أما الرسوم فقد أذكرن ما سلفا — Abu Tammam

أَما الرُسومُ فَقَد أَذكَرنَ ما سَلَفا

فَلا تَكُفَّنَّ عَن شَأنَيكَ أَو يَكِفا

As for the traces, they have recalled what is past;

so do not restrain your two tear ducts until they flow.

لا عُذرَ لِلصَبِّ أَن يَقنى الحَياءَ وَلا

لِلدَمعِ بَعدَ مُضِيِّ الحَيِّ أَن يَقِفا

The lovesick has no excuse for clinging to shame, nor

have tears, after the clan's departure, any excuse for stopping,

حَتّى يَظَلَّ بِماءٍ سافِحٍ وَدَمٍ

في الرَبعِ يُحسَبُ مِن عَينَيهِ قَد رَعَفا

until he stands with streaming water and blood,

in the deserted dwelling, seemingly bleeding from his eyes.

وَفي الخُدورِ مَهاً لَو أَنَّها شَعَرَت

إِذاً طَغَت فَرَحاً أَو أُبلِسَت أَسَفا

And in the curtained chambers are oryx-does who, if they knew,

would overflow with joy or fall silent with sorrow.

لَآلِئٌ كَالنُجومِ الزُهرِ قَد لَبِسَت

أَبشارُها صَدَفَ الإِحصانِ لا الصَدَفا

Pearls like radiant stars, whose

skins wear the shell of chastity, not an oyster's shell.

مِن كُلِّ خَودٍ دَعاها البَينُ فَاِبتَكَرَت

بِكراً وَلَكِن غَدا هِجرانُها نَصَفا

Each a tender maiden whom separation summoned, and she left early,

a virgin, though her estrangement had grown middle-aged.

لا أَظلِمُ النَأيَ قَد كانَت خَلائِقُها

مِن قَبلِ وَشكِ النَوى عِندي نَوىً قَذَفا

I do not wrong distance: her ways had already been,

before separation drew near, a far-flung estrangement to me.

غَيداءُ جادَ وَلِيُّ الحُسنِ سُنَّتَها

فَصاغَها بِيَدَيهِ رَوضَةً أُنُفا

A supple beauty: beauty's renewing rain watered her face,

then shaped her with its two hands into an untouched garden.

مَصقولَةٌ سَتَرَت عَنّا تَرائِبُها

قَلباً بَريئاً يُناغي ناظِراً نَطِفا

Polished fair, her breast conceals from us

an innocent heart that flirts with a guilty eye.

يُضحي العَذولُ عَلى تَأنيبِهِ كَلِفاً

بِعُذرِ مَن كانَ مَشغوفاً بِها كَلِفا

The reproacher, despite his reproaches, grows fond

of excusing the man infatuated and enamored with her.

وَدِّع فُؤادَكَ تَوديعَ الفِراقِ فَما

أَراهُ مِن سَفَرِ التَوديعِ مُنصَرِفا

Bid your heart the farewell of final parting, for

I do not see it returning from the journey of farewell.

يُجاهِدُ الشَوقَ طَوراً ثُمَّ يَجذِبُهُ

جِهادُهُ لِلقَوافي في أَبي دُلَفا

It battles longing awhile; then it is drawn away

by its struggle with rhymes in praise of Abu Dulaf.

بِجودِهِ اِنصاتَتِ الأَيّامُ لابِسَةً

شَرخَ الشَبابِ وَكانَت جِلَّةً شُرُفا

Through his bounty the days came forth, wearing

youth's first bloom, though they had been decrepit she-camels.

حَتّى لَوَ اَنَّ اللَيالي صُوِّرَت لَغَدَت

أَفعالُهُ الغُرُّ في آذانِها شُنُفا

So much so that, were the nights given human form,

his radiant deeds would be earrings in their ears.

إِذا عَلا طَودَ مَجدٍ ظَلَّ في نَصَبٍ

أَو يَعتَلي مِن سِواهُ ذِروَةً شَعَفا

Whenever he scales a mountain of glory, he remains in toil

until he ardently ascends another summit.

فَلَو تَكَلَّمَ خَلقٌ لا لِسانَ لَهُ

لَقَد دَعَتهُ المَعالي مِلَّةً طُرُفا

If any creature without a tongue could speak,

the heights of glory would call him a wondrous new creed.

جَمُّ التَواضُعِ وَالدُنيا بِسُؤدُدِهِ

تَكادُ تَهتَزُّ مِن أَطرافِها صَلَفا

Abundant in humility, though the world, through his nobility,

almost shakes from edge to edge with pride.

قَصدُ الخَلائِقِ إِلّا في وَغىً وَنَدىً

كِلاهُما سُبَّةٌ ما لَم يَكُن سَرَفا

Temperate in character, except in battle and bounty:

each is a disgrace unless carried to excess.

تُدعى عَطاياهُ وَفراً وَهيَ إِن شُهِرَت

كانَت فَخاراً لِمَن يَعفوهُ مُؤتَنَفا

His gifts are called wealth, yet, once made known,

they become fresh glory for whoever seeks him out.

