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Your praise is like musk, it cannot be concealed

مديحك كالمسك لا يكتتم

1. Your praise is like musk, it cannot be concealed
It is begun with and ended with

١. مديحُك كَالمِسْكِ لا يُكْتَتَمْ
به يُبْتَدَى وبه يُخْتَتمْ

2. And praise did not cease after lineage
And this is a prevalent doctrine among the nations

٢. وما بَرِحَ المَدْحُ بَعْد النَّسيبِ
وذا مَذْهبٌ شاعَ بَيْنَ الأُمَمْ

3. And your praise existed before the creation of lineage
And the composition of poems and the creation of breath

٣. ومَدْحُكَ من قَبْلِ خَلْقِ النسيبِ
ونظْمِ القريض وخَلْق النَّسَمْ

4. Your attributes stand in souls
Since old and fixed in antiquity

٤. صِفَاتُك قائمةٌ في النُّفوسِ
قديماً وثابتةٌ في القِدَمِ

5. Though I have ambition in lineage
But your praise to me is more important

٥. على أَنَّ لي همةً في النسيبِ
ولكنَّ مدْحَك مِنْهُ أَهَمْ

6. And indeed when lineage is praised
It is said but it does not complete

٦. وإِنَّ النسيبَ إِذا ما مُدِحتَ
يُقالُ ولكنَّه لا يَتِمْ

7. And indeed lineage gladdens souls
And kindles minds and clarifies innate dispositions

٧. وإِن النسيبَ يَسُرُّ النفُوسَ
ويُذْكِي العقولَ ويُصْفِي الشِيَمْ

8. Especially when it is from a lover
Thrown by passion and cured by illness

٨. ولا سيما وَهْوَ مِنْ عَاشِقٍ
رماهُ الهوى وبَراهُ السَّقَمْ

9. And a beloved above the dawn sun
So do not heed the full moon

٩. ومحبوبةٍ فوق شَمْسِ الضُّحَى
فلا تَحْفِلَنَّ ببدرِ الظُّلَمْ

10. I hung it on sleepy eyelids
That sleeps on that it did not sleep

١٠. تعلَّقْتُه ناعسَ المقْلتينِ
يَنِمُّ على أَنَّه لم يَنَمْ

11. And I imagined the one with reddened eyes
Afflicted by tears and grief

١١. وهِمْتُ بِه أَسْمَر المرشَفَين
عليه اللَّمى وعليه اللِّمَمْ

12. So the light of his kiss cannot be smelled
And the rose of his cheek cannot be sensed

١٢. فَبَرْقُ مُقبَّلهِ لا يَشَامُ
ووردةُ وجْنَتِه لاَ تُشَمْ

13. When he closes his eyelids out of weakness
The eyelids break and the tears gather

١٣. إِذا كَسَر الجفنَ مَن فَتْرَةٍ
فللجفنِ كسْرٌ وللصَبِّ ضَمْ

14. For two kinds he has the perfection of beauty
So the Arabs have an eye and the Turks a mouth

١٤. لجنسين منه كمالُ الجمالِ
فللعُرب عَيْنٌ وللتُّركِ فَمْ

15. And the land was filled with his passion's beauty spot
Oh how rarely a beauty spot is found to be widespread

١٥. وعمَّ الورى بالهوى خَالُه
ويا قَلَّ ما يوجدُ الخالُ عَمْ

16. And the knot of his kiss is all
Orphaned yet we see it smiling

١٦. وعِقُد مقبَّلِه كلُّه
يتيمٌ ولكن نراهُ ابْتَسَمْ

17. Oh you who blame me for what I saw him as
If you are blind I am deaf

١٧. أَيا عاذِلي فيه لما رآهُ
لئن كنتَ أَعْمَى فإِني أَصَمْ

18. Take Abu Dharr in this talk
So consider me Abu Jahl in this idol

١٨. وَهبْكَ أَبا ذَرِّ هذَا الكلامِ
فَهَبْنِي أَبا جَهْلِ هذا الصَّنَمْ

19. And where are the blamers from the one I loved
And if they were there I would make them see

١٩. وأَيْنَ العواذِلُ ممن هَويْتُ
ولو كُنَّ ثَمَّ لأَبْصرنْ ثَمْ

20. I conceal passion and it shows upon me
And gray hair did not conceal under concealment

٢٠. أُسِرُّ الغرامَ وَيْبدُو عَليَّ
وما انْكَتَم الشَّيْبُ تَحْتَ الكَتَمْ

21. Since I knew passion
I ignored prohibition and resigned myself to pain

٢١. على أَنَّنِي مُذْ عرفْتُ الهَوَى
جهلتُ النُّهى واستطبْتُ الأَلَمْ

22. And I sold lies and bought forgetfulness
Yet I have not tasted the taste of lies ever since

٢٢. وبِعْتُ الكَرَى واشتريتُ السُّهادَ
فما ذُقْتُ طَعم الكَرَى مُنْذُ كَم

23. And four have never separated
Passion and love and life and worry

٢٣. وأَربعةٌ قطُّ لم تَفْتَرِقْ
هَوىً وجوىً وحياةٌ وهَمْ

24. And do not wonder at the life of worries
The life of worries is by the death of resolve

٢٤. ولا تعجَبَنْ لحياةِ الهمومِ
حياةُ الهُمُومِ بمَوْتِ الهِمَمْ

25. And a day like the eve of the beloved's rejection
It is said it lit up and I said it burned out

٢٥. ويومٍ كَليلةِ صَدِّ الحبيب
يقالُ أَضاءَ وقلت ادْلَهَم

26. I see lightning in his cheek like the glow
And the sun in his face like clouds

٢٦. أَرى الْبَرْقَ في خَدِّه كالشحُّو
بِ والشمسَ في وجْهِهِ كالغَمَمْ

27. And only turned dark because through it
I buried glory and buried generosity

٢٧. وما اسودَّ إِلا لأَنِّي به
قَبَرْتُ العُلاَ ودفَنْتُ الكَرمْ

28. But it was revived through Abdurraheem
