سرى يكتسي قطعا من الليل مظلما — Al Tughrai

سرى يكتسي قِطعاً من الليل مظلما

نزيعُ كرىً أهوى إليَّ فسلَّما

He traveled by night, clothing himself in dark shreds of night—

a wanderer from slumber, who approached me and greeted me.

فللهِ ذاك الخِشفُ خلَّى كناسَهُ

وحلَّ بوسْطِ الغاب يطرُقُ ضيغما

God be praised for that fawn, which left its covert

and settled amid the thicket, visiting a lion by night.

تخطَّى كعوبَ السمهريّ مقوَّماً

وخاضَ صفوفَ الأعوجيّ مسوَّما

He stepped over the joints of straight Samhari spears,

and waded through ranks of marked Aʿwaji steeds.

سرى عاطلاً حتى اعتنقنا فلم تزلْ

دموعيَ تكسوهُ الجُمانَ المنظَّما

He traveled by night unadorned, until we embraced; then unceasingly

my tears clothed him in strung pearls.

فبِتنا على رَغْمِ الحسودِ بغبطةٍ

خليطين ما ننمازُ إلّا توهُّما

So we spent the night in bliss, despite the envier,

intertwined, distinguishable only in imagination.

وقد كان رجمُ الظنِ بالغيبِ لم يدَعْ

لنا غيرَ مسرى الطيف سِرَّاً مكتَّما

And conjecture about the unseen had not left

us any hidden secret but the phantom's nocturnal visit.

فقد أشعرُ الواشينَ بالسِرِّ أنني

محوتُ بلثمي عن مُقَبَّلِهِ اللُّمَى

For I alert the talebearers to the secret: that I

erased, with my kisses, the dusky tint from his lips.

وما أنسَ لا أنسى الوداعَ وقد جلا

لإيماضَة التسليم كفَّاً ومعصما

And whatever I forget, I never forget the farewell, when he bared

a hand and wrist in a flashing farewell greeting.

وخلسةُ طرفٍ بين واشٍ وحاسدٍ

ألذُّ من الماء الزُلالِ على الظما

And a stolen glance between a talebearer and an envier

is sweeter than clear water when one thirsts.

وموقفُنا في حومةِ البينِ حُسَّراً

من الصبرِ نرضَى بالمنيّةِ مغنما

And our stand in the thick of separation, stripped

of patience, welcoming death as a gain.

نلوِّحُ وجداً في الضميرِ مجمجماً

ونمسحُ خدَّاً بالدموع منمنما

We hint at a yearning murmured deep within,

and wipe a cheek finely patterned with tears.

عشيّةَ ملءَ الواديين لبينِهمْ

بواعثُ شوقٍ من فصيحٍ وأعجما

That evening, at their departure, filling both valleys

were cries that stirred longing, from those with speech and those without.

يرى نضوَ حُبٍّ يكتمُ الشوقَ مغرماً

على نِضو سير يُعْلنُ الشجوَ مُرْزِما

One sees a love-wasted lover concealing his yearning,

on a travel-wasted mount proclaiming grief in low moans.

وأسحمَ غربيبَ المُلاءةِ ناعباً

وأورقَ غرّيدَ الضحى مترنِّما

And a black bird, pitch-black of cloak, cawing,

and an ash-gray bird, the morning's songster, warbling.

وغيدٍ كخيطانِ الأراك ترنَّحُوا

على العيس أيقاظاً عليها ونوَّما

And graceful beauties, like arak shoots, swaying

on pale camels, awake upon them and asleep.

لوى دَينهم أيدي النوائب فاقتضوا

بأيدي المهارَى تنفخُ النجحَ والدَّمَا

Calamity's hands withheld their due, so they exacted payment

with the forelegs of Mahri camels, snorting success and blood.

حنايا إِذا قرطسن أغراضَ مهمهٍ

مرقنَ به من جلدة الليل أسهُما

Bow-curved mounts: when they strike a wilderness's targets,

they shoot through it, arrows out of the skin of night.

تخالسن وطءَ البِيدِ حتى كأنَّما

تضمّنَ منها البيد ظنَّاً مرجَّما

They steal their steps across the wastes, until it seems

the wastes hold them merely as an uncertain guess.

ترى كلَّ مَوَّارِ الزمامِ كأنَّهُ

يطاولُ غصناً أو يطاردُ أرقما

You see each rein-tossing mount as though it

were reaching for a branch or pursuing a speckled serpent.

يفضّضُ منه باللغامِ مخطَّماً

ويُذهبُ منه بالنجيعِ مخدَّما

It silvers its haltered muzzle with foam,

and gilds its ankleted legs with blood.

سرَوا يطردون الليلَ عن متبلِّجٍ

من الصبحِ يهدي الناظرَ المتوسّما

They traveled by night, driving darkness away from a dawning gleam

of morning that guides the discerning onlooker.

تجهَّمَهُمْ وجهُ الزمانِ فألمعُوا

له بشهابِ الدين حتى تبسَّمَا

Time's face scowled at them, so they dazzled

it with Shihab al-Din, until it smiled—

بذي صولةٍ نكراءَ لم تُبْقِ مجرماً

وذي راحةٍ وطفاء لم تُبقِ مُعْدِما

one whose fearsome onslaught spared no wrongdoer,

and whose bountiful palm left no one destitute.

طَموحٌ إِلى العلياء يقدمُ همُّهُ

على المجدِ حتى لا يَرى متقدِّما

He aspires to the heights, his resolve pressing onward

toward glory, until he sees none ahead.

تساهم فيه الجودُ والبأس فاقتدَى

به الدهرُ بؤسى في الرجالِ وأنْعُمَا

Generosity and valor cast lots for him; his example was followed

by Time, in men's hardships and blessings.

