هل تعرف الدار عفا رسمها — Asha Hamadan

هَل تَعرِفُ الدارَ عَفا رَسمُها

بِالحَضرِ فَالرَوضَةِ مِن آمِدِ

Do you recognize the dwelling whose trace has faded,

at al-Hadr, then al-Rawda of Amid?

دارٌ لِخَودٍ طَفلَةٍ رُؤدَةٍ

بانَت فَأَمسى حُبُّها عامِدي

A dwelling of a tender, delicate young woman;

she departed, and love for her became my torment.

بَيضاءَ مِثلَ الشَمسِ رَقراقَةٍ

تَبسِمُ عَن ذي أُشُرٍ بارِدِ

Fair as the sun, shimmering,

she smiles to reveal cool, finely edged teeth.

لَم يُخطِ قَلبي سَهمُها إِذ رَمَت

يا عَجَباً مِن سَهمِها القاصِدِ

Her arrow did not miss my heart when she shot.

How wondrous her unerring arrow!

يا أَيُّها القَرمُ الهِجانُ الَّذي

يَبطِشُ بَطشَ الأَسَدِ اللّابِدِ

O pure-bred chief, you who

strike with the force of a crouching lion,

وَالفَاعِلُ الفِعلَ الشَريفَ الَّذي

يُنمى إِلى الغائِبِ وَالشاهِدِ

and perform the noble deed that

is reported to the absent and the present:

كَم قَد أُسَدّي لَكَ مِن مِدحَةٍ

تُروي مَعَ الصادِرِ وَالوارِدِ

How many a praise-poem I have offered you,

recited among those departing and arriving!

وَكَم أَجبنا لَكَ مِن دَعوَةٍ

فَاِعرِف فَما العارِفُ كَالجاحِدِ

And how many a summons of yours we have answered!

So acknowledge them: the grateful are not like the ungrateful.

نَحنُ حَمَيناكَ وَما تَحتَمي

في الرَوعِ مِن مَثنى وَلا واحِدِ

We protected you, though you cannot defend yourself

in battle's terror, against two men or even one:

يَومَ اِنتَصَرنا لَكَ مِن عابِدِ

وَيَومَ أَنجَيناكَ مِن خالِدِ

the day we avenged you upon Abid,

and the day we saved you from Khalid;

وَوَقعَةَ الرَيِّ الَّتي نِلتَها

بِجَحفَلٍ مِن جَمعِنا عاقِدِ

and the battle of Rayy, which you won

with a closely massed army from our host.

وَكَم لَقينا لَكَ مِن واتِرٍ

يَصرِفُ نابَي حَانِقٍ حارِدِ

And how many a blood-enemy we have faced for you,

gnashing his two fangs in furious rage!

ثُمَّ وَطِئناهُ بِأَقدامِنا

وَكانَ مِثلَ الحَيَّةِ الراصِدِ

Then we trampled him beneath our feet,

though he was like a serpent lying in wait—

إِلى بَلاءٍ حَسَنٍ قَد مَضى

وَأَنتَ في ذَلِكَ كَالزاهِدِ

besides fine service already rendered,

while you remain indifferent to it all.

فَاِذكُر أَيادينا وَآلاءَنا

بِعَودَةٍ مِن حِلمِكَ الراشِدِ

So remember our favors and our benefactions,

with a renewed display of your sound judgment.

وَيَومَ الاهوازِ فَلا تَنسَهُ

لَيسَ الثَنا وَالقَولُ بِالبائِدِ

And do not forget the day of Ahwaz;

praise and the spoken word do not perish.

إِنّا لَنَرجوكَ كَما نَرتَجي

صَوبَ الغَمامِ المُبرِقِ الراعِدِ

We hope in you as we hope for

the downpour of a cloud that flashes and thunders.

فَاِنفَح بِكَفَّيكَ وَما ضَمَّتا

وَاِفعَل فَعالَ السيدِ الماجِدِ

So give freely with your two hands and what they hold,

and act as a glorious lord should.

مالَكَ لا تُعطي وَأَنتَ اِمرُؤٌ

مُثرٍ مِنَ الطارِفِ وَالتالِدِ

Why do you not give, when you are a man

rich in newly acquired and inherited wealth?

تَجبي سِجِستانَ وَما حَولَها

مُتَّكِئاً في عَيشِكَ الراغِدِ

You collect the revenues of Sijistan and its surroundings,

reclining in your life of ease.

لا تَرهَبُ الدَهرَ وَأَيّامَهُ

وَتَجرُدُ الأَرضَ مَعَ الجارِدِ

You fear neither Time nor its days,

and strip the land with those who strip it.

إِن يَكُ مَكروهٌ تَهِجنا لَهُ

وَأَنتَ في المَعروفِ كَالراقِدِ

If there is trouble, you rouse us to face it,

yet in kindness you are like a sleeper.

