أعن وخد القلاص كشفت حالا — Almaarri

أعَن وَخْدِ القِلاصِ كشَفْتِ حالا

ومن عِند الظّلام طَلَبتِ مالا

Have you learned anything of the young camels' trotting,

and sought wealth at the hands of darkness?

ودُرّاً خِلْتِ أنْجُمَه عليه

فهلاّ خِلْتِهِنّ به ذُبالا

You imagined its stars to be pearls upon it;

why not imagine them to be wicks within it?

وقُلْتِ الشّمْسُ بالبَيْداءِ تِبْرٌ

ومِثْلُكِ مَنْ تَخَيّلَ ثُمّ خالا

You said, 'The sun in the wilderness is raw gold';

one like you imagines, then supposes.

وفي ذَوْب اللُّجَيْنِ طَمِعْتِ لمّا

رأيْتِ سَرَابَها يَغْشَى الرّمَالا

You coveted molten silver when

you saw its mirage covering the sands.

رَمَاكِ اللّهُ مِنْ نُوقٍ بِرُوقٍ

من السّنَواتِ تُثْكِلُكِ الإفالا

May God strike you, O camel that feigns pregnancy,

with drought years that bereave you of your calves.

فقد أكْثَرْتِ نُقْلَتَنا وكانتْ

صِغارُ الشُّهب أسْرَعَهَا انْتِقالا

You have made us move so often; and

the smaller stars were the swiftest to move.

تُذَكّرُكِ الثَّوِيَةَ مِنْ ثُدَيٍّ

ضَلالٌ ما أرَدْتِ به ضَلالا

From Thudayy, al-Thawiyya comes back to your mind—

a wandering by which you meant no wandering.

ولَوْ أنّ المَطِيّ لها عُقُولٌ

وَجَدَّكِ لم نَشُدّ بها عقالا

If the riding camels had minds,

by your good fortune, we would fasten no hobble on them.

مُوَاصَلَةً بها رَحْلي كأنّي

عنِ الدّنْيا أُريدُ بها انْفِصَالا

Keeping my saddle ever upon them, as though I

sought through them to part from the world.

سألْنَ فقلْت مَقْصِدُنا سعيدٌ

فكانَ اسْمُ الأمِيرِ لهُنّ فالا

They asked, and I said, 'Our destination is Sa'id';

the prince's name became a good omen to them.

مِكَلِّفُ خَيْلِهِ قَنَصَ الأعَادي

وجاعِلُ غابِهِ الأسَلَ الطّوَالا

He charges his horses with hunting enemies,

and makes tall spears his forest.

تَكادُ قِسِيُّهُ مِنْ غيرِ رامٍ

تُمَكّنُ في قُلُوبِهِمُ النّبَالا

His bows almost, without an archer,

plant arrows in their hearts.

تكادُ سُيُوفُهُ مِنْ غَيرِ سَلٍّ

تُجِدّ إلى رِقابِهِمُ انْسِلالا

His swords almost, without being drawn,

hasten to slip toward their necks.

تَكادُ سَوَابِقٌ حَمَلَتْهُ تُغْني

عنِ الأقْدارِ صَوْناً وابْتِذالا

The coursers that have borne him almost replace

fate itself, in preserving and laying low.

نَشَأنَ مع النَّعَامِ بكُلّ دَوٍّ

فقَدْ ألِفَتْ نتائِجُها الرّئالا

They grew up with ostriches in every wilderness;

their foals have thus grown familiar with ostrich chicks.

ولمّا لم يُسابِقْهُنّ شَيءٌ

مِنَ الحَيَوانِ سابَقْنَ الظّلالا

When nothing could race against them

among living creatures, they raced the shadows.

تَرَى أعْطَافَها تَرمي حَميماً

كأجْنِحَةِ البُزَاةِ نِسالا

You see their flanks casting off hot sweat,

like falcons' wings shedding feathers.

وقد ذابَتْ بِنارِ الحِقْدِ منها

شَكائِمُها فمازَجَتِ الرُّوَالا

Within them, the fire of rancor has melted

their bits, which have mingled with their drool.

يُذِقْنَ بَني العُصَاةِ اليُتْمَ صِرْفاً

ويَتْرُكْنَ الجَآذِرَ والسِّخَالا

They make rebels' sons taste undiluted orphanhood,

but leave the wild calves and lambs alone.

فما يَرْمِينَ بالآجالِ إجْلاً

وَيَرمِينَ المَقَانِبَ والرِّعَالا

They do not strike a herd of wild cattle with death,

but strike cavalry troops and detachments.

