يرومك والجوزاء دون مرامه — Almaarri

يرُومُكَ والجوْزَاءُ دون مَرامِه

عَدُوٌّ يَعيبُ البَدْرَ عند تمامِهِ

He aims at you, though Orion lies below his mark—

an enemy who faults the moon when it is full.

فإن يكُ أضْحى القوْلُ جَمّاً طيورُهُ

فما تَسْتَوي عِقْبانُه بحَمامهِ

If speech has come to teem with birds,

its eagles are not equal to its doves.

وإن يَكُ وادينا من الشِّعْرِ نَبْتُهُ

فغيْرُ خفِيّ أثْلُهُ من ثُمامهِ

And if our valley's growth consists of poetry,

its tamarisk is easily distinguished from its desert grass.

وليس بجازٍ حقَّ شُكْرِكَ مُنْعِمٌ

ولو جعل الدّنيا قضاءَ زِمامهِ

No benefactor can repay the gratitude due you,

even if he gave the world to discharge his obligation.

فلا تُلْزِمَنّي مِن مديحكَ مَنْطِقاً

يُقَصّرُ فِكري عن بُلوغِ التِزامهِ

So do not oblige me to utter praise of you

that my thought falls short of fulfilling.

حَلَلْتَ من العَلْياءِ صَهْوَةَ باذِخٍ

تَوَدّ الضّواري أنها من بِهامهِ

You have settled, among the heights, on a towering mountain's summit,

whose beasts of prey wish they were among its lambs.

إذا افتخرَ المَسكُ الذكيّ فإنما

يقولُ ادّعاءً إنّه مِن رَغامِهِ

When fragrant musk boasts, it only

claims that it comes from that mountain's dust.

إذا ما طَريدُ العُصْمِ وافى حَضِيضَه

تَبَوّأ فيهِ واثقاً باعتصامِهِ

When a hunted white-legged mountain goat reaches its foot,

it settles there, confident in its protection.

مَنازِلُ لو رُدّ الحِمامُ بعِزّةٍ

لمَا رِيعَ مَن يحْتَلّها مِن حِمامهِ

Abodes where, if death could be repelled by might,

no inhabitant would be frightened by his doom.

إذا أطْلَقَتْ كفّاكَ عارِضَ عسْجدٍ

على سائِلٍ لم تَرْضَيا برِهامِهِ

When your hands release a rain cloud of gold

upon a petitioner, they do not settle for its drizzle.

غَمامَانِ مُبْيَضّانِ مُنْذُ بَراهُما

لنا اللّهُ لم نَحْفِلْ بسُودِ غَمامهِ

Two white clouds: ever since they were fashioned

for us by God, we have cared nothing for His dark clouds.

كأنّكَ حَوْضُ المُزْنِ طأطأ نفْسه

إلى وِرْدِهِ حتى ارْتَوى مِن سِجامهِ

You are like a basin of rain clouds that lowers itself

to those seeking its water, till they drink their fill of its flow.

كأنك دُرّ البحْرِ أصبحَ طافِياً

على الماء فاعْتامَ الوَرَى من تُؤامِهِ

You are like a pearl of the sea that comes floating

upon the water, and mankind chooses it from its twin pearls.

كأنك رُكْنُ البيتِ أُعطيَ قُدْرَةً

فَسَارَ إلى زُوّارِهِ لاسْتِلامِهِ

You are like the corner of the House, granted power,

that goes to its visitors for them to touch it.

أفَدْتَ جَزيلَ المالِ لمّا اسْتَفَدْتَه

وحكّمْتَ فيه الدهرَ قبْل احتِكامِهِ

You bestowed abundant wealth as soon as you acquired it,

and let Time rule over it before it claimed dominion.

ولو نال ذو القرْنينِ ما نِلْتَ من غِنًى

بَنى السّدَّ من ذَوْبِ النُّضَارِ وَسامِهِ

Had Dhu al-Qarnayn attained the riches you attained,

he would have built the barrier from his molten gold and silver.

وهلْ يَذْخَرُ الضّرْغامُ قوتاً ليَوْمهِ

إذا ادّخَرَ النّمْلُ الطّعامَ لعامهِ

Does a lion hoard sustenance for his day

when ants store food for their year?

وكم بلَدٍ فارقْتُه مُتَلَهِّماً

عليكَ غَداةَ البيْنِ قلْبُ هُمامهِ

And many a land have I left, with grief

for you, at parting's dawn, in its noble lord's heart.

