أقصرا ليس شأني الإقصار — Albohtry

أَقصِرا لَيسَ شَأنِيَ الإِقصارُ

وَأَقِلّا لَن يُغنِيَ الإِكثارُ

Desist, you two; desisting is not my way.

And say less; saying more will avail nothing.

وَبِنَفسي مُستَغرَبُ الحُسنُ فيهِ

حَيَدٌ عَن مُحِبِّهِ وَاِزوِرارُ

My life for that marvel of beauty, who

shuns his lover and turns away.

فاتِرُ الناظِرَينِ يَنتَسِبُ الوَر

دُ إِلى وَجنَتَيهِ وَالجُلَّنارُ

His eyes are languid; the rose traces its lineage

to his cheeks, as does the pomegranate blossom.

مُذنِبٌ يُكثِرُ التَجَنّي فَمِنهُ ال

ذَنبُ ظُلماً وَمِنّي الاِعتِذارُ

A wrongdoer, he heaps false charges on me; his is

the unjust offense, and mine the apology.

هَجَرَتنا عَن غَيرِ جُرمٍ نَوارُ

وَلَدَيها الحاجاتُ وَالأَوطارُ

Nawar has forsaken us, though we did no wrong,

and with her lie our needs and desires.

وَأَقامَت بِجَوِّ بِطياسَ حَتّى

كَثُرَ اللَيلُ دونَها وَالنَهارُ

She stayed in the country of Bityas, until

many nights and days lay between us and her.

إِن جَرى بَينَنا وَبَينَكِ هَجرٌ

وَتَناءَت مِنّا وَمِنكِ الدِيارُ

If estrangement has arisen between us and you,

and our homes and yours have grown far apart,

فَالغَليلُ الَّذي عَلِمتِ مُقيمٌ

وَالدُموعُ الَّتي عَهِدتِ غِزارُ

the burning longing you knew still remains,

and the tears you knew are still abundant.

يا خَليلَيَّ نِمتُما عَن مَبيتٍ

بِتُّهُ آنِفاً وَنَومي مُطارُ

My two friends, you slept, unaware of a night

I just passed with sleep driven away,

لِسَوارٍ مِنَ الغَمامِ تُزَجّي

ها جَنوبٌ كَما تُزَجّى العِشارُ

because of night-traveling clouds, driven onward

by a south wind, as pregnant she-camels are driven.

مُثقَلاتٍ تَحِنُّ في زَجَلِ الرَع

دِ بِشَجوٍ كَما تَحِنُّ الظُؤارُ

Heavy-laden, they moan amid the pealing of thunder

with sorrow, as foster-nursing she-camels moan.

باتَ بَرقٌ يُشَبُّ في حَجرَتَيها

بَعدَ وَهنٍ كَما تُشَبُّ النارُ

Lightning was kindled all night along their two flanks,

after night had deepened, as fire is kindled.

فَاِسقِياني فَقَد تُشُوِّفَتِ الرا

حُ وَطابُ الصُبوحُ وَالاِبتِكارُ

Pour for me, you two: the wine is eagerly desired,

and sweet are the morning draught and early drinking.

كانَ عِندَ الصِيامِ لِلَّهوِ وِترٌ

طَلَبَتهُ الكُؤوسُ وَالأَوتارُ

Pleasure had a score to settle with fasting;

the cups and strings demanded its payment.

بارَكَ اللَهُ لِلخَليفَةِ في المُل

كِ الَّذي حازَهُ لَهُ المِقدارُ

May God bless the caliph in the sovereignty

that destiny has secured for him.

رُتبَةٌ مِن خِلافَةِ اللَهِ قَد طا

لَت بِها رَقبَةٌ لَهُ وَاِنتِظارُ

A rank in God's vicegerency, where long

had watchful expectation and waiting for him endured.

طَلَبَتهُ فَقراً إِلَيهِ وَما كا

نَ بِهِ ساعَةٌ إِلَيها اِفتِقارُ

It sought him out in need of him; never

for a moment did he stand in need of it.

أَعوَزَت دونَهُ القَناعةَ حَتّى

حَشَمَت في طِلابِهِ الأَسفارُ

It found contentment without him impossible,

until journeys were abashed in the quest for him.

وَهِيَ مَوقوفَةٌ إِلى أَن يُوافي

غائِبٌ ما وَفى بِهِ الحُضّارُ

It remained in abeyance until there arrived

an absent man whose place those present could not fill.

عَلِمَ اللَهُ سيرَةَ المُهتَدي بِاللَ

هِ فَاِختارَهُ لِما يُختارُ

God knew the conduct of al-Muhtadi billah,

and chose him for the office he was chosen to fill.

لَم تَخالَج فيهِ الشُكوكُ وَلا كا

نَ لِوَحشِ القُلوبِ عَنهُ نِفارُ

No doubts intruded concerning him, nor

did the hearts' wild creatures recoil from him.

أَخَذَ الأَولِياءُ إِذ بايَعوهُ

بِيَدَي مُخبِتٍ عَلَيهِ الوَقارُ

The loyal followers, when they pledged him allegiance,

clasped the hands of a humble man clothed in dignity.

وَتَجَلّى لِلناظِرينَ أَبِيٌّ

فيهِ عَن جانِبِ القَبيحِ اِزوِرارُ

An unbending man appeared to the onlookers,

resolutely turned away from all that is vile.

