صحا قلبه عن سُكره فتأملا — Aws Ibn Hajar

صَحا قَلبُهُ عَن سُكرِهِ فَتَأَمَّلا

وَكانَ بِذِكرى أُمِّ عَمروٍ مُوَكَّلا

His heart sobered from its drunkenness and reflected,

having been bound to the memory of Umm 'Amr.

وَكانَ لَهُ الحَينُ المُتاحُ حَمولَةً

وَكُلُّ اِمرِئٍ رَهنٌ بِما قَد تَحَمَّلا

And allotted doom had been his mount;

every man is hostage to what he has undertaken.

أَلا أَعتِبُ اِبنَ العَمِّ إِن كانَ ظالِماً

وَأَغفِرُ عَنهُ الجَهلَ إِن كانَ أَجهَلا

Indeed, I rebuke my cousin if he does wrong,

and forgive his folly, however foolish he may be.

وَإِن قالَ لي ماذا تَرى يَستَشيرُني

يَجِدني اِبنَ عَمٍّ مِخلَطَ الأَمرِ مِزيَلا

If he asks me, seeking counsel, “What do you think?”

he finds in me a cousin who can tackle matters and untangle them.

أُقيمُ بِدارِ الحَزمِ ما دامَ حَزمُها

وَأَحرِ إِذا حالَت بِأَن أَتَحَوَّلا

I stay in prudence's dwelling while its prudence lasts,

and when it changes, how fitting that I move away.

وَأَستَبدِلُ الأَمرَ القَوِيَّ بِغَيرِهِ

إِذا عَقدُ مَأفونِ الرِجالِ تَحَلَّلا

I choose the firm course in place of another,

when a witless man's resolve comes undone.

وَإِنّي اِمرُؤٌ أَعدَدتُ لِلحَربِ بَعدَما

رَأَيتُ لَها ناباً مِنَ الشَرِّ أَعصَلا

I am a man who made ready for war, after

seeing its crooked fang of evil:

أَصَمَّ رُدَينِيّاً كَأَنَّ كُعوبَهُ

نَوى القَسبِ عَرّاصاً مُزَجّاً مُنَصَّلا

a solid Rudayni spear, its joints like

dry-date stones, quivering, butt-spiked and bladed.

عَلَيهِ كَمِصباحِ العَزيزِ يَشُبَّهُ

لِفِصحٍ وَيَحشوهُ الذُبالَ المُفَتَّلا

It bears a gleam like a mighty ruler's lamp, which he kindles

for Easter, packing it with tightly twisted wicks;

وَأَملَسَ صولِيّاً كَنَهيِ قَرارَةٍ

أَحَسَّ بِقاعٍ نَفحَ ريحٍ فَأَجفَلا

and smooth Suli mail, like a pool in a hollow

that senses a gust across a plain and shivers.

كَأَنَّ قُرونَ الشَمسِ عِندَ اِرتِفاعِها

وَقَد صادَفَت طَلقاً مِنَ النَجمِ أَعزَلا

As though the sun's rays, when it rises,

finding open ground bare of herbage,

تَرَدَّدَ فيهِ ضَوءُها وَشُعاعُها

فَأَحسِن وَأَزيِن بِاِمرِئٍ أَن تَسَربَلا

played back and forth upon it in light and radiance—

how fine, how fair, for a man to wear it!

وَأَبيَضَ هِندِياً كَأَنَّ غِرارَهُ

تَلَألُؤُ بَرقٍ في حَبِيٍّ تَكَلَّلا

And a bright Indian sword, its edge like

the glitter of lightning circling within piled clouds.

إِذا سُلَّ مِن جَفنٍ تَأَكَّلَ أَثرُهُ

عَلى مِثلِ مِصحاةِ اللُجَينِ تَأَكُّلا

When drawn from its sheath, its watered pattern shimmers,

rippling upon a surface like a silver drinking bowl.

كَأَنَّ مَدَبَّ النَملِ يَتَّبِعُ الرُبى

وَمَدرَجَ ذَرٍّ خافَ بَرداً فَأَسهَلا

As though the crawling tracks of ants following knolls,

and tiny ants' trails, fleeing cold for low ground,

عَلى صَفحَتَيهِ مِن مُتونِ جِلائِهِ

كَفى بِالَّذي أُبلي وَأَنعَتُ مُنصُلا

ran across its two faces, over their polished surfaces.

The blade I test and describe is blade enough.

