فجأة البين تستحف الحليما — Al Shaqroui

فجأة البينِ تستحف الحليما

وترد الحِجَا السليمَ سقيما

The sudden blow of parting unsettles the composed,

and turns a sound mind sick.

إن للبين لوعةً لو أصابت

شامخاتِ الجبال صِرنَ رميما

Parting has a burning grief that, were it to strike

the lofty mountains, would turn them to dust.

تكسب الوامقَ الشجىَّ شجونا

مالئاتٍ من الرزفير الحريما

It brings the sorrowful lover griefs

that fill his inner sanctuary with sighs,

وكلوما دواميا وهموما

تترك القلب حائرا مكظوما

and bleeding wounds and cares

that leave the heart bewildered and choked with sorrow,

وانهما لاتٍ أدمعٍكلما رَا

مَ جموداً لها تجم جموما

and torrents of tears: whenever he seeks

to stop them, they well up in torrents.

يتحدرن مثل منثور دُرٍّ

كان من قبلُ نثرُه منظوما

They cascade like scattered pearls

that, before their scattering, were strung together.

عاذليَّ اكففاً الملامَ فإني

لم أكن في الهوى الأليم مَليما

My two reproachers, cease your blame, for I

am not blameworthy in this painful love.

لا تلوما حتى تذوقا غرامي

فإذا ذقما الغرام فلوما

Do not blame me until you both taste my passion;

then, when you have tasted passion, blame me.

واعذرا في الغرام صبًّا شجيا

مستهَاماً يبيت يرعى النجوما

And excuse a sorrowful, passionate lover,

crazed with longing, who spends the night watching the stars.

واندبا أربع الرباب البوالي

وقفا في رسومها وأقيما

Lament al-Rabab's crumbling dwelling places;

stand among their traces and remain.

وابكيا كل معهد لاح منها

فسقى الله دورها مدجناتٍ

And weep for every haunt of hers that appears.

May God water her dwellings with overcast rainclouds,

مرزما رعدها سوارِيَ شيما

اذكرتنا الرباب أيام كنا

night-traveling, lightning-streaked, their thunder rumbling.

Al-Rabab recalled to us the days when we

نجتَني اللهو آمنين الهجوما

إذ جمعنا شملُ السرور وبرجُ

gathered pleasure's fruits, safe from sudden intrusion,

when joy gathered us together, and the constellation

السعدِ عنا يذود نحسا وشوما

جررنا الذيول بين رباها

of fortune drove ill luck and evil omens from us.

We trailed our robes among her hills,

لا نرى من ذوي الملام أريما

أرتنا الربابُ لمَّا تراءت

seeing not a soul among those who reproach.

When al-Rabab appeared, she showed us

وجهها الناضرَ الأغرَّ الوسيما

أرتنا منصبا ذَا غَروب

her radiant, bright, beautiful face.

She showed us a flowing fount with channels,

وسقتنا رحيقَه المختوما

جنينا وصالها وشممنا

and gave us its sealed nectar to drink.

We harvested union with her and breathed in

عَرفَ أردانها الشهى شميما

ازدهانا استواؤها وتثني

deeply the delicious fragrance of her sleeves.

Her upright grace and swaying enchanted us

ها عشيا حتى فقدنا الحلوما

ذكرتنا لما استوت وتثنت

at evening, until we lost our senses.

When she stood upright and swayed, she recalled to us

ميسة الغصن حين لاقَى النسيما

نسيمَ الصَّبَا والرياحي

a bough's sway as it meets the breeze,

the east wind's breath, and fragrant herbs,

نَ وروض الخميلة المرموما

المهاةَ الخذولَ والشادنَ المك

and the well-tended garden of the thicket,

the oryx doe lingering behind, and the kohl-eyed young gazelle,

حول والريم حيث ريع وربما

انبلاجَ الصباح والبرق ليلا

and the white gazelle when startled—and perhaps

the dawning of morning, and lightning at night,

وبهيما من الدُّجى وفحيما

صبحت لا يقرب الوصلَ منها

and the pitch-blackness of night, and coal-blackness.

At dawn, none brings union with her near

غيرُ وَجنَأ صَعلاً ظليما

لما حُافت السياطَ تَمطت

save a sturdy-cheeked she-camel—a slender-headed ostrich.

