أأزمعت من آل ليلى ابتكارا — Al Asha

أَأَزمَعتَ مِن آلِ لَيلى اِبتِكارا

وَشَطَّت عَلى ذي هَوىً أَن تُزارا

Have you resolved to leave Layla’s family at dawn?

She has gone too far away for one who loves her to visit.

وَبانَت بِها غَرَباتُ النَوى

وَبُدِّلتُ شَوقاً بِها وَاِدِّكارا

The forces of separation have carried her away,

and in her place I was left with longing and remembrance.

فَفاضَت دُموعي كَفَيضِ الغُرو

بِ إِمّا وَكَيفاً وَإِمّا اِنحِدارا

My tears overflowed like brimming buckets,

sometimes falling gently, sometimes streaming down.

كَما أَسلَمَ السِلكُ مِن نَظمِهِ

لَآلِئَ مُنحَدِراتٍ صِغارا

As when a string releases from its setting

small pearls that tumble downward.

قَليلاً فَثَمَّ زَجَرتُ الصِبى

وَعادَ عَلَيَّ عَزائي وَصارا

After a little while, I rebuked my youthful folly,

and my composure returned to me.

فَأَصبَحتُ لا أَقرَبُ الغانِيا

تِ مُزدَجِراً عَن هَوايَ اِزدِجارا

Now I do not approach the beautiful women,

holding myself firmly back from desire.

وَإِنَّ أَخاكِ الَّذي تَعلَمينَ

لَيالِيَنا إِذ نَحُلُّ الجِفارا

And the man you once knew,

in the days when we camped at al-Jifār,

تَبَدَّلَ بَعدَ الصِبى حِكمَةً

وَقَنَّعَهُ الشَيبُ مِنهُ خِمارا

has exchanged youth for wisdom;

gray hair has veiled him like a covering.

أَحَلَّ بِهِ الشَيبُ أَثقالَهُ

وَما اِعتَرَّهُ الشَيبُ إِلّا اِعتِرارا

Gray hair has laid its burdens upon him,

though it came upon him only as age comes.

فَإِمّا تَرَيني عَلى آلَةٍ

قَلَيتُ الصَبى وَهَجَرتُ التِجارا

Yet if you see me in such a state,

having spurned youth and forsaken trade,

فَقَد أُخرِجُ الكاعِبَ المُستَرا

ةَ مِن خِدرِها وَأَشيعُ القِمارا

I may still bring out a sheltered young woman

from her chamber and spread the gaming pieces.

وَذاتِ نَوافٍ كَلَونِ الفُصو

صِ باكَرتُها فَاِدَّمَجتُ اِبتِكارا

And a drink with a shining hue like gemstones—

I came to it early and drank deep at dawn.

غَدَوتُ عَلَيها قُبَيلَ الشُرو

قِ إِمّا نِقالاً وَإِمّا اِغتِمارا

I went to it just before sunrise,

whether for a taste or for a full draught.

يُعاصي العَواذِلَ طَلقُ اليَدَينِ

يُرَوّي العُفاةَ وَيُرخي الإِزارا

The openhanded man defies those who reproach him;

he gives the needy drink and loosens his robe.

فَلَم يَنطِقِ الديكُ حَتّى مَلَأ

تُ كوبَ الرَبابِ لَهُ فَاِستَدارا

Before the cock had crowed, I had filled

a cup of wine for him, and he passed it around.

إِذا اِنكَبَّ أَزهَرُ بَينَ السُقاةِ

تَرامَوا بِهِ غَرَباً أَو نُضارا

When the fair-faced man bends among the cupbearers,

they toss him silver or gold.

وَشَوقِ عَلوقٍ تَناسَيتُهُ

بِجَوّالَةٍ تَستَخِفُّ الضِفارا

The yearning of a clinging love I put out of mind

with a roaming mount that makes light of rough ground:

بَقِيَّةِ خَمسٍ مِنَ الرامِسا

تِ بيضٍ تُشَبِّهُهُنَّ الصِوارا

one of five survivors of the night journey,

pale ones whose likeness evokes a herd.

دُفِعنَ إِلى اِثنَينِ عِندَ الخُصو

صِ قَد حَبَسا بَينَهُنَّ الإِصارا

They were driven toward two companions at a secluded place,

and those two kept the bonds among them.

فَعادا لَهُنَّ وَرازا لَهُن

نَ وَاِشتَرَكا عَمَلاً وَاِئتِمارا

The two returned to them and attended to them,

sharing the work and the planning.

فَهَذا يُعِدُّ لَهُنَّ الخَلى

وَيَجمَعُ ذا بَينَهُنَّ الخِضارا

One prepares fodder for them,

and the other gathers fresh greenery among them.

فَكانَت سَرِيَّتَهُنَّ الَّتي

تَروقُ العُيونَ وَتَقضي السِفارا

She was their finest one,

pleasing the eyes and meeting the demands of travel.

