تعفى العقيق وكثبانه — Ahmad Alkiwani

تَعفّى العَقيق وَكُثبانُهُ

وَأَوحَشَ إِذ بانَ سُكّانُهُ

Al-ʿAqīq and its dunes have been effaced.

It became desolate when its inhabitants departed.

تَنَكَّرَ للعينِ مَعروفُهُ

وَلَم يَفُت القَلبَ عِرفانُهُ

Its familiar aspect became unrecognizable to the eye,

yet the heart did not lose its recognition of it.

وَجارَت عَلَيهِ صُروف الزَما

نِ حينَ تَرَحَّلَ جِيرانُهُ

The vicissitudes of time dealt harshly with it

when its neighbors departed.

رَمَيتُ العَقيق بِطَرفٍ تَجو

دُ بِهِ المَنازلِ أَجفانُهُ

I cast upon al-ʿAqīq a gaze

whose eyelids lavished tears upon the dwellings.

فَما زِلتُ أَبكي بِهِ الظاعِني

نَ حَتّى اِرتَوى مِنهُ حَرّانه

I kept weeping with it for those who departed,

until its thirsty one drank his fill from it.

وَغازرت بِالدَمع وَكَف الغَما

مِ فَلَم يَغلب الدَمع هتانه

With tears I rivaled the clouds' dripping,

and their steady rain could not surpass my tears.

وَمِما شَجا لي بَعدَ الفُرا

ق وَقَد تَقتل الصَب أَشجانِهِ

Among what saddened me after parting—

and a lovesick one's sorrows may kill him—

حَمامٌ يَنوح فَيَبكي العُيو

ن وَيَشدو فَيَهنو بِهِ بِأَنَّهُ

was a dove lamenting, bringing the eyes to tears,

and singing, giving pleasure because

يَبين عَن الشَوق أَعجامُهُ

فَتُعرب بِاللَحن أَلحانُهُ

its wordless speech makes longing plain,

and its melodies speak eloquently through song.

تَكادُ مِن الشَوقِ نَفسي تَفي

ض إِذا ما تَرنم مرنانه

My soul almost overflows with longing

whenever its resonant singer breaks into song,

بَليل تَسل عَلى مُهجَتي

صَفاحاً مِن البَرق أَجفانه

on a night when, against my heart,

its eyelids unsheathe broad blades of lightning.

وَقَفر تغني بِهِ جَنهُ

وَتَرقص بِالآل قيعانُهُ

And a wilderness whose jinn sing within it,

and whose level hollows dance with mirage.

إِذا ما عَوى الذئب مِن جيدِهِ

بِهِ ذعرت مِنهُ ظلمانه

When the wolf howls from its throat,

its ostriches are startled there by it.

تَضل القطاة بِهِ وَردَها

وَلا نَهتَدي قَصدَها جانه

The sandgrouse loses its way to its watering-place there,

nor can its jinn find its course [reading uncertain].

إِذا راحَ يَنفُخ فيهِ الهَجي

ر خَرَّ مِن الصَعق شَيطانِهِ

When the midday heat sets about blowing through it,

its devil falls stricken by the blast.

وَذابَت بِهِ صُمُّ أَحجارِهِ

فَعَزّ عَلى الريح إِيطانِهِ

Its solid stones melt there,

so even the wind finds it hard to dwell there.

تَرفع شاهق أَعلامِهِ

فَجاوَرَت الشُهب أَركانِهِ

The towering height of its peaks rises,

and its pillars neighbor the stars.

وَدانى السَماءَ إِلى أَن غَدا

يُناجي بِها النسر سرحانه

It draws close to heaven until

its wolf converses there with the vulture.

تَرَآى لِعَينيَّ رَكبٌ بِهِ

تَهاوى مِن الجُهد رُكبانُهُ

A caravan appeared there before my eyes,

its riders collapsing from exhaustion.

