حاشاك من ذكر ثنته كئيبا — Albohtry

حاشاكِ مِن ذَكَرٍ ثَنَتهُ كَئيبا

وَصَبابَةٍ مَلَأَت حَشاهُ نُدوبا

May you be spared a memory that left him sorrowful,

and longing that filled his breast with scars,

وَهَوىً هَوى بِدُموعِهِ فَتَبادَرَت

نَسَقاً يَطَأنَ تَجَلُّداً مَغلوبا

and passion that brought his tears tumbling, so they raced

in succession, trampling his vanquished fortitude.

وَإِنِ اِتَّخَذتِ الهَجرَ دارَ إِقامَةٍ

وَأَخَذتِ مِن مَحضِ الصُدودِ نَصيبا

And if you have made estrangement your settled home,

and taken a share of unalloyed aversion,

أَعَداوَةً كانَت فَمِن عَجَبِ الهَوى

أَن يُصطَفى فيهِ العَدُوُّ حَبيبا

was it enmity? Among love's wonders is

that an enemy should be chosen as a beloved.

أَم وُصلَةً صُرِفَت فَعادَت هِجرَةً

أَن عادَ رَيعانُ الشَبابِ مَشيبا

Or was it affection diverted, turning to estrangement

because the prime of youth had turned to gray hair?

أَرَأَيتِهِ مِن بَعدِ جَثلٍ فاحِمٍ

جَونِ المَفارِقِ بِالنَهارِ خَضيبا

Did you see him, once thick-haired and coal-black,

dark at the partings, now dyed with daylight?

فَعَجِبتِ مِن حالَينِ خالَفَ مِنهُما

رَيبُ الزَمانِ وَما رَأَيتِ عَجيبا

Then you marveled at two states made different by

time's vicissitudes—yet you saw nothing strange.

إِنَّ الزَمانَ إِذا تَتابَعَ خَطوُهُ

سَبَقَ الطَلوبَ وَأَدرَكَ المَطلوبا

Time, when its footsteps follow one another,

outstrips the pursuer and overtakes the pursued.

فاتَ العُلا بِأَبي سَعيدٍ صِنوِها الـ

ـأَدنى وَأَعقَبَها أَبا يَعقوبا

It robbed high glory of Abu Sa'id, its twin,

the closest, and gave it Abu Ya'qub as successor.

كَالبَدرِ جَلّى لَيلَهُ ثُمَّ اِبتَدَت

شَمسُ المَشارِقِ إِذ أَجَدَّ غُروبا

Like the full moon that lit its night; then appeared

the sun of the eastern skies as the moon hastened to set.

أَو كَالسِماكِ إِذا تَدَلّى رُمحُهُ

كانَت لَهُ الكَفُّ الخَضيبُ رَقيبا

Or like al-Simak, when its spear slopes downward,

al-Kaff al-Khadib stands as its watcher.

أَو كَالخَريفِ مَضى وَأَصبَحَ بَعدَهُ

وَشيُ الرَبيعِ عَلى النَجادِ قَشيبا

Or like autumn, which passed, and after it

spring's embroidery lay fresh upon the uplands.

أَو كَالسَحابِ إِذا اِنقَضى شُؤبوبُهُ

أَنشى يُؤَلِّفُ بَعدَهُ شُؤَبوبا

Or like a cloud whose downpour, once ended,

begins gathering another downpour after it.

أَو كَالحُسامِ أُعيرَ حَدّاهُ الرَدى

إِن كَلَّ هَذا كانَ ذاكَ قَضوبا

Or like a sword whose two edges have been lent death:

if this one grows blunt, that one is keen to cleave.

فَاليَومَ أَصبَحَ شَملُنا مُتَجَمِّعاً

يُشجي العَدُوَّ وَصَدعُنا مَرؤوبا

Today our company has become united,

grieving the enemy, our rift now mended.

كَرُمَت خَلائِقُ يوسُفَ بنَ مُحَمَّدٍ

فينا وَهُذِّبَ فِعلُهُ تَهذيبا

Noble are the qualities of Yusuf ibn Muhammad

among us; his conduct is refined to perfection.

