البرق يلمع بين الدر والشنب — Mufti Fathallah

البَرقُ يَلمَعُ بَينَ الدّرِّ وَالشّنَب

في ثَغرِهِ الجَوهَرِيِّ الأَلعَسِ الشّنِبِ

Lightning gleams between the pearls and their cool sheen,

In his jewel-like mouth, dark-lipped and cool-toothed.

يَفتَرُّ عَن جَوهَرٍ مِن لُؤلُؤٍ يققٍ

وَمِن عقيقٍ وَياقوتٍ وَعَن حببِ

It parts in a smile to reveal jewels of pure-white pearls,

And carnelian and rubies, and bubbles,

وَعَن زُلالٍ وَعن مسكٍ وَعن بردٍ

وَعَن أَقاحٍ وَعَن خمرٍ وَعَن ضَرَبِ

And clear water, and musk, and hail,

And daisies, and wine, and white honey.

في ثَغرِهِ الدُّرّ في الياقوتِ مُنغَرِس

غَرسَ الجَواهرِ في الإِبريزِ وَالذّهَبِ

In his mouth, pearls are embedded in rubies,

As jewels are set in pure gold and gold.

وَنَكهَةُ المِسكِ مِن ذا الثَّغرِ مُسكِرة

فَلَم تَدع صاحِياً في العُجمِ وَالعَربِ

The musk-scented breath from this mouth intoxicates,

Leaving none sober among non-Arabs or Arabs.

فَالريقُ راحٌ حلالٌ سَعد راشِفها

تَشفي القُلوبَ مِنَ الآلامِ وَالوصَبِ

His saliva is lawful wine; fortunate is its sipper.

It heals hearts of pain and illness.

يَزدادُ في رَشفِها خدنُ الهَوى وَلهاً

مثلَ الهَواءِ يَزيدُ النّارَ في اللَّهَبِ

Love's companion grows more distraught with each sip,

As air increases the fire's flame.

مَن ذاقَها صَبرُهُ عَنها فَمُنعَدِم

وَكُلَّما ذاقَ لَجَّ الذّوق في الطّلَبِ

Whoever tastes it loses all restraint toward it;

Each time he tastes, his palate persists in seeking more.

وَنعمت الرّاح بِنت الثَّغرِ رائِقة

وَبئِست الرّاح بنت الكاسِ وَالعنبِ

Excellent is the clear wine born of the mouth,

And vile the wine born of the cup and grapes.

يُديرُها ضِمنَ كاسِ الثَّغرِ جارِية

بَدرٌ مِنَ الحُسنِ لَم يَنقص وَلَم يَغِبِ

A maiden passes it round within the mouth's cup,

A full moon of beauty that neither wanes nor sets.

فَتُسكِرُ النّاسَ بِالأَرواحِ لاعِبَة

بِالرَّقصِ وَالوجدِ وَالتهيامِ وَالطربِ

She intoxicates people, playing with their souls,

Through dancing, ecstasy, love-madness, and rapture.

ظَبيٌ مِنَ الحُسنِ ما أَحلى شَمائِله

لَو شابَ عاشِقها فَالعِشقُ لَم يَشِبِ

A gazelle of beauty—how sweet his qualities!

Though her lover grows gray, love does not.

يَصطادُ أُسدَ الشّرى في حُسنِ طَلعَتِهِ

فَلا مَحيصَ لَهم مِنهُ إِلى الهَرَبِ

He hunts the lions of the thicket with his beautiful face;

They have no way to escape him by flight.

عَلقتهُ وَهوَ خِشفٌ مِن تَلفُّتِهِ

فَقدتُ قَلبي وَمِنّي العقلُ فيهِ سُبِي

I fell in love with him, a fawn, through his turning glances;

I lost my heart, and my reason was taken captive by him.

وَذابَ في عِشقِهِ قَلبي هَوىً وَجَوىً

وَالقَلبُ لَولا الهّوى وَاللَّه لَم يذبِ

My heart melted in love for him, with passion and anguish;

Without love, by God, the heart would not melt.

وَالعشقُ يَأكلُ في الأَحشاءِ مِن حرق

كَالنّارِ تَأكُلُ بِالإِحراقِ في الحَطَبِ

Love consumes the inward parts with burning,

As fire consumes wood by scorching.

