تألق نجديا فأذكرني نجدا — Ibn Alkhatib

تألّقَ نجْدِيّاً فأذْكَرَني نجْدا

وهاجَ ليَ الشّوْقَ المُبَرِّحَ والوَجْدا

It flashed Najd-ward and reminded me of Najd,

And stirred in me tormenting longing and passion.

وَميضٌ رأى بُرْدَ الغَمامَةِ مُغْفَلاً

فمَدّ يَداً بالتِّبْرِ أعْلَمَتِ البُرْدا

A flash saw the cloud's mantle unadorned,

So it stretched forth a hand that striped the mantle with gold.

تبسَّمَ في بحْرِيّةٍ قدْ تجهّمَتْ

فَما بَذَلَتْ وصْلاً ولا ضَرَبَتْ وعْدا

It smiled within a sea-born cloud that had scowled,

Offering neither union nor a promise.

وراوَدَ منْها فارِكاً قدْ تمنّعَتْ

فأهْوى لَها نصْلاً وهدّدَها رعْدا

And wooed her, a disdainful wife who had held aloof,

Then swung a blade at her and threatened her with thunder.

فأغْرى بها كفَّ الغِلابِ فأصْبَحَتْ

ذَلولاً ولمْ تسْطِعْ لإمرَتِهِ رَدّا

It set conquest's hand upon her, and she became

Submissive, unable to oppose its command.

فحُلَّتُها الحمْراءُ منْ شَفَقِ الضُّحى

نَضاها وحَلَّ المُزْنُ منْ جِيدِها عِقْدا

Then her red robe, from the forenoon's rosy glow,

It stripped away; the raincloud unfastened a necklace from her neck.

لكَ اللهُ منْ برْقٍ كأنّ وَميضَهُ

يَدُ السّاهرِ المقْرورِ قد قدَحَتْ زَنْدا

God bless such lightning! Its gleam is as though

The hand of a chilled, sleepless man had struck a fire-stick.

تعلّمَ منْ سُكّانِهِ شيَمَ النّدى

فغادَرَ أجْزاءَ الحِمى رَوْضَةً تنْدى

From those who dwell there it learned generosity's ways,

And left the preserve's tracts a dew-wet garden.

وتوّجَ منْ نُوّارِها قُنَنَ الرُّبى

وختّمَ منْ أزْهارِها القُضُبَ المُلْدا

It crowned the hilltops with its blossoms,

And set rings of its flowers on the supple boughs.

لَسُرْعانَ ما كانتْ مَناسِفَ للصِّبا

فقدْ ضحِكَتْ زَهْراً وقد خجِلَتْ وَرْدا

How swiftly those former winnowing grounds for the east wind

Have laughed with blossoms and blushed with roses!

بِلادٌ عهِدْنا في قَراراتِها الصِّبا

يقِلُّ لِذاكَ العهْدِ أنْ يألَفَ العهْدا

A land in whose hollows we knew youth—

To cherish the covenant is little enough for those days.

إذا ما النّسيمُ أعْتَلَّ في عَرَصاتِها

تَناولَ فيها البانَ والشّيحَ والرّنْدا

Whenever the breeze grew ill in its open courts,

It partook there of moringa, wormwood, and laurel.

فكمْ في مَجاني وَرْدِها منْ علاقَةٍ

إذا ما اسْتُثيرَتْ أرْضُها أنْبَتَتْ وجْدا

How many a bond of love lies where its roses are gathered;

Whenever its earth is stirred, it grows passionate longing.

إذا اسْتَشْعَرَتْها النّفْسُ عاهَدَتِ الجَوى

إذا التَمَحَتْها العيْنُ عاقَدَتِ السُّهْدا

When the soul takes those places to heart, it pledges itself to love's pain;

When the eye glimpses them, it binds itself to sleeplessness.

ومنْ عاشِقٍ حُرٍّ إذا ما اسْتَمالَهُ

حَديثُ الهَوى العُذْريِّ صيَّرَهُ عَبْدا

And many a free lover, whenever he is drawn

By the tale of 'Udhri love, is made a slave.

ومنْ ذابِلٍ يحْكي المُحبّينَ رِقّةً

فيَثْني إذا ما هَبَّ عَرْفُ الصَّبا قَدّا

And many a drooping stem resembles lovers in tenderness,

Bowing its slender figure when the east wind's fragrance wafts.