أَلوى إِذا طَعَنَ المُدَجِّجَ صَكَّهُ

لِيَدَيهِ أَو نَثَرَ القَناةَ كُعوبا

A mighty warrior: when he thrusts at the armored foe, he strikes him

down upon his hands, or scatters the lance joint by joint.

أَعلى الخَليفَةُ قَدرَهُ وَأَحَلَّهُ

شَرَفاً يَبيتُ النَجمُ مِنهُ قَريبا

The caliph raised his rank and lodged him

in honor so high that the stars spend the night near him.

وَرَمى بِثُغرَتِهِ الثُغورَ فَسَدَّها

طَلقَ اليَدَينِ مُؤَمَّلاً مَرهوبا

And cast him breast-first against the frontier gaps, which he sealed,

openhanded, looked to with hope and feared.

وَأَنا النَذيرُ لِمَن تَغَطرَسَ أَو طَغى

مِن مارِقٍ يَدَعُ النُحورَ جُيوبا

I am the warner to anyone who grows arrogant or rebels,

of one who pierces through, leaving throats like open collars.

وَلَقَد عَذَلتُ أَبا أُمَيَّةَ لَو وَعَت

أُذُناهُ ذاكَ العَزلَ وَالتَأنيبا

And I reproached Abu Umayyah—if only

his ears had heeded that dismissal and rebuke.

بِالسَيفِ أَرسَلَهُ الخَليفَةُ مُصلِتاً

وَالمَوتُ هَبَّ مِنَ العِراقِ جَنوبا

With the sword the caliph sent forth unsheathed,

while death blew from Iraq as a south wind.

قَصَدَ الهُدى بِالمُعضِلاتِ يَكيدُهُ

وَدَعا إِلى إِذلالِهِ فَأُجيبا

He assailed right guidance with grievous schemes, plotting against it,

and invited his own humiliation—and his call was answered.

حَتّى تَقَنَّصَ في أَظافِرِ ضَيغَمٍ

مَلَأَت هَماهِمُهُ القُلوبَ وَجيبا

Until he was caught in the claws of a lion

whose growls filled hearts with pounding terror.

وَنَهَيتُ آشوطَ بنِ حَمزَةَ لَو نَهى

أَمَلاً كَبارِقَةِ الجَهامِ كَذوبا

And I warned Ashot ibn Hamzah—if only warning could restrain

a hope as false as lightning from a rainless cloud.

ظَنَّ الظُنونَ صَواعِداً فَرَدَدنَهُ

خَزيانَ يَحمِلُ مَنكِباً مَنكوبا

He imagined his hopes soaring, but they sent him back

disgraced, bearing a stricken shoulder.

مُتَقَسَّمُ الأَحشاءِ يَنفُضُ رَوعُهُ

قَلباً كَأُنبوبِ اليَراعِ نَخيبا

Torn within, his terror shakes

a heart hollow as the tube of a reed.

كَلِفاً بِشِعبِ نُقانَ يَعلَمُ أَنَّهُ

لاقٍ مَتى مازالَ عَنهُ شَعوبا

Clinging to the ravine of Nuqan, knowing that he

will meet Death whenever he leaves it.

ثَكِلَتكَ كافِرَةٌ أَتَت بِكَ فَجرَةً

أَلّا اِجتَنَبتَ العارِضَ المَجنوبا

May the unbelieving woman who bore you in sin be bereaved of you!

Why did you not avoid the cloud driven by the south wind?

حَذَّرتُكَ المَلِكَ الَّذي اِجتَمَعَت لَهُ

أَيدي المُلوكِ قَبائِلاً وَشُعوبا

I warned you of the king for whom have gathered

the hands of kings, in tribes and peoples.

ساداتُ نَبهانَ بنِ عَمرٍ أَقبَلوا

يُزجونَ قَحطَبَةً بِهِ وَشَبيبا

The chieftains of Nabhan ibn 'Amr came forward,

bringing forth, in him, Qahtabah and Shabib.

وَجَحاجَحُ الأَزدِ بنِ غَوثٍ حَولَهُ

فِرَقاً يَهُزّونَ اللِحاءَ الشيبا

And the mighty chiefs of al-Azd ibn Ghawth around him,

in bands, shaking their white beards.