تَعجب مِن طَيران المطي

بِهم كَالأجادل عقيانُهُ

The mounts' flight astonishes

its eagles, as the mounts bear the riders like falcons [reading uncertain].

فَرحت أَسائلهم أَينَ حَ

ل ذاكَ الفَريق وَما شأته

So I went asking them, 'Where has

that company settled, and how does it fare?'

فَقَللوا نعم قَدراً بِالغدا

ة فَريقاً تَحمل أَظعانُهُ

They replied, 'Yes—by chance, in the morning [reading uncertain],

a company borne along by its traveling litters.

تَخوض حَشا اللَيل رُكبانُهُ

وَتَدرع النَقع فُرسانَهُ

Its riders wade through the heart of night,

and its horsemen clothe themselves in dust.

تُنادي مَع الصُبح آسادُهُ

فَتَزأى وَتبغم غُزلانه

Its lions call out with the dawn,

and its gazelles roar and low [reading uncertain].

وَفي الظَعن كُل مَصون الحَماء

ل حط مَعنّاه حرمانه

Among the travelers is every guarded wearer of sword-belts,

whose tormented lover's lot is deprivation [reading uncertain].

تَعطر أَنفاسُهُ ما لِخافِقين

وَتَنفج بالمسك أَردانُهُ

His breaths perfume the two horizons [reading uncertain],

and his sleeves waft musk.

مليءَ المخلخل رنانه

هَضيم المُوشح ظَمآنه

Full is the ankle beneath his jingling anklet,

slender and thirsting the waist beneath his girdle.

يَهز وَشيك القَضا بِسَيفِهِ

إِذا ما تَنمو غيرانه

He brandishes swift death with his sword,

whenever his jealous guardian grows stronger.

وَيَرتاب مِن خَطرات النَسي

م فَلا يُمكن الريح غشيانهُ

He mistrusts the breeze's passing touches,

so he does not let the wind approach him.'

وَبي مِن يُعَذِبُني ذِكرَهُ

وَلا يُمكن القَلب نِسيانُهُ

I am afflicted by one whose remembrance torments me,

whom the heart cannot forget.

أَبيت عَلى الجَمر شَوقاً إِلَيهِ

تُمزق قَلبيَ أَحزانُهُ

I spend the night upon embers, longing for him;

his sorrows tear my heart apart.

وَيبدو مَع الصُبح لَيلُ الهُموم

وَتَسحر في الصَدر نِيرانَهُ

With dawn appears the night of cares,

and its fires cast spells within my breast.

إِلى كَم أُحاول كَتم الهَوى

وَلا يُمكن الدَمع كِتمانُهُ

How long shall I try to conceal love,

when tears cannot keep it hidden?

إِذا غَلَبَ الشَووا قَلب الفَتى

فَكِتمانُهُ الحُب إِعلانه

When longing overcomes a young man's heart [reading uncertain],

his concealment of love proclaims it.

وَما حِيلَتي في الهَوى وَالهَوى

يَجور عَلى النَفس سُلطانُهُ

What recourse have I in love, when love—

its dominion oppresses the soul?

وَكُل الجَوارح مني عَليَّ

وَلا سِيَما القَلبُ أَعوانَهُ

All my limbs are against me,

and especially the heart: they are its helpers.

وَأَعوانُ مثلي عَلى مثلِهِ

بِما حَكَمَ الحُب خوّانه

Those who help a man like me against himself

are, by love's decree, his betrayers.

أَلا لَيتَ قَلبي يُطيع الرَشا

د فَقَد أَتلَفَ النَفس عِصيانه

Oh, would that my heart obeyed right guidance,

for its disobedience has ruined the soul.

تَضيق بِهِ الأَرض مِن همهِ

عَلى أَن صَدريَ ميدانَهُ

The earth is too narrow for it because of its grief,

although my breast is its arena.

أَزالَ التَغرب سكر الشَبا

ب عَني فَوُدع ريعانَهُ

Exile removed the intoxication of youth

from me, and its prime was bid farewell.

