ألم خيال مية عن لمام — Al Jazzar Ibn Al Saraqu…

أَلَم خيال مَيَّة عَن لمام

بِنار مُنى فَحيا بِالسَلام

Mayya's phantom paid a fleeting visit

by Mina's fire, and greeted us with peace.

وَذَكَرنا بِجانب ذي طُلوحٍ

زَمان الوَصل في تلك الخِيام

And we recalled, beside Dhu Tuluh,

the time of union in those tents,

وَأَياماً لَنا بِلوى أَريك

نَعمنا في مراسمهما الوسام

and days of ours at the sand-bend of Arik,

when we reveled in those two places' fair camping grounds,

بِكُلِ خَريدةٍ حَسناء رودٍ

خلوب اللحظ مُرهَفة القِوام

with every beautiful, tender maiden,

bewitching in glance and slender in figure.

عَجبت لَطيفها أَني تهدّى

إَلَينا طاوِياً تِلكَ المَوامي

I marveled how her phantom found its way

to us, traversing those trackless deserts,

وَكَيفَ عَلى السَرى اِجتَرَأت وَعَهدي

بِها تَرتاعُ مِن ظلّ القِوام

and how she dared the night journey, when I knew

her to tremble at a figure's shadow.

سرت وَنَواظر الرقباء رَمدٌ

وَعَينُ الدَهر رَيّا بِالمَنام

She traveled while the watchers' eyes were sore,

and Time's eye was sated with sleep.

وَقَد لَبَست نُجوم الجو بُرداً

أَجادت صَبغه أَيدي الظَلام

The stars of the sky had donned a cloak

whose dye the hands of darkness had perfected.

كَأَن زبرجدَ الخَضراء روض

تَفتّح عَن بهارٍ في كِمامِ

As though the sky's emerald were a meadow

that opened to reveal narcissi in their sheaths.

كَأَن البَدر فيهِ أَمير قَومٍ

سَرى مِنهن في جَيشٍ لَهام

As though the full moon within it were a people's prince,

journeying by night among them in a mighty host,

يُبثُّ جُنوده شَرقاً وَغَرباً

وَقَد بَعَثَ الطَلائع مِن أَمام

dispatching his troops eastward and westward,

having already sent the scouts ahead.

تَكشَّف عَن ضَمير اللَيل سراً

سَيَعجله الصَباح عَن اِكتِتام

A secret emerged from the heart of night,

which dawn would hurry out of hiding.

كَأَن الفَرقدين إِذا اِستكنا

حَبيبان اِستكانا للغرام

As though the two Farqad stars, when they took shelter,

were two lovers yielding to passion.

كَأَن سُهيلها رجل مَروعٌ

توجس خيفَةً مِن ذي اِنتِقام

As though its Suhayl were a terrified man

who felt fear of one bent on vengeance.

كَأَن خُفوقه قَلبُ المُعنى

تَشكى ما يُلاقي مِن هِيام

As though its flickering were a lovesick heart,

lamenting the consuming love it endured.

كَأَن تَبرج الشِعري خَليع

مِن الفَتيات وَاضِعَةُ اللثام

As though Sirius, flaunting her beauty, were a wanton

among the maidens, laying aside her face veil.

كَأَن بَنات نَعشٍ إِذ تَبَدّت

حَوائِمُ حَول منهلها ظَوامي

As though the Daughters of Na'sh, when they appeared,

were thirsty creatures circling their watering place.

كَأَن سُها النُجوم بِها عَليل

يُنازع ما يَبينُ مِن السقام

As though Suha, among its stars, were an ailing man,

struggling against the sickness showing in him.

كَأَن الحوت حينَ بَدا غَريقٌ

بِآذيٍّ مِن الأَمواج طام

As though the Fish, when it appeared, were a drowning man

in a towering surge of waves.

كَأَن كَواكب الجَوزاء فيها

وِشاحٌ فَصَلوه شذور شام

As though Orion's stars within it

were a sash they had studded with gold beads from Sham.

كَأَن النَجم عِقدٌ صارَ نَثراً

فَأَلف كي يُعاد إِلى نِظام

As though the Pleiades were a necklace scattered loose,

then gathered to be strung anew.

كَأَن الصُبح حينَ أَظَل ملكٌ

أَشارَ إِلى عَدوٍ بِالحسام

As though dawn, as it drew near, were a king

who pointed his keen sword at an enemy.

كَأَن مَواكب الظَلماء سرب

مِن الغربان يَنفرُ مِن حَمام

As though the processions of darkness were a flock

of crows scattering before doves.

كَأَن ذرور قرن الشَمس حُسناً

وَاِشراقاً مُحيا ابن الإِمام

As though the rising rim of the sun, in beauty

and radiance, were the face of Ibn al-Imam.