وأنّسَ قَلْبي فهْوَ للعَهْدِ حافِظٌ

وقَلّ على الأيّامِ مَنْ يحْفَظُ العَهْدا

And it comforted my heart, which keeps the covenant;

Yet few keep the covenant as the days pass.

صَبورٌ وإن لمْ تَبْقَ إلا ذُبالَةٌ

إذا استَشْعَلَتْ مسْرى الصَّبا اشْتَعَلَتْ وَقْدا

Patient, though only a wick remains,

When it catches fire along the east wind's path, it blazes bright.

خَفوقٌ إذا الشّوْقُ استَجاشَ كَثيبَةَ

تَجوسُ دِيارَ الصّبْرِ كانَ لها بَنْدا

Fluttering—when longing musters a battalion

To scour patience's dwellings, it becomes that army's banner.

وقدْ كُنْتُ جَلْداً قبْلَ أن تُذْهِبَ النّوى

ذَمايَ وأنْ تسْتأصِل العظْمَ والجِلْدا

I had been resilient, before separation carried away

My last remnant of life and uprooted bone and skin.

أأجْحَدُ حقَّ الحِبِّ والدّمعُ شاهِدٌ

وقد وقَعَ التّسْجيلُ منْ بعْدِ ما أدّى

Shall I deny the beloved's right, while tears bear witness,

And the testimony was recorded after they had testified?

تَناثَرَ في إثْرِ الحُمولِ فَريدُهُ

فللّهِ عيْناً مَنْ رأى الجوْهَرَ الفَرْدا

Their precious pearls scattered in the wake of the laden camels;

By God, what an eye! Who has seen the matchless pearl?

جرَى يَقَقاً في ملعَبِ الخدِّ أشْهَبا

وأجْهَدَهُ ركْضُ الأسَى فجَرى ورْدا

They ran snow-white, a gray steed in the cheek's arena;

And sorrow's galloping exhausted them, so they ran bay-red.

ومُرْتَحِلٍ أجْرَيْتُ دمْعي خلْفَهُ

ليُرْجِعَهُ فاسْتَنّ في إثْرِهِ قَصْدا

And a departing one—I sent my tears running after him,

To bring him back; they raced straight in his wake.

وقلْتُ لقَلْبي طِرْ إلَيْهِ برُقْعَتي

فكانَ حَماماً في المَسيرِ بِها هَدّا

And I told my heart: fly to him with my note;

Bearing it on the journey, it became a cooing dove.

سرَقْتُ صُواعَ العَزْمِ يوْمَ فِراقِهِ

فلَجَّ ولمْ يَرْقُبْ سُواعاً ولا وُدّا

I stole the measuring-cup of resolve on the day he parted;

Yet he persisted, showing no regard for Suwa' or Wudd.

وكحّلْتُ جَفْني منْ غُبارِ طَريقِهِ

فأعْقَبَها دَمْعاً وأوْرَثَها سُهْدا

And I lined my eyelid with the dust of his road,

So the dust brought it tears and bequeathed it sleeplessness.

ليَ اللهُ كمْ أهْذي بنَجْدٍ وحاجِرٍ

وأُكْني بدَعْدٍ في غَرامي أو سُعْدى

God help me! How often I rave of Najd and Hajir,

And veil my passion under Da'd's name or Su'da's.

وما هوَ إلا الشّوْقُ ثارَ كَمينُهُ

فأذْهَلَ نَفْساً لمْ تبِنْ عنْدَهُ قَصْدا

It is only longing, whose hidden force has risen,

And bewildered a soul unable to make its purpose clear before it.

وما بيَ إلا أنْ سَرى الرّكْبُ مَوْهِنا

وأعْمَلَ في رَمْلِ الحِمى النصَّ والوَخْدا

Nothing ails me except that the caravan traveled deep into the night,

And pressed through the preserve's sand at full speed and a swift trot.

وجاشَتْ جُيوشُ الصّبْرِ والبَيْنِ والأسَى

لديَّ فكانَ الصّبْرُ أضْعفَها جُنْدا

The armies of patience, separation, and sorrow surged

Before me, and patience had the weakest troops.

ورُمْتُ نُهوضاً واعْتَزَمْتُ موَدِّعا

فصَدّنيَ المِقْدارُ عنْ وجْهَتي صَدّا

I sought to rise and resolved to take my leave,

But destiny firmly checked me from my destination.

رَقيقٌ بدَتْ للمُشْتَرينَ عُيوبُهُ

ولمْ تلْتَفِتْ دعْواهُ فاسْتوْجَبَ الرّدّا

A slave whose faults were apparent to the buyers;

His claim went unheeded, so he merited rejection.

