دعا للبين من أسماء داع — Al Shaqroui

دَعَا لِلبَينِ مِن أسمَاءَ دَاعِ

وإني غَيرُ مُسطَاعٍ الوَدَاعِ

A caller called for parting from Asma,

and I cannot bear farewell.

فَبِتُ كَأنَّ عُودَ قَذًى بِعَيني

أوَ أني حَارِسٌ لِلنَّجم رَاعِ

So I spent the night as though a splinter of debris were in my eye,

or as though I were a watchman keeping vigil over the stars.

أُكَفكِفُ دَمعَها الجَارِى بِكفي

ولَم يَكُ لِلدُّمُوعِ مِن انقِطَاعِ

I kept wiping my eye's flowing tears with my palm,

but the tears would not cease.

فَلَمَّا أصبَحُوا لِنَوىً تَدَاعَوا

فَأبدَى مَا أُكَتِّمُهُ التَّدَاعِى

When morning came, they called one another to depart,

and their summons revealed what I concealed.

فَرَاقَبتُ الظَعَائِنَ وهى تُحدَى

على النُّجُبُ المُخَيَّسَةِ السِّرَاعٍِ

I watched the women in their litters, urged onward by song,

on swift, tamed, noble camels.

وفِيهَا مَن أُشَيِّعُهَا بِقَلبٍ

حَزَينٍ مِن مَحَبِّتِهَا شَعَاعِ

Among them was one I saw off with a heart

sorrowful and shattered by love for her.

ألاَ إنَّ الظَّعَاِئن حَمَّلَتني

غَرَاماً لَم يَكُن بِالمُستَطَاعِ

Indeed, the women in their litters have burdened me

with a passion beyond endurance.

فَبَاتَت تَرمُقني إختِلاَساً

بِعينٍ مِثلِ مِرآةِ الصَّنَاعِ

She spent the night stealing glances at me

with an eye like a craftswoman's mirror.

فَكِدتُ أطِيرُ مِن وَلَهٍ ولَكِن

خَشِيتُ مِنَ الرَّقيبِ لَدَى إطِّلاَعِ

I nearly flew with love's bewilderment, but

I feared the watcher might find out.

وقَد خَادَعتُ قَلبي عَن هَواهَا

ولم يَجعَله مُنخَدعاً خِدَاعِى

I tried to beguile my heart away from loving her,

but my beguilement did not deceive it.

فَجَانَبتُ الصِّبَا وقَصدتُ أَبنَا

أبي النَّدبِ الشَّرِيفِ أبي السِّبَاعِ

So I forsook youthful passion and sought the sons

of my gallant, noble father, Abu al-Sibaʿ.

فَهُم عَن كُلِّ مَنقَصَةٍ نَوَاهٍ

وهم لِجَوَالِبِ المَجدِ الدَّوَاعِى

For they turn others away from every failing,

and they call forth all that brings glory.

وهم حَلىً النَّوادِى في افتِرَاقٍ

وهم حَلى النَّوادِى في إجتماعِ

They adorn assemblies when apart,

and they adorn assemblies when together.

وَعَى الوَاعُونَ مَدحَهُمُ جِميِعاً

ولَم تَعِ ذَمُّهُم أُذنٌ لِوَاعِ

All attentive listeners have remembered their praise,

yet no heedful ear has heard them blamed.

أولئِكَ قُومُ مَن أَلِفَ المَعَالِى

ونَكَّبّ عَن مُذِلاَّتِ المَسَاعِى

They are the kin of one who cherished lofty deeds

and turned away from degrading pursuits.

لَهُم شَرَفٌ عَلَيهِ بَيِّنَاتٌ

أَتَت بِالقَطعِ فِيهِ وبِالسَّمَاعِ

Their nobility is supported by clear proofs,

bringing certainty about it and received testimony.

فَإن لاَ يَنتَهم ألفَيتَ خَمراً

مُشَعشَعَةً مُعَتَّقَةَ الطِّبَاعِ

If you treat them gently, you will find wine,

diluted, of a character mellowed by age.

وإِن نَاوَيتَهُم نَاوَوكَ حَتَّى

تَصِيرَ أَذَلَّ مِن فَقعٍ بِقَاعِ

But if you oppose them, they oppose you until

you become more abject than a truffle on a plain.

