرى الطَرفَ دامِيا

They are bound to see the heart throbbing

through all the nights, or to see the eye bleeding.

وَإِنَّ صَفاءَ الوُدِّ وَالعَهدُ بَينَنا

لِيَكرَهُ لي أَن أَشرَبَ الماءَ صافِيا

And indeed, pure affection—with our covenant between us—

surely begrudges me drinking clear water.

وَكَم قَد لَحَتني العاذِلاتُ جَهالَةً

وَيَأبى المُعَنّى أَن يُطيعَ اللَواحِيا

How often the reproaching women have scolded me in ignorance!

But the tormented one refuses to obey his reproachers.

فَقُلتُ لَها إِنَّ البُكاءَ لَراحَةٌ

بِهِ يَشتَفي مَن ظَنَّ أَن لا تَلاقِيا

So I told her: Weeping is indeed a solace,

through which whoever believes there is no reunion finds relief.

أَلا إِنَّ دَهراً قَد تَقاضى شَبيبَتي

وَصَحبي لَدَهرٌ قَد تَقاضى المَرازِيا

Indeed, an age that has exacted my youth

and my companions is an age that has exacted grievous losses.

وَقَد كُنتُ أُهدي المَدحَ وَالدارُ غُربَةٌ

فَكَيفَ بِإِهدائي إِلَيهِ المَراثِيا

And I used to offer praise, while my home was exile;

how, then, can I offer him elegies?

أَأَحبابَنا بِالعَدوَتَينِ صَمَمتُمُ

بِحُكمِ اللَيالي أَن تُجيبوا المُنادِيا

O our loved ones on the two shores, have you grown deaf,

by the decree of nights, to answering the caller?

فَقَيَّدتُ مِن شَكوى وَأَطلَقتُ عَبرَتي

وَخَفَّضتُ مِن صَوتي هُنالِكَ شاكِيا

So I restrained my complaint and set my tear free,

and lowered my voice there, lamenting.

وَأَكبَرتُ خَطباً أَن أَرى الصَبرَ بالِياً

وَراءَ ظَلامِ اللَيلِ وَالنَجمَ ثاوِيا

And I deemed it a grave calamity to see patience worn out

behind the darkness of night, and the star resting still.

وَإِن عُطِّلَ النادي بِهِ مِن حِلاكُمُ

وَكانَ عَلى عَهدِ التَفاوُضِ حالِيا

And though the gathering-place was thereby stripped of your adornments,

it had been adorned in the days of conversation.

وَما كانَ أَحلى مُقتَضى ذَلِكَ الجَنى

وَأحسَنَ هاتيكَ المَرامي مَرامِيا

And how sweet was the yield of that fruit,

and how lovely those aims were to pursue,

وَأَندى مُحَيّا ذَلِكَ العَصرِ مَطلَعاً

وَأَكرَمَ نادي ذَلِكَ الصَحبِ نادِيا

and how dewy the face of that age at its rising,

and how noble that company's gathering-place as a gathering!

زَمانٌ تَوَلّى بِالمَحاسِنِ عاطِرٌ

تَكادُ لَياليهِ تَسيلُ غَوالِيا

A time gone by, fragrant with beauties,

whose nights almost flowed with precious perfumes.

تَقَضّى وَأَلقى بَينَ جَنبَيَّ لَوعَةً

أُباكي بِها أُخرى اللَيالي البَواكِيا

It passed away, leaving burning anguish between my ribs,

with which I weep alongside the latter, weeping nights.

كَأَنّي لَم أَنسَ إِلى اللَهوِ لَيلَةً

وَلَم أَتَصَفَّح صَفحَةَ الدَهرِ راضِيا

As though I never felt at ease with pleasure for a night,

nor read the page of time contentedly,

وَلَم أَتَلَقَّ الريحَ تَندى عَلى الحَشى

شَذاءً وَلَم أَطرَب إِلى الطَيرِ شادِيا

nor received the wind, shedding upon my heart

fragrance, nor thrilled to the birds singing.

وَكانَت تَحايانا عَلى القُربِ وَالنَوى

تَطيبُ عَلى مَرِّ اللَيالي تَعاطِيا

And our greetings, in nearness and in separation,

grew sweet in exchange as the nights passed.

فَهَل مِن لِقاءٍ مُعرِضٍ أَو تَحِيَّةٍ

مَعَ الرَكبِ يَغشى أَو مَعَ الطَيفِ سارِيا

Is there, then, a meeting in prospect, or a greeting

with a caravan arriving, or with a phantom traveling by night?

فَها أَنا وَالأَرزاءُ تَقرَعُ مَروَةً

بِصَدري وَقَلباً بَينَ جَنبَيَّ حانِيا

Here I am, while calamities strike at a flint

in my breast, and a tender heart between my ribs.

أَحِنُّ إِذا ماعَسعَسَ اللَيلُ حِنَّةً

تُذيبُ الحَوايا أَو تَفُضَّ التَراقِيا

I yearn, when night draws in, with a yearning

that melts the entrails or splits the collarbones.

