مولاي يا قاضي العساكر — أبو المعالي الطالوي

مَولايَ يا قاضي العَساكر

يا مِن لِساني نُعماه شاكر

My lord, O judge of the armies,

O you whose favors my tongue thanks,

يا عالِماً جَلّ عَن شَبيهٍ

وَعَن مَيلٍ وَعَن مُناظِر

O scholar, exalted beyond any likeness,

beyond partiality and beyond any rival;

وَفائِض الجود مِن أَياد

تَروي حَديثي عَطا وَجابِر

whose generosity overflows through acts of favor

that relate the two traditions of Ata and Jabir,

مفتنة الفَيض كُلَّ وَقت

فَالفَضلُ عامر وَالكَفُّ عامِر

varied in their outpouring at every moment:

excellence flourishes, and the hand is full.

اللَهُ راضٍ عَلى أُناسٍ

وَلَّيتَهُم ناهِياً وَآمِر

God is pleased with the people

whom you govern, forbidding and commanding.

فَالدّينُ أَمسى قَريرَ عَينٍ

وَالشَرعُ أَضحى ثَناكَ ناشِر

Religion now rests content,

and sacred law now spreads your praise.

قَد سِرتَ فيهِ بِهديِ شَيخٍ

إِمامٍ حَقٍّ لِلدينِ ناصِر

You have followed in it the guidance of a shaykh,

a true imam, a defender of the faith.

وَرحتُ في بُردَتي ثِقاةٍ

تَجُرُّ ذَيلَ العَفافِ ساتِر

And I went in the two cloaks of the trustworthy,

trailing the concealing hem of chastity.

ما البَحرٌ زاخِرٌ وَالبَدرُ باهِر

وَالغَيثُ ماطرٌ وَاللَيثُ خادِر

What are the surging sea and the dazzling full moon,

the pouring rain and the lion in his lair,

إِذا تَفاخَر إِذا تَسامَر

إِذا تَكاثَر إِذا تَنافَر

when boasting, when conversing by night,

when vying in abundance, when contending for honor?

مَولايَ يا قِبلَةَ الأَماني

وَكَعبَةَ الفَضل وَالمَآثِر

My lord, O qibla of hopes,

and Kaaba of excellence and noble deeds,

وَمَن لَهُ المَجدُ لا يُسامى

إِذا تَحدّى لَهُ مَفاخِر

and you whose glory none can rival,

with glorious deeds to your name when you challenge;

وَالمَنظَر الطَلق راقَ حُسناً

يُزهى كَزاهي الرِياض ناضِر

whose open countenance delights in beauty,

radiant and fresh as flourishing gardens;

وَالمَنطِق العَذب رَقَّ لَفظاً

وَدَقَّ مَعنىً لَكُلِّ ناظِر

whose sweet speech is delicate in wording,

and subtle in meaning to everyone who considers it;

وَالنَسَبُ الطهر قَلَّدتهُ

عُقودُها الأَنجُمُ الزَواهِر

and whose pure lineage is garlanded

with their necklaces by the radiant stars.

وَرِثتَ قِدماً عُلا جُدودٍ

حَديثُهُم جاءَ في الدَفاتِر

You long ago inherited the eminence of forefathers,

whose accounts appear in the books.

شادُوا المَعالي سادُوا المَوالي

بِالسُمرِ طَعناً وَبِالبَواتِر

They raised high honors and ruled over lords,

with thrusts of dusky lances and with cutting swords.

مِن كُلِّ قَرمٍ وَمِن كُلِّ شَهمٍ

أَغَرَّ زاهي الجَبين زاهِر

From every chieftain and every gallant man,

bright-faced, with a proud and radiant brow;

أَدناهُم مِنكَ وَهوَ غال

قُطبُ الأَوائِل غَوثُ الأَواخِر

the nearest of them to you, dearly esteemed,

the pole of those before, the succor of those after.

حَباه رَبّي جِنان خُلدٍ

يُسقى بِها السَلسَبيلَ طاهِر

My Lord bestowed on him gardens of eternity,

where, pure, he is given Salsabil to drink.

بِحَقِّهِ عالِماً تَقِيّاً

وَسِرُّ نَجواه فيكَ ظاهِر

By his due as a learned and pious man,

and the secret of his communion is manifest in you,

إلّا تَعَطفت نَحوَ صَبٍّ

يَصبُّ غَيثَ الدُموع ماطِر

will you not turn kindly toward a lovesick man

pouring down a rain of tears?

