يا أربع الخيف يسقي الماء واديها — Ibrahim Al Yaziji

يا أَربُعَ الخيفِ يَسقي الماءَ واديها

بِسَفحه وَدِما العُشاقِ تَسقيها

O dwellings of al-Khayf, may water irrigate their valley

with its outpouring, and lovers' blood water them.

إِن كانَ ذَلِكَ لَم يُبرِد مَعاهِدَها

مِن نارِ شَوقي فَدَمعي سالَ يَرويها

If that has not cooled their haunts

from my longing's fire, my tears have flowed to irrigate them.

مَعاهِدٌ لِيَ قَلبٌ ظَلَّ جانِبَها

بِالوَجدِ مُضطَرِماً يُحمى وَيُحميها

Haunts beside which a heart of mine remained,

ablaze with passion, heated and heating them.

أَفدى الدِّمَى في مصونِ الحُجبِ قَد كَسَرَتْ

الحاظُها كلَّ قَلبٍ مِن مُحبّيها

I would ransom the statue-like beauties behind guarded veils; they have broken,

with their glances, every heart among their lovers.

لَهُنَّ عِندي هَوىً يُزَكي وَطيسَ جَوىً

في أَضلُعٍ جَدّ فيها الوَجدُ يُصليها

For them I bear a love that feeds the furnace of anguish

within ribs where passion has grown fierce, scorching them.

كَواعِبٌ طَلَعَت حُوراً بِجنَّتِها

تُفدى بِنَفسي فَما أَبهى تَجَلّيها

Full-bosomed maidens appeared as houris in their paradise;

may they be ransomed with my life—how splendid their appearing!

أَوانِسٌ في بُرودِ العُربِ ناعِمَةٌ

تُزري زُهاءَ الدَّراري في أَعاليها

Gentle maidens, tender in the Arabs' striped mantles,

putting to shame the brilliance of the stars on high.

ظَلَمنَ كُلَّ مُحبٍ بِالجَفاء وَما

نَدري شَقاءُ الهَوى لَولا تَجافيها

They wronged every lover with their coldness, and we

would not know love's misery but for their avoidance.

اِستَودِعُ اللَهَ عَيناً في مَحَبَّتِها

تَرعى النُجومَ وَمَجرى الدَمعِ يُدميها

I entrust to God an eye that, in loving her,

watches the stars while flowing tears make it bleed.

فَما أَتاني رَسولٌ مِن بَوارِقِها

إلّا جَرَت فَأَجابتهُ مَآقيها

No messenger came to me from her lightning flashes

without that eye flowing and its corners answering him.

رَيحانة القَومِ هَل عَطفٌ عَلى دَنِفٍ

قَد شَفَّهُ سُقمُ أَشواقٍ يُقاسيها

Sweet basil of the people, will you pity one sick with love,

wasted by the sickness of the longings he endures?

أَنضاهُ محمل وَجدٍ لَم يَدَع أَسَفاً

إِلّا بَقايا ضُلوعٍ جاءَ يُبريها

The burden of passion exhausted him, leaving, in sorrow,

only remnants of ribs, which it came to wear away.

لَعَلَّ لِلأُنس كَأساً مِنكِ شافِيةً

جَوانِحاً بِكِ باتَ الوَجد يُذكيها

Perhaps a cup of companionship from you may heal

the ribs that passion has spent the night kindling for you.

أَهواكَ لا العَذلُ عَن حُبّيكَ يَعطفني

حيناً وَلا النَفسُ عَنكَ البَرح يَثنيها

I love you; no reproach turns me from my love for you

even for a moment, nor does torment turn my soul from you.

نَجِيُ شَوقٍ وَأَطرابٌ نَعِمتَ لَها

بِلَوعةِ الكَربِ تَطويني وَأَطويها

A confidant of longing—and raptures you delighted in

enfold me in grief's burning, and I enfold them.

صَبراً أيا رُوحيَ الحَرّى بِصَبْوتِها

عَلى الضَّنَى فَهوَ طِبِّي مِن نَواحيها

Patience, O my soul, burning with its yearning,

under wasting sickness, for it is my remedy from her realm.

أَبِيت وَاللَهِ إِلا أَن أَبيت شبح

واهِي القُوى ذائبَ الأَحشاءِ دَامِيها

I refuse, by God, to be by night anything but a specter,

weak of strength, with entrails melting and bloodied.

راقَ البلَى في الأَسى وَرداً لِعاشِقها

فَلَم أَقُلْ يا عَذابي في الأَسى إِيها

Wasting away in grief seemed a rose to her lover,

so I never said, 'O my torment, enough of sorrow!'

