مال الصبا بعواطف النشوان — Shakib Arslan

مالَ الصِبا بِعَواطِفَ النَشوانِ

مَيلَ الصِبا بِمَعاطِفَ الأَغصانِ

Youth swayed the intoxicated one's affections,

as the east wind sways the bends of boughs.

وَلَوى الغَرامُ عِنانَهُ نَحوَ اللَوى

وَبَد الحَنينُ لا بَرقَ الحَنانِ

Love turned his reins toward al-Liwa,

and longing appeared—not the lightning of tenderness.

وَهَوى الهَوى بِالقَلبِ بَينَ أَعَقَّةٍ

وَمَتالِعٍ وَمَطالِعٍ وَرَعانِ

Passion plunged the heart among ravines,

and Matali‘, rising heights, and mountain spurs.

فَغَدا بِراوِحٍ مِن مَعاهِدِها الَّتي

في نَجدٍ بَينَ مَعالِمٍ وَمَغانِ

So he went roaming among her old haunts, those

in Najd, among landmarks and dwelling places.

يَأتي اللِصابَ مِنَ الشِعابِ وَيَنتَحي

مِن مَنزِلِ الجَرعا سُفوحَ البانِ

He approaches narrow clefts through the gullies, and turns

from the dwelling at al-Jar‘a toward the slopes of the ban trees.

في كُلِّ مُنعَطِفٍ وَكُلَّ ثَنِيَّةٍ

يَبدو لَهُ شَجَنُ مِنَ الأَشجانِ

At every bend and every mountain pass,

another sorrow appears before him.

وَيَحَ المُحِبُّ لَقَد تَهَتَّكَ في الهَوى

فَرَعاهُ في سِرٍّ وَفي إِعلانِ

Alas for the lover! He has cast off restraint in passion,

and cherished it in secret and openly.

أَجرى العَقيقَ بِطَرفِهِ وَبَنى بِأَو

تادِ الضُلوعِ مَضارِبُ الكُثبانِ

He let carnelian flow from his eye, and built with the

pegs of his ribs the tents of the dunes.

صَبٌ أَلَمَّ بِهِ الهَوى فَمَضى بِهِ

لِلحُسنِ تَحتَ أَسِنَّةِ الخَرصانِ

A lovesick man whom passion visited and carried onward

toward beauty, beneath the points of spears.

أَنذَرَتهُ سوءَ المَصيرِ فَقالَ لي

أَنَّ الصَبابَةَ عِزَّةُ الفِتيانِ

I warned him of an evil end, and he said to me:

Love's ardor is the glory of young men.

أَطلَقتُ لِلقَلبِ العِنانَ فَهِمتُ لا

أَلوي وَلَستُ لِذا العِنانِ بِثانِ

I loosed the heart's reins and wandered, never

turning aside; I will not draw these reins back.

لَهفي عَلَيهِ عَدَت بِمُهجَتِهِ الظِبا

حُبّاً إِلى حَيثُ الظُبى بِمَكانِ

Alas for him! Gazelles raced away with his heart,

in love, to where sword-edges lie.

بَينَ البَوارِقِ وَالصُفوفِ زَواحِفُ

تَحتَ البَيارِقِ وَالرِماحِ دَوانِ

Amid flashes and advancing ranks,

beneath banners, with spears drawing near.

طَلَبَ المَحاسِنَ في الخِيامِ وَدونَها

ضَربٌ يَطيحُ سَواعِدَ الشُجعانِ

He sought the beauties in the tents, before which

blows sever the arms of brave men.

وَإِذا هَوى نَجدَتَحكُمُ في فَتى

جَعلِ الرَدى في حَيِّزِ النِسيانِ

And when the love of Najd rules a youth,

he consigns death to oblivion.

هَيهاتَ لَيسَ لِعاشِقِ أَمنِيَةٍ

يَسعى إِلَيها في طَريقِ أَمانِ

Far from it! No lover has a wish

that he pursues along a path of safety.

وَإِذا العَوالسِلُ دونَ مَعسولِ اللَمى

يَزدادُ مَعَها القَلبُ في الخَفَقانِ

And when swaying lances bar the honey-sweet dark lips,

the heart's throbbing grows stronger in their presence.

وَإِذا الخُدودُ القانِياتُ تَعَرَّضَت

لِلحُِّ سالَ لها النَجيعُ القاني

And when crimson cheeks present themselves

to love, crimson blood flows for them.

