أنا صب مستهام — Abn Rumi

أنا صبٌّ مُستهامُ

مِن هَوى مَن لا يُرامُ

I am a passionate lover, distraught,

with love for one beyond my reach.

شادِنٌ من نشرِه المس

كُ ومِن فيه المُدامُ

A young gazelle, whose scent is musk,

and whose mouth yields wine.

وله نثرٌ من الدُرْ

رِ مليحٌ ونِظامُ

He has a scattering of pearls,

lovely, and a string of them.

فالنظامُ المَضْحكُ الوا

ضحُ والنثرُ الكلامُ

The string is his bright smiling mouth,

and the scattering is his speech.

قاتلٌ بالصدّ محيي

إن بدا منهُ ابتسامُ

He kills by rejection, and revives

when a smile appears upon him.

فاتنُ الطُّرَّةِ والغُرْ

رةِ ما فيه ملامُ

Enchanting in forelock and forehead,

with no fault in him.

يلتقي في وجهه ضِدْ

دانِ نورٌ وظلامُ

In his face two opposites meet:

light and darkness.

فهْو بالليل نهارٌ

فوقه ليلٌ رُكامُ

At night he is daylight,

with a night heaped above him.

حار في خدَّيهِ ماءٌ

مازجَ الماءَ ضِرامُ

Water stands bewildered in his cheeks;

a blaze has mingled with the water.

فمن الماءِ اطَّرادٌ

ومن النار اضْطرامُ

From the water comes flowing smoothness,

and from the fire, flaring heat.

أورثتْ قلبي سقاماً

نظرة فيها سقامُ

It has bequeathed sickness to my heart—

a glance with sickness in it,

من ضعيفِ الركنِ لكنْ

لحظُ عينيهِ سهامُ

from one of frail frame, yet

his eyes' glances are arrows.

واهنُ البطشِ ولكن

ليس بي منه انتقامُ

Weak in striking, yet

I have no way to avenge myself on him.

من يكن من أُمَّةِ الحس

نِ فمن أهوى إمامُ

Whoever belongs to the people of beauty,

the one I love is their leader.

أو يكنْ للحسن خَلفاً

فهْو للحسن أَمامُ

Or if someone stands behind beauty,

he stands before beauty.

هو بالدَّل فتاةٌ

وهو بالزي غلامُ

In coyness he is a girl,

and in attire he is a boy.

فله في مهج العشْ

شاق حكمٌ واحتكامُ

Over the hearts of lovers he holds

command and absolute sway.

بيَ من حُبّيه بلوى

ما يوازيه اكتتامُ

My love for him brings me torment

that no concealment can contain.

بيَ ما يعجز عن أَد

ناه رضوى وشَمامُ

Within me lies a burden whose least weight

would defeat Radwa and Shamam.

ولقد قام بذاك ال

ثقل جِلدٌ وعظامُ

And indeed what has borne that

burden is skin and bones.

أيها الذاهلُ عني

نمتَ عمَّن لا ينامُ

O you who are heedless of me,

you sleep, oblivious to one who does not sleep.

سيدي كم يَسعد الوا

شي ويشقى المستهامُ

My master, how often the slanderer prospers,

while the love-distraught suffer.

طال بي صدُّك والصدْ

دُ على الصبِّ غرامُ

Your rejection has long afflicted me; rejection

is lasting torment to a lover.

أبدا تُضحي وألحا

ظك من وجهي صيامُ

Always you greet the morning, while your glances

fast from looking at my face.

والرضابُ العذبُ من في

ك على فيَّ حرامُ

And the sweet saliva from your mouth

is forbidden to my mouth.

أعلَى عينكِ عينٌ

أم على فيك ختامُ

Is there a watcher over your eye,

or a seal upon your mouth?

سيدي إن لم يكن من

ك عناقٌ ولثامُ

My master, if from you there is no

embrace or kiss,

فلحاظٌ كوميض ال

برقِ في الأفق يُشامُ

then let there be glances, like the flash of

lightning watched on the horizon.

فإن استكثرتَ أو عا

قك عن ذاك احتشامُ

If you deem that too much, or are kept

from it by modesty,

فكتابٌ أو رسولٌ

معه منك سلامُ

then a letter, or a messenger

bearing a greeting from you.