يُغادِرْنَ الكَواعِبَ حاسِرَاتٍ

يُنِلْنَ مِن العُداةِ من اسْتَنالا

They leave full-breasted maidens bare-headed,

who grant their favors to whichever enemy asks.

يَبِعْنَ تُراثَ آباءٍ كِرَام

ويَشْرِينَ الحُجُولَ أوِ الحِجالا

They sell the inheritance of noble fathers,

and buy anklets or bridal curtains.

يُغاَلِينَ المَدَارِعَ والمَدَاري

وَيُرْخِصْنَ المَنَاصِلَ والنّصَالا

They raise the prices of gowns and combs,

and cheapen swords and weapon-points.

يُمِلّ بها السّباسِبَ والمَوَامي

فتىً لم تَخْشَ هِمّتُه مَلالا

With them he wearies the plains and wastes—

a youth whose resolve has never feared weariness.

ذكيُّ القَلْبِ يَخْضِبُها نَجِيعاً

بما جَعَلَ الحَرِيرَ لها جِلالا

Keen of heart, he dyes them with fresh blood,

in return for having made silk their trappings.

مَتى يُذْمِمْ على بَلَدٍ بِسَوْطٍ

فقدْ أمِنَ المُثَقَّفَةَ النِّهالا

Whenever he grants a land protection with a whip,

it is safe from straightened, bloodthirsty spears.

إذا سقَتِ السماءُ الأرْضَ سَجْلاً

سَقاها من صَوارِمِهِ سِجالا

When the sky waters the earth with a bucketful,

he waters it with bucketfuls from his sharp swords.

ويُضْحي والحديدُ عليه شاكٍ

وتَكْفِيهِ مَهابَتُهُ النّزَالا

He enters morning while the iron upon him complains,

though his awe alone spares him combat.

فيُفْني الدّرْعَ لُبْساً واليَماني

صِحاباً والرُّدَيْنيَّ اعْتِقالا

He wears out his armor by wearing it, and his Yemeni sword

by companionship, and his Rudayni spear by couching it.

يَبِيتُ مُسَهَّداً واللّيْلُ يَدْعو

بضوْءِ الصّبْح خالِقَه ابْتِهالا

He spends the night sleepless, while night invokes

its Creator, fervently entreating for morning's light.

إذا سَئِمَتْ مُهَنَّدَهُ يَمِينٌ

لِطُولِ الحَمْلِ بَدّلَه شِمالا

When a right hand tires of his Indian sword

from long bearing, he replaces it with the left.

أفادَ المُرْهَفاتِ ضِياءَ عَزْمٍ

فصارَ على جَواهِرِهَا صِقالا

He gave the keen blades the light of resolve,

which became polish upon their steel.

وأبْصَرَتِ الذّوَابِلُ منه عَدْلاً

فأصْبَحَ في عَوَامِلِها اعْتِدالا

The slender spears saw justice in him,

and it became straightness in their tips.

وجُنْحٍ يَمْلأ الفَوْدَينِ شَيْباً

ولكنْ يَجْعَلُ الصّحْرَاءَ خَالا

And many a nightfall fills both temples with gray,

yet makes the desert a black mole.

أرَدنا أن نَصِيدَ به مَهاةً

فقَطَّعَتِ الحبَائِلَ والحِبالا

We wished to hunt a white antelope in it,

but she snapped the snares and cords.

ونَمّ بِطَيْفِها السّاري جَوَادٌ

فجَنّبَنَا الزّيارَةَ والوِصَالا

A steed betrayed her night-roaming phantom,

and denied us her visit and union.

وأيْقَظَ بالصّهيلِ الرّكبَ حتى

ظَنَنْتُ صَهِيلَهُ قِيلاً وقالا

Its neighing awakened the caravan until

I thought its neighing was gossip and chatter.

ولولا غَيْرَةٌ منْ أعْوَجيّ

لَبَاتَ يَرى الغزالَةَ والغزَالا

Were it not for an A'waji steed's jealousy,

it would have watched the gazelle-doe and gazelle-buck all night.

يُحِسّ إذا الخَيَالُ دنا إلينا

فيَمْنَعُ من تَعَهّدِنا الخَيالا

It senses when the phantom draws near us,

and prevents the phantom from visiting us.

سَرَى بَرْقُ المَعَرّةِ بَعدَ وَهْنٍ

فباتَ بَرامَةٍ يَصِفُ الكَلالا

Lightning from al-Ma'arra traveled after night had worn on,

and spent the night at Rama describing its weariness.