يَكادُ نسيمُ الرّيحِ مِن نحوِ أرضِهِ

يُخَبّرُنا عن وَجْدِهِ وغرامهِ

The breeze blowing from the direction of his land almost

tells us of his yearning and consuming love.

جَوادٌ يفوتُ الخيْلَ من بَعد ما وَنَى

فكيْفَ يُجارى بعدَ طُولِ جِمامهِ

A noble steed who outstrips horses even after flagging—

how can he be matched after long repose?

هِزَبْرٌ تظلّ الأُسْدُ مِن غُرّ قَوْمِهِ

تَحُفّ به من خلْفه وأمامهِ

A lion: lions from the noblest of his people keep

surrounding him, behind him and before him.

بَنُو الجلَباتِ الباعِثونَ من النّدى

سَرَاياهُ والغازُون وَسْطَ لُهامهِ

The Banu al-Jalabat, who send out generosity's

raiding parties and campaign amid its mighty host.

وهلْ يَدّعي اللّيْلُ الدَّجُوجيُّ أنه

يُضيءُ ضِياء الشمسِ شُهْبُ ظلامهِ

Can the pitch-dark night claim that

the shooting stars of its darkness shine with the sun's radiance?

وما كان يُغني القِرْنَ عن حملِ سيفه

إذا الحَرْبُ شُبّتْ كَثْرةٌ من سِهامهِ

Nor can a combatant be spared carrying his sword,

when war is kindled, by the abundance of his arrows.

ولا يُدرِكُ العُرْبَ الهَجينُ بجُلّهِ

ولا حَلْيِه في سَرْجِه ولِجامهِ

Nor can a crossbred horse catch thoroughbreds with its caparison,

or the ornaments on its saddle and bridle.

ومَن يَبْلُ مِن قبْلِ اللّقاءِ سيوفَه

يُميِّزْ ويعْرِفْ عَضْبَهُ مِن كَهامِهِ

Whoever tests his swords before battle

distinguishes and knows his keen blade from his blunt one.

ولولا سَعِيدٌ باتَ نَدمانَ كَوْكَبٍ

يُريقُ له في الأرْضِ شطْرَ مُدامهِ

But for Sa'id, he would spend the night a star's drinking companion,

a star that pours him half its wine upon the earth.

وكانتْ بَقايا نَعْمةٍ عَضُدِيّةٍ

تَرُدّ إلى الزّوْراء بَعضَ اهتِمامِهِ

And remnants of an Adudi favor

turned some of his concern back toward al-Zawra.

سَرَى نحْوَه والصّبْحُ مَيْتٌ كأنما

يُسائِلُ بالوَخْدِ الثّرى عن رِمامهِ

He journeyed by night toward him, while dawn lay dead, as though

asking the soil, with swift strides, about dawn's decayed remains.

ونكّبَ إلاّ عن قُوَيْقٍ كأنّهُ

يظُنّ سِواهُ زائداً في أُوامِهِ

He avoided all but Quwayq, as though

he thought everything else would increase his thirst.

بعِيسٍ تَجُوبُ الدهرَ جوناً كأنها

مُفتّشَةٌ أحْشاءه عن كِرامِهِ

On pale camels traversing dark Time, as though

searching its entrails for its noble men.

خِفافٍ يُباهي كلُّ هَجْلٍ هَبَطْنَه

بهِنّ على العِلاّتِ رُبْدَ نَعامهِ

Light-footed: every hollow they descend into boasts

of them, despite their hardships, before its gray ostriches.

إذا أرْزَمَتْ فيه المَهاري ولم يُجِبْ

حُوَارٌ أجابَتْ عنه أصداءُ هامهِ

When the Mahri camels rumble there and no

calf answers, its owls' echoes answer in its stead.

ولو وَطِئَتْ في سيرِها جَفْنَ نائمٍ

بأخْفافِها لم يَنْتَبِهْ من مَنامهِ

Were they on their journey to tread a sleeper's eyelid

with their padded feet, he would not wake from sleep.

وكُلِّ وَجِيهِيّ كأنّ رُؤالَه

تحَدّرَ من عِطْفَيْهِ فوْقَ حِزامِهِ

And every Wajihi camel, as though its slaver

had streamed down its two flanks above its girth.

وأعْيَسَ لو وافى به خُرْقَ مِخْيَطٍ

لأنْفَذَهُ من ضُمْرِهِ وانضِمامهِ

And a pale camel: brought to a needle's eye,

it could be passed through, so lean and tightly drawn is it.

يُراقبُ ضَوْءَ الصّبْحِ من كلّ مَطلَعٍ

ولا ضَوْء إلاّ ما بدا مِن لُغامهِ

It watches for dawn's light from every horizon,

but no light appears except from its mouth's foam.

