طرق الكرى بالغانيات وربما — Akhtal

طَرَقَ الكَرى بِالغانِياتِ وَرُبَّما

طَرَقَ الكَرى مِنهُنَّ بِالأَهوالِ

Slumber came by night with beautiful women, and sometimes

slumber came by night with terrors from them.

حُلُمٌ سَرى بَعدَ المَنامِ فَزارَني

مِن أُمِّ بَكرٍ موهِناً بِخَيالِ

A dream traveled by night after sleep and visited me,

from Umm Bakr, late at night, in a phantom's form.

أَسرى لِأَشعَثَ هاجِدٍ بِمَفازَةٍ

بِخَيالِ ناعِمَةِ السُرى مِكسالِ

It journeyed by night to a disheveled sleeper in a wilderness,

with the phantom of a languid woman, gentle in her night journey.

فَلَهَوتُ لَيلَةَ ناعِمٍ ذي لَذَّةٍ

كَقَريرِ عَينٍ أَو كَناعِمِ بالِ

So I reveled for a night like a man of ease and pleasure,

like one whose eye is soothed, or whose mind is at peace,

بِغَريرَةٍ نَفَجَ النَعيمُ شَبابَها

غَرثى الوِشاحِ شَبيعَةِ الخَلخالِ

with an innocent girl whose youthful form luxury had filled out,

hungry at her sash, well-fed at her anklet,

في صورَةٍ تَمَّت وَأُكمِلَ خَلقُها

لِلناظِرينَ كَصورَةِ التِمثالِ

in a perfected form, her physique made complete,

for those who gaze, like the form of a statue.

تَمَّت لِمَن نَعَتِ النِساءَ وَأُكمِلَت

ناهيكَ مِن حُسنٍ لَها وَجَمالِ

Perfect and complete for anyone who describes women,

enough for you are her beauty and loveliness,

وَمَلاحَةٍ في مَنطِقٍ مُتَرَخِّمٍ

مِنها وَحُسنِ تَقَتُّلٍ وَدَلالِ

and charm in soft, lilting speech

from her, and in lovely languor and coyness.

تَرنو بِمُقلَةِ جُؤذُرٍ بِخَميلَةٍ

وَبِمُشرِقٍ بَهِجٍ وَجيدِ غَزالِ

She gazes with the eye of a wild-cow calf in a thicket,

and with a radiant, lovely face and a gazelle's neck,

وَبِوارِدٍ رَجِلٍ كَأَنَّ قُرونَهُ

مِن طولِها مَوصولَةٌ بِحِبالِ

and flowing, wavy hair whose braids seem,

in their length, to be joined to ropes.

ما رَوضَةٌ خَضراءَ أَزهَرَ نَورُها

بِالقَهرِ بَينَ شَقائِقٍ وَرِمالِ

No green meadow whose blossoms gleam,

at al-Qahr, among sand tracts and dunes,

بَهِجَ الرَبيعُ لَها فَجادَ نَباتُها

وَنَمَت بِأَسحَمَ وابِلٍ هَطّالِ

for which spring rejoiced and whose vegetation flourished,

and which grew beneath a black cloud pouring abundant rain,

حَتّى إِذا اِلتَفَّ النَباتُ كَأَنَّهُ

لَونُ الزَخارِفِ زُيِّنَت بِصِقالِ

until its plants grew intertwined, as though they were

the colors of ornaments brightened by burnishing,

نَفَتِ الصَبا عَنها الجَهامَ وَأَشرَقَت

لِلشَمسِ غِبَّ دُجُنَّةٍ وَطِلالِ

from which the east wind swept rainless clouds, and which shone

in the sun after cloudy gloom and light rain,

يَوماً بِأَملَحَ مِنكَ بَهجَةَ مَنظَرٍ

بَينَ العَشِيِّ وَساعَةِ الإيصالِ

is ever lovelier than you in its splendid appearance,

between late afternoon and the coming of evening,

حُسناً وَلا بِأَلَذَّ مِنكِ وَقَد صَغَت

بَعضُ النُجومِ وَبَعضُهُنَّ تَوالي

in beauty, nor more delightful than you when

some stars have declined and others follow.

