شحط الحبيب فما يطاق مزاره — Al Staley

شحطَ الحبيب فما يطاق مَزارُهُ

فمتى بَعيدُ الدَّار تقربُ دارُهُ

The beloved has gone far away; a visit to him is beyond reach.

When, then, will the far-dweller's home draw near?

فيفيضَ من دَرّ المدامعِ مَاؤه

وتبوحَ من حَرّ الأَضالع نارُهُ

So that his water may pour from streaming eyes,

And his fire may break forth from the heat within his ribs.

طالت أمانيّ المشوق وهاجه

عَهدُ الصِّبا واعتادَه استِعبارُهُ

The longing lover's hopes have lingered; he is stirred

By memories of youth, and weeping returns to him.

ما حال اشمطَ ليس يقبل عُذرُه

بين العذارى حين شاب عِذارُهُ

What is the plight of a grizzled man whose excuse is not accepted

Among maidens, when his sideburns have turned gray?

أمست سُعاد تحيد عن إسعاده

وغدت تدلّلُ بالنّوار نوارُهُ

Su'ad has come to turn away from making him happy,

And his Nawar now plays the coquette by shunning him.

وهو المشوّب مشيبه بزمانه

ومخالطٌ لقتيره إقْتارُهُ

He is one whose graying is tainted by his times,

And whose poverty is mingled with his gray hairs.

إن تكرهي وصلَ الكبير فطال ما

بكرت عليه من الحمى إبْكارُهُ

If you disdain union with the old man, how often

His maidens came early to him from the guarded sanctuary.

ولربَّ خَودٍ في الخباءِ سمى لها

ليل التمام وقد هدى سُمَّارُهُ

And many a tender maiden in her tent he sought out

In the longest night, when its evening companions had fallen quiet.

عرضت على المزدارِ حاجة سرّها

فأبى الدّنية حلمُه ووَقارُهُ

She presented her secret desire to the visitor,

But his restraint and dignity refused dishonor.

نلهو بحسن الإنبساط وطيبه

ما مسَّنا إثمُ الخِلاط وعارُهُ

We delight in the beauty and sweetness of easy companionship;

The sin and shame of intercourse never touched us.

ولربَّ حانوتٍ حنوت على المنى

فيه يُقرُّ لنا به خُمَّارُهُ

And many a tavern where I indulged my wishes,

Where its wine-seller assented to our desire.

باكرتُه زمنَ الربيع وقد جرت

أرواحهُ وتفجّرت أنهارُهُ

I visited it early in spring, when there flowed

Its breezes, and its rivers burst forth.

والرّوض قد نسجته أَنفاس الصَّبا

وسَقته رقْراقَ النَّدى أشجارُهُ

The garden had been woven by the breaths of the east wind,

And its trees watered it with shimmering dew.

فزها بنفسجُه وأشرق وردُه

وبدت شقائِقُه ولاح بهارُهُ

Its violets flourished, and its roses shone;

Its anemones appeared, and its daisies gleamed.

ويظلّ يزهر في الحدائق زهرُه

وتنير في أغصانة نوَّارُهُ

Its blossoms kept flowering in the gardens,

And its blooms shone upon its branches.

وترقرقت وسط الزُّجاج مدامةٌ

وتروقّت عند المزاجِ عُقارُهُ

Aged wine shimmered within the glass,

And its wine grew clear when mixed.

وتخيلت أَن الأناء تفلقت

فيه لياليه وذاب نضارُهُ

I imagined that the vessel had seen the breaking apart

Of its nights within it, and the melting of its gold.

يَسعى به ذو تومتين مقلّصُ

ذيل القمص يَزينه زُناَّرُهُ

A wearer of two pearl earrings hurried with it, having tucked up

The hem of his tunics; his girdle adorned him.

وتنغمت قيناتُه وتبغّمت

ناياتُه وترنّمت أوتارُهُ

Its singing girls sang melodiously, and softly murmured

Its flutes, while its strings sang out.

وفَصيحةُ النّغمات ينطق صوتها

كجنىَ الدَّبور بلذَّة مشتارُهُ

And a singer eloquent in melody gave voice—

Sweet as the bees' harvest to its honey-gatherer—

ببديع ما قال السّتاليّ الذي

سارت بمدح محمّد اشعارُهُ

To the wondrous words of al-Sitali, whose

Poems traveled far in praise of Muhammad.

فبدت محاسنه الحسَان كأنها

درّ على الجلاّس كان نثارُهُ

His fair virtues appeared as though they were

Pearls scattered over the seated guests.

عاثَ الفتى ما عاث في طُرق الصّبا

لم يبدُ عن غيّ الهوى إقْصارُهُ

The youth ran wild as he pleased along the paths of youth,

With no sign of desisting from love's waywardness,

حتّى أَلمَّ به المشيبُ وحرّمتْ

متعُ الهوى وتصرَّمت أَوطارُهُ

Until gray hair overtook him, and forbidden became

Love's delights, while his desires were cut short.

فتدارك الزَّلات منه بتوبَة

وعَساه يغفر ذنبَهُ غفّارُهُ

Then he made amends for his lapses with repentance;

And may his Forgiver pardon his sin.

إنَّ العتيك لهم على شرف العلى

بيتُ عزيز فرعُه ونجارُهُ

Al-'Atik indeed possess, upon the heights of glory,

A house whose branch and stock are illustrious.