And he still revives ruins through his generosity

٢٨. ولكن أُعِيدَ بعَبْدِ الرحيمِ
وما زال بالجُودِ مُحيي الرِّمَمْ

29. And were it not for him I would have discarded the pen
And were it not for him I would have broken the pen

٢٩. ولولاه كنتُ نَبَذْتُ الدواةَ
ولولاه كنتُ كَسرتُ القَلَمْ

30. And were it not for the duty of my praise to him
I would have said for how much can I be bought

٣٠. ولولا فريضةُ مَدْحِي له
لقلتُ بكم يُشْتَرى لي بكم

31. And the land was filled with his passion's beauty spot
Oh how rarely a beauty spot is found to be widespread

٣١. وعمَّ الورى بالهوى خَالُه
ويا قَلَّ ما يوجدُ الخالُ عَمْ

32. And the knot of his kiss is all
Orphaned yet we see it smiling

٣٢. وعِقُد مقبَّلِه كلُّه
يتيمٌ ولكن نراهُ ابْتَسَمْ

33. Oh you who blame me for what I saw him as
If you are blind I am deaf

٣٣. أَيا عاذِلي فيه لما رآهُ
لئن كنتَ أَعْمَى فإِني أَصَمْ

34. Take Abu Dharr in this talk
So consider me Abu Jahl in this idol

٣٤. وَهبْكَ أَبا ذَرِّ هذَا الكلامِ
فَهَبْنِي أَبا جَهْلِ هذا الصَّنَمْ

35. And where are the blamers from the one I loved
And if they were there I would make them see

٣٥. وأَيْنَ العواذِلُ ممن هَويْتُ
ولو كُنَّ ثَمَّ لأَبْصرنْ ثَمْ

36. I conceal passion and it shows upon me
And gray hair did not conceal under concealment

٣٦. أُسِرُّ الغرامَ وَيْبدُو عَليَّ
وما انْكَتَم الشَّيْبُ تَحْتَ الكَتَمْ

37. Since I knew passion
I ignored prohibition and resigned myself to pain

٣٧. على أَنَّنِي مُذْ عرفْتُ الهَوَى
جهلتُ النُّهى واستطبْتُ الأَلَمْ

38. And I sold lies and bought forgetfulness
Yet I have not tasted the taste of lies ever since

٣٨. وبِعْتُ الكَرَى واشتريتُ السُّهادَ
فما ذُقْتُ طَعم الكَرَى مُنْذُ كَم

39. And four have never separated
Passion and love and life and worry

٣٩. وأَربعةٌ قطُّ لم تَفْتَرِقْ
هَوىً وجوىً وحياةٌ وهَمْ

40. And do not wonder at the life of worries
The life of worries is by the death of resolve

٤٠. ولا تعجَبَنْ لحياةِ الهمومِ
حياةُ الهُمُومِ بمَوْتِ الهِمَمْ

41. And a day like the eve of the beloved's rejection
It is said it lit up and I said it burned out

٤١. ويومٍ كَليلةِ صَدِّ الحبيب
يقالُ أَضاءَ وقلت ادْلَهَم

42. I see lightning in his cheek like the glow
And the sun in his face like clouds

٤٢. أَرى الْبَرْقَ في خَدِّه كالشحُّو
بِ والشمسَ في وجْهِهِ كالغَمَمْ

43. And only turned dark because through it
I buried glory and buried generosity

٤٣. وما اسودَّ إِلا لأَنِّي به
قَبَرْتُ العُلاَ ودفَنْتُ الكَرمْ

44. But it was revived through Abdurraheem
And he still revives ruins through his generosity

٤٤. ولكن أُعِيدَ بعَبْدِ الرحيمِ
وما زال بالجُودِ مُحيي الرِّمَمْ

45. And were it not for him I would have discarded the pen
And were it not for him I would have broken the pen

٤٥. ولولاه كنتُ نَبَذْتُ الدواةَ
ولولاه كنتُ كَسرتُ القَلَمْ

46. And were it not for the duty of my praise to him
I would have said for how much can I be bought

٤٦. ولولا فريضةُ مَدْحِي له
لقلتُ بكم يُشْتَرى لي بكم

47. And that you are the most fulfilling of pacts
And you are the most caring for reputations

٤٧. وأَنَّك أَوفاهُم بالعهودِ
وأنك أرعاهم للذمم

48. Pride is magnified, and power is fiercer
And determination is stronger

٤٨. فخار أجل وطول أطل
وبأْسٌ أَشدُّ وعزمٌ أَشَمْ

49. And his kingdom's pillar stands
Despite the most ignorant enemy

٤٩. ودولتُه ركنُها قائِمٌ
برغم العدوِّ الأَغثِّ الأَعَمْ

50. Every vile-originated scoundrel opposes you
Violator of sanctuaries, violator of homes

٥٠. يعاديك كلُّ لئيمِ الأُصولِ
مباحِ الحريم مُشاعِ الحُرَم

51. He has a privacy that ends all
With clasping buttons and blocking holes

٥١. له خَلوةٌ كلُّها تَنْقَضِي
برتْقِ الفُتُوقِ وسَدِّ الثُّلمْ

52. And he swears that I am the beloved advisor
And he lies, rather he is jealous and accused

٥٢. ويَحْلِفُ أَنِّي الحبيبُ النصيحُ
ويَكْذِبُ بل حاسِدٌ متَّهم

53. He sleeps to you sometimes and against you other times
So his matter was complete when he slept

٥٣. ينمُّ إِليكَ وطوْراً عليْكَ
فتمَّ له أَمْرُه حين نَمْ

54. He appears bearing arms and attacking in seclusion
But when he sees you he is defeated

٥٤. يُرى في الخَلا حاملاً طاعِناً
ولكِنْ إِذا مَا رآكَ انْهَزَمْ

55. And by your name he rose above the sky
And were it not for you he would not have been named rather he would not have been named

