ما بال أسد الشرى تصيدها — Al Staley

ما بالُ أُسد الشَّرى تَصيَّدُها

بين ظباء الأنيس نُهَّدُهَا

Why are the lions of al-Shara hunted

by the full-breasted among the gazelles of humankind?

كم حكَم الهوى على مُهجٍ

عاصية فيه مَن يُفّندُهَا

How often has love ruled over hearts

that, for its sake, defy whoever reproaches them!

رُبَّ حليم إِذا أطبّاهُ هوىً

من حبِّ حَسْناءً ظلَّ يعبُدهَا

Many a prudent man, when passion lures him,

through love of a beauty, keeps worshipping her.

مُقلتُهُ للهموم جالَبةٌ

عن نَظرات له يُرَدِّدُهَا

His eye draws sorrows to him

from glances he keeps repeating.

ونَفسُهُ بالحسانِ مغرمَةٌ

طال بها في الَهوى تبلُّدُها

And his soul is enamored of beautiful women;

long has its bewilderment in love endured.

يَعتادُهُ من حبيبه عِدَةٌ

بزَورةٍ لا يصحّ مَوعِدُها

From his beloved, a promise keeps coming to him

of a visit whose appointed time is never kept.

سَقياً ورَعياً لُمخَدَر بكرتْ

وراحت اليعملاتُ تُبعِدُهَا

Rain and protection for a secluded maiden! At dawn they set out,

and at dusk the hardy she-camels carried her far away.

يالكَ من مًوقفِ لمفْتَرقٍ

يومَ غدَت بالُحمول خُرَّدُهَا

Ah, what a stopping-place for one who must part,

the day its shy maidens departed on laden camels!

صادتكُ أدماُء غيرَ عاطلةٍ

منها الّتراقي ولا مُقَّلدُهَا

A pale gazelle has caught you; neither

her collarbones nor her neck are bare of ornaments.

ولا لأمِّ الغزال مبسمِها

ولا شوَاها ولا مورَّدُهَا

Nor does the gazelle's dam have her smiling mouth,

or her limbs, or her rosy cheeks.

بين الّلواتي على معاطِفها

بَرقُ مَواشيهُّا ومُجْسَدُهَا

Among women whose graceful forms bear

the gleam of embroidered garments and saffron-dyed robes.

يا خُلَّةً باللَّقاء عايَدةً

لغُلةٍ في الفؤاد يُبْرِدُهَا

O beloved, whose visit brings reunion

to cool a burning thirst within the heart!

طالَ بها عَهدنا فما معنا

إلا سرى طيفها ومَعْهَدُهَا

Long has it been since we saw her; we have nothing

but her phantom's nightly visit and her remembered dwelling,

وعبرة لا تَزالَ تسفحها

نار جُوىً في الحشا يُوقِّدُهَا

and tears continually poured forth

by a fire of heartache kindled in the breast.

وإنّما يَسْتطيلُ ليلتَهُ

حليفُ في الحَشا مُسَهِّدُهَا

Only he finds his night prolonged

who is kept awake by a companion within the breast.

يا عجبا للقُلوب حاجتهُا

إلى الغواني والحبُّ مِقْوَدُهَا

How wondrous are hearts and their need

for beautiful women, while love holds their reins!

وليلَةٍ بتهَّا كأنيّ من

طول سُهاد الجفون أرمَدُهَا

And many a night I spent as though, from

long sleeplessness, my eyelids were inflamed.

يَستقصر الليلةَ الطَّويلَةَ منْ

باتَ قليلَ الهمُوم يَرقُدُهَا

The long night seems short to one

who sleeps through it with few cares.

والنفَّسُ بالسوءِ جدُّ آمرةٍ

إن لم يكن زاجرٌ فيَرْشدها

And the soul is most insistent in commanding evil

if no restrainer is there to guide it aright.

والمُلهياتُ الطيّابُ تَبْعَثها

على الهوىوالشبابُ يسعدُهَا

And pleasant diversions spur it

toward desire, and youth helps it along.

والموْعظات الحسانُ تُصلحها

والشَّهوات اللّطافُ تُفسدُهَا

And fine admonitions set it right,

while delightful desires corrupt it.

وفي الهوى كلُّ فتنةٍ بليتْ

عادتْ لها صبوةٌ تُجَدِّدُهَا

And in love, every temptation grown old

finds youthful longing returning to renew it.

عنديَ في كل لذةٍ كدَرٌ

من أجل علمي أن سوفَ أفقدُها

For me, every pleasure is tinged with sorrow,

because I know that I shall lose it.

أقسمت بالبلدة الحّرام وما

يجمعَه بيتها ومَسجدُهَا

I swore by the sacred city and all

that its House and its mosque contain:

أنَّ جميع اللمُوك من يمنٍ

ومن مَغَدٍّ إذا يُعَدِّدُهَا

that, among all the kings from Yemen

and from Ma'add, when one counts them,

فإن كَهلان من بني عمرٍ

رئيسُها كلّها وسيّدُهَا

indeed Kahlan, of the sons of Umar,

is chief of them all and their lord.

