من لصب صبا المعاهد أشجاه — Omar Onsi

من لِصَبٍّ صَبا المَعاهد أَشجاه

فَأَحالَت يَد النَوى مِنهُ حالا

Who will aid a lover whom the east wind of old haunts has saddened?

The hand of separation has transformed his state.

هاج وَجداً بِهِ تذكر مَغناه

عِندَما هَبَّت النَسيم شمالا

Remembering his dwelling stirred longing in him

when the breeze blew from the north.

يا نَسيماً رَوى لَنا عطر رَيّاه

خَبَراً عَن طُلوله فَأَطالا

O breeze, whose sweet fragrance recounted to us

news of his ruined dwellings, and dwelt on it at length.

مَلعَب الغيد لِلنُفوس بِذكراه

شَجنٌ صالَ في القُلوب وَجالا

The playground of graceful maidens—its memory brings souls

a sorrow that charged through hearts and roamed within them.

وَحمام الحِمى تَغنّى فَللّه

كَم شَجا مُغرَماً وَدَمعاً أَسالا

And the doves of the sanctuary sang—by God,

how many a lover they saddened, how many tears they made flow!

بِأَبي كُلّ أَحوَر الطَرف عَيناه

أودعت مُهجة المُحبّ نِصالا

My father be ransom for every dark-eyed beauty whose eyes

have lodged arrowheads in the lover's heart.

بابليُّ اللحاظ تَنفث جِفناه

بِفؤاد الكَليم سِحراً حَلالا

Babylonian in his glances, his eyelids breathe

lawful magic into the wounded one's heart.

باتَ بَدر البها وَقَلبي يَرعاه

وَعُيوني بِالأُفق تَرعى مِثالا

Beauty's full moon spent the night, my heart watching him,

while my eyes watched his likeness on the horizon.

شفَّ جِسمي ضَنىً فَخلت بِمرآه

فَوق مرآة خدِّهِ القَلب خالا

Lovesickness wasted my body; seeing him, I imagined

my heart a beauty spot upon the mirror of his cheek.

لَيتَ ما بِالمُحبّ كانَ بِأَعداه

فَلَقَد أَوسعت بِعَذلي مجالا

Would that his enemies bore what the lover bears!

For you have made ample room for reproaching me.

وَلعمري ما كُلُّ ما يَتَمنّاه

مُستَهامٌ يُقضى لَهُ أَن ينالا

By my life, not all that is desired

by a love-struck man is decreed for him to attain.

يا رعى اللَه عَهدَ أُنسٍ دَعوناه

لِتَقاضي الهَنا فَلَبّى اِمتِثالا

O may God preserve a time of companionship we summoned

to claim our due of joy; it answered obediently.

كَم خَلَونا بِبَدرِ تمٍّ جَلوناه

وَلَقد تَمّم الجَميل وِصالا

How often we were alone with a full moon we unveiled,

and the beautiful one consummated union!

راحَ يَسعى بِكَأس راح حُميّاه

وَمحيّاه قَد كَساه جَمالا

He went about with a cup of wine, whose heady strength

and his face had clothed it in beauty.

فَحَكَت لِلعُيون بِهجَة مَجلاه

قَمَراً أودعَ الشُموس هِلالا

So the splendor of his appearance mirrored for the eyes

a moon that had set suns within a crescent.

وَرَوى البَرق لي حَديث ثَناياه

وَحَكى الغَيث مَدمَعي الهطّالا

Lightning told me the tale of his front teeth,

and the rain imitated my streaming tears.

غُصن بانٍ أَم قَدّ مَن أَنا أَهواه

رَنّحته يَدُ النَسيم فَمالا

Is it a bān-tree bough, or the figure of the one I love,

that the breeze's hand has swayed, so that it leans?

وَغَزالٌ قَد تاهَ وَالقَلب مأواه

أَترى تيهاً اِنثَنى أَم دَلالا

And a gazelle has grown proud, though the heart is his refuge—

did he turn away in pride, I wonder, or in coyness?

لَيتَ شعري مَن ذا بِصَدّيَ أَفتاه

أَفظلماً سَطا عَليَّ وصالا

If only I knew who counseled him to shun me!

