روى عن الريق منها الثغر والشنب — Abn Matouk

رَوى عن الرّيقِ منها الثّغْرُ والشّنَبُ

معنىً عن الرّاحِ تَروي نظْمَهُ الحَبَبُ

Her mouth and the cool sheen of her teeth recounted from her saliva

a meaning from wine, whose ordered verse the bubbles recount.

وحدّثَتْ عن نُفوسِ الصّيدِ وجنَتُها

أخبارَ صِدقٍ يُقوّيها دمٌ كذِبُ

Her cheek narrated, concerning the lives of proud lords,

true reports, borne out by counterfeit blood.

وأرسلَتْ للدُجى من فرعِها مثلاً

تمثّلَتْهُ فُروعُ البانِ والعذَبُ

From her hair she sent the darkness a parable,

embodied by the ban-tree's boughs and tassels.

وجالَ ماءُ محيّاها فأوهَمَنا

أنّ الصّباحَ غَديرٌ موجُهُ ذهَبُ

The water of her face stirred, making us imagine

that morning was a pool whose waves were gold.

بيضاءُ عن وجهِها في الجنحِ ما سفرَتْ

إلّا وقامتْ لها الحِرباءُ ترتقِبُ

Fair-skinned, she never unveiled her face in night's gloom

without the chameleon rising to watch her.

لم يَلقَها الليلُ إلّا دُهمُهُ صدرَتْ

بيضَ الثّيابِ وغارتْ فوقَها الشُهُبُ

Night never encountered her without its dark hosts coming away

in white robes, and the stars above her fading.

ريمٌ بأحداقِها ليثٌ يَصولُ وفي

أطواقِها ذنَبُ السِّرحانِ منتصِبُ

A gazelle: a lion charges within her eyes, while in

her neck-rings the wolf's tail stands erect.

إذا أصابَ غُبارُ الكُحْلِ مُقلتَها

تكادُ ترقُصُ من أهدابِها العُضُبُ

When the dust of kohl touches her eye,

sharp blades almost dance out of her lashes.

مِن لحظِها لا يصونُ القِرْنُ مهجتَهُ

ولا تُضَمُّ عليهِ البيضُ والسُّلُبُ

No opponent can shield his lifeblood from her glance,

nor can white blades and slender spears close protectively around him.

يحنو إليها حَمامُ البانِ حين يَرى

منها القوامَ فيَشْدو وهْو مُكتئِبُ

The ban-tree's doves bend tenderly toward her when they see

her graceful figure, and sing, though sorrowful.

قد أيّدَتْ دولةَ المُرّانِ قامتُها

وحكّمَتْها على سُلطانِها القُضُبُ

Her stature has strengthened the reign of ash-wood spears,

and the boughs have made her ruler over their dominion.

مَهاةُ خِدْرٍ سِباعُ الطّيرِ تألَفُها

لعِلمِها بجُنوبٍ حَولَها تَجبُ

A secluded oryx, whom birds of prey frequent,

knowing that bodies fall lifeless around her.

تخالُ سَمعاً لديها وهي أفئِدةٌ

تهوي إليها وفيها الشوقُ يلتهِبُ

You would think wolf–hyena beasts were beside her, yet they are hearts

that swoop toward her, longing blazing within them.

تُمسي العيونُ إذا مِن خِدرِها وردَتْ

ماءَ الشّبابِ بماءِ الوردِ ينسكِبُ

Eyes end up, when from her chamber they drink

the water of youth, spilling forth rosewater.

للحُسنِ سرٌّ طواهُ في مراشِفِها

أوحاهُ منه إليها النّحْلُ والعِنَبُ

Beauty has a secret it enfolded in her lips,

which bees and grapes revealed from it to her.

يظنّ أصداغَها الرائي إذا اِنسدلَتْ

تتلو عَقارِبُها سِحراً فتنقلِبُ

The onlooker thinks, when her temple-locks hang down,

that their scorpions recite a spell and transform.

كأنّ منها سِوارَ البِكر شمسُ ضُحىً

شقّ الصّباحُ حَشاها فهْي تصطخِبُ

As though the maiden's bracelet upon her were a forenoon sun:

morning split its heart, and now it clamors.