ضَنىً وَوَجدٌ وَسَهدٌ بي وَحُرُّ صَدَىً

وَصَبوَةُ حَتفِ صَبٍّ مِن مَجانيها

Wasting, passion, sleeplessness afflict me, and burning thirst,

and yearning—the death of a lover—is among her fruits.

إَلَيكَ يا طَرفَها قَلباً يُذاب أَسىً

وَمُهجةٌ أَصبَحَت رَسماً بَحِبّيها

To you, O her gaze, a heart melted by grief,

and a soul reduced to a trace through my love for her.

عَقَدتُ فيها بُنودَ الحُبِّ ساميةً

عَلى صَبابةِ عشقٍ لا أُعاصِيها

I planted within it the lofty banners of love,

upon a yearning passion I do not defy.

لا مَتَّعَ اللَهُ لي قَلباً بِسَلوَتِها

وَلا أَطَعتُ نَصيحي في تَصابيها

May God never grant my heart the pleasure of forgetting her,

nor may I obey my counselor in dallying with her.

يَرومُ قَومِي بِالسُلوانِ عَن عَبَثٍ

بُرءاً لِقَتَّالِ جَرحٍ برؤُهُ فِيها

My people vainly seek, through forgetfulness,

a cure for a deadly wound whose healing lies in her:

أَنْ تَحْنِ يَوماً بِعَطفٍ لِلشَجِيِّ فَقَد

أَحَبَت لَها عاشِقاً بِالروحِ يَفديها

that one day she incline in compassion toward the sorrowful—for she has

loved, for herself, a lover who would ransom her with his soul.

رَبيبةٌ مِن دُمَى الوادي تَحِلّ لَها

دِماؤُنا في الهَوى وَاللَحظُ حاميها

A cherished maiden among the valley's statue-like beauties, to whom

our blood in love is lawful, her glance her guardian.

ضلَّ الفُؤادُ بِواديها الأَنيقِ فَلا

لَقى سَبيلَ الهُدى عَن هَضمِ واديها

The heart strayed in her lovely valley and never

found a path of guidance out of her valley's hollow.

رَعياً لِصَفوِ لَيال بِاللُقا سَبَقَتْ

حَيثُ اِبتسام الأَماني في بَواديها

May the serenity of bygone nights of meeting be preserved,

where wishes smiled in their open plains.

بَرقٌ بَدا ثُمَّ وَلَّى نازِفاً مَطراً

سالَت بِهِ عَبرَةٌ لي طابَ هاميها

A lightning flash appeared, then departed, shedding rain;

with it a tear of mine flowed, its downpour sweet.

يا طالَما لَذَّ كَأسي في أَجارِعِها

لَو تَمَّ صافي هَنائِي في تَدانيها

Ah, how often my cup was sweet upon her sandy flats,

if only my pure delight in drawing near her had endured.

عَيشٌ عَهدِنا بِهِ الأَوطارَ سانِحَةً

حَسْبَ المَرامِ تَدانِينا فَنَرميها

A life in which we knew desires passing within reach,

coming near as we wished, so that we could shoot at them.

أَوطارُ نَفسٍ لَها تَصبو المُنى طَرَباً

وَالنَفسُ تَستامُها لَهواً أَمانيها

A soul's desires, toward which hopes yearn in rapture,

and the soul's wishes bid for them in play.

بِاللَهِ يا نَسَمات البانِ قَد حَمَلَت

في النَفحِ طيبَ الخُزامَى مِن رَوابيها

By God, O breezes of the ban trees, you have carried

in your breath lavender's fragrance from her hills.

هبِّي عَلى وَهنِ مُضنَىً بِالهَوى نَصبٌ

أَفنى جَوارِحَهُ شَوقٌ فَتُحييها

Blow upon the weakness of a love-wasted, weary man,

whose limbs longing has consumed, and revive them.

يَهيمُ قَلبي بِذكراها وَأوسَعُهُ

بمدمعي طُول وَجدٍ عندَ ذِكريها

My heart wanders madly in remembering her, and I lavish on it

my tears in prolonged passion whenever I recall her.

إِني عَلى عَهديَ الماضي أَليفُ هَوىً

وَإِن مَضى عَهدُ أُنسي في لَياليها

I remain, true to my former pledge, a companion of love,

though my time of joy in her nights has passed.

ضاعَ الزَمانُ سُدىً وَيلاهُ وَاأَسَفِي

في صَبوةٍ شابَ رَأسي مِن دَواهيها

Time was lost in vain—alas, my sorrow!—

in a passion whose calamities turned my hair gray.