بيت مشيدٌ بالفضائل حمده

بمحمد بنِ معمر وعمارُهُ

A house raised high with virtues, whose praise

And flourishing come through Muhammad ibn Mu'ammar.

لأغرّ فضفاضِ القميص كأنّما

عُقدت على قمر الدجى أَزْرارُهُ

For a radiant man in a flowing shirt, as though

Its buttons were fastened about the moon of the dark night.

ومبارك باليمن والبشر اغتدى

كلّتا يديه يمينه ويسّارُهُ

And blessed with good fortune and cheer have become

Both his hands, his right and his left.

متهلّل صَلْت الجبين كأنّهُ

صدر الحسام المنتضَى وغِرارُهُ

Beaming, with a bright, smooth brow, as though it were

The face of a drawn sword and its sharp edge.

سيّان منه غدوّه ورواحه

في المكرمات وليله ونهارُهُ

His going forth at dawn and dusk are alike

In noble deeds, as are his night and day.

غرست بانداءِ السّماح يمينه

شَجراً يلذَّ لمجتنيه ثمارُهُ

His right hand planted, with the dews of generosity,

Trees whose fruits delight whoever gathers them.

قد يستطيع الاعتزاز مطيعه

إذ يمتري دّرَّ الغنى ممتارُهُ

His follower can attain honor,

As his seeker of provisions draws forth the milk of wealth.

ويعيد أَثواب اليسار ثوابُه

ويعزَّ من جور الزّمان جوارُهُ

His recompense restores the robes of prosperity,

And his protection gives strength against time's oppression.

الجُود من عاداته وطباعِه

والمكرمات لباسُه وشعارُهُ

Generosity belongs to his habits and his nature,

And noble deeds are his raiment and his inner garment.

والنَّجم حار فما يطاق لحاقه

والسّيف جار فما يُشقُّ غُبارُهُ

The star is bewildered, unable to overtake him;

And the sword races, yet none can pierce his dust.

بعمومة في الأزْد عزَّ نصابُه

وخُؤولةٍ لقريشَ طاب فخارُهُ

Through paternal kin among the Azd, his stock is noble,

And through maternal kin in Quraysh, his glory is splendid.

شرف سَما نبهانُه وزيادُه

بمحمّد وعتيكُه ونزَارُهُ

A glory whose Nabhan and Ziyad soared

Through Muhammad, as did its 'Atik and Nizar.

بمحّمد بن أبي المُعمّر جُلُّهُ

وصَميمَهُ ولُبابه وخيارُهُ

Through Muhammad ibn Abi al-Mu'ammar, its greatest part,

And its very heart, its essence, and its choicest part.

في معشر الأزْد الَّذين صنيعهُم

في الصَّالحات مبينة آثارُهُ

Among the people of the Azd, whose good work

In righteousness leaves clearly visible traces.

كانوا مُلوك الجاهلية أحرزوا

ملك الدن يجبَى لهم أقطارُهُ

They were kings in the age of ignorance; they secured

Dominion over the world, its regions yielding tribute to them.

وبهم أعزّ اللهُ دين رَسوله

واختارهم لنبيّه مختارُهُ

Through them God strengthened His Messenger's religion,

And the One who chose the Prophet chose them for him.

ذادوا عن الإسلام بين بيوتهم

مأوى النّبيّ فكلهم أَنصارُهُ

They defended Islam; amid their houses

Lay the Prophet's refuge, and all were his helpers.

وأقام بينهم عزيزاً آمناً

إذ أُتبعت خذلانَه كُفارُهُ

He dwelt among them, honored and secure,

When those who denied him had been led to forsake him.

حتى توفيَ ثم أَصبح قبرُه

بفنائهم يعتادُه زُوّارُهُ

Until he died; then his grave came to be

In their courtyard, frequented by his visitors.

فكفاهم شرفاً بهذا أَنّهُ

لا يستطيع بحيلةٍ إنْكارُهُ

This suffices them as an honor: it

Cannot be denied by any contrivance.

شرفٌ لعمري هم أحقهُم به

من كان فعل جدوده إيثارُهُ

An honor, by my life! The worthiest of them to bear it

Is one who chooses to follow his forefathers' deeds:

يَسخو بمهجته ويُنفقُ مالَه

ويكون عن فعل العيوب فرارُهُ

He freely gives his lifeblood and spends his wealth,

And flees from doing anything disgraceful.

كمحمد حاز الكمال وقد زكا

إِعلانُه لما صفا إسرارُهُ

Like Muhammad, who attained perfection; pure became

His outward conduct, when his inward life grew clear.

يُثنى عليه بفعله ويحيد عن

من قد كفاه عناءهُ استكثارُهُ

He is praised for his deeds, and turns aside from

One whose abundance has spared him hardship.

والقلبُ لا يسطيع مدحاً لامرىءٍ

إن لم يُصبْهُ ببرّه استِئْثارُهُ

And the heart cannot praise a man

Unless he has claimed it for himself through his kindness.

طُلْ يا أبا عبد الإله بسُؤدَدِ

جمّ لغيرك لا يُرى مَعشارُهُ

Rise high, O Abu 'Abd al-Ilah, through a lordship

So vast that no other is seen to possess a tenth of it.

واسعدْ بشهرٍ قد قضَيت صيامَهُ

وبفطر آخرَ صالحٍ إفْطارُهُ

Rejoice in a month whose fast you have completed,

And in another breaking of the fast, a blessed breaking.