النجم يبعد مرمى طرفه الساجي — Alabywrdy

النّجمُ يُبعِدُ مَرمى طَرْفِهِ الساجي

والليلُ يَنشُرُ مُرخى فرعِهِ الدّاجي

The star casts its languid gaze far afield.

And night unfurls its hanging, pitch-dark locks.

ويهتَدي الطّيْفُ تُغويهِ غَياهِبُهُ

بكَوكَبٍ فُرَّ عنهُ الأفْقُ وهّاجِ

And the phantom finds its way, though its dark depths mislead it,

By a blazing star from which the horizon was drawn back.

طَوى إِلى نَقَوَيْ حُزوى على وجَلٍ

نَهجاً يُكَفْكِفُ غَربَ الأعْيَسِ النّاجي

Toward Huzwa's two dunes it fearfully traversed

A path that checks the swift pale camel's ardor.

ودونَ ما أرْسَلَتْ ظَمْياءُ شِرْذِمَةٌ

ألْقَوْا مَراسيَهُمْ في آلِ وسّاجِ

Before what Zamya sent stood a small band,

Who cast their anchors amid a swiftly shifting mirage,

مِن نائِلٍ وَعَديٍّ في عَضادَتِها

أو آلِ نَسْرِ بنِ وهبٍ أو بَني ناجِ

Of Na'il and Adi, at its flank,

Or Nasr ibn Wahb's house, or the sons of Naj.

قَوْمٌ يَمانونَ والمَثْوى على إضَمٍ

للهِ ما جَرَّ تأويبي وإدْلاجي

A Yemeni people, dwelling by Idam.

God, what my day and night journeys brought!

رَمى بهِمْ شَقَّ يُسراهُ إِلى عُصَبٍ

سُدَّتْ بهِمْ لَهَواتُ الأرضِ أفواجِ

It flung them off to its left, toward bands,

In hosts that choked the gullets of the earth.

فَهاجَ وَجْداً كَسِرِّ النارِ تُضْمِرُهُ

جَوانِحٌ منْ نَزيعِ الهمِّ مُهْتاجِ

Then it stirred a yearning like hidden fire, concealed

Within the ribs of one torn by care and agitated.

إذا التّذَكُّرُ أغرَتْني خَيالَتُها

بهِ رَجَعْتُ إِلى الأشواقِ أدْراجي

Whenever her phantom entices me to remembrance,

I retrace my steps back into yearning.

غَرْثَى الوِشاحِ ومَلْوى قُلْبِها شَرِقٌ

منْ مِعْصَمَيْ طَفْلَةٍ كالرّيمِ مِغْناجِ

Her sash is starved; the curve of her bracelet is choked

By the wrists of a delicate girl, coquettish as a gazelle.

كأنّها فَنَنٌ مالَ النّسيمُ بهِ

على كَثيبٍ وَعاهُ الطّلُّ رَجْراجِ

She is like a branch bent by the breeze

Over a quivering dune held together by dew.

بَدَتْ لَنا كَمَهاةِ الرّملِ تَكْنُفُها

هِيفُ الخَواصِرِ من طَيٍّ وإدماجِ

She appeared to us like an oryx of the sands, surrounded

By slender-waisted women, tightly gathered and finely formed.

تَشكو بأعْيُنِها صَوتاً تُراعُ بهِ

لِناعِبٍ بفِراقِ الحَيّ شَحّاجِ

She complains with her eyes of a sound that frightens her,

From a harshly cawing crow at the clan's departure.

فقُلْتُ للرّكْبِ والحادي يُساعِدُهُ

بشَدْوِهِ وكِلا صَوتَيْهِما شاجِ

So I told the caravan, as the camel-driver joined him

In song, both their voices stirring sorrow:

مَباسِمٌ ما أرى تَجْلو لَنا بَرَداً

أمِ استَطارَتْ بُروقٌ بينَ أحْداجِ

"Are those smiling mouths I see, baring hailstones for us,

Or has lightning flashed among the howdahs?"

وهزَّةُ السّيرِ أنْسَتْهُمْ مَعاطِفَهُمْ

من كُلِّ زَيّافَةٍ كالفَحْلِ هِمْلاجِ

And travel's jolting made them forget their own swaying forms,

On every strutting she-camel, smooth-gaited as a camel-bull.

وكُلُّهُمْ يَشْتَكي بَثّاً على كَمَدٍ

بينَ الجَوانِح والأضلاعِ ولاّجِ

And each complains of distress atop a hidden grief

That burrows deep between the breast and ribs.