أَفنى شَبابي وَشعري الحُبّ عَن أُمَمٍ

خَلا قَوافٍ لبابِ الشاهِ أعزيها

Love consumed my youth and my verse at close quarters,

save rhymes I dedicate to the Shah's gate:

الماجدُ المُتَسامي الدولة الملك الر

راقي إِلى سِدَّةٍ أَعلى مَراقيها

the glorious king, exalted in sovereignty,

who ascends to a throne at its highest steps.

ضاحي السِّني زانَهُ فينا الإِلَهُ بِما

حَباهُ مِن فَضلِ نُعمَى جَلَّ مُهديها

Radiant in splendor, adorned among us by God with what

He granted him of abundant blessings—exalted is their giver.

حَباهُ حَدُّ حُسامٍ بِالقَضاءِ جَرى

مِن حَيثُ سَلَّ فَأَعطى القَوس باريها

He granted him a sword's edge that moved by decree,

from the moment he drew it, giving the bow to its maker.

يَرعَى العِبادَ بِحَقِّ العَدلِ مُعتَصِماً

بِحكمةٍ فيهِ مَولَى العَرشِ يُبديها

He tends the people in true justice, holding fast

to a wisdom the Lord of the Throne reveals in him.

تَباركَ اللَهُ أَسنى الحلمِ يُقرنُهُ

شَمائلٌ بَهَرَتْ حُسناً مَعانيها

Blessed be God! With the noblest forbearance he couples

traits whose meanings dazzle in beauty.

لِلرَّفدِ وَالوَفدِ وَالأَنعامِ راحَتُهُ

وَالبَذلُ وَالعَدلُ مِن أَوفى مَساعيها

His palm is for bounty, visiting delegations, and beneficence,

and generosity and justice are among its fullest endeavors.

لاقَى الصَوارمَ وَالأَقلامَ فَاِنبَلَجَتْ

نارٌ وَنورٌ عَلى رُشدٍ يُلاقيها

He brought swords and pens together, and there burst forth

fire and light, met by sound judgment.

هُوَ الكَريمُ الَّذي فيهِ الزَمانُ بَدا

زاهي المَحاسنِ عَذبِ الكَأسِ صافيها

He is the generous one in whom the age appears

bright with beauty, its cup sweet and clear.

ظِلُّ الالهِ عَلى الدُنيا وَحاكِمِها

وَمَن إِلَيهِ اِنتَهَت عِزّاً أَقاصيها

God's shadow over the world and its ruler,

the one to whom its farthest reaches come in honor.

لَيثٌ أَشَمٌ جَسورٌ باسلٌ بطلٌ

عالي السِّنى طاهرِ الأَخلاقِ زاكيها

A proud lion, bold, valiant, heroic,

lofty in splendor, pure and virtuous in character.

أَشَدُّ فِعلاً مِنَ الأَسيافِ حَيثُ بَدا

أَجلى وَأَشرَقَ رَأياً مِن خَواشيها

Mightier in deed than swords, wherever he appears,

clearer and brighter in judgment than their edges.

هَذا يَد اللَه يَسري في أَنامِلِها

سرٌّ مِنَ العَرشِ عَن يمنٍ يُوافيها

This is God's hand; through its fingers flows

a secret from the Throne that reaches it in blessing.

بَأسٌ تَهابُ الرَوابي هَولَ عزمتِهِ

وَهمةٍ وَطِئَت عَزمَ المُجاريها

A might whose dreadful resolve the hills fear,

and an ambition that tramples the resolve of those who rival it.

المقدِّمُ الخَيل باسم اللَه يَجريها

إِلى العِدى بِالعَذابِ الهَون يُرديها

He leads the horses, setting them running in God's name

against the foes, laying them low with humiliating torment.

دَعَت نزال وَوافَى الوَيلُ حينَ دَعَت

عَلى جُيوشٍ بِصَوبٍ البُؤسِ تَرميها

They cried, 'To battle!' and doom arrived when they called,

upon armies they pelted with showers of misery.

رَمَت بِكُلِّ شَقيٍّ مِن أَعاديها

سَحقاً وَبِالنَصر قَد نِيطَت نَواصيها

They hurled every wretched enemy of theirs

into destruction, victory bound to their forelocks.

المالِكُ الأَمرَ في الدُنيا فَما اِنقَلَبَت

إِلّا عَلى ما أشتهَى مِن قَصدِهِ فيها

He commands the world, which turns

only as he desires, according to his purpose within it.

