ألا لله بادرة الطلاب — Alsharif Alradi

أَلا لِلَّهِ بادِرَةُ الطِلابِ

وَعَزمٌ لا يُرَوَّعُ بِالعِتابِ

Ah, to God belongs the bold onset of striving,

and a resolve unfrightened by reproach.

وَكُلُّ مُشَمِّرِ البُردَينِ يَهوي

هُويَّ المُصلَتاتِ إِلى الرِقابِ

And every man who tucks up his two cloaks swoops,

as drawn swords swoop toward necks.

أُعاتِبُهُ عَلى بُعدِ التَنائي

وَيَعذُلُني عَلى قُربِ الإِيابِ

I reproach him for the remoteness of his departure,

and he reproaches me for returning so soon.

رَأَيتُ العَجزَ يَخضَعُ لِلَّيالي

وَيَرضى عَن نَوائِبِها الغِضابِ

I have seen weakness submit to the nights,

and accept their wrathful calamities.

وَلَولا صَولَةُ الأَيّامِ دوني

هَجَمتُ عَلى العُلى مِن كُلِّ بابِ

Were it not for the days' onslaught barring me,

I would storm glory through every gate.

وَمِن شِيَمِ الفَتى العَرَبيِّ فينا

وِصالُ البيضِ وَالخَيلِ العِرابِ

And among the traits of the Arab youth among us

is companionship with bright swords and purebred horses.

لَهُ كِذبُ الوَعيدِ مِنَ الأَعادي

وَمِن عاداتِهِ صِدقُ الضَرابِ

For him, the enemies' threats prove false,

and his habit is to strike true.

سَأَدَّرِعُ الصَوارِمَ وَالعَوالي

وَما عُرّيتُ مِن خِلَعِ الشَبابِ

I shall don keen swords and tall spears as armor,

while I have not been stripped of youth's robes of honor.

وَأَشتَمِلُ الدُجى وَالرَكبُ يَمضي

مَضاءَ السَيفِ شَذَّ عَنِ القِرابِ

And I wrap myself in darkness while the caravan advances,

with the swiftness of a sword sprung from its sheath.

وَكَم لَيلٍ عَبَأتُ لَهُ المَطايا

وَنارُ الحَيِّ حائِرَةُ الشِهابِ

How many a night I have readied the mounts for,

while the campfire's flame wavered.

لَقيتُ الأَرضَ شاحِبَةَ المُحَيّا

تَلاعَبُ بِالضَراغِمِ وَالذِئابِ

I found the earth pale of face,

toying with lions and wolves.

فَزِعتُ إِلى الشُحوبِ وَكُنتُ طَلقاً

كَما فَزِعَ المَشيبُ إِلى الخِضابِ

I took refuge in pallor, though I had been bright-faced,

as gray hair takes refuge in dye.

وَلَم نَرَ مِثلَ مُبيَضَّ النَواحي

تُعَذِّبُهُ بِمُسوَدِّ الإِهابِ

And we have never seen the like of the white-sided one,

which you torment with the black-skinned one.

أَبيتُ مُضاجِعاً أَمَلي وَإِنّي

أَرى الآمالَ أَشقى لِلرِكابِ

I spend the night lying beside my hope, and I

see hopes as more wearisome to the mounts.

إِذا ما اليَأسُ خَيَّبَنا رَجَونا

فَشَجَّعَنا الرَجاءُ عَلى الطِلابِ

When despair disappoints us, we hope,

so hope emboldens us to strive.

أَقولُ إِذا اِستَطارَ مِنَ السَواري

زَفونُ القَطرِ رَقّاصُ الحَبابِ

I say, when from the night-traveling clouds there bursts

dancing rain that sets the bubbles dancing,

كَأَنَّ الجَوَّ غَضَّ بِهِ فَأَومى

لِيَقذِفَهُ عَلى قِمَمِ الشِعابِ

as though the sky choked on it and bowed

to hurl it onto the heights of the ravines.

جَديرٌ أَن تُصافِحَهُ الفَيافي

وَيَسحَبُ فَوقَها عَذَبَ الرَبابِ

It deserves that the wastelands clasp its hand,

and it trails the fringes of white clouds over them.

إِذا هَتَمَ التِلاعَ رَأَيتَ مِنهُ

رُضاباً في ثَنيّاتِ الهِضابِ

When it chips the slopes, you see its

saliva in the folds of the hills.