وَمَبضوعَةً مِن رَأسِ فَرعٍ شَظِيَّةٍ

بِطَودٍ تَراهُ بِالسَحابِ مُجَلَّلا

And a bow hewn as a sliver from a branch's crown,

on a mountain you see shrouded in clouds,

عَلى ظَهرِ صَفوانٍ كَأَنَّ مُتونَهُ

عُلِلنَ بِدُهنٍ يُزلِقُ المُتَنَزِّلا

upon smooth rock whose upper surfaces seem

repeatedly oiled, making the descending climber slip.

يُطيفُ بِها راعٍ يُجَشِّمُ نَفسَهُ

لِيُكلِئَ فيها طَرفَهُ مُتَأَمِّلا

A shepherd circles it, putting himself to hardship

to hold his gaze upon it, studying it.

فَلاقى اِمرَأً مِن مَيدَعانَ وَأَسمَحَت

قَرونَتُهُ بِاليَأسِ مِنها فَعَجَّلا

Then he met a man from Mayda'an; his spirit had yielded

to despair of it, so he hastened.

فَقالَ لَهُ هَل تَذكُرَنَّ مُخَبِّراً

يَدُلُّ عَلى غُنمٍ وَيُقصِرُ مُعمِلا

He said to him, “Will you remember an informant

who points to gain and spares a laborer toil,

عَلى خَيرِ ما أَبصَرتَها مِن بِضاعَةٍ

لِمُلتَمِسٍ بَيعاً بِها أَو تَبَكُّلا

directing you to the finest merchandise you have seen,

for one seeking a sale through it, or profit?

فُوَيقَ جُبَيلٍ شامِخِ الرَأسِ لَم تَكُن

لِتَبلُغَهُ حَتّى تَكِلَّ وَتَعمَلا

Just above a little mountain, lofty-headed, which you could not

reach until you grew weary and toiled.”

فَأَبصَرَ أَلهاباً مِنَ الطَودِ دونَها

تَرى بَينَ رَأسَي كُلِّ نيقَينِ مَهبِلا

He saw mountain clefts below it,

a chasm between the heads of every pair of peaks.

فَأَشرَطَ فيها نَفسَهُ وَهوَ مُعصِمٌ

وَأَلقى بِأَسبابٍ لَهُ وَتَوَكَّلا

He staked his life on it, clinging fast,

cast out his ropes and ventured on in trust.

وَقَد أَكَلَت أَظفارَهُ الصَخرُ كُلَّما

تَعايا عَلَيهِ طولُ مَرقى تَوَصَّلا

The rock had worn away his fingernails; whenever

the long ascent baffled him, he found a way.

فَما زالَ حَتّى نالَها وَهوَ مُعصِمٌ

عَلى مَوطِنٍ لَو زَلَّ عَنهُ تَفَصَّلا

He pressed on until he reached it, clinging fast,

on a foothold where a slip would have torn him apart.

فَأَقبَلَ لا يَرجو الَّتي صَعَدَت بِهِ

وَلا نَفسَهُ إِلّا رَجاءً مُؤَمَّلا

Then he turned back, trusting neither what had carried him up

nor himself, save with a hope he cherished.

فَلَمّا نَجا مِن ذَلِكَ الكَربِ لَم يَزَل

يُمَظِّعُها ماءَ اللِحاءِ لِتَذبُلا

When he escaped that distress, he kept on

seasoning it with its bark's sap, so it would dry.

فَأَنحى عَلَيها ذاتَ حَدٍّ دَعا لَها

رَفيقاً بِأَخذٍ بِالمَداوِسِ صَيقَلا

Then he applied a sharp-edged blade, for which he had summoned

a deft polisher, skilled at working with files.

عَلى فَخِذَيهِ مِن بُرايَةِ عودِها

شَبيهُ سَفى البُهمى إِذا ما تَفَتَّلا

On his thighs, from the shavings of its wood,

lay things like buhma-grass awns when they twist.

فَجَرَّدَها صَفراءَ لا الطولُ عابَها

وَلا قِصَرٌ أَزرى بِها فَتَعَطَّلا

He stripped it bare and yellow; neither length marred it,

nor shortness spoiled it and left it useless.

كَتومٌ طِلاعُ الكَفِّ لا دونَ مَلَئِها

وَلا عَجسُها عَن مَوضِعِ الكَفِّ أَفضَلا

Quiet-voiced, filling the hand, not less than a full grasp,

nor did its grip extend beyond the hand's place.

إِذا ما تَعاطَوها سَمِعتَ لِصَوتِها

إِذا أَنبَضوا عَنها نَئيماً وَأَزمَلا

When they take it up, you hear in its voice,

as they twang its string, a moan and a rumble.

