لعلك يا شمس عند الأصيل — Ibn Darray Alqastalli

لَعَلَّكِ يَا شمسُ عند الأصيلِ

شَجِيتِ لِشَجْوِ الغرِيبِ الذَّليلِ

Perhaps, O sun, at eventide,

you have grieved for the grief of the abased stranger.

فكونِي شَفيعي إِلَى ابْنِ الشَّفِيعِ

وكُونِي رَسُولِي إِلَى ابن الرَّسُولِ

Then be my intercessor with the son of the Intercessor,

and be my messenger to the son of the Messenger.

فإمَّا شَهِدْتِ فأَزْكى شَهيدٍ

وإِمَّا دَلَلْتِ فأَهدى دَليلِ

If you bear witness, no witness is purer;

and if you guide, no guide leads more truly

عَلَى سابِقٍ فِي قُيودِ الخُطُوبِ

ونجمِ سَناً فِي غُثاءِ السُّيولِ

to a champion shackled by calamities,

a radiant star amid the floods' flotsam.

يُنادِي النَّدى لِسقامِ الضَّياعِ

ويشكو إِلَى المُلْكِ داءَ الخُمُولِ

He calls upon generosity against the sickness of neglect,

and complains to kingship of obscurity's disease.

وعزَّ عَلَى العِلْمِ مَثوَاهُ أَرْضاً

عَلَى حُكمِ دَهْرٍ ظَلومٍ جَهولِ

Learning finds his abode upon the earth grievous,

under the rule of an oppressive, ignorant age.

ويَعجَبُ كَيْفَ دنا من عَليٍّ

وَلَمْ تنفصِمْ حَلَقاتُ الكُبولِ

He wonders how he drew near to Ali,

yet the rings of his shackles did not snap;

وكَيْفَ تَنَسَّمَ آلَ النَّبيِّ

وأَبْطأَ عنهُ شِفاءُ الغَليلِ

and how he breathed the fragrance of the Prophet's family,

yet relief for his burning thirst was slow to reach him.

وأَطودُ عِزّهِمُ مائِلاتٌ

لَهُ وَهْوَ يَرْنو بطَرفٍ كَليلِ

The mountains of their might lean

toward him, while he gazes with a weary eye;

وأَبحُرُهُمْ زاخراتٌ إِلَيْهِ

ويَرْشُفُ فِي الثَّمَدِ المُسْتحيلِ

their seas surge toward him,

while he sips from a scant, tainted pool.

وَقَدْ آذَنُوهُ الخصِيبَ المَريعَ

ومَرْتَعُهُ فِي الوَخيم الوَبيلِ

They have told him of lush, fertile land,

yet his grazing-ground is foul and pestilential.

تَجزَّأَ من جَنَّتَيْ مأْرَبٍ

بِخَمْطٍ وأَثْلٍ وسِدْرٍ قليلِ

In place of Ma'rib's two gardens, he has made do

with bitter growth, tamarisks, and a few lote trees.

غَريبٌ وكم غَرَّبَتْ رَاحَتا

هُ فِي الأَرْضِ من وَجْهِ بكْرٍ بَتُولِ

A stranger—yet how often have his two hands sent abroad,

across the earth, the face of a chaste virgin,

مُكَرَّمَةٍ مَا نَأَتْ عَنْ بلادٍ

ولا قَرُبَتْ من شَبيهٍ مَثيلِ

honored, never far from any land,

nor near to any likeness or peer.

تُضيءُ لَهَا مُظلِمَاتُ النُّفُوسِ

وتُروى بِهَا ظامِئاتُ العُقُولِ

For her, the dark recesses of souls shine,

and through her thirsty minds are quenched.

وتطلُعُ فِي زاهراتِ النُّجومِ

ومُطلِعُها جانِحٌ لِلأُفُولِ

She rises among the brilliant stars,

while he who makes her rise inclines toward setting.

شَريدُ السُّيوفِ وفَلُّ الحُتوفِ

يَكيدُ بأَفْلاذِ قَلبٍ مَهولِ

A fugitive from swords, a survivor of death,

he agonizes over the fragments of his terrified heart.