فَأَبقى رَواحي وَسَيرُ الغُدو

وِ مِنها ذَواتِ حِذاءٍ قِصارا

My evening departures and morning journeys have left

some of them with short, worn hoof coverings.

وَأَلواحَ رَهبٍ كَأَنَّ النُسو

عَ أَبَنَّ في الدَفِّ مِنها سِطارا

And broad, thin bones, as though a blade

had marked lines upon their sides.

وَدَأياً تَلاحَكنَ مِثلَ الفُؤو

سِ لاحَمَ مِنها السَليلُ الفِقارا

And close-set vertebrae like axes,

with the spine joining bone to bone.

فَلا تَشتَكِنَّ إِلَيَّ الوَجى

وَطولَ السُرى وَاِجعَليهِ اِصطِبارا

So do not complain to me of sore feet

or long night travel; bear it patiently.

رَواحَ العَشِيِّ وَسَيرَ الغُدوِّ

يَدَ الدَهرِ حَتّى تُلاقي الخِيارا

Travel at evening and set out in the morning,

day after day, until you meet the chosen ones.

تُلاقينَ قَيساً وَأَشياعَهُ

يُسَعِّرُ لِلحَربِ ناراً فَنارا

You will meet Qays and his followers;

he kindles fire upon fire for war.

أَقولُ لَها حينَ جَدَّ الرَحي

لُ أَبرَحتِ رَبّاً وَأَبرَحتِ جارا

I say to her when departure grows urgent:

What an excellent lord and neighbor you have reached!

فَمَن مُبلِغٌ قَومَنا مالِكاً

وَأَعني بِذَلِكَ بَكراً جَمارا

Who will carry word to our people of Mālik—

by that I mean Bakr, the gathered host?

فَدونَكُمُ رَبَّكُم حالِفوهُ

إِذا ظاهَرَ المُلكُ قَوماً ظِهارا

Here is your lord: swear allegiance to him

when kingship gives a people its support.

فَإِنَّ الإِلَهَ حَباكُم بِهِ

إِذا اِقتَسَمَ القَومُ أَمراً كُبارا

For God has favored you with him

when people divide a matter of great weight.

فَإِنَّ لَكُم قُربَهُ عِزَّةً

وَوَسَّطَكُم مُلكَهُ وَاِستَشارا

Closeness to him brings you honor;

he has placed you within his rule and sought your counsel.

فَإِنَّ الَّذي يُرتَجى سَيبُهُ

إِذا ما نَحُلُّ عَلَيهِ اِختِيارا

For he is the one whose gifts are hoped for

when we come to him by choice.

أَخو الحَربِ إِذ لَقِحَت بازِلاً

سَما لِلعُلى وَأَحَلَّ الجِمارا

A man of war when war grows full-grown,

he rose toward honor and took the heights.

وَساوَرَ بِالنَقعِ نَقعِ الكَثي

بِ عَبساً وَدودانَ يَوماً سِوارا

Amid dust, the dust of the dune, he attacked

ʿAbs and Dūdān fiercely one day.

فَأَقلَلتَ قَوماً وَأَعمَرتَهُم

وَأَخرَبتَ مِن أَرضِ قَومٍ دِيارا

You reduced one people and made another prosper;

you laid waste homes in their land.

عَطاءَ الإِلَهِ فَإِنَّ الإِلَ

هَ يَسمَعُ في الغامِضاتِ السِرارا

This is God’s gift, for God

hears secrets even in hidden places.

فَيا رُبَّ ناعِيَةٍ مِنهُمُ

تَشُدُّ اللِفاقَ عَلَيها إِزارا

How many a mourning woman among them

has fastened her wrap around herself,

تَنوطُ التَميمَ وَتَأبى الغَبو

قَ مِن سِنَةِ النَومِ إِلّا نَهارا

hung an amulet, and refused an evening drink,

sleeping through her drowsiness only by day.

مَلَكتَ فَعانَقتَها لَيلَةً

تَنُصُّ القُعودَ وَتَدعو يَسارا

You gained command, and one night embraced her;

she urges the young camels on and calls for Yasar.

فَلا تَحسَبَنّي لَكُم كافِراً

وَلا تَحسَبَنّي أُريدُ الغِيارا

So do not think me ungrateful to you,

and do not think I seek a change.

فَإِنّي وَجَدِّكَ لَولا تَجيءُ

لَقَد قَلِقَ الحُرثُ أَن لا اِنتِظارا

By your forebear, if you had not come,

al-Ḥurth would have been too restless to wait.

كَطَوفِ الغَريبَةِ وَسطَ الحِياضِ

تَخافُ الرَدى وَتُريدُ الجِفارا

Like a strange female circling amid watering troughs,

fearing death and seeking al-Jifār.

وَيَومٍ يُبيلُ النِساءَ الدِما

جَعَلتَ رِداءَكَ فيهِ خِمارا

And on a day when blood soaked the women,

you made your cloak a head covering.

