أعلى الركائب سارت الأحداج — Sharif Al Murtaza

أَعلى الرّكائبِ سارتِ الأحداجُ

وَالبينُ ما عنه هناك مَعاجُ

Have the howdahs departed upon the riding camels?

And from separation there is no turning aside there.

لا تطلبوا منّي السلوَّ فليس مِنْ

حاجي ولِي في مَنْ ترحّلَ حاجُ

Do not ask me to forget, for that is not among

my desires; I have need of those who departed.

قالوا اِصطَبرْ والصّبرُ ليس بزائلٍ

مَنْ عنده بالغانياتِ لجاجُ

They said, “Be patient”; but patience cannot turn aside

one obstinately attached to beautiful women.

ودواءُ أمراضِ النفوسِ كثيرة

والحبُّ داءٌ ليس منه علاجُ

The remedies for the maladies of souls are many,

and love is a sickness for which there is no cure.

بَيني وَبَينَ تَجلُّدِي وَتَماسُكي

والعيسُ تُرحلُ للفراق رِتاجُ

Between me and my fortitude and self-command,

as pale camels are saddled for parting, stands a bolted gate.

همْ أوقدوا نارَ الهوى في أضلُعِي

بفراقهمْ يومَ الرّحيل وهاجوا

They kindled the fire of passion within my ribs

through their parting on departure day, and stirred it up.

في ساعَةٍ ما إِنْ بِها إِلّا جوىً

يُضنِي وسيلُ مدامعٍ ثجّاجُ

In an hour containing nothing but burning grief

that wastes me away, and a torrential flood of tears.

عاجوا عَلَينا بالوَداعِ وليس لِي

صَبرٌ عليهِ فَلَيتَهمْ ما عاجوا

They stopped by to bid us farewell, and I have no

patience to bear it—if only they had not stopped!

وَسَرَوْا بمُسْوَدٍّ بهيمٍ ما لهمْ

إِلّا وُجوهُ البيضِ فيه سراجُ

They traveled through a pitch-black night, with no

lamp therein but the faces of fair women.

وَإِذا هُمُ بِالرغمِ منّا أدلجوا

أودى المُتَيَّمَ ذلك الإدلاجُ

And when they traveled by night against our wishes,

that nocturnal journey destroyed the love-stricken one.

وَلَقد نعى وَصْلي لكمْ وبكى بهِ

قبلَ الفراقِ الناعقُ الشَّحّاجِ

Indeed, the death of my union with you was proclaimed and lamented,

before parting, by the harshly cawing crow.

نادى فَأَزعَج كلَّ من لم يأْتِهِ

لولاهُ إقلاقٌ ولا إزعاجُ

It cried out, disturbing everyone who would have known no

anxiety or alarm but for it.

لِمْ شِرْبُكُمْ عندي النّميرُ وعندكمْ

شِرْبي على الظّمإ الشديد أُجاجُ

Why is your draught with me sweet and pure, while with you

my draught, despite intense thirst, is briny?

وَإِذا ضَنِنْتُمْ بِالعَطاءِ فليتَهُ

ما كان إفقارٌ ولا إحواجُ

And if you begrudge giving, would that it

neither impoverished anyone nor drove them into need.

وَالبُخلُ مِلْءُ بيوتِكمْ فليتَهُ

يُثرِي ويَغْنى منكمُ المحتاجُ

Miserliness fills your houses; would that it

bestowed wealth, and the needy among you grew rich.

وَأَنا الفَصيحُ فَإِن شَكوت إليكُمُ

جَنَفَ الغرامِ فإنّني اللّجلاجُ

I am eloquent; yet if I complain to you

of love’s injustice, I am a stammerer.

وَفَلاحُ قلبٍ لا يُرجّى بعدما

وَلِيَتْ عليه الطّفلةُ المِغْناجُ

A heart’s salvation cannot be hoped for once

the coquettish young maiden has taken command of it.

أقسمتُ بالبيتِ الحرامِ وحولَهُ

للزَّائريهِ من الوفودِ ضُجَاجُ

I swear by the Sacred House, around which

visitors from the delegations raise a clamor.

عَرَقَتْهُمُ حتّى أتَوْهُ هُزّلاً

بِيدٌ عِراضٌ دونَه وفجاجُ

They were worn down until they reached it gaunt

by broad deserts and mountain passes on the way to it.

ومِنى وبُدْنٍ ما صُرِعْنَ بتُربها

إلّا لتُبزلَ عنده الأوداجُ

And by Mina, and sacrificial camels felled upon its soil

only for their jugular veins to be slit there.

والمَوْقِفَيْن عليها وَإِليهِما

طَلبَ النَّجا وتزاحمَ الحُجّاجُ

And by the two stations there, toward which

the pilgrims sought salvation and pressed together:

لولايَ لم يكُ للنّدى سيلٌ ولا

في الرَّوع إلجامٌ ولا إسْراجُ

Were it not for me, generosity would have no torrent, nor

would there be bridling or saddling in times of peril.

ما ضَرّنِي أَنْ لَيسَ فَوق مَفارقِي

تاجٌ ومن فضلِي عليَّ التّاجُ

It does not harm me that above the partings of my hair

there is no crown; my own merit is my crown.

وأنَا الغبينُ لئنْ رضِيتُ بأن تُرى

فوقِي العيوبُ وتحتِيَ الهِمْلاجُ

I am the dupe if I am content to be seen

with faults upon me and a smooth-gaited steed beneath me;

وبأنْ تَقِلَّ مكارمٌ مِنّي ولي

ثَمَرٌ كثيرٌ سائغٌ وخَراجُ

and to let my noble deeds be few, though I have

abundant, palatable fruit and revenue.

