رضينا الظبى من عناق الظبا — Alsharif Alradi

رَضينا الظُبى مِن عِناقِ الظِبا

وَضَربَ الطُلى مِن وِصالِ الطَلا

We chose blade-edges over the embrace of gazelles,

and striking necks over union with fawns.

وَلَم نَرضَ بِالبَأسِ دونَ السَماحِ

وَلا بِالمَحامِدِ دونَ الجَدا

We would not settle for valor without generosity,

nor for praiseworthy deeds without bounty.

وَقُمنا نَجُرُّ ذُيولَ الرَجا

وَتَرعى العُيونُ بُروقَ المُنى

We rose, trailing the hems of hope,

while eyes watched the lightning-flashes of desire,

إِلى أَن ظَفِرنا بِكَأسِ النَجي

عِ فَالرُمحُ يَشرَبُ حَتّى اِنتَشى

until we won a cup of fresh blood—

and the spear drank until it grew drunk.

وَمِلنا عَلى القورِ مِن نَقعِنا

بِأَوسَعَ مِنها وَأَعلى بِنا

We swept upon the flat-topped hills with our dust,

in a cloud broader than they, bearing us higher.

وَلِلخَيلِ في أَرضِنا جَولَةٌ

تَحَلَّلَ عَنها نِطاقُ الثَرى

The horses make a charge across our land,

from which the earth's girdle comes undone.

أَثَرنا عَلَيها صُدورَ الرِما

حِ يَمرَحُ في ظِلِّهِنَّ الرَدى

We raised above them the breasts of spears;

death frolics in their shade.

فَجاءَت تَدَفَّقُ في جَريِها

كَما أُفرِغَت في الحِياضِ الدِلا

They came pouring forth in their running,

as buckets are emptied into watering-troughs.

وَلَيلٍ مَرَرنا بِظَلمائِهِ

نُضاوي كَواكِبَهُ بِالظُبى

Many a night we passed through its darkness,

matching its stars in brilliance with our blades.

إِذا مُدَّتِ النارُ باعَ الشُعاعِ

مَدَدنا إِلَيها ذِراعَ القِرى

When fire stretched an armspan of radiance,

we stretched toward it the arm of hospitality.

وَيَومٍ تَعَطَّفُ فيهِ الجِيا

دُ تَشرَقُ أَلوانُها بِالدِما

And many a day the steeds wheeled about,

their colors gleaming with blood.

فَما بَرِحَت حَلبَةُ السابِقا

تِ تورِدُنا عَفَواتِ المَدى

The pack of racing steeds never ceased

bringing us to the untouched reaches of the course,

بِرَكضٍ يُصَدِّعُ صَدرَ الوِها

دِ حَتّى تَئِنَّ قُلوبَ الصَفا

with a gallop splitting the breast of the valleys,

until the hearts of hard rocks groaned.

يَلوذُ بِأَبياتِنا الخائِفو

نَ حَتّى طَرائِدُ وَحشِ الفَلا

The fearful seek refuge in our tents—

even the hunted wild beasts of the wilderness.

وَتُصغي لَنا فارِياتُ الخُطو

بِ قَواضِبَ ما آجَنَت بِالصَدا

The cleavers of calamities incline to us—

keen blades never tainted by rust.

يُبَشِّرُها بُعدُ هِمّاتِنا

بِأَنَّ الحِمامَ قَريبُ الخُطا

The far reach of our ambitions gives them glad tidings

that death's steps are near.

وَجَوٍّ تَقَلَّبُ فيهِ الرِيا

حُ بَينَ الجَنوبِ وَبَينَ الصَبا

And many an expanse where winds shift

between the south wind and the east wind:

سَلَلنا النَواظِرَ في عَرضِهِ

فَطَوَّلَ مِن شَأوِها المُنتَضى

we unsheathed our gazes across its breadth;

the bared expanse then stretched their reach.

تُصافِحُ مِنهُ لِحاظَ العُيونِ

مَريضَ النَسيمِ أَريضَ الرُبى

There the eyes' glances meet

soft-breezed land with lush, spacious hills.