تخلّفَ منّي ركْبُ طَيْبَةَ عانِيا

أمَا آنَ للعاني المُعَنّى بأنْ يُفْدَى

The caravan to Tayba left me behind, a captive;

Is it not time for the tormented captive to be ransomed?

مخَلَّفُ سِرْبٍ قد أُصيبَ جَناحُهُ

وطِرْنَ فلَمْ يسْطِعْ مَراحاً ولا مَغْدى

One left behind by a flock, with his wing wounded;

They flew away; he could manage neither an evening nor a morning flight.

نَشَدْتُكَ يا رَكْبَ الحِجازِ تضاءَلَتْ

لكَ الأرْضُ مهْما اسْتَعْرَضَ السَّهْبُ وامْتَدّا

I implore you, O caravan of the Hijaz—may it shrink,

The earth before you, however broad and long the steppe stretches.

وجمَّ لكَ المرْعى وأذْعَنَتِ الصّوى

ولمْ تَفْتَقِدْ ظِلاً ظَليلاً ولا وِرْدا

May pasture abound for you and the waymarks yield,

And may you never lack deep shade or a watering-place.

إذا أنْتَ شافَهْتَ الدِّيارَ بطَيْبَةٍ

وجِئْتَ بها القبْرَ المُقَدَّسَ واللّحْدا

When you come face to face with the dwellings at Tayba,

And visit there the sacred tomb and its burial niche,

وآنَسْتَ نُوراً منْ جَنابِ محمّدٍ

يُداوي القُلوبَ الغُلْبَ والأعْيُنَ الرُّمْدا

And perceive a light from Muhammad's presence,

Healing hardened hearts and inflamed eyes,

فنُبْ عنْ بَعيدِ الدّارِ في ذلكَ الحمى

وأذْرِ بهِ دمْعاً وعفِّرْ بهِ خَدّا

Then stand in that sanctuary for one whose home is far away,

And shed tears there, and rub a cheek in its dust.

وقُلْ يا رَسولَ اللّهِ عبْدٌ تقاصَرَتْ

خُطاهُ وأضْحى منْ أحبّتِهِ فرْدا

And say: O Messenger of God, a servant has fallen short

In his steps, and is left alone, apart from his loved ones.

ولمْ يسْتَطِعْ من بعْدِ ما بَعُدَ المَدى

سِوى لوْعةٍ تعْتادُ أو مِدْحَةٍ تُهْدى

And after the destination grew distant, he could manage

Only recurring anguish or a praise-poem offered as a gift.

تَدارَكْهُ يا غوْثَ العِبادِ برحْمَةٍ

فجودُكَ ما أجْدى وكفُّكَ ما أنْدى

Rescue him, O succor of God's servants, with mercy;

How beneficent your generosity, how lavish your hand!

أجارَ بكَ اللهُ العِبادَ منَ الرّدى

وبوّأهُمْ ظِلاً منَ الأمْنِ مُمْتَدّا

Through you God sheltered His servants from destruction,

And lodged them in the far-reaching shade of safety.

حَمى دينُكَ الدّنْيا وأقْطَعَكَ الرِّضا

وتوّجَكَ العُلْيا وألْبَسَكَ الحمْدا

Your religion protected the world; He allotted you His favor,

And crowned you with exalted rank and clothed you in praise.

وطهّرَ منْكَ القلْبَ لمّا اسْتخصّهُ

فجَلَّلَهُ نوراً وأوْسَعَهُ رُشْدا

He purified your heart when He singled it out,

Then covered it with light and filled it with guidance.

دَعاهُ فَما وَلّى هَداهُ فما غَوى

سَقاهُ فما يَظْما جَلاهُ فَما يصْدا

He called it, and it did not turn away; He guided it, and it did not stray.

He gave it drink, so it never thirsts; He polished it, so it never rusts.

تقدّمْتَ مُخْتاراً تأخّرْتَ مَبْعثاً

فقَدْ شمَلَتْ علياؤُكَ القَبْلَ والبَعْدا

You came first in election, though your mission came later;

Your high rank embraced both before and after.

وعِلّةُ هَذا الكوْنِ أنْتَ وكلّما

أعادَ فأنْتَ القصْدُ فيهِ وما أبْدى

You are the cause of this universe; whenever

He brings it back, you are its purpose, as in what He first brought forth.

