أصاخ إلى الواشي فلباه إذ دعا — Alabywrdy

أصاخَ إِلى الواشي فلبّاهُ إذ دَعا

وقدْ لا يُرعي النّمائِمَ مَسْمَعا

He listened to the slanderer and answered him when he called,

though once he would lend malicious gossip no ear.

وباتَ يُناجي ظنّهُ فيَّ بَعدَما

أباحَ الهَوى منِّي حِمى القَلْبِ أجمَعا

He spent the night conferring with his suspicion of me, after

love had laid open my heart’s entire sanctuary.

وأبْدى الرِّضى والعَتْبَ في أخرَياتِهِ

ومنْ بَيِّناتِ الغَدْرِ أن يُجمَعا مَعا

He showed approval and reproach in his later dealings;

among the clear signs of treachery is joining those two together.

ومَنْ ناوَل الإخوانَ حبلاً مَشى البِلى

إِلى طَرَفَيْهِ هَمَّ أن يتقَطَّعا

Whoever hands his brothers a rope along which decay creeps

toward both ends intends it to break apart.

فما غَرَّهُ مِنْ مُضْمِرِ الغِلِّ كاشِحٌ

إذا حَدَرَ الخَصْمُ اللِّثامَ تقَنَّعا

Thus no hostile foe concealing rancor deceived him—

one who veiled himself when his adversary lowered his veil.

سَعى بي إليه لا هَدى اللهُ سَعيَهُ

ولو نالَ عندي ما ابْتغاهُ لَما سَعى

He carried slander about me to him—may God not guide his efforts!

Had he obtained from me what he sought, he would not have slandered me.

وحاوَلَ مني غِرَّةً حال دونَها

مَكائِدُ تأبى أنْ أُغَرَّ وأُخْدَعا

He sought an unguarded moment in me, but standing in its way were

stratagems that would not let me be deluded or deceived.

فأجْرَرْتُهُ حَبْلَ المُنى غيرَ أنّني

سَلَكْتُ بهِ نَهْجاً إِلى الغَيّ مَهْيَعا

So I let him drag the rope of wishes, except that I

led him along a broad, open road into error.

ولمّا رأى أني تَبَيَّنْتُ غَدْرَهُ

وأدْرَكْتُ حَزْمَ الرّأيِ فيه وضَيّعا

When he saw that I had discerned his treachery,

and grasped sound judgment concerning him, while he squandered it,

أزارَ يَدَيْهِ ناجِذَيْهِ تَنَدُّماً

يُبَوِّئُهُ في باحَةِ المَوْتِ مَصْرَعا

he brought his hands to his back teeth in remorse

that gave him a place to fall in death’s courtyard.

لكَ اللهُ منْ غُصْنٍ يُلاعِبُ عِطفَهُ

وبَدْرٍ يُناغي جِيدُهُ الشُّهْبَ طُلَّعا

God keep you—a bough playfully swaying its flank,

and a full moon whose neck murmurs to the stars as they rise.

تَجلّى لَنا والبَيْنُ زُمَّتْ رِكابُهُ

فشَيَّعَهُ أرواحُنا حينَ ودّعا

He appeared to us when separation’s mounts had been bridled,

and our souls escorted him when he bade farewell.

وشِيبَ بُكاءٌ بابْتِسامٍ وأُدْمِيَتْ

مَسالِكُ أنفاسٍ يُقوِّمْنَ أضْلُعا

Weeping was mingled with a smile, and bloodied were

the channels of breaths that straightened ribs.

ولمّا تَعانَقْنا فَذابَتْ عُقودُهُ

بِحَرِّ الجَوى صارَتْ ثُغوراً وأْمُعا

When we embraced, his necklaces melted;

in the heat of love’s anguish, they became mouths and tears.

ألا بِأبي أُسْدُ الحِمى وظِباؤُهُ

ومُنعَرَجُ الوادي مَصيفاً ومَرْبَعا

Ah, may my father ransom the sanctuary’s lions and its gazelles,

and the valley’s bend, a summer and spring abode.

أَجُرُّ بهِ ذَيْلَ الشّبابِ وأرتَدي

بأسْحَمَ فَيْنانِ الذّوائِبِ أفْرَعا

There I trail the hem of youth and clothe myself

in jet-black hair, luxuriant with long, abundant tresses.

مَعي كُلُّ فَضْفاضِ الرِّداءِ سَمَيْدَعٍ

أُصاحِبُ منهُ في الوَقائِعِ أرْوَعا

With me is every noble lord of the ample cloak;

in him I have an awe-inspiring companion in battle.

