ألا حدثا عن عهد ناقصة العهد — Alkadawi

أَلا حَدّثا عَن عهدِ ناقصةِ العهدِ

وَلا تيئساني وعد مخلفةِ الوعدِ

Come, you two, tell of the pledge of that breaker of pledges,

and do not make me despair of that promise-breaker's promise.

وَلا تَنسيا ذكرَ المعاهد وأَخبِرا

عنِ الجيرةِ الغادين والعلم الفردِ

Do not forget the old haunts; tell me

of the neighbors who left at dawn and the solitary landmark.

ديارٌ عَهِدناها وَإِذ نحن جيرةٌ

يطاردُ فيها أنجم النحسِ والسعدِ

Abodes we knew when we were neighbors,

where stars of ill fortune and good chased one another.

أَتينا عَلى الأقدام نمشي

إِليها ولو أَعيت مَشَينا على الأيدي

We came walking on our feet

to them; had our feet failed, we would have walked on our hands.

وَيا عاذلي في هند رفقاً بمهجةٍ

تَذوبُ مَدى الأيّام شوقاً إلى هندِ

O you who chide me over Hind, be gentle with a soul

that melts through all the days with longing for Hind.

وَمَهلاً بقلبٍ في هواها متيّمٌ

يُقلّب في جمرِ الكآبةِ والوجدِ

Be gentle, too, with a heart enslaved by love for her,

tossed in the embers of sorrow and yearning.

فَتاةٌ بَراني حبّها وهواؤها

وَلَم يبقَ منّي من فؤادٍ ولا كبدِ

A maiden whose love and passion have wasted me away,

leaving me neither heart nor liver.

فتاةٌ بَرى جِسمي هواها وحبّها

وَلَم يبقَ مِن جِسمي سوى العظم والجلدِ

A maiden whose passion and love have wasted my body,

leaving nothing of my body but bone and skin.

أحنّ لَها شوقاً على القربِ والنوى

وَأمنحُها ودّي على المقت والودِّ

I yearn for her, whether near or far,

and offer her my love, whether met with hatred or affection.

وَبي لوعةٌ لَولا عفافي وشيمتي

لأطفَيتُها مِن ريقها العذب والبردِ

A burning ache is in me; but for my chastity and character,

I would quench it with her sweet, cool saliva.

وَقَد كانَ منّي القلبُ يوقدُ غيرةً

عَليها مِن الخلخالِ والمرطِ والعقدِ

My heart within me once blazed with jealousy

over her, even of her anklet, mantle, and necklace.

يُحاكي نسيمَ السحرِ رقّةُ لَفظِها

وَسوداؤها أَقسى منَ الحجرِ الصلدِ

The softness of her speech rivals the predawn breeze,

yet her heart's core is harder than solid stone.

وَكَم حسرةٍ يومَ الوداعِ تصعّدت

لَها هيم أَنفاسي وذابت لها كبدِ

How many a sigh of grief rose on the day of farewell!

For her my breaths were distraught, and for her my liver melted.

تُلاحِظُني سرّاً فترشف مُهجتي

فَأوجع من وقعِ المثقّفةِ الملدِ

She glances at me secretly and sips away my lifeblood,

more painfully than the thrust of straightened, supple spears.

تَمتّعتُ أيّامَ الشبابِ وشرخه

بِوصلِ الخرادِ البيضِ والعيشةِ الرغدِ

In the days of youth and its first bloom I delighted

in union with fair, modest maidens and a life of ease.

فَلمّا بَدا وَخط المشيبِ وقاضَني

منَ الوحلِ بالهجرانِ منها وبالصدِّ

But when the first streaks of gray appeared and exchanged for me

[union?] for her estrangement and rejection,

تَغرّبت عن هند وأَسما وزينب

وَعَن فرتن بل عن حذام وعن دعدِ

I withdrew from Hind, Asma, and Zaynab,

and from Fartan—indeed, from Hadham and Da'd.

وَقلتُ لِنفسي هكذا الدهر حكمهُ

عَلى كلِّ حالٍ يعقب الصدَّ بالصدِّ

I told myself: such is Time's judgment,

in every circumstance, answering rejection with rejection.

وإنّي وَإِن طالت حياتي لموقنٌ

بأن ليسَ لي مِن سكرةِ الموت من بدِّ

Though my life be long, I am certain

that I cannot escape the stupor of death.

أُعلّلُ نَفسي بِالأماني لِتَنجلي

عنِ القلبِ ذكرى ما أُلاقيه في اللحدِ

I soothe myself with hopes, so that there may fade

from my heart the thought of what I shall meet in the grave.

أرانا وَدُنيانا لديها كأنّنا

طرائد لا نَرجو نجاة من الطردِ

I see us before this world of ours as though we were

hunted prey, hoping for no escape from pursuit.

أَحاطَت بِنا بِالجندِ من كلِّ جانبٍ

وَليسَ عليها عندنا قطّ من جندِ

It has surrounded us with troops on every side,

while we have never had any troops against it.

خذِ العزمَ واِحذر مِن قويٍّ مغالبٍ

وَمِن عاجزٍ لا يستطيعُ على ردِّ

Take up resolve, and beware a strong adversary,

and a weakling unable to resist.

وَلا تحقرن ذا رهنة وتَمَسّكن

فَإنّ سعيرَ النارِ تُقدحُ من زندِ

Do not scorn one in weakness and abasement,

for a blazing fire is struck from a fire-stick.