والخالُ لصٌّ أميرُ الحسن أفرَشَهُ

نطعَ الدِّماء وهُزّتْ فوقَه القُضبُ

Her beauty spot is a thief; beauty's prince laid beneath it

a mat of blood, while blades were brandished above it.

تهوي على جيدِها الأقراطُ ساكنةً

فيسْحَبُ الفرْعُ ثُعباناً فتضْطَربُ

The earrings hang motionless against her neck;

then her hair trails a serpent, and they tremble.

كأنّما في عَمودِ الصبحِ سحرَتُها

تحت الدُجى في حِبالِ الشمس قد صُلِبوا

As though, against the pillar of dawn, her sorcerers

had been crucified beneath the darkness on the sun's ropes.

أيُّ القَبائِلِ من دُرِّ البحار إلى

عَينِ الحياةِ سوى إنسانِها هرَبوا

What tribes have fled from the pearls of the seas to

the fountain of life, other than its pupil?

وأيُّ شُهْبٍ سوى ما في قلائِدها

أمْسَتْ صُفوفاً حَوالَ الشمسِ تصطحِبُ

And what stars, except those in her necklaces,

have formed companionable ranks around the sun?

من خدِّها في قُلوبِ المُدنَفين لظىً

وفي المُحبّينَ من أكفانِها نصَبُ

From her cheek, a blaze dwells in the hearts of the lovesick,

and from her shrouds comes lovers' suffering.

لم يسمك الحُسنُ بيتاً للهوى بحَشاً

إلّا وكان له من فرعِها طُنُبُ

Beauty has never raised love a house within a breast

without its tent-ropes being drawn from her hair.

ولا بَنو المجدِ بيتاً للنّسيبِ بنَوْا

إلّا لها وعليها سجفَهُ ضربوا

Nor have glory's sons built a home for love-poetry

except for her, hanging its curtain over her.

للّهِ أُسْدُ عَرينٍ من عَشيرَتها

ترضى الصّوارِمُ عنهم كلّما غَضِبوا

What lions of the den, by God, are those of her clan!

The keen swords are pleased with them whenever they rage.

غُرٌّ إذا اِنكشفَتْ عنهم ترائِكُهُم

تحت الدّجُنّةِ من أقمارِها حُسِبوا

Bright-faced men: when their helmets are lifted from them,

beneath the gloom they are counted among its moons.

تطلّبَ الدّرُّ معنىً من مَباسمِهِمْ

فأدركَ النّظْمَ لمّا فاتَهُ الشّنَبُ

Pearls sought a quality of their smiling mouths;

they attained the ordered setting, but missed the teeth's cool sheen.

سُيوفُهُم في مَضاها مثلُ أعيُنِهم

سُودُ الجُفونِ ولكنْ فاتَها الهُدُبُ

Their swords, in their sharpness, resemble their eyes:

black-sheathed, but lacking lashes.

قاموا لدَيْها وباتوا حولَها حرَساً

إذا أحسّوا بطَيفٍ طارقٍ وثَبوا

They stood beside her and spent the night guarding her;

at the sense of a visiting phantom, they sprang up.

عزّتْ لديهِم فحازَتْ كلّما ملَكوا

حتّى لها النّومَ من أجفانِهم وهَبوا

She was precious to them and acquired all they owned,

until they gave her even the sleep from their eyelids.

قد صيّروا بالدّمِ المخطوبِ سُنّتَهُم

خدَّ المَهاةِ وكفَّ الليثِ يختَضِبُ

They made it their custom, with sought-after blood,

to dye the oryx's cheek and the lion's paw.

لحاظُهُم هِندَويّاتٌ ذوائِبُهُم

زنجيّة اللّونِ إلّا أنّهُم عَرَبُ

Their glances are Indian swords; their locks

are black as the Zanj, although they are Arabs.

لم يُحسِنوا الخطّ إن راموا مُكاتبةً

فوق الصّدورِ بأطرافِ القَنا كَتبوا

They do not practice fine script: when they seek correspondence,

they write upon chests with the tips of spears.