شَجَا رَكْباً وأفْراساً وإبْلاً

وزاد فكاد أنْ يَشْجو الرّحالا

It saddened riders, horses, and camels,

and went further, almost saddening the saddles.

بها كانتْ جيادُهُمُ مِهاراً

وهُمْ مُرْداً وبُزْلُهُمُ فِصالا

There their steeds had been foals,

and they beardless youths, and their mature camels weanlings.

وَمَنْ صَحِبَ اللْيالي عَلّمَتْهُ

خِداعَ الإلْفِ والقيلَ المُحالا

Whoever has kept company with nights, they have taught him

the deceit of intimates and absurd talk.

وغَيّرَتِ الخُطوبَ عليه حتّى

تُرِيهِ الذَّرَّ يَحْمِلْنَ الجِبالا

They vary his ordeals until

they show him tiny ants carrying mountains.

فلَيْتَ شَبَابَ قَوْمٍ كان شَيْباً

ولَيْتَ صِباهُمُ كان اكتِهَالا

Would that a people's youth had been gray old age,

and their boyhood had been middle age.

صَحِبْنا بالبُدَيّةِ من حُصَيْنٍ

وحِصْنٍ شَرَّ مَن صَحِبَ الرّجالا

At al-Budayya we kept company with men of Husayn

and Hisn—the worst ever to keep company with men.

إذا سُقِيَتْ ضُيوفُ الناسِ محضاً

سَقَوْا أضْيافَهُمْ شَبِماً زُلالا

When other people's guests are given pure milk,

they give their guests cold, clear water.

ولكِنْ بالعَواصِمِ من عَدِيّ

أمِيرٌ لا يُكَلّفُنا السّؤالا

But in al-'Awasim, from 'Adi,

there is a prince who does not make us ask.

إذا خَفَقَتْ لمَغْرِبِها الثّريّا

تَوَقّتْ من أسِنّتِهِ اغْتِيالا

When the Pleiades flutter toward their setting,

they guard against a stealthy killing by his spearheads.

ولو شمْسُ الضّحى قَدَرَتْ لعادتْ

مُشَرِّقَةً إذا رأتِ الزّوالا

If the morning sun could, it would turn back

eastward when it saw its decline.

فقُلْ لمُجيلِهَا فوقَ الأعادي

إذا ما لم يَجِدْ فَرَسٌ مَجَالا

Then say to him who wheels it above the enemies,

when a horse finds no room to maneuver:

لقد جشّمْتَ طِرْفَكَ مُثْقِلاتٍ

فجَشّمَهُنّ أرْبَعَةً عِجالا

'You have burdened your steed with weighty tasks;

so it burdened them with four swift hooves.'

أذَالَ الجَرْيُ منه زَبَرْجَدِيّاً

وما حَقُّ الزّبَرْجَدِ أن يُذالا

Running has put its chrysolite-colored body to hard use,

and chrysolite ought not to be so abased.

وقد يُلْفَى زَبَرْجَدُهُ عَقيقاً

إذا شهِدَ الأميرُ به القِتالا

Yet its chrysolite may be found to be carnelian

when the prince enters battle upon it.

أخفَّ من الوَجِيهِ يداً ورِجْلاً

وأكْرَمَ في الجِيادِ أباً وخالا

Lighter than al-Wajih in foreleg and hindleg,

and nobler among steeds in sire and maternal uncle.

وكُلُّ ذُؤابَةٍ في رأسِ خَوْدٍ

تَمنّى أنْ تَكونَ له شِكالا

Every tress upon a maiden's head

wishes to become a hobble for it.

يَوَدّ التّبْرُ لو أمْسَى حَديداً

إذا حُذِيَ الحَديدُ له نِعالا

Raw gold wishes it might become iron

when iron is fashioned as its horseshoes.

إذا ما الغَيْمُ لم يُمْطِرْ بِلاداً

فإنّ له على يدِكَ اتّكالا

When the cloud fails to rain upon a land,

it has your hand to rely on.

ولو أنّ الرّياحَ تَهُبّ غَرْباً

وقُلْتَ لها هَلا هَبّتْ شِمالا

Even if the winds were blowing westward,

and you called 'Hala!' to them, they would blow northward.

وأُقْسِمُ لو غَضِبْتَ على ثَبِيرٍ

لأزْمَعَ عن مَحِلّتِهِ ارْتِحالا

I swear, if you were angry with Thabir,

it would resolve to depart from its dwelling.

فإنْ عَشِقَتْ صَوارِمُكَ الهَوادي

فلا عَدِمَتْ بمنْ تَهَوى اتّصَالا

If your keen swords have fallen in love with necks,

may they never lack union with those they love.