٥٥. وباسْمِكَ قد حَلَّ فوق السَّما
ولولاكَ لَم يَسْمُ بل لم يُسَمْ

56. And he denies your abundant bounties
So vengeance will return to him

٥٦. ويَكْفُر أَنعمَك السابغاتِ
فسوفَ تعودُ عليهِ نِقَمْ

57. And time will chew him like leather
And bad luck will grind him like skin

٥٧. ويمضغُه الدَّهرُ مَضْغَ الأَديم
ويَعْرُكُهُ النحسُ عرْك الأَدَم

58. And I divert from him to thanking whom
I fall short of due to the utmost grandeur

٥٨. وأَعْدِلُ عن ذا إِلى شُكْرِ من
أُقصِّر عنه لفرْطِ العِظَم

59. You returned my father after he had departed
And his mount had almost stumbled

٥٩. رددْتَ أَبي بعد أَن كانَ سَارَ
وكادت مَطيتُه أَن تُزَم

60. You returned his will when he willed
And you frustrated his determination when he determined

٦٠. رددت إِرادتَه إِذْ أَرادَ
وثَبَّطْتَ عزْمَتَه إِذْ عَزمَ

61. You stopped his resolve so he stopped
You designed his stay so it was designed

٦١. نَهَيْتَ عزيمَته فانتهى
رسمتَ إِقامَته فارْتَسَمْ

62. By God you have no need
To anyone among all the nations

٦٢. وواللهِ ما بك من حاجةٍ
إِلى أَحدٍ من جميع الأُمَمْ

63. But you were gentle to him as mercy
For had he traveled he would have fallen or crashed

٦٣. ولكنْ رَفَقْتَ له رحمةً
فلو سارَ لانحط أَو لانْحَطَم

64. And you feared for our pact to scatter
Because by its remaining it was systematic

٦٤. وخِفْتَ على عِقْدنا الانتثار
لأَنَّ ببقياه كان انتَظَم

65. And had he parted willingly from your proximity
Regret would have followed him in the road

٦٥. ولو كان فارقَ طوعاً نداكَ
لأَعقَبَه في الطريق الندم

66. You solved my worry and echo
You gathered my liver and thirst

٦٦. نقعتَ به غُلَّتي والصَّدى
جمعتَ به كبدي والشَّبَمْ

67. You united our group, rather you united
The watering of clouds and the clearing of clouds

٦٧. جمعتَ به شَمْلَنا بل جَمَعْـ
ـتَ سُقْيَا الغَمَامِ وكَشْفَ الغُمَم

68. And I thank for the deed
Like the meadow's thanking for the rain

٦٨. وإِنّي لأَشْكرُ الصنيعَ
كشُكر الرياضِ لصُنْعِ الدِّيم

69. And in myself is one that burned
My heart so it became in it worries

٦٩. وفي النفس واحدةٌ أَحرقتْ
فؤَادِي فأَصبح فيها حَمَمْ

70. She says, "Were it not for your father
You would not have entered that sanctuary"

٧٠. تقُولُ أَعاديَّ لولا أَبوكَ
لما كُنْتَ تدخلُ ذاكَ الحَرَمْ

71. And you would have been remote
And you would have been from the negligible world

٧١. وكنْتَ القصيَّ وكنتَ البعيد
وكنتَ من العالَم المُهتَضمْ

72. And indeed death sees you the least
Even if you had risen or engraved

٧٢. وإِنَّ الأَجلَّ يراك الأَقلَّ
ولو كُنْتَ مِمَّنْ رَقَى أَو رَقَمْ

73. And his deeds towards it are still blamed
And his purpose from it is still condemned

٧٣. وما زال فعلكَ منه يُذَامُ