وَلَما أَراقَ النَوى راحُهُ

عَلى البين صَوح ريحانه

When separation spilled its wine,

parting withered its fragrant basil.

وَدَهرٌ يُخادع مُستَلئِماً

لَهُ قَتل الشَك إِيقانَهُ

Time deceives, clad in armor;

certainty about it has slain doubt.

زَمانٌ لا حَراره لَم يَزَل

عَدوّاً تَوَقَد أَضغانه

An age that has never ceased, toward its free men [reading uncertain],

to be an enemy whose rancors blaze.

تَملأ مِن سُكرهِ صَرفهُ

فَلا يَعرف يَصحو سكرانه

Its unmixed wine brims with intoxication [reading uncertain],

and its drunkard does not know how to sober up.

وَلي همة لا تَزال تتو

ق إِلى مَطلب عز إِمكانه

I have an aspiration that never ceases to yearn

for a goal whose attainment is difficult.

وَقَلبٌ يُفارق جُثمانَهُ

إِذا سَلَمهُ الذُل جُثمانَهُ

And a heart that parts from its body

when its body surrenders it to humiliation [reading uncertain].

وَنَفسٌ تَعاف دَني الورو

ر وَإِن أَفعمت مِنهُ غَدراته

And a soul that disdains a lowly watering-place [reading uncertain],

even if its pools brim full [reading uncertain].

وَلا يَزدَهيها بِهِ زُخرُفٌ

وَإِن راقَت الطَرف عُنوانه

No adornment there beguiles it,

even if its outward show delights the eye.

وَما كانَ زوراً فلا بَدَّ أَن

يَحول وَيَمحوهُ بُطلانه

Whatever is false must

pass away, erased by its own falseness.

فَلا تَهوَ ما دُمتَ فَوقَ التُرا

ب شَيئاً بِسؤك فُقدانَهُ

So, while you remain above the earth, do not love

anything whose loss would grieve you.

إِلا أَينَ عاد وَبُنيانهُ

وَأَينَ المُدير وَنعمانه

Where, then, are ʿĀd and its buildings?

And where are al-Mudīr and his Nuʿmān?

أَلا أَينَ قارون وَما حَوَت

خَزائِنُهُ أَينَ خزّانه

Where are Qārūn and what

his treasuries contained? Where are their keepers?

وَأَينَ الَّذي شَيَدَ الصَرح كَي

يَنالُ السَماءَ وَهاماته

Where is the one who built the lofty edifice to

reach heaven and its heights?

وَأَينَ البِساط مُتون الرِيا

ح تَحمِلُهُ وَسليمانه

Where is the carpet that the backs of the winds

carry, and its Sulaymān?

وَأَينَ ثَمود وَأَينَ الجُنو

د بَل أَينَ كِسرى وَإِيوانه

Where are Thamūd, and where are the armies?

Rather, where are Kisrā and his palace hall?

وَأَينَ الوَليد وَأَينَ يَزي

د وَأَينَ الفَريض وَأَلحانُهُ

Where is al-Walīd, and where is Yazīd?

And where are al-Farīḍ and his melodies?

وَأَينَ الرَشيد وَإِسحاقُهُ

وَاَينَ الأَمين وَندمانه

Where are al-Rashīd and his Isḥāq?

And where are al-Amīn and his boon companions?

مَضوا وَسَنفنى عَلى أَثرهم

وَيُفنى الوُجود وَأَزمانه

They have gone, and we shall perish in their wake.

Existence and its ages will perish.

وَسَوفَ نعاد لِيَوم المعاد

وَيَبلو السَرائر ديّانه

We shall be brought back for the Day of Return,

and its Judge will test the hidden secrets.

فَلا يَنفَعَ المَرءَ ما حازَهُ

بَلى يَنفَع المَرءَ إِحسانَهُ

What a person acquired will not benefit him;

rather, his good deeds will benefit him.