أمن العيون تروم فقد عنائه — Al Sari Al Raffa

أمِنَ العيونِ ترومُ فَقْدَ عَنائِه

هَيهاتِ ضَنَّ سَقامُها بشِفائِه

Would you seek from eyes an end to his suffering?

Far from it! Their languor begrudges him a cure.

ما كان هذا البينُ أوَّلَ جَمرةٍ

أذكَتْ لهيبَ الشَّوقِ في أحشائه

This parting was not the first ember

to kindle longing's blaze within his breast.

لولا مساعدةُ الدموعِ ودَفْعُها

خوفُ الفِراقِ أتى على حَوبائِه

But for the help of tears and their defense,

fear of separation would have consumed his soul.

وأنا الفداءُ لمن مَخِيلَةُ بَرقِه

حظِّي وحظُّ سواي من أنوائِه

I would ransom with my life one whose lightning's promise

is my share, while others receive his showers.

قمرٌ إذا ما الوشيُ صِينَ أذالَه

كيما يَصونَ بهاءَه ببهائِه

A moon who lets brocade trail, though others guard it,

to protect his beauty with its beauty.

خَفِرُ الشَّمائلِ لو مَلَكتُ عِناقَه

يومَ الوَداعِ وَهَبْتُهُ لحَيائِه

Modest in manner—had his embrace been mine

on parting day, I would have surrendered it to his shyness.

ضَعُفَتْ معاقِدُ خصرِه وعهودُه

فكأنّ عَقْدَ الخصرِ عَقْدُ وَفَائِه

The bindings of his waist and his promises are frail,

as though his waist's knot were his bond of fidelity.

أدنو إلى الرُّقَباءِ لا من حبِّهم

وأصدُّ عنه وليس من بَغضائِه

I approach the watchers, not from love of them,

and turn away from him, not from hatred of him.

للهِ أيُّ محاجرٍ عنَّتْ لنا

بمُحَجَّرٍ إذ ريعَ سِربُ ظِبائِه

By God, what eyes appeared to us

at Muhajjar, when its herd of gazelles took fright!

ونواظرٍ وجدَ المحبُّ فتورَها

لمّا استقلَّ الحيُّ في أعضائِه

And gazes whose languor the lover felt,

when the tribe departed, in his own limbs.

وَحيَاً أرقتُ لبرقِه فكأنه

قَدَحُ الزِّنادِ يطيرُ في أرجائِه

And a rain cloud whose lightning kept me wakeful, as though

sparks struck from flints were flying through its reaches.

سارٍ على كَفَلِ الجَنوبِ مقابلٍ

حَزَنَ البلادِ وسهلَها بعطائِه

Night-faring on the south wind's haunch, greeting

the land's rugged heights and plains with its bounty.

حنَّتْ رواعِدُه فأسبل دمعُهُ

كالصَّبِّ أتبعَ شدوَه ببكائِه

Its thunders sighed, and its tears streamed down,

like a lover who followed his song with weeping.

وسقَتْ غَمائمُهُ الرِّياضَ كأنما

جُودُ الأميرِ سقى رياضَ ثَنائِه

Its clouds watered the gardens, as though

the prince's bounty watered the gardens of his praise.

سَفَهاً لِمَنْ سمَّاه سيفَ حفيظَةٍ

هلاَّ أعارِ السَّيفَ من أسمائِه

Folly upon whoever named him the sword of honor!

Why did he not lend the sword one of his names?

متجرِّدٌ للخطبِ عرَّاضُ القَنا

والمَشرفيّةُ من مَشيدِ بنائِه

Devoted to facing peril, he arrays his spears;

and Mashrafi swords are part of his towering edifice.

ومواجهٌ وجهَ العدوِّ بصَعدَةٍ

ينقضُّ كوكبُه على شَحنائِه

He confronts the enemy face-to-face with a spear,

its star swooping down upon his bitter foes.

والرومُ تعلمُ أنَّ تاجَ زعيمِها

مُلقىً بحدِّ السَّيفِ يومَ لِقائِه

The Romans know that their leader's crown

will be cast down by the sword's edge when he meets him.

لما حماه القَرُّ سفكَ دمائِهم

أضحى يَعدُّ القَرَّ من أعدائِه

When cold barred him from shedding their blood,

he came to count the cold among his enemies.

حَمَدَ الغمامَ وذمَّه ولربَّما

ساء الحبيُّ وسَرَّ عندَ حبائِه

He praised the clouds and blamed them; often

a rain cloud grieves and gladdens with its gifts.

قَلِقٌ يُفنِّيه الحديدُ فينثني

جَذْلانَ مثلوجَ الحشا بفَنائِه

Restless, steel wears him away; then he returns

elated, his heart cooled by its destruction.

إنَّ الربيعَ مُبيدُ خضراءِ العِدا

ومُسيلُ أنفسِهم على خَضْرائِه

Indeed, spring destroys the enemy's flourishing host

and spills their lifeblood upon its greenery.

ولو أنّهم قدَروا على أعمارِهم

وصلوا بها الأحوالَ عمرَ شِتاتِه

If they had mastery over their lifespans,

they would join year to year throughout its absence.

إن عاقَه عما يحاولُ صِنوهُ

وشبيهُه في بِشره وعَطائِه

If his counterpart holds him back from what he seeks,

his likeness in cheerfulness and bounty,

فكأنَّني بجبينِه في مأزقٍ

متمزِّقٍ عنه دُجى ظلمائِه

I seem to see his brow amid the press of battle,

its deep darkness torn away from him.