وَالصَيدُ مِن أَودِ بنِ صَعبٍ إِنَّهُم

باتوا عَلَيكَ حَوادِثاً وَخُطوبا

And the proud lords of Awd ibn Sa'b—they

have become calamities and afflictions upon you.

وَحُماةُ هَمدانَ بنِ أَوسَلَةَ الَّتي

أَمسَيتَ مَأكولاً بِهِم مَشروبا

And the defenders of Hamdan ibn Awsalah, those

through whom you have become food and drink.

عُصَبٌ يَمانِيَةٌ يَعِدنَكَ إِن تَعُد

يَوماً كَأَيّامِ الحَياةِ عَصيبا

Yemeni bands promise you, if you return,

a grievous day like the days of life.

لا يُحجِمونَ عَنِ الفَلا أَن يَقطَعوا

مِنها إِلَيكَ سَباسِباً وَسُهوبا

They do not shrink from the wilderness, from crossing

its barren expanses and open plains to reach you.

مُتَوَقِّعينَ لِأَمرِ أَغلَبَ لَم يَزَل

جُرحُ الضَلالِ عَلى يَدَيهِ رَحيبا

Awaiting the command of a lionlike lord, who has always

kept error's wound gaping wide by his hand.

أَفضى إِلى إيدامِ جِردَ وَدونَها

لَيلٌ يَبيتُ اللَيلُ فيهِ غَريبا

He reached Idam Jird, though before it lay

a night in which night itself lodges as a stranger.

فَأَفاءَها وافي العَزيمَةِ صَدَّقَت

أَيامُهُ التَرغيبَ وَالتَرهيبا

He won it as spoil, steadfast in resolve; his

days bore out both inducement and threat.

وَلَوَ اَنَّها اِمتَنَعَت لَغادَرَ هَضبَها

بِدَمِ المُحاوِلِ مَنعَها مَهضوبا

Had it resisted, he would have left its heights

drenched in the blood of whoever tried to defend it.

يا أَهلَ حَوزَةِ أَذرَبيجانَ الأُلى

حازوا المَكارِمَ مَشهَداً وَمَغيبا

O people of the realm of Azerbaijan, who

have won noble honors, present and absent,

ما كانَ نَصرُكُمُ بِمَذمومٍ وَلا

إِحسانُكُم بِالسَيِّئاتِ مَشوبا

your support was never blameworthy, nor

was your kindness mingled with misdeeds.

لَم تَقصُرِ الأَيدي وَلَم تَنبُ الظُبا

مِنكُم وَلَم تَكُنِ المَقالَةُ حوبا

No hands fell short, nor did sword-edges recoil

among you, nor was your speech a sin.

وَأَرى الوَفاءَ مُفَرَّقاً وَمُجَمَّعاً

يَحتَلُّ مِنكُم أَلسُناً وَقُلوبا

And I see fidelity, separately and together,

dwelling in tongues and hearts among you.

ها إِنَّ نَجمَكُمُ عَلى كَرهي العِدى

يَعلو وَريحَكُمُ تَزيدُ هُبوبا

Behold, your star, despite my hatred of the foes,

rises, and your wind blows ever stronger.

يَكفيكُمُ حَسَباً وَواسِطُ دارِكُم

نَسَباً إِذا وَصَلَ النَسيبُ نَسيبا

He suffices for your honor, and is the center of your house

in lineage, when one kinsman is joined to another.

وَلِيَ البِلادَ فَكانَ عَدلاً شائِعاً

يَنفي الظَلامَ وَنائِلاً مَوهوبا

He governed the lands and was justice spread abroad,

dispelling darkness, and bounty freely bestowed.

وَغَدَت نَوافِلُهُ لَكُم مَبذولَةً

وَشَذاهُ عَنكُم نائِياً مَحجوبا

His gifts became freely offered to you,

while his harm remained far from you, screened away.

فَأَفادَ مُحسِنَكُم وَقالَ لِمُخطِئٍ

لا لَومَ في خَطَإٍ وَلا تَثريبا

He enriched your doer of good and said to one who erred:

'No blame for a mistake, and no reproach.'