شد غروض المطي مغتربا — Sharif Al Murtaza

شُدَّ غُروضَ المطيّ مُغترِبا

فلم يَفُزْ طالبٌ وما دَأَبا

Tighten the riding camels' girths and venture abroad,

for no seeker has succeeded without persevering.

لا درَّ في النّاس دَرُّ مقتصدٍ

يَأخذ مِن رزقهِ الّذي اِقتربا

May no bounty flow from the cautious man among men,

who takes of his sustenance only what lies near,

يَترك أَن يحمِيَ الذِّمارَ إِذا

ضِيمَ وَيَحمِي اللُّجَيْنَ والذَّهبا

who neglects to defend his honor when

it is violated, yet guards the silver and the gold.

للّهِ دَرُّ الإِباء أعوزه

في جانِبِ الذُّلِّ عزّه فنبا

God bless proud refusal! It found itself deprived

of dignity on abasement's side, and so recoiled.

وَما مُقامُ الكَريمِ في بلدٍ

يُنفق فيه الحياءَ والأَدبا

And why should a noble man remain in a land

where he spends his modesty and good breeding?

ما لِي أَرى المَكرُماتِ عاطلةً

وَالفَضلَ خِلْوَ الفناءِ مُجتَنَبا

Why do I see noble deeds left idle,

and excellence shunned, its courtyard empty?

تفرّقٌ دائمٌ فإنْ عرضتْ

دَنيّةٌ طير نَحوها عُصبا

They are forever scattered; yet if there appears

some base deed, they fly toward it in bands.

هَل لِيَ في الدّهرِ مِن أَخي ثِقَةٍ

يَحتَقِرُ الحادثاتِ والنُّوبا

Is there for me in this world a trustworthy brother

who holds misfortunes and calamities in contempt?

مُمتَعِضِ الأَنفِ إِنْ أهَبْتَ بهِ

شَنَنْتَ في صَحنِ وَجهِهِ الغَضَبا

Quick to bridle with pride, if you call upon him,

you pour anger across the broad surface of his face.

ربّ مقامٍ دَحْضٍ ثبتُّ بهِ

وَلَو خَطاه غَيرُ الجواد كَبا

Many a slippery station I have stood firm in,

where any but the noble would stumble at a step.

وَساعَةٍ لِلعيوبِ كاسيةٍ

نَفَضتُ فيها مِن بُرْدِيَ الرِّيبَا

And many an hour that cloaked faults,

in which I shook suspicions from my mantle.

وَحالِك الجانِبين مُلتبسٍ

أطلعتُ فيه كواكباً شُهُبا

And many a tangled affair, dark on both sides,

in which I made blazing stars rise.

وَأَزْمَةٍ لِلّحومِ عارقةٍ

عَقرتُ في عُقرِ دارِها السَّغبَا

And many a famine that stripped flesh from the bones,

I slaughtered hunger in the heart of its abode.

وَمُقْتِرٍ بَرّحَ الزّمانُ بِهِ

سَبَقتُ فيهِ إِلى اللُّها الطّلبَا

And many an impoverished man whom time sorely tormented,

I brought him gifts before he asked.

وَصاحِبٍ يَمتَرِي النّوافلَ في

ودّي وَلَم يَقتضِني الّذي وجبا

And a companion who milks extra favors from

my affection, without asking me for what was due,

يَرضى بِسُخطِي على الزّمان فإنْ

رضيتُ يوماً عن صرفه غَضِبا

pleased when I am angry with time; but if

I ever approve its turns, he grows angry,

كَأنَّما الضِّغنُ بَينَ أَضلُعِهِ

يُضرّمُ ناراً إِذا أَقولُ خَبا

as though the rancor between his ribs

kindles a fire whenever I say it has died down.

لايَنْتُهُ كَي يرى الجميلَ ولَمْ

أَنْحَتْ بكفّي من عودِه النَّجَبا

I treated him gently so he might see kindness, and did not

carve the bark from his wood with my hand.

وَكنتُ إمَّا مثقِّفاً خَطلاً

منهُ وَإمّا مُداوياً جَرَبا

And I was either straightening some folly

of his, or doctoring some mange.

وَكَم سَقاني الطَّرْقَ الأُجاج فجا

زيتُ زُلالاً تخاله ضَرَبا

How often he made me drink fouled, brackish water; I repaid

him with clear water you would take for white honey.