ذاك حسبي منك إن أعْ

يا لقاءٌ أو لمامُ

That much from you suffices, if

a meeting or brief encounter proves too hard.

هبك لا تهوى ألا ير

عَى لمن يهوى ذِمامُ

Granted you do not love—should not

a lover's claim still be honored?

أنا شاكيك إلى مَنْ

هو للعدْل قَوامُ

I shall complain of you to one

who steadfastly upholds justice;

وإلى مَن يُذْعَر العا

رمُ منه والعُرامُ

and to one who strikes fear in

the unruly man and unruliness itself;

وإلى مَن منه يُخشى

وإليه يُستنامُ

and to one who is feared,

and in whom men repose their trust;

وإلى مُن يُؤثرُ الحقْ

قَ إذا اشتدَّ الخصامُ

and to one who favors the truth

when disputes grow fierce.

صاحب الحسبةِ والعز

زِ الذي لا يُستضامُ

The master of public oversight and might,

who can never be wronged.

حسْبةٌ أدرك فيها

طعمَ السوء الفِطامُ

An office of oversight in which

the taste for evil has been weaned.

فتناهَى طاعموها

وعلى القوم كِعامُ

So those who fed on it have desisted,

and a muzzle is upon the people.

حسبةٌ ليس عليها

لذوي الغشِّ مُقامُ

An office of oversight where

cheats can find no foothold.

فاتَ أهلَ الحطْم ذاك ال

حطمُ فيها والحُطامُ

Under it, the rapacious have been denied

their plunder and its spoils.

فعلى التّنِّينِ منها

وعلى اللَّيْث لجامُ

Through it the dragon,

and the lion too, are bridled.

كلما راموا فساداً

عَزَّهم ذاك المرامُ

Whenever they seek corruption,

that aim defeats them.

عاقَهم عن ذاك من في

ه على الحق اعتزامُ

He keeps them from it—the one

firmly resolved upon what is right.

سيّد من آل عبا

س ذَوي المجد همامُ

A lord of the house of Abbas,

men of glory—a man of high resolve.

مَعشرٌ ما زال منهم

من له العز اللُّهامُ

A people among whom there has always been

one possessed of overwhelming might.

فجميع الناس أقدا

مٌ وهم للناس هامُ

All other people are feet,

while they are the people's heads.

يا أبا العباس لا فا

رقَ نعماك التمامُ

O Abu al-Abbas, may perfection never

part from your blessings;

والتقى عندَك شُكْرٌ

ومزيدٌ ودوامُ

and may gratitude meet at your side

with increase and continuance.

أنتَ للدنيا إذا جا

رت خِطامٌِ وزمامُ

For the world, whenever it strays, you are

a halter and a rein.

أنَت يقظانٌ لهذا ال

خَلْق والخَلْقُ نيامُ

You are wakeful for these

people, while the people sleep.

فهُمُ بالحمد والشك

ر قُعودٌ وقيامُ

So, with praise and thanks,

they sit and stand.

حَسَمَ الإدغالَ عزمٌ

منك صَمْصامٌ حُسامُ

A resolve has cut away corruption—

yours, a keen, cleaving sword.

وأعانَتْك على ذا

لك أعراقٌ كرامُ

And you have been aided in that

by noble ancestral roots.

فيك للباطل تشتي

تٌ وللحقّ انتظامُ

Through you, falsehood is scattered,

and truth is set in order.

فيك للأموالِ تبذي

رٌ وللحمد اغتنامُ

Through you, wealth is freely scattered,

and praise is gained.

بَطنُ يُمناكَ لنا زم

زمُ يغشاها الحِيامُ

For us, your right palm is Zamzam,

to which the thirst-stricken come.

وقِراها الركن أضحى

يتهاداه اسْتلامُ

And its back has become the Corner,

passed from one reverent touch to another.

فهْيَ ما أزبد بحرٌ

لأعاليه التِطامُ

So, for as long as a sea foams

and its crests clash together,

بين تقبيل وعُرْف

أوْرَقَتْ منه السِّلامُ

it stays amid kisses and bounty

that has made stones put forth leaves.

