عرفت الديار كسحق البرود — Sharif Al Murtaza

عَرفتُ الدّيارَ كسُحقِ البُرودِ

كأن لم تكنْ لأنيسٍ ديارا

I recognized the dwellings, like the tatters of striped cloaks,

as though they had never been homes to any familiar soul.

ذَكرتُ بِها نزواتِ الصّبا

بساحاتها والشّبابَ المُعارا

There I recalled the impulses of youth

in their courtyards, and the youth I had on loan.

وَقَوماً يَشنّون لا يفتُرو

ن إمّا النُّضارَ وإمّا الغِوارا

And a people who pour forth without flagging—

either gold or raids.

أَبَوْا كلّما عُذلوا في الجمي

لِ إلّا اِنبِعاقاً وإلّا اِنفِجارا

Whenever reproached for their generosity, they refused

all but an outpouring, all but a torrent.

أَمِنتُ على القلبِ خوّانةً

تطيع جهاراً وتَعصِي سِرارا

I trusted a treacherous woman with my heart,

who obeys openly and disobeys in secret.

أُقادُ إليها على ضَنّها

ولولا الهوى لملكتُ الخيارا

I am led to her despite her stinginess,

and were it not for love, the choice would be mine.

وقالوا وقد بدَّلَتْ حادثاتُ

زمانِيَ ليلَ مشيبي نهارا

And they said, when the vicissitudes

of my time had turned the night of my graying into day:

أتاه المشيبُ بذاك الوَقارِ

فقلت لهمْ ما أردتُ الوَقارا

"Gray hair has come to him with that dignity."

So I told them, "I did not want dignity."

فيا ليت دهراً أعار السّوا

دَ إذ كان يَرجِعه ما أعارا

Oh, if only the age that lent me black hair—

since it would reclaim it—had never lent it.

وَلَيتَ بَياضاً أراد الرّحيلَ

عقيب الزّيارة ما كان زارا

And if only the whiteness, intending to depart

just after its visit, had never visited.

وَمفترشٍ صَهَواتِ الجيادِ

إذا ما جرى لا يخاف العِثارا

And many a man who makes the steeds' backs his bed,

who, when he gallops, fears no stumble,

تَراهُ قَويماً كصدر القنا

ةِ لا يَطعَمُ الغُمضَ إلّا غرارا

you see upright as a spear's shaft,

tasting sleep only in fleeting snatches,

سرى في الظّلام إلى أن أعا

دَ مرآةَ تلك اللّيالي سِرَارا

traveled in darkness until he turned

the mirror of those nights into a moon in its dark phase.

فَلمّا ثناه جنابُ الأجل

لِ نَفّض عن مَنكِبيهِ الغُبارا

But when the most august one's court held him back,

he shook the dust from his shoulders,

وشرَّد عنه زَماعَ الرّحيل

فألقى عصاه وأرخى الإزارا

and banished his resolve to depart,

then laid down his staff and loosened his waistcloth.

مَزارٌ إذا أمّه الرائدونَ

أَبَوْا أن يؤمّوا سواه مزارا

A place to visit: when seekers make for it,

they refuse to visit any other place.

وَمَغنىً إذا اِضطربتْ بالرّجالِ

رحالُ الرّكائب كان القرارا

And a dwelling: when, bearing men,

the riding-camels' saddles sway, it is their resting place.

فَللّهِ دَرُّك من آخذٍ

وقد وُتِرَ المجدُ للمجد ثارا

God bless you, as one who takes—

when glory has been wronged—vengeance for glory!

وَمن جبلٍ ما اِستجار المَروعُ

بهِ في البوائقِ إلّا أَجارا

And as a mountain: no frightened man seeks refuge

with it amid calamities without finding protection.

فَتىً لا ينام على رِيبةٍ

ولا يأخذُ الغَمَّ إلّا اِقتِسارا

A young man who never sleeps with doubt unresolved,

and accepts grief only under compulsion.

وَلا يصطفِي غيرَ سيّارةٍ

مِنَ الذّكرِ خاضَ إلَيها الغِمارا

And chooses only fame that travels far,

for which he plunged into perilous depths.

وَقَد جَرّبوك خِلالَ الخطو

ب عيَّ بهنّ لبيبٌ فحارا

They have tested you amid calamities

that left a discerning man helpless and bewildered.

فَما كنتَ للرّمح إلّا السّنانَ

وَلا كنت للسّيف إلّا الغِرارا

You were nothing to the spear but its point,

and nothing to the sword but its cutting edge.

وَإِنّك في الرّوع كالمَضْرَحِيِّ

أضاق على الطائرات المطارا

And in terror you are like a mighty eagle

that leaves the flying birds little room to fly.

