يحن على بعد المزار وإن شطا — أبو المعالي الطالوي

يَحِنُّ عَلى بُعدِ المَزار وَإِن شَطّا

وَيَصبُو لِحَيٍّ نازِلينَ بِذي الأَرطى

He longs despite the distance of the visit, however far it stretches.

And yearns for a tribe dwelling at Dhu al-Arta.

وَيَشتاقُ مَعنىً فيهِ حُسّانة الهَوى

خَطَت في رِداء الحُسن تَسحَبه مِرطا

And he misses Ma‘na, where a beauty dear to love

Walked in a robe of beauty, trailing its cloak.

مِنَ الرَبرَبِ الإِنسيِّ في مَربع الصِبا

تَفيءُ ظِلالَ الحُسنِ لا تَعرِفُ الخَطّا

One of the human gazelles in the pasture of youth,

She rests in beauty’s shade and knows no misstep.

كَواعِبُ إِلّا أَنَّهُنَّ كَواكِبُ

تَغارُ النُجوم الزُهر مِن حُسنِها العَطّا

They are young women, yet they are stars;

The bright stars envy her abundant beauty.

لَها بَشَر الدُرِّ الَّذي قُلِّدَت بِهِ

كَأَنَّ الدَراري قَلَّدت جيدَها سِمطا

Her skin has the luster of the pearls with which she is adorned,

As though shining jewels had hung a necklace on her neck.

تَعَلَّق مَهوى قُرطِها القَلبُ خافِقاً

فَما زالَ يَبدُو خافِقاً أَو يَرى القُرطا

His heart, trembling, clung to where her earring swings;

It kept appearing to flutter, or to glimpse the earring.

مَعنّى بِأَرضِ الرومِ قَد فارَقَ الهَوى

وَشَرخَ الصِبا وَالأَهل وَالدار وَالرِمطا

Tormented in the land of the Romans, he has left behind love,

The bloom of youth, family, home, and the arta trees.

بِأَحشائِهِ نارُ الغَرام كَأَنَّما

رَمى بَينَ جَنبيهِ ضِرامُ الهَوى سِقطا

The fire of passion burns within him, as though

Love’s blaze had cast a burning brand between his ribs.

أَسيرٌ يُعاني سَورَةَ الزَمَن الَّذي

عَلى مِثلِهِ في الحُكم ما زالَ مُشتَطّا

A captive, he endures the violence of a time

That has always been harsh in its judgment of one like him.

إِذا شامَ بَرقَ الشامِ ساقَطَ لُؤلؤاً

مِنَ الدَمع مِثلَ الدُرِّ من سلكِهِ الخَطّا

When he glimpses lightning over Syria, pearls fall

From his tears, like gems slipping from their string.

هِيَ الغَرَض الأَقصى وَرُؤيَتها المُنى

وَنيلُ الأَماني في حِماها وَإِن شَطّا

It is his furthest aim, and seeing it is his wish;

So is gaining his hopes within its haven, however distant it lies.

بِلادٌ إِذا مَرّت بِها الريحُ تَنثَني

وَقَد حَملَت عَن رَوضِها العودَ وَالقُسطا

A land where the wind, passing through, turns back

Bearing aloeswood and costus from its gardens.

سَقاها وَحَيّاها الإِلَهُ مَعاهِداً

سَحابَ دُنُوِّ العَهد إِن غَيثُها أَبطا

May God water and greet its familiar places

With clouds recalling recent days, if their rain delays.

وَخَصَّ بِها الوادي المُقَدَّسَ شاطِئاً

وَجانِبَه الغَربيّ وَالرَبوَة الوُسطى

And may He favor in it the sacred valley’s shore,

Its western side and the middle height.

مَعاهدُ آرابي وَمَربى مَآربي

وَأَوطانُ أَوطارٍ غَدَت لِلهَوى شَرطا

Places of my delight and the nurture of my desires,

Homelands of longings that became a condition of love.

فَلي بَينَ هاتيكَ المَعاهِدِ جُؤذرٌ

حِمى القَلب يَرعى لا الكَثيب وَلا وَالسقطا

Among those places I have a young gazelle

Who grazes in the heart’s preserve, neither on dune nor lowland.

أَرودُ بِعَيني وَرد خَدّيه وَالَّذي

جَنى لَحظُهُ وَردَ الخُدودِ فَما أَخطا

With my eyes I seek the rose of his cheeks, which

His glance has gathered from blushing cheeks without missing.

وَأَرشُفُ بِالأَلحاظِ خَمرَةَ ريقِهِ

فَإِنّي فَتىً آلَيت لا ذُقتُ إِسفَنطا

And with my looks I sip the wine of his saliva,

For I am a youth who swore never to taste spiced wine.

تَوَهّم ذاكَ الصدغ نوناً بِخَدِّهِ

فَراحَ بِمِسكِ الخالِ يَنقطهُ نَقطا

He imagined that temple curl as a letter nun upon his cheek,

Then dotted it with the musk of his beauty mark.

