لائم للمحب غير ملائم — Al Imad Al Asbahani

لائمٌ للمحبِّ غيرُ ملائمْ

هامَ قلبي وقلبُه غيرُ هائمْ

A reprover is no fitting companion for a lover.

My heart is enthralled, while his is not.

لم يزلْ واجداً عليَّ لأَنَّني

بتُّ للوجدِ واجداً وهو عادمْ

He remains angry with me because

I spent the night suffering passion, while he had none.

أَغتدي للهوى سليباً سليماً

وهو سالٍ من الصّبابةِ سالمْ

I rise robbed and stricken by love,

while he, untroubled, is safe from yearning.

ناصحي غيرُ عالمٍ بالذي بي

ومن الغَبْنِ ناصحٌ غيرُ عالمْ

My adviser knows nothing of what ails me;

an ignorant adviser is a misfortune indeed.

خَلِّ يا خلُّ في الهوى عذلَ صّبٍ

واجدٍ من لواذعِ العذلِ واجمْ

Leave off, friend, reproaching a lover for his love,

one anguished and struck silent by reproach's stings.

لا ترعْ بالملامِ مَنْ ليس يخشى

في سبيلِ الغرامِ لومةَ لائمْ

Do not frighten with blame one who does not fear

a reprover's reproach in the pursuit of love.

لا تظنّ الهوى مفارقَ قلبي

فهو وصفٌ كما علمتَ ملائمْ

Do not suppose that love will leave my heart;

it is, as you know, a fitting quality.

لفؤادي ضمانةٌ وغرامٌ

أَتلَفاهُ بلا ضمينٍ وغارمْ

My heart suffers infirmity and passion,

which destroyed it without guarantor or indemnifier.

نارُ وجدي دخانُها في شحوبي

وفؤادي صالٍ ووجهيَ ساهمْ

The fire of my passion shows its smoke in my pallor;

my heart burns, and my face is drawn.

قد كتمتُ الهوى وباحَ به الدَّم

عُ فسرِّي ما بينَ مُفشٍ وكاتم

I concealed my love, but tears disclosed it;

so my secret lies between revealer and concealer.

من لصَبٍّ رَمَتْهُ مُقلةُ رئمٍ

حبُّهُ من ضميرهِ غيرُ رائمْ

Who will aid a lover pierced by a gazelle's eye,

whose love never leaves his innermost heart?

لجفونِ البيضِ الصّوارمِ بيضٌ

لم تزلْ في الجفونِ وهي صوارمْ

Fair beauties' cutting eyelids hold bright swords

that have never left their sheaths, though keen-edged.

وبوادي العُذيبِ أُدْمُ ظباءٍ

فاتكات لحاظها بالضراغمْ

In the valley of al-Udhayb are pale-coated gazelles

whose glances slay lions.

وبنفسي ظامي الوشاحِ على عذ

بِ لماهُ قلبي المعذَّبُ حائمْ

My life for the slender-waisted one; above the sweetness

of his dark lips my tormented heart hovers.

فحمَى العشقِ آهلُ الرَّبعِ منه

وحمى الصّبرِ عنه عافي المعالمْ

Through him, love's sanctuary is well inhabited,

but patience's sanctuary apart from him has lost its landmarks.

ساحرٌ طرفُهُ وساجِ وإنِّي

لتمنيِّهِ ساهرُ الطّرفِ ساجمْ

His gaze is bewitching and tranquil, while I,

longing for him, keep sleepless, tear-streaming eyes.

قرَّبَ الطيفُ وصلَهُ وهو ناءٍ

وأَتاني مستيقظاً وهو نائمْ

His phantom brought his embrace near, though he is far away;

it came to me while I was awake, though he was asleep.

أَنصفاني رأَيتُما قطُّ مظلو

ماً قضى نحبَهُ على حبِّ ظالمْ

Be fair to me, you two: have you ever seen a wronged man

die for love of an oppressor?

حبّذا والحبيبُ في الوهلِ منّي

راغبٌ والحسودُ بالكرهِ راغمْ

How sweet! In my imagining the beloved

desires me, while the envier is unwillingly humbled.

وسقى اللهُ عيشنا المتقضِّي

ورعى اللهُ عهدَنا المتقادمْ

May God water our bygone life,

and may God guard our long-standing bond.

حين عصرُ الصِّبا كحاليَ حالٍ

وهو في مَرِّهِ كأَحلامِ حالمْ

When youth's season was sweet, as was my state,

and in its passing was like a dreamer's dreams.

فليالي العراقِ بيضٌ من البي

ضِ غوانٍ من الغَواني اغونم

The nights of Iraq were bright through fair beauties,

free from want through lovely women—[final word unclear].

وزماني مساعدٌ ورفيقي

في الهوى مُسعدٌ ودهري مسالم

My times favored me, and my companion

in love brought me joy, while fortune was peaceful.