لا تعطنِي بالزّمان معرفةً

قد ضاق بِي مرّةً وقد رَحُبا

Do not try to teach me about time:

it has hemmed me in before, and has also opened wide.

أيُّ خطوبٍ لم تشفِنِي عِظَةً

وأَيُّ دهرٍ لم أفنِهِ عَجَبا

What calamities have not cured me with their warning?

And what age have I not exhausted in wonder?

ساعاتُ لهوٍ تمرّ مسرعةً

عنّا وتُبقي العناءَ والتَّعبَا

Hours of diversion pass swiftly

away from us, leaving hardship and weariness.

لا تطمعُ النّفسُ أنْ تمتَّعَ بال

آتي ولا تستردَّ ما ذهبا

The soul cannot hope to enjoy what is

to come, nor reclaim what has gone.

وَكلّ حَيٍّ منّا يجاذب حَبْ

ل العمرِ أيّامَه لوِ اِنجَذبا

And each living one of us tugs at the rope

of life against his days—if only it would yield.

وَكَيفَ يَرجو الحياةَ مقتنصٌ

يُغرم منها ضِعفَ الذي كسبا

How can one hunting for life hope to win it,

when he must pay twice what he has gained from it?

إنِّيَ من معشرٍ إذا نُسِبوا

طابوا فروعاً وأَنجبوا حَسَبا

I belong to a people who, when their lineage is traced,

are pure in their branches and noble in ancestral honor.

لا يجد الذّمّ في حريمهمُ

مسعىً ولا العائبون مُضطَرَبا

Censure finds within their sanctuary

no path, nor do faultfinders find room to move.

إذا رضوا أوسعوا الورى نعماً

أو سَخِطوا أوْسعوهُمُ نُوَبا

When pleased, they shower mankind with blessings;

or, when angered, shower them with calamities.

أَو رَكِبوا الهولَ قالَ قائِلهم

أَكرمُنا مَن حياتَه وَهبا

Or, when they ride into terror, their spokesman says,

“The noblest of us is he who gives his life.”

كُلّ جَريءِ الجَنان إنْ هتفتْ

يَوماً بهِ حَومةُ الوغى وثبا

Each is bold of heart: if summoned

one day by the thick of battle, he leaps,

وَمَدّ فيها ذِراعَ قَسْوَرَةً

تَردّ صدرَ القناةِ مُختَضَبا

and stretches out a lion's arm within it,

that brings back the spear's point stained with blood.

إِلى مَتى أَحمِلُ الهُمومَ وَلا

أُلفى مَدَى الدّهر بالغاً أَرَبا

How long must I bear these cares, and never

throughout my days be found attaining a wish?

تَزْوَرُّ عنّي الحقوقُ مُعرِضةً

مَتى أرُمْهُنَّ فُتْنني هَرَبا

My rightful dues swerve away, turning their backs on me;

whenever I seek them, they elude me in flight.

نَهضاً إِلَيها إِمّا علوتُ لها

دَفّىْ ركوبٍ أو مركبا حَدِبا

Rising to pursue them, whether I mount for their sake

a riding beast's flanks or a curved-backed vessel,

إنْ لم أثِرْها مثل القطا الكُدْريّ لا

تَعرف إِلّا الرّسيمَ والخَببا

if I do not rouse them like dusky sandgrouse, knowing no

pace but the rapid stride and the trot,

تَنصاعُ مثلَ النّعام جافلةً

تَترك أَقصى مُرادها كَثِبا

darting away like startled ostriches,

leaving even their farthest destination near—

فَلا دَعوت الحسينَ يُحرز لِي

حُرَّ المَعالي يَومَ الفخارِ أَبا

then may I not call al-Husayn—who secures for me

the choicest honors on boasting's day—my father.

قِرْمٌ إِذا حفّت الخطوبُ بهِ

نَزَعْن عن آخذٍ لها أُهبَا

A mighty chief: when calamities surround him,

they withdraw from one who has prepared for them.

مُجتَمع الرّأيِ بَينَهُنَّ وكَمْ

شعبنَ آراءَ غيره شُعَبا

His judgment stays whole among them; how often

they have split the judgments of others into branches.

يَأْبى وَتَأبى له حَفيظتُهُ

يَركَبُ أَمراً إِلّا إذا صَعُبا

He refuses, and his proud honor forbids him,

to undertake a task unless it is hard,

أَو يَبتَغي في نَجاحِ حاجَتِهِ

إِلّا ظُبا البيضِ وَالقَنا سَببَا

or to seek, for the fulfillment of his need,

any means but the edges of bright swords and spears.

