لله يوم مر بالنيرب — أبو المعالي الطالوي

لِلّهِ يَومٌ مَرَّ بِالنَيرب

مِن غَيرِ واشٍ نَمّ بِالنَيرَبِ

What a day it was that passed at al-Nayrab,

without a talebearer spreading gossip at al-Nayrab!

جَدّد لِلذّات ما قَد عَفا

أَو كادَ مِن ربعٍ وَمن يَلعبِ

It renewed for pleasure what had faded,

or nearly faded—of a dwelling and one who plays—

وَمِن عُهودِ الصَبِّ حَيثُ الصِبا

إِلى الغَواني شافِعُ المُذنِبِ

and the lover's old days, when youth

interceded for the offender with the beauties;

أَيّامَ أَهواهُنَّ حُمرَ الحُلى

خُضرَ المُلا بيضَ طَلا الرَبربِ

the days I loved them, their ornaments red,

their wraps green, their necks white as those of a gazelle herd.

يَبسِمنَ عَن مِثلِ اللآلِي كَما

يَسفُرن عَن مِثلِ سَنا الكَوكَبِ

They smile, revealing the likeness of pearls, just as

they unveil the likeness of a star's radiance.

مِن كُلِّ حَسناءَ سَقاها الصِبا

ماءَ الشَبابِ الرَيِّقِ الأَطيَبِ

Each was a beauty whom youth had watered

with the pure, sweetest water of youth.

سَقاهُ عَهدُ القُربِ مِن مَعهَدٍ

وَمَنزِلٍ رَحب الفِنا مُخَصِّبِ

The days of closeness watered it, that familiar haunt,

and a fertile home with a spacious courtyard:

مَيدانُ لَهوي وَمَعانُ الهَوى

وَربعُ أُنسي وَرُبى مَأرَبي

the field of my pleasures and the abode of love,

the dwelling of my delight and the hills of my desire.

يَومٌ كَإِبهام القَطاةِ اِنقَضى

وَمَذهَبي فيما اِنقَضى مَذهَبي

A day as brief as a sandgrouse's thumb went by,

and my way with what has passed remains my way.

نادَمَني فيهِ مُبيحُ اللمى

عَلى الظَما مَن وِردِه الأَعذَبِ

Sharing my wine that day was one who offered his dusky lips

to quench thirst from his sweetest drinking place:

أَرعنَ لا عَهدٌ يُراعي كَما

لا يَرعوي قَطُّ إِلى مُعتَبِ

a reckless one who honors no pledge, just as

he never relents to anyone seeking amends.

ذُو وَجنَةٍ بِالحُسنِ قَد عَمَّها

خالٌ بَديعٌ مِنهُ عَبد النَبي

He has a cheek entirely graced with beauty by

a wondrous mole—'Abd al-Nabi is of its kind.

أَفديهِ بِالخالِ وَبِالخالِ وَال

خالِ وَالخالِ مَعاً وَالأَبِ

I would ransom him with uncle/mole, with uncle/mole, and the—

uncle/mole and uncle/mole together, and my father.

منَّ بِهِ الدَهرُ وَيا حَبَّذا

مَنٌّ بِخيلٍ جادَ بِالمَطلَبِ

Time bestowed him as a favor—and how welcome

a miser's favor that granted what was sought!

في ظِلّ أَحوى جادَهُ وابِلٌ

وَنابَ فيهِ الطلُّ عَن صَيِّبِ

In dark-green shade watered by a downpour,

where dew took the place of pouring rain,

بَكتهُ عَينُ المُزنِ هَتّانَةً

تُثري الثَرى دانِية الهَيدبِ

the clouds' eye wept over it in streaming tears,

enriching the earth, its rain-fringes hanging low,

حَتّى اِنبَرَت أَنوارُهُ غَضّةً

باسِمَةً عَن ثَغرِها الأَشنَبِ

until its blossoms sprang forth fresh,

smiling to reveal their cool, gleaming mouths.

وَالنَهرُ يَنسابُ خِلالَ الرُبا

كَالأَيمِ يَنسابُ لَدى مَهربِ

And the river glides between the hills,

like a serpent gliding toward refuge.

أَلقَت عَلَيهِ الرِيحُ مِن نَسجِها

مُفاضَةَ السَردِ عَلى المَنكبِ

The wind cast upon it, from its own weaving,

an ample coat of mail over its shoulder.

تَخالُهُ وَسطَ الرُبا نَثرَةً

قَد سَقَطَت في الرَوضِ مِن مِقنَبِ

You would think it, amid the hills, a coat of mail

that had fallen in the meadow from a cavalry troop.

كَأَنَّما الأَغصانُ مِن فَوقِهِ

رَبيئَةٌ وافت عَلى مَرقَبِ

As though the branches above it

were a lookout come to a watchpost,

ظِلالها تَحكي ظِلالَ النَقا

يَنبُثنَ في الحافّاتِ عَن مَسرَبِ

their shadows resemble the shadows of sand dunes,

spreading along the banks away from the watercourse.

كَأَنَّها وَالريحُ مالَت بِها

ظَمأى تَحَرّى الوَردَ مِن مَشرَبِ

As though, when the wind bends them,

they were thirsty, seeking a drink from a watering place.

وَالوُرقُ تُبدي الشَجوَ ما بَينَها

بِلَحنِ غِرّيدٍ شَجٍ مُطرِبِ

And the gray doves voice their sorrow among themselves

with a warbling singer's plaintive, enchanting melody.

وَكانَ ما كانَ بِنَيلِ المُنى

فَظُنَّ خَيراً بِحَبيبي وَبي

And what happened happened, with wishes fulfilled;

so think well of my beloved and me.