ما زِلتُ مُنتَظِراً أُعجوبَةً عَنَناً

حَتّى رَأَيتُ سُؤالاً يُجتَنى شَرَفا

I kept waiting for a marvel to appear before me,

until I saw begging yield a harvest of honor.

يَقولُ قَولَ الَّذي لَيسَ الوَفاءُ لَهُ

عَزماً وَيُنجِزُ إِنجازَ الَّذي حَلَفا

He speaks like one for whom keeping faith is no

deliberate resolve, yet fulfills like one who has sworn.

رَأى الحِمامَ شَقيقَ الخُلفِ فَاِتَّفَقا

في ناظِرَيهِ وَإِن كانا قَدِ اِختَلَفا

He saw death and broken promises as brothers, so they became alike

in his eyes, though they are different.

كِلاهُما رائِحٌ غادٍ يَدُلُّ عَلى

مَعروفِهِ وَعَلى حَوبائِهِ اِئتَلَفا

Both, coming and going, point toward

his bounty; against his life they have joined forces.

وَلَو يُقالُ اِقرِ حَدَّ السَيفِ شَرَّهُما

ما شامَ حَدَّيهِ حَتّى يَقتُلَ الخُلُفا

Were he told, 'Feed the worse of them to the sword's edge,'

he would not sheathe its edges until he had slain promise-breaking.

إِنَّ الخَليفَةَ وَالأَفشينَ قَد عَلِما

مَنِ اِشتَفى لَهُما مِن بابَكٍ وَشَفى

The caliph and al-Afshin know well

who avenged them on Babak and brought them relief,

في يَومِ أَرشَقَ وَالهَيجاءُ قَد رَشَقَت

مِنَ المَنِيَّةِ رَشقاً وابِلاً قَصِفا

on the day of Arshaq, when battle had loosed

a crushing, torrential volley of death.

فَكانَ شَخصُكَ في أَغفالِها عَلَماً

وَكانَ رَأيُكَ في ظَلمائِها سَدَفا

Your figure was a landmark amid its trackless wastes,

and your counsel a light amid its darkness.

نَضَوتَهُ دُلَفِيّاً مِن كِنانَتِهِ

فَأَصبَحَت فَوزَةُ العُقبى لَهُ هَدَفا

You drew it, a Dulafi arrow, from its quiver,

and final victory became its target.

بِهِ بَسَطتَ الخُطا فَاِسحَنفَرَت رَتَكاً

إِلى الجِلادِ وَكانَت قَبلَهُ قُطُفا

Through it you lengthened the strides, and they rushed at a trot

toward combat, though before it they had been short.

خَطواً تَرى الصارِمَ الهِندِيَّ مُنتَصِراً

بِهِ مِنَ المارِنِ الخَطِّيِّ مُنتَصِفا

Strides in which you see the keen Indian sword victorious,

through them, taking its due from the pliant Khatti lance.

ذَمَرتَ جَمعَ الهُدى فَاِنقَضَّ مُنصَلِتاً

وَكانَ في حَلَقاتِ الرُعبِ قَد رَسَفا

You rallied the host of guidance, and it charged headlong,

though it had shuffled in terror's shackles.

وَمَرَّ بابَكُ مُرَّ العَيشِ مُنجَذِماً

مُحلَولِياً دَمُهُ المَعسولُ لَو رُشِفا

Babak went his way, his life bitter, cut off,

his blood grown sweet as honey, were it sipped.

حَيرانَ يَحسَبُ سَجفَ النَقعِ مِن دَهَشٍ

طَوداً يُحاذِرُ أَن يَنقَضَّ أَو جُرُفا

Bewildered, he mistakes the curtain of dust, in his panic,

for a mountain he fears will collapse, or a crumbling bank.

ظَلَّ القَنا يَستَقي مِن صَفِّهِ مُهَجاً

إِمّا ثِماداً وَإِمّا ثَرَّةً خُسُفا

The lances kept drawing lifeblood from his ranks,

from scant pools or gushing, deep wells:

مِن مُشرِقٍ دَمُهُ في وَجهِهِ بَطَلٍ

وَواهِلٍ دَمُهُ لِلرُعبِ قَد نُزِفا

from a hero whose blood shone in his face,

or a frightened man whose blood had drained away with terror.

فَذاكَ قَد سُقِيَت مِنهُ القَنا جُرَعاً

وَذاكَ قَد سُقِيَت مِنهُ القَنا نُطُفا

From the former the lances were given draughts to drink,

and from the latter the lances were given mere drops.

مُثَقَّفاتٍ سَلَبنَ الرومَ زُرقَتَها

وَالعُربَ سُمرَتَها وَالعاشِقَ القَضَفا

Straightened lances that robbed the Byzantines of their blue,

the Arabs of their brown, and the lover of his leanness.

ما إِن رَأَيتُ سَواماً قَبلَها هَمَلاً

يُرعى فَيُهدي إِلَيهِ رَعيُهُ عَجَفا

Never before them have I seen untended grazing herds

that are pastured, only to gain leanness from their grazing.

