تصاحى وهو مخمور الجنان — Abn Matouk

تَصاحى وهو مخمورُ الجَنانِ

وهل يصحو فتىً يهوى الغَواني

He feigned sobriety, though his heart was drunk.

Can a youth who loves beautiful women ever sober up?

وأوْرى وجْدَهُ فشكا وورّى

عنِ الأحداقِ في نُوَبِ الزّمانِ

He kindled his ardor, complained, and veiled his meaning,

speaking of time's vicissitudes instead of eyes.

وهل في النّائِباتِ السّودِ شيءٌ

أشدُّ عليه من حدَقِ الحِسانِ

Is there anything among dark calamities

more grievous to him than the eyes of beauties?

وهل كذوائِبِ الفتيانِ منها

عليهِ تطاولَتْ ظُلَمُ اِمْتِحانِ

And among them, like young men's tresses,

has any darkness of trial stretched long over him?

تديّن في الهَوى العُذْريِّ حتّى

رأى عِزَّ المحبّةِ بالهَوانِ

He made a faith of chaste 'Udhri love, until

he saw love's honor in humiliation.

أشَدُّ من الأسودِ إذا لَقيها

وفيه عنِ المَهى فرقُ الجَنانِ

Fiercer than lions when he meets them,

yet his heart quails before the oryx.

فليسَ يفرُّ إلّا عن قِتالٍ

به القاماتُ من عُدَدِ الطِعانِ

He flees only from a battle

where figures are among the weapons of spear combat.

إلامَ يرومُ سترَ الحبِّ فيه

فتكشفُ عنه عَثْرات اللِّسانِ

How long will he seek to conceal the love within him,

when slips of the tongue expose it?

يُشبّبُ بالحُوَيزةِ وهو صبٌّ

تغزُّلُه بغِزلانِ اللِّقانِ

He sings of al-Huwayza, lovesick,

his love-poetry dwelling on the gazelles of al-Liqan.

ويسفَحُ دمعَهُ بالسّفحِ شَوقاً

ويلمعُ مضحكُ البَرقِ اليَمانِ

He sheds his tears upon the hillside in longing,

while Yemeni lightning's smiling mouth flashes.

ويطوي السّرَّ منه وكيفَ يَخفى

وفي عينيهِ عُنوانُ العَلانِ

He conceals his secret—but how can it stay hidden,

when his eyes bear the sign of its disclosure?

لقد شُغِفَتْ حُشاشتُهُ بنجدٍ

فهامَ بها وحنّ إلى المَجاني

Indeed, his last spark of life is enthralled by Najd,

so he wandered lovesick for it and yearned for the orchards.

رأى حِفظَ العُهودِ لساكِنيها

وضيّع قلبَهُ بين المَغاني

He deemed it right to keep faith with its dwellers,

and lost his heart among its dwelling places.

رهينُ قُوىً على خدّيه تجري

سوابِقُ دمعِه جرْيَ الرِّهانِ

A captive of bonds—down his cheeks run

his fleet tears, racing as in a wagered contest.

يمرّ على حَصى الوادي فيبكي

فينتثِرُ العقيقُ على الجُمانِ

He passes over the valley's pebbles and weeps,

and carnelians scatter over pearls.

وتنفحُهُ الصّبا فيميلُ سُكْراً

كأنّ بريحِها راح الدّنانِ

The east wind breathes upon him, and he sways drunkenly,

as though its scent held the wine of casks.

فهل من مُسعِدٍ لفتىً تفانى

فأدْرَكهُ الوجودُ من التّفاني

Is there a comforter for a youth who wasted away,

only for existence to reclaim him from annihilation?

عليه قضى البِعادُ فعاد حيّاً

لأجلِ عذابِه فيما يُعاني

Separation sentenced him to death, yet he returned alive,

for the torment of what he suffers.

إذا قبضَ الإياسُ الرُّوحَ منه

به نفخَ الرّجا روحَ التّداني

When despair takes the soul from him,

hope breathes into him the spirit of drawing near.

تُشَبُّ بقَلبه النيرانُ لكنْ

يُشمُّ منَ الحِمى نفَسُ الجنانِ

Fires are kindled in his heart, but

one scents a breath of paradise from the sanctuary.

سقى اللّه الحِمى غيثاً كدمعي

تَسيلُ به البِطاحُ بأُرجُوانِ

May God water the sanctuary with rain like my tears,

making its lowlands flow crimson.

ولا برِحَتْ تُجيبُ به اِرتياحاً

قَماري الدّوحِ أقمارَ القِيانِ

And may there never cease the joyful answering

of the grove's turtledoves to the moonlike singing girls.

حِمىً فيه البُنودُ تُمَدُّ منها

على البيضاءِ أجنحةُ الأماني

A sanctuary, where from its banners extend

over the white plain the wings of wishes.

ومُرتَبعاً به الضِرغامُ يَبني

كِناسَ الظَبي في غابِ اللِّدانِ

And a spring pasture where the lion builds

the gazelle's covert in a thicket of supple spears.

