كحل العيون بمرود من عسجد — Ibn Sanaa Almalk

كحلَ العيونَ بمرودٍ مِن عسْجدِ

فيه الذوائِبُ واللَّمى كالإِثمد

He lined the eyes with kohl, using a wand of pure gold;

in it, the tresses and the lips' dark hue were like antimony.

فرأَى وعاينَ وجْهَه في جنَّةٍ

تُجلى فتَجلو نور عين الأَرْمَدِ

Then he saw and beheld his face in a paradise,

unveiled, and so clearing the sight of the sore-eyed.

ورأَى بها المشْتاقُ صفرةَ لونِه

مثلَ الخَلوقِ بقُبلةٍ في مسْجِد

And in it the yearning lover saw his yellow pallor,

like saffron perfume on a mosque's prayer-facing wall.

بأَبي وأُمِّي من يكونُ المكتِفي

بجماله لجماله كالْمُقْتَدِي

May my father and mother ransom the one who is content

with his own beauty, taking that beauty as his model.

مستوحشٌ متفردٌ في حسنهِ

لا تعجبنَّ لوحْشَةِ المتَفَرِّدِ

He is lonely, peerless in his beauty;

do not marvel at a peerless one's loneliness.

وكأَنَّه من دلِّهِ وحيائِه

غيداءُ لكِن في شَمائِل أَغْيدِ

And in his coquetry and modesty he seems

a graceful maiden, yet with a graceful youth's bearing.

ومع الحياءِ يُريك عيْنَيْ ماردٍ

بالفَتْكِ لكنْ بيْن صُدْغَي أَمْردِ

For all his modesty, he shows you a demon's two eyes,

murderous, yet set between a beardless youth's temples.

ووراءَ نَدِّ الْخالِ في وجناتِه

ماءُ الجمال يجولُ في جمْرٍ نَدي

And behind the perfume of the mole upon his cheeks,

beauty's water courses through moist embers.

وقَفَتْ صَبَابَاتِي بِبُرقَةِ مَبْسِمٍ

في فِيه لا صَحْبي بِبُرقَةِ ثَهْمَد

My ardent longings halted at a smile's rocky tract,

in his mouth—not my companions at Burqat Thahmad.

كم ليلة قد بات صدري مَلْعَباً

بالضَّمِّ يَعدو فيه ظَبْيُ بَني عَدِي

How many a night my chest became a playground,

where, amid embraces, the gazelle of Banu Adi ran!

وظَلِلْتُ فيه بشعره وجَبينِه

طوراً أَضِلُّ بِه وطَوْراً أَهْتَدي

And there I lingered, with his hair and forehead,

at times losing my way through him, at times finding it.

جرَّدتُه لكن ذوائِبُ شَعْره

جَعَلَتْه إِذْ سَتَرتْه غيرَ مُجرَّدِ

I stripped him bare, but the tresses of his hair

made him, as they covered him, no longer bare.

وغدَتْ قلائِدُه تَعُوق عِناقَه

فنزَعْتُها عَنْه وبَاتَ مُقَلِّدي

And his necklaces began to hinder embracing him;

so I took them off him, and he spent the night encircling my neck.

وسرقْتُ مِنه قُبلَةً في سُكْرِه

فسرقْتُ درّاً تحت قُفْلِ زَبَرْجَدِ

And I stole a kiss from him in his drunkenness,

thus stealing pearls beneath a lock of chrysolite.

حيَّا الحَيا تِلكَ الجِباةَ وطِيبَها

وسَقَى العهودَ عهودَ ذَاك المعْهَدِ

May rain greet those foreheads and their fragrance,

and water the bygone days—the days of that familiar haunt.

وجزَى الإِلَهُ نَدَى الوزيرِ فإِنَّه

أَرْوى صدايَ بِه كَمَا أَغْنَى يَدِي

And may God reward the minister's generosity, for he

quenched my thirst with it, as he enriched my hand.

مَنْ ذَا يُطيقُ سِوَى الإِلَهِ جَزَاءَه

عَنِّي على نِعَمٍ تَروحُ وتَغْتَدِي

Who but God can repay him

on my behalf for blessings arriving evening and morning?