وَرُبَّ يَومٍ كَأَيّامٍ تَرَكتَ بِهِ

مَتنَ القَناةِ وَمَتنَ القِرنِ مُنقَصِفا

And many a day worth many days, when you left

the spear's shaft and the foe's back shattered.

أَزَرتَ أَبرَشتَويماً وَالقَنا قِصَدٌ

غَيابَةَ المَوتِ وَالمُقَوَرَّةَ الشُسُفا

You brought Abrashtawim, with the lances splintered,

face to face with death's abyss and gaunt, hollow-flanked steeds.

لَمّا رَأَوكَ وَإِيّاها مُلَملَمَةً

يَظَلُّ مِنها جَبينُ الدَهرِ مُنكَسِفا

When they saw you and those steeds gathered in one mass,

at which the very brow of Time grows dark,

وَلَّوا وَأَغشَيتَهُم شُمّاً غَطارِفَةً

لِغَمرَةِ المَوتِ كَشّافينَ لا كُشُفا

they fled, and you loosed upon them proud, highborn men,

dispellers of death's tumult, not defenseless men.

قَد نَبَذوا الحَجَفَ المَحبوكَ مِن زُؤُدٍ

وَصَيَّروا هامَهُم بَل صُيِّرَت حَجَفا

They had flung away their tightly woven shields in terror,

and made their heads—or rather, had them made—into shields.

أَغشَيتَ بارِقَةَ الأَغمادِ أَرؤُسَهُم

ضَرباً طِلَخفاً يُنَسّي الجانِفَ الجَنَفا

You brought the lightning of scabbards down upon their heads,

with crushing blows that make the crooked forget their crookedness.

بَرقٌ إِذا بَرقُ غَيثٍ باتَ مُختَطِفاً

لِلطَرفِ أَصبَحَ لِلأَعناقِ مُختَطِفا

Lightning that, when storm-lightning spends the night snatching

eyesight, spends the morning snatching necks.

بِالبيضِ قَد أَنِفَت إِنَّ الحُسامَ إِذا

هَجيرَةٌ حَرَّضَتهُ ساعَةً أَنِفا

With bright blades grown proud: indeed, a cutting sword, when

noonday heat goads it for an hour, grows proud.

كَتَبتَ أَوجُهَهُم مَشقاً وَنَمنَمَةً

ضَرباً وَطَعناً يَقاتُ الهامَ وَالصُلُفا

You wrote on their faces in broad strokes and fine tracery,

with blows and thrusts that feed on skulls and necks:

كِتابَةً لا تَني مَقرؤَةً أَبَداً

وَما خَطَطتَ بِها لاماً وَلا أَلِفا

writing that never ceases to be read,

though you traced with it neither lam nor alif.

فَإِن أَلَظّوا بِإِنكارٍ فَقَد تُرِكَت

وُجوهُهُم بِالَّذي أَولَيتَها صُحُفا

If they persist in denial, there remain

their faces as pages, bearing what you bestowed upon them.

وَغَيضَةَ المَوتِ أَعني البَذَّ قُدتَ لَها

عَرَمرَماً لِحُزونِ الأَرضِ مُعتَسِفا

And to death's thicket—I mean al-Badhdh—you led

a vast host forcing its way through the earth's rough ground.

كانَت هِيَ الوَسَطَ المَمنوعَ فَاِستَلَبَت

ما حَولَها الخَيلُ حَتّى أَصبَحَت طَرَفا

It had been the impregnable center, but the cavalry seized

everything around it, until it became an outer edge.

وَظَلَّ بِالظَفَرِ الأَفشينُ مُرتَدِياً

وَباتَ بابَكُها بِالذُلِّ مُلتَحِفا

Al-Afshin remained robed in victory,

while its Babak spent the night wrapped in humiliation.

أَعطى بِكِلتا يَدَيهِ حينَ قيلَ لَهُ

هَذا أَبو دُلَفَ العِجلِيُّ قَد دَلَفا

He surrendered with both hands when he was told,

'Here is Abu Dulaf al-Ijli, advancing!'

تَرَكتَ أَجفانَهُ مَغضوضَةً أَبَداً

ذُلّاً تَمَكَّنَ مِن عَينَيهِ لا وَطَفا

You left his eyelids lowered forever,

from abasement fixed in his eyes, not from long lashes.

يا رُبَّ مَكرُمَةٍ تُجفى إِذا نَزَلَت

قَد عُرِّفَت في ذَراكَ البِرَّ وَاللَطَفا

Ah, how many a noble deed, rebuffed when it alights,

has been shown kindness and gentleness in your shelter!

لَو لَم تَفُتَّ مُسِنَّ المَجدِ مُذ زَمَنٍ

بِالجودِ وَالبَأسِ كانَ المَجدُ قَد خَرِفا

Had you not long ago made aged glory young

through bounty and valor, glory would have grown senile.

نامَت هُمومِيَ عَنّي حينَ قُلتُ لَها

حَسبي أَبو دُلَفٍ حَسبي بِهِ وَكَفى

My cares fell asleep and left me when I told them,

'Abu Dulaf is enough for me; enough is he—enough!'