هَتَفَتْ بِدَمْعِ العَينِ وَهْي سَجُومُ
دِمَنٌ حُبِسْنَ عَلَى البِلَى ورُسُومُ
She cried with tearful eyes while still frowning,
Tears detained by decay and engraved lines.
من كلِّ شَاخِصَةِ الطُلُولِ كأَنَّهَا
مما جَلَتْ عنها السيولُ رُقُومُ
Every protruding tamarisk is as if
It were rugged rocks sculpted by torrents.
فكأنَّ قامةَ كلِّ وِدٍّ مَائِلٍ
أَلِفٌ ودَارَةَ كلِّ نُؤْيٍ مِيْمُ
So every bending affection seems to tilt
A thousand ways and every pliant twig bends.
نَادَى الغُرَابُ بها الغُرَابَ كما دَعَا
فيها فَجاوبَهُ أخُوهُ البُومُ
The raven called to the raven as he invited
His brother, the owl, to respond in kind.
يَتَجَاوَبَانِ لذا وذَاكَ بجوِّهَا
زَجَلٌ يَطِنُّ بِرَجْعِهِ ويُنيمُ
They call to each other, enjoying this place
Where a disconsolate gazelle lows and sleeps.
تلكَ المنازلُ ما لطارقِها قِرًى
إلاَّ بَلابِلُ أَنْفُسٍ وهُمُومُ
Those dwellings have no settled inhabitants
Save melancholic souls and worries galore.
قَلِقَتْ بِسَاكِنِها فَطَارَ بِظَعْنِهِمْ
عَنْها تَرفُّضُ أَيْنُقٍ ورسِيمُ
Their restless dwellers took flight, annoyed
By the place, as the fleeing oryx and gazelle fled.
لِلَّهِ مَنْ تركُوا غَدَاةَ وَدَاعِهِمْ
وكأنَّهُ ممّا بِهِ مَسْمُومُ
By God, those who left one morn, bidding farewell
Seemed to carry something toxic inside.
صَبٌّ يقولُ ولو يَرَى أَظعانَهُمْ
لَقَضَى فَأَمْرُ رَحِيلهِمْ مَكْتُومُ
A tearful cloud, if only it could see their nests,
Would shed its drops, though their leaving was concealed.
ويُغيّضُ العَبَراتِ إذْ لو أُرْسِلَتْ
لَغَدتْ بِها تِلكَ المطيُّ تَعُومُ
It holds back the tears that would otherwise flow
And turn the place into a flooding sea.
أَتَراهُمُ اقتعدُوا المَطِيَّ وعندَهُ
مما يكابِدُ مُقْعَدٌ ومُقِيمُ
Did they ride away on their camels, leaving behind
A companion to endure sitting there, remaining?
يصلُ المدامِعَ بالزفيرِ وينتضي
نَفَساً لمعوجِّ الضُّلُوعِ يُقيمُ
He links tears with sighs and frees
A breath from crooked, bent ribs.
أَأَحِبَّتي إنْ هَانَ عندَكُمُ الكَرَى
ليلاً فَلي عَينٌ عَلَيهِ تَحُومُ
My loved ones, though disdain has become easy at night,
My eye keeps vigil over this disdain.
فَسَلُوا بِيَ الليلَ الطويلَ فإنَّهُ
بالسَّاهرِين وبالنِّيامِ عَلِيمُ
So ask the long night about me, for it knows
The sleepless and the slumbering well.
هَلْ زَارَ بعدَكُمُ الرُّقَادُ مَحَاجِرِي
أو مَرَّ مُجْتازاً بها التهويمُ
After you, did sleep visit my eyelids
Or pass by my dwelling in distraction?
أَذَوي الرُّقَادِ هُبُوا القَليلَ لِنَاظِري
مِنْ ذَاكَ فَهْو السَّائِلُ المحرومُ
O companions in sleep, grant my onlooking eye
A little of that, for it is the deprived solicitor.
يا دَارَهُمْ والعَهْدُ مَسؤُولٌ ومَنْ
لم يرعَ ذِمَّةَ صَاحبٍ مَذْمُومُ
O their abode, though the pact is asked about, one who
Does not respect a companion's bond is blamed.
وَسَمَتْكِ حَاليةُ الرَّبيعِ وفي الحَشَا
مِمَّا مَحَتْكِ يَدُ الخُطُوبِ رُسُومُ
Your condition in spring was serene, yet in the enclosure
Were lines of misfortunes engraved.
ونَحتْكِ أَنفاسُ الرياحِ مريضةً
فَأتَتْ وأَعْصَفُ مَرِّهِنَّ نَسيمُ
The breaths of the winds sculpted you, ill,
And the most violent of them came blowing.
