لو جادهن غداة رمن رواحا — Al Tohami

لَو جادَهَنَّ غَداةَ رَمَن رواحاً

غَيث كَدَمعي ما أردن بَراحا

Had they been drenched, that morning they sought to depart,

by rain like my tears, they would not have wished to leave.

ماتَت لِفَقد الظاعِنينَ دِيارهم

فَكَأَنَّهُم كانوا لَها أَرواحا

Their dwellings died from the loss of those who journeyed away,

as though those travelers had been their souls.

وَلَقَد عَهِدتَ بِها فَهَل عوَ عائِد

مَغدىً لِمُنتَجَع الصِبا وَمَراحا

You once knew there—will it return?—

a morning haunt for youthful passion, and an evening retreat,

بِالنافِثاتِ النافِذاتِ نَواظِراً

وَالنافِذينَ أَسِنَّة وَصِفاحا

with women breathing spells and piercing with their glances,

and men piercing with spearheads and sword-blades.

وَأَرى العُيونَ وَلا كَأَعيُن عامِرٍ

قَدراً مَع القَدر المُتاح مُتاحا

I regard eyes—but none like the eyes of Amir—

as a fate appointed alongside the appointed fate.

مُتَوارِثي مَرَض الجُفون وَإِنَّما

مَرَض الجُفونَ بِأَن يَكُنَّ صِحاحا

Heirs to the languor of eyelids; yet

the eyelids' true malady is to be sound.

مَن كانَ يكلف بالأَهِلة فَليَزُر

وَلدي هِلالٍ رَغبَة وَرِباحا

Whoever is enamored of crescents, let him visit

Hilal's two sons, Raghba and Ribah.

لا عَيب فيهِم غَيرَ شُحِّ نِسائِهِم

وَمِن السَماحَة أَن يَكُنَّ شِحاحا

They have no fault save their women's stinginess;

and it is generosity that they should be stingy.

طرقته في أَثوابِها فجلَت لَهُ

وَهناً مِنَ الغُرَرِ الصِباح صَباحا

She visited him by night in her robes, unveiling for him

in the darkness, a dawn from bright, fair foreheads.

وَبَسمن عَن بَرد تَآلف نظمه

فَرَأيت ضوءَ البَرقِ مِنهُ لآحا

They smiled, revealing hailstones strung in harmony,

and I saw the flash of lightning gleaming from them.

أَبرَزنَ مِن تِلكَ العُيون أَسِنَّة

وَهَززن مِن تِلكَ القُدود رماحا

They brought forth spearheads from those eyes,

and brandished spears from those slender figures.

يا حَبَّذا ذاكَ السِلاح وَحَبَّذا

وَقت يَكون الحسن فيهِ سِلاحا

Ah, how lovely that weapon, and how lovely

a time when beauty serves as a weapon!

بيضٌ يَلحَفها الظَلام بُجُنحِهِ

كالبَيضِ لَحَّفَها الظَليم جِناحا

Fair-skinned women, whom darkness wraps in its wing,

like eggs the male ostrich blankets with his wing.

ما عِندَهُنَّ العَيشُ إِلّا رَوضَة

صَنع الوَلي لِنورِها مُفتاحا

To them, life is nothing but a meadow

for whose blossoms the following rain fashioned a key.

يَلثَمن فيها الأُقحُوانَ بِمثلِهِ

عَبثاً وَإِعجاباً بِهِ وَمَراحا

There they kiss the daisies with their like,

in play, in admiration of them, and in delight.

وَيَميلهن مِنَ الصبا أَنفاسِها

فَتَخال أَنفاس الرِياح الراحا

And the east wind's breaths sway them,

so you mistake the winds' breaths for wine.

يَترُكنَ حَيثُ حَلَلن وَهي لَطيمَة

مِمّا نَثرنَ بِهِ العَبيرَ فَطاحا

They leave the place where they alight a perfume-laden caravan,

from the fragrance they scattered there, which drifted away.

