يقر بعيني أن قلبي ما قرا — Ibn Alabar

يَقَرُّ بِعَيْني أنَّ قَلْبِيَ ما قَرّا

نِزاعاً إلى مَنْ لوْ سَرى طيْفُها سِرّا

It gladdens my eye that my heart has never rested,

yearning for one whose phantom, if it came by night, would bring joy.

قُصارَايَ قَصْرُ النفسِ فيها عَلى الهَوى

هَواناً وقَتلُ الصّبرِ في إثرِها صَبرا

My utmost is to confine my soul to love for her,

in abasement, and to slay patience as a captive in her wake.

وَقَوْلي عَلى قُرْبِ المَزارِ وبُعْدِه

سَلامٌ وإن حيّيْتُ منْ ربعِها قَفرا

And my words, whether the place of visitation is near or far,

are "Peace," even if I greet a waste in her dwelling.

عَفَاهُ وَما أَعْفاهُ إزْماعُها النّوى

فأصبَحَ إِلا من طَوافي بِها صِفْرا

Her resolve to depart effaced it and did not spare it;

so it stood empty, save for my circling around it.

وَعَهدِي به يَنْدى نَعيماً ونضْرَةً

فَيُولي الصَّبا نشراً ويُوفي الضُّحى بِشرا

I remember it dewy with bliss and freshness,

giving fragrance to the east wind and full cheer to the forenoon.

ألَمْ يَكُ لِلآمالِ كَعْبَةَ حِجِّها

وكان لذي الأوْجالِ في حِجرِهِ حِجرا

Was it not the Kaaba of hopes' pilgrimage,

and, within its enclosure, a sanctuary for the fearful?

جَديرٌ بِلَثْمي واسْتِلامي جِدارُهُ

وَركناه عُرْفا عدّه الحبُّ أَوْ نُكْرا

Its wall deserves my kisses and reverent touch,

and its two corners, whether love deems it proper or improper.

فَلا عيدَ مَا لم تُسعِدُني بعَوْدَةٍ

وأنّى يَؤُمُّ القَصْرَ من يَمم القَبْرا

There is no feast unless you gladden me with a return;

and how can one who has sought the grave make for the palace?

فَتَاةٌ أفَاتَتْهَا الليالِي غَوادِراً

وَغادَرْنَني مِنْ بعْدِها مُغْرماً مُغْرَى

A maiden whom the treacherous nights took away,

and after her they left me enamored and enthralled.

أُسِرُّ هَواها ثُمَّ أَجْهَرُ مُفْصِحاً

بِهِ والهَوى ما خامَرَ السرّ والجَهْرا

I conceal my love for her, then speak openly and plainly

of it; love is what pervades secrecy and openness.

مِنَ العُفرِ إلا أنَّ في العفر خدْرَها

فَيا للردَى كَمْ أندُبُ العُفر وَالعفرا

She was of the dun gazelles, but her bower lies in the dust;

alas for death! How often I lament the dun gazelles and the pale gazelle!

إِذا أتْبعتْ ألحاظها الكسْرُ فِتْنَةً

تَضلُّ بِها الأَلبابُ فاحتَسِبِ الجَبْرا

When her glances add enchantment to their languor,

minds go astray in it, so give up hope of mending.

سَلاهَا وقَلبي ما سَلاهَا بِحالَةٍ

وَفاءً تَحلاه لِمَ اخْتارَت الخَتْرا

Ask her, you two—my heart has never forgotten her in any state,

faithful in its adornment—why she chose treachery.

جَرَتْ بارِحاتُ الطَّيْر لا سانِحاتُها

بِما جَرّ فيها للتّباريحِ ما جَرَّا

The ill-omened birds passed, not the auspicious ones,

with what brought, concerning her, all the anguish it brought.

تَعَهّدَها كَرُّ الجَدِيدَيْنِ بالبِلَى

فَيَا كَرْبَ نَفسي المُسْتَهامَة ما كَرَّا

Returning day and night tended her with decay;

oh, the anguish of my love-stricken soul whenever they return!

نَعِمنا فُواقاً رَيثَما فَوّقَا لَنا

سِهَاماً أصابَتْنا بِما قَصَمَ الظَّهْرا

We enjoyed bliss for a moment, while the two nocked for us

arrows that struck us with what broke our backs.

وَما كانَ إِلا للرّحيلِ إيابُها

كَذا القر يَا للناسِ لا يُنْسِئُ القَفْرا

Her return was only for departure;

such is a stay, O people: it does not postpone desolation.

