يا بَرقُ طالِع مَنزِلاً بِالأَبرَقِ
وَاِحدُ السَحابَ لَهُ حُداءَ الأَنيُقِ
O lightning, look upon a dwelling at al-Abraq,
And urge the clouds toward it with the camel-song sung to she-camels.
دِمَنٌ لَوَت عَزمَ الفُؤادِ وَمَزَّقَت
فيها دُموعَ العَينِ كُلَّ مُمَزَّقِ
Ruined traces that twisted the heart’s resolve and tore apart
The eye’s tears there—tore them utterly apart.
لا شَوقَ ما لَم تَصلَ وَجداً بِالَّتي
تَأبى وِصالَكَ كَالإِباءِ المُحرَقِ
There is no longing unless you join passion to a woman
Who denies you union with a searing refusal.
يَغلي إِذا لَم يَضطَرِم وَيُري إِذا
لَم يَحتَدِم وَيُغِصُّ إِن لَم يُشرِقِ
It boils when it does not blaze, and reveals itself when
It does not burn; it chokes when it sheds no light.
تَأبى مَعَ التَصريدِ إِلّا نائِلاً
إِلّا يَكُن ماءً قَراحاً يُمذَقِ
Even in her reluctance, she will accept nothing but a gift—
If it is not pure water, then let it be water mixed.
نَزرا كَما اِستَكرَهتَ عائِرَ نَفحَةٍ
مِن فارَةِ المِسكِ الَّتي لَم تُفتَقِ
Scant—as when you reluctantly drew a stray breath
From a pod of old musk that had never been opened.
ما مُقرَبٌ يَختالُ في أَشطانِهِ
مَلآنُ مِن صَلَفٍ بِهِ وَتَلَهوُقِ
What close-kept Arab stallion prances upon his tether,
Brimming with pride, swagger, and self-display—
بِحَوافِرٍ حُفرٍ وَصُلبٍ صُلَّبِ
وَأَشاعِرٍ شُعرٍ وَخَلقٍ أَخلَقِ
With hollowed hooves, a hard and steeply rising back,
Shaggy fetlocks, a coat of hair, and a most fitting form;
وَبِشُعلَةٍ نَبذٍ كَأَنَّ قَليلَها
في صَهوَتَيهِ بَدءُ شَيبِ المَفرِقِ
And with a tossed-off wisp of blaze, whose scant whiteness
Upon his poll is the first gray at the parting of the hair;
ذو أَولَقٍ تَحتَ العَجاجِ وَإِنَّما
مِن صِحَّةٍ إِفراطُ ذاكَ الأَولَقِ
Seized by frenzy beneath the battle dust—and indeed
That very excess of frenzy springs from soundness.
تُغري العُيونَ بِهِ وَيُفلِقُ شاعِرٌ
في نَعتِهِ عَفواً وَلَيسَ بِمُفلِقِ
He captivates the eyes, and leaves a poet hard-pressed
To describe him freely, though never bereft of art;
بِمُصَعَّدٍ مِن حُسنِهِ وَمُصَوَّبٍ
وَمُجَمَّعٍ في خَلقِهِ وَمُفَرَّقِ
High and low alike in the perfection of his beauty,
Concentrated in his form, yet finely distinguished;
صَلَتانُ يَبسُطُ إِن رَدى أَو إِن عَدا
في الأَرضِ باعاً مِنهُ لَيسَ بِضَيِّقِ
Long and powerful: whether checked or sent racing,
He spans the earth with a stride that is never cramped.
وَتُطَرِّقُ الغُلَواءُ مِنهُ إِذا عَدا
وَالكِبرِياءُ لَهُ بِغَيرِ مُطَرَّقِ
When he runs, fierce pride itself comes pounding through him,
And grandeur advances along its finest path.
أَهدى كُنازٌ جَدَّهُ فيما مَضى
لِلمِثلِ وَاِستَصفى أَباهُ لِيَلبَقِ
Kunāz bestowed upon him the excellence of his grandsire
And chose his sire for mating, that he might prove worthy.
مُسوَدُّ شَطرٍ مِثلَ ما اِسوَدَّ الدُجى
مُبيَضٌّ شَطرٍ كَاِبيِضاضِ المُهرَقِ
One half dark as night itself when it deepens,
One half white as the gleam of fresh parchment.
قَد سالَتِ الأَوضاحُ سَيلَ قَرارَةٍ
فيهِ فَمُفتَرِقٌ عَلَيهِ وَمُلتَقي
His white markings stream across him in shining courses,
Parting upon him here and meeting there;
وَكَأَنَّ فارِسَهُ يُصَرِّفُ إِذ بَدا
في مَتنِهِ اِبناً لِلصَباحِ الأَبلَقِ
As though his rider directs two contending lights
Along his back—two sons of dappled dawn.
صافي الأَديمِ كَأَنَّما أَلبَستَهُ
مِن سُندُسٍ بُرداً وَمِن إِستَبرَقِ
His skin is pure, as though you had clothed him
In a mantle of fine silk and brocade.
إِمليسُهُ إِمليدُهُ لَو عُلِّقَت
في صَهوَتَيهِ العَينُ لَم تَتَعَلَّقِ
So smooth and supple that, were an eye cast
Upon either flank, it could find no hold.
