لمن دار على إضم — Mihyar Al Daylami

لمن دارٌ على إضم

كوحِي الخطِّ بالقلمِ

Whose dwelling is this by Idam,

like writing traced with a pen?

عفَتْ إلاّ بما تُملي

من الزفَراتِ والألمِ

Effaced, save for what it dictates

of sighs and pain.

وقفنا محدثين بها

جَوَى أيّامنا القُدُمِ

We stood there, recounting

the heartache of our days of old.

نشاكيها ونفضُلُها

بفيضِ دموعنا السُّجُمِ

We trade laments with it, surpassing it

with the flood of our streaming tears.

وكلٌّ بالنحول على ال

شكايةِ غيرُ مُتَّهمِ

And each, in its wasting, is in its

lament beyond suspicion.

فنحنُ ردائدُ البلوى

نعمْ وطلائحُ السَّقمِ

For we are affliction's castaways,

yes, and those sickness has exhausted.

سقاكِ على ادّكارِ العه

دِ غيثُ مَواقرِ الديمِ

May you be watered, in remembrance of our covenant,

by rain from clouds laden with steady showers.

وزاركِ خيرُ ما نَسجَتْ

على أرضٍ أكفُّ سُمِي

May the finest of what was woven visit you,

upon earth by the palms of rain-clouds.

فكم من عيشةٍ صلَحتْ

لنا بِكِ ثمّ لم تدُمِ

For how often life was sweet

for us in you, and then did not last!

وليلٍ تسلُب الأسحا

رُ فيه مواهبَ العَتَمِ

And many a night whose predawn hours

would steal away the gifts of darkness.

شكرنا فيه شكَر الحق

قِ منه كاذبَ الحُلُمِ

We thanked within it, with thanks owed to truth,

the lying dream it brought.

يغطّينا الدجى ويبو

ح ومضُ البارق الضَّرِمِ

Darkness covers us, yet we are betrayed

by the flash of blazing lightning.

وهل تتموَّه الأقما

رُ إن غُطِّينَ بالظُّلَمِ

And can moons go unrecognized

if they are veiled in darkness?

ويُشرِقُ في الصِّفاح اللث

مُ إشفاقاً من التُّهمِ

And kisses gleam in handclasps,

for fear of suspicion.

فنقضِي في يدٍ ويدٍ

مآربَ من فم وفمِ

So between hand and hand we fulfill

the desires of mouth for mouth.

فيا عَلَم الحمى ذَكرتْ

عهودَك ظبيةُ العلمِ

O landmark of the sanctuary, she recalls

your covenants—the gazelle of the landmark.

وعادكَ من زمان ذَما

كَ ناشرُ تربكَ الرّممِ

May there revisit you, from the days of your waning life,

one who revives your crumbling dust.

وياريح الصَّبا اقترحي

على الأحشاء واحتكمِي

And, east wind, demand what you will

of my innermost parts, and rule as you please.

متى راوحتِها خَبَراً

على البَيْضاتِ في الخِيَمِ

Whenever you revisit them with tidings

of the fair women in the tents,

أراكِ نسَمتِ تختبري

ن ما عهدي وما ذممي

I see you have breathed upon me to test

my covenant and my pledges.

فهذي في يدي كبدي

وذا في وجنتَّي دمي

Here, then, is my liver in my hand,

and here upon my cheeks is my blood.

سلامٌ كّلما ذُكرتْ

ليالينا بذي سلَمِ

Peace, whenever memory recalls

our nights at Dhu Salam.

وحيّا الله مختبطاً

ونارُ الليل في الفحَمِ

May God greet the visitor groping through darkness,

while the fire of night lay among the coals.

تجشّمَ يركبُ الأسلا

تِ من كعبٍ ومن جُشَمِ

He braved the hardship of crossing spearpoints

of Ka'b and of Jusham.

سرى أنساً وفي الرُقَبا

ء كلُّ أَلدَّ محتشمِ

He journeyed by night to bring solace, though among the watchers

was every bitter, resentful foe.

خفيّاً أن يُرى بالعي

ن أو يُقتَصَّ بالقَدَمِ

Stealthily, lest he be seen by an eye

or tracked by his footprints.

وأعجب كيف نمتُ له

وليلي قبلُ لم أنمِ

I marvel how I fell asleep for him,

though earlier that night I had not slept,

إلى أن صاح بي وبه

صديعُ الفجر قمْ وقمِ

until there called to me and him

the cleaving dawn: 'Rise! Rise!'

ومرّ فليتَ مختلِسي

زيارتَه ومجترمي

He passed; would that the one who robbed me

of his visit, and wronged me,

يعالجُ ودَّ منتقلٍ

ويأمُل عفوَ منتقمِ

had to court the love of one who departs

and hope for pardon from an avenger;

وطرفاً قد أصاب عُلا

أبي الحسَن العميد عمِي

and may an eye that assailed the glory

of Abu al-Hasan al-Amid go blind!

أخي وُدّاً وعرق الود

دِ فوق وشائج الرّحِمِ

My brother in affection—and affection's root

stands above the bonds of kinship.

ومولَى حاجتي يوم ان

قطاع علائقِ الحُرَمِ

The patron of my need on the day

when the bonds of protection are severed,

ومنهض همّتي ما قم

ت أطلب عاليَ الهممِ

and the raiser of my ambition whenever I rise

to seek the loftiest aspirations.

وكان طفى الزمان به

أُوامي أو شفى قَرَمي

Through him, time had quenched

my burning thirst, or cured my craving,

وأوجده على عَدَمٍ

وأولده على عَقَمِ

and brought him forth despite its emptiness,

and begot him despite its barrenness.