تهاوَتْ بِهِمْ مُصعِقاتُ الرَّوَاعِ

دِ فِي مُدْجِناتِ الضحى والأَصيلِ

Stunning thunderbolts came crashing down upon them

through mornings and evenings veiled in darkness:

بوارِقُ ظَلْمَاءِ ظُلْمٍ تُبيحُ

دُمىً مِنْ حِمىً أَوْ دماً من قَتيلِ

flashes in oppression's darkness, making prey

of maidens in sanctuary, or a slain man's blood.

فأذْهَلَ مُرْضِعةً عَنْ رَضيعٍ

وأَنسى الحَمائمَ ذِكْرَ الهَديلِ

It made a nursing mother forget her infant,

and made the doves forget their cooing.

وشَطَّ الصَّريخُ عَلَى ذي الصُّراخ

وفاتَ المُعَوَّلُ ذاتَ العَويلِ

The rescuer was far from him who cried for help,

and support eluded the woman who wailed.

فما تهتَدي العَيْنُ فِيهَا سَبيلاً

سِوى سَبَلِ العَبَراتِ الهُمُولِ

Within it the eye could find no path

save the streams of freely flowing tears.

ولا يَعْرِفُ المَوْتُ فِيهَا طَريقاً

إِلَى النَّفْسِ إِلّا بعَضبٍ صَقيلِ

Death knew no road there

to the soul except by a keen, polished sword.

رَكِبتُ لَهَا مَحْمَلاً للنَّجَاةِ

وصيَّرْتُ قصدَكَ فِيهِ عَديلي

I mounted a conveyance to escape it,

and made seeking you my fellow rider.

فَرَدَّتْ عَلَى عَقِبَيها المَنونُ

بِواقٍ مُجيرٍ ورأْيٍ أَصِيلِ

Then death turned back upon its heels,

through a sheltering protector and sound resolve.

وَقَدْ سُمْتُها بِنفيسِ التِّلادِ

عَلَى أَنْفُسٍ ضائِعَاتِ الذُّحُولِ

I had offered it my precious ancestral wealth

for lives whose blood-claims would go unavenged.

فَهِلتُ اليسارَ بيُسرى جَوادٍ

وحُطْتُ الذِّمَارَ بيُمْنى بَخيلِ

I poured out wealth with a generous man's left hand,

and guarded my charges with a miser's right:

نُفُوساً حَنَتْ قَوسُ عَطفي عليها

فَكُنَّ سِهامَ قِسِيِّ الخُمُولِ

souls over whom the bow of my tenderness bent,

and they became arrows in the bows of obscurity.

ومِنْ دوننا آنِساتُ الدِّيارِ

نِهابَ الحِمى مُوحِشاتِ الطُّلُولِ

Away from us, the once-welcoming dwellings—

their sanctuaries plundered, their ruins desolate.

يُهَيِّجُ فِيهَا زَفيرُ الرِّياحِ

مدامِعَ شَجوِ السَّحابِ المُخيلِ

There the sighing of the winds stirs

the grieving tears of rain-laden clouds.

وتلطِمُ فِيهَا أَكُفُّ البُرُوقِ

خُدُودَ عِرَاصٍ علينا ثُكُولِ

There the palms of lightning slap

the cheeks of courtyards bereaved of us.

تظلَّمُ من هاطِلاتِ الغَمامِ

وتَشكو مِنَ الريحِ جَرَّ الذُّيولِ

They protest against the clouds' downpours,

and complain of the wind's dragging skirts.

مغاني السُّرور لَبِسنَ الحِدَادَ

عَلَى لابسَاتِ ثِيابِ الذُّهولِ

The abodes of joy have donned mourning

for women clad in bewilderment,

خطيباتِ خَطبِ النَّوى والمُهورِ

مَهارى عليها رِحالُ الرَّحيلِ

brides betrothed to separation's calamity, whose dowries

are swift she-camels bearing departure's saddles.

