قضى تذكار أبكار الليالي — Omar Onsi

قَضى تِذكار أَبكار اللَيالي

فَأَدّى نَقدَ أَدمُعِهِ اللآلي

Remembrance of the maiden nights passed judgment,

so he paid the ready coin of his pearly tears.

وَهاجَ بِهِ صَدى صَوت المَثاني

غَراماً عزَّ عَن شبهِ المثالِ

The echo of the lute's paired strings stirred in him

a passion beyond all likeness or comparison.

وَباتَ أَخا حَنينٍ وَاِنتِحابٍ

فَأَصبَح ذا أَنين وَاِنتِحالِ

He spent the night a companion to longing and sobbing,

and awoke to groaning and wasting away.

ألا حَيّا الحَيا زَمَنَ التَصابي

فَكَم بِالأُنس كانَ أَخا اِتِّصالِ

Ah, may life-giving rain greet the season of youthful dalliance!

For how often it was closely bound to joy!

وَبي رَشأ بِمُقلَتِهِ غَزاني

يُغازل للغَزالة وَالغَزالِ

And I am lovesick for a fawn who assailed me with his eye,

flirting with the sun and the gazelle.

بليتُ بِهِ أَسيلَ الخَدّ قانٍ

فَأَمسى وَهوَ لي في الحُبّ قالي

I was afflicted by him, his smooth cheek deep crimson,

yet by evening he was spurning me in love.

أَرى خلع العذار بِهِ حَلا لي

فَعرَّفني حَرامي مِن حَلالي

I find it sweet to cast off the bridle for him,

and he taught me to distinguish my forbidden from my lawful.

وَحَسبي أَن يَكون لَهُ ولائي

وَأَنّي لا عَليَّ بِهِ وَلا لي

It suffices me that my allegiance should be his,

and that, with him, I have neither loss nor gain.

فَيا صاح اِطّرح حُبّ الغَواني

وَلَو كلّلن بِالدرر الغَوالي

So, friend, cast aside love for beautiful women,

even if they are crowned with precious pearls.

لَئِن كانَ النُهى لَكَ وَالحجا لي

أُضيعا بَينَ رَبّات الحجالِ

If reason is yours and understanding mine,

both have been squandered among the mistresses of curtained chambers.

وَيا ظَبياً أَصرَّ عَلى تلافي

وَآيات التَجافي قَد تَلا لي

O gazelle who persists in my destruction,

and has recited to me the verses of estrangement,

فَدَتكَ النَفس قَد حسن اِعتِقادي

بِأَنّ برمح قامتك اِعتِقالي

may my soul ransom you! Well-founded is my belief

that the spear of your stature holds me captive.

وَهَل إِلّا هَواك لذا دَعاني

ترى مَن ذا بِحُبّك قَد دَعا لي

What but love of you summoned me to this?

Who, I wonder, prayed that I should love you?

فَإِن تَك قَد عَزَمت عَلى هَلاكي

تَرفّق بِالشجيّ أَخا الهِلالِ

If you have resolved upon my destruction,

be gentle with the sorrowful one, O brother of the crescent.

فَوا حَربي عَذولي ذو اِعتِداءٍ

أَلَم يَر رُمح قَدّك ذا اِعتِدالِ

Alas for my misery! My reproacher is full of aggression.

Has he not seen the straight spear of your stature?

أَضاع صَبابَتي بِهَواك خالٍ

وَكَم قَد ضاعَ مِنها مسك خالِ

One untouched by love has wasted my yearning for you,

and how often the musk of a beauty spot has wafted from it!

فَإِن تلوي بِجيدك وَهوَ حالٍ

لإِبراهيم مِنكَ شَكَوت حالي

If you turn away your neck, adorned as it is,

I shall complain to Ibrahim of my plight at your hands.

مجلّي السَبق ذو الهِمَم العَوالي

وَمَن راعت يَراعتهُ العَوالي

The foremost winner of the race, possessed of lofty aspirations,

and he whose reed pen has terrified the lances.

هُوَ العلم الشَهير وَمَن أُباهي

بِهِ القَمَر المُنير وَلا أُبالي

He is the renowned beacon, the one through whom I vie

with the radiant moon, without a care.

هُوَ النَصل الَّذي الأعَدا أُغازي

بِهِ وبِنورِهِ الدُنيا أُغالي

He is the blade with which I wage war on my foes;

through him and his light, I outbid the world.

وَذو حَزمٍ وَعَزم كَالمَواضي

بِجَوهره سَمَت رتب المَوالي

He possesses prudence and resolve like keen-edged swords;

through his worth, the ranks of lords have risen.

أشمّ الأَنف أَصيدُ ذو كَمالٍ

لعلياه بِهِ فَخرٌ كَما لي

High of nose, proud of bearing, possessed of perfection,

his exalted station takes pride in him, as do I.