أخو فتَكاتٍ يشغلُ القِرنَ خطفُها

عن الحسِّ حتى لا يرى الضربَ مؤلِما

A master of lethal strokes, whose swiftness distracts his foe

from sensation, so he does not find the blow painful.

من القومِ حنَّ المُلكُ مذ عهدِ آدمٍ

إليهمْ فوافاهم مُقيماً مخيِّما

He is of a people: since Adam's age kingship has yearned

for them, and came to them to stay and pitch its tent.

وما فاتهمْ في أولِ الدهرِ عن قِلىً

ولكن رأى الشيءَ المبيَّتَ أدوَما

And it did not pass them by at time's beginning out of hatred,

but deemed what was planned beforehand more enduring.

إِذا لمحوا بالمُلكِ ثلماً تبادروا

إليه يزجّونَ الصفيحَ المثلَّما

When they glimpse a breach in kingship, they rush

to it, thrusting forward notched broad blades.

لهم دارتِ الأفلاكُ طوعاً وأظهرتْ

لخدمتهمْ في صفحةِ البدرِ ميسمَا

For them the heavenly spheres revolved obediently, and displayed

a brand of service to them upon the full moon's face.

هُمُ أضرعُوا خَدَّ الزمانِ لعزِّهم

وحاموا على العَلياءِ أن تتهَضَّمَا

They made Time's cheek bow before their might,

and guarded exalted honor against abasement.

فأقْسمُ لولا البِشرُ في صَفَحاتِه

لأضحَى أديمُ اليومِ أربدَ أقتما

So I swear: but for the cheerfulness in his countenance,

the day's skin would turn gray and dust-dark.

ولولا حنانٌ فيه عند انتقامِه

لصار جَنَى النحلِ الذعافَ المسمَّما

And but for his tenderness when he takes vengeance,

the bees' harvest would become deadly, poisoned venom.

ولولا ندَى كفَّيهِ أشعلَ بأسُهُ

إِذا طاردَ القِرنَ الوشيجَ المقوَّما

And but for the dew of his palms, his valor would ignite,

when he pursued his foe, the straightened spear-shafts.

رمى نظرةً نحوَ العِدَى فتخاذلتْ

مفاصِلُهمْ منها لحوماً وأعظُمَا

He cast a glance toward his foes, and weakness overcame

their joints because of it, flesh and bone.

وكرَّ بها نحوَ التِلادِ فأصبحتْ

بمدرجةِ العافينَ نهباً مقسَّمَا

And he turned that glance toward inherited wealth, which became

shared-out spoils along the path of those seeking bounty.

شمائلُ مدلولٍ على طُرُقِ العُلَى

طلعْنَ على أفقِ المكارمِ أنجُمَا

The traits of one guided along the paths of greatness

rose as stars upon the horizon of noble virtues.

إِذا نُسختْ من سُورةِ المجدِ آيةٌ

أتينَ بها وحْيَاً إليهنَّ مُحْكَما

Whenever a verse is effaced from glory's chapter,

they restore it as a revelation to them, firmly established.

يوالينَ جدّاً في السعودِ مخيَّرا

ويصحبنَ رأياً في الغُيوبِ مُحَكَّما

They ally with fortune, choicest among happy destinies,

and accompany a judgment made arbiter of the unseen.

رأتْ جودَهُ شُهْبُ النجوم فحلَّقَتْ

مخافةَ أن تُعطَى فُرادَى وتوأمَا

The radiant stars saw his generosity and soared aloft,

fearing they would be given away singly and in pairs.

فأولَى لها لو فازَ بالبدرِ كفُّهُ

إِذا لاستقلَّتْهُ لعافيهِ دِرهَما

Woe to them! If his palm won the full moon,

it would deem it a mere dirham for his petitioner.

ولا غرو إلّا بذله من كلامه

لأعناقنا الدُّرَّ الثمينَ المكرَّما

And there is no wonder except his bestowal, from his speech,

of precious, honored pearls for our necks.

إِذا ما استقلتْ باليراع بنانُه

تأملتَ بحراً يُمطرُ الدُرَّ خِضْرَما

When his fingertips take up the reed pen,

you behold a vast ocean raining pearls.

إليك شهابَ الدين وابنَ قِوامه

صليتُ مراحَ الأعوجيّ مطهَّما

To you, Shihab al-Din, son of the faith's mainstay,

I braved the fiery mettle of a well-formed Aʿwaji steed.

أجلِّي بأغفالِ المجاهيل مُعْلَماً

وأهتم من رُدق الشيات مُحَزَّما

I race a marked steed through unmarked, unknown wastes,

and mar its girth-band among its fine coat-markings.

أطاوع فيك الشوقَ والنِّعَمَ التي

تراغِمُ حسَّاداً وتُسكتُ لُوَّما

For your sake, I obey longing and the favors that

humiliate enviers and silence reproachers.

فدونكَها غَّراءَ تُعجبُ مُعْرِقَاً

وتفتُنُ نجديَّاً وتونقُ مشئِمَا

So take it, radiant, delighting one bound for Iraq,

and enchanting a Najdi and pleasing one bound for al-Sham.

خلعتُ عليها نورَ وجهِك فارتدتْ

رداءً من الإحسانِ بالكبر مُعْلَما

I bestowed upon it the light of your face, and it donned

a robe of beneficence, emblazoned with pride.

وإني لأرجو أن أقيمَ مملَّكا

لديكَ وأن تبقَى معافَىً مسلَّما

And I truly hope to dwell as one made a king

beside you, and that you remain healthy and safe.