When she feared the whips, she stretched herself out,

تسلك البيدَ لا تمل الرسيما

لن أكُ اليوم قد تناءيتُ عنها

crossing the deserts, never tiring of her swift gait.

Today I will not be—now I have grown distant from her,

وغدا حبل وصلها مصروما

الداني عنها الصدودُ ولكن

and the cord of union with her is severed—

the one near, yet kept from her by rejection [wording unclear]; but

قد أتاني أن اللئيم الأثيما

رام سبي بضحكةِ خال فيها

word has reached me that the vile sinner

sought to revile me with a joke in which he mistook

لؤمَه المجد وافتخارى لوما

هو للمجد والمعاد يُعد

his baseness for glory, and my pride for blame.

For glory and the hereafter, he counts

كونه للمحرمات مديما

مانحا عسبة نساءَ أُنَاسٍ

his persistence in forbidden deeds,

offering a stallion's service to the wives of people

منحوه المشروبَ والمطعوما

أيها الناسُ ذا الفويسقُ أفشى

who gave him food and drink.

People! This petty sinner has spread

فيكم الفحش واستباح الحريما

سأرى في وجائه قُرباتٍ

obscenity among you and violated the sanctuary of women.

I shall regard his castration as acts of devotion;

فاطيعوا بها السميعَ العليما

هو ما صام والزنا مااتقاه

so through them obey the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.

He has never fasted, nor shunned adultery;

ووجى خائف الزنا أن يصوما

بثت نطفان نطفة فرعو

and for one fearing adultery, fasting serves as gelding.

Two seed-drops were scattered—the seed of Pharaoh,

ن الذي كذب الرسول الكليما

التي صُورُ الفويسق منها

who denied the messenger whom God addressed—

from which this petty sinner was fashioned.

ليته كان حيضة معدوما

إن فرعونَ جده فتوالى

Would that he had been menstrual blood, never born!

Pharaoh is his grandfather, and so in succession

لؤم أجداده فصار لئيما

جاء لا مرحبا به للبرايا

his ancestors' baseness passed down, and he became base.

He came to humankind—no welcome to him—

يوم نحس وجاء ريحا عقيما

وأتى محنةً وجهدا ومَحلا

as a day of ill omen, as a barren wind.

He came as an ordeal, hardship, and drought,

وكروبا عظيمىً وأُزُوما

وضلالا وغفلة واعتداءً

and immense afflictions and crises,

as error, heedlessness, and aggression,

وشرورا وفتنةً وغموما

وبه غارت المياهُ ومنه

and evils, discord, and sorrows.

Through him the waters sank away, and because of him

ذبل الروض واستحال هشيما

وبه العذب صار ملحا أجاجاً

the garden withered and turned to dry debris.

Through him sweet water became bitter brine,

ونعيما الدنا عذابا اليما

وبه السلم صار حرباً عَوَاناً

and the world's bliss became painful torment.

Through him peace became a long-fought war,

وبه أصبح الغنى عديما

وبه العدلُ صار جُوراً ومنه

and through him the wealthy became destitute.

Through him justice became tyranny, and because of him

نهج إبليس صارَ نهجا قويما

وبه الطيبُ صار نتنا خبيثا

Iblis's path became an upright way.

Through him perfume became a foul stench,

وبه أصبح الصحيح سقيما

سئمته الورى فصار مُهانا

and through him the healthy became sick.

Humankind tired of him, and he became despised,

جائعا جائلا دنيا لئيما

شرِها إن رأى الطعام أكولا

hungry, wandering, lowly, and vile,

greedy—when he sees food, a glutton;

سارقا إن رأى سوامِىَ هيما

أسودَ الوجه جامعا كُلَّ عارٍ

a thief when he sees my thirsty grazing herds;

black of face, gathering every disgrace,

عاريا من حَلىِ الفَخَارِ ظلوما

غافلا صاحبَ الأراذل والآ

stripped of honor's ornaments, oppressive,

heedless, a companion of the lowliest and most

مِ فحاكَى للأمِّ والأمِّ خيما

كَرَّ إن رأى جفنة وإذارآ

ignoble, matching the basest in character [wording unclear].