وَحَسَّنه لام العذار كَأَنَّهُ

بِباع اِبنِ بُستانٍ أَجدّ بِهِ خَطّا

The letter lam of his down made it lovelier, as though

Ibn Bustan’s hand had freshly traced it.

فَتىً حُكمُهُ حُكمُ الفَتاةِ بِنَظرَة

كَما أَنَّهُ في عِلمِهِ صاحِبُ الأَنطا

A youth whose glance commands like a maiden’s,

While in knowledge he is master of the Anta.

أَماتَ رِياحَ الجَهلِ وَهيَ عَواصِفٌ

وَأَحيا رباعَ الفَضلِ بِالبَذلِ وَالإِعطا

He stilled the winds of ignorance while they were raging

And revived the dwellings of virtue through generosity and giving.

إِمام هُدىً يَدعو إِلى اللَهِ أُمَةً

مِنَ الناسِ لَولا رَأيه خَلَطَت خَلطا

A guiding imam calls a people to God,

People who, without his judgment, would have fallen into confusion.

هُوَ العُروة الوثقى لَنا وَيمينه

هِيَ الرُكن فيها نَشهَدُ القَبض وَالبَسطا

He is our firmest bond, and his right hand

Is its pillar; there we witness withholding and giving.

لَهُ رُتَبٌ في الفَضلِ تَسقط دونَها ال

أَمانيُّ حَصرى تَشتَكي الأَينَ وَالسُخطا

He holds ranks of merit before which the

Wishes fall exhausted, complaining of weariness and discontent.

أَفادَ المَعالي وَاِستَفادَت بِهِ النُهى

طَرائِقُ آدابٍ لَها سَنَّ وَاِختَطّا

He conferred high honors, while minds gained through him

Ways of learning that he established and laid out.

فَلا مَجدَ لِلأَقوام إِلّا بِمَجدِهِ

وَمَن لَم يسلِّم عَن رِضىً فَليَمُت سُخطا

Peoples have no glory except through his glory;

Let whoever will not yield willingly die in anger.

وَلَمّا تَمَنَّت مَصرُ مَوطِئَ نَعلِهِ

وَمَدّت لَهُ فسطاطَها عَلَّ أَن يُوطا

When Egypt wished for the tread of his sandal

And spread its pavilion for him, hoping he would step inside,

ثَني نَحوَها عِطف العِنان فَجاءَهُ

مَجِيءَ اِبنِ عِمرانٍ وَلم يَخَفِ القِبطا

He turned his reins toward it and came

Like the son of Imran, without fearing the Copts.

رَأى هَرَماها فَضلَهُ فَتَقاعَسا

وَكادا لَهُ مِن بَعدِ رامَة يَنحَطّا

Its two pyramids saw his merit and drew back,

Almost descending for him after Rama.

فَوافى حِماها يُوسُفاً وَغَدَت بِهِ

مَعالِمُها لا تَشتَكي الجَدب وَالقَحطا

He reached its haven like Joseph, and through him

Its landmarks ceased to complain of drought and famine.

وَأَصبَحَت الأَرجاءُ مِنها نَواضِراً

كَأَنَّ رِياضَ الحَزن أَهدَت لَها رَبطا

Its regions grew fresh and bright,

As though the gardens of al-Hazn had gifted it green cloth.

وَأَجلى بِنور العَدلِ ظُلمَةَ ظُلمِها

وَجَلّى غمامَ الجور عَنها وَقَد غَطّا

With the light of justice he cleared the darkness of its oppression

And swept away the cloud of tyranny that had covered it.

عَجِبتُ لِيُمناه وَفيها يَراعَةٌ

وَلم يَلقَها كَيفَ اِنحَنَت حَيّةً رَقطا

I marveled at his right hand, holding a pen:

Though he had not cast it down, how had it curled into a speckled snake?

وَأَعجَب مِن ذا أَنَّها بِيَمينه

غَدَت لِأَفاعِي الظُلم تَلهمها سَرطا

Stranger still, in his right hand

It came to swallow the serpents of injustice whole.

فَطُوبى لِمَصرٍ ثُم طُوبى لِأَهلِها

بِهدي إِمامٍ قَد ملا قُطرها قِسطا

Blessed be Egypt, and blessed be its people,

Through the guidance of an imam who filled its land with justice.

إِذا غاضَ ماءُ النيلِ يَوماً أَفاض مِن

يَديهِ بِحارَ الجُود يَنبطها نَبطا

If the Nile’s water should recede one day, he pours forth

From his hands seas of generosity, drawing them up like springs.

وَإِذا نَبَع العَشر اِثنَتَينِ جَرَت بِها

عُيونٌ تُسَقّي كُلَّ واحِدة سِبطا

And if the ten bring forth two more, there flow

Springs, each giving water to a tribe.