فَيا لَيلَةً لِيَ في لَعلَعٍ

كَطَوفِ الغَريبِ يَخافُ الإِسارا

What a night I had at Laʿlaʿ,

like a stranger circling in fear of capture.

فَلَمّا أَتانا بُعَيدَ الكَرى

سَجَدنا لَهُ وَرَفَعنا عَمارا

When he came to us shortly after sleep,

we bowed before him and raised ʿAmmār.

فَذاكَ أَوانُ التُقى وَالزَكى

وَذاكَ أَوانٌ مِنَ المُلكِ حارا

That was a time of piety and purity,

and a time when the course of kingship changed.

إِلى مَلِكٍ خَيرِ أَربابِهِ

وَإِنَّ لِما كُلِّ شَيءٍ قَرارا

To a king, the best of his peers;

everything has its settled end.

إِلى حامِلِ الثِقلِ عَن أَهلِهِ

إِذا الدَهرُ ساقَ الهَناتِ الكِبارا

To one who bears his people’s burdens

when time brings great troubles.

وَمَن لا تُفَزَّعُ جاراتُهُ

وَمَن لا يُرى حِلمُهُ مُستَعارا

His neighbors are never made afraid,

and his forbearance never seems borrowed.

وَمَن لا تُضاعُ لَهُ ذِمَّةٌ

فَيَجعَلَها بَينَ عَينٍ ضِمارا

No pledge of protection given by him is lost

or left uncertain before his eyes.

وَما رائِحٌ رَوَّحَتهُ الجَنوبُ

يُرَوّي الزُروعَ وَيَعلو الدِيارا

No evening rain cloud, driven by the south wind,

that waters crops and rises over houses,

يَكُبُّ السَفينَ لِأَذقانِهِ

وَيَصرَعُ بِالعِبرِ أَثلاً وَزارا

turning ships onto their prows

and toppling tamarisks along the banks,

إِذا رَهِبَ المَوجَ نُوتِيُّهُ

يَحُطُّ القِلاعَ وَيُرخي الزِيارَ

while its sailor fears the waves

and lowers the sails and slackens the rigging,

بِأَجوَدَ مِنهُ بِأُدمِ الرِكا

بِ لَطَّ العَلوقُ بِهِنَّ اِحمِرارا

is more generous than he is with tawny riding beasts

whose young cling to them, flushed red.

هُوَ الواهِبُ المِئَةَ المُصطَفا

ةَ إِمّا مِخاضاً وَإِمّا عِشارا

He gives away a hundred choice camels,

whether young pregnant ones or those near calving.

وَكُلَّ طَويلٍ كَأَنَّ السَلي

طَ في حَيثُ وارى الأَديمُ الشِعارا

And every tall steed, as though oil

lay where the hide covers its inner coat.

بِهِ تُرعَفُ الأَلفُ إِذ أُرسِلَت

غَداةَ الصَباحِ إِذا النَقعُ ثارا

With it a thousand are sent reeling when it charges

in the morning, when battle dust rises.

وَما أَيبُلِيُّ عَلى هَيكَلٍ

بَناهُ وَصَلَّبَ فيهِ وَصارا

Nor is an Aylite worshipper before a shrine

he built and strengthened, standing within it,

يُراوِحُ مِن صَلَواتِ المَلي

كِ طَوراً سُجوداً وَطَوراً جُؤارا

alternating his prayers to the King,

now bowing low and now crying aloud,

بِأَعظَمَ مِنهُ تُقىً في الحِسابِ

إِذا النَسَماتُ نَفَضنَ الغُبارا

greater than he in reverence at the reckoning

when living souls shake off the dust.

زِنادُكَ خَيرُ زِنادِ المُلو

كِ خالَطَ مِنهُنَّ مَرخٌ عَفارا

Your fire drill is the best of kings’ fire drills;

markh and ʿafār woods are joined in it.

فَإِن يَقدَحوا يَجِدوا عِندَها

زِنادَهُمُ كابِياتٍ قِصارا

If they strike their fire drills, they find

their own sparks faint and short beside it.

وَلَو رُمتَ في لَيلَةٍ قادِحاً

حَصاةً بِنَبعٍ الأورَيتَ نارا

If you tried to strike a spark at night

from a pebble with nabʿ wood, you would kindle fire.

فَما أَنا أَم ما اِنتِحالي القَوَا

في بَعدَ المَشيبِ كَفى ذاكَ عارا

And what am I, to claim these verses

after gray hair? That would be shame enough.

وَقَيَّدَني الشِعرُ في بَيتِهِ

كَما قَيَّدَ الآسِراتُ الحِمارا

Poetry has bound me within its house

as captors bind a wild ass.

إِذا الأَرضُ وارَتكَ أَعلامُها

فَكَفَّ الرَواعِدُ عَنها القِطارا

When the land and its landmarks hide you,

the thunderclouds will cease their rain upon it.