ضربوا القباب على اليباب — Ahmed Shawqi

ضَرَبوا القِبابَ عَلى اليَبابِ

وَثَوَوا إِلى يَومِ الحِسابِ

They pitched their domed tents on the wasteland,

and remained until the Day of Reckoning.

هَمَدوا وَكُلُّ مُحَرَّكٍ

يَوماً سَيَسكُنُ في التُرابِ

They lie still; and everything set in motion

will one day lie still in the dust.

نَزَلوا عَلى ذِئبِ البِلى

فَتَضَيَّفوا شَرَّ الذِئابِ

They lodged with the wolf of decay,

and became guests of the worst of wolves.

وَكَأَنَّهُم صَرعى كَرى

بِالقاعِ أَو صَرعى شَرابِ

As though they were felled by sleep

upon the plain, or felled by wine.

فَإِذا صَحَوا وَتَنَبَّهوا

فَاللَهُ أَعلَمُ بِالمَآبِ

When they sober and awaken,

God knows best the final return

مِن كُلِّ مُنقَضِّ الوُفو

دِ هُناكَ مَهجورِ الجَنابِ

of each one whose delegations have dispersed,

whose precincts lie abandoned there,

مَوروثِ كُلَّ مَضِنَّةٍ

إِلّا الذَخيرَةِ مِن ثَوابِ

whose every treasured possession passes to heirs,

except his stored-up reward.

يا نائِحاتِ مُحَمَّدٍ

نُحتُنَّهُ غَضَّ الإِهابِ

O women mourning Muhammad,

you lamented him still tender of skin,

في مَأتَمٍ لَم تَخلُ في

هِ المَكرُماتُ مِن اِنتِحابِ

at a mourning gathering where

the noble virtues could not refrain from sobbing.

تَبكي الكَريمَ عَلى العَشي

رَةِ وَالحَبيبَ إِلى الصِحابِ

They weep for one generous to his clan,

and beloved of his companions.

حَسبُ الحِمامِ دُموعُكُن

نَ المُستَهِلَّةُ مِن عِتابِ

Your tears are enough for death,

streaming forth in reproach.

فَاِرجِعنَ فيهِ لِحِكمَةٍ

أَو جِئنَ فيهِ إِلى اِحتِسابِ

So turn, in this, to wisdom,

or seek through it God's reward.

في العالَمِ الفاني مَصي

رُ العالَمينَ إِلى ذَهابِ

In this perishing world, the destiny

of all beings is departure.

مَن سارَ لَم يَثنِ العِنا

نَ وَمَن أَقامَ إِلى اِقتِرابِ

Whoever departs never turns his reins;

and whoever stays draws ever nearer.

يا وارِثَ الحَسَبِ الصَمي

مِ وَكاسِبَ الأَدَبِ اللُبابِ

O heir to pure nobility of lineage,

and acquirer of the choicest learning,

وَاِبنَ الَّذي عَلِمَ الرِجا

لُ حَيائَهُ مِن كُلِّ عابِ

and son of him whose modesty men knew,

free from every blemish,

وَكَأَنَّهُ في كُتبِهِ

عُثمانُ في ظِلِّ الكِتابِ

as though, amid his books, he were

Uthman in the shade of the Book.

ماذا نَقَمتَ مِنَ الشَبابِ

وَأَنتَ في نِعَمِ الشَبابِ

What did you resent in youth,

while you enjoyed the blessings of youth,

مُتَحَلِّياً هِبَةَ النُبو

غِ مُطَوَّقَ المِنَحِ الرِغابِ

adorned with the gift of genius,

garlanded with lavish gifts?

وَلِمَ التَرَحُّلُ عَن حَيا

ةٍ أَنتَ مِنها في رِكابِ

And why depart from a life

in whose caravan you ride?

لَم تَعدُ شاطِئَها وَلَم

تَبلُغ إِلى ثَبَجِ العُبابِ

You had not passed beyond its shore, nor

reached the midst of its surging sea.

رِفقاً عَلى مَحزونَةِ ال

أَبياتِ موحِشَةِ الحِجابِ

Be gentle with her whose rooms are sorrowful,

whose veiled retreat is desolate.