Was it unjustly that he attacked me and charged?

أَم عَذولي بِتَرك ودّيَ أَغراه

أَرسل اللَهُ لِلعَذول نكالا

Or did my reproacher tempt him to forsake my love?

May God send punishment upon the reproacher!

مَلَّ سَمعي مِن الملام وَأَعياه

لُؤم لَوم الوشاة قيلاً وَقالا

My hearing has tired of reproach and is exhausted by

the meanness of slanderers' blame, their hearsay and gossip.

عاتِبي في معذّبي حَسبه اللَه

كَم يَزيد اِشتِعال لبّي اِشتعالا

My reproacher over my tormentor—God is enough to deal with him!

How he adds flame to the burning of my heart!

ولَمى فيهِ لَو يَذوق لَما فاه

بِملامٍ وَلا شَكَوتُ ملالا

And had he tasted his dark lips, he would not utter

reproach, nor would I complain of weariness.

يا نَديم اِغتنم مِن العَيش أَهناه

ثُمّ رِد منهل السُرور زلالا

O boon companion, seize life's happiest portion,

then seek the clear, sweet spring of joy.

وَاِنتهز فُرصة الزَمان فَأَحلاه

يَوم أُنسٍ صَفا فَطابَ فَطالا

And seize the chance time offers, for its sweetest part is

a day of companionship, serene, then sweet, then long.

صاحِ مَن هَمُّهُ تَكاثرُ دُنياه

زادَهُ همُّها أَذىً وَخَبالا

Friend, whoever cares to multiply his worldly wealth,

its worries increase his suffering and confusion.

فَاِقتصد وَاِعتَمد عَلى كَرَم اللَه

وَاِقتَصر في الوَرى عَلَيهِ اِتِّكالا

So be moderate, and rely upon God's generosity,

and among all people, put your trust in Him alone.

وَاِجعَل الصَبر لِلفُؤاد مناجاه

فَاللَيالي مِن الزَمان حبالى

And make patience the heart's confidant,

for time's nights are pregnant with things to come.

لِمَتى تعتب الزَمان وَتلحاه

وَإِلى كَم تَذمُّ مِنهُ فِعالا

How long will you reproach time and revile it?

And how long will you condemn its deeds?

وَلَقَد نِلتَ في حِمى العزِّ وَالجاه

مِن رِحاب الأَمين عَيشاً خضالا

Indeed, within the sanctuary of honor and rank, you have gained

a flourishing life from al-Amin's spacious courts.

الأَمير الَّذي نَما فرع جَدواه

وَعَلى الخافِقين مَدَّ ظِلالا

The prince whose bounty's branch has grown

and spread its shadows over East and West.

قيل بَحر فَقُلت لُبنان مَعناه

عَجَباً لِلبِحار تَعلو الجِبالا

They said, 'A sea'; I replied, 'Lebanon is its meaning.'

How wondrous that seas should rise above mountains!

عَمَّ إِحسانه الأَنام وَحُسناه

لا عدمنا مِن راحتيه نَوالا

His beneficence and kindness have embraced mankind;

may we never lack bounty from his palms.

أَترى حين ماتَ آدمُ أَوصاه

بِبَنيهِ فَظَلَّ يُنفق مالا

Did Adam, I wonder, when he died, entrust him

with his children, so that he keeps dispensing wealth?

كَرم قَد طَمت بِحار عَطاياه

وَلَقَد أَرسَلَت سَحاباً ثِقالا

A generosity whose seas of gifts have overflowed

and sent forth heavy-laden clouds.

وَسَخاءٌ لَو مَعن أَدرَك مَعناه

لاِستماحت يَداه مِنهُ سِجالا

And a liberality whose meaning, had Ma'n understood it,

his hands would have begged him for brimming bucketfuls.

شيم طيب نَشرها لَو ترواه

نَشر طيب الصِبا لَصَحَّ اِعتِلالا

Virtues whose sweet fragrance, if imbibed

by the east wind's perfume, would cure its languor.

شيم في الأَنام شَرّفها اللَه

فَتَسامَت عُلىً وَطابَت خِصالا

Virtues God has ennobled among mankind,

so they soared in glory and were excellent in character.