راقَى سَماءَ عُلىً جازَت مَعارِجُها ال

اكفاءَ وَاِمَتَنَعَتْ عَمَن يُحاكيها

He ascended a heaven of glory whose stairways surpassed

his peers and lay beyond anyone who would rival them.

عَبد العَزيز مَن اِحتازَ الهُدى وَعَنَت

لِبأسهِ الأَرضُ دانيها وَنائيها

Abd al-Aziz, who possessed right guidance, before whose might bowed

the earth, both its near and distant parts.

وَفي العُلى مِن حُقوقِ العزِّ ما صَدَقت

فيهِ بِما أَلزَمَت شَرعاً دَعاويها

In exalted rank, honor's rightful claims were vindicated

in him by what those claims lawfully required.

حَفّت بِمَنصِبه الآساد طالِعَةً

بِظلِّ بَدرٍ بِحَمدِ اللَه هاديها

Lions gathered around his station, rising

beneath a full moon's shade, their guide—praise be to God.

فَتحٌ قَريبٌ وَنَصرٌ عزَّ جانِبُهُ

لِدَولةٍ في الوَرى دامَت أَياديها

An imminent conquest, and victory whose flank is impregnable,

for a state whose benefactions among mankind endure.

ظلُّ الالهِ صَلاحٌ في جَوانِبِها

وَفَضلُ أَنعُمِهِ بِالعزِّ مُولِيها

God's shadow is righteousness throughout its regions,

and the abundance of His blessings bestows honor upon it.

وَالحَزمُ عاقدُها وَالفَوزُ عاضِدُها

وَالسَعدُ راصِدُها وَالفَتحُ راعيها

Resolve binds it together; success supports it;

good fortune watches over it; conquest tends it.

جَلَت لَنا فَلَكاً في المَجدِ مُحتَبِكاً

بِكُلِّ بَدرٍ حَوَتهُ في تَساميها

It revealed to us a firmament woven with glory,

with every full moon it embraced in its ascent.

وَراثُ مَجدٍ كَبيراً نيطَ كابِرُهُ

عَن سالفيه بِعزٍّ فاقَ تَشبيها

Heirs to great glory, whose elder was bound

to his forebears by honor beyond comparison.

دَوحٌ لَهُ اللَهَ ما زالَت خَمائِلُهُ

ظِلالُ أَمنٍ وَالطافٌ لِناحيها

A great tree, with God its guardian, whose groves have ever been

shades of safety and kindness for those who seek them.

وَالحَمدُ لِلّهِ ما أَنفكَّت مَباءَتُهم

تَزدادُ مَجداً وَتَعزيزاً بِراقيها

Praise be to God: their dwelling has never ceased

to grow in glory and strength through its rising ruler.

بِالمالكينَ هُمامٌ باتَ مُعتَكِفاً

عَلى وَفاءِ حُدودِ الحَقِّ يَقضيها

Among the rulers, a high-minded man remains devoted

to fulfilling the bounds of right, carrying them out.

لاحت نُجومُ سَناهُ في الدُجى فَزَهَت

في اليُمنِ وَاِبتَسَمَت حُسناً زَواهيها

The stars of his radiance shone in darkness and grew splendid

in good fortune, their shining lights smiling beautifully.

هُوَ المَليكُ الَّذي راقَ المَديحُ بِهِ

طِيباً بِذاتِ جَلالٍ جَلَّ مُبديها

He is the king through whom praise became

sweet, through a majestic person—exalted is its revealer.

خَلا بِهِ طِيبُ مَدحٍ زانَ طالِعهُ

سَما قَوافٍ بِمَعناهُ زَهَت تيها

The sweetness of praise was his alone; its rising star adorned

a heaven of rhymes, resplendent in proud expression of him.

مَناقبٌ دونَها الأَزهارُ مُسفِرَةٌ

عَن مِثلِها جَلِّيَتْ زَهواً أَقاحيها

Virtues beneath which flowers shine forth,

their daisies unveiled in splendor to display their likeness.

راقَت بِها كَلمٌ جاءَت بِسُؤدُدِهِ

تَحكي عُقوداً بِهِ فاقَت لَآليها

Words made lovely by them came proclaiming his sovereignty,

like necklaces whose pearls, through him, excelled.

أَودَعتُها في عُلى أَبوابهِ فَسَمَت

بِقَصدِهِ وَبِهِ اِستَعلَت مَبانيها

I placed them in the heights of his gates, and they rose

by seeking him; through him their structures were exalted.