حَوى ثَلاثَ مِياه لا نَظيرَ لَها

هِيَ المَحاسِنُ عِندَ العُجمِ وَالعَرَبِ

He possesses three waters without equal,

Counted as beauties by non-Arabs and Arabs:

ماءُ الحَياءِ وَماءُ الحُسنِ ثمّ كَذا

ماءُ الحَياةِ بِفيهِ المُبْرئِ الوصِبِ

The water of modesty, the water of beauty, and likewise

The water of life in his mouth, which heals the ailing.

شَمس مِنَ الحُسنِ في أُفقِ الجَمالِ بَدت

لَكِن مِنَ الحسنِ لَم تكسَف وَلَم تَغِبِ

A sun of beauty appeared on beauty's horizon,

But in its beauty it neither suffered eclipse nor set.

يا حُسنَ جَبهَتِهِ مِن تَحتِ طُرَّتِهِ

وَالنّورُ يَلمَعُ مِنها غَيرَ مُحتَجِبِ

Oh, the beauty of his forehead beneath his forelock!

Light gleams from it, unveiled.

بَدرٌ لَقَد حجبتهُ اللّيل هالَته

لَكِنّها قَد بَدَت مِن أَلطَفِ الحجبِ

A full moon, veiled at night by his halo;

Yet it has appeared through the most delicate veils.

وَوَجنَةُ الخدِّ إِذ تَعلوه زاهِيَة

حَمّالة الوردِ قَد تَعلو أَبا لَهَبِ

And the cheek's rounded prominence, rising radiant,

Bears roses and indeed surpasses Abu Lahab.

وَفَوقَ وَجنَةِ الأَهدابِ مِن وَطف

أَكمام وَردٍ بِلا شكٍّ وَلا ريبِ

And above the cheek, lashes in their luxuriance:

Rosebuds, without doubt or misgiving.

وَما العِذارُ سِوى سَطرٍ بِوَجنَتِهِ

مِنَ الزُّمرُّدِ في الياقوتِ مكتتبِ

The cheek-down is nothing but a line upon his cheek,

Inscribed in emerald upon ruby.

وَإِنّما الخالُ إِذ يَبدو بِوَجنَتِهِ

قيراطُ مِسكٍ على الدّينارِ مِن ذَهبِ

The mole, when it appears upon his cheek, is only

A carat of musk upon a dinar of gold.

وَعَقرب الصّدغِ كَم صبٍّ زَبانَتُها

في العِشقِ مِن لَدغِها أَلقَته لِلعَطبِ

The scorpion of his temple—how many lovers its sting

Has cast into ruin in love through its bite!

وَلَحظه الأَحور المَكحول في دَعَجٍ

لَقَد بَدا عَجباً ناهيكَ عَن عَجَبِ

His dark, bright-eyed gaze, kohl-lined in deep blackness,

Has appeared a marvel—what a marvel!

لِلرَميِ سَهمٌ وَللتفتيكِ في مُهجٍ

سَيف وَلِلعَقلِ سحر غَير مُحتَجِبِ

An arrow for shooting, and, for slaughtering hearts,

A sword; and for the mind, an undisguised spell.

كَم بَينَ جدٍّ وَمَزحٍ قَد أَراقَ دَماً

وَأَذهَبَ الرّوحَ بَينَ الجدِّ وَاللّعبِ

How often, between earnestness and jest, has it shed blood,

And taken away the soul between earnestness and play!

وَسْنانُ يَغزِلُ مِن خَمرِ الكرى ثَمِلاً

ثَوبَ النّحولِ لِجِسمِ الصَّبِّ والوَصِبِ

Drowsy, drunk on the wine of slumber, it spins

A robe of wasting for the lovesick and ailing body.

وَقَدّه الغُصن مَيَّاساً عَلى نَسَقٍ

في مَيسِ ذي طَرَبٍ لا مَيسِ مُضطَرِبِ

His stature is a branch, swaying gracefully in rhythm,

With the sway of one enraptured, not one agitated.

فَقُلتُ صِلني فَإِنّ الهَجرَ أَتلَفَني

وَهَل لِهَجرك يا مَولايَ مِن سَبَبِ

I said, 'Join me, for separation has destroyed me;

Is there a reason for your forsaking me, my master?'