وَإِن سبأ ما أسّست لخرابها

وَلا بَلَغت فيها سوى فأرة السدِّ

Indeed, Sheba did not build for her own destruction,

yet nothing brought it about but the dam's mouse.

ويا رُبَّ مبدٍ بالبشاشةِ والرِضا

وباطنهُ يَغلي بهِ مرجل الحقدِ

How many a man displays cheerfulness and contentment,

while within him a cauldron of rancor boils!

وَقَد يَختفي جمرُ الغضا في رمادهِ

كَما يَختفي مستنقع السمِّ في الشهدِ

The embers of ghada wood may hide in their ashes,

as a pool of poison lies hidden in honey.

إِذا المرءُ لَم يَحوِ المعالي بفعلهِ

فَلن تغنهِ أَفعالُ عمٍّ ولا جدِّ

If a man wins no distinction through his own deeds,

the deeds of an uncle or grandfather will never avail him.

يَنالُ العلا مَن فعلهُ يُكسبُ العلا

وَإِن لَم يَكن مِن خزرج أو منَ الأزدِ

He reaches the heights whose deeds earn him the heights,

even if he is neither of Khazraj nor of Azd.

أَرى الناسَ والرزقَ المقدّر لَم يكن

سواءً لَهم في حالة السعي والجهدِ

I see that people's allotted sustenance has not been

equal for them in their striving and toil.

فَذلك يَأتيه بِكَلٍّ وشقوةٍ

وَذلك يأتيهِ هنيئاً بلا كدِّ

For one it comes with weariness and misery,

while to another it comes pleasantly, without toil.

بَلوت بني الأيّامِ حتّى وجدتهم

دراهمَ زيفٍ يَعترفن لدى النقدِ

I tested the sons of the days until I found them

counterfeit dirhams, confessing their falseness when assayed.

وَلم أرَهم في العيشِ إلّا بهائماً

وَليسَ لهم همٌّ سوى البطن والعردِ

I have seen them in life as nothing but beasts,

with no concern beyond belly and penis.

يلجُّونَ في دعوى المعالي سفاهةً

بِأفئدةٍ عميٍ أَو اِلسنةٍ لدِّ

They foolishly persist in claiming high distinction,

with blind hearts or contentious tongues.

وَلا عجبٌ إن لم أسع في قلوبهم

فَما الجعل حبّابٌ لرائحة الوردِ

No wonder their hearts have no room for me:

the dung beetle is no lover of the scent of roses.

وَلا طلعة الشمس المنيرة إِذ بدت

بِصالحة الإقبال للأعيُنِ الرمدِ

Nor is the radiant sun's face, when it appears,

a welcome sight to inflamed eyes.

فَدَعهم وَما يحوونه من يسارةٍ

فَليسَ يروقُ الطيلسان على قردِ

Leave them, then, and whatever wealth they possess;

a taylasan mantle does not look fine on an ape.

سَأَرفضهم إلّا أَبا العرب الّذي

أَقامَ المعالي بالأيادي وبالأيدِ

I shall reject them all except Abu al-Arab, who

has raised high distinction through benefactions and might.

فَحاشاهُ بَل حاشاه حاشاهُ إنّه

لَه خُلقٌ كالنشرِ من روضة الرندِ

Far be it from him—indeed, far, far be it! For he

has a character like fragrance from a laurel garden.

سَأمنحهُ مَدحي وشكري لأنّه

حقيقٌ بِهذا المدحِ والشكرِ والحمدِ

I shall grant him my praise and thanks, for he

deserves this praise, gratitude, and commendation.

تَيمّمتُه دونَ الورى فوجدتهُ

سخيّاً سموحاً بالجزيل من الرفدِ

I sought him out above all others and found him

generous, liberal with abundant gifts.

لَقد علّمتهُ نفسهُ واِهتمامهُ

قراعَ العدا وَالجودَ للضيفِ والوفدِ

His own soul and earnest care have taught him

to battle foes and give generously to guests and delegations.

سحابُ الندا مِن كفّه واكفُ الحَيا

يسحُّ بغيثٍ صادق البرقِ والرعدِ

The cloud of bounty from his palm drips life-giving rain,

pouring showers whose lightning and thunder prove true.

فَمن زارهُ مُستمنحاً فَقَدِ اِنتحى

لإِنجاحهِ وجه السبيل إلى القصدِ

Whoever visits him seeking a gift has chosen

the right road to success and the attainment of his goal.

وَإنّي لما يَحوي من الفهمِ واثقٌ

بأن ليسَ يَكبو عندهُ أبداً زندي

Because of the understanding he possesses, I am confident

that my fire-stick will never fail to spark with him.

وَدونَكها غرّاء بكراً مشوقةً

إِلى وجهكَ الزاكي إلى الكرم العدِّ

Take her: a radiant virgin, yearning

for your pure face, for inexhaustible generosity.

تَضمّن مِن سحرِ الكلام غرايباً

تَغورُ إِلى غورٍ وتنجد إلى نجدِ

She holds rare marvels of the magic of speech,

descending to Ghawr and rising to Najd.

فَما لك في شأوِ المفاخر والعلا

مجازٍ ولا في رتبةِ المجدِ من ندِّ

For in the race of glorious deeds and high distinction you have no

rival, nor any peer in the rank of glory.

ولا زلتَ مَحروسَ الجنابِ متوّجاً

بِتاج المعالي راقياً رتبة المجدِ

May you ever be guarded in your domain, crowned

with the crown of high distinction, ascending the rank of glory.