وهلْ هوَ إلا مَظْهَرٌ أنْتَ سِرُّهُ

ليمْتازَ في الخَلْقِ المُكِبُّ منَ الأهْدى

Is it anything but a manifestation whose secret is you,

To distinguish among creatures the one stumbling face-down from the better-guided?

فمِنْ عالَمِ الأسْرارِ ذاتُكَ تجْتَلي

ملامِحَ نورٍ لاحَ للطّوْرِ فانْهَدّا

From the realm of mysteries, your essence beholds

The features of a light that shone upon the Mount, and it collapsed.

وفي عالَمِ الحِسِّ اغْتَدَيْتَ مُبَوّأ

لتَشْفي مَنِ اسْتَشْفى وتَهْدي منِ اسْتَهْدى

In the realm of the senses you were given a dwelling,

To heal whoever sought healing and guide whoever sought guidance.

فما كنْتَ لوْلا أن تَبُثَّ هِدايَةَ

مِنَ اللهِ مثْلَ الخلْقِ رسْماً ولا حَدّا

For you would not, were it not for spreading guidance

From God, resemble creation in form or bounds.

بِماذا عسى يُثْني عليْكَ مُقَصِّرٌ

ولمْ يألُ فيكَ اللّهُ مدْحاً ولا حمْدا

How could one so deficient praise you,

When God has spared no praise or commendation of you?

بماذا عسى يُجزيكَ هاوٍ على شَفَى

منَ النّارِ قدْ أسْكَنْتَهُ بعْدَها الخُلْدا

How could one falling at the brink repay you,

Of the Fire, whom you then lodged in eternal bliss?

عليْكَ صلاةُ اللهِ يا خيْرَ مُرسَلٍ

وأكْرَمَ هادٍ أوْضَحَ الحَقّ والرُّشْدا

God's blessing upon you, O finest messenger,

And noblest guide, who made truth and right guidance clear.

عليْكَ صلاةُ الله يا خيْرَ راحِمٍ

وأشْفَقَ مَنْ يَثْني على رأفَةِ كَبْدا

God's blessing upon you, O finest giver of mercy,

And most tender of those whose very liver bends toward compassion.

عليْك صلاةُ اللهِ يا كاشِفَ العَمى

وقد هبّ ليْلُ الشّكِّ وهْوَ قدِ ارْبَدّا

God's blessing upon you, O dispeller of blindness,

When the night of doubt arose, already blackened.

الى كمْ أُراني في البَطالَةِ كانِعاً

وعُمْريَ قدْ ولّى ووِزْريَ قدْ عُدّا

How long shall I see myself bowed down in idleness,

When my life has passed and my burden of sin has been counted?

تقضّى زَماني في لعَلّ وفي عسى

فلا عزْمَةٌ تُمْضى ولا لوْعَةٌ تَهْدا

My time has passed amid 'perhaps' and 'maybe,'

No resolution carried through, no anguish soothed.

حُسامُ جَبانٍ كلّما شِيمَ نصْلُهُ

تَراجَعَ بعْدَ العزْمِ والتَزَمَ الغِمْدا

A coward's sword: whenever its blade is drawn,

It retreats after resolve and clings to its sheath.

ألا ليْتَ شِعْري هلْ أراني ناهِداً

أقودُ القِلاصَ البُدْنَ والضّامِرَ النّهْدا

Ah, would that I knew—shall I see myself rising,

Leading fleshy young she-camels and the lean, sturdy mount?

رَضيعُ لِبانِ الصِّدْقِ فوْقَ شِمِلّة

مُضَمَّرةٍ وُسِّدتُ منْ كُورِها مهْدا

A nursling of sincerity's milk, atop a swift she-camel,

Trained lean, with a cradle laid for me from her saddle.

فتُهْدى بأشْواقي السّراةُ إذا سَرَتْ

وتُحْدى بأشْعاري الرِّكابُ إذا تُحْدى

My longings guide the night-travelers when she travels by night,

And my poems chant the riding-camels onward whenever they are urged on.

الى أن أحُطَّ الرّحْلَ في تُرْبَكَ الذي

تضوّعَ نِداً ما رأيْنا لهُ نِدّا

Until I set down my saddle in your earth, which

Has wafted blended perfume whose equal we have never seen.

وأُطْفِئَ في تلْكَ المَوارِدِ غُلّتي

وأُحْسبَ قُرْباً مُهْجَةً شكَتِ البُعْدا

And quench my thirst at those watering-places,

And sate with nearness a soul that lamented distance.

