بدور الحي مالت للأفول — Abn Qlaks

بدورُ الحيّ مالتْ للأفولِ

فلا تسألْ عن الحيّ القتيلِ

The clan's full moons have inclined toward setting;

So do not ask about the living man slain.

أقام على المنازلِ من ضميرٍ

وسار فؤادُه بين الحمولِ

Some part of his inner self remained by the dwellings,

While his heart traveled among the laden camels.

ولولا الحبّ ما أبصرتَ جسمي

بربعِهمُ محيلاً في مَحيلِ

Were it not for love, you would not see my body

In their dwelling-place, wasted amid desolation.

فهل علِمَ الأحبةُ أن قلبي

غداةَ البينِ آذنَ بالرحيلِ

Did the beloved ones know that my heart,

On the morning of parting, announced its departure?

وهل سُرَّ العواذلُ أن طَرْفي

قصيرُ النومِ في الليلِ الطويلِ

And did the reproaching women rejoice that my eye

Sleeps so little through the long night?

وفي تلك القِبابِ شِفاءُ وجدي

ولكنْ ما إليه من سبيلِ

In those domed tents lies the cure for my longing,

Yet there is no way to reach it.

ولو كُتِبَ الوفاءُ على الغواني

لما أصبحتُ ذا جسمٍ عليلِ

Had fidelity been ordained for beautiful women,

I would not have become a man with an ailing body.

فإن أُحرقْ فمن زَفراتِ وجدي

وإن أغرقْ فمنْ دمعي الهَمولِ

If I burn, it is from the sighs of my longing;

And if I drown, it is from my streaming tears.

طربْتُ الى الفراتِ وشوقتْني

حمائمُ لا تملُّ من الهديلِ

I yearned for the Euphrates, and was stirred by

Doves that never tire of cooing.

عسى الأيامُ تُدنيني إليهِ

وتُعطيني كما أهواهُ سولي

May the days bring me near to it

And grant my wish just as I desire it.

فروضُ العيشِ آلَ الى اصفرارٍ

وغصنُ اللهوِ مالَ الى الذبولِ

So the garden of life has turned yellow,

And the branch of pleasure has bowed toward withering.

ولو نّ البخيلةَ ساعفَتْنا

بطيفٍ طارقٍ منها وَصولِ

And if the withholding woman would favor us

With a phantom of hers that visits by night and draws near,

لكنتُ أبلُّ من فِيه أُوامي

وأنقَعُ من مراشفِه غليلي

I would quench my burning thirst from its mouth

And slake my craving from its lips.

وأقطفُ ورد ذاك الخدِّ لثماً

ونرجسَ ذلك الطرْفِ الكحيلِ

And pluck the roses of that cheek with kisses,

And the narcissus of that kohl-dark eye.

وبي ظمأ تحكّم في فؤادي

الى رشفِ الرُضابِ السلسبيلِ

A thirst within me has taken command of my heart,

To sip the sweet-flowing saliva.

وذكّرني سعادَ على التَنائي

نسيمُ الروضِ ذا الريح القَبولِ

And Su'ad, despite the distance, was recalled to me by

The garden breeze, this easterly wind.

أراها لا تميلُ الى التَداني

ولا قلبي يميلُ على العويل

I see she has no inclination to draw near,

Nor does my heart turn to wailing.

تحكّم دلُّها في كل قلبٍ

كما حكمَ العزيزُ على الذَليل

Her coy charm rules every heart

As the mighty rules the lowly.

فإن تلبسْ ثيابَ الحُسنِ يوماً

فإن ملابسي خِلَعُ النُحولِ

If she dons the robes of beauty one day,

Then my garments are the robes of wasting.

ولما خيّم الرُقَباءُ حولي

جعلتُ الريحَ نحوكم رَسولي

When the watchers encamped around me,

I made the wind my messenger toward you.

فكم لي من نعيمٍ في النعامي

وكم لي من قبولٍ في القَبولِ

How much bliss I find in the south wind,

And how much acceptance I find in the east wind!

لعلّ العيسَ تحملُني إليكمْ

مواصلةَ التعجْرُفِ والذميلِ

Perhaps the pale camels will carry me to you,

Keeping up their headlong pace and brisk trot.

