طَيفٌ أَلَمَّ فَزادَ في آلامي
أَلمٌ وَلَم أَعهَدُهُ ذا إِلمامِ
A specter tormented me, adding to my pains,
A pain I was not used to, being so afflicted.
لَمّا تَجَنَّبَ رُؤيَتي مُستَيقِظاً
جاءَت بِهِ الأَضغاث في الأَحلامِ
Avoiding seeing me when I was awake,
It came to me in confused dreams.
وَأَتَت بِهِ في حَندَسٍ مُتَنَكِّراً
كَالبَدرِ مُستَتِراً بِثَوبِ جَهامِ
Disguised, it came in a howdah,
Like the moon hidden in robes of darkness.
فَطَفِقت الحَظُ لؤلؤاً مِن ثَغرِهِ
وَأَضمُّ غُصناً تَحتَ بدر تَمامِ
So my eyes began to pick pearls from its mouth,
And I held a branch beneath the fullness of its moon.
في لَيلَةٍ ما أَن أَقوم بِشُكرِها
لَمّا خَلوتُ بِه مِنَ اللُوامِ
On a night I could not thank enough
When I was alone with it, free of blame.
حَتّى إِذا برق الصَباحُ لِناظِرٍ
فارَقته كُرهاً عَلى إِرغامي
Until when dawn flashed for the onlooker,
I parted from it against my will.
وَأَقامَ مُعتَكِفاً عَلى هِجرانِهِ
فَهَجَرتُ صَبري حينَ عَزَّ غَرامي
It remained secluded, shunning me,
So I shunned my patience when passion overwhelmed me.
نادَيته وَمَدامِعي مُنهلَّة
كَالغَيثِ مُنهَمِراً بودَقِ رهامِ
I called to it while my tears poured down
Like pouring rain, drenching my cheeks.
يا مسقمي من طَرفِهِ بِسِقامِهِ
رِفقاً بِقَلبي قَد أَطَلتَ هُيامي
O you who ail me with your ailment, have mercy!
My heart has suffered too long from loveickness.
لا تَجمَعَن عتباً وَطول قَطيعَةٍ
يَوماً فَتَركَب مقطع الآثامِ
Do not combine reproach and long estrangement
In a day, so you commit successive sins.
يا مَن يَرى حِلُّ الوِصال مُحَرَّماً
وَيَرى حَرام الوَصلِ غير حَرامِ
O you who see lawful union as forbidden
And unlawful union as not unlawful!
إِن دامَ هَجرك لي وَعَزَّ تَصَبُّري
رَغماً وَطال تَشَوُّقي وَسِقامي
If your estrangement from me continues
Despite my unyielding patience and persistent lovesickness,
وَغَدا لَك الدَهر الخَؤونُ مُساعِداً
في هَجرتي وهجرت طَيف مَنامي
The days favor your estrangement from me
And estrangement from the phantom of my dreams,
فَإِلى أَبي نَصرٍ أَبُثُّ ظُلامتي
وَأَكونُ منه في حِمىً وَذِمامِ
Then I will confide my darkness to Abu Nasr
And seek refuge with him, protected and safeguarded.
مَن لا أَرى إِقبال دَهرٍ مُقبِلٍ
حَتّى أَراهُ وَلا كَريمَ كِرامِ
He whose fate I do not foresee as propitious
Until I see him, no generous bestower of bounty,
وَإِذا برَت يُمناهُ أَسمَرَ ناصِلاً
يَوماً زَرى بِفَصاحَةِ الأَقلامِ
And when his right hand gleams, visiting
One day, eloquent with the pens,
قَلَمٌ إِذا ناجاهُ وَهوَ ضَميره
نطقت فَصاحَته بدمع هامي
A pen, when it privately converses with him, the confidant of his conscience,
Its eloquence speaks with my tears.
بَقضي بآجال وَفَيضِ مَواهِبٍ
وَتُطيعُهُ الأَقدارُ في الأَحكامِ
He ordains lifespans and the overflowing of gifts,
While destinies obey him in all matters.