تلوحُ عليهِ نارٌ من حديدٍ

وأخرى للضّيوفِ على الرّعانِ

Upon it gleams a fire of iron,

and another, for guests, upon the ridges.

فكم تزهو به جنّاتُ حُسْنٍ

وكم تجري عليهِ عُيونُ عانِ

How many gardens of beauty flourish there!

And how often a captive's eyes stream over it!

بأجفُنِ بيضِه حُمرُ المَنايا

وتحتَ قِبابه بيضُ الأماني

In the sheaths of his white swords lie red deaths,

and beneath his domes, white hopes.

محلّاً في الملاعِب منه تبدو

كواعبُ كالكواكبِ في قِرانِ

A place where, in its playgrounds, appear

budding maidens like stars in conjunction.

حِسانٌ كالشُموعِ تَرى عليها

ذوائِبَها كأعمدةِ الدُخانِ

Beauties like candles, upon whom you see

their tresses like columns of smoke.

تماثيلٌ تضلُّكَ لو تَراها

عذرْتَ العاكفين على المداني

Images that lead you astray—if you saw them,

you would pardon those devoted to the idols.

بروحي غادةٌ منهنّ تبدو

إلى قلبي وتنأى عن مَكاني

With my soul I would ransom a tender maiden among them, visible

to my heart, yet far from where I am.

يمثّلها الخيالُ خيال طَرفي

فأُبصرُها وتُحجَبُ عن عِياني

Imagination depicts her as a vision before my eye,

so I see her, though she is veiled from my direct sight.

تقُدُّ البيضَ في جَفْنٍ نَحيفٍ

وتَفري السّابغاتِ بغصنِ بانِ

She cleaves white blades from within a slender eyelid,

and rends coats of mail with a ban-tree bough.

إذا نبذَتْ إلى سمعي كلاماً

حسِبْتُ لسانَها نبّاذَ حانِ

When she casts words into my hearing,

I take her tongue for a tavern's wine-seller.

ثناياها كدُرِّ ثَنا عليٍّ

مرتّلةً مرتّبةَ المَعاني

Her front teeth are like pearls of praise for Ali,

recited in measured cadence, their meanings well ordered.

ومُقلتُها وعزمتُهُ سَواءٌ

كِلا السّيفينِ نصلٌ هُندواني

Her eye and his resolve are alike:

both swords are blades of Indian steel.

هَواهُ إلى المديحِ كما دعَتْني

كذا التشبيبُ فيها قد دَعاني

Love of him has called me to praise, just as

love-verse about her has likewise called me.

حليفُ المَكرُمات أبو حُسينٍ

عزيزُ الجارِ ذو المالِ المُهانِ

Ally of noble deeds, Abu Husayn,

his neighbor held high, his wealth held cheap.

أخو هِمَمٍ إذا اِنبعثَتْ فأدنى

مواضيها على هامِ الزّمانِ

A man of high resolves—when they rise, even the least

of their sharp blades stands over the heads of Time.

وأخبارٍ سرَتْ فبكلِّ أرضٍ

لها عبقٌ يضرُّ بكلِّ شانِ

And of tidings that have traveled, so in every land

their fragrance diminishes every other distinction.

وأمثالٍ تلذُّ بكلِّ سمعٍ

كأنّ بضرْبِها ضرْبَ المثاني

And of proverbs that delight every ear,

as though coining them were plucking paired strings.

وأخلاقٍ كروضِ المُزنِ تحكي

مباسِمُها ثُغورَ الأُقحُوانِ

And of virtues like a rain-fed garden, resembling,

in their smiles, the mouths of daisies.

خِصالٌ كاللآلي نافسَتْها

عليه قلائِدُ البيضِ الحَصانِ

Traits like pearls, rivaled

upon him by necklaces of fair, chaste women.

شِهابُ وغىً يهزُّ سريَّ نصلٍ

وليثُ سُرىً يَصولُ بأُفعوانِ

A meteor of battle, brandishing a noble blade,

and a lion of night marches, charging with a serpent.

يرى وضحَ النّصولِ فُصولَ شَيبٍ

فيخضِبُها بأحمرَ كالدِّهانِ

He sees the blades' brightness as patches of gray hair,

and dyes them red as with paint.

تبنّاهُ السّحابُ فكان أحرى

بذي الدّعوى عليه النَّيّرانِ

The cloud adopted him, yet more entitled

to that claim upon him were the two luminaries.

وواخاهُ الحُسامُ فكان منهُ

بمرتبةِ القناةِ منَ السِّنانِ

The sword made him its brother, and he stood to it

as the spear-shaft does to the spearhead.

وحلّتْ منه منزلةَ المَعالي

فأضحَتْ كالخواتِمِ في البَنانِ

And lofty honors found their station within him,

and became like rings upon the fingers.

وحلّى المجدَ في دُرَرِ السّجايا

فأمْسى وهو كالأفُقِ المُزانِ

He adorned glory with pearls of character,

so it became like an ornamented horizon.

