مللت مبيتي بالقرين وشاقني — Bashar Ibn Burd

مَلِلتُ مَبيتي بِالقَرينِ وَشاقَني

طُروقُ الهَوى مِن نازِحٍ مُتَباعِدِ

I grew weary of lodging at al-Qarin, and longing stirred me

at love's nightly visit from one far, far away.

عَلى حينَ وَدَّعتُ الحِبابَ وَأَطرَقَت

هُمومي وَذَلَّت لِلفِراقِ مَقاوِدي

When I bade my loved ones farewell, down upon me came

my cares, while my reins yielded to separation.

فَأَحيَيتُ لَيلي قاعِداً أَنتَحي الهَوى

لَدى راقِدٍ عَن ذاكَ أَو مُتَراقِدِ

So I spent my night awake, sitting and pursuing love,

beside one asleep to all that, or pretending to sleep.

وَما أَنا إِن نامَ الرَقيقُ وَلَم أَنَم

بِأَوَّلِ مَنكوبٍ بِفَقدِ المُساعِدِ

If the slave sleeps while I do not, I am not

the first man stricken by the loss of a helper.

إِلى آلِ لَيلى أَشتَكي لَو دَنَت بِهِم

نَوىً طِيَّةً عَن عازِبِ النَومِ ساهِدِ

To Layla's folk I complain—if only it drew nearer with them,

that distant destination, far from one wakeful and bereft of sleep.

إِلى طارِقاتِ الحَيِّ وَدَّعنَ قَلبَهُ

يَراها رَسيسَ المُغمِزاتِ التَلائِدِ

To the tribe's night-visitors, who left his heart

seeing them in the lingering sting of ancient wounds.

فَباتَ هَجوراً لِلوِسادِ وَقَد يَرى

عَلى ما بِعَينَيهِ مَكانَ الوَسائِدِ

So he passed the night shunning his pillow, though he could see,

despite what ailed his eyes, where the pillows lay.

أَفَالآنَ إِذ مالَت إِلَيها صَبابَتي

أُعَزّى عَنِ الحَوراءِ ذاتِ المَجاسِدِ

Is it now, then, when my yearning has inclined toward her,

that I am to be consoled for the dark-eyed wearer of saffron-dyed robes?

كَأَنَّ الَّتي تَمري فُؤادي بِحُبِّها

مَرِيَّةُ نَطفِ البابِلِيِّ المُعانِدِ

As though she who draws out my heart with love for her

were a draught drawn from ever-flowing Babylonian wine.

عِراقِيَّةٌ أَهدى لَكَ الشَوقُ ذِكرَها

وَأَنتَ عَلى ظَهرٍ شَآمُ المَوارِدِ

An Iraqi woman: longing has brought you her memory,

while you ride a mount whose watering places lie in Syria.

ذَهوبٌ بِأَلبابِ الرِجالِ كَأَنَّها

إِذا بَرَزَت بَردِيَّةٌ في المَجاسِدِ

She carries off men's wits, as though she were,

when she appears, a papyrus stalk in saffron-dyed robes.

تَشَكّى الضَنى حَتّى تُعادَ وَما بِها

سِوى قُرَّةِ العَينَينِ سُقمٌ لِعائِدِ

She complains of wasting sickness so she may be visited, though she has

no ailment for her visitor but delight for his eyes.

مِنَ البيضِ ما تَلقاكَ إِلّا مَصونَةً

ثَقالاً وَمَشيَ الخَيزَلى في الوَلائِدِ

One of the fair women, she meets you only chaste,

stately, walking with the swaying gait of young women.

كَأَنَّ الثُرَيّا يَومَ راحَت عَشِيَّةً

عَلى نَحرِها مَنظومَةً في القَلائِدِ

As though the Pleiades, when she went out that evening,

were strung upon her breast among her necklaces.

لَقيتُ بِها سَعدَ السُعودِ وَرُبَّما

لَقيتُ حِراداً بِاِجتِنابِ المَوارِدِ

With her I found Sa'd al-Su'ud, the greatest good fortune; yet sometimes

I met privation through shunning watering places.

فَتِلكَ الَّتي نُصحي لَها وَمَوَدَّتي

وَقَبضِيَ مالي طارِفي بَعدَ تالِدي

She is the one to whom my loyalty and affection belong,

and for whom I keep my wealth, new gains after my inheritance.

وَصَعراءَ مِن مَسِّ الخِشاشِ كَأَنَّها

مَسيرَةُ صادٍ في الشُؤونِ اللَوابِدِ

And a camel twisting her neck at the nose-peg's touch, as though she were

driven by a head-affliction within the skull's close-knit seams.