وَإِذا الأَسوَدُ وَقَد تَرَدَّتُ في الحِمى

صَرعى أَمامَ كَوانِسِ الغِزلانِ

And when lions have fallen in the protected grounds,

slain before the gazelles' hiding places;

وَإِذا رِجالُ كَتائِبِ النُعمانِ قَد

ذَلَّت لِعِزٍّ شَقائِقَ النُعمانِ

and when the men of al-Nu‘man's battalions have

bowed before the glory of anemones;

وَإِذا الأَعَزِّ الأَيهَمِ الغَسّانِ قَد

أَمسى رَقيقُ الأَهيَفَ الغَسّاني

and when mighty al-Ayham of Ghassan has

become the slave of a slender Ghassanid;

حالٌ تَطيشُ بِها العُقولُ وَرُبَّما

أَخبَت ذَكاءَ ثَواقِبُ الأَذهانِ

a state that makes minds reel, and sometimes

quenches the brilliance of piercing intellects.

تَعي فُؤادَ الأَحوَذي كَأَنَّهُ

مِما أُصيبَ صَريعُ خَمرِ دِنانِ

It exhausts the keen man's heart, as though he were,

from what struck him, felled by wine from jars.

ما إِن يُقاوِمُ يَأسَها بَطَلٌ وَلَو

حازَت يَداهُ عِزَّةُ العُقبانِ

No hero can withstand its despair, even if

his hands have gained the eagles' proud might.

تَغشى مَقاصيرُ العِظامِ وَلَم تَكُن

عَنها تَعِزُّ مَناسِكَ الرُهبانِ

It visits the chambers of the great, and

even the monks' retreats are not beyond its reach.

لَكِن ما أَودى بِعُذرَةِ حُبِّهِ

لَم يَختَلِف بِشُهورِهِ اِثنانِ

Yet the love that brought ‘Udhra to ruin—

no two have disagreed about its months [wording unclear].

وَتَرى القُلوبَ عَلى المَحاسِنِ أَقبَلَت

مِثلَ الدَلاءِ جَذَبنَ بِالأَشطانِ

You see hearts turning toward beauty,

like buckets drawn up by ropes.

وَتَرى إِلى وَصلِ الحَبيبِ حَنينُها

يَحكي حَنينَ النَجبِ لِلأَعطانِ

You see their yearning for union with the beloved

resembling noble camels' longing for their watering places.

كَيفَ الخِلافُ وَلِلفُؤادِ تَأَثُّرٌ

بِجَميعِ ما مَرَّت بِهِ العَينانِ

How can there be disagreement, when the heart is moved

by everything the two eyes pass over?

أَو كَيفَ لا أَهوى الجَمالَ وَقَد بَدا

مِن نورِ ذاكَ العالَمِ الرَبّاني

Or how could I not love beauty, when it has appeared

from the light of that divine realm?

عَينُ الوُجودِ اللّامِعِ النورِ الَّذي

ما لاحَ مِثلُ سَناهُ لِلأَعيانِ

The essence of existence, radiant with light whose

equal splendor has never shone before the eyes;

العاقِبُ الإِكليلُ مِصباحُ الهُدى

وَالصادِقُ المَبعوثِ بِالفُرقانِ

al-‘Aqib, the crown, the lamp of guidance,

and the truthful one sent with the Criterion.

هُوَ أَحمَدُ المَحمودِ مَن في حِلِّهِ

كَنَفُ الوُجودِ تُشرِفُ الثَقَلانِ

He is Ahmad, the praised one, in whose abode

existence finds shelter, and humans and jinn are honored.

فَاللَهُ يَشهَدُ أَنَّ طَهَ المُجتَبي

هُوَ خَيرٌ مَن سارَت بِهِ قَدمانِ

God bears witness that Ta-Ha, the chosen one,

is the best whom two feet have ever borne.

وَاِذكُر صَحابَةَ صاحِبِ المِعراجِ مِن

حازوا السِباقَ بِأَوَّلِ المَيدانِ

Remember the Companions of the master of the Ascension, those who

won the race at the field's very beginning:

الراشِدينَ العامِلينَ إِلى الهُدى

وَالناشِرينَ شَريعَةَ القُرآنِ

the rightly guided, who worked toward guidance,

and spread the law of the Qur'an.

هُم عثصبَةُ الدينِ الحَنيفِ وَشيعَةُ الشَر

عِ الشَريفِ وَفِتيَةُ الإيمانِ

They are the band of the upright faith, followers of sacred

law, and young champions of belief.

تَلقى أَبابَكرَ بِصَدرِهِم اِنبَرى

يَهدي الأولى رَجِعوا إِلى الكُفرانِ

You find Abu Bakr at their head, stepping forward

to guide those who had returned to disbelief.