يَهدي ثَراهُ إِلى البِلادِ وَرُبَّما

حَيَّت بِرَيّاهُ الرِياح رِياحا

Its soil sends gifts to the lands, and sometimes

winds greet other winds with its fragrance.

عَجنا بِهِ هَلكى فاهدَت ريحَهُ

أُصُلاً إِلى أَجسادِنا الأَرواحا

We turned aside there, near death, and its breeze brought

our souls back to our bodies in the late afternoon.

أَبصَرتُ وَصل الغانِيات وَغِبَّهُ

فَرأَيتَهُنَّ وَإِن حَسُنَّ قِباحا

I saw union with beautiful women and its aftermath,

and found them ugly, though they were fair.

واعتَضتُ مِن طَرفي الجموحِ إِلى الصِبا

طَرفاً إِلى فلك العُلى طَمّاحا

I exchanged my unbridled gaze toward youthful passion

for a gaze aspiring to the sphere of glory.

أَهوى الفَتى يُعلي جِناحاً لِلعُلى

أَبَداً وَيَخفضُ لِلجَليسِ جَناحا

I love the young man who raises a wing toward greatness

always, yet lowers a wing for his companion.

وَأَحبّ ذا الوَجهَينِ وَجهاً في النَدى

نَدياً وَوَجهاً في اللِقاء وَقاحا

And I love the man of two faces: a face in generosity

dewy, and a face in battle bold.

وَفَلاً كَأعمار النسور مسحتها

بيد المَطِيَّة أَعيَت المُسّاحا

And wastes as long as vultures' lifespans, I measured

with my mount's forefoot—wastes that baffled the surveyors.

خاضَت غِمار سَرابها فَكَأَنَّها اب

ن الماءِ خاضَ لِصَيدِهِ الضَحضاحا

She waded through the depths of its mirage, as though she were a son of

water, wading into the shallows to catch his prey.

وَإِلى ابن عَبد الواحد القاضي اغتَدَت

بَلَداً كَساحَة صَدره فَيّاحا

Toward Ibn Abd al-Wahid, the judge, she set out at dawn,

for a land spacious as the courtyard of his breast.

شكلت مَناسِمها الطَريق بِحُمرَةٍ

نُقطاً فَأَوضَحَت الفَلا إِيضاحا

Her padded feet marked the road with red

dots, making the desert unmistakably clear.

فَأَتَتهُ قَوساً فَوقَها مِن رَبِّها

قِدح إِذا كانَ الرِجال قداحا

She came to him a bow, bearing her master above her,

an arrow-shaft, if men may be called arrow-shafts.

مَغبوطَة بِهِزالِها في قَصدِهِ

وَمِن المَفاسِد ما يَعُدنَ صَلاحا

Enviable in her leanness while making for him;

and some harms turn out to be blessings.

فَرأيت مِنهُ البَدرُ إِلّا أَنَّهُ

سَعد لأيام الإِمامَةِ لاحا

In him I saw the full moon, save that he

rose as good fortune for the days of the imamate.

وَالحاكِم المَنصور أَسعَدَهُم بِهِ

عُمراً وَأَكثَرَهُم بِهِ إِنجاحا

And al-Hakim al-Mansur is the most fortunate of them through him,

in life, and through him the most successful.

قَد صيغ مِن كَرَمٍ فلويد باخِلٍ

لَمسته فاضَت بِالنَوال سماحا

He was fashioned from generosity; were a miser's hand

to touch him, it would overflow freely with gifts.

وَكَذاكَ يَنقَلِب الظَلام بِأَسرِهِ

نوراً إِذا ما جاوَرَ المِصباحا

Thus all darkness turns

to light whenever it comes near a lamp.

لَو مَسَّ مِن إِقبالِهِ حَجَراً جَرى

ماءً عَلى ظَهرِ الثَرى طَفّاحا

If some of his good fortune touched a stone, it would flow

as water, overflowing upon the face of the earth.