فارَقَ بِالشامِ خَيرَ دارٍ

وَخَيرَ جارٍ وَالربعُ عامِر

He left in Syria the best of homes,

and the best of neighbors, the dwelling flourishing.

ماجِنَةُ الخُلدِ تَصطَفيها

سِوى رِياضٍ بِها نَواضِر

What is the Garden of Eternity you would choose,

but gardens blooming there?

وَلَيسَ ذاتُ العِمادِ إِلّا

مَغنى حِماها إِن كُنتَ خابِر

And the city of pillars is nothing but

a dwelling within her bounds, if you know.

غَدَت عَلَيها حَوامِل المُز

نِ في ثَراها يَضعنَ باكِر

At morn pregnant rainclouds came over her,

giving birth early in her soil.

وَلا خَلا المَهدُ مِن رُباها

فيهِ جَنينُ النَباتِ صاغِر

Nor was the cradle of her hills ever empty:

within it, a tiny embryo of plants.

تَحنو عَلَيهِ بَناتُ فَخرٍ

تُرضِعَهُ كَي يَشُبَّ سافِر

The daughters of glory bend tenderly over it,

nursing it so that it grows unveiled.

فَكَم مَقيلٍ بِها ظَليلٌ

وَكَم خَليل تَرَكتُ هاجِر

How many shady noonday resting places are there,

and how many a friend I left in parting;

وَكَم مَغانٍ فيها غَوانٍ

مِن كُلِّ رُودٍ قَيد النَواظِر

and how many dwellings there, with lovely women,

each tender maiden a fetter for the eyes.

فارقتُها وَالفِراقُ مُرٌّ

كَم شَقَّ لِلصَبّ مِن مرآئِر

I left her, and parting is bitter;

how many heartstrings it tore in the lovesick man!

قالَت وَقَد زُمَّتِ المَطايا

وَالدَمعُ هامٍ في الخَدِّ هامِر

She said, when the mounts had been bridled,

and tears flowed, pouring down the cheek:

إِن كُنتَ تَبغي العُلا فَبادِر

حِمى جَوادٍ عَطاهُ وَافِر

"If you seek high rank, then hasten

to a generous man's sanctuary, whose giving is abundant."

فَرُحتُ أُنضي الرِكابَ نَضّاً

لا أَعرف الغَمضَ في الدِياجِر

So I went, wearing out the mounts utterly,

knowing no sleep in the dark nights.

أَجوبُ عَرضَ الفَلاةِ جَوباً

بِكُلِّ نِهدٍ أَقَبّ ضامِر

I cut across the desert's breadth,

on every sturdy, narrow-waisted, lean mount.

يَمور مَورَ الظَليم لَيلاً

يَخوضُ بَحرَ السَراب غامِر

It moves by night with the darting motion of an ostrich,

plunging deep into the sea of mirage.

يَجري مَعَ الريحِ ثُمّ تَكبو

حَسرى وَيَمضي لِلغاي حاسِر

It races with the wind; then she stumbles,

spent, while it presses on toward the goal, weary.

جَبينُهُ البَدرُ مِنهُ يَبدو

وَالنَجمُ مِن غُرَّتَيهِ غائِر

The full moon appears from its forehead,

and the star retreats before its two white blazes.

فَما هِلالُ السَماءِ إِلّا

نَعلاً رَمَتهُ مِنهُ الحَوافِر

So the sky's crescent is nothing but

a horseshoe thrown off by its hooves.

وَلا الدَراري سِوى عُقودٍ

أَمسى لَها مِن حُلاه ناثِر

Nor are the brilliant stars anything but necklaces,

for which it scattered jewels from its ornaments.

وَلا نِطاق الجَوزاءِ إِلّا

ما قَلَّد الجِيد مِنهُ فاخِر

Nor is Orion's belt anything but

a splendid adornment from it, hung about the neck.

ما زالَ يَرمي بِهِ المَرامي

وَيَهجُرُ الوِردَ في الهَواجِر

It kept casting him toward his destinations,

and forsaking the water-stop in the midday heats,

حَتّى أَتى بِهِ حِمىً كَريمٌ

بُحورُ نَعمائِهِ زَواخِر

until it brought him to a generous man's sanctuary,

whose seas of blessings surge:

صَدرَ الأَهالي بَدرَ المَعالي

ذُخر المَوالي فَخرُ المَفاخِر

chief of the people, full moon of high honors,

treasure of lords, pride of glorious deeds.

مَولاي عَطفاً عَلى غَريبٍ

بِالرومِ أَمسى وَلَيسَ زائِر

My lord, show compassion to a stranger

who now finds himself in Rum, not as a visitor.