كَسا تُرْكَ النّجومِ مُسوحَ نقْعٍ

وروميَّ النّهارِ بطَيْلَسانِ

He clothed the Turks of the stars in sackcloth of dust,

and the Roman of daylight in a mantle.

وأنبتَ في فؤادِ الصُّبحِ رَوعاً

فها كافورُه كالزّعْفَرانِ

And sowed terror in the heart of dawn,

so behold: its camphor is like saffron.

كأنّ بُنودَهُ حجّابُ كِسْرى

على كلٍّ قميصٌ خُسْرَواني

His banners seem like the chamberlains of Kisra,

each wearing a Khusrawian tunic.

وحُمرُ ظُباهُ للمرّيخ رهْطٌ

فكلٌّ عندَميُّ اللّونِ قانِ

And his red blade-edges are a clan of Mars,

each dragon's-blood red in hue, deep crimson.

توهّمَ أن تَميدَ الأرضُ فيه

فوقّرَها براسيةِ الجَنانِ

He imagined the earth might sway beneath him,

so he weighted it with his mountain-firm heart.

وأيقنَ أنّ بذْلَ المالِ يُبقي

له بُقْيا فخلّدَه بِفانِ

And knew that giving wealth would preserve

an enduring memory of him, immortalizing him through what perishes.

لقد غلِطَ الزّمانُ فجادَ فيه

وأعْقَمَ بعدَه فرْجُ الأوانِ

Indeed, Time erred and was generous in him,

and the womb of the age grew barren after him.

فلو حملَتْ من القمرِ الثُريّا

لما كادَتْ تَجيءُ له بثانِ

For if the Pleiades conceived by the moon,

they would scarcely bring forth another like him.

تورّث كلَّ فخرٍ من أبيه

وكلَّ تُقىً وفضلٍ واِمتنانِ

He inherited every glory from his father,

and all piety, excellence, and beneficence.

كأنّهُما صلاةُ الفجرِ هذا

لذا شَفْعٌ أو السّبعُ المَثاني

As though the two were the dawn prayer—this one

paired with the other—or the seven oft-repeated verses.

عَلا مِقدارُه فحكى عليّاً

فشاركَهُ بتسميةٍ وشانِ

His stature rose until he resembled Ali,

sharing with him both name and distinction.

هُما نجمانِ بينهُما اِشتراكٌ

لوِ اِقترَنا لقُلنا الفرقَدانِ

They are two stars with a bond between them;

if they met, we would call them the Farqadan.

فكم من نهرِ سابورٍ تأتّى

له نصرٌ كيومِ النّهروانِ

How often from the River Sabur has come

victory to him like that on the day of Nahrawan.

وكم في التّابعين لآلِ حَربٍ

له من فتكةٍ بِكرٍ عَوانِ

And how often among the followers of the House of Harb

has he dealt a deadly stroke, maiden yet seasoned!

وأشرفُ ما لهُ في الدّهر يومٌ

قضى يومَ الصّفوفِ بشهرَكانِ

And his noblest possession through the ages is a day

he spent: the day of battle lines at Shahrakan.

ألا يا اِبْنَ الأيمّةِ من قُريشٍ

هُداةِ الخَلقِ من إنسٍ وجانِ

Lo, O son of the imams of Quraysh,

guides of creation, both humankind and jinn,

لقد أشبهتُهُم خَلقاً وخُلقاً

وحُكماً بالقضايا والبيانِ

Indeed, I have resembled them in form and character,

and in judging cases and in eloquence.

ووافَيْتَ الزّمانَ وكان شيخاً

فعادَ سوادُ مفرِقِه الهِجانِ

You came to Time when it was an old man,

and blackness returned to its whitened parting.

عرَجْتَ إلى المعالي فوقَ طرفٍ

فجارَيْتَ البُراقَ على حِصانِ

You ascended to high honors upon a swift steed,

and raced al-Buraq on a stallion.

كأنّك في اليد البيضاءِ موسى

ورُمحُكَ كالعَصا في زِيّ جانِ

With your white hand, you are like Moses,

and your lance is like the staff in a serpent's guise.

سِنانُكَ عن لِسانِ الموتِ أضحى

لدى الهيجاءِ أفصحَ تَرْجُمانِ

Your spearhead, speaking for the tongue of death, has become

amid battle the most eloquent interpreter.

وسيفُكَ لم يزلْ إمّا سِواراً

لملحَمةٍ وإمّا طوقَ جانِ

And your sword has ever been either a bracelet

for a great battle or a collar for an offender.

فدُمْ حتّى يعودَ إليك أمسٌ

وعِشْ حتّى يؤوبَ القارِظانِ

Endure until yesterday returns to you,

and live until the two qaraz-gatherers return.

ومتّعكَ الإلهُ بعيدِ فِطْرٍ

وخصّكَ بالتّحيةِ والتّهاني

May God grant you delight in Eid al-Fitr,

and favor you with greetings and congratulations.