سَقى اللَهُ المَدينَةَ مِن مَحَلٍّ

لُبابَ الماءِ وَالنُطَفِ العِذابِ

May God water Medina, that dwelling-place,

with the choicest water and sweet droplets.

وَجادَ عَلى البَقيعِ وَساكِنيهِ

رَخيُّ الذَيلِ مَلآنُ الوِطابِ

And may there pour upon al-Baqiʿ and its dwellers

a cloud with loose-flowing hem and brimming milk-skins;

وَأَعلامُ الغَريِّ وَما اِستَباحَت

مَعالِمُها مِنَ الحَسَبِ اللُبابِ

and upon the landmarks of al-Ghari, and what

their monuments have claimed of pure ancestral honor;

وَقَبراً بِالطُفوفِ يَضُمُّ شِلواً

قَضى ظَمَأً إِلى بَردِ الشَرابِ

and a grave at al-Tufuf that enfolds a torn body,

that died thirsting for a drink's coolness;

وَسامَرّا وَبَغداداً وَطوساً

هُطولَ الوَدقِ مُنحَرِقَ العُبابِ

and Samarra, Baghdad, and Tus,

with rain pouring down, its swelling flood bursting forth.

قُبورٌ تَنطُفُ العَبَراتُ فيها

كَما نَطَفَ الصَبيرُ عَلى الرَوابي

Graves where tears drip,

as a dense cloud drips upon the hills.

فَلَو بَخِلَ السَحابُ عَلى ثَراها

لَذابَت فَوقَها قِطَعُ السَرابِ

For if the clouds were miserly toward their soil,

the patches of mirage above them would melt.

سَقاكَ فَكَم ظَمِئتُ إِلَيكَ شَوقاً

عَلى عُدَواءِ داري وَاِقتِرابي

May it water you! How often I have thirsted for you in longing,

despite my home's remoteness and my nearness.

تَجافي يا جَنوبَ الريحِ عَنّي

وَصوني فَضلَ بُردِكِ عَن جَنابي

Keep away from me, O south wind,

and keep your cloak's trailing folds away from my side.

وَلا تَسري إِلَيَّ مَعَ اللَيالي

وَما اِستَحقَبتُ مِن ذاكَ التُرابِ

And do not travel to me with the nights,

unless you have packed some of that soil.

قَليلٌ أَن تُقادَ لَهُ الغَوادي

وَتُنحَرَ فيهِ أَعناقُ السَحابِ

It is little enough that morning clouds be driven to it,

and the necks of clouds be slaughtered there.

أَما شَرِقَ التُرابُ بِساكِنيهِ

فَيَلفَظَهُم إِلى النِعَمِ الرُغابِ

Has the soil not choked on its dwellers,

so it might spit them out into lavish blessings?

فَكَم غَدَتِ الضَغائِنُ وَهيَ سَكرى

تُديرُ عَلَيهِمُ كَأسَ المُصابِ

For how often hatreds have gone forth drunk,

passing among them the cup of affliction.

صَلاةُ اللَهِ تَخفُقُ كُلَّ يَومٍ

عَلى تِلكَ المَعالِمِ وَالقِبابِ

God's blessing flutters every day

over those monuments and domes.

وَإِنّي لا أَزالُ أَكُرُّ عَزمي

وَإِن قَلَّت مُساعَدَةُ الصِحابِ

And I never cease to rally my resolve,

even if my companions offer little aid.

وَأَختَرِقُ الرِياحَ إِلى نَسيمٍ

تَطَلَّعَ مِن تُرابِ أَبي تُرابِ

And I cut through the winds toward a breeze

that rises from the soil of Abu Turab.

بِوَدّي أَن تُطاوِعَني اللَيالي

وَيَنشَبَ في المُنى ظِفري وَنابي

I wish the nights would obey me,

and my claw and fang would sink into my wishes.

فَأَرمي العيسَ نَحوَكُمُ سِهاماً

تَغَلغَلُ بَينَ أَحشاءِ الرَوابي

Then I would launch the pale camels toward you as arrows,

burrowing through the entrails of the hills.

تَرامى بِاللُغامِ عَلى طُلاها

كَما اِنحَدَرَ الغُثاءُ عَنِ العُقابِ

They fling foam across their necks,

as flood-debris tumbles down from the great crag.

وَأَجنُبُ بَينَها خُرقَ المَذاكي

فَأَملي بِاللُغامِ عَلى اللُغابِ

And I lead swift, full-grown steeds among them,

so I dictate in foam upon exhaustion.