يُرقى وَما هُوَ بِالسَليمِ وَيَغتَدي
دونَ السِلاحِ سِلاحَ أَروَعَ مُملِقِ
Spells are chanted over him, though no serpent has bitten him; and he charges
Without arms—the weapon of a splendid, deep-bred knight—
في مَطلَبٍ أَو مَهرَبٍ أَو رَغبَةٍ
أَو رَهبَةٍ أَو مَوكِبٍ أَو فَيلَقِ
For pursuit or escape, for desire,
For fear, for a procession, or for an army.
أَمطاكَهُ الحَسَنُ بنُ وَهبٍ إِنَّهُ
داني ثَرى اليَدِ مِن رَجاءِ المُملِقِ
Al-Hasan ibn Wahb has mounted you upon him; truly
The soil of his hand lies near the poor man’s hope.
يُحصى مَعَ الأَنواءِ فَيضُ يَمينِهِ
وَيُعَدُّ مِن حَسَناتِ أَهلِ المَشرِقِ
The downpour of his right hand is reckoned with rain clouds,
And he is numbered among the blessings of the people of the East.
يَستَنزِلُ الأَمَلَ البَعيدَ بِبِشرِهِ
بِشرَ الخَميلَةِ بِالرَبيعِ المُغدِقِ
With his smiling face he brings distant hope within reach—
The smile of a meadow beneath abundant spring rain.
وَكَذا السَحائِبُ قَلَّما تَدعو إِلى
مَعروفِها الرُوّادُ إِن لَم تَبرُقِ
So too the clouds seldom summon travelers
To their bounty unless they first flash lightning.
مُجلي قَتامِ الوَجهِ يُذهِلُ إِن بَدا
لَكَ في النَدِيِّ عَنِ الشَبابِ المونِقِ
He clears the murk from every face and, when he appears,
Makes radiant youth seem present in the gathering.
لَو كانَ سَيفاً ما اِستَبَنتَ لِنَصلِهِ
مَتناً لِفَرطِ فِرِندِهِ وَالرَونَقِ
Had he been a sword, you could not have distinguished its edge,
So lustrous were its back, watered pattern, and sheen.
ثَبتُ البَيانِ إِذا تَحَيَّرَ قائِلٌ
أَضحى شِكالاً لِلِّسانِ المُطلَقِ
Steadfast in expression when another speaker falters,
He becomes the bridle of the unrestrained tongue.
لَم يَتَّبِع شَنِعَ اللُغاتِ وَلا مَشى
رَسفَ المُقَيَّدِ في حُدودِ المَنطِقِ
No ugliness of language followed him, nor did he walk
Within speech with the dragging tread of a fettered man.
في هَذِهِ خِبثُ الكَلامِ وَهَذِهِ
كَالسورِ مَضروباً لَهُ وَالخَندَقِ
Here lies the corruption of language, while there his art
Stands like a wall, with palisade and moat.
يَجني جَناةَ النَحلِ مِن أَعلى الرُبا
زَهَراً وَيَشرَعُ في الغَديرِ المُتأَقِ
He gathers the bees’ harvest from blossoms on the highest hills,
And drinks from the brimming pool.
أُنُفُ البَلاغَةِ لا كَمَن هُوَ حائِرٌ
مُتَلَدِّدٌ في المَرتَعِ المُتَعَرَّقِ
His eloquence is virgin, unlike one who wanders bewildered,
Hesitating across a pasture already grazed bare.
عيرٌ تَفَرَّقُ إِن حَداها غَيرُهُ
وَمَتى يَسُقها وادِعاً تَستَوسِقِ
A herd of wild asses scatters when another urges it on,
But when he drives it gently, it gathers together.
تَنشَقُّ في ظُلَمِ المَعاني إِن دَجَت
مِنهُ تَباشيرُ الكَلامِ المُشرِقِ
When the darkness of meanings grows deep, it is cleft
By the first glad signs of his radiant speech.
أَلبِس سُلَيمانَ الغِنى وَاِفتَح لَهُ
باباً إِزاءَ الخَفضِ لَيسَ بِمُغلَقِ
Clothe Sulayman in wealth, and open for him
A door to relief that shall never be shut.
وَاِقرُب إِلَيهِ فَإِنَّ أَحرى المُزنِ أَن
يُروي الثَرى ما كانَ غَيرَ مُحَلِّقِ
Draw near to him: the cloud most likely to give rain
Waters the earth when it does not remain aloft.
عَتُقَت وَسيلَتُهُ وَأَيَّةُ قيمَةٍ
لِلتُّبَّعِيِّ العَضبِ إِن لَم يُعتِقِ
Noble is his means—and what value would there be
In a keen Tubbaʿī blade if it were never drawn?
وَتَخَطَّ بَزَّتَهُ فَرُبَّت خَلَّةٍ
في دَرجِ ثَوبِ اللابِسِ المُتَنَوِّقِ
Let his dignity descend to need—for many a hidden want
Lies within the fold of an elegant wearer’s robe.
شَنعاءُ بَينَ المَركَبِ الهِملاجِ قَد
كَمَنَت وَبَينَ الطَيلَسانِ المُطبَقِ
A subtle need may hide between the ambling mount
And the tightly wrapped, all-enfolding ṭaylasān.