فَكُلُّهُمُ إٍِذَا مَا سِيمَ خَسفاً

يَرَى الشُّجعَانَ رَبَّاتِ القَنَاعِ

For each of them, when subjected to humiliation,

regards brave men as veiled women.

فَكَم دَفَعُوا الأعَادِى عَن حِمَاهُم

بِصَولاَتِ المَدَافِعِ واليَرَاعِ

How often they drove enemies from their domain

with the onslaughts of cannon and reed pens.

وكَم سَقَوا الحَمِيمَ الوِدَّ صِرفاً

وكَم سَقَوُا العِدَى سُمَّ الأَفَاعِى

How often they gave a close friend undiluted affection to drink,

and how often they gave foes the venom of vipers to drink.

وكَم شَنُّوا إِغَارَتَهُم فَجَالُوا

بِأموَالِ الأعَادِى في البِقَاعِ

How often they launched their raids and roamed

through the lands with their enemies' wealth.

وأبنَا سِيدِى عَبدِاللهِ نَالُوا

مَسَاعِىَ لَم يَنَلهَا الدَّهرَ سَاعِ

The sons of Sidi Abdallah have attained

achievements no striver has ever reached.

فَلَم يك فِيهُمُ إِلاَّ شُجَاعٌ

أبي ضِرغَامٍ شُجَاعِ

There was none among them but a brave man,

proud, a lion, courageous.

وإِن مُلاَىَ أحمَدَ لِى خَلِيلٌ

وفي بِالذِّمَامِ طَوِيلُ بَاعِ

Moulay Ahmad is indeed a close friend of mine,

faithful to his pledges and long of reach.

فَتَى الفُتيَانِ قَارَبَ أن يُنَادَى

بِكَسَّارِ الأوَاني في الدِّفَاعِ

The foremost of young men, he has nearly earned the title

'Breaker of Vessels' in defense.

وَحَلاَّلُ اليَفَاعِ وإِن أحَلت

أكَارِمُ كُلِّ قَومٍ بالتِّلاَعِ

He camps on the heights, even when

the noblest of every people camp in the valleys.

وكُنتُ مُحَقِّقاً أن ضُقتُ ذَرعاً

بِخَطبٍ أَن يُشَدُّ بِهِ ذِرَاعِى

I was certain, if I were at my wits' end

over a calamity, that through him my arm would be strengthened.

ولَمَّا قِيلَ لِى مَا قِيلَ عَنهُ

عَنِ الإنصَاتِ كَنتُ أخَا امتِنَاعِ

When I was told what was said of him,

I refused to lend an ear.

فَمَالٌ فِيه أفضَلُ مِن سِوَاهُ

لأمنِ هُجُومِ غَائِلَةِ الضَّيَاعِ

For wealth is better with him than with anyone else,

since it is safe from the onslaught of ruinous loss.

فَلَم يَكُ مَالُهُ إِلاَّ كَمَالِى

أيَحسُنُ أَن تَمِيل إلى النِّزَاعِ

His wealth was no different from my own;

is it right for you to turn to discord?

لَحَا اللهُ النِّزَاعَ فَكُلُّ خِلٍّ

مَكِينٍ عِندَ صاحِبِه مُطَاع

May God curse discord! For every close friend,

esteemed and heeded by his companion,

يُحَاوِلُ أن يَكُونَ إلَيهِ كَيمَا

يَصِيرَا في تَقَالٍ وانقِطَاعِ

it strives to reach, so that

the two fall into mutual hatred and estrangement.

فَمَن يَفعَلَ يَهُن وَيكُن بَخِيلاً

ومِن رَوضِ المُرُوءَةِ غَيرُ رَاعِ

Whoever does so is abased and becomes miserly,

and fails to tend the meadow of noble conduct,

وَيَذَهَب عَن طَرِيقِ المُصطفي مَن

بِهِ شَرُفَت ثَنِيَّاتُ الوَدَاعِ

and strays from the path of the Chosen One, the one

through whom the passes of al-Wadaʿ were ennobled.

عَلَيهِ صَلاَةُ خَالِقِهِ العَلِى مَا

ثَوَى وأقَامَ في خَيرِ البَقَاعِ

Upon him be the blessings of his Creator, the Most High, as long as

he rests and abides in the best of places.