لَعَلّي أَن أَبُلَّ بِكُم غَليلاً

تَغَلغَلَ بَينَ قَلبي وَالحِجابِ

Perhaps through you I may slake a burning thirst

that has sunk deep between my heart and its veil.

فَما لُقياكُمُ إِلّا دَليلٌ

عَلى كَنزِ الغَنيمَةِ وَالثَوابِ

For meeting you is nothing but a guide

to a treasure of gain and reward.

وَلي قَبرانِ بِالزَوراءِ أَشفي

بِقُربِهِما نِزاعي وَاِكتِئابي

And I have two graves in al-Zawra, where I heal

my yearning and sorrow by drawing near them.

أَقودُ إِلَيهِما نَفسي وَأُهدي

سَلاماً لا يَحيدُ عَنِ الجَوابِ

I lead my soul to them and offer

a greeting that never misses its reply.

لِقاؤُهُما يُطَهِّرُ مِن جَناني

وَيَدرَأُ عَن رِدائي كُلَّ عابِ

Meeting them purifies my heart,

and wards every blemish from my cloak.

قَسيمُ النارِ جَدّي يَومَ يُلقى

بِهِ بابُ النَجاةِ مِنَ العَذابِ

The divider of the Fire is my grandsire, on the day when

through him the gate of salvation from torment is found;

وَساقي الخَلقِ وَالمُهَجاتُ حَرّى

وَفاتِحَةُ الصِراطِ إِلى الحِسابِ

and the giver of drink to creation when souls are parched,

and the opening of the path to the reckoning;

وَمَن سَمَحَت بِخاتَمِهِ يَمينٌ

تَضَنُّ بِكُلِّ عالِيَةِ الكِعابِ

and he whose right hand freely gave his ring,

yet jealously keeps every high-jointed spear.

أَما في بابِ خَيبَرَ مُعجِزاتٌ

تُصَدَّقُ أَو مُناجاةُ الحِبابِ

Are there not miracles in the gate of Khaybar,

to be believed—or in the serpent's whispered converse?

أَرادَت كَيدَهُ وَاللَهُ يَأبى

فَجاءَ النَصرُ مِن قِبَلِ الغُرابِ

It sought to plot against him, but God refused,

so help came from the raven.

أَهَذا البَدرُ يُكسَفُ بِالدَياجي

وَهَذي الشَمسُ تُطمَسُ بِالضَبابِ

Can this full moon be eclipsed by dark nights,

and this sun be blotted out by fog?

وَكانَ إِذا اِستَطالَ عَلَيهِ جانٍ

يَرى تَركَ العِقابِ مِنَ العِقابِ

And whenever an offender acted insolently toward him,

he deemed forgoing punishment a kind of punishment.

أَرى شَعبانَ يُذكِرُني اِشتِياقي

فَمَن لي أَن يُذَكِّرَكُم ثَوابي

I see Sha'ban reminding me of my yearning;

then who will remind you, for me, of my reward?

بِكُم في الشِعرِ فَخري لا بِشِعري

وَعَنكُم طالَ باعي في الخِطابِ

My pride in poetry is in you, not in my verse,

and in speaking of you, my reach in discourse grows long.

أُجَلُّ عَنِ القَبائِحِ غَيرَ أَنّي

لَكُم أَرمي وَأُرمى بِالسِبابِ

I am above vile deeds, except that

for your sake I hurl insults and am pelted with them.

فَأَجهَرُ بِالوَلاءِ وَلا أُوَرّي

وَأَنطِقُ بِالبَراءِ وَلا أُحابي

So I proclaim allegiance aloud and do not dissemble,

and declare disavowal, showing no favoritism.

وَمَن أَولى بِكُم مِنّي وَليّاً

وَفي أَيديكُمُ طَرَفُ اِنتِسابي

And who is more entitled than I to be your loyal friend,

when one end of my lineage is in your hands?

مُحِبُّكُمُ وَلَو بَغِضَت حَياتي

وَزائِرُكُم وَلَو عُقِرَت رِكابي

I am your lover, even if my life grows hateful,

and your visitor, even if my mounts are hamstrung.

تُباعِدُ بَينَنا غَيرُ اللَيالي

وَمَرجِعُنا إِلى النَسَبِ القَرابُ

The vicissitudes of the nights keep us apart,

yet our return is to close kinship.