سرت ولواء الصبح قد كاد ينشر — Ibn Hobeish

سَرت وَلِوَاءُ الصُبحِ قَد كادَ يُنشَرُ

وَحِبرُ الدُجى عَن مُهرَقِ الأُفقِ يُبشِرُ

She set out when the banner of dawn was almost unfurled,

And night's ink was being scraped from the horizon's parchment.

وَفَوقَ طَلاها مِن حُلاها كَواكِبٌ

تَغارُ بِها شُهبُ الدُجى فَتُغَوِّرُ

Above her neck, stars shone among her ornaments;

The bright stars of night envied them and sank away.

وَقَد ضِقتُ دَرعاً بَينَ شَوقِي وَهَجرِها

كَما ضاقَ خَلخالٌ عَلَيها وَمِئزَرُ

I could bear no more between my longing and her estrangement,

As her anklet and waist-wrap were tight upon her.

مُحَجَّبَةٌ باحَ الضِياءُ بِسِرِّها

وَنَمَّ بِمَسراها النَسيمُ المُعَطَّرُ

A veiled woman whose secret the radiance divulged,

Whose night journey the perfumed breeze betrayed.

تَوَخَّت مَسِيراً في الظَلام تَسَتّرا

أَلِلبَدرِ في جُنح الظَلامِ تَسَتُّرُ

She sought a journey through darkness to conceal herself;

Can the full moon hide beneath darkness's wing?

وَلَو لَم تُرِد أَن يَطلُعَ الصبحُ مُسفِراً

لَما طَلَعَت تفتَرُّ طوراً وَتُسفِرُ

Had she not wished for dawn to rise unveiled,

She would not have appeared, smiling at times and unveiling her face.

فَهَلّا بِلَيلٍ مِن ذَوائِبِها سَرَت

عَلى أَنَّهُ مِن بَهجَةِ الحُسنِ مُقمِرُ

Why did she not travel in the night of her tresses,

Though that night is moonlit by beauty's radiance?

بَكَت أَو تَباكَت رِقَّةً لِمحِبِّها

فَيا مَن رَأى طَلّاً عَلى الوَردِ يَقطُرُ

She wept, or feigned weeping, in tenderness for her lover;

O you who have seen dew dripping upon the rose!

وَوَشّحتُها عِندَ العِناقِ بِأَدمُعِي

فَرِيعَت وَقالَت ما لِعِقدِيَ يُنثَرُ

I adorned her with my tears as we embraced;

She started and said, 'Why is my necklace being scattered?'

فَيا زائِراً لي ما وَفَيتُ بِحَقِّهِ

وَلِي في ثَرى نَعلَيهِ خَدٌّ مُعَفَّرُ

O visitor to me, whose due I have not fulfilled,

My cheek lies dust-stained in the earth beneath his sandals.

وَما قَدرُ نَفسي أَن أَرى مِنهُ مُتحِفاً

رَسُولاً أَتى بِالوَصلِ مِنهُم يُبَشِّرُ

What is my soul's worth, that I should see a gift-bearer from him—

A messenger come from them to bring glad news of union?

وَلا

يُطِيلُ بِها خَلعَ العِذارِ فَيُعذَرُ

Nor

does he prolong casting off the bridle with her, and so be excused.

وَإِذا أَنا في عَينِ الكَواعِبِ شادِنٌ

غَرِيرٌ وَفي الهَيجاءِ لَيثٌ مُزَعفَرُ

Behold, in the eyes of young women I am a young gazelle,

Innocent, and in battle a saffron-colored lion.

زَمانِيَ مُبيَضٌّ وَفَودِيَ أَسوَدٌ

وَنَصلِيَ مُحمَرٌّ وَعَيشِيَ أَخضَرُ

My days are white, and my temple hair is black;

My blade is red, and my life is green.

