كم غادر الشعراء من متردم — Mahmoud Samial Baroudi

كَمْ غادَرَ الشُّعَرَاءُ مِنْ مُتَرَدَّمِ

وَلَرُبَّ تَالٍ بَزَّ شَأْوَ مُقَدَّمِ

How many rents have the poets left unpatched!

And many a follower has surpassed a forerunner's reach.

فِي كُلِّ عَصْرٍ عَبْقَرِيٌّ لا يَنِي

يَفْرِي الْفَرِيَّ بِكُلِّ قَوْلٍ مُحْكَمِ

In every age a genius never tires

of working wonders with every finely wrought utterance.

وَكَفَاكَ بِي رَجُلاً إِذَا اعْتُقِلَ النُّهَى

بِالصَّمْتِ أَوْ رَعَفَ السِّنَانُ بِعَنْدَمِ

And in me you have man enough when reason is fettered

by silence, or the spearhead bleeds with crimson dye.

أَحْيَيْتُ أَنْفَاسَ الْقَرِيضِ بِمنْطِقِي

وَصَرَعْتُ فُرْسَانَ الْعَجَاجِ بِلَهْذَمِي

I revived the breaths of poetry with my speech,

and felled the horsemen of battle-dust with my keen spear.

وَفَرَعْتُ نَاصِيَةَ الْعُلا بِفَضَائِلٍ

هُنَّ الْكَوَاكِبُ فِي النَّهَارِ الْمُظْلِمِ

And I scaled the crest of glory through virtues

that are stars in the darkened day.

سَلْ مِصْرَ عَنِّي إِنْ جَهِلْتَ مَكَانَتِي

تُخْبِرْكَ عَنْ شَرَفٍ وَعِزٍّ أَقْدَمِ

Ask Egypt about me if you do not know my standing:

she will tell you of honor and most ancient glory.

بَلِهٌ نَشَأْتُ مَعَ النَّبَاتِ بِأَرْضِهَا

وَلَثَمْتُ ثَغْرَ غَدِيرِهِ الْمُتَبَسِّمِ

Guileless, I grew with the plants upon her soil,

and kissed the smiling mouth of its pool.

فَنَسِيمُهَا رُوحِي وَمَعْدِنُ تُرْبِهَا

جِسْمِي وَكَوْثَرُ نِيلِهَا مَحْيَا دَمِي

So her breeze is my soul, and the substance of her soil

is my body; her Nile's abundant stream is the life of my blood.

فَإِذَا نَطَقْتُ فَبِالثَّنَاءِ عَلَى الَّذِي

أَوْلَتْهُ مِنْ فَضْلٍ عَلَيَّ وَأَنْعُمِ

So when I speak, it is in praise of what

she has bestowed upon me of favor and blessings.

أَهْلِي بِهَا وَأَحِبَّتِي وَكَفَى بِهِمْ

فَخْراً مَلَكْتُ بِهِ عِنَانَ الأَنْجُمِ

My family and my loved ones are there; they are enough

for pride, through which I have seized the reins of the stars.

وَأَحَقُّ دَارٍ بِالْكَرَامَةِ مَنْزِلٌ

لِلْقَلْبِ فِيهِ عَلاقَةٌ لَمْ تَصْرَمِ

And the dwelling most deserving of honor is a home

where the heart has a bond that has not been severed.

هِيَ جَنَّةُ الْحُسْنِ الَّتِي زَهَرَاتُهَا

حُورُ الْمَهَا وَهَزارُ أَيْكَتِهَا فَمِي

She is the garden of beauty, whose blossoms

are oryx-eyed beauties, and my mouth is her grove's nightingale.

مَا إِنْ خَلَعْتُ بِهَا سُيُورَ تَمَائِمِي

حَتَّى لَبِسْتُ بِهَا حَمَائِلَ مِخْذَمِي

No sooner had I shed there the straps of my amulets

than I donned there the baldrics of my keen sword.