وَتَرى أَبا حَفصٍ يُقيمُ المَسجِدَ ال

أَقصى بِهِمَّتِهِ عَلى أَركانِ

And you see Abu Hafs establishing the mosque, al-

Aqsa, through his resolve, upon firm foundations.

يَرمي المَمالِكَ بِالجُيوشِ وَقَد غَدَت

في قَبضَتَيهِ شَواسِعَ البُلدانِ

He strikes kingdoms with armies, while

vast lands have come into his two hands.

ضَرَبَ القَياصِرَةُ العِظامُ بِصارِمِ

أَنسى البَرِيَّةَ سَيفٌ في غَمدانِ

He struck the mighty Caesars with a keen sword

that made mankind forget the sword in Ghumdan.

فَعَنِتُّ لَهُ بِالرَغمِ شَمَّ أُنوفَهُم

وَخَلالَهُ كِسرى مِنَ الإيوانِ

Their proud noses bowed to him against their will,

and Kisra yielded the palace to him.

وأَبادَ فارِسٌ سَيفَ سَعدَ وَاِذعَنَت

مِصرَ لَعَمرُو أَيما أَذعانِ

Sa‘d's sword destroyed Persia, while

Egypt submitted utterly to ‘Amr.

وَقَضى الإِلَهُ عَلاءَ ذادَةِ دينِهِ

بِالنَصرِ وَالجَيشانِ يَلتَقِيانِ

God decreed the exaltation of His faith's defenders

through victory, as the two armies met.

فَالهَدى فيهِم ضارِبٌ أَطنابَهُ

وَالحَقُّ مَلِقٌ في الوَرى بِجِرانِ

Guidance has pitched its tent-ropes among them,

and truth rests breast-down among mankind.

وَالدينُ تَعصِفُ بِالمَمالِكِ ريحُهُ

عَمّا يَزُِّ مَواقِفَ البُهتانِ

Faith's wind blasts through kingdoms,

from what [unclear] the strongholds of falsehood.

بِجِهادِ قَومٍ أَصبَحَت أَعمالُهُم

أَبَداً بِجيدِ الدَهرِ عَقدَ جَمانِ

Through the striving of a people whose deeds became

forever a necklace of pearls around time's neck.

فيهِم أَبو الحُسنَينِ صَفحَةَ سَيفِهِ

فَجَرَّ يُنَوِّرُ لَيلَ كُلِّ طِعانِ

Among them is Abu al-Hasanayn; his sword's broad face

is a dawn that lights the night of every clash of spears.

قَد كانَ لَيثُ عَرينَةٍ وَفُؤادِهِ

بِحَقائِقَ الأَكوانِ بَحرَ مَعانِ

He was a lion of the den, and his heart,

through the truths of existence, an ocean of meanings.

وافى مَنازِلَ في العُلومِ تَقَطَّعَت

عَن دَركِهِنَّ نِياطَ كُلِّ جِنانِ

He reached stations of knowledge; striving to attain them,

the heartstrings of every heart were torn.

فَلَكُم حَوَت تِلكَ الصَحابَةُ سادَةً

غَرّاً مِنَ الأَنصارِ وَالأَعوانِ

How many lords those Companions embraced,

illustrious men of the Ansar and their supporters!

صَرَفوا إِلى الأَرواحِ جَلَّ عَنائِهِم

وَتَجانَفوا عَن خِدمَةِ الأَبدانِ

They devoted the greater part of their care to souls,

and turned aside from serving bodies.

أَسيافَ حَقٍّ بِالهِدايَةِ قَطَعَت

بَينَ العِبادجِ هَوادي الأَوثانِ

Swords of truth that, through guidance, severed

the necks of idols among the people.

حَقُّ الفِخارِ بِهِم لِكلِّ مُوَحِّدٍ

لِثُبوتِ مَجدِهِم بِكُلِّ أَوانِ

Every believer in God's oneness has the right to take pride in them,

for their glory endures at every time.

فَاِذكُر فُتوحاتِ العُقولِ بِرُشدِهِم

تَهدي لِحَقِّ العِلمِ وَالعِرفانِ

Remember the conquests of minds through their right guidance,

leading to true knowledge and understanding.

وَاِذكُر لَهُم فَتحَ المَمالِكِ في الوَرى

مِن كُلِّ ناحِيَةٍ وَكُلِّ لِسانِ

Remember their conquest of kingdoms among mankind,

in every region and among every tongue:

مِن مَشرِقٍ ذاقَ النِكالَ وَمَغرِبِ

طَلَعَت عَلَيهِ كَواكِبُ الفُرسانِ

from an East that tasted punishment, and a West

over which the stars of horsemen rose.

