غرتك أبدان وأردان — Alkadhi Alfadil

غَرَّتكَ أَبدانٌ وَأَردانُ

ذا الشَأنِ ما مِن تَحتِهِ شانُ

Bodies and sleeves have deceived you.

This grandeur has no substance beneath it.

في العَينِ إِنسانٌ فَإِن خِلتَها

وُدّاً فَما في العَينِ إِنسانُ

The eye has its pupil; but if you mistake it

for affection, no human being is in that eye.

وَإِنَّما الإِنسانُ مَحصولُهُ

إِن قَبِلَ التَحديدَ إِحسانِ

A human being's whole essence is only

kindness, if he admits of definition.

قالوا كِرامٌ وَأَتى بَعدَهُم

لِلُّؤمِ أَزمانٌ وَأَزمانُ

They said, 'Generous men!' And after them came

ages upon ages of meanness.

وَلَم يَكونوا اليَومَ فَاِستَثبِتوا

لَعَلَّهُم بِالأَمسِ ما كانوا

They are not here today; so make certain—

perhaps they were not here yesterday either.

قَد أَفلَحَ الجودُ فَلا قَطرَةٌ

مِنهُ وَهَذا البُخلُ طوفانُ

Generosity has prospered—yet not a drop

of it remains, while this miserliness is a deluge.

ماتَت كَما ماتوا أَحاديثُهُم

فَالكُتبُ وَالأَوارقُ أَكفانُ

Their stories died just as they themselves died;

so books and pages are their shrouds.

كَيفَ إِذا ما سُحُبٌ أَقلَعَت

يَبقى عَلى النَضرَةِ بُستانُ

How, when the clouds have withdrawn,

can a garden keep its verdure?

أَصبَحَ في دارِ ضُلوعي الأَسى

قَلبي كَما أَصبَحَ عُثمانُ

Sorrow now inhabits the house of my ribs;

my heart has become as Uthman was:

مَحصورَةٌ أَموالُهُ ما لَهُ

مَعَ اِشتِدادِ الحصرِ إِمكانُ

his riches besieged, he has no

power to act as the siege intensifies.

قَد أَحدَقَ الهَمُّ بِأَرجائِهِ

جَيشاً فَضَرّابٌ وَطَعّانُ

Grief has encircled its every quarter,

an army of fierce strikers and thrusters.

فَيا زَماني إِن جَرَت قَطرَةٌ

مِن دَمِ قَلبي فَلَها شانُ

O my time, if a single drop should flow

of my heart's blood, it is no small matter.

في ذَمِّ عُثمانَ الَّذي قَد حَوى

جَرَت مِنَ الأَحداثِ أَلوانُ

In reviling Uthman, who had amassed much,

events of every hue have unfolded.

لا كُنتِ يا ذَهلُ هُمومي وَلا

أَبوكِ دَهري فَهوَ شَيبانُ

O Dhuhl, may you not be my cares, nor

your father my time, for he is Shayban.

ذَووا الحَفيظاتِ لَهُم لوثَةٌ

لانوا فَلا غَرَو إِذا هانوا

Men of protective zeal have a weakness;

they softened—no wonder they were humbled.

نُدِبتُ لِلخَطبِ حَثوثاً فَما

قاموا وَلا إِذ قامَ بُرهانُ

I was summoned in haste to the crisis, yet they did not

rise—not even when proof arose.

غَمودُهُم كُسوَةُ أَسيافِهِم

لا حُمِلَت وَالشَرُّ عُريانُ

Their scabbards are their swords' clothing;

may they never be borne while evil stands naked!

كَم زِقّ خَمرٍ فيهِمُ ناطِقٍ

سَكرانَ بَل راجيهِ سَكرانُ

How many a talking wineskin is among them,

drunk—rather, whoever hopes in him is drunk!

فَلا تُراجِعهُ وَلا لَفظَةً

وَلا تَزِد فَالزِقُّ مَلآنُ

Do not answer him, not even a word,

and add no more: the wineskin is full.

فَاليَأسَ يا ناسُ وَيَكفيكُمُ

فَقُوَّةُ الأَلسُنِ سُلطانُ

Abandon hope, people; let that suffice,

for the might of tongues is sovereign power.