وَغَنِيتُ عَنْ قُلَتِي بِعَامِلِ أَسْمَرٍ

وَسَلَوْتُ عَنْ مَهْدِي بِصَهْوَةِ أَدْهَمِ

And I traded my play-stick for a brown spear's point,

and forgot my cradle for the back of a black steed.

وَفَجَرْتُ يَنْبُوعَ الْبَيَانِ بِمَنْطِقٍ

عَذْبٍ رَوَيْتُ بِهِ غَلِيلَ الْحُوَّمِ

And I made the spring of eloquence gush with speech

so sweet that I quenched with it the burning thirst of those circling for water.

وَلَكَمْ أَثَرْتُ غَيَابَةً مِنْ قَسْطَلٍ

بِمُهَنَّدِي وَحَلَلْتُ عُقْدَةَ مُبْرَمِ

And how often I raised a shrouding cloud of battle-dust

with my Indian blade, and untied the knot of a tightly twisted cord!

أَخْتَالُ طَوْرَاً فَوْقَ ذِرْوةِ مِنْبَرٍ

وَأَكُرُّ طَوْرَاً فَوْقَ نَهْدٍ شَيْظَمِ

At times I stride proudly atop a pulpit's summit,

and at times I charge upon a stout, long-limbed steed,

حَتَّى رَبَأْتُ مِنَ الْمَعَالِي هَضْبَةً

شَمَّاءَ تُزْلِقُ أَخْمَصَ الْمُتَسَنِّمِ

until I climbed, among the heights of honor, a hill

lofty enough to make the climber's sole slip.

نَشَأَتْ بِطَبْعِي لِلْقَرِيضِ بَدَائِعٌ

لَيْسَتْ بِنِحْلَةِ شَاعِرٍ مُتَقَدِّمِ

From my own nature sprang wonders of poetry,

not borrowed from an earlier poet.

يَصْبُو بِهَا الحَكَمِيُّ صَبْوَةَ عَاشِقٍ

وَتَخِفُّ مِنْ طَرَبٍ عَرِيكَةُ مُسْلِمِ

Al-Hakami is enamored of them with a lover's longing,

and Muslim's temperament grows light with rapture.

قَوَّمْتُهُ بَعْدَ اعْوِجَاجِ قَنَاتِهِ

وَالرُّمْحُ لَيْسَ يَرُوقُ غَيْرَ مُقَوَّمِ

I straightened it after its spear-shaft had bent,

and a spear pleases only when straightened.

فِقَرٌ يَكَادُ السِّحْرُ يَبْلُغُ بَعْضَ مَا

فِي طَيِّهَا لَوْ كَانَ غَيْرَ مُحَرَّمِ

Passages—magic could nearly attain some of what

lies folded within them, were it not forbidden.

مُتَشَابِهُ الطَّرَفَيْنِ يُنْبِئُ صَدْرُهُ

عَمَّا تَلاحَقَ فَهْوَ بَادِي الْمَعْلَمِ

With matching ends, its opening foretells

what follows, so its outline is plain.

أَحْكَمْتُ مَنْطِقَهُ بِلَهْجَةِ مُفْلِقٍ

يَقِظِ الْبَدِيهَةِ فِي الْقَرِيضِ مُحَكَّمِ

I perfected its utterance in a master poet's voice,

quick of wit, an acknowledged judge of poetry.

يَبْتَزُّ أُهْبَةَ كُلِّ فَارِسِ بُهْمَةٍ

وَيَزُمُّ شِقْشِقَةَ الْفَتِيقِ الْمُقْرَمِ

It strips the equipment from every fearsome knight,

and reins in the throat-pouch of the mighty stud-camel.

ذَلَّلْتُ مِنْهُ غَوَارِبَاً لا تُمْتَطَى

وَخَطَمْتُ مِنْهُ مَوَارِنَاً لَمْ تُخْطَمِ

I subdued its humps that no one could ride,

and haltered its muzzles that had never been haltered.