سلّوا البروقَ من الأجفانِ واِبتسَموا

عنها وحادوا فقُلنا إنّهُم سُحُبُ

They drew lightning from its sheaths and smiled,

revealing it; they veered, and we said, 'They are clouds.'

إذا المنيّةُ عن أنيابِها كشرَتْ

عضّوا عليها بذَيلِ النّقْعِ واِنتقَبوا

When death bares her fangs,

they bite upon them and veil themselves with the hem of dust.

شنّوا الإغارَ على نهبِ الجِمالِ وإذْ

فيهِم أتَتْ وهَبوها كلّما نهَبوا

They launched raids to plunder camels, but when

she came among them, they gave her all they had plundered.

يُعزى إلى حيّهم شُحُّ النساءِ كما

إلى عليٍّ خِصالُ الجودِ تنتسبُ

Women's stinginess is ascribed to their clan, just as

the traits of generosity belong to Ali.

ربُّ الخصالِ اللّواتي في مصابِحِها

يزهو القَريضُ وفيها تَشْرُقُ الخُطَبُ

Master of those qualities in whose lamps

poetry glories, and by which oratory shines.

حسبُ الكواكبِ لو منْ بعضِها حُسِبَتْ

يوماً فينظِمُها في سِلكِها الحَبَبُ

Enough honor for the stars to be counted among some of them

one day, with bubbles stringing them upon their thread.

خليفةٌ ورِثَ المعروفَ عن خلَفٍ

فحبّذا خلَفٌ حازَ العُلا وأبُ

A successor who inherited beneficence from Khalaf;

how fine the heir who gained high glory, and the father!

حرٌّ إذا اِفتخروا قومٌ بمرتبةٍ

ففي أبيه وفيه تفخرُ الرُتَبُ

A nobleman: when people boast of a rank,

ranks themselves boast of his father and of him.

نجمٌ رحى الحربِ والرُكبانُ تعرفُه

ودائراتُ اللّيالي أنّه القُطُبُ

A star whom war's millstone and riders recognize,

and the circling nights recognize as the pole.

زَينُ الفِعالِ إذا مُدّاحُهُ اِمتدحوا

حُسّانَها خلفَهُم في شِعرِهم نُسِبوا

The adornment of deeds: when his panegyrists sing his praise,

they rank their Hassan behind themselves in their poetry.

لو أنّها مثّلَتْ في خَلقِه صُوَراً

لنافستْهُنّ فيه الخُرَّجُ العرَبُ

Were those deeds embodied as forms in his person,

Arab women who venture forth would vie with them within him.

فاقَ السّحابَ وأبكاها أسىً فلِذا

تَذري الدموع وفيها الرّعدُ ينتحِبُ

He surpassed the clouds and made them weep in sorrow; thus

they shed tears, while thunder sobs within them.

لولا تعجّبُها منه لما اِجتمعَتْ

لا يحدُثُ الضّحكُ حتّى يحدُثَ العجَبُ

But for their wonder at him, they would never have gathered;

laughter does not arise until wonder arises.

إن كان يشملُهُ لفظُ الملوكِ فقدْ

يعمُّ بالجِنسِ نوعَ الصّندَلِ الخَشَبُ

If the word 'kings' includes him, then

wood, by genus, also includes the species sandalwood.

جسمٌ تركّب تركيبَ الطّباعِ به

الحِلمُ والبأسُ والمعروفُ والأدبُ

A body in which, like innate temperaments, are combined

forbearance, valor, beneficence, and refinement.

يَغشى الرّماحَ العوالي غيرَ مُكترثٍ

بها فيحسَبُ منها أنّه لعِبُ

He plunges among lofty spears, heedless

of them, so among them he seems to be at play.

رأى العُلا سُكّراً يحلو لطالبِه

فظنّ أنّ أنابيبَ القَنا قصَبُ

He saw high glory as sugar, sweet to its seeker,

and thought the spear-shafts were sugarcane.

لولاهُ جِسمُ العُلا أوصالُه اِفترقَتْ

كأنّ آراءَهُ في ربْطِهِ عقَبُ

But for him, the limbs of glory's body would fall apart;

his counsels seem the sinews binding it.