بيْنَا أَقولُ لعلَّها أَن تَنْتَهي

مِمَّا خَجِلْتُ بها أَراها تَبْتَدِي

Even as I say, 'Perhaps they will cease,'

so abashed am I by them—I see them begin anew.

ذاك الكريمُ ابْنُ الكريمِ المُقْتَنِي

طيبَ الثَّناءٍ بطيبِ ذاكَ المَحْتَدِ

That generous man, son of a generous man, who earns

sweet praise through the sweetness of that lineage.

ورثَ المكارِمَ كابِراً عن كابرٍ

ورَوى السَّيَادَةَ سيِّداً عن سَيِّد

He inherited noble virtues, a great man from a great man,

and transmitted lordship, a lord from a lord.

فطِنٌ بِخَلاَّتِ الكرامِ يَزيُدُها

أَنَّ الفَطانَةَ مِلْكُ رِقِّ السُودَدِ

Keen in the virtues of the noble, he enhances them,

for discernment holds lordship itself in thrall.

لبس الحُليَّ به العفاةُ لأَنَّه

تَهمِي غَمامَةُ كَفِّه بالْعَسْجَدِ

Through him, bounty-seekers have worn jewelry, for

the cloud of his palm rains pure gold.

وكَفَى سُؤَالَ المُجْتَدِي بِنَوالهِ

وحَمَى فكُفَّ المُجْتَدِي والمُعْتَدِي

His gifts spare the supplicant the need to ask,

and he protects, so petitioner and aggressor alike desist.

فنوالُه جمعَ العُفَاةَ وبَأْسُه

قَدْ شَرَّد الأَعْدَاءَ كُلُّ مُشرَّدِ

His bounty gathers those seeking gifts, while his might

has driven his enemies to every place of exile.

وإِذا نَظرتَ مِن العُفَاةِ لمصْفَدٍ

مِنه نظرتَ مِن الْعِدا لِمُصَفَّد

When among bounty-seekers you behold one rewarded

by him, among his foes you behold one fettered.

دَسُت الوَزارَة ضَاءَ مِنْه بمشرقِ ال

وَجَنَاتِ وَضَّاحِ الجبين مُمجَدِ

The seat of the vizierate shines through him, radiant of

cheek, bright of brow, and glorified.

ومظفَّرُ العَزماتِ منْصورٌ على

الأَعداءِ مِقدِامُ الجَنانِ مؤيَّدِ

Victorious in his resolves, triumphant over

his enemies, bold of heart, and aided.

والفعلُ منه أَوحدٌ في حُسنه

ما أَوْحَد الأَفْعَال غيرُ الأَوْحَدِ

What he does is peerless in its beauty;

none makes deeds peerless but the peerless man.

والضَّغْنَ يقتله بعفوِ تَغَمُّدِ

والفَقرَ يُعدِمه بقتلِ تَعَمُّدِ

He kills rancor with all-enfolding pardon,

and annihilates poverty with deliberate killing.

ويزينُ منه السحرَ عينُ محلِّلِ

يَسبي النُّهى في اللَّفظ غيرَ مُعَقَّدِ

And an eye that makes it lawful adorns his magic,

captivating minds through speech free of knots.

مَلكَ الملوكَ برأْيهِ ورُوَائِه

فهمُ وقد عَبدوه مثلُ الأَعْبُد

He masters kings with his judgment and splendid bearing,

so, having worshipped him, they are like slaves.

وهمُ إِذا وَصَلوا إِليه تَراهمُ

من ركَّع تَجْثو لديه وسُجَّدِ

And when they come to him, you see them

bowing, kneeling before him, and prostrate.

ليسَ اليراعُ بِكَفِّه وسُطورِه

إِلاَّ حبائِلَه لصيدِ الأَصْيد

The reed pen in his palm and the lines it writes

are only his snares for hunting the proud.

يُردِي أَعادِيَه بأَسْودِ نَقْشِه

أَوَما سمِعْت بنفْثِ سَمِّ الأُسْودِ

He fells his enemies with the blackness of its script;

and have you not heard of black serpents spitting venom?