أَخُنتُ عَلَيهِ صُروف دَهرٍ

وُقيتَ ظُلماً عَلَيهِ جائِر

The turns of time have ravaged him,

with oppressive injustice—may you be spared!

وَفَرّقت مِنهُ شَملَ دَرسٍ

كانَ عَليهِ قِدماً يُثابِر

and broke apart his course of study,

which he had long pursued diligently.

عَطفاً عَلَيهِ فَإِنّ فيهِ

مَحَلَّ صُنعٍ وَأَنتَ قادِر

Show him compassion, for in him

there is scope for kindness, and you are able.

وَأَحبي مِنهُ دُروسَ عِلمٍ

بِراحَةٍ كَالحَياء هامِر

And revive his lessons of learning

with a palm pouring forth like rain.

سَماعُ يا مَن لِسانُ كُلٍّ

بِكُلِّ مَدحٍ ثَناه ناثِر

Hear me, O you for whom every tongue

strews praise in every eulogy.

في يمِّ إِحسانِكَ المُرَجّى

أَجريتَ فَلَكَ الرَجاءِ سائِر

In the ocean of your hoped-for kindness,

you set the ship of hope sailing.

وَلَستُ أَخشى عَلَيهِ غَرقاً

وَرَأى سَعدِي لَهُ مُسامِر

And I do not fear its drowning,

and my good fortune saw a nighttime companion for it.

فَمَرَّ كَالريحِ في هُبوب

يَشُقُّ بِحرَ النَجاةِ ماخِر

It sped like the wind in its blowing,

cleaving the sea of deliverance as it sailed,

وَعادَ مَشحون سَيبك الغَم

رِ بِاللآلي وَبِالجَواهِر

and returned laden with your boundless bounty—

with pearls and jewels.

بَعثتُ مِنها إِلَيكَ عِقداً

مُنظَّماً لِلعُقولِ باهِر

I sent you a necklace from them,

well-strung, dazzling to minds.

وَسَوفَ أُهدي إِلَيكَ أُخرى

شهبُ الدَراري لَها ضَرائِر

And I shall present you with another:

the blazing stars are her rival wives,

حَتّى يَقولَ الأَنام طُرّاً

ما أَنتَ شاعر بَل أَنتَ ساحِر

until all mankind says,

"You are no poet; you are a magician!"

وَهاكَ بِكزاً تَهيجُ ذِكرى

لِأَرض بُصرى لا شِعبَ عامِر

And here, take a virgin that stirs remembrance

of the land of Busra, not the ravine of Amir.

شَآمِيّةَ النَشأ مِن كِرامٍ

طائيّةُ الأَصل وَالأَواصِر

Syrian-raised, from noble people,

Ta'i in ancestry and kinship.

لَو أَن مِهيارَ شام بَرقاً

مِن ثَغرِها العَذب ظَلَّ حائِر

Had Mihyar glimpsed a flash

from her sweet mouth, he would have remained bewildered;

وَالحاجِري الأَديب صَبا

أَنسَته بَرقَ الحِما وَحاجِر

and al-Hajiri, the man of letters, would have fallen in love:

she would have made him forget the lightning of Hima and Hajir.

خُذها تُجَلّى كَالبَدر تُجلى

هَيفاءَ قَدٍّ وَطفاءَ ناظِر

Take her, unveiled as the full moon is unveiled,

slender of figure, with thick-lashed eyes;

رُود رداحٍ غَرثى وِشاح

وَالطَرفُ مِنها سَلِمتَ فاتِر

gentle, full-hipped, hungry at the sash,

and her gaze—may you be safe—is languid.

وَأَنتَ كُفؤٌ لَها كَريم

وَالمَهرُ شَرطٌ وَأَنتَ ماهِر

You are her worthy match, a noble man,

and a dowry is required; you are its giver.

هَذا وَوَعدُ الكَريمِ دَينٌ

وَالمطلُ شَينٌ مِنَ الأَكابِر

This—and a noble man's promise is a debt,

and delay is a disgrace in the great.

وَاِغنَم دُعاءً وَاِردد ثَناء

عَلَيكَ مَنّي كَالمِسكِ عاطِر

And win a prayer, and repeat the praise

of you, from me, fragrant as musk.

وَاِسلم مَدى الدَهر في سُرور

ما لاحَ بَرقٌ وَناحَ طائِر

And remain safe, joyful throughout time,

as long as lightning flashes and a bird laments.