لم يدر إذ نام الخلي من الشجي — Al Staley

لم يدر إذ نام الخَليَّ من الشَّجيّ

بالبين عنْ جَمْرِ الغَضا المُتَوّهجِ

When the carefree one slept, he knew nothing of the grief-stricken,

anguished by parting, or of ghada's glowing embers.

ومُهيَّجُ الزَّفراتِ والعبَرات لا

يَرْثي لمنْ قدْ باتَ غَيْرَ مُهَيّجِ

And the one stirred to sighs and tears does not

pity one who has spent the night unstirred.

وَيحَ المُتَيَّم لا يزَالُ مُعَذّباً

بالشَّوق بين مُشيّع ومُعَرّجِ

Woe to the love-enslaved one, forever tormented

by longing, now bidding farewell, now turning aside;

متتابعَ الرّوعاتِ بالأصْوات من

زَجْر الحُداةِ ومن نعيبِ الشُّحّجِ

beset by fright after fright at sounds from

the camel-drivers' goading cries and the hoarse ravens' cawing.

أَبداً يَحنُّ لدِمنَةٍ في منْزلٍ

ويَهيمُ إثْرَ ظعينة في هَودجِ

Forever he yearns for old traces at a dwelling-place,

and wanders lovesick after a traveling woman in a howdah.

ويُعيدُ صبوتَه محاسنُ غادة

ريَّا العظام رَخيمَة المُتَبرجِ

And a tender maiden's charms renew his youthful passion,

full-fleshed of frame, soft in the beauty she displays,

بمطَوقٍ ومنطّقٍ ومُوَشَّح

ومُخَلْخَل ومُسَوّرَ ومُدمَلجِ

adorned with necklace, girdle, and sash,

and with anklets, bracelets, and armlets.

سَفرتْ فأبدَتْ عن أَسيل واضحٍ

ورَدٍ بجريال الحياءِ مُضرّجِ

She unveiled, revealing a smooth, luminous cheek,

rosy, suffused with the crimson of modesty.

وَرَنَتْ بكَحْلاوين فاترتين في

حورِ كما عانيت عَيني بحَزْجِ

She gazed with two kohl-dark, languid eyes of

striking white and black, like a wild-cow calf's eyes I beheld.

وتَبَسَمَت عنْ ذي غُروبٍ أَشيبٍ

ومؤشر كالأقْحَوان مُفلَّجِ

And she smiled, revealing white teeth with sharp edges,

finely notched, daisy-like, with little gaps.

وتَلفتت ببعيد مَهْوى القُرْط قد

نطيت بسالفتي غزالٍ عَوْهَجِ

She turned her long, earring-hung neck, which had been

endowed with the twin contours of a long-necked gazelle.

وتَأوَّدت تختال بين مُروطها

مَيْسَ القضيب على نقىً مُترْجرجِ

And she swayed, strutting among her mantles,

like a slender bough above a quivering sand dune.

ويَروقهُ زَمنُ الرَّبيع إذا غدا

في وشيهِ الخَضل الأنيق المُبهجِ

And springtime delights him when it comes forth

in its lush, elegant, heart-gladdening brocade.

والرَّوض قد فرش الرَّبيع بساطه

بموشَّعٍ ومُنمنْم ومُدمجِ

And the meadow—spring has spread its carpet

with variegated, finely patterned, closely woven designs,

من سَوسْنٍ غَضٍّ ومن نَيْلوفرٍ

وبِنَرْجسٍ وشقائقٍ وبَنفسَجِ

of fresh irises and water lilies,

and narcissi, anemones, and violets.

وتَفَتَّقَت أكمَامُهُ وَتَلوَّنتْ

بالدرُّ والياقوتِ والفَيَّروذَجِ

And its buds burst open and took on colors

of pearls, rubies, and turquoise.

وتَنَفَسّت سَحَراً لهُ ريحُ الصّبا

فغَدَت تضَرَّعُ في النَّسيم السَّجْسَجِ

At dawn the east wind breathed upon it,

so it began to plead humbly in the temperate breeze.

وتَنَازَعَ الفِتيانُ صَفوَ شرابِهِ

من بين ممْزوجٍ ومَا لم يُمزَجِ

And the young men passed around its purest wine,

some mixed, and some left unmixed.

سَمَجَتْ علالاتُ الصِّبا بِمهذَّبِ

لولا بياضُ عِذاره لم يسْمُجِ

Youthful dalliances have grown unbecoming for a refined man;

but for his white cheek-beard, he would not seem so.

يانَفْسُ ذوبي بالصَّبابةِ واصْبري

للحُبّ صبْرَ العاشِق المُتَحَرِّجِ

O soul, melt with ardent longing and endure

love with the patience of a scrupulous lover.

فلقَد حَملْتُ على مُقاساةِ الهوى

مَن ليْس في الشُّبهات بالمُتولِّجِ

For I have made one endure the pains of passion,

one who never ventures into doubtful matters.

ولعلَّ بعْضَ القَوم يُنكر قولنا

للْشَعرْ في غزَلٍ ومدْحِ مُتوَّجِ

And perhaps some people object to our composing

poetry of love and praise for a crowned one.