وَإِن شَدَّ فيها النَزعُ أَدبَرَ سَهمُها

إِلى مُنتَهىً مِن عَجسِها ثُمَّ أَقبَلا

When the draw pulls hard upon it, its arrow moves back

to the utmost reach of its grip, then darts forward.

فَلَمّا قَضى مِمّا يُريدُ قَضاءَهُ

وَصَلَّبَها حِرصاً عَلَيها فَأَطوَلا

When he had finished what he wished to accomplish,

and hardened it with care, taking his time—

وَحَشوَ جَفيرٍ مِن فُروعٍ غَرائِبٍ

تَنَطَّعَ فيها صانِعٌ وَتَنَبَّلا

and a quiverful of rare, choice shoots,

on which a craftsman worked painstakingly, excelling at arrowcraft.

تُخُيِّرنَ أَنضاءً وَرُكِّبنَ أَنصُلاً

كَجَمرِ الغَضا في يَومِ ريحٍ تَزَيَّلا

Chosen as bare shafts and fitted with arrowheads,

like ghada-wood embers scattered on a windy day.

فَلَمّا قَضى في الصُنعِ مِنهِنَّ فَهمَهُ

فَلَم يَبقَ إِلّا أَن تُسَنَّ وَتُصقَلا

When he had spent all his skill on crafting them,

and nothing remained but sharpening and polishing,

كَساهُنَّ مِن ريشٍ يَمانٍ ظَواهِراً

سُخاماً لُؤاماً لَيِّنَ المَسِّ أَطحَلا

he dressed them in outer feathers from Yemen—

fine, well-matched, soft to the touch, dusky.

يَخُرنَ إِذا أُنفِزنَ في ساقِطِ النَدى

وَإِن كانَ يَوماً ذا أَهاضيبَ مُخضِلا

They low when launched through falling dew,

even on a day drenched by downpours,

خُوارَ المَطافيلِ المُلَمَّعَةِ الشَوى

وَأَطلائِها صادَفنَ عِرنانَ مُبقِلا

like the lowing of mother cows with dappled legs,

and their calves, finding 'Irnan green with pasture.

فَذاكَ عَتادي في الحُروبِ إِذا اِلتَظَت

وَأَردَفَ بَأسٌ مِن حُروبٍ وَأَعجَلا

That is my equipment for wars when they blaze,

and war's violence follows close and presses hard.

وَذَلِكَ مِن جَمعي وَبِاللَهِ نِلتُهُ

وَإِن تَلقَني الأَعداءُ لا أُلقَ أَعزَلا

That is what I gathered; through God I gained it,

and if my enemies meet me, I shall not be found unarmed.

وَقَومي خِيارٌ مِن أُسَيِّدَ شِجعَةٌ

كِرامٌ إِذا ما المَوتُ خَبَّ وَهَروَلا

My people are choice men of Usayyid, courageous,

generous when death trots and runs.

تَرى الناشِئَ المَجهولَ مِنّا كَسَيِّدٍ

تَبَحبَحَ في أَعراضِهِ وَتَأَثَّلا

You see the unknown youth among us like a lord

dwelling at ease amid his estates, firmly established.

وَقَد عَلِموا أَن مَن يُرِد ذاكَ مِنهُمُ

مِنَ الأَمرِ يَركَب مِن عِنانِيَ مِسحَلا

They know that whoever among them seeks that

in such affairs must ride a headstrong wild ass at my rein.

فَإِنّي رَأَيتُ الناسَ إِلّا أَقَلَّهُم

خِفافُ العُهودِ يُكثِرونَ التَنَقُّلا

For I have found people, except the very few,

light in their pledges, constantly changing sides.

بَني أُمِّ ذي المالِ الكَثيرِ يَرَونَهُ

وَإِن كانَ عَبداً سَيِّدَ الأَمرِ جَحفَلا

To the wealthy man they are sons of his own mother; they deem him,

even if a slave, a mighty lord of affairs.

وَهُم لِمُقِلِّ المالِ أَولادُ عَلَّةٍ

وَإِن كانَ مَحضاً في العُمومَةِ مُخوَلا

But to the poor man they are sons of another mother,

though of pure paternal stock and noble maternal kin.

وَلَيسَ أَخوكَ الدائِمُ العَهدِ بِالَّذي

يَذُمُّكَ إِن وَلّى وَيُرضيكَ مُقبِلا

Your brother, constant in his pledge, is not the one

who reviles you when away and pleases you face to face,

وَلَكِن أَخوكَ النائي ما دُمتَ آمِناً

وَصاحِبُكَ الأَدنى إِذا الأَمرُ أَعضَلا

but the one who stays distant while you are safe,

and is your nearest companion when matters grow difficult.