نَسيتُ وَما أَنسى عِتاباً عَلى الصِدِّ
وَلا خَفَراً زادَت بِهِ حُمرَةُ الخَدِّ
I have forgotten—yet I cannot forget—the reproach for my turning away,
Nor the bashfulness that deepened the crimson of her cheek,
وَلا لَيلَةً قَصَّرتُها بِقَصورَةٍ
أَطالَت يَدي في جيدِها صُحبَةَ العِقدِ
Nor a night I shortened in the company of a sheltered beauty,
When my hand prolonged its embrace of her neck, like a second necklace.
وَمَن لي بِيَومٍ مِثلِ يَومٍ كَرِهتُهُ
قَرُبتُ بِهِ عِندَ الوَداعِ مِنَ البُعدِ
Oh, to relive a day like the one I loathed,
When, at our farewell, I stood so near to distance itself.
وَأَن لا يَخُصُّ الفَقدُ شَيئاً فَإِنَّني
فَقَدتُ فَلَم أَفقِد دُموعي وَلا وَجدي
Though loss usually claims only a part, I have lost all,
Yet failed to lose my flowing tears or my burning grief.
تَمَنٍّ يَلَذُّ المُستَهامُ بِمِثلِهِ
وَإِن كانَ لا يُغني فَتيلاً وَلا يُجدي
A wish in which the lovestruck finds a sweet delight,
Even if it avails not a whit, nor yields any gain.
وَغَيظٌ عَلى الأَيّامِ كَالنارِ في الحَشا
وَلَكِنَّهُ غَيظُ الأَسيرِ عَلى القِدِّ
And a rage against the days like fire within the ribs,
Yet it is but the captive's futile rage against his bonds.
فَإِمّا تَريني لا أُقيمُ بِبَلدَةٍ
فَآفَةِ غِمدي في دُلوقي وَفي حَدّي
If you see me settling in no city for long,
Know that the bane of my sheath lies in my sharpness and my unsheathing.
يَحُلُّ القَنا يَومَ الطِعانِ بِعَقوَتي
فَأَحرِمُهُ عِرضي وَأُطعِمُهُ جِلدي
When spears descend upon my courtyard on the day of thrusting,
I deny them my honor, but feed them my skin.
تُبَدِّلِ أَيّامي وَعَيشي وَمَنزِلي
نَجائِبُ لا يُفكِرنَ في النَحسِ وَالسَعدِ
My days, my life, and my dwelling place are ever-changed
By noble camels heedless of bad omens or good stars.
وَأَوجُهُ فِتيانٍ حَياءً تَلَثَّموا
عَلَيهِنَّ لا خَوفاً مِنَ الحَرِّ وَالبَردِ
And the faces of young warriors, veiled in modesty—
Veiled not from fear of the scorching heat or the cold,
وَلَيسَ حَياءُ الوَجهِ في الذِئبِ شيمَةً
وَلَكِنَّهُ مِن شيمَةِ الأَسَدِ الوَردِ
For facial shame is no trait found in the wolf,
But it is the nature of the tawny lion.
إِذا لَم تُجِزهُم دارَ قَومٍ مَوَدَّةٌ
أَجازَ القَنا وَالخَوفُ خَيرٌ مِنَ الوُدِّ
If friendship grants them no passage through a tribe's domain,
Spears shall force a way—for fear is surer than affection.
يَحيدونَ عَن هَزلِ المُلوكِ إِلى الَّذي
تَوَفَّرَ مِن بَينَ المُلوكِ عَلى الجِدِّ
They turn aside from the frivolity of kings to seek him
Who, among all monarchs, is solely devoted to earnest intent.
وَمَن يَصحَبِ اِسمَ اِبنِ العَميدِ مُحَمَّدٍ
يَسِر بَينَ أَنيابِ الأَساوِدِ وَالأُسدِ
Whoever bears the name of Ibn al-‘Amid Muhammad as a shield,
May walk safely between the fangs of vipers and lions.