كَفيلٌ بِشُكري ذِكرُها فَكأنَّما

تُدارُ عَلى المُشتاقِ أنباؤُها خَمْرا

Mention of her guarantees my thanks, as though

news of her were passed around as wine to the yearning lover.

ومِن سَدَرٍ أضْلَلْتُ فِيها مَرَاشِدي

أبَاحِثُ عَن أتْرابِها الضَّالَ والسِّدْرا

In bewilderment I lost my guides concerning her;

I question the wild lote and lote trees about her companions.

وأَذكُرُ بالرَّوْضِ الأرِيضِ وَما حَوَى

تَنَفّسها والقَدَّ والخَدَّ والثَّغرا

In the lush garden and all it holds I recall

her breath, her form, her cheek, and her mouth.

دَعاني وأَعْلاقَ العلاقَة إنَّما

دَعاني لَها أنّي تَخَيَّرْتُها ذُخْرا

Leave me, you two, with love's treasured bonds; what

drew me to her was that I chose her as my treasure.

فُطورٌ بِقَلْبي مِن هَواها مَنَعْنَنِي

وأُنْسِيتُ عِيدَ النّحر أن أَذْكُر الفِطْرا

Cracks in my heart from loving her kept me—

the Feast of Sacrifice forgotten too—from remembering the Feast of Fast-breaking.

وَعِنْدِي الْتَقى الضِّدَّانِ ماءٌ ومارِجٌ

وَسَلْ كَبِدي الحَرَّى تُجِبْ مُقْلتِي العبرَى

Within me the two opposites meet: water and smokeless flame.

Ask my burning liver; my tearful eye will answer.

بَرَمْتُ بِهَجْرِ دَاوَل الوَصْل بُرْهةً

وقَد أبْرَمَتْ لِلْبَيْنِ مَا حَبّبَ الهَجْرا

I wearied of estrangement that alternated awhile with union;

yet she has made parting final, making estrangement dear.

هَلِ العَيْشُ إِلا أن أغازلَ غَادَةً

يُحَاسِن مَرْآها الغَزالَةَ والبَدرا

Is life anything but courting a graceful maiden,

whose beauty rivals the sun and the full moon,

وَأسكُنُ مِنها قاطِفاً ثَمَر المُنى

إلى سَكنٍ كالرّيمِ لم يَرمِ الفِكرا

and, gathering desire's fruit, finding repose in her—

a comfort like a gazelle that never left my thoughts?

غلبتُ عليها منْ رَداها بِأغلَب

فَما بِيَدي مِنها الغداةَ سِوى الذكرى

A stronger foe—her death—overcame me in the struggle for her;

so this morning I have nothing of her but remembrance.

ولَوْ أنَّ ما لا يُستَطاعُ أعادَهَا

تَجشّمتُ أمراً في إعادَتِها إمْرَا

Had even the impossible been able to restore her,

I would have shouldered a formidable task to bring her back,

ولُذْتُ بِيَحْيى المُرْتَضَى أسْتَعينُهُ

فأحْدقُ بي أنجادُه جَحْفلا مُجرى

and sought refuge with Yahya al-Murtada, asking his aid;

then his champions would surround me, a host set in motion.

أحَقُّ مُلوكِ الأرْضِ رَأياً وَرايَةً

بِفَوْز ونَصر لاعَدا الفوْزَ والنّصْرا

Of the earth's kings, the most deserving, in counsel and banner,

of success and victory—may he never miss success and victory!

إلَيْهِ انتَمَى فَضْلُ الأئِمَّة وانتَهى

مَساعِيَ لِلدُّنْيا تُقَدَّمُ لِلأخْرى

To him belongs, and in him culminates, the excellence of the imams—

worldly endeavors offered in advance for the hereafter.

فَمنْ يكُ زانَ الأمرُ والنّهيُ حالَه

فتِلكَ حُلاه زَانَتْ النّهْيَ والأمْرا

If command and prohibition grace another man's standing,

these virtues of his grace prohibition and command.

جَريئاً حريا بِالْخِلافَة مُجْمعاً

عليْهِ فبُشرى الدّين بالأجرأ الأحرَى

Bold, worthy of the caliphate, with all agreeing

upon him—glad tidings to the faith in the boldest and worthiest!

حَبَا وحمَى طوْلاً وَصَوْلاً تَكَافَآ

فَما أسأرتْ عَلْياه عُسراً ولا ذُعرا

He bestowed and protected, his generosity and might evenly matched;

his lofty qualities left neither hardship nor fear.