وأفاك شهر الصوم يا أوفى الورى

أجراً بأيمن طائر وبأسعد

The month of fasting has come to you, O richest of all people

in reward, with the most auspicious and happiest omen.

وافاكَ مُشتاقاً لما عَوَّدته

من قُربةٍ وتِلاوةٍ وتَهَجُّدِ

It has come to you longing for what you accustomed it to:

devotion, recitation, and night prayer.

ما زلتَ فيه وفي سِواه صَائِماً

لله من لَهْوٍ يَشين ومَوْرِدِ

In it and beyond it, you have always fasted

for God from disgraceful pleasures and haunts.

وأَنَا الَّذِي في كُلِّ يوم مِنْه لِي

عيدٌ فإِنِّي صَائِمٌ كمُعيِّد

As for me, each day of it brings me

a feast: I fast like one celebrating Eid,

عندي بأَنْعُمِكَ الَّتي آلاَؤُها

مَا أَن تَغِبَّ تَذَكُّرِي وتَفَقُّدِي

thanks to the blessings I have from you, whose favors

never miss a day of remembering and caring for me.

كم نعمةٍ لك قد نعمتُ بقُربها

بعد الشَّقاءِ وكَمْ بذلِكَ مِنْ يَد

How many blessings of yours I have enjoyed close at hand

after misery, and how many favors there are in that!

يا ليتَ قوْمِي يعلمُون بأَنَّنِي

أَدْرَكْتُ من كَفَّيكَ أَقْصَى مَقْصِدي

Would that my people knew that I

have reached, through your two palms, the furthest of my aims!

ورقيتُ حتَّى لَمْ أَجِدْ مِنْ مُرْتَقىً

وصَعَدْتُ حَتَّى لم أَجِدْ مِنْ مَصْعَدِ

And I rose until I found no further height,

and ascended until no further ascent remained.

وجعلتُ رَحْلِي فَوْق ظهرِ المُشْتَري

ووضَعْتُ رجْلِي فَوق فَرْقِ الفَرْقَدِ

And I set my saddle upon Jupiter's back,

and placed my foot above Farqad's crown.

أَنْسَيْتنِي أَهْلِي ومَرْتَعَ مَعْشَرِي

ومحطَّ رَاحِلِتي وموضِعَ مَوْلِدي

You made me forget my family and my clan's pasture,

my riding-camel's halting place and my birthplace.

قَسَماً لقد أَسْلَى حُضورِي عندهُم

سَفَرِي وأَنْسانِي مَغِيبي مَشْهَدي

I swear, what made me forget my days among them

was my journey; my absence made me forget my presence there.

كَم وُلَّهٍ حَزِنوا عَليَّ ولو دَرَوْا

حَالِي لسُرُّوا بَلْ لَصَاروا حُسَّدي

How many distraught lovers grieved for me! Had they known

my state, they would have rejoiced—indeed, become my enviers.

إِنَّي أُحِبُّكَ لا لأَنَّك مُسْعِفي

بالصَّالحات ولاَ ِلأَنَّك مُسْعِدي

I love you, not because you aid me

with good things, nor because you make me happy,

إِلاَّ لأَنَّك خيرُ مِنْ جَازَ العُلاَ

من مُتْهِمٍ في العالمين ومُنْجِدِ

but because you are the best of those who traversed the heights,

among all peoples, whether in Tihamah or Najd.

ولأَنَّ حُبَّك عقد كل محصَّلٍ

ولأَن وُدَّك فرْضُ كُلِّ مُوحِّد

And because love of you is every discerning person's creed,

and because affection for you is every monotheist's duty.

وأَنا الطَّليقُ رجعتُ فيك مُقَّيداً

حبّاً ومَدْحي فيك غَيْرُ مُقَيَّدِ

And I, once free, have become bound to you

by love, while my praise of you is unbounded.

تفْنَى الأَنَامُ وما تَزالُ مُخَلَّداً

بِمَدائِحي وسِوَاكَ غيرُ مخلَّدِ

Humankind perishes, but you remain immortal

through my praises; none besides you is immortal.