ولولا ما بسَيْفِكَ مِن نُحُولٍ

لقُلْنا أظْهَرَ الكَمَدَ انْتِحالا

Were it not for the thinness in your sword,

we would say it only feigned its show of grief.

سَليلُ النارِ دَقّ وَرَقّ حتى

كأنّ أباه أوْرَثَهُ السُّلالا

An offspring of fire, it grew fine and thin until

its father seemed to have bequeathed it wasting sickness.

مُحَلّى البُرْدِ تَحْسَبُهُ تَرَدَّى

نُجُومَ اللّيْلِ وانْتَعَلَ الهِلالا

With its mantle adorned, you think it has robed itself in

the stars of night and shod itself with the crescent.

مُقيمُ النّصْلِ في طَرَفَيْ نَقيضٍ

يكُونُ تَبايُنٌ منه اشْتِكالا

Its blade stands at the two poles of contradiction;

in it, difference becomes resemblance.

تَبَيّنُ فَوْقَهُ ضَحْضَاحَ ماءٍ

وتُبْصِرُ فيه للنّارِ اشْتِعالا

You discern above it a shallow sheet of water,

yet see within it fire ablaze.

غَرَاراهُ لِسانَا مَشْرَفِيّ

يَقُولُ غَرَائبَ المَوْتِ ارْتِجالا

Its two edges are the tongues of a Mashrafi sword;

it speaks death's marvels extempore.

إذا بُصِرَ الأميرُ وقد نَضَاهُ

بأعْلى الجَوّ ظُنّ عليه آلا

When the prince is seen, having unsheathed it,

high in the air, a mirage is imagined upon it.

وَدَبّتْ فوْقه حُمْرُ المَنَايا

ولكِنْ بَعدما مُسِخَتْ نِمالا

Red deaths crept upon it,

but only after being transformed into ants.

يُذيبُ الرّعْبُ منه كلَّ عَضْبٍ

فلوْلا الغِمْدُ يُمْسِكُهُ لَسَالا

Terror from it melts every keen sword;

were the sheath not holding it, it would flow away.

ومَنْ يَكُ ذا خَليلٍ غَيْرِ سَيْفٍ

يُصَادِفُ في مَوَدّتِهِ اخْتِلالا

Whoever has a friend other than a sword

finds a flaw in that friend's affection.

وذي ظمَإٍ ولَيْسَ بِهِ حَياةٌ

تَيَقَّنَ طولَ حامِلِهِ فطالا

And many a thirsty thing, though it has no life,

knew its bearer's height, and so grew long.

تَوَهَّمَ كلَّ سابِغَةٍ غَديراً

فَرَنّقَ يَشْرَبُ الحَلَقَ الدُّخالا

It imagined every ample coat of mail a pool,

and hovered, drinking the interlocking rings.

مَلأتَ به صُدوراً مِن أُنَاسٍ

فلاقتْ عن ضَغائِنها اشْتِغالا

With it you filled the breasts of people,

and they found distraction from their grudges.

لِيَهْنِكَ في المكارِم والمعَالي

كَمَالٌ عَلّمَ القَمَرَ الكَمالا

May you be blessed, in noble deeds and high attainments, with

a perfection that taught the moon perfection,

وأنْكَ لوْ تَعَلّقَتِ الرّزايا

بنَعْلِكَ ما قَطَعْنَ لها قِبالا

and with this: if calamities clung

to your sandal, they would not sever even its thong.

حَفظْتَ المُسْلِمِينَ وقَدْ تَوالَتْ

سَحائِبُ تَحْمِلُ النُّوَبَ الثِّقالا

You protected the Muslims while there followed one another

clouds bearing heavy calamities.

وصُنْتَ عِيالَهُمْ إذْ كُلُّ عَينٍ

تَعُدّ سَوَادَ ناظِرِها عِيالا

You guarded their dependents, when every eye

counted its pupil's blackness as a dependent.

بوَقْتٍ لا يُطِيقُ اللّيْثُ فيه

مُساوَرَةً ولا السِّيدُ اخْتِتالا

In a time when the lion could not

spring to attack, nor the wolf stalk stealthily.

وأنْتَ أجَلّ من عِيدٍ تُهَنّى

بِعَوْدَتِهِ فهُنّيتَ الجَلالا

You are greater than a festival for which you are congratulated

on its return; so be congratulated on your grandeur.

ومُرْ بفِرَاقِ شِيمتِها الليالي

تُجِبْكَ إلى إرادتِكَ امْتِثالا

Command the nights to abandon their nature;

they will accede to your wish in obedience.