ومنادي المُنى مُجاوبُهُ الاس

عافُ والسؤولُ للنّجاحِ منادمْ

The herald of wishes was answered by ready aid,

and the persistent petitioner kept company with success.

ومن الأكرمين كلُّ نديمٍ

لستُ من قربهِ مدى الدَّهر نادمْ

Every boon companion was among the most generous;

never, all my life, did I regret his nearness.

ما فقدنا السرورَ إلاَّ هدانا

كلُّ هادٍ لما بنى الهمُّ هادمْ

Never did we lose joy without being led

by guides who tore down whatever sorrow built.

وبذاكَ الجناب أَوطانُ أَوطا

ري كما أَنّها مغاني المغانمْ

In that quarter were the homes of my desires,

just as it held the dwelling places of rich gains.

ومَرادُ المُرادِ بالعرفِ زاهٍ

وَمرَاحُ المِراحِ بالعَرفِ فاغمْ

The realm of desire shone with kindness,

and the haunt of merriment was laden with scent.

ومبيتي ما بينَ كأَسٍ وثغرٍ

راشفاً منهما متى شئتُ لائمْ

My nights were spent between a cup and lips,

sipping from both whenever I wished, O reprover.

وردُ خدٍ ندٍ وغُصنُ قوامٍ

ذا جنيٌّ غضٌّ وذلكَ ناعمْ

A dewy cheek's rose, a slender figure's bough:

this fresh-plucked and tender, and that supple.

فأَنا اليومَ بالشّآمِ وحيدٌ

لِسنَا البارقِ العراقيِّ شائمْ

Today I am alone in al-Sham,

watching for the gleam of Iraqi lightning.

لا ودودٌ على وفائي مقيمٌ

لا وفي بشرطِ وُدِّيَ قائمْ

No loving friend remains true to my fidelity;

no faithful one upholds the terms of my affection.

أَبداً بين هِمَّتي وزماني

في اقتراحي وفي اطِّراحي ملاحمْ

Always, between my ambition and my times,

battles rage over my demands and my rejection.

عظُمتْ همّتي وها أَنا استص

غرُ في المطلبِ العظيمِ العظائمْ

My ambition has grown great; here I am belittling

great things in pursuit of a mighty goal.

ما نجا من مطاعِن العجزِ راضٍ

بملاهٍ من عيشهِ ومطاعمْ

None escapes the reproaches of weakness who is content

with amusements and meals in his life.

مبتَغى قلبي المشوق ببغدا

دَ وجسمي نائي المحلِّ بجاسمْ

What my longing heart seeks is in Baghdad,

while my body dwells far away in Jasim.

ليتَ شعري متى يُبشِّرُ عنّي

أَصدقائي فيها بأَنيَ قادمْ

Would that I knew when the glad news of me would be proclaimed

by my friends there: that I am coming.

ما لشَملي بها سِوى أَمرِ مولا

ي عماد الدِّينِ المملّكِ ناظمْ

Nothing can reunite me there except my lord's command,

Imad al-Din, the one invested with kingship.

واحدُ العصرِ ثالثُ الشَّمسِ والبد

رِ وثاني الحيا بغيرِ مُزاحمْ

Unique in his age, a third alongside the sun and moon,

and a second rain, with no rival.

إنْ يكن مانح المراحمِ بالجو

دِ فبالبأس مانِعٌ للمحارمْ

If he grants mercies through generosity,

then through valor he shields all that is sacred.

شَيَّدَ المجدَ وهو في المهِ شدَّتْ

بتمامِ العُلى عليه التَّمائمْ

He built glory while still in the cradle; amulets were tied

upon him with the fullness of exalted rank.

وهو بالحزمِ مُدرِكٌ كلَّ سُؤلٍ

ولَعَمْري كم حازماً رامَ حازِمْ

Through resolve he attains every wish;

and, by my life, how often has one resolute man sought another!

نُطقُ قُسٍ ورأي قيسٍ وإقدا

مُ عليٍ وجودُ كعبٍ وحاتمْ

The eloquence of Quss, the judgment of Qays, and the daring

of Ali, and the generosity of Ka'b and Hatim;

وندىً فرَّقَ الخزائنَ مقتا

داً إلى المُعدِمِ الغِنَى بالخزائمْ

and generosity that scattered the treasuries' riches, leading

wealth by nose-rings to the destitute.

بَشَّرَ البِشرُ منه كلَّ مُرّجٍ

دِيمةَ الخيرِ بالنَّجاح الدائمْ

His cheerful face gave glad news to all who hoped

for bounty's steady rain—success everlasting.

