هاج أجفاني وقلبي المغرما — Mahmoud Qabadu

هاجَ أَجفاني وَقَلبي المُغرَما

بارقٌ آنَستهُ من تونسِ

My eyelids and my enamored heart were stirred

By lightning I glimpsed from Tunis.

وَيحهُ لو لم يَلح ما عَلما

ما أُواري مِن أُواري الموجسِ

Woe to it! Had it not flashed, it would not have known

What I conceal of my inwardly felt burning.

أيّهذا المُذكري ثغراً به

بردُ نظمٍ لاحَ في تلك الشنب

O you who remind me of a mouth in which

Strung hailstones gleamed in those cool, white teeth,

أَشركتَ القلبَ في مذهبهِ

مُستطيراً من وجيبٍ واللهب

You made the heart share its course,

Fluttering wildly with throbbing and flame.

يا رَعاكَ اللّه مِن مشتبهٍ

لاحَ في زيّ محبٍّ ومُحَب

O ambiguous semblance, may God preserve you,

Appearing in the guise of lover and beloved!

إِن يكُن صَوبكَ مزناً شبما

فَدُموعي حرّها كالقبسِ

If your downpour comes from chilly rainclouds,

The heat of my tears is like a firebrand.

أَو عَدا وَجدكَ وَجدي بالحِمى

لَم يَزل ذا عارضٌ منبجسِ

Or if your longing surpasses mine in the sanctuary,

Mine remains a cloud bursting forth.

نارُ وَجدي وَدموعي في اِقتِران

وَأَرى ومضكَ حيناً خلّبا

The fire of my longing and my tears are joined,

While I sometimes see your flash give no rain.

عَبرتي تصفرُّ مِنها الوجنتان

وَحَيا دَمعي يُحيي المُجدِبا

My tears make both cheeks grow pale,

And the rain of my tears revives the barren ground.

دَعكَ مِن دَعوى على غيرِ بيان

لَيسَ مِن جدَّ كَمَن قَد لَعِبا

Leave off claims unsupported by evidence:

The earnest are not like those who have played.

إنّما الحبُّ مليكٌ ذو حمى

مَن يَحُمه يَغدو نهبَ الحرّسِ

Love is a sovereign with a sanctuary;

Whoever approaches it becomes the guards' prey.

إنّ مِن حكمِ الهَوى أن يسلمَ

أسدُ الغابِ لظبيِ المَكنسِ

Among love's decrees is that

The forest lion surrender to the gazelle of the covert.

وَجههُ تحتَ دُجى طرّتهِ

قَمرٌ في شَفقِ الخدّ اِكتمل

His face beneath the darkness of his forelock

Is a moon grown full in the twilight of his cheek.

وَكأنّ الخالَ في وجنتهِ

فصُّ جزعٍ صالَ نعمانَ الخَجَل

And the mole upon his cheek is like

An onyx gem assailing the anemone of bashfulness.

خافَ أَن يُسفَك مِن رقّته

عِندَما ترنو لِمرآهُ المُقَل

It feared being spilled, so delicate was it,

When eyes gazed upon its appearance.

يَنظمُ الدرّ إِذا ما اِبتَسما

ثمّ يُلقيهِ بلفظٍ أنفسِ

He strings pearls whenever he smiles,

Then casts them forth in words more precious still.

تَحسبُ المنثورَ والمُنتَظِما

حَببَ الراحِ بكأسِ اللعسِ

You would think the scattered and the strung

Were wine-bubbles in a cup of dusky lips.

فتنةُ الأبصارِ من عاذرهِ

تَتَوالى في مساءٍ وصباح

His bewitching of eyes—who will excuse him?—

Recurs in evening and morning.

وَحُروفُ السحرِ من ناظرهِ

تَتجلّى مِن سهامٍ وصفاح

And the letters of magic from his eye

Appear as arrows and sword-blades.

كَيفَ لا يعدو على حاذرهِ

جَفنهُ الكاسرُ هدباً كالجناح

How should it not assail one wary of him—

His predatory eyelid, its lashes like a wing?

فَاِجنِ وَاِرشف وردَ خدٍّ ولمى

مُمتعاً بِاللحظِ أَو بالنفسِ

Then pluck and sip the rose of a cheek and dark lips,

Taking pleasure through a glance or a breath.

إنّما الثغرُ حبابٌ واللّمى

قَرقفٌ في أكؤسٍ من لعسِ

The mouth is only bubbles, and the dark lips

Are wine in cups of dusky redness.

هاصرٌ دلّ الصّبا من قدّه

غُصُناً طرّزه زهرُ الجمال

He sways; the east wind revealed in his stature

A bough embroidered by beauty's blossoms.