تَشفي الضَجيعَ إِذا أَرادَ عِناقَها

بِمُقَبَّلٍ عَذبِ المَذاقِ زُلالِ

She satisfies her bedmate when he desires her embrace,

with a mouth sweet to taste, pure and refreshing,

صافٍ يَرِفُّ كَأَنَّما اِبتَسَمَت بِهِ

عَن غِبِّ غادِيَةٍ غَداةَ شَمالِ

clear and glistening, as though she smiled with it

after a morning shower, on a north-wind morning,

شَبِمٍ كَأَنَّ الثَلجَ شيبَ رُضاضُهُ

بِسُلافِ خالِصَةٍ مِنَ الجِريالِ

cool, as though the crushed fragments of snow were mixed

with pure first-pressed wine, free of its crimson tint,

صَهباءَ صافِيَةٍ تَنَزَّلَ تَجرُها

بِبَلاطِ صَرخَدَ مِن رُؤوسِ جِبالِ

tawny and clear, whose merchants descended

to Sarkhad's paved court from mountain summits,

مِن قَرقَفِ الزَرَجونِ فُتَّ خِتامُها

فَالدَنُّ بينَ خَنابِجٍ وَقِلالِ

from the vine's wine, its seal broken,

so the wine-jar stands among large jars and pitchers,

مِن قَهوَةٍ نَفَحَت كَأَنَّ سَعيطَها

مِسكٌ تَضَوَّعَ في غَداةِ شَمالِ

of wine that wafted fragrance, as though its inhaled scent

were musk diffusing on a north-wind morning,

أَو راحَ ذي نَطَفٍ يَظَلُّ مُتَوَّجاً

لِلشَربِ أَصهَبَ قالِصِ السِربالِ

or the wine of a pearl-adorned man who stays crowned

for the drinkers, tawny-haired, his tunic drawn up.

فَكَذاكَ نَكهَتُها إِذا نَبَّهتَها

وَالجِلدُ غَيرُ مُدَرَّنٍ مِتفالِ

Such is her breath when you awaken her,

and her skin is neither grimy nor foul-smelling.

فَدَعِ الغَوانِيَ وَالنَشيدَ بِذِكرِها

وَاِصرِف لِذِكرِ مَكارِمٍ وَفَعالِ

So leave the beautiful women and songs that tell of her,

and turn to recounting noble virtues and deeds.

إِنّا لَنَقتادُ الجِيادَ عَلى الوَجى

نَحوَ العُدى بِمَساعِرٍ أَبطالِ

We surely lead our noble steeds on aching hooves,

toward the enemy, with heroes who kindle war,

في كُلِّ ذي لَجَبٍ كَأَنَّ زُهاءَهُ

لَيلٌ تَعَرَّضَ أَو رِعانُ جِبالِ

in every clamorous host, whose mass is like

night spreading across, or mountain spurs,

دَهمٍ يَظَلُّ بِهِ الفَضاءُ مُعَضِّلاً

كَالطَودِ أَسوَدَ مُجفِلِ الأَثقالِ

a dark, dense host that leaves the open plain choked,

like a black mountain heaped with heavy loads.

ما بَينَ أَوَّلِهِ وَآخِرِ جَمعِهِ

يَومٌ يُقاسُ وَلَيلَةُ البَغّالِ

Between its vanguard and the rear of its gathered host

lies a measured day's journey and a muleteer's night.

مَجرٍ تَظَلُّ البُلقُ في حافاتِهِ

يُنشِدنَ بَينَ تَلَمُّسٍ وَسُؤالِ

A vast host, at whose edges the piebald horses

are sought by feeling about and asking.