مَنزِلُنا مِن بَطِنِها واحِدٌ

وَاِختَلَفَت في الظَهرِ بُنيان

Our dwelling within her belly is the same,

though buildings on her back differ.

وَفي بِناءِ القَبرِ يا قُربَ ما

يَغدِرُ ديوانٌ وَإِيوان

And when the grave is built, how soon

court and vaulted hall betray us!

وَيَعمُرُ الدارَ عَلى أَنَّهُ

ما لِخَرابِ العُمرِ عُمرانُ

And he builds up the house, although

there is no restoration for life's ruin.

كَما رَجاءُ اللَهِ إيمانُ

كَذا رَجاءُ الناسِ كُفرانُ

Just as hope in God is faith,

so hope in people is unbelief.

هَذا مَضى وَالشِعرُ بُستانُنا

وَفيهِ قَد تَرتَعُ أَذهانُ

That is past; poetry is our garden,

and in it minds may freely graze.

وَفيهِ لِلروحِ إِذا ما جَرى

ذِكرُ الهَوى رَوحٌ وَرَيحانُ

And in it, for the spirit, whenever there comes

the mention of love, are repose and sweet basil.

فَإِن خَلا مِن ذاكَ بُستانُهُ

فَلا تَقُل شِعري بُستانُ

But if its garden is empty of that,

do not say, 'My poetry is a garden.'

وَنَحنُ قَومٌ سَلمُنا وَالوَغى

يُذكيهِما سَيفٌ وَأَجفانُ

We are a people whose peace and battle

are kindled by a sword and eyelids.

يَهتَزُّ لِلطَعنَةِ ما بَينَنا

في المَوقِفَينِ النَبعُ وَالبانُ

Among us, at the thrust, there quiver

in both encounters, bow-wood and ben-trees.

إِنّا إِلى اللَهِ فَكَم قَد جَرَت

بِحَتفِنا خَيلٌ وَأَظعانُ

To God we go! How often have raced

horses and camel-litters, bearing our doom!

كُنّا إِلى الأَحبابِ نَشكو الهَوى

ناراً وَقالوا هِيَ أَشجانُ

We used to complain to the beloveds of love

as fire, while they said, 'It is sorrow,'

حَتّى إِذا أَجرى اللِقاءَ الدِما

فاضَت لِتَصديقِكَ نيرانُ

until, when the meeting made blood flow,

fires overflowed to prove you right.

فَليَعلَم الأَحبابُ أَنّا لَهُم

وافونُ في الحُبِّ وَإِن خانوا

Let the beloveds know that toward them we

are faithful in love, even if they betray us.

تِلكَ دُموعٌ في سِوى طَرفِها

لَها جِراحاتُكَ أَجفانُ

Those are tears outside their own eyes;

your wounds are eyelids to them.

وَاِعتَقَلَ الكِتمانُ مَأسورَها

ما بَعدَ ذا الكِتمانِ كِتمانُ

Concealment has imprisoned their captive;

there is no concealment beyond this concealment.

مِن أَعيُنٍ بانَت قُلوبٌ لَنا

وَالكُلُّ في الأَجسامِ حَيرانُ

From eyes, hearts of ours have emerged,

and all are bewildered within their bodies.

كانَ البُكا بِالجَفنِ أَولى وَما

يَبقى عَلى الباكينَ أَجفانُ

Weeping was more fitting for the eyelid, but no

eyelids remain upon those who weep.

وَعاذِلٍ صَدَّعَني عَذلُهُ

وَقالَ وَالأَقوالُ أَلوانُ

A reproacher whose reproach shattered me

said—and sayings are of many hues—

ما وَجهُ مَن دِنتَ لَهُ قِبلَةٌ

قُلتُ وَلا قَولُكَ قَرآنُ

'The face of him you obey is no qibla.'

I said, 'Nor are your words the Qur'an.'

عَذلُكَ كَالريحِ وَتُعدَى بِما

يَحمِلُهُ سافيهِ أَجفانُ

Your reproach is like wind, and afflicted by what

its dust-blowing gust carries are eyelids.

