أتلك حدوج أم نجوم سوائر — Al Tohami

أَتِلكَ حدوج أَم نجوم سَوائِرُ

وَتِلكَ غوانٍ بَينها أَم جآذِرُ

Are those camel-litters—or wandering stars?

And are those beauties among them—or gazelles?

بدور دهاهن الفِراق فَجاءَة

وَقَد يَفجأ الإِنسان ما لا يُحاذِرُ

Full moons whom separation struck without warning;

indeed, one is surprised by what one fails to guard against.

تَهيم بِبَدرٍ وَالتَنَقل وَالنَوى

عَلى البَدرِ مَحتوم فَهلأ أَنتَ صابِرُ

They wander lovesick for Badr; yet journeying and departure

are decreed for the full moon—will you then be patient?

لَهُ من سَنا الفَجر المورَّدِ غرَةٌ

وَمن حَلَكِ اللَيلِ البَهيمِ غَدائِرُ

He bears upon his brow a blaze from the radiance of kindled dawn,

and tresses from the pitch-black darkness of night.

أَلَم تَرَ خَيلي وَالنُجومُ كَأَنَّها

عَلى غَسَقِ اللَيل النُجوم الحَوائِرُ

Have you not seen my cavalry, while the stars appeared

upon the night’s deep gloom like bewildered wanderers?

فثرنَ إِليَّ مِثلَ ما ثارَ لِلهُدى

وَدولته داع إِلَيهِ وَناصِرُ

They surged toward him as one surges toward right guidance,

while his ascendancy summons some to him and champions him.

يَنالُ مِنَ الأَعداءِ خَوف أَبي النَدى

وَهيبته ما لا تَنالُ العَشائِرُ

Fear of Abu al-Nada exacts its due from his enemies,

and his awe achieves what whole tribes cannot.

إِذا ما تَبَدّى لِلمُلوك تَناثَرَت

عَلى بَسطِها تيجانها وَالمَغافِرُ

Whenever he appears before kingdoms, they scatter

their crowns and helmets upon their carpets.

تَخرُّ لَهُ الأَملاك إِن بَصَروا بِهِ

سُجوداً وَلَو أَنَّ القَنا مُتشاجِرُ

Kings fall prostrate before him when they behold him,

even though the lances stand interlocked in battle.

وَتلثم بَعدَ الأَرض مِنهُ أَنامِلاً

إِذا التَطمَت قَبلَ البحار الزَواخِرُ

Then, after kissing the earth, they kiss his fingertips—

when before him even swelling seas have dashed together.

بنان بِها أَلقى مَراسيهُ النَدى

مُقيماً كَما أَلقى عَصاهُ المُسافِرُ

Fingertips in which generosity has cast its anchors,

settling there as a traveler lays down his staff.

هوَ المَلِكُ البَحرُ الَّذي قيلَ في الوَرى

فَإِن لَم أُجاوِرُهُ فمن ذا أُجاوِرُ

He is the king, the sea, of whom mankind has said:

If I do not dwell beside him, beside whom shall I dwell?

فَأَلقيت رحلي مِنهُ عِندَ موفَّق

بِجود بِما يَهوى وَما هوَ ذاخِرُ

So I laid down my saddle with him, in the keeping of a blessed man,

bountiful in all he desires and all he stores.

بَعيد المَدى داني النَدى واكف الجَدى

لَهُ كرم ثاوٍ وَمجدٌ مُسافِرُ

Far-reaching in ambition, near in bounty, a cloud pouring gifts;

his generosity dwells at home, while his glory travels abroad.

أَصابَ العُلى في أَوَّلِ الأَمرِ إِنَّما

يُصيب بأولاها الرِماحُ الشَواجِرُ

He attained the heights at the very outset—for

clashing lances strike first with their foremost points.

إِذا الرُمح لَم ينفك أَولى كعوبه

لَدى الرَوع لَم تنفعك مِنهُ الأَواخِرُ

If the spear’s foremost joints do not serve you,

amid terror its hinder parts will be of no avail.

هوَ الطاعِن النَجلاء لا يبلغ أَمر

مَداها وَلَو أَنَّ الرِماح مُسابِرُ

He delivers the mighty thrust whose reach no purpose can attain,

even if the lances themselves were probing instruments.