لَم يَبقَ من يُرجى لِدَفعِ ملمةٍ
وَيجير من ظلم أَو اِستِهضامِ
None remains to be hoped for to dispel adversity
And protect from injustice or transgression,
إِلّا أَبو النَصر الَّذي أَنعامه
مُتواتِرٌ يَهمي كَصوب غَمامِ
Except Abu Nasr, whose favors
Continually descend like pouring rain.
حَتّى إِذا عَلِمَ الزَمانُ بِأَنَّني
من لائِذيه حادَ عَن إِقدامي
When the times learned that I
Take refuge with him, it shunned confronting me.
وَأَتى إِليَّ بِذُلِّه مُتَنَصِّلاً
مِن بعد عِزَّتِهِ وَعادَ غُلامي
It came to me humbled,
After its glory, again my lad.
نادَيته يا دهر قَدكَ فَقَد وَهى
صَبري وَفارَقَني بَنو الأَعمامِ
I called: O Time, after you I grew frail,
My patience failed me, and my paternal uncles passed away.
وَرَحَلتُ عَن بَلَدٍ يَعز علَيهِمُ
مِنّي مُفارَقَتي وَبُعد مَرامي
I traveled from a land whose people
Grieve for my departure and remoteness of my aspirations.
نَحوَ امرىءٍ ما زالَ مُرتَقى العُلى
حَتّى سما وَعَلا عَلى بُهرامِ
Toward a lord who remains ever exalted
Until he ascended and rose above the zenith.
وَلَكَ الذِمام بِأَنَّني لك آخِذٌ
منهُ أَماناً فاِنصَرَفَ بِسَلامِ
Yours is the protection, for I have taken
Refuge with him, so turn away in peace.
أَلا تروعك نَبوَة من عَزمِهِ
حَتّى تَقَلَّدَ ظالِماً آثامي
Does not the prophecy of his resolve frighten you,
That he should assume the garb of my oppressor?
ثُمَّ اِنبرأت إِلَيكَ أَدَّرعُ الفَلا
متنسّشماً لنَداكَ وَهوَ أَمامي
Then I turned to you, arrayed in coats of mail,
Scowling at your call while facing me.
أَطوي الفَيافي وَهيَ غير مهولَةٍ
عِندي بِقَطع سَباسِبٍ وَأَكامِ
I traverse the deserts fearlessly,
With neither anxiety about losing provisions nor water-skins.
بأمونَةٍ حَرفٍ سَمَت بِمَناسِمٍ
فيها من الرَمضاء كالأَوشامِ
Secure in the words of a letter, lofty in principles,
In which, from yellow sands, are tattoos.
وَمكان سوطي في المسير إِرادَتي
في سيرها وَاللَيلُ بحر ظَلامِ
My whip, while traveling, is my will
Guiding it while night is an ocean of darkness.
سيري على إِسمِ اللَهِ نَحوَ مُجَلببٍ
دونَ الوَرى بالعِزِّ والإِعظامِ
I travel in God’s name toward Mujallab
Lower than all people in might and esteem.
فتسفّ بي كالطَير حَنَّ لِوَكرِهِ
وَتَزيف في رقل لَها وبُغامِ
So it carried me like a bird to its nest,
And flew swiftly to its encampment and tent.
أَلقى الهَجير بِصَفحَتي مُستَقبِلاً
لا أَرعَوي عنهُ بِرَدِّ لِثامي
I met the dawn with my cheeks, going forth
Without covering my mouth with a kerchief.
وَمُقارِني هجر الكرى وَمُساعدي
في سَفرَتي عَزمي وَحَدُّ حُسامي
Accompanying me, estrangement from settlements, aiding me
In my journey, were my resolve and sharp sword.
حَتّى حَلَلتُ بِبابِ ربعكَ آمِناً
وَالسَعدُ من خَلفي وَمِن قُدّامي
Until I arrived, safe, at your abode’s gate,
With fortune behind me and before me.
لَمّا دَعوت المدح فيكَ أَجابَني
منه بِقَولٍ بَيِّنِ الإِفهامِ
When I summoned praise of you, it answered me
With eloquent, clear speech:
لَم يَبقَ ذو كرم لِدفع مُلِمَّةٍ
إِلّا أَبو نصر الخِضَمِّ الطامي
None remains, of generous nature, to dispel adversity
Except Abu Nasr, impetuous and intrepid.