إِذا كَذَبَت حَرَّ الهَجيرِ صَدَمتُها

بِسَوطي عَلى مَجهولَةٍ أُمِّ آبِدِ

When she faltered before the midday heat, I struck her

with my whip over an unknown waste, mother of wild creatures,

عَسوفٍ لِأَجوازِ الدَياميمِ بَعدَما

جَرى آلُها فَوقَ المِتانِ الأَجالِدِ

crossing the hearts of trackless deserts, after

its mirage flowed over the hard, stony uplands.

تَرَوَّعُ مِن صَوتِ الحَمامَةِ بِالضُحى

وَبِاللَيلِ تَنجو عَن غِناءِ الجَداجِدِ

She starts at a dove's cry in the forenoon,

and at night flees from the crickets' song.

سَقَيتُ بِدُعثورٍ فَعافَت نِطافَهُ

إِلى مَنهَلٍ عَن ذي صَديرٍ مُعانِدِ

I watered her at Du'thur, but she disdained its scant waters,

turning toward a watering place far aside from Dhu Sadir.

وَماءٍ صَرى الجَمّاتِ طامَ كَأَنَّهُ

عَبِيَّةُ طالٍ مُتلَداتٍ صَعائِدِ

And water, stagnant in its pools, brimmed high, as though it were

a tar-dauber's mixture for long-reared she-camels that miscarried.

تَنوهُ أَنقاضٍ كَأَنَّ هُوِيَّها

هُوِيُّ سَماماتٍ بِنَجدٍ طَرائِدِ

The cries of worn-out camels—as though their headlong rush

were the swooping of fleeing swifts in Najd.

تُثيرُ بِها وَاللَيلُ مُلقٍ رُواقَهُ

هُجودَ القَطا مُستَوقِداً غَيرَ هاجِدِ

You rouse upon her, while night casts down its canopy,

the sleeping sandgrouse, yourself aflame and unsleeping.

حَراجيجَ يَغتالُ الفَلاةَ نَجاؤُها

إِلى خَيرِ مَوفودٍ إِلَيهِ بِوافِدِ

Lean camels, whose swift pace devours the wilderness,

toward the best man a visiting envoy ever sought.

تَراهُنَّ مِن طولِ الجَديلِ بِكَفِّهِ

نَوافِرَ أَو يَمشينَ مَشيَ الوَلائِدِ

You see them, with the long braided rein in his hand,

shying away, or walking with the gait of young women.

سَرى اللَيلَ وَالتَهجيرَ حَتّى تَبَدَّلَت

مَعاقِدُ مِن أَنساعِها بِمَعاقِدِ

He travelled by night and through midday heat, until

their girths' fastening points shifted to new places.

إِذا قُلتُ لَقّينا بِعُقبَةَ أَرقَلَت

تَشَفّى بِبَردِ الماءِ أَوَّلَ وارِدِ

When I said, 'Bring us to Uqba,' she trotted swiftly,

seeking the cool water's relief, the first to reach it.

فَتىً في ذُرى قَحطانَ يَبسُطُ كَفَّهُ

إِذا شَنِجَت كَفُّ البَخيلِ المُحارِدِ

A young man among Qahtan's highest ranks, who opens his hand

when the withholding miser's hand contracts.

وَكُنّا إِذا ما خانَنا الدَهرُ أَو سَرى

عَلَينا وَعيدٌ مِن عَدُوٍّ مُكايِدِ

And whenever time betrayed us, or by night there came

upon us a threat from a scheming enemy,

هَتَفنا وَنَوَّهنا بِعُقبَةَ إِنَّهُ

مَعَ النَصرِ مَفروطٌ بِعَمٍّ وَوالِدِ

we cried aloud and called upon Uqba: he

was preceded in victory by an uncle and a father—

مَغاويرَ فُرساناً وَجِنّاً إِذا مَشَوا

إِلى المَوتِ إِقدامَ اللُيوثِ الحَوارِدِ

bold raiders, horsemen, jinn when they advance

toward death with the boldness of raging lions.

بَنو النَجدَةِ الجَمّاءِ يُسقَونَ مُرَّها

وَيَسقونَها تَحتَ اللِوا وَالمَطارِدِ

Sons of boundless valor, made to drink war's bitterness,

and serving it in turn beneath the banner and the lances.

إِذا أَقبَلوا لِلحَربِ بِالحَربِ أَقبَلَت

وُجوهُ المَنايا بارِقٌ بَعدَ راعِدِ

When they advance to war with warfare, there advance

the faces of death: lightning after thunder.