مائلٌ أَعطافهُ في صدّهِ

ما توخّاهُ الهوى إلّا ومال

His sides incline as he turns away;

Whenever love aims at him, he bends.

ظلّ فيهِ ذو النهى عن رشدهِ

بينَ شمسٍ ونجومٍ وهلال

In him, the discerning man remained estranged from judgment,

Between a sun, stars, and a crescent.

عَربَدت مُقلتهُ فَاِحتَشما

وَتَثنّى عطفهُ في ميسِ

His eye grew riotous, while he grew bashful,

And his side bent in a swaggering sway.

تِلكَ راحُ السحرِ أَو راحُ اللّمى

مُسكرٌ بِالوهمِ مَن لَم يحتسِ

That is the wine of magic, or the wine of dark lips,

Intoxicating in fancy even one who has not sipped.

وَلَقد حيّى فَأحيانا الأقاح

بِاسمَ الثغرِ بزرٍّ من ذهب

The daisies greeted us and gave us life,

Smiling-mouthed, with a button of gold.

وَغَشى من طيبهِ عَرفَ الصباح

وَغَدا يحجبُ أنوارَ الشهب

Their perfume overwhelmed the fragrance of morning,

And they came to eclipse the stars' radiance.

هَذِهِ الآمالُ وقفَ الإقتراح

فاِجرِ في ميدانِها مرحَ اللّبب

These hopes are at the disposal of desire;

So race across their course, your breast-strap dancing.

وَاِنظرِ النارنجَ خضراءَ السما

يُطلعُ الأنجمَ بين الأشمسِ

Look at the bitter-orange tree, its sky green,

Bringing forth stars among suns.

أَو منَ النارِ قِراها المُعلما

تَجنِ شهداً خَلط ذوبِ العضرسِ

Or, from the fire, its emblazoned feast:

Pluck honey mingled with melted hail.

وَاِنظرِ السّوسنَ في أَفنانهِ

كَالطواويسِ بِروضٍ مُرجِحه

Look at the iris among its branches,

Like peacocks swaying in a garden.

وَاِنظرِ الخيريّ في ألوانهِ

كالزنابيرِ تمدّ الأَجنِحَه

Look at the wallflower in its colors,

Like wasps spreading their wings.

وَاِنظرِ البانَ على أغصانِهِ

دُرراً فوقَ رماحٍ رَنِحه

Look at the ben tree: upon its branches

Are pearls above swaying lances.

وَكأنّ الصبحَ أَبدى معصماً

في سوارٍ مِن هلالٍ أقعسِ

It is as though morning revealed a wrist

Within a bracelet of a backward-curving crescent.

ذا بنانٌ بِالثريّا ختِّما

قالباً بِالشمسِ ظهر المترسِ

Here are fingers ringed with the Pleiades,

Turning the shield-bearer's back with the sun.

وَاِنظرِ النعمانَ كَم خدّاً جَلا

وَكأنّ الخالَ منهُ غالِيَه

Look at the anemone: how many cheeks it has unveiled!

Its mole seems a fragrant black paste.

يُشبهُ المقلةَ ممّن يُجتلى

وبَقايا الكحلِ مِنها جارِيَه

It resembles the eye of someone gazed upon,

With remnants of kohl streaming from it.

أَو مُحيّا الكأسِ يَبدو مِن طُلا

وَشظايا القارِ فيهِ بادِيَه

Or the face of a cup appearing through wine,

With flecks of pitch visible within it.

عادَ عيدُ الروضِ فَاِشهَد موسماً

جُعِلَت فيه أماني الأنفسِ

The garden's festival has returned; witness a season

In which the wishes of souls have been placed.

زَهرُهُ ما بيَن أرضٍ وَسَما

قَد زَكى عرفاً بِطيبِ المغرسِ

Its blossoms, between earth and sky,

Have grown pure in fragrance through their sweet planting-place.

أُفقهُ الوضّاح مجلوٌّ صقيل

بَعدَما عبّس حَيناً وَاِحتَجب

Its radiant horizon is burnished and polished,

After frowning awhile and withdrawing from sight.

صُبِغَت فيهِ بإكسيرِ الأصيل

فضّةُ الغيمِ فسالَت كَالذَهَب

There, with the elixir of late afternoon, was dyed

The silver of the clouds, which flowed like gold.

وَاِنجَلى منهُ على خدّ أسيل

ماءُ حسنٍ جالَ في نارٍ تُشَب

And upon a smooth cheek there appeared

The water of beauty, moving through a kindled fire.

وَاِنظرِ الجدولَ كيفَ اِحتَشما

فَتقرّى دوحُها في خلسِ

Look at the stream, how bashful it became,

So it explored the garden's great trees furtively.