ملك يَداه المكرماتُ بِأَسرِها
فَغَدا يُذَلِّلُها بِغَير لِجامِ
A king whose hands all favors grasp completely,
So he makes them submissive without shackles.
نادى المَكارِمَ وَالحِجا فَأَتَت لَهُ
مُنقادة طوعاً بِغَيرِ لِجامِ
He called upon bounties and virtues, so they came to him
Obediently, without need for shackles.
ذو هِمَّةِ في المكرمات عَليِّها
ذو عزمةٍ أَمضى من الصِمصامِ
With will for favors surpassing them,
And resolve firmer than an anvil.
ضُربت لَهُ فَوق السِماكِ مَنابِراً
مَحفوفَةٍ بِمَضارِبِ وَخيامِ
For him above the heavens platforms were erected
Surrounded by tents and pavilions.
وَإِذا بَدا ذكر له في سادَةٍ
قاموا لهيبَتِهِ عَلى الأَقدامِ
Whenever his name is mentioned among nobles,
They stand in awe of his tremendousness.
لو كانَ يَعبُدُ مُفضلٍ بِفَضيلَةٍ
جَلَّت لَكان بِذاكَ غير مُلامِ
Had distinction been worshipped for its merit,
It would have submitted to him without blame.
لَمّا رأى مَولاهُ نَجدَةَ رأيه
في كُلِّ عَبدٍ ناصِحٍ وَكِتامي
When his Master saw the soundness of his judgment
Regarding every sincere and concealed counselor,
رَدَّ الأُمورَ إِلَيهِ في إِبرامِها
فَكَفاهُ مَعنى الحَلِّ وَالإِبرامِ
He relegated affairs to him for their conclusion,
So sufficed him the meaning of authority and conclusion.
يا سائِلي عنه لتخبرُ فَضلَهُ
اِصغِ لِتَسمَعَ مَنطِقي وَكَلامي
O questioner, to inform you of his superiority,
Listen to my words and speech:
اللَه يَصنَع ما يَشاء بِقُدرَةٍ
جَلَّت دَقائِقها عَنِ الأَوهامِ
God does what He wills with a subtlety
Whose intricacies are beyond perceptions.
جَعَل البَريَّة كُلَّها في واحِدٍ
فَغَدا لَهُ فَضلٌ مبينٌ نامي
He placed the entire creation into one—
Who thus attained obvious, growing distinction.
بِفَصاحة وَسَماحَة وَبَشاشَةٍ
وَشَجاعَةٍ تُزري عَلى الضِرغامِ
With eloquence, generosity, cheerfulness,
And courage that casts down mountains.
وَبَلاغَةٍ لَو قِستَ سَحباناً بِها
أَلفيته ذا مَنطِقٍ تِمتامِ
And such eloquence that, if it were measured,
You would find it of perfect and complete expression.
مِن حاتِمٍ جوداً إِذا ذكر النَدى
مِن سَيفِ ذي يَزَنٍ مِنَ الأَقوامِ
A Hatem in munificence, when scattered clouds are mentioned,
A Sword of the Yazan tribe against the foe.
مِن قُسَّهم نظماً ومن فُصحائِهِم
نَثراً وَمِن لُقمانَ في الأَحكامِ
In prose like their finest orators, in verse like their poets,
In wisdom like Luqman in judgments.
مِن يوسِفٍ في عِفَّةٍ وَصَباحَةٍ
مَن مِثلُهُ عَلماً لفَصل خِصامِ
A Joseph in chastity and brilliance,
Who can parallel him in knowledge to settle disputes?
هاتيك أَسماءٌ خلت وَفِعالها
مِنّا كَأَشباحٍ بِلا أَجسامِ
Those are bygone names, their actions
Among us like specters without bodies.
خُذ ما تَرى وَدَعِ السَماح فَرُبَّما
زادَ السَماع عَلى ذَوي الأَفهامِ
Take what you see and leave guessing, for maybe
Hearing exceeds those of insight.