أَخو الهِمَم العَلية وَالخلال الس

سنية وَالسَجيات السَوامي

A man of lofty ambitions and qualities

sublime, and of exalted dispositions.

قَدير هَمهُ صون المَعاني

وَبَذلُ النَفس في القَحم العِظام

A capable man, intent on safeguarding noble ideals

and staking his life amid tremendous perils.

كَريم الخيم مَعسول السَجايا

وَريُّ الزَند ماضي الاعتزام

Noble in nature, honey-sweet in character,

his firestick sparking readily, his resolve unflinching.

كَلا يَوميه في جودٍ وَبَأسٍ

حَميد السَعي مرضيّ المقام

On both his days, in generosity and in valor,

his endeavor is praised, his standing esteemed.

يَجود بِماله جودَ الكِرام

وَيَمنع عرضه مَنع اللِئام

He gives his wealth as noble men give,

and guards his honor with a miser's jealous care.

يَرى حفظ الذمام عَلَيهِ حَقاً

وَتَضييع الذمام مِن الحَرام

He sees the keeping of pledges as his duty,

and the breaking of pledges as forbidden.

وَمَن تَكُن الوَزارة فيهِ ضلت

هَداهُ سَبيلها أَهدى امام

And if the vizierate had lost its way concerning him,

the best-guiding imam showed him its path.

رآه المُستَعين لَها فَوافى

بِهِ مِنها عَلى أَعلى السَنام

Al-Musta'in saw him suited to it, and brought him

to its highest crest.

وَملّكه أَزمتها وَألقى

إَلَيهِ بِالمقاود وَالخِطام

He gave him mastery of its reins and handed

him the leading straps and halter.

حَوى قصب العُلا كسباً وَارِثاً

عَن آباءٍ جَحاجحةٍ كِرام

He won the prize of eminence, earning and inheriting it

from mighty, noble forefathers.

غَدوا قطب الرِياسة مُنذُ كانوا

وَفُرسان المَنابر وَالكَلام

They have been the axis of leadership since their beginning,

and knights of pulpits and speech.

أَباحوا مِن حِمى الأَعداء قِدماً

حَريماً كانَ ممتنع المَرام

Long ago they opened, within the enemy's preserves,

a sanctuary that had been beyond all reach.

وَحَلوا مِن ذُرى سطة المَعالي

سَماء الفَخر مِن أَبناء سام

They dwelt upon the heights amid exalted honors,

in pride's heaven among the sons of Shem.

وَنالوا بِالصَفائح وَالعَوالي

مَساميَ لا يُدانيها مُسامي

With blades and lofty spears they attained

heights no rival can approach.

وَهُم رَفَعوا بِما وَضَعوا الأَعادي

بِناء قَواعد الملك الجذام

By laying their enemies low, they raised

the edifice of the kingdom's deep-rooted foundations.

إِذا مولودهم وافى رِضاعاً

سَما للمجد مِن قَبل الفِطام

When one of their newborns comes to be suckled,

he rises toward glory before he is weaned.

تَساوى الشَيب وَالشُبان فيهم

عُلاً وَالكَهل منهم بالغلام

Their graybeards and young men are equal

in eminence, their mature men matching their boys.

مآثرُ لا نَقيصة تَزدريها

وَلا يَغدو بِها حالُ التمام

Glorious deeds no defect can belittle,

and whose perfect state never passes away.

تَقاصَرَت المَساعي عَن مَداها

وَطالَت عَن مُلاءَمة اللِئام

All striving falls short of their reach,

and they stand too high to suit the base.

فَنافسَ في هَواها كُلُّ نَفس

وَهامَ بِهن كُلّ فَتى همام

So every soul vies in loving them,

and every high-spirited youth is enamored of them.

وَكَم لكَ مِن يَدٍ بَيضاء فينا

بِها طوقتنا طَوق الحَمام

How many a white hand of favor you have shown us,

with which you have collared us like the neck-ring of doves.

أَفضتَ عَلى الجَميع بِها سماءً

فَاضحوا رقّ أَنعمك العَظام

Through it you poured rain upon everyone,

and they became slaves to your mighty favors.

حَميت حِمى الجَزيرة إِذ أَبيحت

قَواعدها وَقُل بِها المحامي

You guarded the Peninsula's sanctuary when

its strongholds were laid open and its defenders were few.

وَحُطتَ ذمارها لَما تَداعى

بِناءُ الدين فيها بِانهدام

And you guarded its honor when there tottered

the edifice of faith within it, on the verge of collapse.

وَخُضت لِنَصر دين اللَه فيها

بِحاراً موجهاً طامى الجمام

You waded there, to champion God's faith,

through seas with surging, brimming waves.

نُقاسي ساعَةً فيها كَيومٍ

وَمِن طول السُرى شَهراً كَعام

In them we endure an hour as though it were a day,

and, from long night travel, a month as though a year.