ما ضرّ طيفَكِ لو والى زياراتي
ما بَينَ تِلكَ المَحاني والثّنِيّاتِ
My phantom keeps visiting, between thickets and little hills,
While caravans are busy with their camels and their saddles.
والرّكبُ عنّا مشاغيلٌ بأَبيَنهمْ
مِنَ الدّؤوب وإرقالِ المطيّاتِ
They fell like glass bottles aligned for them,
Yet to your eyes they're alive like dead.
صَرْعى كأنّ زجاجاتٍ أُدِرْنَ لهمْ
فهمْ لعينيك أحياءٌ كأمواتِ
If dawn has forbidden a bond, it was to torture us,
But it is made lawful by the delusions of nights.
إنْ حرّم الصّبحُ وصلاً كان يُجذلُنا
فَهْوَ الحلالُ بتهويمِ العشيّاتِ
And how often have I been visited by wings of night when they spread,
By one who wasn't on my mind that he'd come.
وَكَم أَتاني وجُنحُ اللَّيلِ حُلّتُهُ
مَن لَم يَكُن في حسابي أنَّه ياتي
And he'd visit without an appointed time, and how often
His visit was diverted from us at every time.
وَزارَ في غيرِ ميقاتٍ وكم لُوِيَتْ
عنّا زيارتُهُ في كلِّ ميقاتِ
And you have seen, and the camel has walked with you,
How patient I've been with those afflictions.
وَقَد رَأَيتمْ وَقد سار المطيُّ بكمْ
كَيفَ اِصطِباري على تلك المصيباتِ
And how often have I turned my cheek from your caravans,
When my wants and needs were in the caravans.
وَكَم ثنيتُ لِحاظي عَن هوادِجكمْ
وَفي الهَوادِجِ أَوطاري وحاجاتي
And I said, no rancor is found in my heart to the blamer,
While my heart is burnt by the fire of passion's coal.
وقلت لا وجدَ في قلبي لِلائِمِهِ
وَالقلبُ تحرقُهُ نارُ الصّباباتِ
Tell those who severed on the day of their departure,
Private conversations like doves in the thicket.
قلْ للّذين حَدَوْا في يوم رِحلَتِهم
خُوصاً خمائِصَ أمثالَ الحنيّاتِ
Memories, with no burdens to carry them
A day of grace like the gamboling of cubs.
مذكّراتٍ فلا سَقْبٌ لهنّ ولا
كَرِعْنَ يوماً بنشوانِ الوليداتِ
They and the caravan that takes me far from arranging them
To the litters, longing, each moaning camel.
لَهُنّ والرّحلُ يَعْلَولِي مناسِجَها
إلى السَّباسِبِ شوقاً كلَّ حنّاتِ
And how many tough, patient she-camels endured them
Until they brought them safe, honored litters.
وكمْ ولَجْنَ شديداتٍ صَبَرْنَ بها
حَتّى نَجونَ كِراماً بالحُشاشاتِ
If messengers are sent to fulfill wishes,
They guaranteed you'd bring near the distant.
فَإِنْ بُعِثْنَ إِلى نيلِ المُنى رُسُلاً
كفَلْنَ منك بتقريبِ البعيداتِ
Whoever of you reaches the minister, tell him
My greetings and regards when you reach him.
مَنْ فيكُمُ مُبلغٌ عنّي الوزيرَ إذا
بَلَغْتموه سلامي والتحيّاتِ
He whose life gladdened the world and then the country,
They weren't unjust when they called him the prosperous.
وَمن سعود الورى ثمّ البلاد بهِ
لم يَظلموا إذ دعوه ذا السّعاداتِ
Say, Would that I were the messenger, nothing
Would convey to you except my words, messages.
قولوا لَيتني كنتُ الرّسولَ وما
أدّى إليك سوى لفظِي رسالاتي
God bless you in pressing, perilous circumstances,
You aided me with joys and reliefs.
للّه دَرُّكَ في مُستغْلَقٍ حَرِجٍ
أسعفتَ فيه بفرحاتٍ وفُرجاتِ
In gloomy darkness where no light shines,
You removed the garments of darkness from us.
وفاحمٍ مُدْلَهمٍّ لا ضياءَ بهِ
نزعتَ عنه لنا أثواب ظُلماتِ
In your hands a messenger you send,
Whenever you want, to all the wishing.
وفي يديك رسولٌ منك تُرسلهُ
متى أردتَ إلى كلِّ المنيّاتِ
Like sprinkling rain seen giving sight,
To cut through the horizons the caravans.
مثلَ الرِّشاءِ يُرى منه لمبصرِهِ
تغضّنُ الرُّقمِ يقطعن التّنوفاتِ
I swear by litters that carry the fallen dead,
That they have no knowledge of meadows from the clouds’ watering.