وَنَسيرُ بِالثَغرِ المَخوفِ فِجاجُهُ

بِسَلاهِبٍ جُردِ المُتونِ طِوالِ

And we traverse the frontier whose passes are feared,

on long-bodied, tall steeds with sleek backs,

خوصٍ كَأَنَّ شَكيمَهُنَّ مُعَلَّقٌ

بِقَنا رُدَينَةَ أَو جُذوعِ أَوالِ

narrow-eyed, as though their bits were hung

on Rudayna's spears, or the tree trunks of Awal.

نَقتادُ كُلَّ طِمِرَّةٍ رَأدَ الضُحى

وَعِنانَ كُلِّ مُجَلجِلٍ صَهّالِ

We lead every fleet mare in the early forenoon,

and the reins of every resonant, loud-neighing steed,

مِن كُلِّ أَدهَمَ كَالغُرابِ سَوادُهُ

طِرفٍ وَأَحمَرَ كَالأَديمِ نُسالِ

of every black horse, its blackness like a raven's,

a noble steed, and a chestnut, leather-hued and fleet,

يُسقى الرَبيعَ يُصانُ غَيرَ مُصَرَّدٍ

مَحضَ العِشارِ وَقارِصَ الأَشوالِ

given drink in spring, carefully tended, never stinted:

pure milk from late-pregnant she-camels, and sour milk from those nearly dry.

وَدَنا المُغارُ لَها فَهُنَّ شَوازِبٌ

خَلَلَ المَطِيِّ كَأَنَّهُنَّ مَغالي

And the raiding-ground drew near for them; they were lean,

amid the riding camels, as though they were far-flying arrows.

يَمشينَ إِذ طالَ القِيادُ عَلى الوَجى

نَحوَ العَدُوِّ كَمِشيَةِ الأَطفالِ

They walk, after being long led on sore hooves,

toward the enemy, with the gait of children,

أَو كَالكِلابِ عَلى الهَراسِ يَطَأنَهُ

أَو مَشيَهُنَّ يَطَأنَ شَوكَ سَيالِ

or like dogs treading on caltrop burrs,

or with their gait when treading sayal-acacia thorns.

يَخرُجنَ مِن قِطَعَ العَجاجِ كَأَنَّها

عِقبانُ يَومِ تَغَيُّمٍ وَطِلالِ

They emerge from banks of dust as though they were

eagles on a day of cloud and light rain.

خَيلٌ إِذا فَزِعَت كَأَنَّ رعيلَها

نَحوَ العِدى مَوصولَةٌ بِرِعالِ

Horses whose leading troop, when they are roused, seems

linked to troop after troop as it heads toward the foe.

وَمُسَوَّمٍ عَقَدَ الهُمامُ بِرَأسِهِ

تاجَ المُلوكِ رَدَدنَ في الأَغلالِ

And many an adorned warrior, on whose head the mighty lord had bound

the crown of kings, they brought back in fetters,

وَمَكَرِّ مُعتَرَكٍ تَرَكنَ حُماتَهُ

لِلطَيرِ بَينَ سَوافِلٍ وَعَوالي

and many a field of charge and combat, whose defenders they left

for the birds, on low ground and high,

صَرعى تَظَلُّ الطَيرُ تَحجُلُ بَينَها

يَنقُرنَ أَعيُنَها مَعَ الأَوصالِ

slain, among whom the birds keep hopping,

pecking at their eyes as well as their limbs.

كَم مِن أُناسٍ قَد حَوَينَ نِهابَهُم

وَأَفَأنَ مِن نَعَمٍ وَحَيِّ حَلالِ

How many people's spoils they have seized,

and brought back livestock and encamped tribes as booty!

شُعثُ النَواصي عادَةٌ مِن فِعلِها

سَفكُ الدِماءِ وَقِسمَةُ الأَموالِ

Tousled of forelock, their customary work is

shedding blood and dividing wealth.

فَتُرِكنَ قَد قَضَّينَ مِن حَمَسِ الوَغى

وَطَراً وَجُلنَ هُناكَ كُلَّ مَجالِ

So they were left, having fulfilled in battle's fury

their desire, and ranged there through every arena.