دع الجزع عن يمناك لا عن شمالكا — Sharif Al Murtaza

دعِ الجِزْعَ عن يُمناك لا عن شمالكا

فلِي شَجَنٌ أحنو عليه هنالكَا

Leave the valley-bend on your right, not on your left;

for there I have a sorrow that I cherish.

وقفْ بِي وإنْ سار المطيُّ بأهلِهِ

وجُدْ لي به واِجعله بعضَ حِبائكا

Stop with me, though the riding camels carry their riders onward,

and grant me this generously, as part of your bounty.

ولولا الهوى ما بتّ أسأل باخلاً

وآملُ مَنّاناً وأعشَقُ فارِكا

Were it not for love, I would not spend the night begging a miser,

nor hope in one who taunts with favors, nor passionately love one who spurns me.

ومَن ذا الّذي لولاه ذلّلَ صَعْبَتِي

وليَّنَ منّي للشَّموسِ العرائِكا

Who, without Love, could have tamed my unruliness

and softened my nature for the headstrong woman—

من اللّائي يفضحن الغصون نضارةً

وبالجِيد يُخجِلْنَ الظِّباءَ الأواركا

one of those whose freshness puts branches to shame,

whose necks shame the arak-grazing gazelles?

عَفَفْنَ فما اِستَشهدن يومَ تفاخرٍ

عَلى عَبَقِ الأفواه إلّا المساوِكا

Chaste, on a day of boasting they called no witnesses

to their mouths' fragrance except their tooth-cleaning sticks.

ولمّا أرَتْنا ساعةُ البين عَنْوَةً

وجوهاً وِضاءً أو شعوراً حوالكا

When the hour of parting forced us to behold

radiant faces or raven-black hair,

نزعنا ثيابَ الحِلْمِ عنّا خلاعةً

فلم نَرَ إلّا سادراً متهالكا

we cast off the garments of restraint in abandon,

and saw only the dazed and distraught,

وإلّا بدوراً بالرّحيل كواسفاً

وإلّا شموساً بالحدوجِ دوالكا

and full moons eclipsed by departure,

and suns setting in camel litters,

وَمُنتَقِباتٍ بالجمال ملكْنَنا

وما كنّ لِي لولا الجمالُ موالكا

and veiled women who mastered us through beauty—

without beauty, they would not have been my mistresses.

قتلن ولم يشهرن سيفاً وإنّما

شَهرنَ وجوهاً طَلْقةً ومضاحكا

They killed without drawing a sword; they only

displayed smiling faces and laughing mouths.

فأقسمتُ بالبُزلِ الهِجانِ ضوامراً

يَرِدْن بنا البيتَ الحرامَ رواتكا

So I swore by the mature, purebred white camels, lean,

that bear us quick-stepping to the Sacred House,

ويُبْصَرْنَ من بعد الكَلالِ نواحلاً

وقد كنّ من قبل الرّحيلِ توامكا

seen emaciated after exhaustion,

though before the journey they had lofty humps.

بَرَكنَ على وادي مِنىً بعد شِقْوَةٍ

ومِن بعد أنْ قضَّيْنَ منّا المناسكا

They knelt in the valley of Mina after hardship,

after completing the pilgrimage rites for us,

ومِن بعد أنْ طرّحن أحلاسَ أظهُرٍ

أكَلْن ظهوراً بالسُّرى وحواركا

and after casting saddlecloths off their backs,

cloths that had worn down backs and withers through night travel.

أبَيْنَ وما يأبينَ إلّا نجابةً

قُبيلَ بلوغٍ للمرامِ المباركا

They refused, and their refusal was nothing but noble breeding,

just before reaching the blessed goal.

وما قِلْنَ إلّا بعد لأْيٍ وبعد ما

قطعن اللّوى قَطْعَ المَدا والدَّكادِكا

They rested at noon only after toil, and after

cutting through winding sands and low hills as knives cut.

لقد حلّ ركنُ الدّين ما شاء من رُبىً

وطالتْ معاليه الجِبالَ السّوامكا

Rukn al-Din attained whatever heights he wished,

and his lofty merits overtopped the towering mountains.

وما زال نهّاضاً إلى المجد ثائراً

وذا شَغَفٍ بالْعِزِّ والفخر سادكا

He has ever risen resolutely toward glory,

steadfastly devoted to honor and distinction.

فإنْ طلب الأقوامُ عوناً على عُلاً

توحَّدَ لا يبغِي العَوِينَ المشاركا

If other men seek help in reaching eminence,

he stands alone, seeking no partner's aid.