غَذَتْهُ رُبا نَجْدٍ فشَبَّ كأنّهُ

شَبا مَشْرَفيٍّ يَقيُرُ السُّمَّ مُنْقَعا

Najd’s hills nourished him, and he grew as though he were

the edge of a Mashrafi sword, spewing deadly poison.

يُريقُ إذا ارْتَجَّ النّديُّ بمنْطِقٍ

كَلاماً كأنَّ الشِّيحَ منهُ تَضَوَّعا

When the gathering resounds with speech, he pours forth

words as though wormwood’s fragrance wafted from them.

ويُروي أنابيبَ الرِّماحِ بمأزِقٍ

يظلُّ غَداةَ الرَّوعِ بالدَّمِ مُتْرَعا

And he slakes the shafts of spears in a battle press

that stays brimful of blood on the morning of terror.

عَرَكْتُ ذُنوبَ الحادِثاتِ بِجَنْبِهِ

فَهَبَّ مُشيحاً لا يُلائِمُ مَضْجَعا

I rubbed the offenses of calamities against his flank,

and he sprang up resolute, settling on no couch.

وما عَلِقَتْ حَربٌ تُلَقَّحُ للرَّدى

بأصْبَرَ منْهُ في اللِّقاءِ وأشجَعا

No war, made pregnant for death, has ever seized

one more steadfast in the encounter, or braver, than he.

أهَبْتُ وصَرْفُ الدّهْرِ يَحرِقُ نابَهُ

بهِ آمِناً أنْ أسْتَقيمَ ويَظْلَعا

I called, while time’s vicissitude gnashed its fang,

upon him, sure that I would stand straight while it limped.

فأقبَلَ كابْنِ الغابِ عَبْلاً تَليلُهُ

ولمْ يَستَلِنْهُ القِرْنُ لِيتاً وأخْدَعا

He came like the forest’s lion, massive of neck,

and no opponent could make his neck or neck-vein yield.

يُريكَ الرُّبا للأعْوَجيَّةِ سُجَّداً

وهامَ العِدا للمَشْرَفيَّةِ رُكَّعا

He shows you hills prostrate before the A'waj steeds,

and enemies’ heads bowing to Mashrafi swords.

فسَكَّنَ رَوعي والرِّماحُ تزَعْزَعَتْ

وخَفَّضَ جَأشي والعَجاجُ ترَفّعا

He stilled my fear while the spears shook,

and quieted my heart while the dust rose high.

ولمّا رآني في تَميمٍ على شَفا

أُلاقي بَجَفْنَيَّ القَذى مُتَخَشِّعا

When he saw me in Tamim, upon the brink,

meeting grit with my eyelids, bowed in humility,

قَضى عَجَباً منّي ومنْهُمْ وبَيْنَنا

شَوافِعُ لا يَرْضى لَها المَجْدُ مَدْفَعا

he marveled greatly at me and them, while between us stood

intercessors whose rejection glory would not accept.

وهُنَّ القَوافي تَذْرَعُ الأرضَ شُرَّداً

بِشِعْرٍ إذا ما أبْطأَ الرّيحُ أسرَعا

They are the rhymes, ranging the earth as wanderers,

in poetry that speeds ahead when the wind is slow.

يَروحُ لها رَبُّ الفَصاحَةِ تابِعاً

ويَغْدو بها تِرْبُ السّماحَةِ مُولَعا

At evening the master of eloquence goes out following them,

and at dawn generosity’s peer goes forth enamored of them.

ولَم أستَفِدْ منْ نَظْمِها غيْرَ حاسِدٍ

إذا ما رَمى لم يُبْقِ في القَوْسِ مِنْزَعا

Yet from composing them I gained nothing but an envier,

who, whenever he shoots, leaves no arrow in the bow.

وما أنا ممّنْ يَملأُ الهَوْلُ صَدْرَهُ

وإنْ عَضَّهُ رَيْبُ الزّمانِ فأوْجَعا

I am not one whose breast terror fills,

even when time’s vicissitudes bite him and hurt him sorely.

إذا ما غَسَلْتُ العارَ عنّي لمْ أُبَلْ

نِداءَ زَعيمِ الحَيّ بَشَّرَ أو نَعى

When I have washed disgrace away from me, I care nothing for

the clan chief’s cry, whether he brings glad tidings or announces death.

لَعَزَّ على الأشْرافِ منْ آلِ غالِبٍ

خُدودُ غَطاريفٍ توسَّدْنَ أذْرُعا

It would surely pain the nobles of the house of Ghalib—

the cheeks of noble youths pillowed upon arms.

نُنادي أميرَ المؤْمِنينَ ودونَهُ

أعادٍ يُزِجّونَ العَقارِبَ لُسَّعا

We call upon the Commander of the Faithful, but between us and him

are enemies driving forward scorpions ready to sting.