يحمي الوليَّ ويقضي ذو النِفاقِ به

كالماءِ يهلِكُ فيه مَنْ به الكلَبُ

He shelters his ally; through him the hypocrite perishes,

like water, in which one afflicted with rabies dies.

في كلّ أنمُلةٍ منه وجارحةٍ

يمُدُّ بحراً ويسطو فيلَقٌ لجِبُ

In each of his fingertips and limbs,

he sends forth a sea, while a clamorous army attacks.

قد أضحكَ التيهُ في أيديه صارمهُ

وهزّ في راحتَيْهِ رُمحَهُ الطّرَبُ

Pride has made his keen sword laugh in his hands,

and joy has shaken his spear within his palms.

يسقي النجيع مواضيهِ فيُضرِمُها

فاِعجبْ لنارٍ لها ماءُ الطُلا حطَبُ

He gives blood to his keen blades to drink, setting them ablaze;

marvel at a fire whose fuel is the water of necks.

ذُؤابةُ الموتِ سمراءٌ بلهذَمِهِ

كأنّه فوقَها نجمٌ له ذنَبُ

Death's forelock is a dusky shaft at his spearhead;

as though the blade above it were a star with a tail.

لو هزّ جِذْعاً هشيماً في أنامِله

يوماً لأوشَكَ منه يسقُطُ الرُّطَبُ

Were he to shake a withered trunk in his fingers

one day, ripe dates would almost fall from it.

يفوحُ نشرُ الكِبا من طَيّ بُردتِه

وفي النبوّةِ منهُ يعبَقُ النّسبُ

The scent of incense wafts from the folds of his mantle,

and his lineage is fragrant with prophethood.

فأينَ طينُ الوَرى من طيبِ عُنصرِه

وهل يُساوي رَطيبَ المُندُلِ الضّرَبُ

What is the clay of mortals beside the purity of his stock?

Can common timber equal fresh sandalwood?

قد نزّهَتْ آيةُ التّطهيرِ ملبسَهُ

من كلِّ نجْسٍ ولكنْ سيفُهُ جُنُبُ

The verse of purification has cleansed his garment

of every impurity; yet his sword is ritually impure.

من معشرٍ شرّفَ اللَّه الوجودَ بهم

وأُنزِلَتْ فيهم الآياتُ والكتُبُ

From a people through whom God ennobled existence,

and concerning whom the verses and scriptures were revealed.

همُ الملائِكُ إلّا أنّهم بشرٌ

على الورى حُلَفاءٌ للهدى نُصِبوا

They are angels, except that they are human,

appointed over mankind as allies of guidance.

أبناءُ مجدٍ كرامٌ قبلَ ما فُطِموا

عن الرّضاعِ لأخلافِ النّدى حَلَبوا

Sons of glory, noble even before they were weaned

from suckling, they milked generosity's udders.

قومٌ إذا ذُكِرَ الرحمنُ من وجَلٍ

لانوا وإنْ شهِدوا يومَ الوغى صعُبوا

A people who, when the Merciful is mentioned, from awe

grow gentle; yet, when they attend battle, become fierce.

غُرُّ الوجوهِ مصاليتٌ إذا نزلوا

عنِ السّروجِ محاريبَ التّقى رَكِبوا

Bright of face, valiant men: when they dismount

from saddles, they mount the prayer-niches of piety.

لا يسكُنُ الحقُّ إلّا حيثُ ما سكنوا

وليس يذهبُ إلّا حيثُ ما ذهبوا

Truth dwells nowhere except wherever they dwell,

and goes nowhere except wherever they go.

بُحورُ جودٍ إذا هبّتْ رياحُ وغىً

ماجوا ومجّوا وإنْ همُ سالَموا عَذُبوا

Seas of generosity: when the winds of battle blow,

they surge and spout; when they make peace, they turn sweet.

إذا تنشّقْتَ ريّاهُم عرفْتَهُمُ

بأنّهُم من جَنابِ القُدْسِ قد قَرُبوا

When you inhale their fragrance, you recognize

that they have drawn near the precinct of holiness.