رضيتُك ما ملكَ الملوك من الورى

لقلبِيَ من دون البريّةِ مالكا

As long as kings rule over mankind, I have chosen you

as my heart's master, above all creation.

ولمّا ثنتْ كفّي عليك أنامِلِي

تَركتُ اِحتقاراً كلَّ مَن كان مالكا

When my hand closed its fingers around you,

I scornfully abandoned every other ruler.

فإنْ كنتُ قد قلقلتُ شرقاً ومغرباً

فَها أنا ذا ربُّ المطيِّ بَواركا

If I have roamed restlessly east and west,

here I am, master of camels now kneeling.

فما لي اِنتِقالٌ بعد مَغنىً غنيتُه

وما لي اِرتِحالٌ بعد يومِ لقائكا

I have no further move after dwelling in this abode,

nor any departure after the day I met you.

وَأَنتَ الّذي فُتّ الملوكَ فلم يكنْ

لعالِي البنا في المجدِ مثلُ علائكا

You are the one who surpassed the kings, and none

whose edifice of glory is lofty can match your heights.

أبَوْا وأبَيْتَ الضَّيْمَ فينا ولم يكنْ

لكلّ أُباةِ الضَّيمِ مثلُ إبائكا

They and you refused humiliation among us, but none

of those who reject humiliation has defiance equal to yours.

وقد علم المُعْطَوْنَ بعد سؤالهمْ

بأنّك تُغنِي الفقر قبل سؤالكا

Those who receive gifts after asking have learned

that you relieve poverty before anyone asks you.

وكم لك من فضلٍ حقرتَ مكانَه

وإنْ هو أخزى حاتِماً والبرامكا

How many a favor of yours you have held in little regard,

though it puts Hatim and the Barmakids to shame!

علوتَ عن السّامِي إليك بطرفِهِ

فأين من الرّاقين حول جبالكا

You rose beyond those who lift their gaze toward you;

where, then, are those climbing about your mountains?

وما سلّموا حتّى رأوك محلِّقاً

يشقُّ على الأيْدِين بُعْدُ مَنالكا

They did not concede until they saw you soaring,

so far beyond reach that even the mighty struggle.

فإنْ خبروا بالفضل منك رقابةً

فقد شاهدوا ما شاهدوا من جلالكا

If they have known your vigilance through your excellence,

they have indeed witnessed what they have witnessed of your majesty.

ومَن كان ذا ريبٍ به في شجاعةٍ

وبأْسٍ يَسَلْ عنه الوَغى والمعاركا

Whoever harbors doubt about his courage

and might, let him ask battle and the battlefields about him,

غداةَ أَسالَ الطَّعنُ في ثُغرِ العِدا

كما شاءَت الأيدي الدّماءَ السّوافكا

on the morning spear-thrusts made flow at the enemy's frontiers

the streaming blood, as the hands willed.

وَما حملتْ يُمناه إلّا صوارماً

لِكُلّ وريدٍ من كميٍّ بواتكا

His right hand bore only keen swords,

severing every armored warrior's jugular vein.

وَلَمّا اِستطار البغيُ فيهمْ أطَرْتَ في

طِلابهمُ من ذي الجيادِ السَّنابكا

When aggression spread among them, you sent flying in

pursuit of them the hooves of those fine steeds.

فروّيتَ منهمْ أسمرَ اللّون ذابلاً

وحكّمتَ فيهمْ أبيضَ اللّونِ باتكا

You slaked the slender, brown-shafted spear with their blood,

and gave the white, cleaving sword mastery over them.

وما شعروا حتّى رأوها مغيرةً

عجالاً لأطرافِ الشَّكِيمِ لوائكا

Before they knew it, they saw the steeds charging,

swiftly, champing the ends of their bits.

يُخَلْنَ ذئاباً يَبتدِرْن إِلى القِرى

وإلّا سيولاً أو رياحاً سواهكا

They seemed wolves rushing toward a feast,

or torrents, or scouring winds.

ويُلْقَيْنَ من قبل اللّقاءِ عوابساً

وبعد طلوع النَّصر عُدْنَ ضواحكا

They were seen scowling before battle,

and once victory dawned, they returned smiling.

وفوق القَطا منهنّ كلُّ مغامرٍ

إذا تارَكُوه الحربَ لم يكُ تاركا

On their rumps rode every daring warrior,

who would not cease even if they ceased warring with him.