مُوَلَّهٌ كَنَزيفٍ بُزَّ ثَروَتُهُ

بِذي رِقاعٍ لِصَفْوِ الرّاحِ مَجّاجِ

Distraught, like a drunkard whose wealth was stripped away

By a patched wineskin that pours out pure wine.

إذا صَحا عاوَدَتْهُ نَشْوَةٌ فَثَنى

يَداً على أسْحَمِ السِّرْبالِ نَشّاجِ

Whenever he sobers, intoxication returns, and he lays

A hand upon the black-clad, gurgling skin.

وَهُمْ غِضابٌ على الأيامِ لا حَسَبٌ

يُرْعى ولا مَلجَأٌ فيهنَّ للاّجي

And they rage against the days: no noble lineage

Is honored, nor is there refuge in them for one seeking shelter.

يا سَعدُ ذا اللِّمَّةِ المُرخاةِ ما عَلِقَتْ

مِنْكَ الخُطوبُ بِكابي الزِّنْدِ هِلْباجِ

O Sa'd of the flowing locks, calamities have never found

In you a dead fire-stick, a hulking fool.

دَهْرٌ تذَأّبَ مِنْ أبْنائِه نَقَدٌ

فأُوطِئَتْ عَرَبٌ أعقابَ أعْلاجِ

An age when small sheep among its sons have turned wolfish,

And Arabs were made to follow the heels of foreign boors.

وأينَعَ الهامُ لكِنْ نامَ قاطِفُها

فمَنْ لَها بزِيادٍ أو بِحَجّاجِ

Heads have ripened, but their harvester sleeps;

Who, then, will bring them a Ziyad or a Hajjaj?

وكَمْ أهَبْنا إلَيها بالمُلوكِ فلَم

تَظْفَرْ بأرْوَعَ للغَمّاءِ فَرّاجِ

How often we called kings to the task, but it never

Found a dauntless nobleman to dispel dire distress.

وأنتَ يا بْنَ أبي الغَمْرِ الأغَرِّ لَها

فقُلْ لذَوْدٍ أضاعُوا رَعْيَها عاجِ

And you, son of illustrious Abu al-Ghamr, are equal to it.

So tell the herd that neglected its pasture: "Turn aside!"

وألْقِحِ الرّأيَ يُنتِجْ حادِثاً جَللاً

إنّ الحَوامِلَ قدْ همّتْ بإخْداجِ

Make your counsel conceive; it will bear a momentous deed,

For the pregnant ones are already close to miscarrying.

وإنْ كَوَيتَ فأنْضِجْ غَيرَ مُتّئِدٍ

لا نَفْعَ للكيّ إلا بَعدَ إنْضاجِ

And if you cauterize, sear thoroughly, without delay;

Cautery has no benefit until the searing is complete.

ألَسْتَ أغْزَرَهُمْ جودَيْنِ شَوْبُهُما

دَمٌ وأولاهُمُ فَوْدَيْنِ بالتّاجِ

Are you not the most lavish of them in two bounties, whose admixture

Is blood, and the one whose two temples most deserve the crown?

هَل يَبلُغونَ مدًى يَطوي اللُّغوبُ بهِ

أذيالَ مَنشُورةِ الأعْرافِ مِهْداجِ

Can they reach a distance where weariness folds up

The trailing tails of flowing-maned, swift-trotting steeds?

أمْ يَملِكونَ سَجايا وُشِّحَتْ كَرَماً

وأُلْهِجَتْ بالمَعالي أيَّ إلهاجِ

Or do they possess natures adorned with generosity,

And made utterly devoted to lofty achievements?

مَتى أراها تُثيرُ النّقْعَ عابِسَةً

تَردي بكُلِّ طَليقِ الوَجْهِ مِبْلاجِ

When shall I see them raising dust with scowling faces,

Galloping with every cheerful, radiant-faced warrior—

ولاّج بابٍ أناخَ الخَطْبُ كَلْكَلَهُ

بهِ ومِنْ غمَراتِ الموتِ خَرّاجِ

Ever entering a gate where calamity has laid down its breast,

Yet ever emerging from the engulfing depths of death,

في غِلْمةٍ كَضواري الأُسْدِ أحْنَقَها

رِزُّ العِدا دون غاباتٍ وأحْراجِ

Among youths like ravening lions, enraged

By the enemy's rumble outside forests and thickets?

منْ فَرعِ عدْنانَ في أزكى أرومَتِها

كالبَحْرِ يدفَعُ أمواجاً بأمْواجِ

From Adnan's branch, from its purest stock,

Like the sea, driving waves against waves.

