قفا نتل من أذكار دار وأحباب — Mufti Fathallah

قِفا نَتلُ مِن أَذكارِ دارٍ وَأحبابِ

بِجلَّق ذاتِ الأُنسِ وَالميسَمِ الرّابي

Stop, you two; let us recite memories of a house and loved ones,

in Jilliq, with its fellowship and surpassing beauty,

لَدى بابِ كيسان لَدى غايَةِ العُلى

لَدى ساحَةِ الشّاغورِ عالية البابِ

by Bab Kaysan, at the summit of eminence,

by al-Shaghur's square, its gateway lofty.

تَرى العِزَّ ثمَّ المَجدَ فيها تَوطَّنا

وَحَلَّت بِها العَلياءُ مِن حُسنِ آدابِ

You see honor, then glory, settled there,

and eminence dwelling there through excellence of manners.

تَرى الكَيس فيها وَالمَحاسِنَ كلَّها

وَكُلَّ بَديعٍ ماسَ في ثَوبِ إِعجابِ

You see discernment there and every beauty,

and every marvel strutting in a robe of admiration.

وَقَفت بِها بِعدَ اِغتِرابي مُقلّباً

بِها مُقلَتي وَالدّمعُ أَعظَمُ صبّابِ

I stood there after my time away, turning

my gaze over it, while tears poured most copiously,

كَتَقليدِ ذي الإِعجابِ في حُسنِ مَن رَأى

عَلى غَفلةٍ لا مثل تَقليبَ مُرتابِ

in imitation of one struck by the beauty of someone seen

unawares, not with a doubter's searching gaze.

وَبي اِحتاطَ أَخدانٌ وصَحْبٌ أَعِزّةٌ

وَأَبهِجْ بِمَن قَد صارَ مُحتاطَ أَصحابِ

And intimate friends and cherished companions gathered around me;

how joyful is one surrounded by friends!

يَقولونَ لي أَهلاً وَسَهلاً وَمَرحباً

وَقَد أَكثَروا التّرحيبَ تَرحيبَ أَحبابِ

They say to me: Welcome, be at ease, a hearty welcome!

And they lavished welcomes upon me, the welcome of loved ones.

فَنِلتُ شِفاءَ القَلبِ مِن وَسمَةِ الرّدى

وَنِلتُ شِفاءَ الجسمِ مِن كلّ أَوصابي

So I gained healing for my heart from death's stain,

and healing for my body from all my ailments.

كِرامٌ إِذا قاموا تَضوَّعَ مِسْكُهم

مِنَ الشّرقِ في غَربٍ عَلى مَتنِ هبّابِ

Generous men: when they rise, their musk wafts

from the east into the west on the back of a blowing wind,

وَضمّخَ أهل الغربِ فيه نَسيمُهُ

فَطابوا عَلى التّطييبِ مِن طيبِ أَطيابِ

and there its breeze anoints the people of the west,

so they grow fragrant, perfumed with the scent of finest perfumes.

كَأَنّهمُ حَولي شُموسٌ مُضيئَةٌ

تَجلَّت بلا حُجبٍ تحول وحجّابِ

As though around me they were radiant suns,

revealed without obstructing veils or doorkeepers.

كَأنّيَ بَدرٌ إذ كَسونيَ ضوءَهم

ثِياباً فَكانَ الضّوءُ مِن خَيرِ أَثوابي

As though I were a full moon, when they clothed me in their light

as garments; that light became one of my finest robes.

بِروحِيَ يَومٌ قَد أَداروا حَديثَهُم

عَلَيّ سُلافاً تَزدَري خَمرَ أَكوابِ

I would give my soul for the day they passed their talk around

to me as pure wine that scorns the wine of cups.

وَقَد مَزجوها بِالسّرورِ وَأشربوا

شَذاها بِريّاهم بِأَحسنِ إِشرابِ

They mixed it with joy and infused

its aroma with their fragrance in the finest blending.

سَقوني بِها عَقلاً وروحاً وَجُثّةً

فَرُحتُ بِها الوَلهانَ وَالمُغرَمَ الصابي

With it they gave me drink in mind, soul, and body,

so I went away with it, lovestruck, enamored, and yearning.