ثُمَّ تَرى أَنّا سَنَرضى بِذا

كَلّا وَرَبِّ الراكِعِ الساجِدِ

Then you think we shall be content with this?

Never, by the Lord of those who bow and prostrate,

وَحُرمَةِ البَيتِ وَاَستارِهِ

وَمَن بَهِ مِن ناسِكٍ عابِدِ

by the sanctity of the House and its curtains,

and by every devout worshipper within it!

تِلكَ لَكُم أُمنِيَّةٌ باطِلٌ

وَغَفوَةٌ مِن حُلُمِ الراقِدِ

That is a vain wish of yours,

and a drowsy fancy from a sleeper's dream.

ما أَنا إِن هاجَكَ مِن بَعدِها

هَيجٌ بِآتيكَ وَلا كابِدِ

I shall not, if after this you are assailed

by turmoil, come to you or bear its hardships.

وَلا إِذا ناطوكَ في حَلقَةٍ

بِحامِلٍ عَنكَ وَلا فاقِدِ

Nor, if they fasten you in a ring,

will I bear your burden or miss you.

فَأَعطِ ما أَعطَيتَهُ طَيِّباً

لا خَيرَ في المَنكودِ وَالناكِدِ

So give willingly whatever you give;

there is no good in the deprived or the grudging giver.

وَأَنجِزِ الوَعدَ إِذا قُلتَهُ

لَيسَ الَّذي يُنجِزُ كَالواعِدِ

And fulfill the promise when you make it;

one who fulfills is not like one who promises.

نَحنُ وَلَدناكَ فَلا تَجفُنا

وَاللَهُ قَد وَصّاكَ بِالوالِدِ

We gave you birth, so do not shun us;

God has commanded you to care for your parent.

إِن تَكُ مِن كِندَةَ في بَيتِها

فَإِنَّ أَخوالَكَ مِن حاشِدِ

If you belong to Kinda's noble house,

then your maternal uncles belong to Hashid:

شَمُّ العَرانينِ وَأَهلُ النَدى

وَمُنتَهى الضيفانِ وَالرائِدِ

men of lofty noses and generosity,

and the ultimate resort of guests and the pasture-scout.

كَم فيهِمُ مِن فارِسٍ مُعلَمٍ

وَسائِسٍ لِلجَيشِ أَو قائِدِ

How many a horseman bearing a battle emblem is among them,

and a marshal of the army, or a commander,

وَراكِبٍ لِلهَولِ يَجتابُهُ

مِثلَ شِهابِ القَبَسِ الواقِدِ

and a rider into terror, cleaving through it

like a flame from a blazing firebrand;

أَو مَلَأً يُشفى بِأَحلامِهِم

مِن سَفَهِ الجاهِلِ وَالمارِدِ

or nobles by whose wisdom one is cured

of the folly of the ignorant and the rebellious.

لَم يَجعَلِ اللَهُ بِأَحسابِنا

نَقصاً وَما الناقِصُ كَالزائِدِ

God has not placed in our ancestral honors

any defect; the lesser is not like the greater.

وَرُبَّ خالٍ لَكَ في قَومِهِ

فَرعٌ طَويلُ الباعِ وَالساعِدِ

And many a maternal uncle of yours among his people

is a lofty branch, long of reach and forearm,

يَحتَضِرُ البَأسَ وَما يَبتَغي

سِوى إِسارِ البَطَلِ الماجِدِ

who enters battle seeking nothing

but to take a glorious champion captive,

وَالطَعنِ بِالرايَةِ مُستَمكِناً

في الصَفِّ ذي العادِيَةِ الناهِدِ

and to thrust beside the banner, firmly stationed

in the advancing line of fierce assault.

فَاِرتَح لِأَخوالِكَ وَاِذكُرهُمُ

وَاِرحَمهُمُ لِلسَلَفِ العائِدِ

So show favor to your maternal uncles and remember them,

and show them mercy in return for past favors.

فَإِنَّ أَخوالَكَ لَم يَبرَحوا

يُربُونَ بِالرِفدِ عَلى الرافِدِ

For your maternal uncles have never ceased

to surpass every giver in gifts.

لَم يَبخُلوا يوماً وَلَم يَجبُنوا

في السَلَفِ الغازي وَلا القاعِدِ

They were never miserly, nor were they cowardly,

in past generations, whether campaigning or at home.

وَرُبَّ خالٍ لَكَ في قَومِهِ

حَمّالِ أَثقالٍ لَها واجِدِ

And many a maternal uncle of yours among his people

is a bearer of heavy burdens, with the means to meet them,

مُعتَرِفٍ لِلرُزءِ في مالِهِ

وَالحَقِّ لِلسائِلِ وَالعامِدِ

accepting the loss that falls upon his wealth,

and the claim of the beggar and whoever seeks him out.