هُم قُدوَةٌ لِلعالَمينَ مِن بَني العَبّاسِ مِن

بَعدِ الخَلائِفِ مِن بَني مَروانِ

They are models for the worlds, those of the sons of al-‘Abbas,

after the caliphs of the sons of Marwan.

بَلِّغوا جِدارَ الصينِ مِن جَهَةٍ وَمِن

أُخرى تَخطو شاهِقَ البيرانِ

They reached the wall of China on one side, and on

another crossed the lofty Pyrenees.

وَتَرى حِذاءَ فُروقِ وَقعِ سُيوفِهِم

وَتَجاوُبِ الأَصداءَ في السودانِ

You see, opposite Furuq [uncertain reading], their swords' blows

and echoes answering one another in Sudan.

وَالغَزنَوِيَّةَ يوغِلونَ بِزَحفَهِم

في السِندِ آوِنَةً وَهِندِستانِ

The Ghaznavids thrust deep with their advancing armies

into Sind at times, and Hindustan.

وَبَنوا أُمَيَّةَ في الجَزيرَةِ حَكَموا

أَمضى ظِباهُم في ذَوي التيجانِ

The sons of Umayya ruled in the peninsula,

with their keenest blades over crowned heads.

وَاِنظُر بَني أَيّوبَ لَمّا أَعمَلوا

في المُعتَدينَ عَواسِلَ المُرّانِ

Behold the sons of Ayyub, when they wielded

swaying ash-wood spears against aggressors.

وَصَلاحُ دينِ اللَهِ أَنزَلَ بَطشَهُ

بِالقَومِ في حِطينَ كُلَّ هَوانِ

Salah al-Din, of God's faith, brought down his might

on the people at Hittin, in utter humiliation.

وَلِواءُ يوسُفَ تاشَفينَ بِمَغرِبِ

خَرَّت لَهُ الأَعداءَ لِلأَذقانِ

And Yusuf Tashfin's banner in the Maghrib—

before it enemies fell upon their faces.

ثُمَّ السَلاجِقَةُ العِظامُ وَإِثرُهُم

أَصواتُ ضَربِ الصَيلَمِ العُثماني

Then the mighty Seljuks, and after them

the sounds of blows from the Ottoman's crushing sword.

سَيفُ الصَناديدِ المَساعيرِ المَغا

ويرِ القُرومِ المَعشَرِ الغَرّانِ

The sword of stalwart, fiery champions, of bold

raiders and great chiefs, that illustrious company.

ما كانَ يَنضي في وَغى الأَملا الدُ

نيا بِرُعبِ صَليلِهِ الرَنّانِ

It was never unsheathed in battle without filling the

world with the terror of its ringing clash.

سَل عَنهُ عُثمانَ القَديمِ وَإِن تَمَل

لِزِيادَةٍ فَاِعطِف عَلى أَرخانِ

Ask ‘Uthman of old about it, and if you incline

toward more, then turn to Orkhan.

وَاِنظُر مُرادَ وَبا يَزيدَ بِغَربِهِ

قادا الأَعادي كُلِّها بِعَرانِ

Behold Murad and Bayezid; with its edge

they led all the enemies by nose-rings.

وَاِرمُق أَبا الفَتحِ الأَعَزَّ مُحَمَّداً

أَخنى عَلى جُرثومَةِ الرومانِ

Behold Abu al-Fath, mighty Muhammad,

who destroyed the very root of the Romans,

في مَأزِقٍ وَالجانِبانِ تَصادَما

وَتَقابَلَ البَرانِ وَالبَحرانِ

in a strait where the two sides collided,

and the two lands and two seas faced one another.

وَالخَيلُ باشَرتُ البِحارَ فَردَها ال

فُرسانَ فَاِمتَنَعتُ عَلى الأَرسانِ

The horses plunged into the seas, but were turned back by the

horsemen, though they resisted the reins.

وَالبيضُ تَخطُبُ في الرُؤوسِ رَواكِعاً

طَوراً وَتَنطِقُ أَلسُنُ النيرانِ

The gleaming swords preached among heads, bowing

at times, while tongues of fire spoke.

حَتّى تَصاغَرَتِ البِلادُ لِأَمرِهِ

وَاِستَسلَمتُ لِيَدَيهِ مِثلَ العاني

Until the lands humbled themselves before his command,

and surrendered into his hands like a captive.