همام نور طلعتهِ جَلا لي

شُموس هُدىً لِتَقوى ذي الجَلالِ

A noble hero: the light of his countenance revealed to me

suns of guidance toward reverence for the Lord of Majesty.

بَديع قَد تَصرَّف بِالمَعاني

وَسادَ فَشاد أَبنية المَعالي

A wondrous man who has deftly shaped meanings,

and risen to eminence, erecting the edifices of glory.

أَديب بنت فكرتهِ حَباني

على ودٍّ بِهِ اِعتَصَمت حبالي

A man of letters, he gifted me his thought's daughter,

in affection, to which my cords held fast.

فَوافَت في عُقودٍ مِن جُمانٍ

تَتيه عَليَّ في حلل الجَمالِ

And she came in necklaces of pearls,

strutting proudly before me in robes of beauty.

وَأَهدَت لي نَسائمها الغَوادي

سَلاماً يَزدري طيب الغَوالي

Her early-morning breezes brought me

a greeting that scorns the fragrance of rich perfumes.

فَعُذراً أَن حَملتِ لَهُ جَوابي

ألا يا نسمَةً تهدي الجَوى لي

So pardon me for your bearing my reply to him,

O breeze that brings me love's anguish!

لِساني بِالأَحبّة ذو اِشتِغالٍ

وَقَلبي بِالمَحبّة ذو اِشتِعالِ

My tongue is occupied with loved ones,

and my heart is ablaze with love.

سَقى عَهداً بِهِ كانَ الرجا لي

كسُقيا الحبّ أَفئِدة الرِجالِ

May the season in which hope was mine be watered,

as love waters the hearts of men,

وَأَيّاماً لَنا كانَت توافي

فَوَلَّت وَالهُموم لَنا تُوالي

and the days that used to come to us,

then fled, while sorrows remain loyal to us.

فَيا زَمَناً لِبَيت البين بانٍ

رُويدك إن ربعَ الصَبر بالي

O time, builder of the house of separation,

gently! The dwelling of patience is worn away.

أَأَرعى نَجمَ لَيلك وَهوَ سارٍ

وَطَرفي ساهِرٌ وَالقَلب سالي

Must I watch the star of your night as it travels,

while my eye is sleepless and my heart is consoled?

وَهَل أَسلو وَدَمع العَين جارٍ

وَلَيسَ لعين هَذا البين جالي

Can I forget, while tears stream from my eye,

and none can dispel this separation itself?

وَيا خلّاً بِهِ يَسمو مَقامي

أجلُّ مَقام فَضلك عَن مَقالي

O friend through whom my station rises,

I deem the station of your merit beyond my words.

تَحيّة مُغرَمٍ لِلقاك صادٍ

وَأَنتَ لَهُ بِنار البُعد صالي

A greeting from a lover thirsting to meet you,

while you burn him in the fire of distance,

وَبثّ تَشوّقٍ مِن قَلب عان

لِساحة باب فَضل مِنكَ عالي

and an outpouring of longing from a captive heart,

to the courtyard of your lofty gate of bounty.

وَإِن تَسأل فَدَيتك عَن صَفائي

فَإِنَّ العَيش بَعدَكَ ما صَفا لي

And if you ask—may I ransom you—about my serenity,

then life has not been serene for me since your departure.

أَبى عمرٌ لِغَيرك أَن يُوافي

فَغَير عَليّ قَدرك لا يَوالي

Umar has refused to come to anyone but you;

he is loyal to none but your exalted standing.

وَبعدي بَعد بعدك ما وَقاني

عَن الأَغيار مِن قيلٍ وَقالِ

And my remoteness, after your departure, has not shielded me

from the hearsay and gossip of outsiders.

فَمن يَكُ لِلمَودّة ذا اِنتِقاد

فَإِنّي عَنكَ لَستُ بِذي اِنتِقالِ

So, whoever finds fault with affection,

I am not one to turn away from you.

وَما لي بَعدَ حَمدكَ وَاِبتِهاجي

بِمَدحك غاية إِلّا اِبتِهالي

And after thanking you and taking delight

in your praise, I have no aim but supplication

بِأَكرَم مَن يُنادينا المُنادي

لَهُ حَيث الهَنا لَكَ وَالمُنى لي

to the Most Generous, to whom the caller summons us,

where joy is yours and wishes are mine:

بِأَنّ اللَه يَمنحك الأَماني

كَما أتحفتني دُرر الأَمالي

that God grant you your wishes,

as you gifted me the pearls of your dictations,

بِجاهِ محمّد خَير المَوالي

وَمَن هُوَ بِالعَطاء لَنا موالي

by the standing of Muhammad, best of patrons,

who continually bestows gifts upon us.

عَلَيهِ اللَه صَلّى كُلّ آن

كَذا الصَحب الكِرام وَخَير آلِ

May God bless him at every moment,

and likewise the noble Companions and the finest family.