فازرَع رَجاءَك كله بِفنائِهِ

فَإِذا زَرَعَت فَقَد حَصَدَت نَجاحا

So sow all your hope in his courtyard;

once you have sown, you have already harvested success.

يَرمي الكَتيبَة بِالكِتاب إِلَيهِم

فَيَرون أَحرفه الخَميس كِفاحا

He assails the battalion with a letter sent to them,

and they see its letters as an army confronting them:

مِن نِقسِهِ دُهماً وَمِن ميماتِهِ

زَرَداً وَمِن أَلفاتِهِ أَرماحا

from its ink, black steeds; from its mīm letters,

chain mail; and from its alif letters, spears.

ساسَت أَقاليم الوَرى أَقلامه

فأَجَمَّ أَطراف القَنا وَأَراحا

His pens have governed the regions of mankind,

and he let the spear-points rest and gave them ease.

يَمجُجنَ ريقاً إِن أَردت جَعلته

شُهداً وَإِن أَحبَبت كانَ ذُباحا

They spit out saliva that, if you wish, you make

honey; and, if you prefer, it becomes deadly poison.

ما زالَ هَذا الثغر لَيلاً دامِساً

حَتّى طَلعتَ لِلَيلِهِ إِصباحا

This frontier stronghold remained a pitch-black night

until you rose as dawn upon its night.

فَجلت لَهُ الأَيام بَعد عُبوسِها

وَجهاً كَوجهِكَ مُشرِقاً وَضّاحا

Then the days unveiled for it, after their scowling,

a radiant, gleaming face like yours.

وَحَكَمتَ في مَهجِ العَدُوِّ بِحكمَةٍ

قُرِنَت بِرأيك غدوَةً وَرواحا

You judged the enemy's lives with a wisdom

joined to your judgment, morning and evening.

فَسفكت ما كانَ الصَلاح بِسَفكِهِ

وَحقنتَ بَعضَ دِمائِهِ استِصلاحا

So you shed what the common good required to be shed,

and spared some of their blood to set things right.

فوفود شكر المُسلمين وَغيرهم

تأتي إِلَيكَ أَعاجِماً وَفِصاحا

So delegations of thanks from Muslims and others

come to you, foreign-tongued and eloquent alike.

غادَرَت أَسَد بَني كِلاب أَكلبا

إِذ زرتهم وَزئيرهن نباحا

You left the lions of Banu Kilab turned to dogs,

when you visited them, their roaring turned to barking.

قبسوا غُداةَ أَبي قَبيسٍ جمرة

لِلحَرب لاحَ لَهُم بِها ما لاحا

They took an ember on the morning of Abu Qubays,

for war, and by its light they saw what they saw.

فَنَسوا النِساءَ وَدَمَّروا ما دَمَّروا

وَرأوا بقا أَرواحِهِم أَرباحا

They forgot their women and destroyed what they destroyed,

and counted their souls' survival as profit.

يَتلو هَزيمَهُمُ السِنانُ كَأَنَّهُ

حَرّان يَطلب في قِراه قراحا

The spearhead follows their routed men, as though it were

parched, asking for pure water as its welcome.

وَالسُمر قَد لفتهمُ أَطرافِها

لفاً كَما اكتَنَف البنان الرّاحا

The brown spears' points have enfolded them

in an embrace like fingers encircling the palms.

فَمُعَفِّر جَسَد الحَياة وَهارِب

جَسَد الرُفات القبر وَالصّفاحا

One lies dust-covered, envying life, while a fugitive

envies the dead their grave and its stone slabs.

حَتّى إِذا اقتَنَت القنا أَرواحهم

قَتلاً وَفَرَّقَت الصفاح صفاحا

Until, when the spears had taken possession of their souls

by killing, and sword-blades had sundered their flanks,

رَفعوا أَصابِعَهُم إِلَيكَ وَنَكَّسوا

أَرماحهُم فَثنين مِنكَ جِماحا

they raised their fingers toward you and lowered

their spears, thus checking your fierce charge.

