عرج على رسم الطلل — Al Staley

عرّج على رسم الطِّللْ

أبلته أحقابِ الطِّيَلْ

Turn aside to the trace of the ruined encampment,

Worn away by long ages,

من الجَنوب والشَّملْ

فهو كموشيٍّ الحُلَلْ

By the south wind and the north wind.

It is like brocaded robes,

أو كخضابٍ قد نَصَل

وابْك بدمعٍ هاتِنِ

Or like dye that has faded.

And weep with streaming tears

على الخليط البائِنِ

بعد الأنيس القاطِنِ

For the companions who have departed,

After the familiar companion who dwelt here,

حفٍ لدى الظعائِنِ

بين الحُدوج والكِللْ

Footsore beside the women in their litters,

Among the camel litters and canopies.

وضمنَ كلَّ هودج

كلِّ غزال عَوْهجِ

And inside every camel litter,

Each slender, long-necked gazelle,

مسَوّرٍ مدملج

يرنو بطَرفٍ أدْعجِ

Adorned with bracelets and armlets,

Gazes with a deep-dark eye,

فيه أحورار وكَحَل

أغيد محصور الشّوى

With vivid whites and kohl-dark rims.

Lissome, small of hand and foot,

أهضم من غير الطَّوى

يهيج أشجان الهَوى

Slender-bellied, though not from hunger,

Stirring the sorrows of love,

يوهي من الصّبّ القُوى

أهيف رجراج الكَفْلِ

Sapping the lovesick lover's strength,

Slender-waisted, with quivering hips.

ظبي رنا عن فَرْقهِ

صبْحٌ سرى من فَلْقه

A gazelle gazed from beneath its parted hair;

A dawn stole forth from its breaking light;

بدرٌ بَدا في أُفقه

غصنٌ بدا في وُرقه

A full moon appeared on its horizon;

A branch appeared amid its leaves,

غُضْاً تَثَنَّى واعتدلْ

كَواعبٌ أوانِسُ

Fresh and tender, it swayed and stood straight.

Full-breasted maidens, companionable,

عقائِلٌ نَفائِسَ

نواعم شوامِسُ

Noble ladies, precious treasures,

Delicate women, yet unapproachable,

خرائدٌ كوانِسُ

بين الحُليّ والحُلَلْ

Shy maidens, sheltered in their cover,

Amid ornaments and robes.

طويلة جيودُها

أسيلة خدُودها

Their necks are long,

Their cheeks are smooth and fine,

مليحة نهودها

رشيقة قدودها

Their breasts are lovely,

Their figures are slender and graceful,

فيها صدود ومَيَلْ

بيض وفيها غَيَدُ

In them are both aloofness and inclination.

Fair-skinned, with supple grace,

وإن طَلاَها جَيدُ

وفي الشعور الجَعَد

And indeed their throats are long and graceful,

And in their hair are curls,

وفي الثنايا البرَدُ

تذوب خمراً وعَسَلْ

And in their front teeth lie hailstones,

Melting into wine and honey.

قلت لأهل العذلِ

حسبكم هل شُغُلى

I said to those who reproach me:

Enough from you! Is my pursuit

غير الصِّبا والغزلِ

والعلَّ بعد النهل

Anything but youthful passion and love verse,

And a second draught after the first,

بين خُمَار وثملْ

وشرب صهباء العنب

Between a hangover and drunkenness,

And drinking tawny grape-wine?

صفْراء لم تصلَ الّلهبْ

تريك في الكأس حبب

Golden, never heated by flame,

It shows you bubbles in the cup,

كَلُؤلؤ على ذهب

يحدثُ للشرب خَبَل

Like pearls upon gold,

Bringing madness to its drinkers.

تختال من ضيائها

تزول عن إنائها

It sways proudly in its radiance,

It slips free of its vessel,

يريك من صفائها

ما حلَّ من ورائها

Through its clarity it shows you

Whatever lies behind it,

كالدَّمع في زرق المقل

والّلهو لي فيه أربْ

Like tears in blue eyes.