يَقولُ سُلَيمٌ لَو طَلَبتَ سَحابَةً

بِسُربَةَ أَو صَنعاءَ أَو بِالفُراقِدِ

Sulaym says, 'If you sought a raincloud

at Surba, or Sana'a, or al-Faraqid,

إِذاً لَغِنينا بِاِبنِ سَلمٍ إِذا جَرَت

سُفوحُ المَنايا في مُتونِ القَرادِدِ

then Ibn Salm would suffice us, when there flow

death's torrents across the backs of rocky heights.'

رِجالٌ عَلَيهِمُ عِزَّةٌ وَمَهابَةٌ

إِذا اِستُنفِروا لَم يَنفِروا لِلشَدائِدِ

Men clothed in dignity and awe,

who, when summoned, do not flinch before hardships.

حَطوطٌ إِلى قَودِ الجِيادِ عَلى الرَحا

وَفي السَنَةِ الحَمراءِ جَمُّ المَوارِدِ

Swift to lead noble steeds upon the millstone of battle,

and in the red year of famine, abundant in watering places.

يَفيضُ عَلى المُستَمطِرينَ غَمامُهُ

وَمَرهوبُهُ يَسقي بِسُمِّ الأَساوِدِ

His cloud pours down upon those who seek rain,

while his dreaded might serves black serpents' venom.

هُوَ القادَهُ الحامي حَقيقَةَ قَومِهِ

إِذا قيلَ مَن لِلمُحصَناتِ الخَرائِدِ

He is the leader, the protector of his people's honor,

when it is asked, 'Who will defend the chaste, secluded maidens?'

وَزيرُ أَميرِ المُؤمِنينَ وَسَيفُهُ

إِذا نَفَخَ الشَيطانُ في أَنفِ حاسِدِ

The Commander of the Faithful's minister and his sword,

when Satan blows into an envier's nose.

عَلى المَسجِدِ البَصرِيِّ مِنهُ جَلالَةٌ

وَفَوقَ الحَشايا عارِضٌ غَيرُ جامِدِ

From him, majesty rests upon the mosque of Basra,

and upon cushions he is a cloud that never withholds rain.

إِمامٌ يُحَيّا في الحِجابِ وَتارَةً

رَئيسُ خَميسٍ تَحتَ ظِلِّ المُطارِدِ

A leader greeted behind the curtain, and at times

commander of an army beneath the shade of lances.

كَأَنَّ عَلَيهِ جاحِماً في سِلاحِهِ

إِذا قادَ خَيلاً أَو تَصَدّى لِقائِدِ

As though a blazing fire were upon him in his armor,

when he leads cavalry or confronts a commander.

وَيَومَ تُرى فيهِ النُجومُ تَكَشَّفَت

تَراكاً وَهَت عَنهُ كَريمَ المَشاهِدِ

And on a day when stars were seen, there fell away

[those] he left weakened behind him, himself noble in battle.

أَماتَ وَأَحياهُم بِكَفَّيهِ إِنَّهُ

يُميتُ وَيُحيي في الوَغى غَيرَ واحِدِ

He killed and gave them life with his two hands; indeed,

he kills and gives life to many a man in battle.

وَثارَ بِأَرجاءِ المَدينَةِ عالِماً

بِأَقدامِهِ أَو دَولُ زَينِ المُناجِدِ

And he rose throughout the city's quarters, knowing

his steps—or the fortunes of the pride of champions.

وَبِالهِندِ أَيّامٌ لَهُ مُجرَهِدَّةٌ

حَصَدنَ العِدى بِالمُرهَفاتِ الحَواصِدِ

And in India, his were long, hard-fought days,

which reaped the foes with keen, harvesting blades.

إِذا ما خَشينا شَوكَةً مِن مُنافِقٍ

عَلى الناسِ أَو حَيرانَ لَيسَ بِقاصِدِ

If ever we feared a hypocrite's armed might

against the people, or a bewildered man who keeps no straight course,

دَعَونا لَهُ المَيمونَ عُقبَةَ إِنَّهُ

أَخو الحَربِ إِن قامَت بِهِ غَيرُ قاعِدِ

we summoned against him the fortunate Uqba; he

is war's brother, never sitting idle when it rises with him.

مِنَ الشَوسِ دَلّافاً لِكُلِّ كَتيبَةٍ

بِأَبيَضَ يَستَبكي عُيونَ العَوابِدِ

One of the fierce-eyed warriors, advancing steadily on every battalion

with a white blade that makes devout women's eyes weep.

حُسامٌ إِذا ما هُزَّ أُرعِدَ مَتنُهُ

خُفوقَ ثِيابِ الآلِ فَوقَ الفَدافِدِ

A cutting sword: when brandished, its spine trembles

like the fluttering robes of mirage above the desert plains.