لَم يَزَل يرفقُ حتّى اِحتكما

وَسَرى مِنها بِمسرى النفسِ

It kept moving gently until it gained mastery,

And stole from them as a breath steals away.

صاحبَ الروضَ بإِخلاصِ الضمير

فَهوَ لا يحملُ أَقذاءَ الرِيَب

It accompanied the garden with sincerity of heart,

Carrying no floating debris of suspicion.

كلّما لاحَ لَهُ مَرأىً نضير

صارَ يَزهو بعيونٍ من حَبب

Whenever a fresh sight appeared to it,

It began to shine with eyes of bubbles.

رقّ حتّى اِنسابَ مِن غيرِ خرير

وَلِكَتمِ السرّ فوزٌ بالأرب

It grew delicate enough to glide without a murmur;

Keeping a secret brings success in one's desire.

تَصدعُ الحصباءُ منهُ أُدُما

يَخفى عَن مرّ النسيمِ السلسِ

The pebbles cleave its skins,

Yet it escapes the passing of the gentle breeze.

وَهوَ مُنسابٌ يُحاكي الأرثما

مُستثيراً أَنعُماً من أبؤسِ

Flowing, it resembles a white-muzzled horse,

Drawing blessings out of hardships.

لاثماً مُلتَزِماً سوقَ الشجَر

هيَ منهُ في حجُونٍ مِن لُجين

Kissing and embracing the trunks of trees,

It holds them within curves of silver.

رُصّعت لَكن بياقوتِ الزَهَر

وَحَصى درٍّ بِها مُكتَنِفين

Yet they are studded with rubies of blossoms,

And pearl-like pebbles encompass them.

فَاِنظُر الخضراءَ إِذ مِنها اِنتثر

عقدُ نجمٍ لاِجتماعِ القَمَرين

Look at the green vault, from which has scattered

A necklace of stars at the meeting of the two moons.

هَذهِ جنّةٌ خضراءُ السّما

قَد سَقَت وُلدانها بِالأكؤسِ

This is a paradise with a green sky,

Which has given its youths cups to drink.

حُورها أُلحِفنَ سرواً نظّما

في برودٍ وَقدودٍ ميّسِ

Its houris are draped in cypress, arrayed

In striped robes and swaying figures.

هَذه الأطيارُ في خَضرائها

راتعاتٌ في ظلالٍ ونِعَم

These birds within its verdure

Are feeding among shadows and blessings.

فهيَ كَالأملاكِ في أَرجائها

تَنظمُ التسبيحَ في سلكِ النغم

They are like angels throughout its expanses,

Stringing glorification upon the thread of melody.

تَبعثُ الأنفسَ من إِغفائها

بِلحونٍ زمِّرت فيها حِكَم

They awaken souls from their slumber

With tunes in which wisdom has been piped.

نَبّهَ السعدُ الأماني النوّما

غبّ إغفاءِ العيونِ الحرّسِ

Good fortune awakened sleeping wishes

After the watchful eyes had fallen asleep.

أيّ قلبٍ لم يَصدهُ مُرغماً

كاسرُ الجفنِ الفتور النعسِ

What heart has not been forcibly turned aside

By the languid, drowsy one with lowered eyelids?

فَاِقتَرع مروةَ سعيٍ منجحِ

وَاِفتَرع ذَروة عزّ أرفعِ

So strike the flint of fruitful striving,

And scale the summit of loftiest glory.

وَاِقتَعِد صهوةَ جدٍّ أمرحِ

وَاِستند طودَ ذمامٍ أمنعِ

Mount the back of the liveliest good fortune,

And lean upon the mountain of strongest protection,

مُؤثراً بِالعزمِ مدحَ الأريَحي

السريّ اللّوذعيّ الألمعي

Resolutely choosing to praise the generous man,

The noble, quick-witted, keen-sighted one.

فَهوَ للمدحِ طروبٌ كَرما

طَرب الطيرِ لروضٍ مرغسِ

Through generosity, he delights in praise

As birds delight in a lush garden.

إِن لَوى وجهاً لِخطبٍ أَظلَما

شِمتَ بدراً سارياً في حندسِ

If he turns his face toward a dark calamity,

You glimpse a full moon traveling through darkness,

مُطلعاً زهرَ الأيادي غرراً

فهيَ في دهمِ الليالي كاللآل

Bringing forth radiant blossoms of benefactions:

In the blackness of nights they are like pearls.

وَجَلَت لِلشكرِ روضاً مزهرا

فَهوَ يَشدو للأماني بالآمال

They revealed to gratitude a flowering garden,

Which sings to wishes with hopes.

جلّ مَن في صُنعِها قد صوّرا

سورةَ الحمدِ لَه فالكلّ تال

Exalted is he who, in fashioning them, has formed

A chapter of praise to him; all recite it.