وهَفَا إلى أَظْلالِ دَوحِكِ جُؤْذَرٌ
يعطُو إلى أَغْصَانِهِنَّ ورِيْمُ
An oryx turned toward the shade of your walls
And craned its neck toward the branches.
مِمَّا أَغَارَ على السُّرُورِ فَبَاتَ في
أيدي المصَائِبِ عِقْدُهُ المنظُومُ
From jealousy over joy this knot was tied
And ended up in the hands of misfortunes.
نَبأٌ أَلَمَّ فَمَا تقشَّعَ غَيمُهُ
إلاَّ وفي الأَحْشاءِ منهُ غُمُومُ
News that hurt, its cloud did not clear
Until worries took root inside.
أَخَوَانِ كانَا لِي فَأوْدَى مِنهما
مَنْ كَانَ أَلْصَقُ بي وذَاكَ عَظِيمُ
Two brothers I had, but he who was
Closer to me passed away and that is momentous.
فمتَى تُمدُّ لحاجَةٍ فَتَنالُها
كفِّي وأَطولُ سَاعِدَيَّ جَذِيمُ
When will my palms fulfill a need and attain it
While my arms remain devoid of fruit?
فَسَحَابُ مَنْ أرجُو نَدَاهُ وبرقُ مَنْ
أرنُو مَخَايلَ وَمْضِهِ وأَشِيمُ
The cloud I hoped would shower and the lightning
Of those I wished to see the flashes and fires.
قد كان إفطَارِي على مَعْرُوفِهِ
فاليومَ أُمْسِكُ بَعْدَهُ وأَصُومُ
My breakfast was thanks to his goodness
So today I fast, abstaining after him.
سُدَّتْ وُجُوهُ رَجَايَ وانقَصَمَتْ عُرَى
أَمَلي فَبَابُ مَطَالبِي مَرْدُومُ
The faces of my hopes are blocked and the ties
Of my aspirations broken, so my requests are barred.
لِتقلَّ هَاشِمُ بَعْدَهُ من فَخْرِها
فلَعَظْمُ مَفْخَرِها بِهِ مَهْشُومُ
May the honor diminish for Hashim's clan after him
For the greatness of their pride in him is destroyed.
وليَحْسُ مُرَّ الضَّيْمِ ثاكِلُ نَاصِرٍ
فالمرءُ ما فَقَدَ النصيرَ مَضِيمُ
May he who lacks a helper taste the bitterness
For man is blameworthy when he lacks an aide.
فلئِنْ حُسِدْتُ بِهِ فَهَا أنذا كما
شَاءَ الحَسُودُ خِلافَهُ مرحومُ
Though I am envied for him, behold, as
The envious desired, contrary to that, he passed away.
إنْ يضْحَ وَارِثُهُ سِوَايَ فَذَا لَهُ
سَهمٌ يُخَصُّ بِهِ وَذَاكَ سُهُومُ
If the heir treats me equally, then for him
Is a portion set aside and that portion is known.
فَهَنَاهُمُ فَتُراثُهُ عندي شَجاً
يُطوَى على لَذَعَاتِهِ الحَيْزُومُ
Yet his inheritance with me is a piercing wound
Bandaged over its stinging pain.
أَفَتَى الفُتُوَّةِ والمُرُوءَةِ والحِجَى
بُعْداً ليومِكَ إنَّهُ لمَشومُ
The epitomes of nobility, chivalry and sanctity
Perished, so your day, indeed, is inauspicious!
إِنَّ امرءاً لم يَشْجُ يومُكَ قلبَهُ
لَفُؤَادُهُ من صَخْرةٍ مَلْمُومُ
A man whose heart was not rent by your day,
His inmost thoughts are of unhewn stone.
لو أَنَّ وَجْهَكَ لا تخوَّنَهُ البِلَى
وانشقَّ عنهُ اللحدُ وَهْو وسيمُ
If only your face would remain untouched by decay
And the tomb split open, you would emerge handsome.
كُشِفَ الغِطَاءُ لهُ رأَى من حَالِنَا
ما عندَهُ فَرْطُ الشَّقَاءِ نَعِيمُ
The shroud removed from you, you would see our state -
Compared to our hardship, your bliss is bounty.
وَرأَى أَصَائِلَنَا وَهُنَّ هَوَاجِرٌ
مَسْجُورةٌ ونَسيمُهُنَّ سَمُومُ
You would see our withering flowers, their breeze poison,
Withered, their breath foul.