وَتَركت أَعينَهُم بصورٍ في الوَغى

صوراً وَقَد جاحَ الوَرى ما جاحا

You left their eyes at Sur, amid the battle,

askance, after mankind had suffered the ravages it suffered.

فَغَدوت قَد طَوّقتك حمدك حامِداً

وَمُقَلِداً قلدت مِنهُ وِشاحا

So I went forth praising you, having wreathed you in praise,

and, while adorning you, was myself adorned with a sash from it.

شاءَ المُهَيمِن أَن تَسير مُشرِفاً

حلباً فَقيض ما جَرى وَأَتاحا

The All-Watchful willed that you should journey, honoring

Aleppo, and ordained and enabled what came to pass.

وَأَرَدتَ إِصلاح الأُمور فَأُفسِدَت

فَنهضت حَتّى استَحكَمَت إِصلاحا

You sought to set affairs right, but they were corrupted;

so you rose until their reform was firmly secured.

كانوا يَرونكَ مُفرَداً في جَحفَلٍ

وَوَراء صور إِن نَزَلتَ بَراحا

They saw you, though alone, amid a mighty host,

and behind a rampart even when you camped in open ground.

إِنَّ النَفيس وَلَو أَبيحَ أَبى لَهُ

عِزُّ النَفاسَة أَن يَكون مُباحا

For a precious thing, though made accessible, is not allowed

by the dignity of its worth to become fair game.

أَنّى تَروم الروم حَربُكَ بَعدَما

صَلِيَت بِحَربِكَ محرباً مِلحاحا

How can the Rum seek war with you, after

being scorched by your warfare, you fierce, relentless warrior?

لَم يَرم قَطُّ بِكَ الإِمام مُراده

إِلّا جَلَوتَ عَن الفَلاح فَلاحا

Never did the Imam aim through you at his desire

but you unveiled triumph behind triumph.

وَلَقَد غَدَوتَ أَبا الحُسَين لِجَيشِهِ

لِلقَلبِ قَلباً وَالجَناح جَناحا

Indeed, Abu al-Husayn, you have become for his army

a heart to its heart, and a wing to its wing.

يا مانِح الأَعراض مانِع عَرضِهِ

نَفسي فُداؤُكَ مانِعاً مَنّاحا

O giver of worldly goods, guardian of his own honor,

my soul be your ransom, defender and lavish giver!

وَإِذا أَتَيتَ فَضيلَة أَخفيتَها

حَتّى كَأَنَّكَ قَد أَتَيتَ جُناحا

Whenever you perform a virtuous deed, you conceal it,

as though you had committed a sin.

لِلعُرف عَرف نَشرِهِ في سَيرِهِ

كالمِسكِ مَهما ازدادَ صَوناً فاحا

Kindness has a fragrance that spreads along its course,

like musk: the more closely guarded, the more fragrant it grows.

وَأخ دعوتك بَعدَ طولِ نُعاسِهِ

فازتاع نَحو الجَرسِ ثُمَّ ارتاحا

And a brother, after long slumber, heard your summons,

started toward its sound, then rejoiced.

نازَعتُهُ فيكَ القَوافي فانتَشى

فَكَأَنَّما نازَعته الأَقداحا

I traded rhymes about you with him, and he grew intoxicated,

as though I had traded wine-cups with him:

مَدحاً يُصَدقه فَعالَك آنِفاً

إِنَّ الكَريمَ يُصَدِّق المدّاحا

praise that your deeds had already made true;

indeed, the generous man makes his praiser truthful.

فَلَو ارتَقى شَخص امرىءٍ كَمحلِّهِ

يَوماً لَصافَحَت النُجوم صِفاحا

If a man's body rose as high as his station,

one day, the stars would clasp his hand, palm to palm.