يا أيها المعمود — Muslim Ibn Al Walid

يا أَيُّها المَعمودُ

قَد شَفَّكَ الصُدودُ

O you who are love-stricken,

rejection has worn you thin.

فَأَنتَ مُستَهامٌ

خالَفَكَ السُهودُ

So you are crazed with love;

wakefulness has turned against you.

تَبيتُ ساهِراً قَد

وَدَّعَكَ الهُجودُ

You spend the night awake; already

sleep has bidden you farewell.

وَفي الفُؤادِ نارٌ

لَيسَ لَها خُمودُ

And in the heart is a fire

that never dies down.

تَشُبُّها نيرانٌ

مِنَ الهَوى وُقودُ

Flames kindle it,

with love as their fuel.

إِذا أَقولُ يَوماً

قَد أُطفِئَت تَزيدُ

If one day I say,

"It has been quenched," it grows.

يا عاذِلَيَّ كُفّا

فَإِنَّني مَعمودُ

O my two reproachers, desist,

for I am stricken with love.

أَكثَرتُما تَفنيدي

لَو يَنفَعُ التَفنيدُ

You two have heaped reproaches on me—

if only reproach could help!

قَد أَقصَدَت فُؤادي

خُمصانَةٌ خَريدُ

My heart has been struck down

by a slim-waisted, bashful maiden,

بَهَنانَةٌ لَعوبٌ

غَرثى الوِشاحِ رُودُ

soft-bodied and playful,

slender beneath her sash, supple.

هِجرانُها قَريبٌ

وَوَصلُها بَعيدُ

Her abandonment is near,

and union with her is far.

كَلامُها خَلوبٌ

إِلى الصِبا يَقودُ

Her speech is beguiling,

leading toward youthful passion.

وَطَرفُها مَريضٌ

وَلَحظُها صَيودُ

And her gaze is languid,

and her glance is a hunter.

وَهوَ لِنَفسِهِ إِذ

يَظلِمُ مُستَفيدُ

And it, for its own sake, when

it wrongs, reaps benefit.

وَسنى وَلا كَوَسنى

تُميتُ مَن تُريدُ

Drowsy, yet unlike the drowsy,

she slays whomever she wills.

كَالبَدرِ بَعدَ عَشرٍ

قارَنَهُ السُعودُ

Like the full moon after ten nights,

accompanied by auspicious stars.

وَثَغرُها شَتيتُ

وَريقُها بَرودُ

And her front teeth are spaced apart,

and her saliva is cool,

كَأَنَّ فيهِ مِسكاً

خالَطَهُ قِنديدُ

as though it held musk

mingled with wine.

وَقَدُّها مَمشوقٌ

مُنَعَّمٌ مَقدودُ

And her figure is tall and slender,

delicately nurtured, finely shaped.

وَكَشحُها لَطيفٌ

مُهَفهَفٌ خَضيدُ

And her waist is delicate,

slender and supple,

كَأَنَّهُ قَضيبٌ

في غَرسِهِ يَميدُ

as though it were a twig

swaying where it is planted.

وَرِدفُها ثَقيلٌ

بِخَصرِها يَميدُ

And her rump is heavy,

making her waist sway,

كَأَنَّهُ كَثيبٌ

لَبَّدَهُ الجَليدُ

as though it were a sand dune

packed firm by frost.

لَها مِنَ الظِباءِ

مُقَلَّدٌ وَجيدُ

She has, from the gazelles,

a necklace-bearing throat and neck.

كَأَنَّهُ غَزالٌ

بِبَلدَةٍ فَريدُ

As though he were a gazelle,

alone in a land,

أَو صَنَمٌ بَهِيٌّ

في دَيرِهِ مَعبودُ

or a splendid idol,

worshipped in his monastery.

أَحسُدُهُ مِراراً

وَمِثلُهُ مَحسودُ

I envy him time and again,

and one like him is envied.

قَد جَحَدَت هَواها

هَل يَنفَعُ الجُحودُ

She has denied her love;

does denial do any good?

مَن لامَ في هَواها

فَنُصحُهُ مَردودُ

Whoever blames me for loving her,

his counsel is rejected.

يا سِحرُ واصِليني

فَإِنَّني عَميدُ

O Sihr, grant me union,

for I am stricken with love.

إِنّي لِما أُلاقي

مِن حُبِّكُم مَجهودُ

Indeed, through what I endure

of love for you, I am exhausted.

جودي لِمُستَهامٍ

عَذَّبَهُ التَسهيدُ

Be generous to a lovesick man,

whom sleeplessness has tormented.

يَسهَرُ مِن هَواكُم

وَأَنتُمُ رُقودُ

He stays awake for love of you,

while you lie asleep.

حَتّى مَتّى مُنايَ

لا يُنجَزُ المَوعودُ

How long, my heart's desire,

will the promise remain unfulfilled?

صارَ الهَوى بِقلبي

يُبدي كَما يُعيدُ

Love now, within my heart,

begins and begins again.

وَيحي أَنا الطَريدُ

وَيحي أَنا الشَريدُ

Woe is me! I am the outcast.

Woe is me! I am the fugitive.

وَيحي أَنا المُعَنّى

وَيحي أَنا الفَريدُ

Woe is me! I am the tormented one.

Woe is me! I am the solitary one.