أيا صَرْفَ الزمانِ بلغتَ مني

ومن تلك المعالمِ والطُلولِ

O vicissitude of time, you have taken your toll on me

And on those landmarks and ruined dwellings.

ألا إني انتصرتُ بآلِ نصْرٍ

فما أخشى استطالةَ مُستَطيلِ

Behold, I have gained victory through the house of Nasr,

So I fear no aggressor's overreach.

سحائبُ أزمةٍ فرسانُ حربٍ

بدورُ دُجنّةٍ آسادُ غيلِ

Rain clouds in times of want, horsemen in war,

Full moons in darkness, lions of the thicket.

له همٌّ كقدورهُمُ المُعلّى

وبشرٌ مثلُ فعلهمُ الجميلِ

His resolve, like their cauldrons, is lofty,

And his cheerfulness is like their fine conduct.

إذا شهدوا النديّ فمن نداهُم

يشيَّدُ دارسُ الكرَمِ المَحيلِ

When they attend the assembly, through their generosity

The ruined, barren edifice of generosity is rebuilt.

فإن ركِبوا فمجتمعُ الأعادي

يفرِّقُ عن جريحِ أو قَتيل

If they ride forth, the enemy host

Scatters, leaving men wounded or slain.

وإما استُصرِخوا لدفاعِ ضيمٍ

رأيتَ فعائلَ السيفِ الصقيلِ

And if they are called to ward off oppression,

You see the deeds of the polished sword.

فإن تُلحِقْ بهم يوماً سواهُمْ

فما السَعْدانُ كالمَرْعى الوَبيلِ

If you ever rank others alongside them,

Sa'dan fodder is not like noxious pasture.

جلالُ الدين عشتَ قرينَ عزٍّ

يَبيتُ به عدوّك من خَمولِ

Jalal al-Din, may you live joined to glory

That leaves your enemy spending the night in obscurity.

إذا شامتْ صروفُ الدهرِ عَضْباً

ثَناهُ عضبُ عزمِك ذا فَلولِ

When the turns of time draw a keen sword,

The keen blade of your resolve turns it back with notches in its blade.

ويومٌ ما به لذوي عثارٍ

هنالكَ من مُقيلٍ أو مَقيلِ

And on a day when those who stumble find

Neither one to spare them there nor a place to rest,

تجولُ ضراغمُ الفُرسانِ فيه

على عُقبانِ سابقةِ الخُيولِ

The lion-hearted horsemen range across it

On eagles among the fleetest horses.

وقد طلعتْ رماحُ الخطّ غاباً

جرَتْ أنهاره بيضَ النُصولِ

The spears of al-Khatt have risen into a thicket,

Its rivers flowing as gleaming blades.

وأطلع نقعَهُ سُحْباً ولاحتْ

بروقُ البيضِ في رعد الصهيلِ

It raised its dust in clouds, and there flashed

The lightning of bright swords amid the thunder of neighing.

وأدبرتِ العداةُ مقصِّراتٍ

به عن فعلِ ذي الباعِ الطويلِ

The enemies turned their backs, falling short

That day of the feats of one with far-reaching prowess,

فإمّا بالسيوفِ مطوَّقاتٍ

وإما في حُجولِ للكُبولِ

Either collared with swords,

Or wearing anklets of fetters.

فكنتَ أجلَّ من عُقِدَتْ عليهِ

غداةَ الحربِ ألويةُ الرعيلِ

You were the noblest of those over whom were bound,

On battle's morning, the banners of the vanguard.

إليك أتى ركابُ الشِعْرِ يطوي

فسيحاتِ الحُزونِ مع السهولِ

To you came poetry's camel train, traversing

The broad expanses of rugged ground and plains.

كزهرِ الروضِ قد جُرَّتْ عليه

ذُيول غلائلِ الريحِ البَليلِ

Like garden blossoms over which have been drawn

The trailing hems of the moist wind's gauzy robes.

تخفُّ له العقولُ ولا عجيبٌ

كذاك الخمرُ تلعبُ بالعُقولِ

Minds grow giddy at it—and no wonder:

Thus does wine play with minds.

هديةُ مخلصٍ لكمُ محبٌّ

عساكَ تُنيلها خِلَعَ القَبولِ

A gift from one devoted and loving toward you—

May you grant it the robes of acceptance.