فَقَد صِرتُ في حَربِ الغَوانِي مُغَلّباً

كَما أَنا في الحَربِ العَوانِ مظَفَّرُ

I have come to be vanquished in battle with beauties,

Even as I am triumphant in oft-renewed war.

أَلَيسَ عَجِيباً أَنّ طِرفِيَ بِالظُبا

أَنيسٌ وَطَرفِي للظِباءِ مُنَفِّرُ

Is it not strange that my steed with sword-edges

Is at home, while my gaze frightens gazelles away?

وَزَهواءَ تُنسِي الغُصنَ حُسنَ اِنثِنائِهِ

هَصرتُ بِها غُصنَ المُنى وَهُوَ مُزهِرُ

And a proud beauty who makes the branch forget the beauty of its bending—

With her I bent the bough of wishes while it was in flower.

لَها مِعطَفٌ لَو عَلّمَ اللينَ قَلبَها

لَما باتَ قَلبي لَوعَةً يَتَفَطَّرُ

She has a supple waist: if it taught her heart its softness,

My heart would not spend the night bursting with anguish.

وَطَرفٌ يُناجِيني مِراراً بِحُبِّهِ

وَيَغلِبُني فيهِ التَصابي فَأُجهِرُ

And a gaze that repeatedly whispers its love to me;

With it, youthful dalliance overcomes me, and I speak aloud.

قَوِيٌّ عَلى قَتلِ المُحبِّ وَإِنَّهُ

لَأَضعَفُ مِن صَبري لَها حينَ تهجُرُ

Powerful enough to kill the lover, yet it

Is weaker than my patience with her when she forsakes me.

يُسَهِّدُ أَجفانَ الوَرى وَهُوَ ناعِسٌ

وَيَهدِي لِنَهج الحُبِّ وَهُوَ مُحَيَّرُ

It keeps people's eyelids sleepless while itself drowsy,

And guides toward love's path while itself bewildered.

وَإِن ضَحِكَت أَبدَت حِجابَ زَبَرجَدٍ

عَلى خاتَمٍ فيهِ عَقِيقٌ وَجَوهَرُ

When she laughs, she reveals a veil of chrysolite

Over a ring containing carnelian and jewels.

وَأَلمى إِذا قَبَّلتُ قُلتُ مِزاجُه

رَحِيقٌ وَسَلسالٌ وَشَهدٌ وَعَنبَرُ

And a dark-lipped mouth: when I kiss it, I say its blend

Is pure wine, clear cool water, honey, and ambergris.

فَيا ظَمَئِي للعَذبِ هَل مِنكَ مَورِدٌ

وَيا مَورِدي في الحُبِّ هَل مِنكَ مَصدَر

O my thirst for sweet water, can you offer a watering-place?

O my watering-place in love, is there a way out of you?

وَيا عَجَباً لي يَرهَبُ اللَيثُ سَطوَتي

وَللشّادِنِ المَذعُورِ قَلبِيَ يَذعَرُ

What a marvel I am: the lion fears my onslaught,

Yet my heart quakes before a startled young gazelle.

وَبِي غادَةٌ تَسبي الحُلومَ وَتَستَبِيَ

وَتَسحَبُ أَذيالَ الجَمالِ وَتسحَرُ

I am smitten with a tender beauty who captures minds and takes them captive,

Who trails the skirts of beauty and enchants.

وَقَد أَودَعت قَلبي جَحِيماً مِن الهَوى

وَفي خَدِّها عَدنٌ وَفي الثَغرِ كَوثَرُ

She has lodged in my heart a hell of passion,

While on her cheek is Eden, and in her mouth, Kawthar.

وَلَم أَنسَ يَومَ البين مِنها التِفاتَةً

وَقَد قُرِّبَت للبَينِ عِيسٌ وَضُمَّرُ

I have not forgotten her backward glance on the day of parting,

When pale camels and lean mounts were brought forward for departure;

وَتَودِيعَها لِي بِالجُفونِ إِشارَةً

فَهِمتُ بِها سِرَّ الهَوى وَهُوَ مُضمَرُ

Nor her farewell to me, a signal with her eyelids,

Through which I understood love's secret, though concealed.