جعلتْك الفذَّ في النا

س أياديك التؤامُ

You have been made peerless among men

by your favors, which come in pairs.

فيك للخيرِ شهيدا

نِ وِسامٌ وقَسامُ

In you, goodness has two witnesses:

handsomeness and comeliness.

ولقد قيل قديماً

شيمةُ الخير الوِسامُ

And it was said long ago:

beauty is the mark of goodness.

كلُّ حسناءَ لها ذا

مٌ وما إنْ فيك ذامُ

Every beauty has a fault,

but in you there is none.

أنت مصباحٌ وغيثٌ

بهما يحيا الأنامُ

You are a lamp and life-giving rain;

through both, humankind lives.

لك آراءٌ ووجْهٌ

هُنَّ أنوارٌ عِظامُ

You have counsels and a face:

they are mighty lights.

وبنانٌ مستهلٌّ

جودُه سَحٌّ سِجامُ

And fingers that pour forth like rain,

their generosity a streaming downpour.

فبأنوارك نُضْحَى

وبسقياك نُغامُ

By your lights we bask in sunshine,

and by your watering we dwell beneath clouds.

جمع الصحوَ لنا وال

قَطْر إذ قلَّ الرّهامُ

What joined for us clear skies and

rain, when even light showers were scarce,

وجهُك الساطعُ نُوراً

وعطاياك الجِسامُ

was your face, radiant with light,

together with your mighty gifts.

كلُّ أيامِك يومٌ

فيه شَمْسٌ وغَمامُ

Every one of your days is a day

of sun and clouds.

فبإشراقك فينا

يَنجلي عنا القَتامُ

Through your radiance among us,

the dust-cloud clears away from us.

وبجدْواك علينا

تلقَح الأرضُ العَقامُ

And through your bounty bestowed on us,

the barren earth becomes fertile.

فالْبَسِ العيدَ سعيداً

وأعاديك رِغامُ

So wear the feast day in happiness,

while your enemies lie in dust,

أَلفَ عام كل ما أد

بر عامٌ كرّ عامُ

for a thousand years: whenever a year

departs, another returns.

وتخطَّاك إلى حسْ

سادِ نُعماك الحِمامُ

And may death pass you by, turning toward

those who envy your blessings.

نسك اللَّهُ بهم عنْ

ك وإن قيل طغامُ

May God offer them in sacrifice for you,

though they are called mere rabble.

ما زكتْ منهم دماءٌ

لا ولا طابتْ لحامُ

Their blood has never been pure,

no, nor has their flesh been wholesome;

غيرَ أن قد قيل أولى

من فَدى الناسَ اللئامُ

yet it has been said: the most fitting

to ransom mankind are the base.

فيهمُ للسيف والنا

ر وإن خَسُّوا طعامُ

In them the sword and fire have

food, though they are vile.

ولتُمتَّع بأبي إس

حاق ما غنَّى الحمامُ

And may you enjoy Abu Ishaq's company

for as long as doves sing:

كوكب الصبح هلال ال

أفق والأُفْقُ الشآمُ

the morning star, the horizon's crescent—

and that horizon is al-Sham.

أو ترى منه فِئاماً

بعدَهم منك فئامُ

Or may you see multitudes from him,

and, after them, multitudes from you.

لك باللَّه اتصالٌ

وانتصار واعتصامُ

You have a bond with God,

victory and secure refuge.

فبكفّيك من الل

ه إذا خِيف ارتطامُ

So in your two hands, from God,

when collision is feared,

بل إذا خيف اجتياحٌ

وإذا خيف اصطلامُ

or rather, when devastation is feared,

and when annihilation is feared,

عُروةٌ ما لقواها

آخرَ الدهر انفصامُ

is a handhold whose strands

will never break, to the end of time.

ليس في حكمك إحجا

مٌ ولا فيه اقتحامُ

There is no shrinking back in your judgment,

nor any reckless plunging forward.

لا ولا تغرس غرساً

يجتنَى منه نِدامُ

No, nor do you plant a crop

from which remorse may be reaped.

كن بهذا الوصف ما اخضَر

رَ بشَامٌ وثُمامُ

Remain in these qualities as long as

balsam shrubs and thumam grass stay green.