فَقالَ وَصلي حَرامٌ لا أُحلِّلهُ

وَالهجرُ يُندب إِنْ لَو كانَ لَم يجبِ

He said, 'Union with me is forbidden; I will not permit it,

And separation is recommended, even if not obligatory.'

فَقُلتُ شَرعُ الهَوى إِن كانَ حَرَّمَهُ

يا ضَيعَةَ العمرِ لَم أبلغ بِهِ أَربي

I said, 'If the law of love has forbidden it,

Alas for a wasted life in which I never attained my aim!

وَإِن يَكُن في الهَوى وَصلي المحرّم يا

دَوام خَلطي بِه شَعبان في رَجَبِ

And if union with me is forbidden in love, oh,

How constantly I confuse Sha'ban with Rajab over it!'

فَثبّتِ اللَّه في قَلبي تَصبُّرَه

لا شَيءَ كالصّبرِ في أَحشاءِ مُكتَئِبِ

So may God firmly establish endurance in my heart;

Nothing equals patience within a despondent heart.

وَدمت وَجداً بِنارِ العِشقِ مُلتَهِباً

لا بَرَّدَ اللَّه مِنها قَلبَ مُلتَهِبِ

I have remained aflame with yearning in love's fire;

May God never cool a burning heart from it.

وَلا أَزالُ أَهيمُ الدّهرَ في وَلَهٍ

أَجوبُ قَفرَ الفَيافي جَوبَ مُغتَرِبِ

I never cease wandering through time in longing,

Crossing the desert wastes as an exile roams.

وَأَمتَطي أَدهم اللّيلِ البهيمِ دُجى

وَلا أُريح بِهِ مِن رَكبهِ رَكبي

I mount the black steed of pitch-dark night in its gloom,

Nor give my riders respite from riding it.

أُسامِرُ النّجمَ طولَ اللّيلِ ذا سَهَرٍ

وَلَيسَ يَدري الّذي أَلقاهُ مِن كربِ

I converse with the star all night, sleepless,

But it does not know the anguish I endure.

أَتلو عَليهِ حَديثَ الوَجد متَّصلاً

مِنَ الصّحيحِ بِلا وَضعٍ وَلا كَذبِ

I recite to it an uninterrupted account of longing,

An authentic account, without fabrication or lies,

حتّى أَرى دَولَةَ الإِصباح قَد ظَهَرت

تُمحى بِها دَولة الظّلماءِ وَالشّهبِ

Until I see the dominion of dawn appear,

Erasing the dominion of darkness and stars.

وَتَطلع الشّمسُ في أَسنى مَطالعِها

طُلوعَ شَمسِ العُلى في أَرفَعِ الرّتَبِ

The sun rises in its most radiant rising places,

Like the sun of eminence rising in the loftiest ranks,

مِن ذَروَةِ المَجدِ فَوقَ العِزِّ في شرف

في جَبهَةِ السّعدِ مِن بُرجِ العُلى الرَّحبِ

From glory's summit, above might, in nobility,

On fortune's brow, from eminence's spacious constellation,

في حُلَّةِ الفَضلِ وَالمَعروفِ في أَدبٍ

وَحلية المَجدِ وَالعَلياءِ وَالحَسَبِ

Clad in excellence and beneficence, in refinement,

And adorned with glory, eminence, and ancestral worth,

في زينَةِ الحُسنِ في خَلْقٍ وَفي خُلُقٍ

بِرِقَّةِ الطّبعِ مَع لُطفٍ وَمَع أَدَبِ

Adorned with beauty in outward form and character,

With delicacy of disposition, gentleness, and courtesy.

بِأعرض الجاهِ حَسن الحلمِ صاحَبَهُ

يا نَفعَ جاهٍ بِحُسنِ الحلمِ مُصطحبِ

With the broadest prestige, gracious forbearance accompanies him;

Oh, the benefit of prestige accompanied by fine forbearance!

في رِفعَةِ القَدرِ وَالعَلياء تَخدِمُها

وَغايَة الفَخرِ في نَفسٍ وَفي نَسبِ

In exalted rank, with high distinction serving it,

And the utmost pride in person and lineage.