يخيضُ الظُّبا ماءَ النّحورِ من العِدا

ويخضبُ منهمْ بالدّماءِ النّيازكا

He makes blade-edges wade in the water of enemy throats,

and dyes his javelins with their blood.

ولَو شئتَ حكّمتَ الصّوارمَ فيهمُ

وسُمراً طِوالاً للنُّحُور هواتكا

Had you wished, you could have given keen swords mastery over them,

and long brown spears, rending throats,

فَسقّيتَهمْ حتّى اِرتَوَوْا أكؤُسَ الرّدى

وَحرّقْتَهمْ حتّى اِمّحوا بأُوارِكا

and made them drink cups of death until they drank their fill,

and burned them in your blaze until they were obliterated.

وضربُ طُلىً قطّ الطُّلى متواتراً

وطعنُ كُلىً عطّ الكُلى متداركا

Successive blows to necks severed necks,

and close-following thrusts at kidneys tore kidneys.

فإنْ رجعوا منها بهُلْكِ نفوسهمْ

فأيديهمُ جرّتْ إليها المهالكا

If they came back from it with their lives destroyed,

their own hands had brought destruction upon them.

فقضّيتَ مِن أوطارنا كلَّ حاجةٍ

وأخرجتَ أوتاراً لنا وحَسائكا

You fulfilled every need among our desires,

and drew out our grudges and thorns.

وكنتَ متى لاذوا بعفوك صافحاً

وإنْ معكوا كنتَ الألَدَّ المماعكا

Whenever they sought refuge in your pardon, you forgave,

but if they contended, you were their fiercest, most unyielding opponent.

فبشرى بما بُلّغته من إرادةٍ

وشكراً لما أُوتيتَهُ من نَجائكا

Glad tidings for the aim you have been granted,

and thanks for the deliverance bestowed upon you.

وللّهِ عاداتٌ لديك جليلةٌ

يَقُدْنَ إليك النَّصرَ قبل دُعائكا

God has splendid ways of dealing with you,

bringing you victory before your prayer.

وَما كان إلّا اللَّهُ لا شيءَ غيره

مُنجّيك منها والشّفاءُ لدائكا

It was God alone, nothing other than Him,

who delivered you from it, and the cure for your illness.

ولا فِكْرَ فيمن صمَّ لمّا دعوتَه

وربُّ الورى طرّاً مجيب دعائكا

Give no thought to one who turned deaf when you called him,

when the Lord of all mankind answers your prayer.

فإنْ كنتَ يوماً طالباً ناصحاً لكمْ

بلا رِيبَةٍ منه فإنِّيَ ذالكا

If one day you seek a counselor sincerely loyal to you,

with no suspicion of him, then I am that man.

فَما أَنا إِلّا في يديك على العِدا

وفي قَسْمِك الأسنى وتحت لوائكا

I am only in your hands, against your enemies,

and in your choicest share, beneath your banner.

وما لِيَ في ليلي البهيم من الورى

ولا صبحَ فيه غيرُ نور ضيائكا

In my pitch-dark night, I have none among mankind,

nor any dawn there, save the light of your radiance.

فلا تَخشَ مِنِّي جفوةً في نصيحةٍ

وَكيفَ وما لِي خشيةٌ من جفائكا

Do not fear that I will hold aloof from giving counsel;

how could I, when I do not fear your rebuff?

ولا تدّخرْ يوماً لخدمتك الّتي

تَخصّك إلّا الحازمَ المتماسكا

Never reserve for your service, which

is yours alone, anyone but the resolute and steadfast.

ولا تغتررْ بالظّاهراتِ من الورى

فكم يَقِقٍ يتلوه أقتَرُ حالكا

Do not be deceived by people's outward appearances:

many a dazzling whiteness is followed by dust-dark, pitch-black darkness.

وقد خبّر النيروزُ أنّ قدومَه

يُنيخُ السُّعودَ الغُرَّ فوق رجالكا

Nowruz has announced that its arrival

will make radiant good fortunes kneel above your men.

فخذ منه فيما أنت ترجو وتبتغي

على عقبِ الأيّامِ فوق رجائكا

Take from it, in all you hope for and seek,

in the wake of the days, more than your hopes.

ودُمْ لا اِنجَلتْ عنّا شموسُك غُرَّباً

ولا زال عنّا ما لنا من ظِلالكا

Live on; may your suns never depart from us in setting,

and may the shade we have from you never depart from us.