طلعةٌ طلقةٌ وباعٌ طويلٌ

ويدٌ بَسْطَةٌ وثغرٌ باسمْ

A cheerful countenance and a long reach,

an outstretched hand and smiling lips;

وعطايا غُزْرٌ وغُرُّ أَيادٍ

وسجايا زُهْرٌ وبيضُ عزائمْ

abundant gifts and radiant favors,

bright qualities and pure resolves.

كفلتْ كفُّهُ بنُجْحِ الأَماني

ونُشور الآمالِ وهي دمائمْ

His palm guaranteed the fulfillment of wishes

and the resurrection of hopes, even when unlovely.

فلهُ في التُّقى مآثرُ نزَّهْ

نَ سجاياهُ عن جميع المآثمْ

His merits in piety have purified

his character of every sin.

ما رياضٌ فاحتْ لطائفِ أَنفا

سِ صَباها لطائفٌ ولطائمْ

No gardens—where delicate breaths

of their east wind waft delights and perfume caravans,

أَظهرَتْ سِرَّ نشرِها فكأَنْ قد

مشت الرِّيحُ بينها بالنَّمائمْ

that reveal the secret of their fragrance, as though

the wind had walked among them bearing gossip,

وشي أَنوارها المفوَّفُ أَسدى

وأَنارتْ فيه أَكفُّ الغمائمْ

whose blossoms' striped brocade was woven

and illumined by the hands of clouds,

كقدودٍ تعلَّقتْها قلوبٌ

ذاتُ شجوٍ غصونُها والحمائمْ

whose boughs resemble graceful figures embraced by hearts

full of sorrow, and whose doves

فبِشَدْوِ الغِناءِ للوُرقِ أَعرا

سٌ وبالنَّوحِ للحَمامِ مآتمْ

have weddings in the gray birds' singing

and mourning rites in the doves' laments—

من سجايا بني المُظفَّر أَبهى

ومساعيهمُ الحِسان الكرائمْ

are lovelier than the virtues of Banu al-Muzaffar

and their fair, noble endeavors.

ما استقامتْ إلاّ بهم سنَّةُ الشَّر

عِ ودينُ الهدى ودولةُ هاشمْ

Only through them stood firm the tradition of sacred law,

the religion of guidance, and the dynasty of Hashim.

واستوتْ في خَضارِم الرأي فلكُ ال

ملك منهم على مَراسي المراسمْ

And the ship of kingship, amid the vast seas of judgment,

was steadied by them upon the moorings of prescribed order.

أَحسنوا العفو والتجاوزَ حتَّى

مَهّدوا حرمةً لأَهلِ الجرائمْ

They excelled in pardon and forbearance, until

they established protection for those guilty of crimes.

كم بكتْ أَعينُ اللَّيالي فعادتْ

وهيَ اليومَ ضاحكاتُ المباسمْ

How often the nights' eyes wept, then changed,

and today their mouths are smiling.

وبشمسِ الورى عليَّ أَبي نَصْ

رٍ تجلّى عنّا ظلامُ المظالمْ

Through mankind's sun, Ali Abu Nasr,

the darkness of injustices lifted from us.

ذو نوالٍ لكلِّ عافٍ معافٍ

ولسقمِ الرَّجا مداوٍ مداومْ

He gives bounty, bringing relief to every petitioner,

and steadily heals the sickness of hope.

ففداكم بني المظفر عاصٍ

لم يطعْ أَمره من الأَمرِ عاصمْ

May a rebel be your ransom, Banu al-Muzaffar,

whose command no protector against calamity obeyed;

من محا سنَّةَ المحاسن بالشَّ

رِ وما زالَ للمساوي مُساومْ

one who erased the tradition of virtues with evil

and never ceased bargaining for vices.

كم رديءٍ رَدٍ وساعٍ كمينٍ

في سعيرٍ وجاحدٍ فيَّ جاحمْ

How many a vile, fallen man, and lurking schemer

in a blaze, and a denier blazing against me!

يا ابنَ مَنْ حكمهُ على الخَلْق طرّاً

وعلى مالهِ مُرجِّيهِ حاكمْ

O son of one whose rule holds over all creation,

while whoever hopes in him rules over his wealth!

أَنا راقٍ في هُضب علياكَ مدحاً

ولطرزِ الثَّناءِ بالنظمِ راقمْ

With praise I climb the heights of your exalted rank,

and with verse I stitch the embroidery of praise.

غير قاصٍ عن قاصدٍ لكَ عُرفاً

لفقارِ افتقارهِ هو قاصمْ

I am not far from one who seeks your kindness,

which shatters the backbone of his destitution.

لم يزلْ فائزاً بصدقِ الأَماني

كلُّ راجٍ لظنّه فيكَ راجمْ

Always successful in the fulfillment of his wishes

is every hopeful man who hazards a guess about you.

بالمُوالين قوَّةٌ للموالي

والخوافي بها نهوضُ القَوادمْ

The patron's strength comes through loyal supporters,

and through the secondary feathers the primaries rise.