أجد غرامي وهو للجسم هازل — Shehab Al Din Al Khalouf

أجَدَّ غَرَامِي وَهْوَ لِلْجسمِ هَازِلُ

وَأحْيَا بِأفْكَارِي الهَوَى وَهْوَ قَاتِلُ

My passion has grown earnest, though it wastes the body;

and through my thoughts love comes alive, though it kills.

وَلَمْ أرَ مِثْلِي حَافِظاً سُنَنَ الهَوَى

إذَا أعرضَتْ عَنْهُ الصدُورُ المَوَائِلُ

I have seen none like me preserving love's ways

when wavering hearts turn away from it.

إذَا أحْدَثَتْ عَيْنِي لِغَيْرِكَ نَظْرَةً

تُطَهِّرُهَا غُدْرَانُ دَمْعِي المُرَاسِلُ

If my eye casts a glance toward anyone but you,

the pools of my unceasing tears cleanse it.

لِنَاظركَ الفَتَّانِ بالسِّحْرِ آيَةٌ

عَلَيْهَا رَسُولُ الدَّمْعِ فِي الخدّ سائِلُ

Your bewitching eye has a wondrous sign of magic,

for which the messenger of tears flows upon my cheek.

يُعَبِّرُ عَنْ سِرّ الهَوَى وَأضِيعُهُ

فَلِلَّهِ دَمعٌ مُعْرِبٌ وَهْوَ هَامِل

It expresses love's secret, and I let it slip away;

by God, how wondrous are eloquent tears as they stream!

وَهَلْ ذَاقَنِي دَمْعٌ من الدمعِ مُخْصبٌ

وَرَبْع اصطبَار القلبِ بعدَكَ مَاحِل

Has any tear, fertile among tears, ever tasted me,

while the abode of my heart's patience lies barren after you?

أيَا قمرَ الإصبَاحِ وَالكوْكَبَ الَّذِي

لِطَلْعَتِهِ تصْبُوا البدور الكوَامِلُ

O moon of daybreak, and star

for whose appearance the full moons yearn,

لَئِنْ كَانَ طرفي من تَجَافِيكَ نَازِحاً

فَإنَّ فُؤَادِي من تَدَانِيكَ آهِلُ

if your estrangement has made my gaze far removed,

my heart is inhabited through your nearness.

سَهِدْتُ الدجَى حَتَّى رَثَتْ لي نجومُه

وَرَقَّتْ لِمَا ألْقَاهُ فِيهِ العَوَاذِلُ

I lay awake through darkness until its stars pitied me,

and my reproachers softened at what I suffer there.

وَمِمَّا شَجَانِي أن طرفَكَ قَاتِلٌ

بِمُوجِبِ ما قَلْبِي بِهِ الآن فَاعِلُ

Among my sorrows is that your glance is deadly,

as shown by what my heart now does under its influence.

فَلاَ تَتَّهمْ تَأخِيرَ وجْدِي فَإنَّنِي

أتيتُ بِمَا لمْ تَسْتَطِعْهُ الأوَائِلُ

Do not accuse my passion of delay, for I

have achieved what the ancients could not.

خَلِيليَّ هَلْ عَايَنْتُمَا يوم رَامَةٍ

قواتل قد حَنَّتْ إلَيْهَا المَقَاتِلُ

My two friends, did you behold on the day of Rāma

slayers for whom the body's vital spots yearned?

غدَاةَ قدودِ البان سمرٌ عوَاملٌ

وسودُ عيُونِ البِيضِ بِيضٌ قَوَاتِلُ

That morning, bān-like figures were brown spear-shafts,

and the dark eyes of fair women were deadly bright swords.

وَفَيِ النَّاسِ جَهْلٌ بِالعُيُونِ إذَا رَنَتْ

يَقُولُونَ غزلاَنٌ وهن مَنَاصِلُ

People are ignorant of eyes when they gaze:

they say, 'Gazelles,' though they are blades.

وَعِنْدَهُمُ أن القدُودَ نَوَاضِرٌ

وَمَا هِيَ لِلْعُشَّاقِ إلاَّ ذَوَابِلُ

They think the slender forms are fresh and flourishing,

yet for lovers they are nothing but withered spears.

فَإنْ حَكَمُوا أنَّ العُيُونَ صَوَارِمٌ

فَشَاهِدُهَا أن الدَّلاَلَ حَمَائِلُ

If they judge the eyes to be sharp swords,

their proof is that coquetry forms the sword-belts.