أَقام وَكانَ العَدلُ شَرطَ إِقامَةٍ

بِها فَاِنثَنى عَنها وَقَد أَكمَل الشَرطا

He stayed, and justice was the condition of his stay;

Then he turned away, having fulfilled that condition.

وَفارَقَ مَغناها الخَصيبَ فَأًصبَحَت

مَعالِمُها مِن بُعدِهِ تُكثر النَحطا

He left its fertile dwelling, and its landmarks

After his departure began to multiply their laments.

وَسارَ مَسير البَدرِ يَطوي مَنازِلاً

إِلى الرُوم حَتّى حَلّ في أَهلِها عَمطا

He traveled like the full moon, passing through stations

Toward the Romans until he settled among their people at Amta.

ثَوى فيهِمُ كَالشَمسِ يُعطي ضِياءهُ

وَلَيسَ كَمثل البَدر يَأخُذ ما أَعطى

He dwelt among them like the sun, giving his light,

Unlike the moon, which takes back what it has given.

تَرفَّع عَن عالي الصَدارة قَدرُهُ

وَمِن قَبلُ قَد نيطَت بِأَذيالِهِ نَوطا

His worth rose above the highest seat of office,

Though that office had once been fastened to his hems.

وَرادَ جمامَ الطَبعِ مِن كَدِّ مَنصِبٍ

فَظَنَّ جَهُولٌ أَن ذَلِكَ عَن أَرطا

He sought rest for his nature from the toil of office,

And an ignorant man supposed this sprang from weakness.

فيا أَيُّها المَولى الَّذي كُلُّ مَنصِبٍ

غَدا وَهوَ عالٍ دونَ قَدرِكَ مُنحَطّا

O master, before whose worth every office

Has become low, however high its rank,

إِلَيكَ أَتَت طائيّة في نَسيبِها

قَوافٍ تَفوقُ السِحرَ لا تَعرِف الإيطا

To you has come a poem rhyming in ta, whose love prelude bears

Verses surpassing magic and free of faulty repeated rhymes.

لَوِ اِجتَزنَ بِالطائيِّ قِدماً قَضى لَها

بِسَبقٍ وَقالَ الطاءُ مِن بَعدُ لا تُوطا

Had they competed with al-Ta’i long ago, he would have judged them

The winners and said: ‘After this, the letter ta cannot be surpassed.’

عَجِبتُ لَها بِالرومِ ما بَرِحَت وَقَد

أَقامَ لِيَ البَكريُّ في وَزنِها قِسطا

I marveled that it remained among the Romans, though

Al-Bakri had set its meter right for me.

وَشامَ بِنورِ الكَشفِ مِن مِصرَ بَرقها

فَحدَّثَ عَنها مُنشِداً مِن قَوافي الطّا

From Egypt he glimpsed its lightning by the light of insight

And spoke of it, reciting verses that rhyme in ta.

سَقى قَبرُهُ الرَوض الأَريضَ سَحائِبٌ

تَدلُّ عَلى أَرجاء ساحتِها سَقطا

May clouds water his grave, the broad meadow,

Shedding rain across the reaches of its ground.

فَدونَكها يا عالم العَصر غادَةً

نَشَت بَينَ رَوضِ الشامِ في وارِثِ الأَلطا

So take her, scholar of the age, a young woman

Raised amid Syria’s gardens, among the heirs of the past.

هِيَ المَركب الصَعب المَرام وَإِن غَدَت

ذَلولاً وَلَكِن لا تَكل مَنِ اِستَمطى

She is a mount difficult to attain, even if she becomes

Docile; she does not weary the one who rides her.

نَثَرتُ عَلَيها مِن مَديحك لُؤلُؤاً

فَأَهوَت دراري الأُفق تَلقُطُها لَقطا

I scattered pearls of your praise upon her,

And the stars of the horizon stooped to gather them.

وَناطَت عَلى الجَوزاء مِنهُ مَناطِقا

وَصاغَت لِآذان الثُرَيّا بِهِ قُرطا

She hung belts of them upon Gemini

And fashioned an earring from them for the Pleiades.

تَمَتَّع بِها عَذراء تَسطُو بِمُقلَةٍ

لَها إِن رَنَت فِعلَ الصَوارم بَل أَسطى

Enjoy her, a maiden who strikes with an eye

That, when it gazes, acts like swords, or more fiercely.

وَدُم لِبَني الآداب رُكن هِدايَةٍ

إِذا ما عَدا الدَهرُ الخَؤونُ أَوِ اِشتَطّا

Remain a pillar of guidance for the people of letters

Whenever treacherous time attacks or grows excessive.

مَدى الدَهر ما اِشتاقَ الغَريبُ إِلى الحِمى

وَحَنَّ عَلى بُعدِ المَزار وَإِن شَطّا

For all time, while the exile longs for his homeland

And yearns despite the distance of the visit, however far it stretches.