يَمُرُّ مِنَ السُمِّ الوَحِيِّ بِعاجِزٍ
وَيَعبُرُ مِن أَفواهِهِنَّ عَلى دُردِ
He passes poison that acts swiftly, yet now lies impotent,
And steps over their mouths as if they were toothless gums.
كَفانا الرَبيعُ العيسَ مِن بَرَكاتِهِ
فَجاءَتهُ لَم تَسمَع حُداءً سِوى الرَعدِ
The spring season spared our camels, through his blessings,
Coming to him hearing no driver’s song, but only the thunder.
إِذا ما اِستَجَبنَ الماءَ يَعرِضُ نَفسَهُ
كَرِعنَ بِسَبتٍ في إِناءٍ مِنَ الوَردِ
Whenever they craved water, it offered itself freely,
And they sipped with their lips from a vessel of roses.
كَأَنّا أَرادَت شُكرَنا الأَرضُ عِندَهُ
فَلَم يُخلِنا جَوٌّ هَبَطناهُ مِن رِفدِ
It was as if the earth sought our gratitude in his presence,
For no valley we descended failed to grant us a gift.
لَنا مَذهَبُ العُبّادِ في تَركِ غَيرِهِ
وَإِتيانِهِ نَبغي الرَغائِبَ بِالزُهدِ
We follow the ascetics' path in renouncing all but him,
Coming to him to seek worldly riches through such devotion.
رَجَونا الَّذي يَرجونَ في كُلِّ جَنَّةٍ
بِأَرجانِ حَتّى ما يَإِسنا مِنَ الخُلدِ
We hoped for what men hope for in every paradise,
Here in Arjan—until we no longer despaired of immortality.
تَعَرَّضُ لِلزُوّارِ أَعناقُ خَيلِهِ
تَعَرُّضَ وَحشٍ خائِفاتٍ مِنَ الطَردِ
The necks of his horses stretch out toward his visitors,
Like wild beasts turning in fear of the hunt.
وَتَلقى نَواصيها المَنايا مُشيحَةً
وُرودَ قَطاً صُمٍّ تَشايَحنَ في وِردِ
Their forelocks meet death face-to-face, striving forward,
Rushing like deaf sandgrouse competing for a watering hole.
وَتَنسُبُ أَفعالُ السُيوفِ نُفوسَها
إِلَيهِ وَيَنسُبنَ السُيوفَ إِلى الهِندِ
The deeds of the swords trace their lineage back to him,
While the swords themselves trace their lineage to India.
إِذا الشُرَفاءُ البيضُ مَتّوا بِقَتوِهِ
أَتى نَسَبٌ أَعلى مِنَ الأَبِ وَالجَدِّ
When the noble white blades claim kinship through his service,
They gain a lineage nobler than any father or grandfather.
فَتىً فاتَتِ العَدوى مِنَ الناسِ عَينُهُ
فَما أَرمَدَت أَجفانَهُ كَثرَةُ الرُمدِ
A youth whose eye has escaped the contagion of the crowd;
The widespread blindness has not inflamed his eyelids.
وَخالَفَهُم خَلقاً وَخُلقاً وَمَوضِعاً
فَقَد جَلَّ أَن يَعدى بِشَيءٍ وَأَن يُعدي
He differs from them in form, in character, and in station,
Too majestic to be infected by them, or to infect them.
يُغَيِّرُ أَلوانَ اللَيالي عَلى العِدى
بِمَنشورَةِ الراياتِ مَنصورَةِ الجُندِ
He changes the very colors of the nights for his foes,
With unfurled banners and a victorious host.
إِذا اِرتَقَبوا صُبحاً رَأَوا قَبلَ ضَوإِهِ
كَتائِبَ لا يَردِ الصَباحُ كَما تَردي
If they wait for the dawn, they see—before its light—
Battalions that arrive as the morning never could.