رَأس الأَماجِدِ مَن قَد يطرِقون لَهُ

مِنهُم رُؤوساً تدقّ الدّهرَ في السّحبِ

Chief of the nobles, who bow before him

Heads that forever strike against the clouds.

مَن كانَ في غَيرِهِ بِالمَجدِ مَثَّله

فَلَيسَ يَفرق بَينَ الرّأسِ وَالذّنَبِ

Whoever has likened another to him in glory

Cannot distinguish the head from the tail.

في مِثلِهِ فَخرُ آباءٍ كَذا نَشب

وَالغَيرُ يَفخَرُ بِالآباءِ وَالنّشبِ

In one like him, ancestors and possessions find their pride;

Others boast of ancestors and possessions.

إِنْ فَخّموا فَخرَ مَولودٍ بِوالِدِهِ

فَأَفخَمُ الفخرِ بِالأَولادِ فَخرُ أَبِ

If they magnify a child's pride in his father,

Greater still is a father's pride in his children.

وَإِن تَأَخَّر عَن أَهلٍ لَهُ سَبَقوا

وَأَسّسوا المَجدَ فَوقَ الشّمسِ وَالشّهبِ

Though he came after kin who preceded him

And founded glory above the sun and stars,

وَاللَّهُ فَضَّلَهُ فيهِم فَلا عَجَبٌ

فَكَم تَقَدَّم خَير الأَنبياءِ نَبي

God favored him among them; there is no wonder:

How many prophets preceded the best of prophets!

لا بِدعَ إِن كانَ مِنهم وَهوَ يَفضُلُهم

فَإِنَّما السكَّر الحالي مِنَ القَصَبِ

There is nothing strange in his being of them yet surpassing them;

Sweet sugar, after all, comes from cane.

وَإِنَّه عِزُّ أَبناءِ العُلى شَرَفاً

وَمَجدهم في ذَوي الأَقلامِ وَالقُضُبِ

He is the glory of the sons of eminence in honor,

And their glory among men of the pen and sword,

وَفَخرُهم في ذَوي الأَنسابِ في نَسَبٍ

وَتاجُهم في ذَوي الأَحسابِ بِالحَسَبِ

Their pride in lineage among men of noble descent,

And their crown of worth among men of ancestral merit.

لَقَد دَعَتهُ المَعالي بِاِبنِ نَجدَتِها

فَفاقَ كِسرى وَمَن ضاهى أَبا كربِ

High honors have hailed him as the son of their valor;

He surpassed Kisra and whoever equaled Abu Karib.

وَصَيّرتهُ المَعالي بَدرَ مَوكِبِها

فَحَلَّ وَهوَ عَلِيٌّ أَشرَفُ الرّتَبِ

High honors made him the full moon of their procession;

He attained the noblest rank—Ali, the exalted.

فَتىً وَلا كَعليٍّ في الأنامِ فَتى

لَهُ المُروءَةُ كانَت خَيرَ مُنتَسبِ

A gallant youth; among mankind no youth is like Ali.

Chivalry has been his finest lineage.

نورُ الشّجاعَةِ يَبدو فَوقَ جَبهَتِهِ

فَتُبصِرُ الأُسدُ مِنهُ ظلمَةَ الكرَبِ

The light of courage appears above his forehead,

And lions behold from him the darkness of anguish.

فَإِنْ يَذوقوهُ في لَمحٍ وَلَو وَهماً

ذَاقوا الرّدى غبّ ذَوق الخوفِ وَالرَّهبِ

Should they taste him for a moment, even in imagination,

They taste death after tasting fear and dread.

لَيثُ الجِلادِ وَضِرغامُ الوغى بَطَلٌ

تَشمُّ مِنهُ دَواماً نَفحَة الرُّعُبِ

A lion of combat, a lion of battle, a hero:

You constantly smell from him a breath of terror.

في كُلّ مَنبتِ شَعرٍ مِنهُ قَسورة

كَأَنّهُ الأسدُ في غابٍ مِنَ الهضبِ

In every hair follicle of his there is a lion,

As though he were a lion in a forest of hills.