وَفي الرّوحِ قَد سارَت وَتِلكَ حَياتُها

وَدَبَّتْ كبُرءٍ في المَفاصِلِ دبّابِ

It coursed through the soul, where its life lies,

and crept through the joints like a spreading cure.

سَكِرتُ فَلا أَصحو وَلَيسَ لِسَكرتي

مَدىً بَل وَلا حدّ كَقرنٍ وَأَحقابِ

I became drunk, never to sober, and my drunkenness has

no end, nor any limit, whether a century or ages.

وَشَنَّفت مِن ذاكَ الحَديثِ مَسامِعي

بِدُرٍّ يَزين البكرَ ما بَينَ أَترابِ

And from that conversation I adorned my ears

with pearls that grace a maiden among her peers.

وَقُلتُ لَهُم وَالوا عَليَّ حَديثَكُم

فَإِنّ حَياةَ القلبِ في ذلكَ الطابِ

And I told them: Keep your talk flowing to me,

for the heart's life lies in that sweetness.

وَيومَ دَخَلتَ الدّارَ في أَرضِ جِلَّقٍ

فَقالت لَكَ الإِسعادُ في دارِ أَنجابِ

And on the day you entered the house in the land of Jilliq,

it said: Happiness is yours in a house of noble men.

فَإِنّيَ دارُ العزِّ وَالمجدِ وَالعُلى

أَتيهُ عَلى الدّنيا بِرِفعَةِ أَعتابي

For I am the house of honor, glory, and eminence;

I glory over the world in the height of my thresholds,

وَحُسني وَأُنسي ثمَّ سَعدي وَرِفعَتي

وَيُمني وَتَرصيني عَلى حُسنِ أَرحابي

and my beauty and fellowship, my good fortune and exalted standing,

and my auspiciousness and firm construction, besides my lovely courtyards.

وَدار التّقى وَالفَضل وَالعِلم وَالهُدى

وَدار النّدى وَالنّفع وَالكَرَم الرّابي

And a house of piety, excellence, knowledge, and guidance,

and a house of largesse, benefit, and abundant generosity.

وَإِنّيَ دار الكزبريّ الّذي خَلا

بِذا الدَّهرِ عَن شبهٍ وَمثلٍ وَأَضرابِ

And I am the house of al-Kuzbari, who stands alone

in this age, without likeness, equal, or peers.

إِمامُ دِمشق الشّام مَن قامَ خَلفَهُ

أَئِمّتُها تَأتَمُّ في كُلِّ مِحرابِ

The imam of Damascus in al-Sham, behind whom stand

its imams, following his lead in every prayer niche.

فَقيهٌ نَبيهٌ شافِعِيُّ زَمانِهِ

نَحا مَنهَجَ التّحقيقِ مِن أَجلِ طلابِ

A discerning jurist, the Shafi'i of his age,

he pursued the path of exact inquiry for the sake of seekers.

بُخاريُّه يَدري شُذوذاً وعلّةً

وَحادَ إِلى التّصحيحِ عَن وَضعِ كَذّابِ

His age's Bukhari, he knows anomalies and hidden defects,

and turns toward authentication, away from a liar's fabrication.

هوَ العالِمُ النّحريرُ أَذكى مُدقِّقٍ

عَلى غايَةِ الإِتقانِ في حُسنِ إِعرابِ

He is the master scholar, the keenest examiner,

at the height of mastery in fine grammatical expression.

هُوَ البحرُ وَاِبنُ البَحرِ عِلماً وَعنهُما

فَحَدِّث بِما قَد شِئتَه غيرَ مُرتابِ

He is an ocean and an ocean's son in knowledge; and of them both,

say whatever you wish, without a doubt.

هوَ البحرُ وَاِبن البحرِ جُوداً وَعَنهُما

فَبالِغ وَإِن جاوَزتَ غايَةَ إِسهابِ

He is an ocean and an ocean's son in generosity; and of them both,

speak extravagantly, even beyond the utmost bounds of prolixity.

هوَ البدرُ إِلّا أَنّه دامَ تِمُّهُ

هوَ الشّمسُ إِلّا أَنّه غَير غرّابِ

He is the full moon, except that his fullness endures;

he is the sun, except that he never sets.