وَكَم لَهُ مِن غَريب مَأثُرَةٍ

تُعجب من ليسَ يألفُ العَجبا

And how many rare deeds of honor he possesses

astonish even those unaccustomed to amazement!

يَكونُ قَولُ الّذي تأمَّلها

لَيسَ المَعالي ونيلُها لَعِبا

Whoever considers them has this to say:

“High honors and their attainment are no game.”

مَكارِمٌ لا تَزالُ غالِبةً

عَلى مَحلّ الفَخارِ من غَلَبا

Noble deeds that never cease to surpass

whoever has prevailed in the realm of glory.

لا يَرهبُ الواصفُ البَليغ وإنْ

أَفرَط فيها عَيباً ولا كَذِبا

The eloquent describer need not fear—even if

he goes to excess in their praise—reproach or falsehood.

وَأَنتَ في كلّ يومِ معركةٍ

تُمطِر من سُحب نقعها العَطَبا

And you, on every day of battle,

rain destruction from its clouds of dust:

إِمّا جبيناً بالتُّرب منعفراً

أو وَدَجاً بالنَّجيع مُنسكبا

either a forehead smeared with earth,

or a jugular pouring out gore,

أَو لِمَّةً نشَّرَتْ غدائرُها

على نواحِي قناتها عَذَبا

or a head of hair, its braids unfurled

as tassels along the sides of its spear.

لَولاك كانت جدّاءَ حائلةً

تُمسحُ أخلافُها ولا حَلَبا

Without you, she would be dry-uddered and barren,

her teats stroked, yielding no milk.

وَمِن عَجيبِ الزّمان أَن يدّعي

شَأْوَك فَسْلٌ لم يعدُ أن كَذِبا

And one of time's marvels is that someone should claim

your reach—a worthless fellow who has merely lied.

لَم يَدرِ وَالجهلُ من سجيّتِهِ

أَنَّكَ أَحرزتَ قبله القَصَبا

He did not know—ignorance being part of his nature—

that you had seized the victor's reed before him,

وَأَنَّهُ لا يَكون رَأساً على ال

أَقوامِ مَن كانَ فيهمُ ذَنَبا

and that no one can be a head over the

peoples if he has been a tail among them.

وَوصمةٌ في الرّجال أن يطأوا

عَقْبَ اِمرِئٍ كان بينهم عَقِبا

It is a stain upon men that they should tread

the heel of a man who was once at their heels,

أَو يَتبعوا ساعةً مِنَ الدّهرِ مَن

كانَ لِمَن شئتَ تابعاً حَقِبا

or follow for one moment of time a man

who for ages followed whomever you please.

وَإِنْ جرَوْا كنتَ أَنت غُرّتَهم

سَبْقاً وَكان الحِزام واللّبَبَا

And if they race, you are the blaze at their head,

in the lead, while he is but girth and breast-strap.

وَقَد دَرى كلُّ مَن لَهُ بصَرٌ

أَنّك سُدتَ العجيم والعَرَبا

And everyone with insight knows

that you have been chief over non-Arabs and Arabs.

وَقُدتهمْ ناشئاً ومنتهياً

ونُبْتَ عنهم تكهّلاً وصِبا

You led them as a youth and when fully grown,

and represented them in manhood and childhood.

وإنْ دَجَوْا كنت فيهمُ قبساً

أَو خَمدوا كنتَ فيهمُ لَهَبا

And if they grew dark, you were a firebrand among them;

or if they went out, you were a flame among them.

وَإِن عَلا بَينهم تَشاجُرهمْ

سَللتَ لِلقولِ مِقْوَلاً ذَرِبا

And if their quarrelling rose among them,

you unsheathed for speech a sharp-edged tongue,

يَأتي بِفَصلٍ مِنَ الخِطابِ لَهمْ

يَقطعُ ذاكَ اللّجاجَ والللّجَبا

which brings them a decisive judgment in speech,

cutting off that wrangling and clamor,

كَلَهْذَمِ الرّمحِ عِندَ طَعنَتِهِ

وَالسّهم أصْمى والسّيف إن ضربا

like the keen point of a spear when it thrusts,

and an arrow that strikes dead, and a sword when it strikes.

وَكُنت فيهم ممّن يحاوِلهمْ

حِصناً حصيناً ومَعْقِلاً أَشِبا

And among them, against whoever assails them, you were

a fortified fortress and a refuge dense as a thicket.