وَإنْ اجمعُوا أن النُهودَ أسنَّةٌ

فَبرْهَانُهُمْ أن القدُودَ عَوَامِلُ

If they agree that breasts are spearheads,

their proof is that the figures are spear-shafts.

وَبي غَادةٌ لَوْلاَ تبسم ثغرهَا

لَمَا مُدَّ مِنْ نُورِ البُكُورِ الأصَائِلُ

I am taken with a tender maiden; but for her mouth's smile,

late afternoons would not be supplied with morning's light.

إذَا ما انْثَنَتْ في الروضِ أغْصَانُ قَدّهَا

فَيَا طِيبَ مَا تُثْنِي عَلَيْهَا البلاَبلُ

Whenever the boughs of her figure sway in the garden,

how sweetly the nightingales praise her!

وَإن أسفَرتْ عَنْ وَاضِحِ الحسنِ أوْ رنتْ

فَيَا لُطْفَ مَا تُهدِيهِ تِلْكَ الشَّمَائِلُ

When she unveils radiant beauty, or casts a glance,

how gentle the gifts those graces bestow!

أغَازِلُ مِنْهَا الظبيَ والظبْيُ نَاعس

وَأشهدُ مِنْهَا البَدْرَ وَالبَدْرُ آفلُ

In her I court the gazelle, and the gazelle is drowsy;

in her I behold the full moon, and the moon is setting;

وَألثمُ مِنْهَا الثغرَ وَالثغرُ بَارقٌ

وَأهْصُرُ مِنْهَا القدَّ وَالقَد عَامِلُ

I kiss her mouth, and her mouth flashes;

I bend her figure, and her figure is a spear-shaft.

فَللِشَّمْسِ مَا أخْفَاهُ فَضْلُ نِقَابِهَا

وَلِلْغُصْنِ مَا زَرَّتْ عَلَيْه الغَلاَئِلُ

The sun claims what the trailing length of her veil conceals,

and the bough claims what her fine robes button over.

أتَتْ بَغْتَةً وَالجَو يخضبُ فودَهُ

فَوَلَّتْ وَأفْقُ الفَرْقِ بِالشيبِ فَاصِلُ

She came suddenly, while the sky was dyeing its temple-lock,

then departed as gray divided the horizon's hair-parting.

عَلَى حِينِ نجمُ الصبحِ في الأفق فَارِسٌ

يَجُولُ وَنجمُ اللَّيْلِ في الغربِ رَاحِلُ

At a time when the morning star was a horseman on the horizon,

ranging about, while the star of night departed in the west.

أيَا سَرْحَةَ الشَّاطِي هَلِ أخْضَرَّ بعدنَا

مَرَاتعُ طَابَتْ فِي حِمَاهَا المَنَاهِلُ

O spreading tree by the shore, have there grown green since we left

pastures whose sheltered watering places were sweet?

وَضَاحَكَ ثغرَ الوردِ ثغرُ أقَاحِهَا

وَغَازَلَهَا ذَاكَ الغَزَالُ المُغَازِلُ

Has the mouth of its daisies exchanged smiles with the rose's mouth,

and has that courting gazelle courted it?

وَهَلْ غَرَّدَ القُمْرِي فِي عَرَصَاتِهَا

كَمَا هَزَّ أعطَافَ الغُصُونِ الشَّمَائِلُ

Has the turtledove sung in its open grounds,

as north winds shook the flanks of the boughs?

وَهَلْ ألِفَاتُ البَانِ عُجْباً تَمَايَلَتْ

بِحَيْثُ أجَادَتْ هَمْزَهُنَّ البَلاَبِلُ

Have the alifs of the bān trees swayed in pride,

where nightingales deftly added their hamzas?

وَهَلْ قَدْ رَوَى النعمَانُ عن سَهْلِ نُعْمِهَا

أحَادِيثَ ألْقَتْهَا الصَّبَا وَالشَّمَائِلُ

Has al-Nuʿmān, the anemone, recounted from the plain of its delights

tales delivered by the east breeze and the north winds?

وَهَلْ جَالَ فِيهَا أدْكَنُ الرَّعْدِ جَودَهُ

كَمَا جَرَّ فضلَ الذيلِ أدهمُ صَاهِلُ

Has the dark thundercloud ranged there with its downpour,

as a neighing black steed dragged its trailing tail?

وَهَلْ حَنَّتِ الأنْوَار شَرْقاً لِتُرْبِها

فَصِيغَتْ لَهَا بِالبَارِقَاتِ بَلاَبِل

Have the lights yearned eastward for its soil,

so that nightingales were fashioned for it from lightning flashes?