He charges when he sees a serving bowl; but when he sees

ء لوغى كَغَّ ناكصا مهزوما

تفرح الناس حين بان ومنه

battle, he shrinks back, retreating defeated.

People rejoice when he departs; because of him,

تشتكى الناسُ والبلاد القدوما

أيها الجاهل الفويسقُ إِنَّ الرا

people and the land complain of his arrival.

You ignorant petty sinner! Truly, the stagnant

كد الرنقَ والهشيمَ الوخيما

والهلوم المنوع والواغلَ ال

murk, the noxious dry debris,

the glutton, the miser, the gatecrasher,

مَشئوم والوغدَ اللطيمي الشتيما

والدوى الفاجرَ المكذب بالد

ill-omened, the vile, slap-marked, foul-faced wretch,

the diseased debauchee, the denier of religion,

دينِ المرائي الذي يَدِعُّ اليتيما

أنت فاذهب تقولتَ واسأل

the hypocrite who shoves the orphan aside—

that is you. Go on: you have lied; ask

عن خصالِى وعن جدودى الأنيما

لا تلمني على مقالة صدقِ

the people about my qualities and my forefathers.

Do not blame me for speaking truth:

فالمحق الصدوق ليس ملوما

ومريد الرجيم أنت عليه

the truthful man in the right is not to blame.

You are a disciple of the accursed one; upon him

لعنة الله فاقتفيت الرجيما

قد ثنتك الذنوب عن خدمة ال

be God's curse—and so you followed the accursed one.

Your sins have turned you away from serving

له فامسيت للرجيم خديما

والسقيم الركيك شعرك معنًى

God, and you have become the accursed one's servant.

Your poetry is sickly and feeble in meaning;

وكفي قولكُ الهلال التميما

تزن الشعرَ ما اقتفيت الحجا

your phrase 'the complete crescent' is proof enough.

You scan verse, but you have not followed the Hijazis

زيين نحواً ولا اقتفيت تميما

رَمىُ أُمِّى ووالدِى جئت فيه

in syntax, nor have you followed Tamim.

In slandering my mother and father, you committed

شيئا إِدًّا وقلتَ قولا عظيما

أمنا لم تزل بأهنَا عيشٍ

a monstrous thing and uttered a grievous charge.

Our mother has always lived the happiest life,

تجتني منه غِبطةً ونعيما

لم تفارق بناتِها وبنيها

reaping from it contentment and bliss.

She has never parted from her daughters and sons,

في زمان ولا صديقا حميما

لا تقسني حَتًى عَلَيك وأُمِّى

at any time, nor from a close friend.

Do not compare me even to yourself; and my mother—

لا تقسها على بناتِك سيما

أبي كان نهجُه مستقيما

do not compare her with your daughters, above all.

My father's path was upright,

فتفقيتُ منهجاً مستقيما

ولفخرِى أعِدُّ أُماً حَصَاناً

so I followed an upright path.

For my pride I count a chaste mother,

وأباً صالحا ومجدا صميما

وطباعا كالخمر إن أنا فاكه

a righteous father, and undiluted honor,

and a wine-like disposition when I make merry

ت الألباء والخليل النديما

قد أجبناك يا رجيمُ جوابَا

with discerning men and an intimate drinking companion.

We have answered you, accursed one, with a reply

شافيا كاسيا لسانك مُومَا

هَاكَ يَامَن يحبُّ هاك قريضا

healing, yet clothing your tongue in pox.

Take it, you who desire it—take a poem,

حسنا مخزيا وهجوا عميما

بَاقيا منديا معيرا سعيرا

fine, shaming, and a sweeping satire,

lasting, sweat-inducing, disgracing—a blazing fire

في الحشا حسنُه يروق الفهيما

رَقَّ لفظا وراق معنًى فأم

in the breast; its beauty delights the discerning.

Delicate in wording and delightful in meaning, it became

سَى ترتضيهِ الحسانُ عِقداً نظيما

لا تعطل عني الجوابَ شُهورا

a well-strung necklace that fair women approve.

Do not withhold your answer from me for months;

بل اجبني واجعل رويك ميما

answer me, and make mim your rhyme letter.