فَمِنْ حُرَّةٍ جُلِيتْ بِالجلاءِ

وعَذْرَاءَ نُصَّتْ بنصِّ الذَّميلِ

Here a freeborn woman, unveiled by exile,

there a virgin displayed by the urging of the camels' trot;

ولا حَلْيَ إِلّا جُمانُ الدُّموعِ

يَسيلُ عَلَى كُلِّ خَدٍّ أَسِيلِ

no jewels but the pearls of tears

flowing down every smooth cheek.

فَبُدِّلْنَ مِنْ بَعدِ خفضِ النَّعيم

بشَقِّ الحُزُونِ وَوعْثِ السُّهولِ

After the ease of bliss, they were given instead

the crossing of rugged heights and soft-sanded plains;

ومِنْ قِصَر اللَّيلِ تَحْتَ الحِجال

بِهَوْلِ السُّرى تَحْتَ ليلٍ طويلِ

and instead of brief nights beneath bridal curtains,

the terror of travel through a long night;

وَمِنْ عَلَلِ الماءِ تَحْتَ الظِّلالِ

صِلاءَ القُلوبِ بحَرِّ الغليلِ

and instead of repeated draughts of water in the shade,

hearts scorched by the heat of thirst;

ومن طيب نفحٍ بنَوْر الرِّياضِ

تَلظِّيَ لفحٍ بنار المَقيلِ

and instead of fragrant breezes through meadow blossoms,

the blazing blast of noonday fire;

ومن أُنسِها بَيْنَ ظِئْرٍ وتِربٍ

سُرى لَيْلها بَيْنَ ذيبٍ وغوْلِ

and instead of her companionship with nurse and age-mate,

her night journey between wolf and ghoul;

ومن كُلِّ مَرْأَىً مُحيَّا جَميلٍ

تَلقِّي الخُطُوبِ بصبْرٍ جميلِ

and instead of every sight of a lovely face,

meeting calamities with beautiful patience.

لَعَلَّ عواقِبَهُ أَنْ تَتِمَّ

فَيُهدى الغريبُ سَواءَ السَّبِيلِ

May its outcome reach fulfillment,

and the stranger be guided to the straight path,

إِلي الهاشِميّ إِلَى الطَّالِبيِّ

إِلَى الفاطِميِّ العَطُوفِ الوَصُولِ

to the Hashimite, to the Talibid,

to the Fatimid, compassionate and devoted to kin,

إِلَى ابنِ الوَصِيِّ إِلَى ابن النَّبيِّ

إِلَى ابن الذَّبيح إِلَى ابن الخَليلِ

to the son of the Trustee, to the son of the Prophet,

to the son of the Sacrificial One, to the son of the Friend,

إِلَى المُستجَار من المُستَجيرِ

إِلَى المُستَقَال مِنَ المُستَقِيلِ

to him whose shelter is sought, from one seeking shelter,

to him who grants release, from one seeking release,

إِلَى المُستضاف المَلِيكِ العزيزِ

من المُسْتَضيفِ الغريب الذليلِ

to him whose hospitality is sought, the mighty king,

from the seeker of hospitality, the abased stranger.

سلامٌ وأَنتَ ابنُ بَدْءِ السَّلا

مِ منْ ضيفِهِ المكرَمِينَ الدُّخولِ

Peace! You descend from him first greeted with peace

by his guests, honored upon their entrance,

غَدَاةَ يُضيِّفُ أَهْلَ السَّماءِ

إِلَى منزِلٍ آلفٍ للنَّزيلِ

on the morning he hosted the dwellers of heaven

in a home welcoming to the traveler.

فَرَدَّ سَلامَ حَليمٍ مُنيبٍ

وجاءَ بعِجْل كريمٍ عَجولِ

He returned a greeting, forbearing and penitent,

and brought a fine calf in haste.

وأَعطانُهُ مَأْلفٌ للضُّيوفِ

ومَوْطِنُ ذي عَيْلَةٍ أَوْ مُعيلِ

His watering-grounds were a haven for guests,

a home for the needy and those with dependants.

شرائِعُ خَلَّدَها فِي الأَنَا

مِ من كُلِّ أَرْضٍ وَفِي كلِّ جيلِ

Precepts he made everlasting among mankind,

in every land and every generation.