وَمَبثوثَةً لا تُتَّقى بِطَليعَةٍ
وَلا يُحتَمى مِنها بِغَورٍ وَلا نَجدِ
Spread wide, they cannot be evaded by any scout,
Nor can the lowlands or highlands offer refuge from them.
يَغُصنَ إِذا ما عُدنَ في مُتَفاقِدٍ
مِنَ الكُثرِ غانٍ بِالعَبيدِ عَنِ الحَشدِ
They choke the gathering place when they return for muster,
A multitude so vast, its own servants suffice for a crowd.
حَثَت كُلُّ أَرضٍ تُربَةً في غُبارِهِ
فَهُنَّ عَلَيهِ كَالطَرائِقِ في البُردِ
Every land has cast its soil into the dust of his march,
So the layers lie upon him like stripes on a cloak.
فَإِن يَكُنِ المَهدِيُّ مَن بانَ هَديُهُ
فَهَذا وَإِلّا فَالهُدى ذا فَما المَهدي
If the 'Mahdi' is truly he whose guidance is manifest,
Then it is he; otherwise, he is Guidance itself—so who needs the name?
يُعَلِّلُنا هَذا الزَمانُ بِذا الوَعدِ
وَيَخدَعُ عَمّا في يَدَيهِ مِنَ النَقدِ
Time has long beguiled us with this very promise,
Deceiving us regarding the treasure it held in its hands.
هَلِ الخَيرُ شَيءٌ لَيسَ بِالخَيرِ غائِبٌ
أَمِ الرُشدُ شَيءٌ غائِبٌ لَيسَ بِالرُشدِ
Is 'Goodness' anything but a void when he is absent?
Is 'Rectitude' anything real if it is not him?
أَأَحزَمَ ذي لُبٍّ وَأَكرَمَ ذي يَدٍ
وَأَشجَعَ ذي قَلبٍ وَأَرحَمَ ذي كِبدِ
O most resolute of mind, O most generous of hand,
O bravest of heart, and most merciful of spirit,
وَأَحسَنَ مُعتَمٍّ جُلوساً وَرِكبَةً
عَلى المِنبَرِ العالي أَوِ الفَرَسِ النَهدِ
The finest chieftain, whether seated in council or riding
Upon the high pulpit or the high-spirited steed.
تَفَضَّلَتِ الأَيّامُ بِالجَمعِ بَينَنا
فَلَمّا حَمِدنا لَم تُدِمنا عَلى الحَمدِ
The days were gracious in uniting us,
But when we gave thanks, they let not our gratitude endure.
جَعَلنَ وَداعي واحِداً لِثَلاثَةٍ
جَمالِكَ وَالعِلمِ المُبَرِّحِ وَالمَجدِ
They made my single farewell a farewell to three:
To your beauty, to overwhelming knowledge, and to glory.
وَقَد كُنتُ أَدرَكتُ المُنى غَيرَ أَنَّني
يُعَيِّرُني أَهلي بِإِدراكِها وَحدي
I had attained my heart's desires, save that
My people reproach me for attaining them alone.
وَكُلُّ شَريكٍ في السُرورِ بِمُصبَحي
أَرى بَعدَهُ مَن لا يَرى مِثلَهُ بَعدي
And for every friend who would share the joy of my dawn,
I see one left behind who will find no equal after I am gone.
فَجُد لي بِقَلبٍ إِن رَحَلتُ فَإِنَّني
مُخَلِّفُ قَلبي عِندَ مَن فَضلُهُ عِندي
So grant me a heart if I must depart, for I—
Am leaving my heart with him whose bounty remains with me.
وَلَو فارَقَت نَفسي إِلَيكَ حَياتَها
لَقُلتُ أَصابَت غَيرَ مَذمومَةِ العَهدِ
And if my soul were to part from its life for your sake,
I would say it struck true, with its covenant unblemished.