أيا خَيْرَ مَنْ لاذَ القَريضُ بسَيْبِهِ

وأعْنَقَ مَدحي في ذَراهُ وأوْضَعا

O best of those in whose bounty poetry seeks refuge,

while my praise hastens and gallops beneath his protection!

تُناطُ بكَ الآمالُ والخَطْبُ فاغِرٌ

وتُستَمطَرُ الجَدوى إذا المُزْنُ أقْلَعا

Hopes are fastened to you while calamity gapes,

and bounty is implored as rain when the clouds cease raining.

وتُغْضي لكَ الأبْصارُ رُعْباً وتَنثَني

إليكَ الهَوادي طائِعاتٍ وخُضَّعا

Eyes lower before you in dread, and bending

toward you are necks, obedient and bowed.

بحيْثُ رأيْنا العِزَّ تندىً ظِلالُهُ

ومَجدَكَ مُلتَفَّ الغَدائِرِ أتْلَعا

There we saw honor, its shade moist with dew,

and your glory, thick-tressed and long-necked.

وأنتَ الإمامُ المُستَضاءُ بنُورِهِ

إذا الليلُ لمْ يَلفِظْ سَنا الصُّبْحِ أدْرَعا

You are the Imam by whose light others seek illumination,

when two-toned night has not yet cast forth dawn’s radiance.

أعِنّي على دهْرٍ تَكادُ خُطوبُهُ

تُبَلِّغُ مَنْ يَضْرَى بِنا ما تَوَقَّعا

Help me against a time whose calamities almost

bring those who prey upon us what they expected.

فقَدْ هَدَّ رُكنَيَّ العَدُوُّ ولم يكُنْ

يُحاولُ فينا قَبْلَ ذلكَ مَطْمَعا

The enemy has shattered my two pillars, though he had not

before this sought any gain at our expense.

أفي الحَقِّ أن يَسْتَرقِعَ العِزُّ وَهْيَهُ

وأنْ أتَردّى بالهَوانِ وأضْرَعا

Is it right that honor should seek to patch its rents,

while I clothe myself in humiliation and abase myself?

ويَرْتَعُ في عِرْضي ويُقْبَلُ قَولُهُ

ولَوْ رُدَّ عنْهُ لمْ يَجِدْ فيهِ مَرْتَعا

And that he should graze upon my honor and have his words accepted,

though, if repelled from it, he would find no pasture there?

أما والمَطايا جائِلاتٍ نُسوغُها

منَ الضُّمْرِ حتّى خالَها الرَّكْبُ أنْسُعا

Nay, by the mounts, their girths swaying loose

from leanness, until the riders took them for straps—

ضُرِبْنَ إِلى البَيْتِ العَتيقِ ولمْ تَقُلْ

لِناجِيةٍ منهُنَّ إذْ عَثَرَتْ لَعا

they were driven toward the Ancient House, and you did not say

to a swift she-camel among them when she stumbled, 'May you rise unharmed!'

لقد طَرَقَتْني النّائِباتُ بِحادِثٍ

لَوَ انَّ الصَّفا يُرْمَى بهِ لتَصَدّعا

Afflictions have indeed struck me with a calamity

that would split solid rock if it were hurled against it.

ولسْتُ وإنْ عضَّ الزّمانُ بِغارِبي

أُطيلُ على الضّرّاءِ مَبكًى ومَجْزَعا

Yet I do not, even when time bites my withers,

prolong weeping and anguish over adversity.

إذا ما أغامَ الخَطْبُ لمْ أحتَفِلْ بهِ

وضاجَعْتُ فيهِ الصَّبْرَ حتى تَقَشّعا

When calamity clouds over, I pay it no heed,

and lie beside patience within it until it clears.

أُراعُ ولمْ أُذْنِبْ وأُجْفى ولمْ أُخنْ

وقد صُدِّقَ الواشي فأخْنى وأقْذَعا

I am frightened though guiltless, and shunned though I have not betrayed;

the slanderer has been believed, and spoken foully and abusively.

ومِنكُمْ عَهِدْنا الوِرْدَ زُرْقاً جُمامُهُ

رَحيبَ مندىً العيسِ والرّوضَ مُمْرِعا

From you we have known the watering-place, its pools blue,

ample for watering pale camels, and the meadow lush.

فعَطْفاً علينا إنّ فينا لِماجِدٍ

يُراقِبُ أعْقابَ الأحاديثِ مَصْنَعا

So show us compassion: in us there is, for a noble man

who watches the outcomes of events, an opportunity for kindness.