وَمَا زَالَ من آلِهِ حافِظٌ

معالِمَها حِفظَ بَرٍّ وَصُولِ

And always someone from his house has guarded

their landmarks with a righteous kinsman's care,

بأنفُسِ مَجدٍ سِرَاعٍ إليها

وأَيدٍ عليها شُهودٍ عُدُولِ

with noble souls hastening toward them,

and hands bearing upright witness to them.

فسُمِّيَ جدُّكَ عَمْرَو الكِرام

بهَشمِ الثريد زَمانَ المُحُولِ

Thus your forefather Amr, of the generous, won his name

by breaking bread into broth in times of drought.

و شَيْبَةُ ساقي الحَجيجي الكَفيل

بمأوى الغريب وقوت الخليلِ

And Shaybah, water-giver to the pilgrims, guarantor

of shelter for the stranger and food for the friend,

وضيَّفَ حَتَّى وحوش الفَلاةِ

وأَهْدى القِرى لهِضَاب الوُعُولِ

even hosted the wild beasts of the wilderness,

and sent hospitality's fare to the ibex crags.

وإِنَّ أَبا طالِبٍ للضُّيوفِ

لأَطْلَبُ من ضَيفِهِ للحُلولِ

And Abu Talib was, for guests,

more eager to host than his guest was to alight.

ولا مِثلَ والِدِكَ المُصطَفى

لِرَكْبٍ وُفودٍ وَحَيٍّ حُلُولِ

And none was like your forefather, the Chosen One,

for visiting riders and tribes encamped as guests.

يبادِرُهُمْ بابْتِناءِ القِبابِ

ويُكرِمُهُمْ بدُنُوِّ النُّزُولِ

He hastened to build pavilions for them,

and honored them with lodgings close by.

ويَخْلَعُ عن مَنكِبَيهِ الرِّدَاءَ

سُروراً وفَرْشاً لضَيفِ القُيولِ

He took the cloak from his shoulders,

joyfully spreading it for a royal guest.

يروحُ عَلَيْهِم بغُرِّ الجِفانِ

ويغدو لهم بالغَريضِ النَّشيلِ

At evening he brought them gleaming platters,

and at morning fresh meat lifted from the pot:

قِرىً عاجِلاً يقتَضي شربهُ

من الكَوْثَرِ العَذْبِ والسَّلْسَبيلِ

prompt hospitality, earning a drink

from sweet Kawthar and Salsabil.

فأَنتُمْ هُدَاةُ حياةٍ ومَوْتٍ

وأَنْتُمْ أَئِمَّةُ فِعلٍ وقيلِ

You are guides in life and death,

and leaders in deed and word,

وساداتُ من حَلَّ جَنَّاتِ عَدْنٍ

جميع شبابهِمُ والكُهُولِ

lords of those who dwell in the Gardens of Eden,

all their young and middle-aged alike.

وَأَنْتُمْ خلائِفُ دُنيا ودينٍ

بحُكْم الكِتابِ وحُكْم العُقولِ

You are successors in worldly and religious rule,

by the judgment of the Book and the judgment of reason.

ووالِدكُم خاتَم الأَنبياءِ

لكُم منه مجدُ حَفِيٍّ كَفيلِ

Your forefather is the Seal of the Prophets;

yours from him is the glory of a loving guardian.

تَلَذُّ بحَمْلِكُمُ عاتِقاهُ

عَلَى حَمْلِهِ كُلَّ عِبءٍ ثقيلِ

His shoulders delighted in bearing you,

though he bore every heavy burden.

ورحْبٌ عَلَى ضَمِّكُمْ صَدْرُهُ

إِذَا ضاقَ صَدْرُ أَبٍ عن سَليلِ

His breast was spacious enough to embrace you,

when a father's breast might shrink from his child.

ويطرُقُهُ الوحيُ وَهنَاً وأَنتُم

ضَجيعَاهُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ جِبرَئيلِ

Revelation came to him deep in the night, while you

were the two lying beside him before Gabriel.

وَزَوَّدَكُم كُلَّ هَدْيٍ زَكِيٍّ

وأَوْدَعَكمْ كُلَّ رَأْيٍ أَصِيلِ

He furnished you with every pure guidance,

and entrusted you with every sound judgment.