تَذكّرْنَ من ماءِ العواصِمِ شَرْبَةً

وزُرْقُ العَوالي دونَ زُرْقِ جِمامهِ

They remembered a draught of the waters of al-Awasim,

with blue lanceheads barring the way to its blue pools.

فلو نَطَقَ الماءُ النّميرُ مُسَلِّماً

عليْهِنّ لم يَرْدُدْنَ رَجْعَ سَلامهِ

If the pure, sweet water spoke in greeting

to them, they would not return its salutation.

ومُلْتَثِمٍ بالغَلْفَقِ الجَعْدِ عَرّستْ

عليه فلم تَكْشِفْ خَفِيَّ لِثَامهِ

And a pool veiled in curly waterweed: they halted for the night

beside it, yet did not uncover its hidden veil.

وكم بينَ رِيفِ الشأم والكَرْخِ مَنْهَلاً

مَوارِدُهُ ممزوجةٌ بسِمامهِ

And how many a watering-place lies between Syria's countryside and al-Karkh,

its waters mixed with its poisons.

كأنّ الصَّبا فيه تُراقِبُ كامِناً

يثُورُ إليها من خِلالِ إكامهِ

As though the east wind there watched for a lurking foe

who might spring upon it from among its hills.

يمُرّ بهِ رَأدُ الضّحَى مُتنكّراً

مَخافَةَ أن يَغْتَالَه بقَتامِهِ

Early forenoon passes through it in disguise,

fearing to be murdered by its dust.

نَهَارٌ كأنّ البدْرَ قاسى هجِيرَه

فعادَ بلوْنٍ شاحِبٍ من سَهامهِ

A day whose midday heat the full moon seems to have endured,

returning pale from its scorching heat.

بلادٌ يَضِلّ النّجْمُ فيها سبيلَه

وتُثْني دُجاها طيْفَها عن لِمامهِ

Lands where the star loses its way,

and whose darkness turns even their phantom from its visit.

حَنادسُ تُعشي الموْتَ لولا انجِيابُها

عن المرْء ما هَمّ الرّدى باخْتِرامِهِ

Dark glooms that blind Death: were they not to lift

from a man, Doom would never think to snatch him away.

رَجا اللّيْلُ فيها أن يدومَ شبابُه

فلمّا رآها شابَ قبلَ احْتِلامِهِ

Night hoped that there its youth would endure,

but when it saw them, it turned gray before puberty.

فأنْضَى علِيٌّ خيْلَه ورِكابَهُ

ولم يأتِ إلاّ فوْقَ اعْتِزامهِ

So Ali wore out his horses and riding camels,

and accomplished only what surpassed his resolve.

تَشُقّ عُقَيْلاً وهْيَ خُزْرٌ عُيونُها

بكلّ كميّ رِزْقُه من حُسامِهِ

They cut through Uqayl, their eyes looking askance,

with every armored warrior whose sustenance comes from his sword.

ولاقَى دُوَيْنَ الوِرْدِ كلَّ مُغَيَّبٍ

عنِ الرّشْدِ يَقْتادُ الخَنا بزِمامهِ

Just short of the watering-place, he met every man estranged

from sound judgment, leading baseness by its bridle.

أشَدُّ الرّزايا عندَهُ عَقْرُ نابِهِ

وأبْعَدُ شيءٍ ضَيْفُه مِن طَعامِهِ

His gravest calamity is the hamstringing of his old she-camel,

and the furthest thing from his food is his guest.

أخو طمَعٍ لا يَنزِلُ الرّكْبُ أرضَه

فيَرْحَلُ إلا مُوقَراً مِن مَلامهِ

A greedy fellow: no caravan alights in his land

and leaves without being laden with blame for him.

إذا أعرَضَتْ نارُ الحُباحِبِ في الدّجَى

سعَى قابِساً من نارِها بضِرامهِ

When the fire of al-Hubahib appears in the darkness,

he hastens with his tinder to take a spark from it.

وإنْ ضُرِبَتْ أطْنابُه بتَنُوفَةٍ

نَأى الضّبُّ عنها خِيفَةً من عُرامهِ

If his tent ropes are pitched in a wilderness,

the spiny-tailed lizard withdraws, fearing his ferocity.

إذا هِيضَ عظمُ البَكْرِ وَدّ لو أنّه

فَداهُ من الإعْناتِ بعضُ عِظامهِ

When a young camel's bone is rebroken, he wishes that

some of his own bones could ransom it from injury.