تَراهُ كَأَنَّ الرُمح سلك بِكَفِّهِ

غُداة الوَغى وَالدارعون جَواهِرُ

You see him as though the spear were a thread in his palm

on battle-morning, while the armored warriors are jewels:

يَردُّ أَنابيب الرِماح سَواعِداً

وَمن زَرَدِ الماذيِّ فيها أَساوِرُ

he turns the spear-shafts into forearms,

and the links of fine Indian mail upon them into bracelets.

لَها بَين أوداجِ الكماة مَوارِدُ

وَبَينَ صُدور المارِقينَ مَصادِرُ

Those spears have watering places among warriors’ jugular veins,

and outlets through the chests of renegades.

تعمَّد حَبّات القُلوبِ كَأَنَّما

خَواطِرَها عِندَ القُلوبِ خَواطِرُ

They deliberately seek the hearts’ innermost cores, as though

their movements beside those hearts were conscious thoughts.

يُلَبيهِ من آل المفرج إِن دَعا

أسود لَها بيض السُيوفِ أَظافِرُ

When he calls, lions of the house of al-Mufarrij answer him—

lions whose claws are the gleaming blades of swords.

وَأَولاده شَمس الدِين مِنهُم كَواكِباً

وَحسان بَدر في الكَواكِب ظاهِر

His sons are stars—Shams al-Din among them—

and Husam is a full moon, radiant among the stars.

رَأَيتُهُمُ عقداً وَلَكِن أَبو النَدى

بِمَنزلة الوسطى وكل جَواهِرُ

I saw them as a necklace; but Abu al-Nada

is its central bead, while all the rest are jewels.

حَكوا شمس دينِ اللَهِ بَأساً كَما حَكى

أُسود الشَرى أَشبالهن الخَوادِرُ

In valor they resemble Shams Din Allah, just as

the cubs of laired lionesses resemble the lions of al-Shara.

تَراهُ لِقَرع البيضِ بالبيضِ مُصغِياً

كَأَنَّ صَليلَ الباتِراتِ مَزاهِرُ

You see him listening intently to white swords ringing upon helmets,

as though the resonance of the cutting blades were lutes.

تَوَسَّط طياً نسبةً وَمَكارِماً

كَما وَسِطَت حُسن الوجوهِ النَواظِرُ

In lineage and noble qualities he stands at the heart of Tayy,

as pupils stand at the center of beautiful faces.

وَحَفَّت بِهِ الأَرجاء مِن كُلِّ جانِبٍ

كَما حَفَّ أَرجاء العيونِ المَحاجِرُ

The lands encompass him on every side,

as the eye-sockets enclose the eyes.

فَما ماتَ طائي وَحَسّان خالِد

وَلا غابَ مِنهُم غائِبٌ وَهوَ حاضِرُ

Al-Ta’i has not died, while Husam lives forever;

none absent from among them is absent while he is present.

وَكانَ لَهُم مِن جودِ كَفَّيه أَوَلٌ

فَصارَ لَهُم مِن جودِ كَفَّيك آخِرُ

From the bounty of his two hands they had one benefactor before;

now, from the bounty of yours, they have another.

وَلَو راءَ ما يبنيه حاتِم طَيِّها

لَقالَ كَذا تَبنى العُلى وَالمآثِرُ

Were Hatim of Tayy to see what you are building,

he would say: Thus are eminence and noble deeds built.

بِسَيفك نالَت طيىءٌ ما لَو أَنَّها

تَمَنَّتهُ لَم تبلغ إِلَيها الضَمائِرُ

By your sword Tayy attained what, had it merely

wished for it, imagination itself could never have reached.

وَعَلَّمَها قَتل المُلوكِ وأسرها

فَتىً مِنكَ في صَيدِ الفَوارِس ماهِرُ

A youth of yours taught it to kill kings and take them captive—

a young man skilled in hunting horsemen.

وَمن فضل ما خُوِّلَت جادَ بِأَوَلٍ

وَيَبقى مِنَ الشَمسِ النُجوم الزَواهِرُ

From the abundance you bestowed, he gave freely at the outset;

and after the sun is gone, the radiant stars remain.

فَقَد تَشكُرُ الأَيّام أَنَّكَ زِنتَها

وَما كل مَفعول بِهِ الخَير شاكِرُ

The days themselves may thank you for adorning them,

though not everyone upon whom good is done is grateful.