بمَوْلِدِكَ اهْتزّ الوجودُ وأشْرَقَتْ

قُصورٌ ببُصْرى ضاءَتِ الهضْبَ والوَهْدا

At your birth, existence trembled, and there shone

Palaces at Busra that lit the highlands and the hollows.

ومِنْ رُعْبِهِ الأوثانُ خرّتْ مَهابَةً

ومنْ هوْلِهِ إيوانُ فارِسَ قدْ هُدّا

In dread of it, the idols fell in awe;

And from its terror, Persia's palace hall was brought down.

وغاضَ لهُ الوادي وصبّحَ عِزَّهُ

بُيوتاً لنارِ الفُرْسِ أعْدَمَها الوَقْدا

For it the valley dried up, and its glory came at dawn

Upon the Persian fire-temples, depriving them of flame.

رعَى اللهُ منْها ليْلَة أطْلَعَ الهُدى

على الأرضِ منْ آفاقِها القَمَر السّعْدا

May God guard that night when Guidance brought forth

From its horizons above the earth the auspicious moon.

وأقْرَضَ مَلْكاً قامَ فينا بحقِّها

لقَدْ أحْرَزَ الفَخْرَ المؤثَّلَ والمَجْدا

And may He lend to a king who upheld its due among us;

He has indeed won deeply rooted pride and glory.

وحيَّ على شَطِّ الخَليجِ محَلّةً

يُحالِفُ مَنْ يُلْفَى بها العيشَةَ الرّغْدا

And salute a settlement on the gulf's shore,

Where whoever is found is allied with a life of ease.

وجادَ الغَمامُ العِدُّ فيها خَلائِفاً

مآثِرُهُمْ لا تعْرِفُ الحصْرَ والعَدّا

May the inexhaustible cloud rain upon caliphs there,

Whose great deeds know neither limit nor count:

عَليّاً وعُثْمانَ ويَعْقوبَ لا عَدا

رِضا اللهِ ذاكَ النّجلَ والأب والجَدّا

Ali, Uthman, and Ya'qub—may there never pass by

God's favor that son, father, and grandfather.

حمَوْا وهَمَوْا في حوْمَةِ البأسِ والنّدى

فكانُوا الغُيوثَ المُسْتَهِلّةَ والأُسْدا

They defended and poured forth in the arena of valor and generosity,

And were pouring rainclouds and lions.

وللهِ ماذا خلّفوا منْ خَليفَةٍ

حَوى الإرْثَ عنْهُمْ والوصيّةَ والعَهْدا

By God, what a successor they have left,

Who took their inheritance, testament, and covenant!

إذا ما أرادَ الصّعْبَ أغْرى بنَيْلِهِ

صُدورَ العَوالي والمُطَهّمَةَ الجُرْدا

Whenever he seeks a difficult aim, he spurs on to attain it

The heads of tall lances and well-formed, sleek steeds.

فكمْ معْتَدٍ أرْدى وكمْ تائِهٍ هَدى

وكمْ حِكْمَةٍ أخْفى وكمْ نِعْمَةٍ أبْدى

How many aggressors he slew, how many wanderers he guided;

How much wisdom he concealed, how much bounty he revealed!

أبا سالِمٍ دين الإلاهِ بكَ اعْتَلى

أبا سالِمٍ ظِلُّ الأمانِ بكَ امْتَدّا

Abu Salim, God's religion has risen high through you;

Abu Salim, through you the shade of safety spread wide.

فدُمْ في دِفاعِ اللّهِ تحْتَ وِقايَةٍ

كَفاكَ بها أنْ تسْحَبَ الحَلَقَ السّرْدا

Remain within God's defense, beneath a protection

That spares you the need to trail closely linked mail.

ودونَكَها منّي نتيجَةَ فكْرَةٍ

إذا اسْتُرْشِحَتْ للنَّظْمِ كانَتْ صَفاً صَلْدا

And take this from me, the fruit of a thought

Which, when pressed to yield verse, proved a solid, flinty rock.

ولوْ تركَتْ منّي اللّيالي صُبابةً

لأجْهَدْتُها ركْضاً وأرْهَقْتُها شَدّا

Had the nights left me even a little remnant,

I would have exhausted it at the gallop and overtaxed it at full speed.

ولكنّه جُهْدُ المُقْل بذَلْتُهُ

وقد أوْضَحَ الأعْذارَ مَنْ بَلغَ الجُهْدا

But it is a poor man's utmost effort that I have offered;

And whoever reaches his utmost has made his excuses clear.