وَأُرخِصُ أَعلاقَ الدُموعِ صَبابَةً

وَعَهدي بِأَعلاقِ الدُموعِ غَوالِيا

And I squander the precious jewels of tears in longing,

though I have known those jewels of tears to be costly.

فَما بِنتُ أَيكٍ بِالعَراءِ مُرِنَّةٌ

تُنادي هَديلاً قَد أَضَلَّتهُ نائِيا

No daughter of the grove, lamenting in the open,

calling to Hadil, whom she has lost far away,

وَتَندُبُ عَهداً قَد تَقَضّى بِرامَةٍ

وَوَكراً بِأَكنافِ المُشَقَّرِ خالِيا

and mourning a time gone by at Rama,

and an empty nest on the outskirts of al-Mushaqqar,

بِأَخفَقَ أَحشاءً وَأَنبا حَشِيَّةً

وَأَضرَمَ أَنفاساً وَأَندى مَآقِيا

has entrails more tremulous, a heart more uneasy,

breaths more burning, and eye-corners wetter than mine.

فَهَل قائِلٌ عَنّي لِوادٍ بِذي الغَضا

تَأَرَّج مَعَ الأَمساءِ حُيّيتَ وادِيا

Will someone say on my behalf to a valley at Dhu al-Ghada,

fragrant in the evenings: Greetings to you, valley!

وَعَلِّل بِرَيّا الرَندِ نَفساً عَليلَةً

مَعَ الصُبحِ يَندى أَو مَعَ اللَيلِ هادِيا

And soothe with laurel's scent an ailing soul,

as morning grows dewy, or as night lies quiet.

فَكَم شاقَني مِن مَنظَرٍ فيكَ رائِقٍ

هَزَزتُ لَهُ مِن مِعطَفِ السُكرِ صاحِيا

How many a lovely sight in you has stirred my longing,

for which I swayed my shoulder drunkenly, though sober.

وَضاحَكَني ثَغرُ الأَقاحِ وَمَبسِمٌ

فَلَم أَدرِ أَيُّ بانَ ثُمَّ أَقاحِيا

The mouth of the daisies smiled at me, and a smiling mouth,

so I could not tell which then appeared as daisies.

وَدونَ حِلى تِلكَ الشَبيبَةِ شَبيبَةٌ

جَلَبتُ بِها غَمّاً وَلَم أَكُ خالِيا

And there is a youth without the adornments of that youth,

in which I brought on sorrow and was not carefree.

وَإِنَّ أَجَدَّ الوَجدِ وَجدٌ بِأَشمَطٍ

تَلَدَّدَ يَستَقري الرُسومَ الخَوالِيا

Indeed, the freshest longing is the longing of a graying man,

who looks about anxiously, searching the deserted traces.

وَتَهفو صَبا نَجدٍ بِهِ طيبَ نَفحَةٍ

فَيَلقى صَبا نَجدٍ بِما كانَ لاقِيا

And Najd's east wind wafts around him with a fragrant breath;

he greets Najd's east wind as he once greeted it.

فَقُل لِلَّيالي الخيفِ هَل مِن مُعَرِّجٍ

عَلَينا وَلَو طَيفاً سُقيتَ لَيالِيا

Then say to the nights of al-Khayf: Is there a visitor

to us, if only a phantom? May rain fall on you, nights!

وَرَدِّد بِهاتيكَ الأَباطِحِ وَالرُبى

تَحِيَّةَ صَبٍّ لَيسَ يَرجو التَلاقِيا

And repeat through those gravelly flats and hills

the greeting of a lover who does not hope for reunion.

فَما أَستَسيغُ الماءَ يَعذُبُ ظامِئاً

وَلا أَستَطيبُ الظِلَّ يَبرُدُ ضاحِيا

Though thirsty, I cannot relish water, however sweet,

nor, exposed to the sun, delight in shade, however cool.

وَلَولا أَمانٍ عَلَّلَتني عَلى النَوى

بِلُقيا اِبنِ زَهرٍ ماعَرَفتُ الأَمانِيا

Were it not for hopes that soothed me in separation

with meeting Ibn Zuhr, I would never have known hope.

أَخو المَجدِ لَم يَعدُل عَنِ النَجدِ نازِلاً

بِأَرضٍ وَلَم يَشمَخ مَعَ العِزِّ ثاوِيا

A brother of glory, he never left the high ground when settling

in a land, nor grew haughty in honor while residing.

تَلوذُ بِرُكنَي حالِقٍ مِنهُ شاهِقٍ

فَتَغشى كَريماً حامِلاً عَنكَ حامِيا

You shelter at the twin buttresses of his lofty, towering height,

and find a generous man who bears your burdens and protects you.

يُساجِلُ طَوراً كَفُّهُ الغَيثَ غادِياً

وَيَحمِلُ طَوراً دِرعُهُ اللَيثَ عادِيا

At times his hand vies with rain coming at dawn;

at times his armor bears a lion charging forth.