وَلاَ عَجَبٌ أنْ شَاقَ قَلْبِي رُبوعَها

وَأيَّةُ نَفْسٍ لَمْ تَشُقْهَا المَنَازِلُ

No wonder its dwellings have stirred my heart's longing;

what soul have dwelling places not stirred to longing?

وَإنْ هَيَّجَتْ نفسِي الغَدَاةَ شَمَائِلٌ

فَأيَّةٌ نَارٍ لَمْ تُهِجْهَا الشَّمَائِلُ

If graces have roused my soul this morning,

what fire have north winds not fanned?

بنفسيَ من اخفى التَّهَجُّدَ خَدَّهَا

فَأوْحَشَ نُعْمَانٌ وَأوْنَسَ بَابِلُ

My soul for her whose cheek night vigil has concealed,

so Nuʿmān grew deserted and Babylon inhabited.

تُطَاعِنُنِي أعْطَافُهَا اللُّدْنُ إذ غدت

أسِنَّتَهَا تِلْكَ القدُودُ العَوَامِلُ

Her supple sides thrust spears at me, since

those shaft-like figures have become their spearheads.

وَتَأسَرُنِي الألحَاظُ مِنْهَا كَأنَّمَا

بِسَيْفِ أمِيرِ المُؤْمِنِينَ تُقَاتِلُ

Her sidelong glances capture me, as though

she fought with the Commander of the Faithful's sword—

أبِي عمرٍو الأعْلَى الهمامِ الذي ارْتقى

منَازِلَ عَنْهَا يَقْصُرُ المُتَطَاوِلُ

Abū ʿAmr, the exalted, valiant one, who ascended

to stations beyond the reach of those who strive upward.

فَتىً عَمَرَتْ مِنْهُ المَعَالِي وَلم تَكُنْ

تُعَمَّرُ مِمَّنْ بَانَ إلاَّ المَنَازِلُ

A youth through whom high honors were built up, whereas

those now departed had built up nothing but dwellings.

سرَاجٌ لبيت المُلْكِ إذْ هُوَ مُظْلِمٌ

وَحَلْيٌ لجيد الدهْر إذْ هُوَ عَاطِلُ

A lamp for the royal house when it is dark,

and an ornament for Time's neck when it is bare.

وَمِنْهُ لِدِينِ اللَّهِ سَيْفٌ وَنَاصِرٌ

وَفِيهِ لبيتِ الملكِ حَامٍ وَحَامِلُ

From him God's religion has a sword and a champion,

and in him the royal house has a defender and supporter.

أخُو الباس وَالنُّعْمَى فَإمَّا حماسة

وَأما حسَامٌ صَادقُ القَوْلِ فَاصِلُ

A man of valor and bounty—now heroic ardor,

now a keen sword, true to its word and decisive.

إذَا افْتَرَّ ثغرُ البِيضِ في أفْقِ كَفَّهِ

بَكَتْ سُحْبُ أهدَابِ الجرَاحِ الهَوامِلُ

When the mouth of bright swords smiles on his palm's horizon,

the pouring clouds of wounds' lashes weep.

من القَوْمِ حَلُّوا ذُرْوَةَ المجدِ وَالتُّقَى

فَهُمْ في سَمَا العَلْيَا البدُورُ الكَوَامِلُ

Of a people who dwelt on the summit of glory and piety,

they are the full moons in the sky of eminence.

يَرُوغُونَ مِنْ تَحْتِ الدرُوع كَأنَّمَا

تَسِيرُ بِهم تَحْتَ السرُوجِ الهيَاكِلُ

They dart about beneath their armor, as though

massive steeds carried them beneath the saddles.

ولما طَغَى حصنُ البَرَابِر واغتدت

معَاقِلُهُ تَحْمِي حِمَاهَا الجَنَادِلُ

When the Berbers' fortress grew insolent, and

its strongholds had boulders guarding their precincts,

أقَامَ صَلاَةَ الحَرْبِ قَائِمُ سَيْفهُ

فَأبْدَتْ سجُودَ الخَوْفِ تِلْكَ المعاقِلُ

his sword's hilt established the prayer of war,

and those strongholds showed the prostration of fear.

وَخَاضَ بسفنِ الخَيْلِ بحرَ معَامعٍ

لَهَا البيضُ مَوْجٌ وَالرمَاحُ سَوَاحِلُ

With the ships of horses, he plunged into a sea of battle,

where bright swords were waves and spears were shores.