وَنُهىً عَن سِوى المَحامد تَنهاه

هَكَذا هَكَذا وَإِلّا فَلا لا

And wisdom that restrains him from all but praiseworthy deeds—

thus, thus it must be; otherwise, no, no!

فَهوَ بَدرُ العُلى بِدارةِ عَلياه

زادَهُ اللَه رِفعَةً وَكَمالا

For he is glory's full moon in the circle of his eminence;

may God increase his elevation and perfection.

أَسد تَخضع الأُسود وَتَخشاه

هَيبَةً وَالزَمان يَعنو اِحتِفالا

A lion to whom lions submit and whom they fear

in awe, while time bows down in homage.

حَرَمٌ فازَ مَن لَهُ كانَ مَسعاه

وَبنادي نَداه حَطَّ الرِحالا

A sanctuary: triumphant is whoever makes toward him

and sets down his saddlebags in the court of his bounty.

مَن عَلى بابِهِ أَناخ مَطاياه

نالَ فَوقَ الَّذي يُؤمّلُ مالا

Whoever makes his mounts kneel at his door

gains wealth beyond what he hopes for.

شَرَفٌ تَحسد النَجوم سَجاياه

فَعَلى مَن سِواه عزَّ مَنالا

A nobility whose qualities the stars envy,

so hard for anyone else to attain.

لَو أَرَدنا نعدُّ حُسن مَزاياه

كان تَصويرنا المحال محالا

Were we to try to count his excellent merits,

our depiction of the impossible would be impossible.

أَو أَقَمنا الزَمان نَشكُر نعماه

أَنفدَ الشُكرَ أَنعُمٌ تَتَوالى

Or were we to spend all time thanking him for his favors,

successive blessings would exhaust our thanks.

أَو رَأَينا الثَناء يجزي مكافاه

لَم نملّك سِواه مِنهُ عِقالا

Or if we thought praise could recompense him,

we would give no one else so much as a camel's tether of it.

لَيسَ إِلّا الدُعاء عِندي مُوالاه

لِعُلاه تَضَرُّعاً وَاِبتِهالا

All I have is prayer, continually offered

for his high estate, in supplication and entreaty.

يعجب المعجون ساعَةَ أَلقاه

بِمَديح سَما بِهِ فَاِستَطالا

The 'kneaded one' marvels when I meet him

with praise that raised him high, till he grew lofty.

أَعجيب إِذا الكَريم مَدحناه

وَنَظمنا لَهُ النُجوم اِرتِجالا

Is it strange if we praise the generous man

and string the stars for him impromptu?

كُلّ بَيت لَدَيهِ أعرب مَبناه

أُدَباءٌ عَلَيهِ كانَت عِيالا

Every verse before him is most eloquent in construction;

men of letters have been his dependents.

أَيُّها المُنتمي الَّذي قَد نَحوناه

فَأَرانا مُستقبل البشر حالا

O scion, whom we have sought,

who at once showed us a cheerful welcome.

أَنتَ تاج العُلى وَكِسرى بن داراه

ما غَلَونا في ذا المَقام مَقالا

You are glory's crown and Kisra, son of Dara;

we have not exaggerated in our words on this occasion.

بَل هُو اِسم وَأَنتَ عَين مسمّاه

وَالمُسمّى عَين اِسمه لا محالا

Rather, it is a name, and you are the very thing it names,

and the named is the very essence of its name, beyond doubt.

إِن يَكُن جَوهراً فَأَنتَ هيولاه

أَو سِوى ذاك كُنت أَنتَ جمالا

If it is a substance, you are its primal matter;

or if it is something else, you are its beauty.

فَهوَ لَفظ شَريفُ ذاتك مَعناه

ما عَساه بِغَيرِها أَن يُقالا

For it is a noble word; your essence is its meaning—

how could it be spoken without it?

خَصَّك اللَه بِالَّذي أَنتَ تَرضاه

فَلَهُ الحَمد وَالثَناءُ تَعالى

May God favor you with what pleases you;

to Him be thanks and praise—exalted is He.