إذا الصَّريخُ دَعاهُمْ أقبَلوا رَقَصاً

إِلى الوَغى قبلَ إلْجامٍ وإسْراجِ

When a caller for help summons them, they come dancing

To battle before bridling and saddling.

يَرمي بهِمْ سَرَعانَ الخَيلِ شاحِبَةً

تَلُفُّ في الرّوْعِ أعْراجاً بأعْراجِ

He hurls them against the foremost ranks of haggard cavalry,

Mingling troop with troop amid terror,

بحَيثُ يَنسى الحِفاظَ المُرَّ حاضِرَهُ

والطّعنُ لا يُتّقى إلا بأثْباجِ

Where those present forget the bitter defense of honor,

And spear-thrusts are warded off only with backs.

ولا يَذودُ كَميٌّ فيهِ عنْ حُرَمٍ

ولا يُحامي غَيورٌ دونَ أزواجِ

No armored warrior there defends protected women,

Nor does a jealous protector fight for wives,

حتى يَمُجَّ غِرارُ المَشْرَفيِّ دَماً

والرّمْحُ ما بينَ لَبّاتٍ وأوْداجِ

Until the Mashrafi sword's edge spits blood,

And the spear lodges between upper chests and jugular veins.

نَمَتْكَ منْ غالِبٍ أقمارُ داجِيَةٍ

تَحِلُّ منْ ظُلَلِ الهَيْجا بأبْراجِ

Moons of a dark night, sprung from Ghalib, begot you,

Dwelling in towers amid the shadowing canopies of war.

قَوْمٌ حَوى الشّرَفَ الوضّاحَ أوّلُهُمْ

والناسُ بينَ سُلالاتٍ وأمْشاجِ

A people whose first ancestor possessed resplendent honor,

While mankind lay between pure lineages and mixed strains.

يَمري أكُفَّهُمُ إنْ حارَدَتْ سَنَةٌ

فيَسْتَدِرُّ أفاويقَ الغِنى الرّاجي

He milks their palms if a year withholds its bounty,

And draws successive spurts of wealth—the hopeful seeker.

لنْ يَبلُغَ المَدْحُ في تَقريظِ مَجْدِهِمُ

مَداهُ حتّى كأنّ المادِحَ الهاجي

Praise, in extolling their glory, will never reach

Its full extent, so that the praiser seems a satirist.

مَهلاً فلا شأوَ بعدَ النّجْمِ تُلحِفُهُ

مُلاءَةً قَدَمُ السّاعي بإرهاجِ

Enough! No goal beyond the star can be cloaked

In a mantle by a striver's foot stirring up dust.

اللهُ يَعلَمُ والأقوامُ أنّ لَكُمْ

عِندَ الفَخارِ لِساناً غَيرَ لَجْلاجِ

God knows, and all peoples know, that you have

When boasting of honor, a tongue that never falters.

والدّهرُ يُثني بما نُثْني عَلَيكَ بهِ

وما بمُطْريك منْ عِيٍّ وإرْتاجِ

And time praises you with the very praise we offer you,

And your panegyrist suffers neither inarticulacy nor speechlessness.

وقدْ أغَذَّ إليكَ العيدُ مُغتَرِفاً

من ذي فُروغٍ مُلِثِّ الوَدْقِ ثَجّاجِ

And now the festival has hastened toward you, drawing water

From a many-spouted source of ceaseless, torrential rain.

وكُل أيّامِكَ الأعيادُ ضاحكَةً

عنْ رَوضَةِ جادَها الوَسْميُّ مِبْهاجِ

And all your days are festivals, smiling

To reveal a meadow drenched by gladdening autumn rain.

فأرْعِ سَمعَكَ شِعراً يستَلِذُّ بهِ

رَجْعُ الغِناءِ بأرْمالٍ وأهزاجِ

So lend your ear to verse that gives delight

To song's recurring strains in ramal and hazaj rhythms.

لولا الهَوى لرَمَيْنا الليْلَ عنْ عُرُضٍ

بأرْحَبيٍّ لِهامِ البِيدِ شَجّاجِ

But for love, we would have assailed the night from the flank,

On an Arhabi camel, cleaving the crowns of desert wastes.

ومَنْ أزارَكَ للعَلْياءِ هِمَّتَهُ

فلَيْسَ يَرضى بمُزْجاةٍ منَ الحاجِ

And whoever brings his ambition to visit you for lofty glory

Will not be content with a paltry grant toward his needs.