أَبو المعالي أَعزُّها شرفاً

أَكرمُها مَنصباً واجودُهَا

Abu al-Ma'ali, their highest in honor,

their noblest in station and most generous.

أَدَّت إليه الملُوك طاعَتها

أَشيبها كلِّها وأَمردُها

The kings have rendered him their obedience,

all their gray-haired elders and beardless youths.

وارثُ مجد الكرام عامِره

لهُ طريفُ العُلى ومُتلَدُهَا

Heir to the glory of the noble, and its builder,

his are newly won honors and those inherited of old.

عزَّتْ به عُصبةٌ يمانيةٌ

في عيص بيت المُلوك محتدُهَا

Through him a Yemeni clan has grown mighty,

its roots within the stock of the royal house.

من آل نبهان فهو ناصرُها

زعيمها في الأمورَ يَعضدُهَا

Of the house of Nabhan, he is its champion,

its leader, supporting it in every affair.

سِنانُها سَيفُها وجُنّتُها

لسانها العَضْبُ قلبُها يدُهَا

Its spearhead, its sword, and its shield,

its keen-edged tongue, its heart, its hand;

فارسُها الطّعّان مُقْدمها

إذا انثنى في الوغى معردُهَا

its horseman, its spear-thruster, its bold champion,

when its coward turns back amid the fray.

طالت إلى حَوز كلَّ مكومةٍ

منه يدٌ جودُها يؤيدُها

Reaching to attain every noble deed

is his hand, strengthened by its generosity.

وقدَّمته إلى العلى قَدَمٌ

على بُروج النجوم مَصْعدُهَا

And a foot has carried him forward to the heights,

its ascent above the towers of the stars.

ذو همَّة شمهةٍ يصول بها

وعزمةٍ صدقةٍ يُجَرِّدُها

He has lofty ambition with which he charges,

and true resolve that he unsheathes.

يَسعى إلى أَنعمٍ يُسَنِّدها

أَو لبيوتٍ له يُشيّدُهَا

He strives toward benefactions, strengthening them,

or toward houses of his own, raising them high.

لا يُتّبع المَنَّ منه موهبةً

يَبدؤها قبلُ أَو يُعيّدُهَا

He never follows a gift of his with reminders of favor,

whether he first bestows it or gives it again.

تَرى عُفاة الغنى إِذا رحَلت

إلى ذراهُ الرَّحيب مَقصِدُهَا

You see the seekers of wealth, when they set out,

making his spacious shelter their destination.

يا آل نبهان يا بني عُمرٍ

لكم سُواد الدُّنيا وسُؤْدَدُها

O house of Nabhan, O sons of Umar,

yours are the world's multitudes and its sovereignty.

أنعمكمْ للأنام شاملَةٌ

لا يستطيع الكَفور يجحَدُهَا

Your bounties embrace all humankind;

the ungrateful cannot deny them.

أَبا المعالي بقَيت في رتَبٍ

على مهادِ العُلى تُمهِّدُهَا

Abu al-Ma'ali, may you endure in stations

you make secure upon the bed of lofty honor.

خافقةً لسعود أَلويةٌ

عليك ربّ السّماءِ يعقدُها

Fluttering are banners of good fortune,

which the Lord of heaven binds above you.

مدى سِنّي الزّمان تَبْلغها

ما بين أَعيادها تُعَيدُهَا

May you live through the full span of time's years,

renewing them between their festivals.

وترتضي في ابنك السعيد أَبي

عبد الإله المُنى وتحْمَدُهَا

And may you find satisfaction in your fortunate son, Abu

Abd al-Ilah, with hopes fulfilled and worthy of praise.

في سادة من ذُرى بني عمرٍ

أَشبه كهلانَها محّمدُهَا

Among lords from the heights of the sons of Umar,

their Muhammad has taken after their Kahlan.

حتى تكونا معاً كأّنكُما

بدرا سماء العلى وفرقَدُهَا

So that, together, you two seem to be

the twin full moons of glory's sky and its Farqad star.

ترنو اليك الملُوك حاسدَةً

أَبا المعالي فداك حُسَّدُهَا

Kings gaze at you with envy,

Abu al-Ma'ali; may their envious ones be your ransom!

في الملك والعزّ كل سابحة

أفضل من يومها لكم غَدُها

In kingship and glory, each day that glides past

has a tomorrow better for you than its today.

بين البوادي ونحن نحضُرها

بمحكماتِ القريضِ ننْشِدُها

Among the desert lands, we attend them

with well-wrought poetry, which we recite:

بديعةً من عَويص شاعرها

سائرةً في البلاد سرمدُها

a marvel from its poet's intricate craft,

journeying through the lands for all time.