وَما زلت ذُخراً للإِمام وَعُدَّةً

لِكُلِّ إِمامٍ عُدَّةٌ وَذَخائِرُ

You have never ceased to be a treasure and resource for the Imam;

every Imam has his resources and treasures.

فَلَمّا جَرى ما كانَ أَقفرت قلبه

لأَنَّكَ نَفّاع إِذا شِئتَ ضائِرُ

But when what was destined came to pass, his heart grew desolate—

for you confer great benefit and, when you wish, inflict harm.

تولى إِماماً ثُمَّ تَعزِل مثله

فَإِن تُدَع مأموراً فَإِنَّكَ آمِرُ

You appoint an Imam, then can dismiss his peer;

though you may be called a subordinate, you are the commander.

يُشَرِّفُ أَفناء المُلوكِ إِذا بَدَت

لَهُم فيكَ يَوماً ذمة وَأَواصِرُ

The lineages of kings are ennobled whenever

a bond or tie of kinship with you appears for them.

وَيُقهر مِنهُمُ مَن يُنازِعُ مُلكَهُ

وَأَولى الوَرى بِالمُلكِ مَن هوَ قاهِرُ

He subdues whichever of them contests his sovereignty,

and the one most entitled to rule is he who conquers.

وَيَنصُرُكَ السَيف اليَماني عَليهِمُ

لأَنَّ اليَماني لِليَماني مُضافِرُ

The Yemeni sword gives you victory over them,

for the Yemeni ever grants victory to the Yemeni.

لِذَلِكَ يَمضي في يَديك كَليلها

وَتَنبو بِكَفّي من سواكَ البَواتِرُ

Therefore even its blunted edge cuts keenly in your hands,

while sharp blades recoil in the hands of anyone but you.

أَحاطَ بِكَ التَوفيق مِن كُلِّ وجهَةٍ

وَجاءَتكَ مِن كُلِّ البِلادِ البَشائِرُ

Divine favor encompasses you from every direction,

and glad tidings come to you from every land.

وَيُلقي إِلَيكَ الأَمر كل خَليفَةٍ

فَقَدِّم وأَخِّر فعل من لا يؤامِرُ

Every caliph entrusts command to you;

so advance and hold back like one who takes no orders.

إِذا كرهت أَعداؤُكَ إِسمك وَاِنثَنَت

لَهُ هرباً حَنَّت إِلَيهِ المَنابِرُ

When your enemies loathed my name and turned away

in flight from it, the pulpits yearned for it.

وَما أَنا إِلّا رَوضَةٌ إِن مطرتها

تحوَّل هَذا المَدح أَزهَر زاهِرُ

I am only a garden: if you rain upon it,

this praise will become radiant, blossoming flowers.

فَإِن جادَني من جود نعماكَ رائِحٌ

فَقَد صادَني من صوب يُمناكَ باكِرُ

If an evening cloud from the bounty of your favors rains upon me,

an early shower from your right hand has already captured me.

وَإِنّي لأَرجو أَن أَنالَ مِنَ الغِنى

بشعري ما لَم يَحوِهِ قَطُّ شاعِرُ

Indeed, I hope to attain, from wealth,

through my poetry, what no poet has ever possessed.

إِذا ما سَتَرتُ المَدحَ أَثناء مَنطِقي

فَلِلجودِ مِني حينَ يَطويهِ ناشِرُ

Whenever I conceal praise within the folds of my speech,

generosity, when my speech folds it away, finds in me one who unfolds it.

فَعِش عُمرَ مَدحي فيكَ إِنَّ مَدائحي

مُخَلَّدَة ما دامَ في الأَرضِ غابِرُ

So live for the lifetime of my praise of you; indeed, my panegyrics

are immortal so long as anyone remains upon the earth.

طلبت العُلى بالجِدِّ وَالجَدُّ بَيِّنٌ

وَحَظُّكَ مِن كُلِّ الفَريقَينِ وافِرُ

You sought the heights through fortune and earnest striving—both are manifest—

and your share of both companions is abundant.

كَأَنَّكَ مَغناطيس كل فَضيلَة

فَلا فَضل إِلّا وَهوَ نَحوَكَ سائِرُ

You are like a magnet for every virtue:

no excellence exists but that it journeys toward you.