عَلَيَّ لا أَفزَعُ مِن ريحِهِ

وَإِنَّما الأَحبابُ أَغصانُ

As for me, I do not fear its wind;

but the beloveds are only branches.

أَمسِك لِساناً عَنهُ أَو أَسمِعَن

أَذني فَمَن أَهواهُ غَيرانُ

Hold your tongue about him—or speak into

my ear, for the one I love is jealous.

تُريدُ أَن تَشرَبَ خَمرَ اِسمِهِ

أَنا مِنَ الغَيرَةِ سَكرانُ

You want to drink the wine of his name;

I am drunk with jealousy.

وَقَلَّ في تَسمِيَةِ قَتلَةٌ

في مِثلِها تُخلَعُ أَديانُ

And a killing for naming him is a small thing;

for such a thing, religions are cast aside.

فَاِسكُت فَما أَسكُت عَن ذِكرِهِ

وَفي سُكوتي لَكَ إِذاعانُ

Be silent, then; I am not silent about his memory,

and in my silence are two disclosures for you.

مَولايَ حورِيُّ جِنانٍ وَما

يَطمِثُهُ إِنسٌ وَلا جانُ

My lord is a houri of the gardens; no

human or jinn has deflowered him.

وَما اِسمُهُ عِندَكَ في مَوضِعٍ

فَهوَ عَلى لَفظِكَ حَيرانُ

His name has no proper place with you;

it is bewildered on your tongue.

فَوِّض إِلى أَكبادِنا ذِكرَ مَن

يَفيضُ مِن ذِكرِكَ غُدرانُ

Entrust to our livers the mention of one

at whose mention by you pools overflow.

وَباعِثِ الطَرفِ بِشاطِي الهَوى

وَأَنتَ يا صاحِبُ كَسلانُ

And you who send your gaze along love's shore,

you, my friend, are lazy.

لَم يَختَلِف لِلَيلِ حالٌ إِذا

لَم يَتلُهُ وَصلٌ وَهِجرانُ

Night's condition does not change if

union and separation do not follow it.

الوَصلُ وَالهِجرانُ ميزانُهُ

وَأَنتَ ما عِندَكَ ميزانُ

Union and separation are its scales,

and you have no scales.

هَل بِتَّ في لَيلِ هَوىً راكِدٍ

يَقظانَ وَالكَوكَبُ وَسنانُ

Have you spent a stagnant night of love,

awake while the star is drowsy?

يُعَذِّبُ المُسلِمَ أَو لا فَلِم

أَلبَسَهُ الأَثوابَ رُهبانُ

Does he torment the Muslim, or not? Then why

have monks clothed him in robes?

هَل جُلتَ في مُعتَرَكٍ لِلأَسى

فَاِضطَرَمَت لِلدَمعِ أَقرانُ

Have you ranged a battlefield of grief,

so that the tears' rivals burst into flame?

وَهَل قَذَفتَ الدَمعَ شُهباً إِذا

ما اِستَرَقَ السَلوَةَ شَيطانُ

And have you hurled tears as shooting stars when

a devil stealthily stole solace?

هَل اِستَغَثتَ الصُبحَ مُستَصرِخاً

فَقال ما في الحُبِّ أَعوانُ

Have you begged dawn for help, crying out,

and it said, 'There are no helpers in love'?

أَيا فَتى أَسفِر فَقالَت أَلا

نَجمٌ وَإِنّا بَعدُ فِتيانُ

'O youth, shine forth!' Then she said, 'Behold,

a star—and we are still young men!'

فَنَم لِذا مِنّا عَلى جانِبٍ

ما لَكَ روحٌ أَنتَ جُثمانُ

So sleep apart from us on that account;

you have no soul; you are a body.

أَسرَفتَ في نَهبي فَأَعرَيتَني

وَزائِدُ الزائِدِ نُقصانُ

You went too far in plundering me and stripped me bare;

and excess upon excess is loss.

وَالعَدلُ إِن أَفرَطَ عُدوانُ

وَالماءُ إِن أَفرَطَ طوفانُ

Even justice, carried too far, is aggression,

and water, in excess, is a deluge.