فالخِلُّ خِلٌّ والنديمُ نَدَامَةٌ
والردءُ مُردٍ والحميمُ حَميمُ
Sincere friendship is but sin, and companions are regret,
Raiment is ruin, intimacy is intimacy.
والخِصْبُ جَدْبٌ والثَرَاءُ خَصَاصَةٌ
والعَذْبُ مُرٌّ والغَدِيرُ وخيمُ
Fertility is barrenness, wealth want,
Sweetness bitter, water foul.
وسَبيلُ أنديةِ النَّدَى عَافٍ على
العَافِي ورَوْضُ المكْرمَاتِ هَشِيمُ
The path to the assemblies of fellowship is locked
To the healthy, and the meadow of favors is rubble.
والفضلُ أكْسَدُ ما يعرِّضُ تاجرٌ
للبيعِ في أَسواقِنا ويسُومُ
Favor is like a tired trader displaying
His goods in our markets, pricing and bargaining.
فَلَئِنْ تبوَّأْتَ النعيمَ فعندَنا
مما نكابدُهُ عليكَ جحِيمُ
So if you attained bliss, with us remains
That which we endure the heat of, for you a hell.
أَأُخَيَّ لا لأبٍ ولا أُمٍّ سِوَى
وِدٍّ لأيدينَا عَليهِ ضُمُومُ
O brother of no father or mother but affection
For our hands to cling to, of compact knots.
أثريتُ بعدَكَ من عِدَايَ وإنني
بخلافِ ذَاكَ من الصَّدِيقِ عَدِيمُ
After you, from enemies, though I am detached,
Without the likes of that friend, I remain devoid.
فَكَأنَّمَا الأيامُ آلَى صَرفُها
أنْ لا يدومَ على الزَّمَانِ كَرِيمُ
So it is as if the turns of time
Have determined that no noble soul should endure.
يا قاتلَ اللّهُ الحِمامَ بمثلِهِ
وجَرَى عليهِ قضاؤُهُ المحتُومُ
May God destroy the likes of him who killed
The perfect one, by His ordained decree.
أَفْنَى أَوَائلَنَا فأشْرَبَ فارِساً
من كأسِهِ ما أفضلتْهُ الرُّومُ
He finished off our finest horses, making
A Persian drink from his cup the dregs.
مِن كُلِّ مَنْ طَافَ البلادَ ومَنْ طَوَى
الأحياءَ في طَلَبِ الغَرِيمِ غَرِيمُ
All those who roamed the lands or crossed
The settlements seeking a debt or vengeance.
يَطَأُ الملوكَ فكلُّ ذِي جَبْرِيَّةٍ
بالذلِّ مارنُهُ لَهُ مَخْطُومُ
Trampling kings, all the tyrannical
Were reduced by him to base submission.
أورافعٍ فوقَ السماءِ بِنَاءَهُ
فَيَرَى له بنُجومِهِ تَعْمِيمُ
Or one whose building reached into the sky
Would see his stars encompassed.
جَاثٍ على حَدِّ الفُرَاتِ كبازلٍ
سِيمَ البُرُوكَ وظهرُهُ مَعْكُومُ
Prostrating on the Euphrates' shore like a basil plant
Steeped in scent, his back bent.
وَجثَا على حَيّيْ نِزارَ ويعرُبٍ
عَرَكاً كما سِيمَ الدباغَ أَديمُ
Prostrating over Hayyan's sands, Nizari and Yemen's
Wrestled until their hides were tanned like leather.
وَقَفَا بنا تِلكَ القرومَ فشرُّهُ
فينا وفيهمْ حَادِثٌ وقديمُ
They stood against us, the worst of them
And the oldest of their evil toward us.
لَشَرِبْتَ شُرْبَ الهِيمِ أَعْمارَ الوَرَى
هلاّ صَدرتَ كما صَدَرْنَ الهِيمُ
You would have drunk the draft of oblivion for ages
If only you had acted as the oblivious act!
هَلاَّ اتَّخَمْتَ بما أَكَلْتَ فَطَالَما
أُوذِي بتخمَةِ أَكْلِهِ المَنْهُومُ
If only you had gorged on what you ate, for long
Have I been troubled by the gorge of his gluttony.
لم ينجُ مِنْكَ أَزَلُّ ينطِفُ مَاؤُهُ
عَلَقَا ولا جَهْمُ اللقاءِ شَتيْمُ
None were spared by you, neither withered bones
Nor an embryo's clot or the insult of confrontation.
كلاَّ ولا رقشاءُ يَقدحُ لَحْظُها
شرراً بِهنَّ إِهابُها مَوْسُومُ
No indeed, nor the maiden whose amorous glance
Launches sparks by which their veils are marked.