وَلَمّا خَلا رَبعٌ وَزُمّت رَكائِبٌ

وَوَدّعَ أَحبابٌ وَفارَقَ مَعشَرُ

When the dwelling stood empty and the riding camels were haltered,

And loved ones bade farewell and the company departed,

رَحَلتُ وَفي غِمدِي صَباحٌ لِيَهتَدُوا

إَلَيهِ وَفي جَفنِي سَحابٌ لِيُمطَروا

I departed, with dawn in my scabbard for them to find their way

Toward it, and a cloud in my eyelid to rain upon them.

إِلى أَن حَداني الشَوقُ نَحوَ حِلالِهِم

فَأَبصَرتُ في الأَرضِ الكَواكِبَ تَزهَرُ

Until longing drove me toward their encampments,

And I saw the stars shining upon the earth.

وَفِي القُبّةِ الحَمراءِ مُذهَبَةُ الحُلى

مُوَرَّدَةُ الجِلباب وَالحُسنُ أَحمَرُ

In the red pavilion was she, with gilded adornments,

Her outer robe rose-colored—and beauty is red.

عُذِرتُ عَلى شَوقِي إِلى حُسنِ وَجهِها

عَلى البُعدِ وَالمُشتاقُ في القُربِ أَعذَرُ

I was excused for longing for the beauty of her face

From afar; a lover near her is more excusable still.

وَقَد يَصبِرُ الصادِي إِذا الماءُ عَزّهُ

وَلَكِن مَتى يُبصِرهُ عَزَّ التصَبُّر

The thirsty man may endure when water eludes him,

But once he sees it, endurance becomes hard.

سَرَيتُ لَها مَسرى النَسيم تَوَقِّياً

عَلَيها وَصَوناً مِن حَدِيثٍ يُشَهَّرُ

I traveled to her by night as the breeze travels, out of concern

For her, and to shield her from talk spread abroad.

وَرَفَّعتُ عَنها السِجفَ وَهيَ بِغَفلَةٍ

تُغَنّي بِأَشعارِي فَتَبكِي وَتَسهَرُ

I lifted the curtain from her while she was unaware,

Singing my poems, weeping and keeping vigil.

فَما راعَها إِلّا جَواهِرُ أَدمُعي

يُضاحِكُها فِي الكَفِّ عَضبٌ مُجَوهَرُ

Nothing startled her but the jewels of my tears;

A keen, jeweled blade in my hand smiled back at them.

فَبَينَ اِرتياحٍ وَارتياعٍ تَمايَلت

عَلَيَّ وَقد مالَ الرِداءُ المحَبَّرُ

Between delight and fright, she swayed

Toward me, as her patterned cloak slipped aside.

وَقالَت بِنَفسِي أَنتَ غَرَّرت في الهَوى

فَقُلتُ اعذُرِي إِنَّ المُحِبَّ مُغَرَّرُ

She said, 'My life for you! You have risked yourself in love.'

I said, 'Forgive me: the lover is exposed to peril.'

لِتَعنِيقِ ذاكَ العِطفِ خاطَرتُ في السَرى

وَعانَقتُ أَعطافَ القَنا وَهِيَ تَخطِرُ

To embrace that waist, I hazarded the night journey,

And embraced the curves of spears as they swayed.

فَيا ظبيَةَ القَصرِ الَّذي بِفِنائِهِ

سَوابِحُ تُردِي أَو صَوارِمُ تَشهَرُ

O gazelle of the palace, in whose courtyard

Swift steeds kill, or keen swords are brandished,

أَجِيبي مَشُوقاً جابَ مِن شَوقِكِ الفَلا

وَزارَكِ وَالآسادُ حَولَكِ تَزأرُ

Answer a longing lover who crossed the wilderness in longing for you,

And visited you while lions roared around you.