هوَ الكامِلُ السامي كَمالاً عَلى تُقىً

مَصوناً بِكلِّ الدَّهرِ عَن عيبِ عَيّابِ

He is the perfect one, soaring in perfection founded on piety,

shielded throughout time from a faultfinder's reproach.

إِذا اِغتابَهُ المُغتابُ مِن نَحوِ حاسِدٍ

وَأَحسِنْ بِما يغتابُ مِن قَولِ مُغتابِ

If a backbiter, some envious man, maligns him—

and how fine is the backbiter's slander!—

رَماهُ بِحسنِ الخُلقِ وَالخَلق سارداً

شَمائِلَه الحَسناء في حُسنِ إِيعابِ

he charges him with beauty of character and form, recounting

his lovely qualities with graceful completeness:

وَصيتٌ جَميلٌ ثمَّ نفسٌ كَريمَةٌ

وَخيم فَخيم النّطقِ في مَجدِ أَنسابِ

a fine reputation, then a noble soul,

and a disposition of stately speech amid glorious lineages.

وَيَختمُ إِجمالاً يَقول بِأَنّهُ

كَمالٌ بِلا نَقصٍ يَلوح لثُلّابِ

He concludes in summary, saying that he is

perfection, with no defect for detractors to discern.

بَليغٌ فَصيحُ اللّفظِ ثمّ بَليغُهُ

يحاشي عَلى الإِعرابِ مِن شوبِ إِغرابِ

Eloquent, lucid in wording, and eloquent in it,

taking care to keep grammatical expression free of obscure affectation.

وَلَكِنَّ مَعناهُ غَريبٌ وَسَلسَلٌ

تَناوَلُه الأَفهامُ مِن غَيرِ أَتعابِ

Yet his meaning is novel and smooth-flowing,

grasped by minds without any effort.

يَطابِق فيهِ الحال فيما قَدِ اِقتَضت

فَتاراً بِإِيجازٍ وَطَوراً بإِطنابِ

It fits the situation as its requirements dictate,

sometimes with brevity, at other times with elaboration.

وَما هوَ إِلّا الدّرّ يلقيهِ ثَغرُهُ

فَيَنثُرُهُ نَظماً بِه سلبُ الاِلْبابِ

It is nothing but pearls cast from his mouth;

so he scatters them, strung as verse that steals the wits.

إِذا قالَ أَمّا بَعد يَوماً حسبتَهُ

مِنَ العَربِ العَرباءِ عُربٍ وأعرابِ

If one day he says, 'Now then,' you would think him

one of the pure Arabs, settled Arabs or Bedouins.

أَلَيسَ المَعاني قَد أَطاعَت بَيانَهُ

إِطاعَةَ مَأمورٍ مِنَ الأَمرِ هَيّابِ

Have not meanings obeyed his eloquence

as one commanded obeys, fearful of the command?

تَولَّد في صُلبِ العُلى فَهوَ بِكرُها

وَكانَت لَهُ العَلياءُ مِن خَيرِ أَصلابِ

He was born of eminence's loins, and is her firstborn,

and lofty greatness was for him the noblest of loins.

تَربّى بِمَهدِ المَكرُماتِ وَحجرِها

رَضيع ثَدي المَجدِ في حُضنِهِ رابي

He grew up in noble deeds' cradle and lap,

nursed at glory's breast, growing in its embrace.

تُوسِّدهُ بالعزّ في سرُر العُلى

مِنَ الشّرفِ الأَعلى عَلى حُكمِ إِيجابِ

They pillow him with honor on eminence's couches,

with the highest nobility, as a binding due.

تُزيّنه بِالفخرِ مِن دُرِّ سُؤددٍ

وَتَكسوهُ رَفعَ الشَّانِ أَحسنَ جلبابِ

They adorn him with pride, with pearls of preeminence,

and clothe him in high standing, the finest cloak.

لَهُ الهمَّةُ العلياءُ يَسمو مَضاؤُها

فَإِن تَمضِ لَم تَحتَج لأَخذٍ بِأَسبابِ

His aspiration is exalted, its resolve soaring;

if it advances, it needs no recourse to means.