أكيدُ به النوائبَ أو

تكونَ بأمره خدمي

Through him I thwart calamities, or

they become my servants at his command.

وألبَسُ منه ضافيةً

ذلاذِلُها على قدَمي

From him I wear an ample robe,

its trailing hems upon my feet.

فسلَّ عليَّ جفوتَهُ

مَسَلَّ الصارم الخذِمِ

Then he drew his estrangement against me

as one draws a keen, cleaving sword.

ولوّنَه عليّ مُلَو

وِنُ الشعَراتِ في اللَّممِ

His color toward me was changed by the colorer

of the hairs within the locks.

تناسى والمدَى كَثَبٌ

وعهدُ الوصل من أمَمِ

He feigned forgetfulness, though the distance was short

and the days of union still recent.

مؤاخذةٌ بلا سببٍ

وإعراضٌ بلا جُرُمِ

Reproach without a cause,

and aversion without an offense,

سوى أني كثُرتُ فمل

لَ و المملولُ للصُّرُمِ

save that I came too often, and he wearied;

and the wearisome are doomed to severance.

وعزَّ بنفسه ذلَّي

له بنوافذ الكَلمِ

He grew proud of himself through my abasement

before him in piercing words,

وخفضي في مدائحهِ

خزامةَ أنفِيَ العَرِمِ

and my lowering, in praise of him,

the nose-ring of my unruly nose.

ولولا شيمةٌ رفعت

ه ما خُودعتُ عن شيمي

But for a virtue that exalted him,

I would not have been beguiled out of my own nature.

وغيرَك صارماً أعطي

ه حبلَ أحذَّ منفصمِ

To anyone but you who cut me off, I would give

a rope shorn short and severed.

أكايله بصاعِ يدي

ه من عِوَجٍ ومن قِيَمِ

I would measure back to him with his own hands' measure,

whether crooked or straight,

وأترك سِنَّه وعْداً

لأكلِ يديه بالندمِ

and leave his teeth the promise

of gnawing both his hands in remorse.

ولكن قطعيَ العضو ال

أليمَ يزيد في ألمي

But when I cut off the limb

that aches, I only add to my pain.

فؤادي فيك مبتذِلي

وطرفُ العين مهتضِمي

My heart abases me over you,

and my eye's glance oppresses me.

فما لي في قرَاعك غي

ر أن أُلقي يدَ السلَمِ

So, in contending with you, I have no choice

but to offer the hand of peace,

وأنظر رجعة الإنصا

ف منك وعطفةَ الكرمِ

and await the return of fairness

from you, and a turn of generosity.

وإني في رؤوس عدا

ك ولاَّجٌ على القُحَمِ

For amid your enemies' heads I am

one who plunges headlong into perils.

وعلمُك أنّ مثلي السي

فُ لم يُغمَد ولم يُشَمِ

You know that one like me is a sword,

never sheathed, never put away.

ودونك في الخِصام ألد

دَ آخذِ موضعِ الكظَمِ

Before you in contention is the fiercest

of those who seize the throat.

فخفْ عقبَى الغبينة فِي

يَ يومَ تفاوتِ القِيَمِ

So fear the aftermath of undervaluing me

on the day when merits are distinguished.

فمن لك بي إذا ما قا

ل باني السودد انهدمِ

Who will stand for you against me, when

the builder of glory says, 'Collapse'?

ومن لك يومَ يُحمَى العر

ضُ مثلُ يدي ومثلُ فمي

And who, when honor is defended, can offer you

the like of my hand and the like of my mouth?

ومن ذا إن شردتُ يرد

دُ ما أرسلتُ من خُطُمي

And who, if I break loose, can bring back

what I have loosed from my halters?

أرى أملي يشتَّتُ أو

أراك تعود منتظِمي

Must I see my hope scattered, or

see you return to gather me again?

فيا مبدي الوفاءِ أعد

ويا معطي المنى أدِمِ

So, O you who first showed loyalty, renew it;

and, O giver of wishes, sustain them.

ويا من قدّم الحسنى

هب الحِدْثانَ للقِدمِ

And, O you who offered kindness before,

forgive the new for the sake of the old.

وثقِّف ما حطمتَ فلا

طعانَ لصدرِ منحطِمِ

Straighten what you have broken; there is no

spear-thrusting for a shattered breast.

وكن لي مثل ما قد كن

ت منتقذي ومعتصمي

And be for me what you have been:

my rescuer and my refuge.

ووفر فضل مالك لي

وجاهك مسنياً قِسَمي

Make ample for me the bounty of your wealth

and rank, enriching my allotted shares.

فلو عاد الزمان فتىً

وشبّ لكم على الهَرَمِ

For if time were a youth again,

and grew young for you despite old age,

لما أخلفتُمُ مثلي

ولا في سالف الأممِ

you would not find my like again,

nor among the peoples of the past.

عتبتُ وتحت حَرِّ العت

ب قلبٌ غيرُ محتدِمِ

I chided you, yet beneath the heat of chiding

lie a heart not aflame,

وأضلاعٌ تضمُّ علي

ك شوقاً موضعَ الحُزُمِ

and ribs that embrace you

in longing, where the girdles lie.

ومثل الغيث عوتب أن

أخلَّ بصوبه الرَّهِمِ

And one like rain is chided when

he fails to pour his gentle showers.

ولم يأسف على العليا

ء مثل معوّد النِّعمِ

And none grieves for lofty honor

like one accustomed to bounty.