وَتَبأى العُلى مِنهُ بِأَبيَضَ ماجِدٍ

يُجَرِّدُ دونَ المَجدِ أَبيَضَ ماضِيا

And exalted glory boasts of him, a radiant, noble man,

who unsheathes, in glory's defense, a bright, keen sword,

وَيَحطِمُهُ مابَينَ دِرعٍ وَمِغفَرٍ

وَإِن كانَ عَضبَ الشَفرَتَينِ يَمانِيا

and shatters it between coat of mail and helmet,

though it is Yemeni, with both edges sharp.

شَريفٌ لِآباءٍ نَمَتهُ شَريفَةٍ

يَطولُ العَوالي بَسطَةً وَالمَعالِيا

Noble, brought forth by noble forefathers,

he surpasses tall spears in stature, and the heights of honor.

يُسابِقُ أَنفاسَ الرِياحِ سَماحَةً

وَيَحمِلُ أَوضاحَ الصَباحِ مَساعِيا

He outruns the breaths of winds in generosity,

and bears the radiance of morning in his deeds.

إِذا نَحنُ أَثنَينا عَلَيها وَجَدتُنا

نُحَلّي صُدوراً لِلعُلى وَهَوادِيا

When we praise them, I find us

adorning the breasts and necks of exalted glory.

كَفى قَومَهُ عَلياءَ أَن كانَ غايَةً

لَهُم وَكَفاهُ أَن يَكونوا مَبادِيا

It was glory enough for his people that he was a culmination

for them, and enough for him that they were beginnings.

تَبَوَّأَ مِن رَسمِ الوِزارَةِ رُتبَةً

تَمَنّى مَراقيها النُجومُ مَراقِيا

He attained in the office of the vizierate a rank

whose stairways the stars wish were their own to climb.

وَأَحرَزَ في أُخرى اللَيالي فَضائِلاً

تُعَدُّ عَلى حُكمِ المَعالي أَوالِيا

And in the later nights he attained virtues

counted foremost by the judgment of exalted merit.

مَكارِمُ نَستَضحي بِها مِن مُلِمَّةٍ

تَنوبُ وَنَستَسقي الغَمامَ غَوادِيا

Generous deeds by which we seek daylight from an affliction

that befalls us, and ask clouds coming at dawn for rain.

لَقيتُ بِهِ وَاللَيلُ رائِشُ نَبلِهِ

أَخا فَهمٍ لايُخطِئُ الرَأيَ رامِيا

I found in him, while night was fletching its arrows,

a brother of understanding who never misses judgment's mark when shooting,

وَأَروَعَ يَندى لِلطَلاقَةِ صَفحَةً

وَيَقدَحُ زَنداً لِلنَباهَةِ وارِيا

and a splendid man whose face grows dewy with cheerfulness,

who strikes a fire-stick that flares with intelligence.

فَيَجمَعُ بَينَ الماءِ أَبيَضَ سَلسَلاً

يَسُحُّ وَبَينَ الجَمرِ أَحمَرَ حامِيا

Thus he unites water, white and smoothly flowing,

pouring forth, with embers, red and hot.

أَحِنُّ إِلَيهِ حَنَّةَ النيبِ هَجَّرَت

وَقَد ذَكَرَت ماءَ العُضاهِ صَوادِيا

I yearn for him as aged she-camels yearn, traveling at noon,

when, thirsty, they recall the water among thorn trees.

فَيا أَيُّها النائي مَعَ النَجمِ هِمَّةً

وَمَرقى خِلالٍ في الوَزارَةِ سامِيا

O you who are distant, among the stars in ambition,

and a lofty stairway of virtues in the vizierate,

تَرى فَرقَدَ اللَيلِ السُرى مِنهُ ثالِثاً

وَتَرعى بِهِ بَدَر الدُجُنَّةِ ثانِيا

you see in him a third Farqad for journeying through the night,

and behold in him a second full moon of the darkness.

حَنانَيكَ في ناءٍ شَكا مَسَّ لَوعَةٍ

فَسَفَّرَ مِن شَوقٍ إِلَيكَ القَوافِيا

Show mercy to a distant man who complained of anguish's touch,

and, out of longing, sent his rhymes journeying to you.

وَحَيّا بِها أَذكى مِنَ الرَوضِ نَفحَةً

وَأَرهَفَ مِن لَدنِ النَسيمِ حَواشِيا

He greeted you with them, more fragrant than a garden's breath

and more delicate at their edges than the soft breeze.

وَقَد نَدَبَت مِن حَيثُ لَم أَدرِ رُقعَةً

أُنَمِّقُ أَم دَمعاً أُرَقرِقُ جارِيا

And they lamented so that I could not tell: was it a sheet

I was embellishing, or flowing tears I was making shimmer?

وَإِنَّكَ لِلعَذبُ الفُراتُ عَلى الصَدى

وَإِن بِنتَ وَالبَرُّ الكَريمُ أَيادِيا

You are indeed sweet, fresh water for thirst,

though far away, and a beneficent man, generous in favors.

شَقيقُ النَدى وَاِبنُ النُهى وَأَبو العُلا

وَحَسبُكَ بَيتاً في المَكارِمِ عالِيا

Brother of generosity, son of wisdom, and father of exalted glory,

and a lofty house among noble deeds is honor enough for you.