وأوَطُأ هاَم الحَصن حاَفر طَرفه

ومن قبلِ لم يسَتأصلْ الحصَن صَائِلُ

He made his steed's hoof trample the fortress's crowns,

which no assailant had uprooted before.

بِحَيْثُ الحسَامُ الهُنْدَوَانِي فَاصِلٌ

يَصُولُ وَهَامَاتُ الرّجَالِ مَفَاصِلُ

There the Indian-forged blade cleaves,

charging, while men's heads are joints.

وَحَيْثُ إمَاءُ الثَاكلِينَ حَرَائِرٌ

وَحَيْثُ نِسَاءُ الهَالِكِين ثَواكِلُ

There the bondwomen of the bereaved are freewomen,

and there the slain men's wives are bereaved.

رَمَاهُ وَقَدْ هَاجَ الهيَاجُ بِضَرْبَةٍ

لَهَا مِنْ يَدَيْهِ فِي المُلُوكِ أمَائِلُ

He struck it, when the tumult raged, with a blow

whose like his hands had dealt among kings.

وَشَنَّ بِهِ الغَارَاتِ حَتَّى لَقَدْ غَدَا

وَعَقْلُ الَّذِي خَلفَ المَعَاقِلِ عَاقِلُ

He launched raids against it until at last

the mind of the one behind the strongholds became rational.

وَمَا زَالَ حَتَّى اذعنَ الحصن عُنْوَةً

وَدَانَتْ عَلَى صِغْرٍ لَدَيْهِ القَبَائِلُ

He did not cease until the fortress yielded by force,

and the tribes submitted in humiliation before him.

وَحَكَّمَ فِيمَنْ لَدَّ عَنْهُ مُهَنَّدٌ

سَرِيعُ قَضَاءٍ صَادِقُ القَوْلِ فَاعِلُ

He set an Indian sword to judge those who resisted him—

swift in judgment, true to its word and effective.

وَقَدْ يَكْبرُ الخطبُ اليسير فَيَجْتَنِي

أكَابِرُ قَوْمٍ مَا جَنَتْهُ الأسَافِلُ

A small affair may grow great, so that

a people's great men reap what their lowliest have wrought.

كَمَا أهْلَكَتْ بكرٌ طُغَاةَ حماتِهَا

فَحَلَّ ببكرٍ مَا تَقَاضَاهُ وَائِلُ

As Bakr destroyed the tyrants among its protectors,

there befell Bakr what Wāʾil exacted.

أيَا مَالِكاً منْ طبعِهِ الجد في النُّهَى

إذَا ضَيَّعَ التَّدْبِيرَ فِي الرَّأيِ هَازِلُ

O sovereign, whose nature is earnest wisdom,

when a jester wastes deliberation in counsel!

تُقَابِلُكَ الأعْيَادُ ذَا فِي قُدُومِهِ

بِحَمْدٍ وَذَا بِالشُّكْرِ إذْ هُوَ رَاحِلُ

The festivals greet you—this one upon its arrival

with praise, and that with thanks as it departs.

كَأنَّ هِلاَلَ العِيدِ زَوْرَقُ قَادِمٍ

يُبَادِرُ بِالتَّسْلِيمِ ثُمَّ يُوَاصِلُ

The festival crescent is like an arriving traveler's skiff,

hastening with greetings, then continuing its visit.

أأجْحَدُكَ النَعْمَاءَ عندِي وَقد نَمَتْ

نُمُوَ الربَى جَادَتْ عَلَيْهَا الهَوَاطِلُ

Could I deny your bounty to me, when it has grown

like hills richly watered by pouring rains?

وَاظهرتَ أمَرِي بَعْدَ أنْ كَانَ مختفٍ

وَرَفَّعْتَ قَدْرِي بَعْدَ إذْ هُوَ خَامِلُ

You brought my affairs to light after they had been hidden,

and raised my standing after it had been obscure.

فَلَسْتُ أبَالِي جَادَ بِالخَيْرِ فَاضِلٌ

عَلَى سَائِلٍ أوْ ضَنّ بِالخَيْرِ بَاخِلُ

So I care not whether a worthy man bestows good

upon a petitioner, or a miser withholds good.

فَدُمْ أشْرَفَ العَلْيَا فسعدُكَ ظَاهِرٌ

وجدك مسعُودٌ وَمَجْدُكَ كَامِلُ

Live on, noblest of the exalted: your good fortune shines,

your lot is blessed, and your glory complete.