سَكرى إذا أصبحوا تَدري الصُحاةُ بهم

من أيّ كاسٍ طَهورٍ بالدُجى شرِبوا

Drunk at dawn, they make the sober know

from what pure cup they drank in the darkness.

كأنّهمُ يا عليَّ المجدِ إذ نظَروا

تخيّروكَ منَ الأولادِ واِنتخَبوا

It is as though, O Ali of glory, when they looked,

they chose and elected you from among their sons.

قد خلّفوكَ إماماً بعدَهم ومَضَوا

وأبرزوكَ إِلى الإسلامِ واِحتجَبوا

They left you as an imam after them and departed;

they brought you forth to Islam, then withdrew behind the veil.

تخوي العُروشُ إذا ما غِبْتَ عن بلدٍ

حتّى تعودَ فيَحْيى ميْتُهُ الخَرِبُ

Thrones stand desolate when you are absent from a land,

until you return and its dead ruins revive.

لو لم تَعُدْ لم تعُدْ للحَوزِ بهجتُهُ

ولا تورّدَ يوماً خدّهُ التَرِبُ

Had you not returned, the realm's splendor would not have returned,

nor would its dusty cheek ever have flushed with roses.

لولا وجودُك فيه أهلُه هلَكوا

كذاك يهلِكُ بعد الوابِلِ العُشُبُ

But for your presence there, its people would have perished;

so too the grass perishes after the downpour.

لو كُنتَ مولىً تُجازيهِم بما اِقترَفوا

من الذّنوبِ إذاً بادوا بِما كسبوا

Were you a lord who repaid them for what they committed

of sins, they would have perished for what they earned.

لم يُرجَ بالعَفو منهم فعلُ مكرمةٍ

من عِندهم بل على الرّحمنِ محتَسبُ

In pardoning them, no deed of generosity is expected

from them; rather, the reward is sought from the Merciful.

كسرْتَ جِبْتَهُم بالسيفِ فاِجتمعوا

عليكَ أحزابُ ذاكَ الجِبْت واِعتصبوا

You shattered their idol with the sword, so they assembled,

the factions of that idol, against you and banded together.

همّوا بإطفاءِ نورِ المجدِ منك فلا

فتمّ فيك ويأبى اللّهُ ما طَلبوا

They sought to extinguish your light of glory—but no!

It was made complete in you, and God rejects what they sought.

فكلّما أوقدوا ناراً بها اِحترقوا

وأحدَثوا الحربَ فيهم يحدُثُ الحرَبُ

Whenever they kindled a fire, they burned in it,

and when they stirred up war, destitution arose among them.

أخزاهُمُ اللَّهُ أنّى يؤفَكون ولوْ

حازوا الهُدى لطريقِ الإفكِ ما اِرتَكَبوا

God has disgraced them—how they are turned astray! Had they

possessed guidance, they would not have taken falsehood's road.

فدُمْ على رغمِهم بَعْلاً لبِكرِ عُلاً

صِداقُها منكَ ضَرْبُ الهامِ والنُشُبُ

Remain, despite them, husband to the virgin of high glory;

her dowry from you is the striking of heads and riches.

واِلبَسْ قَميصاً من الإجلالِ في دمهِمْ

قد دبّجَتْهُ المَواضي والقَنا السُّلُبُ

Wear a tunic of majesty, in their blood

already embroidered by keen blades and slender spears.

واِسعَدْ بعيدٍ بنَحْسِ المُعتدينَ أتى

مبشّراً أرسلَتْهُ نحوَكَ الحِقَبُ

Rejoice in a festival that came with the aggressors' ill fortune,

a herald of glad tidings, sent toward you by the ages.

يومٌ وليُّكَ مسروراً بعودتِه

وفي عدوّكَ منه الهمُّ والنّصَبُ

A day whose return makes your ally rejoice,

while from it your enemy receives grief and weariness.

فلا عصَتْكَ الليالي يا اِبنَ سيّدِها

وحالَفَتْكَ على أعدائِكَ النّوَبُ

May the nights never disobey you, O son of their master,

and may misfortunes ally with you against your enemies.