وَغَدا سَليمُ رَبُّ كُلِّ أَيالِهٍ

في الشَرقِ مَحمِيّاً بِهِ الحِرمانِ

Selim became lord of every province

in the East, with the two sanctuaries protected by him.

وَأَتى سُلَيمانُ الزَمانِ بِفَيلَقِ

خَضَعَت لَهُ الأَفلاكَ في الدَوَرانِ

Suleiman of the age came with an army

to which the celestial spheres submitted in their revolutions.

مادَت لَهيبَتُهُ البَسيطَةُ مَيدَةً

لَم تَبقَ مِن أُحُدِ وَمِن ثَهلانِ

The earth trembled in awe of him with a tremor

that left nothing of Uhud or Thahlan.

وَسِعَت عَزائِمُهُ الزَمانُ وَقائِماً

مِن كُلِّ حَربٍ في العِداةِ عَوانِ

His resolves encompassed time, and he stood

amid every renewed war against his foes.

تَفدي بَني عُثمانَ كُلُّ قَبيلَةٍ

في الأَرضِ أَبرَزُها لَنا العَصرانِ

Every tribe would ransom the sons of ‘Uthman,

that night and day have brought before us on earth.

حَمَلوا الخِلافَةَ وَالبِلادَ طَرائِقٌ

في كَفِّ أَهلِ البَغى وَالعِصيانِ

They bore the caliphate when the lands lay divided

in the grip of rebels and insurgents.

فَغَدَت وَقَد صارَت لَهُم أَطرافُها

تيهاً تَجُرُّ ضَوافي الأَردانِ

Then, once its farthest reaches became theirs, it

proudly trailed its ample sleeves.

وَلَهُم بِها العَدلَ الَّذي أَبدى لَنا

كَيفَ اِستِواءَ الشاةِ وَالسَرحانِ

Theirs was the justice that showed us there

how sheep and wolf could stand as equals.

حَقَّ إِذا ما أَمَّنوا فيهِ الوَرى

رَدّوا غِرارَهُم إِلى الأَجفانِ

Rightly, once they made mankind secure under it,

they returned their blades to their sheaths.

فَبِمِثلِهِم فَلنَفتَخِر وَبِهَديِهِم

فَلنَهدِ بَعدَ تَقاعُدٍ وَتَوانِ

Let us take pride in men like these, and by their guidance

let us be guided, after idleness and delay.

في السالِفينَ مِنَ الأَفاضِلِ عَبرَةً

تَجلو المَراءَ بِأَقصَرَ الأَمعانِ

In the noble men of the past there is a lesson

that clears away doubt with the slightest reflection.

في كُلِّ يَومٍ بِرازِخِهِم لَنا

داعٍ يُنبِهُ خاطِرَ الغَفلانِ

Each day, from their graves, there comes to us

a caller awakening the heedless one's mind.

أَولا نُجيبُ وَنَحنُ أَحيا في الوَرى

يَوماً نَدا الأَجنانِ في الأَجنانِ

Shall we not answer, while we live among mankind,

one day, the call of hearts within the graves?

إِن نَعتَذِر بِزَمانِنا وَطِباعِهِ

فَهيَ العَوارِضَ لَم تَخُصَّ بِآنِ

If we excuse ourselves by our age and its nature,

these are passing circumstances, not confined to one time.

أَنَّ المَبادِئِ لا تَزالُ فَواعِلاً

ما بَينَ ما يَتَعاقَبُ المَلوانِ

Indeed, principles remain active,

as long as night and day succeed one another.

فيها يَكونُ إِلى الحُصولِ توسَلُ

وَبِدونِ ذَلِكَ عِلَّةَ الحِرمانِ

Through them there is a means to attainment,

and without them lies the cause of deprivation.

يَغدو الزَمانَ بِها عَلى أَحوالِهِ

بِالناسِ مَن زيدَ وَمِن نُقصانِ

Time, through them and in all its changing states, takes

people toward increase or decline.

وَالعَقلُ لا يَعنو لِحالاتٍ إِذا

ما شاءَ أَوقَعَها بِحالِ تِفانِ

The mind does not bow to circumstances; if

it wills, it brings them to a state of extinction.

وَإِذا تَحَصَّلَتِ الشَجاعَةُ لَم تَكُن

عِندَ المَحصَلِ غايَةَ الأَمكانِ

And when courage is acquired, it is not,

in the final reckoning, the utmost of what is possible.

فَلَنَعمَلَنَّ فَالرَأيُ في نَيلِ المُنى

هُوَ أَوَّلُ وَهيَ المَحلُ الثاني

So let us act! Judgment, in attaining wishes,

comes first, and courage takes second place.