يا لقلبي من شدة الأشواق — Al Staley

يا لَقَلْبي من شدّة الأشواقِ

وحذار الفراق يومَ الفراقِ

Alas for my heart, beset by fierce longing,

and dread of parting on the day of farewell!

يَعتَريني توهّمُ البينَ حتَّى

يَعتَريني توهمُ الأشواقِ

The thought of separation assails me, until

the thought of longing assails me.

وأبى لي تجَمُّلي أن يُرى لي

فيضُ جفنٍ بمائِه المُهْراقِ

Yet my composure refuses to let anyone see

my eyelid's flood of outpoured tears.

كلّما هاجت الصّبابةُ منّي

عَبَراتِ خَبأتُها في المآقِ

Whenever yearning stirred within me,

I hid the tears in the corners of my eyes.

ولعمري بكايَ شوقاً ووَجْداً

لستُ بالمُدَّعي هَوى العُشّاقِ

By my life, my weeping is from longing and passion;

I am no pretender to the passion of lovers.

كيف والملهياتُ أصحنَ منّي

بائناتٍ مَتَّعْتُها بالطَّلاقِ

How could I be, when diversions have become

estranged from me—I gave them divorce as a parting gift?

إنّما العشقُ للوجوه اللَّواتي

يَتصافَحنَ بالخدود الرّقاقِ

Love is only for those faces

that greet one another with delicate cheeks;

والعيونِ المراضِ فيها فتُورٌ

كَحِلات الجفونِ والأحداقِ

and languid eyes, with languor in them,

kohl-dark in eyelids and pupils;

والثُّغور المفلّجاتِ الثّنايا

في اللّمى كلُّ واضحٍ برَّاقِ

and mouths with spaced front teeth,

each bright tooth gleaming amid dusky lips;

والنُّهُودِ الحسانٍ بينَ وِرادٍ

مُلُسٍ من ترائبٍ وتَراقيِ

and lovely breasts amid rosy expanses,

smooth across the upper chest and collarbones;

والجيودِ المُقَلِّدات عَليها

خرزات العقُودِ والأوراقِ

and necklace-adorned necks, upon which lie

the beads of necklaces and silver pieces;

والبُطونِ الخِماصِ فوقَ خصُورٍ

وحشَى كلّ جائلٍ في النّطاقِ

and slender bellies above waists,

and the midriff of each who sways within a girdle.

حَسَنُ العيش للذين أصابوا

لذَّةَ الفوز في الهوى بالتّلاقيِ

Life is sweet for those who have attained

the joy of fulfillment in love through meeting,

حينَ يَغدونَ مُتْرفينّ عليْهمْ

ظلُّ رَوْقِ الشّباب تحت الرّواقِ

when they live in luxury, over them

the shade of youth's bloom beneath the portico;

في سماع القيانِ بين النّدامى

يتعاطون بالكؤوس الدّهاقِ

listening to singing girls among boon companions,

passing brimming cups among themselves,

من سُلاف تُضيء سطَ صحافٍ

بشعاعٍ من لونها الرَّقراقِ

of choice wine that shines amid bowls

with a ray from its shimmering hue.

وصَريع الصَهبا إذا ما تشكّي

ألمَ الشّوق في الحشا الخفّاقِ

And one felled by tawny wine, whenever he laments

the pain of longing in his throbbing breast;

أو يبيتون في المضاجع صَرْعى

من لدن ظلْمَة إلى الإشراق

or they spend the night in their beds, laid low,

from the onset of darkness until daybreak,

في جوار بنأي كل خؤونٍ

ناقضٍ للعُهود والميثاقِ

under protection, far from every treacherous man

who breaks pledges and covenants.

نحن لولا متوَّج الأزْد ذهلٌ

للحقنا بالشام أو بالعراقِ

Were it not for Dhuhl, the crowned lord of the Azd,

we would have gone to the Levant or Iraq.

إذ وجدنا لديه من كل فجٍ

مسترادَ الغنى ومأوى الرّقاقِ

For with him, from every mountain pass, we found

a place to seek wealth and a haven for the frail,

عند مرعى جناب جُود سَقاه

صوبُ غيث من عارضٍ غَيداقِ

at the pasture in generosity's domain, watered

by pouring rain from a lavish cloud.

وإليه مخَيّمٌ مَن أتاهُ

لم يزل آمناً من الإملاقِ

And whoever comes to him and pitches camp

remains ever safe from destitution.