حَلفتُ بالبُدْنِ يرعين الوَجيف ولا
عَهدٌ لهنَّ بِرَيٍّ من غماماتِ
They return home where the angels live,
An intention that surpasses all intention.
يُردنَ بيتاً به الأملاكُ ساكنةٌ
بنيّة فَضَلَتْ كلَّ البِنيّاتِ
And those who circumambulate around it when they blocked,
It for protection with touching and kissing.
وَالطائِفين حوالَيْهِ وقد سَدَكوا
بِه تُقاءً بمسحاتٍ ولثماتِ
And how much they shed in Mina's valley throngs
At the stoning pillars from the aged pebbles.
وما أراقوه في وادي مِنى زُمَراً
عند الجِمارِ من الكُومِ المسنّاتِ
And flinging forearms like Indian swords polished,
They cast each day the little pebbles.
وأذرُعٍ كسيوفِ الهندِ ضاحيةٍ
يَقذفن في كلِّ يومٍ بالحُصيّاتِ
And those spending the night in a group after they stood
At the knoll, but oh, what standing!
وَالبائتينَ بجَمْعٍ بعد أن وقفوا
على المعرَّفِ لكنْ أيَّ وَقْفاتِ
And they passed it quickly after they slaughtered
Until they came to it with heavy crimes.
وَجاوَزوه خِفافاً بَعد أَن ذَبحوا
حتّى أَتوه بِأجرامٍ ثقيلاتِ
It erased the mark of light from their faces,
The one who had been erasing sins.
مَحا النضارةَ من صَفْحاتِ أوجههمْ
ذاكَ الّذي كَان محواً للجريراتِ
You are, apart from all these people,
More rightful for me and worthier of loyalty.
لأنتَ مِن دونِ هَذا الخلقِ كلِّهِمُ
أَحقّ فينا وَأَولى بالموالاةِ
Bring me closer to you, humankind doesn't guide me,
Except a gallant youth who sheltered virtues.
قُدنِي إِلَيكَ فما يَقتادني بشرٌ
إلّا فتىً كان مأوىً للفضيلاتِ
Strengthen your hand with what you gave of my hatred
And passion and the fermenting of my affection.
وَاِشددْ يَديك بما ناولتَ من مِقَتِي
ومن غرامي ومن ثاوِي مودّاتي
I am the one who doesn't change with time from my ardency
For those I was ardent for, and I don't forget my early madness.
أَنا الّذي لا أَحول الدّهرَ عن كَلَفِي
بِمن كلفتُ ولا أسلو صباباتي
Don't fear deviation from me in the long term,
Everything you see in me is nothing but my stumblings.
لا تخشَ منّي على طول المدى زللاً
فكلُّ شيءٍ تراه غير زلّاتي
It's all the same to me, I owe no favor to,
Refuge from harm and comforts of pleasures.
سِيّانِ عندي ولا منٌّ عليه بهِ
مَغْنى الأذى ومقرّاتُ اللّذاذاتِ
I complain to God of my longing for you and what is
In my heart of burning agonies and stirring.
أَشكو إلى اللَّه أَشواقي إِليك وما
في القلبِ مِن حرّ لوعاتٍ ورَوْعاتِ
And I'm barred from my adornment, your nearness, or
The palms are empty, devoid of visits.
وَإِنّني عاطِلٌ مِن حَلي قُربِكَ أو
صِفْرُ اليدين خليٌّ من زياراتي
And if I saw you away from all the people,
I'd be content with this life, done with my wishes.
ولو رأيتُك دون النّاسِ كلِّهِمُ
قَضيتُ مِن هَذهِ الدّنيا لُباناتي
Don't think I never saw him, ever,
We meet in affection.
لا تَحسَبوا أَنّني لَم أَلقَهُ أبداً
فَإِنّنا نَتَلاقى بالمودّاتِ
And how much meeting for a people in their hearts,
As they wished over the distance of miles.
وَكَمْ تَلاقٍ لِقَومٍ مِنْ قلوبهمُ
كَما أَرادوا على بُعدِ المَسافاتِ
Nearness is the nearness of the heart's concealment, not
The nearness of dwellings, what the conscience contains.
وَالقربُ قربُ خبيئاتِ الصّدور وما
تحوي الضمائرُ لا قربُ المحلّاتِ
I'm a friend to whoever you're a friend to,
And hostile to whoever you're hostile to.
إِنّي الصديقُ لمن كنتَ الصديقَ له
ومن تُعادِي له منّي معاداتي
You're from a group whose virtues are narrated,
They excelled as if sons of masters.
وأنتَ من معشرٍ تُروى فضائلُهمْ
سادوا على أنّهمْ أبناءُ ساداتِ
Reaching the lofty peaks with their proposals,
And standing firm in harsh tribulations.