بِنَظرَةِ عَينٍ مِنكَ باعَ حَياتَهُ

وَيا رِبحَهُ إِن كانَ بِالسُولِ يَظفَرُ

For one glance of your eye he sold his life;

What a profit is his, if he attains his desire!

وَقَومُكِ قَبلَ اليَوم قَد نَذَرُوا دَمِي

وَمِثلُ دَمي في حالَةٍ لَيسَ يُهدَرُ

Your people, before today, had vowed to shed my blood,

And blood like mine is never shed unavenged.

وَما شافِعِي إِلّا هَواكِ وَإِن أَكُن

عَزيزاً فَذُلّي فيكِ أَجدى وَأَجدَرُ

My only intercessor is love for you; and though I may be

Mighty, my abasement for you is more useful and more fitting.

هَبِي أَنَّ لي مِن سَيفِ قَومِكِ ثائِراً

فَلَو مِتُّ مِن عَينَيكِ مَن كانَ يَثأَرُ

Suppose I have an avenger against your people's sword;

If I died from your eyes, who would avenge me?

فَرَقَّت وَراقَتها ضَراعَةُ عاشِقٍ

لَهُ لَو أَرادَ الفَخرَ عِزٌّ وَمَفخَرُ

Then she softened, charmed by the supplication of a lover

Who, were he to seek glory, possessed honor and grounds for pride.

وَقالَت أَقِم فِي لَذّةٍ مُتَسَتِّراً

وَما العَيشُ إِلّا لَذَّةٌ وَتَسَتُّرُ

She said, 'Stay in pleasure, keeping hidden;

Life is nothing but pleasure and concealment.'

فَبِتُّ يُغَنِّيني الوِشاحُ فَأَنثَنى

طَرُوباً وَتَسقِيني الجُفونُ فَأسكَرُ

I passed the night with her sash singing to me, and swayed

In rapture; her eyelids gave me drink, and I grew drunk.

وَأَضمرتُ في شَكوى المَحبّة رِقّةً

فَهِمتُ نَسيمَ الفَجرِ عَنها يُعَبِّرُ

I concealed a tenderness in my complaint of love,

And understood the dawn breeze as giving voice to it.

فَواحَرَّ قَلبي حِينَ قامَت مَرُوعَةً

لِبَردٍ مِن الخَلخالِ بِالصُبحِ يُنذِرُ

Oh, the burning of my heart when she rose in alarm

At a chill from her anklet, warning of dawn!

وَمالَت إِلى التَوديعِ وَالبَينُ فاضِحٌ

مِنَ الشَوقِ ما كانَ التَواصُل يَستُرُ

She turned to farewell, and parting exposed

Of longing what togetherness had kept concealed.

تُسَكِّنُ بِاليُمنى فُؤاداً مُرَوَّعاً

وَتَمسَحُ بِاليُسرى دُمُوعاً تَحَدَّرُ

With her right hand she soothed a frightened heart,

And with her left wiped away tears flowing down.

وَقالَت حَبِيبَ النَفس ما أَوجَعَ النَوى

وَأَشجى قُلوباً فارَقَت وَهِيَ تَصبِرُ

She said, 'Beloved of my soul, how painful is separation,

And how it saddens hearts that part while trying to endure!

أَلا لَيتَ شِعري بَعدَ يَومِ فِراقِنا

أَيُمكِنُ جَمعُ الشَملِ أَم يَتَعَذَّرُ

Ah, if only I knew, after the day of our parting,

Whether reunion will be possible or prove beyond reach.'

وَقالَت وَقاكَ اللَهُ كُلّ مَخافَة

تَخَوَّف عَيُوناً في ارتِقابِكَ تَسهَرُ

She said, 'May God guard you from every danger;

Beware of eyes that stay awake watching for you.'