فَإِنْ سَلَّ سَيفَ العزمِ فيما يَرومهُ

تَراهُ بِذاكَ السّيفِ أَسرعَ ضَرّابِ

If he draws determination's sword for what he seeks,

you see him wield that sword as the swiftest striker.

لَهُ الرّايةُ البيضاءُ في كُلّ مَوكِبٍ

تَعودُ بِحُسنِ الحمدِ أَربح كَسّابِ

He has the white banner in every procession,

which returns with fine praise, the most successful earner.

وَأَمّا سَجاياهُ إِذا ريمَ عَدّها

تَعودُ وَلَم تُحصر بِإعياءِ حسّابِ

As for his qualities, if one seeks to count them,

you return with them still uncounted and the reckoners exhausted.

وَأَمّا مَزاياهُ فَتِلكَ بِلا اِنتِها

فَمَن رامَها بِالحَصرِ يُرمى بِإِكذابِ

As for his distinctions, they have no end;

whoever seeks to encompass them is branded a liar.

فَإِن رُمتُ طولَ المَدحِ فيه بِحَصرِها

رَجعتُ بِما قَد رمتُ كاسِبَ أَنصابِ

If I sought to lengthen his praise by encompassing them,

I would return from my quest with only weariness gained.

وَلَكِنَّ تَلخيصَ المَديحِ بَلاغَةٌ

وَكَم قَد كَفى التّلخيصُ عَن فَرطِ إِسهابِ

But condensing praise is eloquence,

and often a summary has sufficed in place of excessive prolixity.

لِذاكَ اِختَصَرت المَدح فيهِ مُهذّباً

بِسلسلِ أَلفاظٍ مجانبَ إِغرابِ

For that reason I have shortened his praise, refining it

with flowing words, avoiding obscure affectation.

فَيا أَيّها المَولى الّذي رَقَّ طَبعُهُ

فَأَصبَحَ فيهِ اللّطفُ أَحسنَ مُنسابِ

So, O master, whose disposition is gentle,

so that graciousness now flows through him most beautifully,

إِلَيكَ رَعاكَ اللَّهُ بِكراً بَديعَةً

يَتيمَة دُرٍّ لَم تُثَقّب بِمِثقابِ

to you—may God guard you—I offer a wondrous virgin,

a peerless pearl that no drill has pierced,

خَريدَةَ حُسنٍ غادةً خوطَ بانةٍ

تَثَنَّتْ تهزُّ الإِطلَ مِن فَرطِ إِعجابِ

a maiden of beauty, a tender girl, a shoot of a ban tree,

swaying, shaking her flank in an excess of self-admiration.

وَقَد وَقَفَتْ في بابِ مَجدِكَ تَرتَجي

لَدى الإِذن أَن تَحظى بِخِدمَةِ الاِعتابِ

She has stood at the gate of your glory, hoping,

upon permission, to gain the honor of serving your thresholds.

وَتَرضى بِلَثمِ الكفّ مِنك صَداقها

لِتَفخرَ فيهِ الدّهرَ ما بَينَ أَترابِ

She is content with kissing your palm as her dowry from you,

to boast of it forever among her peers.

فَأَحسن لَها حينَ الزّفافِ قبولَها

فَإِنّي أَخا الإِحسانِ أَحسنْتُ إِيجابي

So receive her graciously at her wedding,

for I, O brother of kindness, have made a fitting offer.

وَدُم بِأَمانِ اللَّه مَسرورَ خاطِرٍ

بِعِزٍّ رغيد العَيشِ يَزهو بِإِخصابِ

And remain in God's protection, joyful of heart,

in honor and ease of living, flourishing with abundance,

مَدى الدّهرِ ما عادَت لِرَوضٍ حياتُهُ

بِوَبلٍ غَزير النّفعِ تَهّامٍ وَسَكّابِ

for all time, so long as a garden regains its life

through a downpour, rich in benefit, copious and streaming,

وَما قالَ ذو حِبٍّ لِمَدحِ أَحِبَّةٍ

قِفا نَتلُ مِن أَذكارِ دارٍ وَأَحبابِ

and so long as a lover says in praise of loved ones:

Stop, you two; let us recite memories of a house and loved ones.