البالِغين مِنَ العَلْياءِ ما اِقتَرحوا
وَالقائِمينَ بصَعْباتِ المُلمّاتِ
And they attend tumults out of excess help,
And terror spreads in empty hearts.
وَيَشهَدونَ الوغى من فَرْطِ نَجْدَتهمْ
والرّعبُ فاشٍ بألْبابٍ خليّاتِ
As if their hands weren't created for people
Except for giving hands and gifts.
كأنّ أيدِيَهُمْ في النّاس ما خُلقتْ
إِلّا لِبَذل الأيادِي والعَطِيّاتِ
Preferring over all the people a height,
Judging all cases.
مُقَدَّمين عَلى كلِّ الأنامِ عُلاً
مُحَكّمين على كلِّ القضيّاتِ
If you assess them you'll find them mansions and homes,
Tall as the stars that are above the heavens.
فإِنْ تَقِسْهُمْ تَجِدْهُمْ منزلاً وبناً
طالوا النّجومَ التّي فوق السّماواتِ
You've privileged them with glories particularized,
This though they surpassed humanity.
قد فُقْتَهُمْ بمزيّاتٍ خُصِصْتَ بها
هذا على أنّهمْ فاقوا البريّاتِ
You never ceased producing noble lineage
As you took it for yourself from the hands of the chaste ladies.
ولم تزلْ مُنجباً فيمن نَسَلْتَ كما
أخَذتها لك من أيدِي النجيباتِ
You were bounty and faith that gives light
You joined verses of glory with verses.
وكنتَ فضلاً وديناً يُستضاءُ بهِ
خلطتَ للمجدِ أبياتاً بأبياتِ
Indeed the head who headed the people with what
He contained of his bounty before headship.
إنّ الرَّئيس الّذي راسَ الأنام بما
حواه من فضلهِ قبل الرّياساتِ
If a people adorned themselves with ministry,
The ministries adorned themselves with you.
فَإِن تَجمّل قومٌ في وزارتهمْ
فَاِجَّمَّلتْ فيك أدراعُ الوزاراتِ
They came to you freely, you sent no reason for them,
You didn't extend to them the palm of your rest.
جاءتكَ عفواً ولم تبعثْ لها سبباً
ولا بسطتَ إليها قبضَ راحاتِ
There came to me, among what visited me, news
That reached the furthest limits of all my times.
وقد أتانِيَ فيما زارني خبرٌ
فَطالَ منهُ قُصارى كلِّ ساعاتي
It made me drink bitterness from my cup and robbed
My right eye of the delights of my slumber.
سَقاني المُرَّ مِن كَأسيهِ وَاِستَلبتْ
يُمناهُ من بَصَرِي لذّاتِ هَجْعاتي
If I lie down, it's on the thorns of the lote tree, my bed,
If I walk, seas engulfing fiery embers.
إِنِ اِضطَجعتُ فمِنْ شوكِ القنا فُرُشِي
وإنْ مشيتُ فواطٍ فوقَ جَمْرَاتِ
They said, he who people wish that they
Could sacrifice themselves for him complained.
قالوا اِشتَكى مَنْ يوَدُّ النَّاسُ أنَّهُم
كانوا الفداءَ له دون الشّكاياتِ
And I didn't cease to be anxious until I knew
What protections God gave to him from the safety of shadows.
وَلَم أَزَلْ مُشفقاً حتّى علمتُ بما
أَنالَهُ اللَّهُ مِن ظِلِّ السّلاماتِ
And give glad tidings of wellness after my omens stretched,
Good tidings, but not like glad tidings.
وَبشّروا بالعوافي بعد أن مُطِلَتْ
بُشري ولكنّها لا كالبشاراتِ
Thanks to God, you got what you wanted, none
Is prosperous except one who attains his wishes.
وَالحمدُ للَّه قَد نلتَ المَرادَ وما ال
سَعيدُ إلّا الّذي نالَ الإراداتِ
So live however you want in surrounding honor,
To God belongs a dense army of sufficiency.
فَعِشْ كما شئتَ من عزٍّ يطيف بهِ
للَّهِ جَيشٌ كثيفٌ من كفاياتِ
May you not be worn out by any hated thing,
Nor your fingers fall short of attaining loves.
وَلا بُليتَ بِمَكروهٍ ولا قَصُرَتْ
منك الأناملُ عن نيلِ المُحبّاتِ
Never disdained by any humans in this world,
So how could you be worn out by worldly aid!
فلم تكنْ مُعْنِتاً من ذا الورى بشراً
فَكيفَ تُبلى منَ الدنيا بِإِعْناتِ
I have nothing else to output except this translated poem.