وما زَال قَصدُك منه يُذَمْ

74. And you are not from the type that is chosen
Nor are you from the essence of what is honored

٧٤. وما أَنت من جِنْسِ من يُصْطَفَى
ولا أَنتَ من نَوع ما يُحْترم

75. And your essence does not have that acceptance
Nor does your soul have that antiquity

٧٥. وليس لذاتِك ذاك القَبُولُ
وليس لنَفْسِك ذَاكَ القَدَمْ

76. But your father has a service
Through which you entered the immersion of service

٧٦. ولكن أَبوكَ له خِدْمَةٌ
دخلْتَ بها في غِمارِ الخَدَم

77. And I reckon they are lying
And does the jealous accused lie?

٧٧. وأَحسب أَنهمُ يكذون
وهل يَصدقُ الحاسدُ المتَّهمْ

78. And far from your glory to be blemished
That I attach myself to other than my essence

٧٨. وحاشا لمجدِك من أَن أُضام
بأَنّي إِلى غير ذاتِي أُضَمْ

79. And they have lied, you described me
With good deeds and good understanding

٧٩. وقد كَذَبُوا أَنت لِي واصِفٌ
بحسن الفِعالِ وحُسْن الفَهم

80. And your books testify that I am the beloved
And that I am the most special and I am the most universal

٨٠. وكُتْبُك تشهد أَنِّي الحبيبُ
وأَنّي الأَخصُّ وأَنّي الأَعم

81. My father traveled by me, his name in the countries
And he roamed the deserts and sand dunes

٨١. أَبي بِي سار اسمُه في البلاد
وجابَ الوِهادَ بها والأَكَمْ

82. And I revived my oldest ancestors
So they stood while shaking off worries

٨٢. وأَحْيَيْتُ أَسْلافِيَ الأَقدمين
فقاموا وهم يَنْفُضُون اللِّمَم

83. They and I through you took pride as glory
And for us in the deserts became substitutes

٨٣. وهم وأَنا بِكَ حُزْنَا الفَخَارَ
وصارَتْ لنا في البَرَايَا قِيَمْ

84. You remained and the new eras pass away
Woe to the doctrine of the people of old

٨٤. بقيتَ ويَبْلى الزمانُ الجديد
وتبّاً لمذهبِ أَهَل القدم

85. So the sky must become turbulent
And every star in it melts away

٨٥. فلا بُدَّ من أَن تمورَ السماءُ
ويَذْوِي بها كُلُّ نَجْم نَجَمْ

86. And blindness appears in the two bright stars
As it appeared in the two pyramids, the pyramids

٨٦. ويظهرُ في الفرقدين العَمى
كما بان في الهَرَمينِ الهَرَمْ

87. And the sky is not as you have seen
With meteors, except lasting dreams

٨٧. وليْسَ السماءُ كما قد رأَيـ
ـتَ بالشُّهْبِ إِلاَّ أَديمَ حَلَم

88. And your star in all that does not set
And your pillar in all that does not collapse

٨٨. ونجمُك في كلِّ ذا لا هَوَى
وركنُك في كل ذَا لا انْهدَم

89. You remain and your help in us is divided
As for your elevation, it cannot be divided

٨٩. تدومُ ويُقْسَمُ فينا نَدَاك
فأَمّا عُلاَك فما يُقْتَسَم

90. And four things in me from what you have granted me
A soul, a spirit, flesh, and blood

٩٠. وأَرْبَعَةٌ فيَّ ممَّا وَهَبْـ
ـت نَفْسٌ وروحٌ ولَحمٌ وَدَمْ