وَإِنّي عَلى شَغَفي بِالوِقارِ

أَحِنُّ إِلى خَطَراتِ الصِبا

And I, despite my passion for dignity,

yearn for the impulses of youth.

وَمِمّا يُزَهِّدُني في الزَمانِ

وَيَجذِبُني عَن جَميعِ الوَرى

Among what makes me disdain this age

and draws me away from all mankind

أَخٌ ثَقَّفَ المَجدُ أَخلاقَهُ

وَأَشعَرَ أَيّامَهُ بِالعُلى

is a brother whose character glory refined,

clothing his days in eminence,

وَأَنكَحَهُ بِهَديِّ السَنا

وَطَلَّقهُ مِن قَبيحِ النَشا

wedding him to the bride of radiance,

and divorcing him from base upbringing.

وَقورٌ إِذا زَعزَعَتهُ الخُصو

مُ وَاِنفَرَجَت حَلَقاتُ الحُبى

Dignified when adversaries shake him

and the loops of knee-bindings come undone.

إِذا هَزهَزَ الرُمحَ رَوّى السِنا

نِ وَاِستَمطَرَ السَيفُ هامَ العِدى

When he brandishes the spear, he slakes its point,

and the sword draws rain from his enemies' heads.

وَما هُوَ إِلّا شِهابُ الظَلا

مِ صافَحَ لَحظي بِحُسنِ الرُوا

He is nothing but a shooting star in darkness,

meeting my gaze with beauty of appearance.

يَقُصُّ وَمِن غَيرِ سَهمٍ أَصابَ

وَيَرمي وَمِن غَيرِ قَوسٍ رَمى

He fells, striking home without an arrow,

and shoots, loosing his shot without a bow.

فَغَيثٌ يُعانِقُني في السَحابِ

وَبَدرٌ يُنادِمُني في السَما

Thus, a raincloud embracing me among the clouds,

and a full moon drinking with me in the sky.

سَقاني عَلى القُربِ كاسَ الإِخا

ءِ مَطلولَةً بِنَسيمِ الصَفا

He gave me, close beside him, the cup of brotherhood,

bedewed by the breeze of sincerity.

فَلِلَّهِ كاسٌ صَرَعتُ الهُمو

مَ بِسَورَتِها وَعَقَرتُ الأَسى

God bless that cup! I felled my cares

with its heady force, and hamstrung sorrow.

وَسِربٍ تُنَفِّرُهُ بِالرِماحِ

وَوَعدٍ تُعَفِّرُهُ بِالعَطا

Many a herd you scatter with lances,

and many a promise you humble with giving;

وَماءٍ تُصارِعُهُ بِالرِكابِ

وَجَيشٍ تُقارِعُهُ بِالقَنا

many a water you wrestle with your riding-camels,

and many an army you clash with using spears;

وَيَومٍ تُسَوِّدُهُ بِالعَجاجِ

وَنادٍ تُبَيِّضُهُ بِالنَدى

many a day you blacken with battle-dust,

and many a gathering you brighten with bounty.

سَناءٌ تَبَلَّدُ عَنهُ السَماءُ

وَمَجدٌ سَها عَن مَداهُ السُها

A splendor before which the sky grows dull,

a glory whose reach Suha fails to perceive.

بَني خَلَفٍ أَنتُمُ في الزَمانِ

غُيوثُ العَطارِ لُيوثُ الوَغى

Sons of Khalaf, in this age you are

rainclouds of bounty, lions of battle.

بُدورٌ إِذا اِزدَحَمَت في الظَلا

مِ شَمَّرَ بُردَيهِ عَنها الدُجى

Full moons: when they crowd in the darkness,

night draws its two cloaks back from them.

حَرِيّونَ إِن نُسِبوا بِالسَماحِ

جَرِيّونَ في كُلِّ أَمرٍ عَرا

Worthy, when credited with generosity;

bold in every matter that arises.

لَهُم كُلَّ يَومٍ إِلى الغادِري

نَ جَمعٌ تَقَلقَلَ عَنهُ الفَضا

Each day they have, against the treacherous,

a host that makes the open expanse quake.