إذا دَعَت الحَرْبُ العَوانُ بِعَزْمهِ

ولبَّى صَداها فارْقُب الفتكَةَ البِكْرا

When veteran war calls upon his resolve,

and he answers its echo, await the maiden onslaught.

تَسَنّى لَه في البَرِّ والبَحْرِ ما نَوى

سَعَادَةُ جدٍّ أخْدمَ البَرَّ والبَحْرا

All he intends on land and sea is made attainable for him,

through the felicity of fortune that put land and sea at his service.

فمَا ينْهرُ الليْلُ النّهار إذا مضَى

لِبُغْيَتِه قُدْماً ولا السَّنةُ الشّهرا

Night does not drive day away when he advances

straight toward his goal, nor does the year drive away the month.

تُفاتِحُه الأعْوامُ بالفَتحِ خِدْمَةً

وَيَسبقُ في مَرْضاتِهِ العَجُزُ الصّدْرا

The years greet him with victories in his service,

and their ends outrun their beginnings in seeking his favor.

وللّهِ حَوْلُ الأرْبَعِينَ فلَمْ يَزَلْ

بِه حالِياً بُشْرى تظاهره بُشرى

To God belongs the year of forty! It has never ceased

to be adorned through him with glad tidings, reinforced by further glad tidings.

تَرَى أوَّلاً مِنْهُ يُنافِسُ آخِراً

وحسْبُ الليالي ما يُطوِّقُها فَخْرا

You see its beginning vying with its end;

enough for the nights is the glory with which he garlands them.

فإن دَوَّخَتْ فيهِ العِنَادَ جيادُهُ

فقَد نَسَفَتْ فيهِ سَفائِنُه الكُفرا

If in it his steeds subdued defiance,

in it his ships indeed uprooted unbelief.

سَوابِحُهُ عَمَّ الأعادِيَ عَدْوُها

بَوَاراً وأسمَى السَّعْي ما انتَظَم البَرَّا

His swift swimmers' advance engulfed his enemies

in ruin; the loftiest striving is that which embraces the land.

فَمِنْ مُقْربَاتٍ جَاستِ السَّفْعَةَ الغَبرا

ومِن مُنْشآتٍ جَابَت الأبْحُرَ الخَضْرا

Among them, pampered steeds that traversed the dusky, dust-colored earth,

and tall-sailed ships that crossed the green seas.

سَمتْ لأسَاطِيلِ النّصارَى فقُهْقِروا

لِتَصْويبِها مسْتيقِنين بِها القَهْرا

They advanced against the Christians' fleets, and the Christians were driven back,

before their aimed attacks, certain those ships would overpower them.

وَرَامَتْ ليوثَ الروم فُتخاً كَواسِراً

فَما وَجَدُوا نَصراً وَلا عَدِمُوا هَصرا

And, broad-winged birds of prey, they sought the lions of Rum;

the lions found no victory, nor did they lack a mauling.

أَراقَتْ عَلَى الدأماءِ حُمْرَ دمائِهم

فَراقَت شَقيقا في البنَفسج مُحْمرّا

They spilled their crimson blood over the deep sea;

so it delighted the eye, crimson anemones amid violets.

عَلى القِدِّ والقَيد التَقَت ثَمَّ هَامهُم

وَأَيديهمُ لا تُنكِر القَتل والأَسرا

There leather thongs and fetters met their heads

and hands, which did not deny slaughter and captivity.

ولَيْسَ لِداء الشرْك أسْوٌ سِواهُما

لدَى المِحرَب الماضِي إذا شَرُّه اسْتَشرى

There is no remedy for the sickness of polytheism except those two,

in the eyes of the resolute warrior, when its evil spreads.

نَتائِجُ مَولىً قَدّم البرّ والتقى

وَأجْرى إلى ما سَوْفَ يُجزى بِه الأجْرا

Such are the fruits of a lord who put righteousness and piety first,

and hastened toward deeds for which he will receive reward.

بِغُرّته انْجَابَتْ غَياهِبُ دَهْرِهِ

وأطْلعَتِ الأيّام أوْجُههَا غُرّا

His radiant brow dispelled the darkness of his age,

and the days revealed their radiant faces.

دَنا قارِياً لمّا تَباعَدا راقِياً

فيا رفْعة المَرْقى ويا سَعَة المَقرى

He drew near as a host when he grew distant in ascent;

how lofty the ascent, and how abundant the hospitality!

إيالَتُه فَضْلٌ عَلَينا ونِعْمَةً

وعيشته فيناهي النعْمَة الكُبرى

His rule is a bounty and a blessing upon us,

and his life among us is the greatest blessing.