فارْفُضْ بما ظنَّ الجَهُول وقُل له

إنَّ الكلام لنا رحيبُ المَنْهَجِ

So reject the ignorant fool's suspicion, and tell him:

Indeed, the path of speech is spacious for us.

لا تعجَلنَّ على وليّ قاطعاً

بالإثْم وانْظُر هلْ لَهُ من مَخْرَجِ

Do not hasten to judge a friend, pronouncing him

sinful; consider whether he has some way out.

ماذَا يقول عَليَّ في مدْحي أَبا

عبد الإله وشُكره المُتَأَرِّجِ

What can he say against me for praising Abu

ʿAbd al-Ilah and offering him fragrant thanks?

إنَّي لمُعْتَصمٌ بحَبْل مُحَمَّدٍ

مُسْتَمْطرٌ لنوالِهِ المُتثَجَّجِ

Indeed, I hold fast to Muhammad's rope,

seeking a shower of his abundantly pouring bounty.

ومُؤمِّلٌ لندى أَبي عبد الإل

هِ محمّدِ بْنِ أَبي المُعمَّرِ مُرْتجيِ

And I hope for the generosity of Abu ʿAbd al-Ilah,

Muhammad ibn Abi al-Muʿammar, in eager expectation.

وتَرى نَجاحَ المُرتَجين بمُجزِلِ

للْمُوهبات وللْخطوب مُفرِّجِ

And you see those who hope succeed through one lavish

with gifts, a reliever of calamities.

صَلتِ الجَبين أَغَرَّ أَبلج تنجلي

ظُلمُ الدّجى من وجهه المُتبلِّجِ

Smooth-browed, radiant and bright-faced: dispelled are

night's shadows by his shining face.

من نَبْعةِ الأزْدِ الذين كأنهم

زهُرُ الكواكبِ طُلَّعاً في الأَبْرُجِ

From the stock of al-Azd, who seem

bright stars rising in the zodiacal towers.

شُمُّ الأنوفِ مضيئةٌ قَسماتُهم

مثل الْسُّيوف حُليُّها بالزّبرجِ

High-nosed and proud, their features shine

like swords ornamented with gold.

الفارجون لكلّ خطْبٍ معضَلٍ

والوالجون لكل بابٍ مُرْتَجِ

They relieve every intractable calamity,

and enter every bolted door.

وإذا دجا ليلُ الخَطوبِ فإنّما

بضيائهم في اهتدَاءٌ المُدْلجِ

And when calamities' night grows dark, it is only

by their radiance that the night traveler finds his way.

وإليهُم مأوى اللَّهيفِ المُعْتَفي

ولَديهُم مُثْوى الطّريدِ المُزْعَجِ

And to them the anguished seeker turns for refuge,

and beside them the harried outcast finds a home.

وإذا هم رَكبوا الجِيادَ حسِبْتَهُم

جنّان عَبقر في المَكان المُرْهجِ

And when they mount their noble horses, you would think them

the jinn of ʿAbqar upon the dust-clouded ground.

يَعْلَونَ صَهْوَة كلّ أَدّهَم سابحٍ

مُتَشَنِّج الأنساء عالي المنْسَجِ

They mount the back of each black steed that swims in its gallop,

with taut thigh-sinews and high withers,

ذي حافرٍ صلب وجنب مُجْفر

ومُقّلدٍ رحبٍ ومتن مُدمجِ

with a hard hoof and a broad, rounded flank,

and a broad neck and tightly knit back.

يَرِدُ العَجاجَ بكل أَغلبَ فاتكٍ

مَتسربلٍ حلق الحَديد مُدَجَّجِ

It plunges into the dust with every stout-necked, deadly warrior,

clad in rings of iron, fully armed.

وإذا الفَتى العَتكيّ عدَّ مكارماً

ومآثراً للأزدِ لَم يتلجْلّجِ

And when the ʿAtki young man recounts noble deeds

and glorious exploits of al-Azd, he does not falter.

أمحمّد بن مَعمّر يا مُنْتَهى

أَمل العُفاة ويا غياثَ المحْوَجِ

O Muhammad ibn Muʿammar, utmost goal

of bounty-seekers' hopes, O succor of the needy!

سَامِ السّماءَ بطول مَجْدكَ فارْتفَع

أَو زاحِم البَحْر الخَصيم فلجّجِ

Rival the sky with your towering glory, and rise;

or contend with the rival sea and venture into its depths.

وأَفْخَرْ بأنصار النّبي محمّدٍ

من يثربٍ بالأوس أَو بالخَزْرَجِ

And take pride in the Helpers of the Prophet Muhammad,

from Yathrib—al-Aws or al-Khazraj.

ولْكل من بارَاكَ منطقُ أَلكنٍ

ولكلّ من جارَاكَ مشية أَعْرَجِ

And whoever rivals you has a stammerer's speech,

and whoever races you has a lame man's gait.

واسْلمْ وعِشْ في نعْمَةٍ وسَعادَةٍ

وانْعم بعَيشِكَ يا محمّدُ واثلجِ

Be safe, and live in prosperity and happiness;

enjoy your life, O Muhammad, and be glad at heart.