هوَ أَوَّلُ آخِرٌ في فَضلِهِ
هوَ باطِنٌ هوَ ظاهِرُ الإِنعامِ
He is the first, the last in superiority,
The essence, the obvious giver of favors.
هوَ مفرَدٌ في بَذلِهِ وَنواله
هوَ معتِقُ الأَسرى من الإِعدامِ
Peerless in giving and bestowal,
The emancipator of captives from execution.
هَذا أَبو نصر الَّذي ورث العُلى
عَن سادَةٍ نُجُبٍ بِغَير كَلامِ
This is Abu Nasr who inherited the heights
From noble, esteemed forebears without speaking.
يُعطي التِلادَ لِسائِليه تَكَرُّماً
وَطَريفه يَحبو عَلى الإِتمامِ
He gives newborns to petitioners generously
While his mature camels stride perfectly.
وَإِذا انتَضى قلماً لِدَفعِ كَريهَةٍ
خَضَعت لَهُ الأَشبال في الآجامِ
When he brandishes a pen to dispel adversity
Callow youths submit to him in battle.
تَغدو الصَوارِم وَهيَ طوع مُراده
تَقضي أَوامره بِغَيرِ سَلامِ
Swords in early morning are submissive to his will,
Executing his commands without hesitation.
وَكَذا قَضى لِلمشرفية أَنَّها
أَبَداً تطيع أَوامِر الأَقلامِ
And so he decreed that the Mashrifeh tribe
Would forever obey the commands of pens.
واِعلم بِأَنّي لَم أَعره شهادَةً
مُتَغالِياً وزراً وَلا مُتَحامي
Know that I did not give false witness to extol him
Or presume a burden I could not carry.
لَكِن مناقبه تفرَّق جِمعُها
بَينَ الوَرى فجمعتُها بِنِظامِ
But his virtues were dispersed among people
So I compiled them in this ode.
قَلَمٌ إِذا اِفتَتَحت يَداهُ لِنائِل
فاضَت عَلى الآفاقِ بِالأَقسامِ
A pen—when his hands begin for an asker,
It pours upon horizons in divisions.
إِنّي قَصَدتُك مِن بلاد قَد نأت
وَبعدت عَن أَهلي وَعَن آطامي
I came to you from lands that are distant
And remote from my family and settlements.
وَيَقودني حسنُ الرَجاء بِأَنَّني
قَد نلت ما أَهوى مِنَ الأَيّامِ
Led by hopes of attaining what I love
Of days, for my aspirations were fulfilled.
فاِصرِف إِليَّ تَصَرُّفاً أُحظى بِهِ
وَأَكون مَعدوداً مِنَ الخُدّامِ
So treat me in a way that I will be fortunate
And counted among your servants.
فَإِذا رَأَيتَ كِفايَتي وَأَمانَتي
وَصيانَتي عرضي وَحُسن قِيامي
When you see my competence, trustworthiness,
Safeguarding of my honor, and excellent service
فيما نُدِبتُ لَهُ وَحسن سِياسَتي
كنتَ المُخَيَّرُ أَنتَ في اِستِخدامي
In tasks assigned me, and my good governance,
You will have the choice regarding my employment.
أَولا فجد لي بِاليَسير فَإِنَّني
أَرضى بِما تولي مِنَ الإِكرامِ
First, be generous to me with something simple, for I
Am content with the honor you confer on me.
وَعلمتُ أَنَّ الأَرض يَصغر قدرها
وَجَميعُ ما تَحوي مِنَ الأَنعامِ
I learned the world's worth is diminished,
As is all it contains, of cattle.
إِنَّ قستها كرماً وَضِعفاً ضِعفُها
ما قَلَّ ما تَحوي مِنَ الأَنعامِ
If its weight is generosity, its weakness is weaker
Than all it contains of cattle.
جُد لي بِما يبلى أَجد لَكَ بِالَّذي
يَبقى لجدَّته عَلى الأَعوامِ
Be generous with perishable things, I will repay you
With that which remains, for its permanence through years.
واسلم وَعش ما لاح نجم في العُلى
وَدعا الحمام بأيكِهِ لِحَمامِ
And peace be upon you for as long as a star gleams on high,
And the turtledoves call one another to the baths.