وَكَم لكَ دونَ مليك المُلوك

مقامٌ ركبتَ إليه الخِطارا

How many a stand you have taken in defense of the King of Kings,

reaching it by braving dangers!

وَمُلتبسٍ كَاِلتِباسِ الظّلا

م أضرمتَ فيه من الرّأي نارا

And many a tangled matter, tangled as darkness,

in which you kindled a fire of sound judgment.

وَكُنتَ اليَمينَ بِتلكَ الشُّغوب

وكان الأنام جميعاً يسارا

You were the right hand in those tumults,

while all mankind were the left.

وَلَمّا تَبيّن عُقبى الأمورِ

وأسفَر دَيجورُها فَاِستَنارا

And when the outcome of affairs became clear,

and their deep darkness cleared and grew bright,

دَرى بَعدَ أَن زال ذاكَ المِرا

ءُ مَن بالصّواب عليه أَشارا

he knew, after that dispute had ended,

who had given him sound advice.

وَلَولا دِفاعُك عَمّن تراهُ

رَأَينا أَكفّ رجالٍ قصارا

Were it not for your defense of the one you see,

we would have seen men's hands fall short.

وَلِي نَفثةٌ بينَ هَذا المديحِ

صبرتُ فلم أُعطَ عنها اِصطِبارا

Yet I have a sigh amid this praise:

I endured, but was granted no patience to hold it back.

أَأَدنو إِليك بمحض الوِداد

وتبعُدُ عنّي وداداً وَدارا

Do I draw near to you with pure affection,

while you draw away from me in affection and abode?

وَأُنسى فَلا ذكرَ لِي في المغيبِ

وَما زادَني ذاك إلّا اِدّكارا

And am I forgotten, unmentioned in my absence,

though that has only made me remember you more?

وَإنّي لأخشى وَحوشيتَ من

هُ أنْ يحسب النّاسُ هذا اِزوِرارا

Indeed, I fear—may you be kept far from

it—that people will take this for aversion.

وَلَستُ بمتّهِمٍ للضميرِ

وَلَكنّني أَستزيد الجِهارا

I do not distrust your inner feelings,

but I ask for more open expression.

وَلَو قَبل النّاسُ عُذر اِمرئٍ

لأوسعتُهم عَن سِواي اِعتِذارا

If people would accept a man's excuse,

I would offer them ample excuses on another's behalf.

فَلَيسَ لَهمْ غير ما أبصروهُ

عِياناً وعدّوا سواهُ ضِمارا

But they have nothing beyond what they have seen

with their own eyes, and deem all else uncertain.

وَكانَت جَوابات كتبي تجيئ

إليَّ سِراعاً بفخرٍ غِزارا

Replies to my letters used to come

to me swiftly, copious and full of honor.

فَقَد صرنَ إمّا طوين السّنين

وإمّا وردن خفافا قصارا

Now they either take years to come,

or arrive thin and brief.

وَكيفَ تَخيب صِغارُ الأمورِ

لَدَىْ مَن أَنال الأمورَ الكبارا

And how can small matters come to nothing

with one who has granted great ones?

وَكمْ لِيَ فيك من السّائرا

تِ أنجد سارٍ بها ثمّ غارا

And how many far-traveling verses I have about you—

a traveler bore them to the uplands, then down to the lowlands;

وَمن كَلِمٍ كنبال المصيبِ

وبيتٍ شَرودٍ إذا قيل سارا

and words like a marksman's arrows,

and a roaming verse that travels once uttered.

يغنّي بهنّ الحداةُ الرِّكابَ

ويُسقى بهن الطَّروبُ العُقارا

The camel-drivers sing them to the mounts,

and to their strains the reveler is served wine.

وَأَنتَ الّذي لِمَليك المُلو

كِ صيَّرته راعياً لي فصارا

And you are the one who made the King of Kings

my protector—and so he became.

وَلَمّا بَنيتَ بِساحاتِهِ

أَطلتَ الذُّرا وَرَفعتَ المَنارا

And when you built within his courts,

you made the pinnacles tall and raised the beacon.

فَلا زِلتَ يا فارجَ المشكلاتِ

تنالُ المرادَ وتُكفى الحذارا

May you never cease, O solver of difficulties,

to attain your wishes and be spared what you fear.

وَهُنّئتَ بالمهْرَجانِ الّذي

يعود كما تبتغيه مِرارا

And may you be blessed at Mihragan, which

returns repeatedly as you desire.

يَعودُ بِما شِئتَ شوقاً إليك

مراراً وإنْ لم تُعِره اِنتظارا

It returns with what you wish, longing for you,

again and again, even if you lend it no anticipation.

ولِمْ لا يتيهُ زمانٌ رآ

ك فضلاً لأيّامه وَاِفتِخارا

And why should an age not exult, having seen

you as a distinction and pride for its days?