مَن ثَمَّ لَو شامَهُ الأَعداءُ مُنفَرِداً

شاموهُ وَاللَّه مِثلَ الجَحفَلِ اللّجبِ

Thus, if his enemies saw him alone,

They would see him, by God, as a clamorous army.

لَيثُ الشّرى حِصنُ عكّار وَنَجدَتها

مَن يَرمِها بِسِهامِ السّوءِ لَم يصبِ

The lion of the thicket, Akkar's fortress and defense:

Whoever shoots arrows of ill at it will miss.

فَهَل تَرومُ الأَعادي أَخذَها وَهَماً

وَسورها مُبتنٍ بِاللّدنِ وَالقُضُبِ

Can enemies seek to take it, even in imagination,

When its wall is built of pliant spears and swords?

بَل سورُها الأَعظَمُ العالي على أَطمٍ

صيت الهِزَبرِ عَليّ القدرِ وَالرّتَبِ

Rather, its greatest wall, towering above a stronghold,

Is the lion's renown, lofty in worth and rank.

قِرمٌ إِذا نازَلَ الأَقرانَ هِمّتهُ

يَوم النّزالِ بِسَلبِ الرّوحِ لا السَّلبِ

A champion who, when he meets his peers in combat, aims

On battle's day to seize souls, not plunder.

يَسطو بِرمحٍ تقطُّ العمرَ حربتُهُ

فَلَم تَدَع عمرَ عاتٍ غيرَ مقتضبِ

He attacks with a lance whose spearhead cuts life short,

Leaving no tyrant's life untruncated.

بِالرّمحِ يَحلِبُ مِن ثَدي العداةِ دَماً

فَيَرجِعُ الرّمحُ رَيّاناً مِنَ الحلَبِ

With his lance he milks blood from the enemies' breast,

And the lance returns sated from the milking.

يَسطو بِسَيفٍ تُذيبُ الرّوح برقتُه

وَتَسلِبُ الرّوحَ مِن أَحشاءِ منسلِبِ

He attacks with a sword whose flash melts the soul,

And snatches the soul from the entrails of one stripped of it.

تَرى رِقابَ الأَعادي حينَ يَضرِبها

مِن تَحتِ هِنديِّهِ الإِصليتِ كَالزّغبِ

You see the enemies' necks, when he strikes them,

Like down beneath his unsheathed Indian blade.

يَبكي رِقابَ العِدى المُرجانُ مُنسَكِباً

يا حُسنَ دَمعٍ مِنَ الأَعناقِ مُنسَكِبِ

Streaming coral weeps for the enemies' necks;

Oh, the beauty of tears streaming from necks!

كَم زَيَّن القَومُ في حُمرِ الثّيابِ كَما

حَلّى نِساءَهُم بِالنيل والسُّلُبِ

How often he decked the men in red garments, just as

He adorned their women with indigo and mourning robes.

وَقُمنَ يَرقُصنَ في ضَربٍ عَلى ركب

وَشَقِّ جَيبٍ وَقَد غنَّيْنَ بالصخبِ

They rose to dance, beating their knees

And tearing their necklines, singing with clamor.

وَصِرنَ يَنثُرنَ مِن أَجفانِها دُررا

قَد أَغنَتِ الأَرضَ عَن وَبلٍ مِنَ الهضبِ

They began scattering pearls from her eyelids

That spared the earth a downpour from the rain clouds.

في حَربِهِ اِنقَلَبُ الأَعداءُ مُنقَلباً

ساءَ اِنقِلاباً بِسوقِ الحَرْبِ وَالحَرَبِ

In his war, the enemies turned back with a turning

Wretched indeed in the market of war and despoilment.

لِلوَحشِ لَحمُهمُ لِلطّيرِ أَعيُنهم

نَعم وَأَعظُمهُم لِلنّارِ كَالحَطَبِ

Their flesh is for wild beasts, their eyes for birds;

Yes, and their bones are for the fire, like firewood.

بَحرُ النَّدى وَالسّخا مِن رَشحِ راحَتِهِ

تَضيقُ عَنهُ صُدورُ الصّحفِ وَالكتبِ

The sea of bounty and generosity seeping from his palm

Exceeds the capacity of pages and books.