نجتَبي البرّ فيه من شَجراتٍ

دائمات الإثمار والإبراقِ

There we gather kindness from trees

ever bearing fruit and shining brightly,

في جوار لسيّد من مُلوكٍ

ورَّثوه مكارمَ الأخلاقِ

under the protection of a lord sprung from kings

who bequeathed to him the noblest virtues.

فَضَلَ المحسنين قولاً وفعْلاً

واعتقاداً فسادَ باستحقاقِ

He surpassed benefactors in word and deed

and in conviction, thus earning his preeminence.

يشتَري صالحَ الثّناءِ بِمالٍ

أبلَغته حلاوةَ الإنفاق

He purchases worthy praise with wealth;

I have brought him the sweetness of giving.

وضع الجودَ من نوال يديهِ

مِنناً في الرّقاب كالإرْباقِ

He laid the bounty bestowed by his hands

as favors around necks, like binding halters.

ذي ابتسامٍ طلابِ كل نفيسٍ

وإلى كل غاية سَبّاقِ

A smiling seeker of everything precious,

and first to reach every goal;

بارع الفضل مستقيم المساعي

طيب الخيم طاهر الأعراقِ

outstanding in excellence, upright in his endeavors,

kind in disposition, pure in lineage;

مستَهلّ إذا نظرتَ إليه

قلتَ سبحانَ ربيّ الخلاّقِ

radiant-faced—when you look upon him,

you say, "Glory to my Lord, the Creator!"

أطلع الله منه في الدَّست شمساً

من جبين يضيء بالإشراقِ

God has made a sun rise from him upon the dais,

from a brow that shines with radiance.

كلُّ وجه من المُلوك لديه

مظلم كالهلال عند المحاقِ

Every king's face beside him

is dark as the crescent at the dark of the moon.

أنا في بحر وصف ذهلٍ غريقٌ

عاجز عن مداه بالإغراقِ

I am drowned in the sea of describing Dhuhl,

unable to reach its bounds, even with extravagant praise.

فَضلُه غيرُ منكرٍ وعُلاه

لايبارَى والكَيدُ عيرُ مطَاقِ

His excellence cannot be denied, and his eminence

is unrivaled, and his stratagems cannot be withstood.

وإذا ما أراد ضَرَّ عَدوٍّ

لم يكن بالإرعاد والإبراقِ

And whenever he wills an enemy's harm,

it is not with mere thunder and lightning.

ممسك من ذُرى الفخار اليماني

بعُرى من عُلى العتيك وثاقِ

Holding fast, upon the heights of Yemeni glory,

to firm bonds of al-Atik's eminence,

من مُلوك أعزَّة أسكنوه

في بعيد الذرى بعيد المراقي

from mighty kings who settled him

on lofty peaks with ascents far beyond reach.

وهُم الدَّافعون دونَ حماهم

وهم القامعون أهلَ الشقاقِ

They are the defenders guarding their domain,

and they subdue the people of discord,

بالصّعاد المُقوَّمات العَوالي

والجيادِ المُسوّماتِ العِتاقِ

with tall, straightened spears

and marked steeds of noble breed.

وأعزّوا بيوتَهم وبَنوها

في المعالي من فَوق سَبع طباقِ

And they exalted their houses and built them

in glory, above the seven layered heavens.

وهو عن عزّ مابنوه مُحَامٍ

ولاًّعراضهم عن الذّمّ واقِ

And he defends the glory of what they built,

and shields their honor from reproach.

أنت يا ذهلُ يا أبا حسنٍ يا

معجزَ النّاس عن مَرام اللَّحاقِ

You, O Dhuhl, O Abu Hasan, O

you who thwart people's attempts to catch up,

زادك اللهُ بسطةً وعُلواًّ

بانقيادٍ من المُنى واتّساقِ

may God increase your abundance and eminence,

with wishes yielding to you and falling into accord.

وتغيظ العدى وعيشك صافٍ

ويَطول المدى وعمرك باقي

And may your foes seethe while your life stays serene,

and may the span stretch on while your life endures;

وبنوكَ الكرام عزّوا وداموا

في نعيمٍ لهم وحسنِ اتفاقِ

and may your noble sons grow mighty and endure

in their bliss and harmonious accord.

وإليك العروسَ ذاتَ المعاني

فاتخذها من أنفس الأعلاقِ

And here for you is the bride, rich in meanings;

so take her as one of the most precious treasures.