حَلَفتُ بِسابِحَةٍ في الفِجاجِ

تَمزُجُ أَخفافَها بِالذُرى

I swore by a she-camel swimming through the passes,

mingling her padded feet with the summits,

وَتَنهَضُ في صَهَواتِ الهَجي

رِ بَينَ النِعامِ وَبَينَ المَها

surging over the ridges of noonday heat,

between ostriches and oryx,

بِخَطوٍ يُمَزِّقُ بُردَ الصَعيدِ

وَرَكضٍ يُلَطِّمُ وَجهَ المَلا

with strides rending the ground's cloak

and a gallop slapping the open plain's face.

هَبَبنَ وَلَم تُغرِهِنَّ الخُداةُ

فَقامَ الهِبابُ مَقامَ الحُدا

They sped off, unurged by camel-drivers;

their eagerness took the place of the driving-song.

تَحُطُّ رَحائِلَها بِالمُقامِ

وَتُلقي أَزِمَّتَها بِالصَفا

They lay down their saddles at al-Maqam

and cast their reins at al-Safa.

لَقَد حَلَّ وِدُّكَ مِن مُهجَتي

بِحَيثُ يُقيلُ الأَسى وَالإِسا

Your affection has lodged in my heart's core,

where sorrow and solace take their rest.

وَحاشاكَ أَن تَستَسِرَّ الوَدادَ

وَتُرمِدَ بِالهَجرِ طَرفَ الهَوى

Far be it from you to conceal affection

and make love's eye sore through estrangement.

لِبَذلِ النَدى إِن ثَويتَ الثَوى

وَفَلِّ العِدى إِن سَرَيتَ السُرى

Your staying, if you stay, is to bestow bounty;

your night-travel, if you travel, is to shatter foes.

رَأَيتَ عَليّاً يَرُدُّ الرَسيلَ

حَسيرَ القَوائِمِ دامي القَرا

You have seen Ali turn his rival back,

weary-legged and bleeding along the back.

إِذا الرَكبُ حَطَّ بِأَبوابِهِ

تَنَفَّضَ عَنهُ غُبارُ النَوى

When a caravan halts at his gates,

the dust of separation shakes loose from it.

وَإِن سَلَكَ البَرَّ هَزَّ الرَعا

نَ حَتّى يُنَفَّرَ ذَودَ القَطا

If he crosses the wilderness, he shakes the mountain spurs

until he startles the flocks of sandgrouse,

بِكُلِّ مُعَوِّذَةٍ بِالحَدي

دِ إِن رَوَّعَتها نِبالُ العِدى

with every mare warded by iron,

if the enemies' arrows frighten her.

سَأَشدو بِذِكرِكِ ما اِستَعبَرَت

مَطِيٌّ يُسَلِّمُ فيها الوَجى

I shall sing your name while tears still flow

from camels in which footsoreness sends its greeting.

وَأُصفيكَ وُدّي وَبَعضُ الرِجا

لِ يَمزِجُ بِالوُدِّ ماءَ القِلى

I give you my pure love, while some men

mix the water of hatred into affection.

يُخيطُ الضُلوعَ عَلى إِحنَةٍ

وَيَرعى الإِخاءَ بِعَينِ العَمى

He stitches his ribs shut over a grudge,

and tends brotherhood with a blind eye.

وَلَمّا ذَكَرتُكِ حَنَّ الفُؤا

دُ وَاِعتَلَّ في مُقلَتَيَّ الكَرى

When I remembered you, my heart yearned,

and sleep sickened within my eyes.

فَلا زِلتَ في رَقَداتِ النَعي

مِ تَهفو بِلا موقِظٍ مِن أَذى

May you ever, in slumbers of bliss,

drift with no hurt to wake you.

رِياضٌ تَشُقُّ عَلَيكَ النَسيمَ

وَلَيلٌ يَمُجُّ عَلَيكَ الضُحى

Gardens part the breeze above you,

and night pours daylight over you.