وَيحي أَنا المُمَنّى

وَيحي أَنا الوَحيدُ

Woe is me! I am the one fed hopes.

Woe is me! I am the lonely one.

وَيحي أَنا المُبَلّى

وَيحي أَنا الفَقيدُ

Woe is me! I am the worn-out one.

Woe is me! I am the lost one.

أَبادَني هَواكُم

وَالحُبُّ لا يَبيدُ

Love for you has destroyed me,

and love does not perish.

وَالحُبُّ يا مُنايَ

أَهوَنَهُ شَديدُ

And love, O my heart's desire—

even its mildest is severe.

وَالحُبُّ لي نَديمٌ

وَالحُبُّ لي قَعيدُ

And love is my drinking companion,

and love sits at my side.

وَالحُبُّ لي طَريفٌ

وَالحُبُّ لي تَليدُ

And love is my new possession,

and love is my old inheritance.

وَالحُبُّ لي إِذا ما

أَخلَقتُهُ جَديدُ

And love, for me, whenever

I wear it out, is new.

أَشهَدُ أَنَّ قَلبي

عَلى الهَوى جَليدُ

I bear witness that my heart

is steadfast in enduring love.

يَحمِلُ كُلَّ هَذا

وَحَملُهُ كَؤودُ

It bears all this,

and bearing it is arduous.

لَو كانَ مِن جُلمودٍ

تَفَتَّتَ الجُلمودُ

Were it made of solid rock,

the rock would crumble.

وَسادَةٍ سُراةٍ

ما فيهِمُ مَسودُ

And noble lords,

not one of them a subordinate—

كُلُّهُم جَليدٌ

ما فيهِمُ حَريدُ

all of them stout-hearted,

none of them aloof.

بانَ السِفاهُ عَنهُم

فَرَأيُهُم سَديدُ

Folly has departed from them,

so their judgment is sound.

يُسقَونَ صَفوَ راحٍ

لَذيذُها مَوجودُ

They are served pure wine,

its delicious savor at hand.

كانَت بِعَهدِ نوحٍ

وَهُم لَها جُنودُ

It existed in Noah's time,

and they were its soldiers,

حَتّى إِذا أُبيدوا

أَورَثَها ثَمودُ

until, when they were destroyed,

Thamud bequeathed it.

شَمسِيَّةٌ شَمولٌ

شَيطانُها مَريدُ

Sun-bright wine,

its demon rebellious,

مِن عَمَلِ النَصارى

لَم تَغذُها اليَهودُ

made by Christians,

not nurtured by Jews.

وَعِندِنا غَزالٌ

بِطَرفِهِ يَصيدُ

And with us is a gazelle,

hunting with his gaze,

مُبَتَّلٌّ غَريرٌ

تُزهى بِهِ العُقودُ

perfectly formed, guileless,

necklaces gain splendor from him.

حَتّى كَأَنَّهُ مِن

غُرَّتِهِ بَليدُ

So that he seems, from

his innocence, dull-witted.

فَلَم يَزَل يَسقينا

وَعَيشُنا رَغيدُ

And he never ceased pouring for us,

while our life was easeful,

مُدامَةٌ لَها في

خُدودِنا تَوريدُ

wine that set upon

our cheeks a rosy flush.

كَأَنَّ شارِبيها

في سوقِهِم قُيودُ

As though its drinkers

had shackles on their shins,

حَتّى اِنثَنَت عُيونٌ

وَاِحمَرَّت الخُدودُ

until eyes drooped

and cheeks grew red,

في مَجلِسٍ نَضيرٍ

يَزينُهُ الشُهودُ

in a radiant gathering,

graced by those present:

غَطارِفٌ كِرامٌ

بيضُ الوُجوهِ صيدُ

noblemen, generous,

fair of face, proud of bearing.

مِن فَوقِهِم أَطيارٌ

صِياحُها تَغريدُ

Above them are birds,

whose cries are song,

وَتَحتَهُم جِنانٌ

نَباتُها نَضيدُ

and beneath them gardens,

their plants neatly arrayed.

أَكواسُهُم مِلاءُ

طافِحَةٌ رُكودُ

Their cups are full,

brimming and still,

قَد قُلِّدَت بِآسٍ

فَزانَها التَقليدُ

garlanded with myrtle,

and the garlanding adorned them.

مِثلُ بَناتِ ماءٍ

أَفزَعَها الرُعودُ

Like daughters of the water,

whom thunderclaps have frightened,

فَمَرَّةً رُكوعٌ

وَمَرَّةً سُجودُ

then, at one moment, bowing,

and at another, prostrate.

وَعِندَهُم دِفافٌ

وَزامِرٌ وَعودُ

And with them are frame drums,

and a piper and an oud.

خاضوا بِبَحرِ قَصفٍ

تَجري لَهُ مُدودُ

They plunged into a sea of revelry,

whose tides flow on,

حَتّى اِنتَشَوا وَقاموا

مَجلِسُهُم مَحمودُ

until they grew drunk and rose,

their gathering worthy of praise.

مَن قالَ مِثلَ هَذا

فَإِنَّهُ سَعيدُ

Whoever says the like of this

is indeed fortunate.

هَذا الخُلودُ عِندي

لَو دامَ لِيَ الخُلودُ

This, to me, is immortality,

if only immortality would endure for me.