وَأَرَتنا السَجّادَ سيما طَويلِ اللَ

يلِ في وَجهِهِ لَها آثارُ

The marks of long nights showed us al-Sajjad, the oft-prostrating one,

their traces visible upon his face.

وَلَدَيهِ تَحتَ السَكينَةِ وَالإِخ

باتِ سَطوٌ عَلى العِدى وَاِقتِدارُ

Beneath his serenity and humble submission, he has

might against his foes and mastery.

وَقَضاءٌ إِلى الخُصومِ وَشيكٌ

لا يُرَوّى فيها وَلا يُستَشارُ

And swift judgment for disputing parties,

with no need for deliberation or consultation.

راغِبٌ حينَ يَنطِقُ الوَفدُ عَن عَو

نٍ بِرَأيٍ أَو حُجَّةٍ تُستَعارُ

When the delegation speaks, he disdains assistance

from another's opinion or a borrowed argument.

مُستَقِلٌّ وَلَو تَحَمَّلَ ما حُم

مِلَ رَضوى لَاِنبَتَّ حَبلٌ مُغارُ

He bears it unaided; were his burden borne

by Radwa, a tightly twisted rope would snap.

أَيُّما خُطَّةٍ تَعودُ بِضَرٍّ

فَهُوَ لِلمُسلِمينَ مِنها جارُ

Whatever course might bring harm,

he shelters the Muslims from it.

زادَ في بَهجَةِ الخِلافَةِ نوراً

فَهُوَ شَمسٌ لِلناسِ وَهِيَ نَهارُ

He added light to the splendor of the caliphate;

he is a sun for the people, and it is day.

وَأَجارَ الدُنيا مِنَ الخَوفِ وَالحَي

فِ فَهَل يَشكُرُ المُجيرَ المُجارُ

He shielded the world from fear and injustice;

will the protected, then, thank their protector?

التَقِيُّ النَقِيُّ وَالفاضِلُ المُف

ضِلُ فينا وَالمُرتَضى المُختارُ

The pious, the pure, the virtuous, the beneficent

among us, the approved, the chosen.

وَلَدَتهُ الشُموسُ مِن وَلَدِ العَبّا

سِ عَمِّ النَبِيِّ وَالأَقمارُ

Suns begot him, from the offspring of al-Abbas,

the Prophet's uncle—and moons as well.

صِفوَةُ الناسِ وَالخِيارُ مِنَ النا

سِ جَميعاً وَأَنتَ مِنها الخِيارُ

The cream of mankind, the choicest among all

people—and you are the choicest of them.

اللُبابُ اللُبابُ يَنميكَ مِنها

لِذُرى المَجدِ وَالنُضارُ النُضارُ

The purest, the very purest of them raises you

to glory's heights—and gold, the purest gold.

فَبِكُم قَدَّمَت قُصَيّاً قُرَيشٌ

وَبِها قَدَّمَت قُرَيشاً نِزارُ

Through you, Quraysh gave Qusayy precedence;

and through it, Nizar gave Quraysh precedence.

زَيَّنَ الدارَ مُشهَدٌ مِنكَ كانَت

قَبلُ تَرضاهُ مِن أَبيكَ الدارُ

Your presence adorned the house, a presence

the house had once welcomed in your father.

وَأَنارَت لَمّا رَكِبتَ إِلَيها

وَالمَوالي الحُماةُ وَالأَنصارُ

It shone when you rode toward it,

with the retainers, the defenders, and the supporters,

في جِبالٍ ماجَ الحَديدُ عَلَيهِن

نَ ضُحىً مِثلَ ما تَموجُ البِحارُ

in mountain-masses, iron surging over them

at forenoon, just as seas surge.

وَغَدا الناسُ يَنظُرونَ وَفيهِم

فَرَحٌ أَن رَأَوكَ وَاِستِبشارُ

The people went out in the morning to gaze, filled

with joy at seeing you and glad anticipation.

طَلعَةٌ تَملَأُ القُلوبَ وَوَجحٌ

خَشَعَت دونَ ضَوئِهِ الأَبصارُ

A countenance that fills the hearts, and a face

before whose light all eyes are lowered.

ذَكَروا الهَديَ مِن أَبيكَ وَقالوا

هِيَ تِلكَ السيما وَذاكَ النِجارُ

They recalled your father's bearing and said:

'It is that same mien, and that same stock.'

وَعَلَيهِم سَكينَةٌ لَكَ إِلّا

مَدَّ أَيدٍ يوما بِها وَيُشارُ

A stillness lay upon them before you, save

for outstretched hands, with which they signaled and pointed.

بُهِتوا حَيرَةً وَصَمتاً فَلَو قي

لَ أَحيروا مَقالَةً ما أَحاروا

They were stunned, bewildered and silent; had they been

told, 'Give an answer,' they could not have answered.

وَقَليلٌ إِن أَكبَروكَ لَكَ الهَي

بَةُ مِمَّن رَآكَ وَالإِكبارُ

Though they exalt you, little enough is the awe

and reverence paid you by those who see you.

كُلُّهُم عالِمٌ بِأَنَّكَ فيهِم

نِعمَةٌ ساعَدَت بِها الأَقدارُ

Every one of them knows that, among them, you are

a blessing with which destiny has favored them.

فَوَقَت نَفسَكَ النُفوسَ مِنَ السو

ءِ وَزيدَت في عُمرِكَ الأَعمارُ

So may all souls shield your soul from evil,

and may their lifetimes be added to your life.