لَم يَزل مِن قبلِ أَن يَحتَلما

طامحَ الهمّ لمجدٍ أقعسِ

Even before he reached maturity, he remained

High-aspiring in resolve toward unassailable glory.

رقّ طبعاً وَرسا حِلماً كما

ساغَ ينبوعٌ بطودٍ مرتسِ

Gentle in disposition and firm in forbearance, like

A sweet-flowing spring in a firmly rooted mountain.

أيّها الراتعُ في زهرِ الرياض

إِنّني أَرتعُ في زهرِ الكلم

O you who graze among the blossoms of gardens,

I graze among the blossoms of words.

إِن تَكُن مُغرى بِألحاظٍ مِراض

فَأنا المُغرى بلفظٍ مُنتَظِم

If you are captivated by languid glances,

I am captivated by well-ordered speech.

فَاضَ في قَلبي منَ العلمِ حِياض

فَاِرتَوى مِنها بعذبٍ مُنسجم

Pools of knowledge overflowed within my heart,

And it drank its fill of their sweet, flowing water.

بَرقُ فِكري كلّما لاحَ هَمى

مِقوَلي بِالعارض المنبجسِ

Whenever the lightning of my thought flashed, rain poured

From my tongue, like a cloud bursting forth.

تَرشفُ الأسماعُ منهُ كلّما

كَمَنت فيهِ حياة الأنفسِ

Ears sip from it whenever

The life of souls lies hidden within it.

هاكَها يُنسى بِها ذكرُ العراق

وَلَها لحنٌ كَما راقَ الحسين

Take it: through it, the memory of Iraq is forgotten.

And it has a tune such as pleased al-Husayn.

هيَ للحرّ اِصطباحٌ وَاِغتباق

مُذهلٌ عَن لذّةٍ بالأطيبين

For the noble man it is a morning and evening draught,

Distracting him from the pleasure of the two delights.

كلُّ رأسٍ وَفؤادٍ في اِختِفاق

حينَ يُجلى سرُّها في الخافقين

Every head and heart trembles

When its secret is unveiled in East and West.

لا أَرى الشعرَ كَلاماً نظِّما

مرّ مُحلَولى بسمعٍ ونسي

I do not see poetry as words arranged,

Passing sweetly through an ear and then forgotten.

بَل أرى الشعرَ مكاناً أُحكما

عُلّقَت أَنفاسهُ بالأنفسِ

Rather, I see poetry as a firmly crafted dwelling,

Its breaths bound to souls.

قُل لِمَن حاوَلَ شَأوي في القريض

ما اِستَوى ناظمُ ماءٍ ودرر

Tell whoever attempts to reach my range in verse:

One who strings water is not equal to one who strings pearls.

وَيكَ لا يستنسرُ البغثُ المهيض

فَهوَ لِلباري على عمدٍ حُزِر

Woe to you! The broken-winged weakling cannot become an eagle;

The Creator deliberately apportioned it so.

ربّما أطمَعَ قَولي من بغيض

فَحَكى الماسَ ببلّور وغُرّ

Perhaps my speech tempted some hateful fellow,

Who imitated diamonds with crystal and was deceived.

نَسَفت قول اِبن سهلٍ بعدَما

خارَ دَهراً في سماءِ القومسِ

It swept away Ibn Sahl's verse, after

It had bellowed for ages in the sky of Qumis.

وَاِزدَرت مِن أهلِ غرناطةَ ما

لِلسانِ الدينِ يُعزى لو نسي

And it scorned, from Granada's people, what

Is ascribed to Lisan al-Din, even if forgotten.

فَاِرقَ من مَدرجِ أسبابِ الكيان

للّذي أَتقنَ صُنعاً كلّ شي

Then ascend the stairway of the causes of existence

To Him who perfected the making of everything.

وَتبصّر في مَجاليهِ الحسان

حِكمةَ الظاهرِ في نشرٍ وطي

Discern within His beautiful manifestations

The wisdom of the Manifest, in unfolding and folding.

وَاِحذَرِ الإخفاءَ مِن فرطِ البيان

وَاِعبُر الليّ إِلى ما هو حي

Beware concealment through excessive clarity,

And pass beyond twisting to what is living.

هَل دَرى ظبيُ الحِمى أَن قَد حمى

قلبَ صبٍّ حلّه عن مكنسِ

Does the gazelle of the sanctuary know that he has claimed

A lover's heart, which he inhabits instead of a covert?

فَهوَ في حرٍّ وخفقٍ مِثلَما

لَعِبَت ريحُ الصبا بالقبسِ

It burns and flutters just as

The east wind plays with a firebrand.