وَالضّاحكون بيومِهمْ ما فيهمُ

إِلّا الّذي هو في غدٍ نشّاجُ

Among those laughing today, there is none

but one who will be sobbing tomorrow.

دَعْ مَن يكون جمالهُ وفخارهُ

في الفاخرين الوَشْيُ والدّيباجُ

Leave aside anyone whose beauty and pride

among the boastful are embroidery and brocade.

فثيابُ مِثلي يومَ سِلْمٍ عِفّةٌ

وَثيابُ جسمي في اللّقاءِ عَجاجُ

The garments of one like me in peace are self-restraint,

and my body’s garments in battle are swirling dust.

قل للأُلى سَخِطوا الجميلَ فما لهمْ

يوماً إلى كسبِ العُلا مِنهاجُ

Say to those who resent goodness: they have no

path, ever, to winning high rank.

لَو شِئتُمُ أَن تَعلموا لَعَلمتمُ

عِلمي فَلَيسَ على العلومِ سياجُ

Had you wished to learn, you would have learned

what I know, for no fence surrounds knowledge.

ما فيكمُ لولاي لو أنصفتُمُ

دخّالُ كلِّ كريهةٍ خَرّاجُ

Were it not for me—if you judged fairly—you would have none

who plunges into every ordeal and finds his way out.

كلُّ الفضائلِ في يدَيَّ وما لكمْ

منهنّ أفرادٌ ولا أزواجُ

All virtues lie in my hands; you have not

a single one of them, nor a pair.

ومعالِمِي خضرُ الذوائب لم يَسِرْ

فيهنّ إخلاقٌ ولا إنْهاجُ

My landmarks have green crests; no

wear or fraying has crept into them.

ولقد ظهرتُ فليس يُخفِي شُهرتِي

في النّاسِ إدراجٌ ولا إدماجُ

I have indeed become prominent; my renown cannot be hidden

among people by folding away or wrapping up.

وعَشِيتُمُ مِنّي وفوقَ رؤوسِكمْ

بِالرّغمِ يَلمع كوكبي الوهّاجُ

You have been dazzled by me; above your heads,

despite yourselves, my blazing star shines.

فالمَكْرُماتُ عقيمةٌ منكمْ ولِي

منهنّ في كلّ الزّمان نتاجُ

Noble deeds are barren in you, while I have

offspring from them throughout all time.

ما فيكُمُ صفوٌ ولكنْ أنتُمُ

كَدَرٌ لصفوٍ في الورى ومزاجُ

There is no purity in you; rather, you are

sediment and adulteration of the purity among mankind.

قوموا أَروني تابعاً فرداً لكمْ

ودعوا الّذي أتباعُهُ الأفواجُ

Rise, show me one single follower of yours,

and leave alone him whose followers come in throngs.

وَالنّقصُ مُلتَحفٌ بكمْ ما فيكُمُ

عنهُ المحيصُ ولا له إفراجُ

Imperfection is wrapped around you; among you there is

no escape from it, nor any release from it.

حتّى سوَيعاتُ السّرور قصيرةٌ

فيكمْ ووضعُ الحاملاتِ خِداجُ

Even the little hours of joy are brief

among you, and those with child give birth prematurely.

وإذا رضيتُمْ بالحُطامِ فلا اِرتَوى

صادٍ ولا اِمتَلأتْ لكمْ أعفاجُ

And if you are content with worldly dross, may no

thirsty one drink his fill, nor your bowels be filled.

مَن لِي بخِلٍّ يستوي لِيَ عنده

يُسرِي وعُسرِي والغِنى والحاجُ

Who will find me a friend whose regard for me is the same

in my ease and hardship, in wealth and need?

وإذا عَرَتْنِي في الزّمانِ شديدةٌ

فهو المكثِّفُ كَرْبهَا الفَرّاجُ

And when, in the course of time, a calamity befalls me,

he is the one who intensifies its anguish, the one who dispels it.

ما يستوي جَدْبٌ وخِصْبُ لا ولا

وَشَلٌ وبحرٌ فائضٌ عجّاجُ

Drought and abundance are not equal—no, nor are

a trickle and an overflowing, roaring sea.

بِتْنا وَنَحن المُعرِقون تقودنا

بين العِدى وتسوقنا الأعلاجُ

We spent the night, though of ancient lineage, being led

among enemies and driven by foreign louts.

ما وِرْدُنا في الدّهرِ إلّا رَنقُهُ

وَلَنا الإضاعةُ فيه والإمراجُ

Our draught from time is nothing but its murk,

and our lot in it is neglect and disorder.

لا خيرَ في هامٍ بِغَيرِ أزِمّةٍ

فينا وسَجْلٍ ليس فيه عِناجُ

There is no good in heads without reins

among us, nor in a bucket without a supporting rope.

وَمِنَ الضرورةِ أَن يَكون معَ الثرى ال

ندبُ الخفيفُ إذا علا الهِلباجُ

And it is inevitable that in the dust should lie the

resourceful, nimble man when the lumbering fool rises high.

ما حقُّ مِثلِي وهو ممّن قولُهُ

يسرِي إلى الآفاق منه لِهاجُ

What is the due of one like me, one whose words

travel from him to the horizons, ceaselessly resounding?