وما نَغَمُ الأوْتارِ في سمْعِ أُذْنِهِ

بأحْسَنَ صَوْتاً مِن رُغاء سَوامهِ

The music of strings, to his listening ear,

is no sweeter than his grazing herd's bellowing.

فيا رَبّ لا يَمْرُرْ بدارٍ يحُلّها

من المُزْنِ إلا خالِياتُ جَهامهِ

O Lord, let no clouds pass a dwelling he inhabits

except their empty, rainless masses.

وإن كان غَيْثٌ فاعْدُهُ عن بلادهِ

وإن كان موْتٌ فاسْقِها من زُؤامهِ

If there is rain, turn it away from his lands;

if there is death, drench them in its swift destruction.

ولولا احتِقارٌ من عَلِيّ بشانه

لسَلّ عليه الذّمُّ سيْفَ انتِقامهِ

But for Ali's contempt for his standing,

blame would draw against him the sword of its vengeance.

هوَ الشّهْدُ مَجّتْه الخُطوبُ مرَارَةً

وقد فَغَرَتْ أفْواهَها لالتِهامهِ

He is honey that calamities spat out for bitterness,

though they had opened their mouths wide to devour him.

تَهابُ الأعادي بأسَه وهْوَ ساكِنٌ

كما هِيبَ مَسُّ الجَمْرِ قبل اضطرامهِ

His enemies fear his might even when he is still,

as touching embers is feared before they flare.

ورُبّ جُرازٍ يُتّقَى وهْوَ مُغْمَدٌ

ولُجٍّ تُهالُ النفْسُ دون اقتِحامِهِ

Many a keen sword is feared while sheathed,

and a deep sea terrifies the soul before one plunges into it.

إذا ضَحِكَتْ عُجْباً به كلُّ بلْدةٍ

بكَى مالُه مِنْ ظُلْمِهِ واهتِضامِهِ

When every town laughs in admiration of him,

his wealth weeps at his oppression and mistreatment.

تَحَفّظَ منه خِيفَةً من رَحِيلِهِ

وكم مال مَلْكٍ ضاعَ تحتَ خِتامِهِ

It guards itself against him, afraid of being sent away;

yet many a king's fortune has been lost beneath his seal.

وذامَتْهُ أفْناءُ العِراقِ وإنّما

تَرَحُّلُهُ عنهُنّ أكبَرُ ذامهِ

The clans of Iraq blamed him, but

his leaving them is his greatest fault.

فكان الصّبا إذْ لم يَجِدْ فيه عائِبٌ

مَقالاً لخَلْقٍ عابَهُ بانصِرامهِ

He was youth itself: when no faultfinder found in him

anything to say against his form, he blamed him for passing.

ولو أنّ بَغْدادَ استطاعَتْ لأشّبَتْ

عليه الثّنايا رغْبَةً في مُقامهِ

Had Baghdad been able, it would have entangled

the passes against him, longing for him to stay.

متى يَحْبِسِ الدّجْنُ المُطبِّقُ بارِقاً

يَجُبْهُ ويخْرُجْ ساطعاً من رُكامهِ

Whenever the enveloping overcast imprisons a lightning flash,

it cleaves it and emerges radiant from its piled clouds.

علَيّ لأمْلاكِ البِلادِ نَصِيحَةٌ

يقُومُ بها ذو حِسْبَةٍ في قِيامِهِ

I owe the rulers of the lands a word of counsel,

undertaken by one who seeks divine reward in his service.

أخُصّ بها من كُلّ حَيّ عَمِيدَهُ

وأصْرِفُها مُسْتكبِراً عن طَغامهِ

I reserve it for the chief of every clan,

and disdainfully withhold it from its rabble.

بأنّ علِيّاً كلُّ مَن فازَ بالغِنى

فقِيرٌ إذا لم يَدّخِرْ مِن كلامِهِ

Concerning Ali: everyone who has gained riches

is poor unless he stores up some of his words.

سنَنْتُ لأرْبابِ القَريضِ امتداحَه

كما سَنّ إبراهيمُ حَجَّ مَقامهِ

I have ordained his praise for the masters of verse,

as Abraham ordained pilgrimage to his station.

فيُثْني عليه ضَيْغَمٌ بزَئِيرِهِ

ويُثْني عليه شادِنٌ ببُغامهِ

Thus a lion praises him with its roar,

and a young gazelle praises him with its bleat.

وهذا لأهلِ النّطقِ شَرْعي ومذهَبي

فمَنْ لم يُطِعْني عَقَّ أمْرَ إمامِهِ

This is my law and creed for those who speak;

whoever disobeys me defies his imam's command.