فَقَدتُكَ في العُمرِ الطَري

رِ وَفي زَها الدُنيا الكِعابِ

I lost you in life's fresh bloom,

and in the splendor of the maiden world.

تَبكي وَتَندُبُ إِلفَها

بَينَ الأَفانينِ الرِطابِ

She weeps and laments her beloved

among the tender, fresh branches.

وَاِنظُر أَباكَ وَثُكلَهُ

وَرُزوحَهُ تَحتَ المُصابِ

And look at your father and his bereavement,

and his sinking beneath the calamity.

لَو كانَ يَملُكُ سِرَّ يو

شَعَ رَدَّ شَمسَكَ مِن غِيابِ

Had he possessed Joshua's secret,

he would have restored your sun from its setting.

أَعَلِمتَ غَيرَكَ مِن جَلا التَم

ثيلِ في جُدُدِ الثِيابِ

Have you known another who presented drama

in new garments,

وَكَسا غَرائِبَ جِدِّهِ

حُلَلاً مِنَ الهَزلِ العُجابِ

and clothed the wonders of his seriousness

in robes of astonishing humor,

مُتَمَيِّزاً حينَ التَمَيُّ

زُ لَيسَ مِن أَرَبِ الشَبابِ

distinguished when distinction

is not among the aims of youth?

أُفُقُ العُلا كُنتَ الشِها

بَ عَلَيهِ وَلا ذَنَبَ الشِهابِ

On the horizon of greatness, you were the meteor,

not the meteor's tail.

يا رُبَّ يَومٍ ضاقَ ذَر

عُكَ فيهِ بِالحُسُدِ الغِضابِ

Ah, many a day you lost patience

with the furious envious!

سَعهُم فَأَنتَ جَمَعتُهُمُ

الشَهدُ مائِدَةُ الذُبابِ

Bear with them, for you gathered them;

honey is a banquet for flies.

خُذ مِنهُمُ نَقدَ العَفا

فِ وَدَع لَهُم نَقدَ السِبابِ

Accept from them honorable criticism,

and leave them their abusive criticism.

دونَ النُبوغِ وَأَوجِهِ

ما لا تَعُدُّ مِنَ الصِعابِ

Before genius and its zenith lie

hardships beyond counting.

فَإِذا بَلَغتَ الأَوجَ كُن

تَ الشَمسَ تَهزَءُ بِالضَبابِ

And when you reach the zenith, you become

the sun, mocking the fog.

لا تَبعُدَنَّ فَهَذِهِ

آمالُ قَومِكَ في اِقتِرابِ

Do not go far away, for these

hopes of your people are close at hand.

اِشرُف بِروحِكَ فَوقَهُم

مَلَكاً يُرَفرِفُ في السَحابِ

Look down upon them in spirit,

an angel fluttering in the clouds.

وَاِنظُر بِعَينٍ نُزِّهَت

عَن زُخرُفِ الدُنيا الكِذابِ

And look with an eye cleansed

of the world's deceitful glitter.

تَرَ مِن لِداتِكَ أُمَّةً

كَسَتِ الدِيارَ جَلالَ غابِ

You will see among your peers a nation

that has clothed the land in a forest's grandeur:

أُسدٌ تَجولُ بِغَيرِ ظُف

رٍ أَو تَصولُ بِغَيرِ نابِ

lions roaming without claws,

or charging without fangs.

جَعَلوا الثَباتَ سِلاحَهُم

نِعمَ السِلاحُ مَعَ الصَوابِ

They have made steadfastness their weapon;

an excellent weapon when joined with sound judgment.

أَمّا الأُمورُ فَإِنَّها

بَلَغَت إِلى فَصلِ الخِطابِ

As for affairs, they have

reached a decisive conclusion.

فَإِذا مَلَكتَ تَوَجُّهاً

لِلَّهِ في قُدسِ الرِحابِ

So, if you are able to turn

to God within the sacred courts,

سَل فاتِحَ الأَبوابِ يَف

تَح لِلكِنانَةِ خَيرَ بابِ

ask the Opener of doors to open

for Kinanah the best of doors.