And in merriment I have my desire,

إذا حدا ركب الطّرب

صوت على النّاي انتحب

When delight's caravan is urged onward

By a voice sobbing on the flute,

ورنّة العود اصطخب

بين بسيط في غب المطرْ

And the lute's ringing swells in clamor,

On an open plain after the rain,

يزهو بأنواع الزّهْر

فتَّقه ريح السَّحر

Flourishing with many kinds of flowers,

Opened by the breeze before dawn,

أو أينعت به الثّمر

كأنه ورد كمل

Or where the fruit has ripened,

As though it were a perfect rose.

أبى الرّقاع الأوحد

إسحاق زاكي المحتد

Abu al-Riqaʿ, the peerless,

Ishaq, pure of lineage,

نجل الرّضى محمّد

الملك الممجَّدِ

Son of Muhammad al-Rida,

The glorified king,

المعتلي على زُحل

إسحاق أعلى من ملك

Who rises above Saturn.

Ishaq, loftiest of all who have ruled,

بالعز والمجد أحتبك

ومنهج الحق سلك

Has girded himself with might and glory,

And followed the path of truth,

واحتلَّ أبراج الفَلك

وبالسّماكين انتقل

And occupied the towers of the heavens,

And moved by the two Simak stars.

يضحى لدى حجابه

كالليث وسط غابِهِ

By day, at his curtain, he is

Like a lion amid its thicket,

والغيث في ربابهِ

والبحر في عبابهِ

And rain within its clouds,

And the sea amid its swelling waves:

ملك إذا قال فَعَل

يهتز من سَماحهِ

A king who acts whenever he speaks.

He thrills in his generosity,

وشدّة ارتياحه

لطالب امتحانه

And in the intensity of his delight,

For one who seeks to test him,

شوقاً إلى نجاحهِ

وبذله لما سأل

Yearning for his success,

And to bestow what he has asked for.

إلى المعالي ناهضُ

وللأمور رائضُ

He rises toward lofty honors,

And tames affairs,

كما يصوب العَارض

والبرق فيه وامض

As a rain cloud pours down,

With lightning flashing within it,

إن جاد يوماً أو وبل

به السّرير يفخرُ

Whether it rains one day or pours in torrents.

The throne takes pride in him,

والدّست منه يزهر

وقد يتيه المنبرُ

And the seat of honor shines through him,

And the pulpit indeed exults

فخراً أوانَ يذكر

وباسمه تسمو الدّول

In pride when he is mentioned,

And through his name dynasties rise.

مقامنا أن نقفُ

بين يديه شرفُ

Our station is to stand

Before him—an honor

لَنَا ومهمَا نصفُ

كلًّ به معْترف

For us; and whatever we describe,

Everyone acknowledges in him;

بالفضل الحمد اشتمل

بقيت يا شمس الدّنا

Through excellence, he is mantled in praise.

May you endure, O sun of the worlds,

ومن له على الثّنا

كَفاك مفتاحُ الغِنا

And you, whose due is praise,

Your two palms are the key to wealth.

منك الأماني والمنى

وأنت غاية الأمل

From you come hopes and wishes,

And you are the utmost goal of hope.

وهاكَها مثل الدّررْ

نظم قوافيها الغُرَرْ

And take this, like pearls:

A string of its radiant rhymes,

أحسن من وشي الحِبَرْ

أطيب من غب المَطَرْ

Finer than the embroidery of striped robes,

Sweeter than the aftermath of rain,

والشّمس من شاعر

زاخرِ بحر الخاطر

And sunshine—from a poet

Whose mind's sea is brimming,

يقذف بالجواهِرِ

وكلّ معنى شاعرِ

Casting forth jewels;

And every meaning of a poet

يبقى له ضرب المثل

نظمُ وحيد عصره

Lives on as a proverbial example for him.

Verse by the peerless one of his age,

لم يستفد من شعرِه

في مدحه وشكره

Who has gained nothing from his poetry,

In praising and thanking him,

إلاّ جميل ذكرهِ

وحظَّه النّزر الأقل

Except fair mention of him,

And his meager, smallest share.

لي محكمات شُرّدُ

بكل أُفق تنشَدُ

Mine are finely wrought, far-ranging verses,

Recited on every horizon;

فيها المسمّى يحسد

لو أن دَهراً يُسعدُ

The one named in them is envied.

If only time would favor me,

نلتُ الغنى على عجل

I would attain wealth at once.