مفقودةٌ شِيَةُ الجوادِ لنَقْعِهِ

وحُجولُ أربعةٍ لخَوْضِ دمِائِه

The steed's markings vanish beneath the battle's dust,

its four white stockings lost from wading through its blood.

أو جحفلٌ لعبَتْ صدورُ رِماحِه

فكأنما انقضَّتْ نجومُ سَمائِه

Or a host whose spearheads dance,

as though the stars of its sky had fallen.

لَجٍبٌ توشَّحَتِ البسيطةٌ سيلَه

وتعمَّمت أعلامُها بعمائِه

Clamorous—the earth girdles itself with its torrent,

and its peaks wear the host's haze as turbans.

ضوضاؤُهُ زجلُ الحديد وإنما

يتوعد الأعداء في ضوضائه

Its clamor is the clang of steel; indeed,

it threatens the enemy through its clamor.

متبسِّمٌ قبلَ النهارِ كأنما

زَرًّ النهارُ عليه ثَوبَ ضَحائِه

Smiling before daylight, as though

day had buttoned its robe of morning light upon it.

ويُريكَ بينَ مٌدجَّجِ ومُدرَّعٍ

خِلَعَ الرَّبيعِ الطَّلْقِ بينَ نِهائِه

It shows you, among fully armed and mail-clad men,

the robes of cheerful spring among its pools.

يَثنيه في السَّيرِ الحثيثِ بلحظِهِ

كالريحِ تَثني الغيمَ في غُلَوائِه

He turns it with a glance in its rapid march,

as wind turns clouds in their headlong rush.

فكأنَّ أشتاتَ الجِبالِ تجمَّعَتْ

فتعرَّضَتْ من دونِهِ ووَرائِه

As though scattered mountains had gathered

and ranged themselves before him and behind him.

فهناك تَلْقى الموتَ فوق قَناتِه

متبرِّجاً والنصرَ تحتَ لِوائِه

There you meet death above his spear,

unveiled, and victory beneath his banner.

أعَدوَّه أوفَى عليكَ مشوَّقاً

بِقراعِه إذ لستَ من أكفائه

O enemy of his, he looms over you, eager

for combat with you, since you are no match for him.

ومُشمِّراً قد شلَّ من إدلاجِه

ليلُ التمامِ وملَّ من إسرائِه

And girded for action—his night marches have numbed

the longest night, wearied by his nocturnal journeys.

ودقيقَ معنَى العُرفِ يجعلُ بشرَه

بدرَ العدوِّ وتلك من أكفائِه

And subtle in kindness, he makes his smile

the enemy's full moon—and that is among his equals.

وإذا النَّسيمُ وَشى إليك مصبِّحاً

بمسَرّةٍ فحَذارِ من إمسائِه

If the breeze at dawn whispers to you

of delight, beware its coming at dusk.

قد قلتُ إذ سَالت عَدِيُّ أمامَه

سَيْلَ السَّرابِ جرى على بَطحائِه

I said, when foes streamed before him

like streaming mirage coursing over its gravel plain:

ما بالُه مُغرىً بوَصْلِ عدوِّه

وعدوُّه مغرىً بوَصْلِ جَفائِه

Why is he so bent on closeness with his foe,

while his foe is bent on keeping his distance?

يا موجِباً حقَّ السَّماحِ بنائلٍ

تتقاصَرُ الأنواءُ عن أنوائِه

O fulfiller of generosity's due, through bounty

whose showers the rain-stars cannot rival;

والمبتني بيتَ العَلاءِ ببأسِه

فغدا علاءُ النجمِ دونَ علائِه

and builder, through his valor, of glory's house—

the stars' height now falls below his own.

ومن السيادة لا تليق بغيره

لعظيم سودده وفضل غنائه

And one whom sovereignty befits, and none besides,

for his mighty lordship and surpassing prowess.

وإذا بحارُ المكرُماتِ تدفَّقَت

فجميعُها تمتارُ من أندائِه

When the seas of noble deeds overflow,

all replenish themselves from his dews.

لا يقتدي بسواه في تدبيره

والبحر يغنى عن رذاذ ضحائه

He follows no other's example in his governance;

the sea has no need of spray from its shores.

كم منَّةٍ لكَ ألبَسَتْني نِعْمةً

تَدَعُ الحسودَ يذوبُ من بُرَحائِه

How many a favor of yours has clothed me in blessing

that leaves the envier melting in his burning anguish!

صُنتُ الثناءَ عن الملوكِ نزاهةً

وجعلتُه وَقْفاً على آلائِه

I withheld my praise from kings out of self-respect,

and reserved it wholly for his bounties.

ألفاظُه كالدُّرِّ في أصدافِهِ

لا بل تزيدُ عليه في لألائِه

Its words are like pearls within their shells;

no, they surpass them in their luster.

من كلِّ رَيِّقَةِ الكلامِ كأنما

جادَ الشبابُ لها بِريِّقِ مائِه

Each drawn from the freshest speech, as though

youth had lavished its freshest waters upon it.

فالشِّعرُ بحرٌ نلتُ أنفَسَ دُرِّه

وتنافسَ الشعراءُ في حَصْبائِه

Poetry is a sea: I have won its most precious pearls,

while poets vie for its pebbles.