شِعْرٌ جَمَعْتُ بِهِ ضُرُوبَ مَحَاسِنٍ

لَمْ تَجْتَمِعْ قَبْلِي لِحَيٍّ مُلْهَمِ

Poetry in which I gathered kinds of beauty

that, before me, had never been united for any inspired mortal.

فَإِذَا نَسَبْتُ فَتَنْتُ كُلَّ مُقَنَّعٍ

وَإِذَا نَأَمْتُ ذَعَرْتُ كُلَّ مُلَثَّمِ

So when I sing of love, I enchant every veiled one,

and when I roar, I terrify every masked one.

كَالرَّوْضِ تَسْمَعُ مِنْهُ نَغْمَةَ بُلْبُلٍ

وَالْغِيْلُ تَسْمَعُ مِنْهُ زَأْرَةَ ضَيْغَمِ

Like a garden, from which you hear a nightingale's song,

and like a thicket, from which you hear a lion's roar.

أَدْرَكْتُ قَاصِيَةَ الْمَحَامِدِ وَالْعُلا

وَشَأَوْتُ فِيهَا كُلَّ أَصْيَدَ مُسْنِمِ

I reached the farthest bounds of noble deeds and glory,

and outstripped in them every proud, exalted lord.

فَأَنَا ابْنُ نَفْسِي إِنْ فَخَرْتُ وَإِنْ أَكُنْ

لأَغَرَّ مِنْ سَلَفِ الأَكَارِمِ أَنْتَمِي

So I am my own son, if I boast, although I

trace my descent to an illustrious one among noble forebears.

وَالْفَخْرُ بِالآبَاءِ لَيْسَ بِنَافِعٍ

إِنْ كَانَتْ الأَبْنَاءُ خُورَ الأَعْظُمِ

And pride in one's fathers is of no use

if the sons are weak of bone.

هَذَا وَرُبَّتَ لَذَّةٍ بِاشَرْتُهَا

فِي ظِلِّ أَخْضَرَ بِالْعَرَارِ مُنَمْنَمِ

So much for that; and many a pleasure have I enjoyed

in green shade embroidered with arar blossoms.

طَفِقَ النَّسِيمُ يَحُوكُ وَشْيَ بُرُودِهِ

بِأَنَامِلٍ تَمْرِي خُيُوطَ الْمِرْزَمِ

The breeze began to weave the embroidery of its mantles

with fingers drawing forth the threads of al-Mirzam.

فَبِكُلِّ أُفْقٍ مُزْنَةٌ فَيَّاضَةٌ

وَبِكُلِّ أَرْضٍ جَدْوَلٌ كَالأَرْقَمِ

So at every horizon there is a raincloud pouring forth,

and on every stretch of earth a stream like a speckled snake.

هَاتِيكَ تَجْرِي فِي السَّمَاءِ كَأَنَّهَا

سُفُنٌ وَهَذَا فِي الْخَمَائِلِ يَرْتَمِي

That cloud glides across the sky like

ships, while this stream darts through the groves.

فَالرَّوْضُ بَيْنَ مُوَشَّحٍ وَمُؤَزَّرٍ

وَالزَّهْرُ بَيْنَ مُدَنَّرٍ وَمُدَرْهَمِ

So the garden is partly sash-clad, partly waist-wrapped,

and the flowers are decked, some with dinars, some with dirhams.

طَلْقُ الْجَبِينِ تَبَسَّمَتْ أَزْهَارُهُ

عَنْ دُرِّ قَطْرٍ كَالْعُقُودِ مُنَظَّمِ

Its brow is radiant; its flowers have smiled,

revealing pearls of raindrops strung like necklaces.

عَبِقُ الإِزَارِ كَأَنَّمَا جَرَتِ الصَّبَا

فِيهِ بِجُؤْنَةِ عَنْبَرٍ لَمْ تُخْتَمِ

Its waist-cloth is fragrant, as though the east wind had passed

through it with an unsealed casket of ambergris.