مَن لَيسَ تَفتُرُ مِنهُ الدّهرَ لَهجتُه

عَن أَمرِ خازِنِهِ اِنحَل وَأعطِ هَبِ

His tongue never slackens, through all time,

In ordering his treasurer: 'Bestow, give, grant!'

لا عَيبَ فيهِ سِوى حبّ العَطا كَرماً

وَبُغضه لِاِختِزانِ المالِ وَالنّشبِ

He has no fault save loving to give generously,

And hating to hoard wealth and possessions.

يَسطو عَليهِ وَبِالإِعطاءِ يتلفهُ

فَلا عَلى فِضّةٍ يُبقي وَلا ذَهَبِ

He assails wealth and destroys it by giving,

Sparing neither silver nor gold,

وَلا عَلى غَيرِ ذا ممّا تَمَلّكهُ

لَو يَملِك الرّوحَ أَعطاها بِلا طَلَبِ

Nor anything else that he possesses;

If he owned the soul, he would give it unasked.

إِن كانَ حاتم طَيٍّ قَد غَدا مَثلاً

وَمَن مَضى مثلهُ في سالِفِ الحقبِ

If Hatim of Tayy has become a byword,

And those like him who passed in bygone ages,

فَجودُهم جودُ هَذا البحرِ ناسِخهُ

كَنَسخِ شِرعةِ طهَ شَرع كُلِّ نَبي

This sea's generosity abrogates theirs,

As Taha's law abrogates every prophet's law.

يا أَيّها السيّدُ المَسعودُ طالِعُهُ

لا زَالَ بَدرُ عُلاه الدّهرَ لَم يجبِ

O lord whose ascendant is auspicious,

May the full moon of his eminence never set through all time.

يا ذا الوَقارِ وَمَنْ مِنْ فَرطِ هَيبَتِهِ

لَدَيهِ أُسد الشّرى تَجثو عَلى الرّكبِ

O dignified one, whose overwhelming awe

Makes the lions of the thicket kneel before him;

بَل لا تَزالُ عَلى الأَقدامِ واقِفَةً

لَديهِ حتَّى وَلَو ملَّت مِنَ التّعَبِ

Rather, they remain standing on their feet

Before him, even if weary with exhaustion.

إِلَيك غانِية خوداً مُخدَّرة

في خدرِ حُسنٍ عَلى التّرصينِ مُنتَصِبِ

To you comes a lovely, tender maiden, secluded

Within a chamber of beauty, erected on firm craftsmanship.

يَتيمة وَأَبوها الحُسن يَحضِنُها

حَسناء عَذراء لَم تُطمَث وَلم تُصَبِ

Peerless, with Beauty her father, who cradles her,

A lovely virgin, neither deflowered nor possessed,

غَيداء بِكر عَروس مِن بَلاغَتها

تَتيهُ حُسناً عَلى أَترابِها العُرُبِ

A graceful virgin bride who, through her eloquence,

Exults in beauty above her amorous peers.

طابَت بِمَدحِكَ وَهوَ المِسكُ ضَمَّخها

لَولا التّضمُّخ مِن ذا المِسكِ لَم تَطِبِ

She grows fragrant through praising you: musk has anointed her;

Without anointing with this musk, she would not be fragrant.

هَبها القَبولَ أَخا العَلياءِ مُبتَسِماً

إِنّ اِبتَسامَكَ عَنها رافِع الحُجبِ

Grant her acceptance, brother of eminence, with a smile;

Your smile for her lifts the veils.

وَاِسلَم وَدُم بِالهَنا في حُسنِ عافِيَةٍ

سَليمَ جِسمٍ مِنَ الأَوصابِ وَالنّصبِ

Be safe, and remain happy in good health,

Your body sound, free of sickness and fatigue,

ما اِهتَزَّ غُصنٌ وَما الوَرقاءُ قَد خَطَبت

فَوقَ الغصونِ فَأَبدت أَحسَن الخطَبِ

As long as a branch sways and the ringdove speaks

Above the branches, offering the finest sermons;

ما لاحَ نَجمٌ وَما شَمسٌ لَقَد طَلَعَت

ما البَرقُ يَلمَعُ بَينَ الدّرِّ والشنَبِ

As long as a star shines and a sun rises,

As long as lightning gleams between the pearls and their cool sheen.