وَمتَى شَحَتْ فَاهاً فثَمَّ سَحَائبٌ
بِيضُ المَخَايلِ وَدْقُهُنَّ سُمُومُ
When she frowns, clouds gather, white
Of disposition, their strike virulent.
وطويلُ قَادِمَةِ الجَنَاحِ له إذا
شَمَّ الهوانَ بِجَوِّهِ تَدويمُ
With wings so long, belonging to one who,
When he senses disgrace, endures it constantly.
مَاضٍ يشيّعُهُ إلى أوطارِهِ
حَجْزٌ بهِنَّ من الدماءِ وُسُومُ
Vanished, escorted to his nest
By bloodstained feathers by which they are known.
وأَثِيثُ عُرْعُرَةِ السَّنَامِ كأنَّها
نبتٌ على بعضِ الهِضَابِ عَميمُ
The saddle of the mighty stallion is as if
It sprouted on some of the plateaus.
يتخبّطُ الأحياءَ حتى لم يكدْ
لَيسيمُ خشيتَهُ السوامَ مُسِيمُ
Slapping the living until he barely
Let the sword's terror goad them like a brand.
تَتَناذرُ الأحياءُ صولَتَهُ فَمَا
حيٌّ وليس له عليهِ هُجُومُ
The living are warned of his savagery, yet no
Living soul dares attack or confront him.
يَسِمُ الفحولَ بِنَاجِذَيْهِ فمُعوِزٌ
حَيٌّ وليس بصفحتَيْه كُلُومُ
He strikes heroes with his claws, so there is
No living man with undamaged cheeks.
أَرْثِي الحَمِيمَ فَما تتمُّ قصيدةٌ
يُرْثَى بها حتَّى يموتَ حميمُ
I lament the dear one, but no elegy
Can be completed for a dear one until he dies.
إنْ يُتَّخَذْ نظمُ المراثي لامرئٍ
دوني فَجُلُّ قَصَائِدي مَقْسُومُ
If elegies are composed for anyone
Other than me, my poems are halved.
أَرِجَالَهُ وأَخُصُّ منكُمْ جَعْفَراً
ولشأَنِكُمْ ولشأنِهِ التعظِيمُ
His feet and, closer to you, Ja'far, the best
Of people, in your service and his is reverence.
قَمرَ المحافلِ لا يُشَكَّكُ أنَّه
للبدرِ في حُسْنِ الرُّوَاءِ قَسِيمُ
The caliphate's pen, whose judgment
Among its people is either delay or advance.
المُرْتضي الشِّيَمَ التي لو قُسِّمتْ
في الناسِ ما كَانَ امرؤٌ مَذْمُومُ
A pen encircled by the lands, protecting
Every region, every region, every region.
وَذَوِي مودَّتِهِ وأَوّلُكُمْ فَتَى
الدنيا أبو إسحاقَ إبراهيمُ
If only the nights renewed your joy for us
And the army of grief turned and fled defeated.
قَلَمُ الخِلافَةِ والذي لقضائِهِ
في أهلِها التأخيرُ والتقديمُ
Bent its elbow and spent its arrows,
Restless, its white arrows misaimed.
قَلَمٌ تُحاطُ بهِ البِلادُ ويُحفظُ الْ
إقليمُ فالإقليمُ فالإقليمُ
Our needs in life are for you to remain with us.
So remain with the permanence of rivers and endure.
لاجدّدتْ لكمُ الليالي تَرْحةً
وانفضَّ جَيْشُ الحُزْنِ وَهْو هَزِيمُ
As for me, Abu al-Kalim, whose pasture
Is forever isolated from the scourge of afflictions,
وثَنَى أَعِنَّتَهُ وأنفذَ نَبلَهُ
قَلَقٌ وأَمْضَى بِيضِهُ مثلومُ
As it spread from every landmark, embellished
With wishing wells and cairns.
حاجاتُنا في الدهرِ أَنْ تبقُوا لَنَا
فابقُوا بَقَاءَ النَّيِّرَاتِ ودُومُوا
They are the stars, so if a transgressor
Defies their heavens, they are meteors.
وأنا أَبو الكَلِمِ اللواتِي رَوْضُها
أَبَداً على رَعْيِ الخُطُوبِ جَميمُ
من كلِّ مَعْلَمةٍ كما نَشَّرتَ من
طَيِّ البُرُودِ يزينه التسهيمُ
هُنَّ النجومُ فإنْ سَمَا مُتمَرِّدٌ
لسمائِهِنَّ فإنَّهنَّ رُجُومُ