صَبَحَ الْغَمَامُ غُصُونَهُ فَتَرَنَّحَتْ

طَرَباً لِرَجْعِ الطَّائِرِ الْمُتَرَنِّمِ

The clouds gave its boughs a morning draught, and they swayed

in rapture at the refrain of the singing bird.

فَنَسِيمُهُ أَرِجٌ وَطَائِرُ أَيْكِهِ

هَزِجٌ وَجَدْوَلُهُ بَرُودُ الْمَبْسِمِ

So its breeze is fragrant, and the bird of its grove

is melodious, and its stream has a cool, smiling mouth.

يَسْتَوْقِفُ الأَلْبَابَ حُسْنُ رُوَائِهِ

وَيَصِيدُ عَيْنَ النَّاظِرِ الْمُتَوَسِّمِ

The beauty of its appearance arrests the minds,

and captures the eye of the discerning observer.

وَالْمَرْءُ طَوْعُ يَدِ الزَّمَانِ يَقُودُهُ

قَوْدَ الْجَنِيبِ لِغَايَةٍ لَمْ تُعْلَمِ

And man is at the mercy of time's hand, which leads him

as a spare horse is led, toward an unknown end.

فَلَكٌ يَدُورُ وَأَنْجُمٌ لا تَأْتَلِي

تَبْدُو وَتَغْرُبُ فِي فَضَاءٍ أَقْتَمِ

A celestial sphere revolves, and stars never slacken,

appearing and setting in a dusky expanse.

صُوَرٌ إِذَا نَادَيْتَهَا لَمْ تَسْتَجِبْ

أَوْ رُمْتَ مِنْهَا النُّطْقَ لَمْ تَتَكَلَّمِ

Forms—if you call to them, they do not answer,

or seek speech from them, they do not speak.

فَدَعِ الْخَفِيَّ وَخُذْ لِنَفْسِكَ حَظَّهَا

مِمَّا بَدَا لَكَ فَهْوَ أَهْنَأُ مَغْنَمِ

So leave the hidden, and take for yourself your share

of what appears to you: it is the most satisfying gain.

لا يَسْتَطِيعُ الْمَرْءُ يَبْلُغ مَا نَأَى

عَنْهُ وَلَوْ صَعِدَ السَّمَاءَ بِسُلَّمِ

Man cannot reach what lies far

from him, even if he climbs to the sky on a ladder.

بَيْنَا يَشقُّ بِهِ الْجِوَاءَ تَرَفُّعَاً

أَهْوَى بِهِ فِي كِسْرِ بَيْتٍ مُظْلِمِ

Even as it carries him through the air, raising him high,

it casts him down into the corner of a dark house.

إِنَّ الْحَيَاةَ شَهِيَّةٌ مَا لَمْ تَكُنْ

غَرَضاً لإِمْرَةِ ظَالِمٍ لَمْ يَرْحَمِ

Life is indeed sweet, as long as it is not

a target for the rule of a tyrant without mercy.

لا أَرْتَضِي عَيْشَ الْجَبَانِ وَلا أَرَى

فَضْلاً لِذِي حَسَبٍ إِذَا لَمْ يُقْدِمِ

I do not accept a coward's life, nor do I see

merit in a man of noble descent if he does not dare.

وَلَرُبَّ مَلْحَمَةٍ سَرَيْتُ قِنَاعَهَا

عَن وَجْهِ نَصْرٍ بِالْغُبَارِ مُلَثَّمِ

And many a battle's veil have I lifted

from the face of victory veiled in dust.

لَوْ كَانَ لِلإِنْسَانِ عِلْمٌ بِالَّذِي

فِي الْغَيْبِ لَمْ يَفْرَحْ وَلَمْ يَتَنَدَّمِ

If man had knowledge of what

lies in the unseen, he would neither rejoice nor regret.

فَدَعِ الأُمُورَ إِلَى مُدَبِّر شَأْنِهَا

وَارْغَبْ عَنِ الدُّنْيَا بِنَفْسِكَ تَسْلَمِ

So leave affairs to the one who governs their course,

and turn your soul away from the world; you will be safe.