ملكت قلبي في الحكم فاحتكمي — Sibt Ibn Altaawithy

مَلَكتِ قَلبي في الحُكمِ فَاِحتَكِمي

أَفديكِ مِن مالِكٍ وَمِن حَكَمِ

You have taken my heart under your rule; so rule as you please.

I would ransom you, sovereign and judge that you are.

قَد سَئِمَ اللَيلُ فيكِ مِن سَهَري

يا لَيلُ وَالعائِداتُ مِن سَقَمي

The night has wearied of my sleeplessness for you,

O Layla—and the women visiting me, of my sickness.

تَسفَحُ عَيني دَموعَها أَسَفاً

عَلى زَمانٍ بِالسَفحِ لَم يَدُمِ

My eye pours out its tears in grief

for a time at the hillside that did not endure.

يُحدِثُ لي ذِكرُ عَهدِهِ طَرَباً

إِلى لَيالٍ مِن وَصلِنا قُدُمِ

Remembering those days stirs in me a yearning

for bygone nights of our union.

هَبي لِعَينَيَّ زَورَةً مِنكِ في ال

طَيفِ فَلَولا سُراهُ لَم أَنَمِ

Grant my eyes a visit from you in the

dream-vision; without its night journey I would not sleep.

قَد أَقسَمَت لا اِهتَدى الخَيالُ إِلى

جَفني وَبَرَّت لَمياءُ في القَسَمِ

She has sworn that no phantom shall find its way to

my eyelid, and Lamya has kept her oath.

يا عاذِلي مُهدِياً نَصيحَتَهُ

لَو كانَ في النُصحِ غَيرَ مُتَّهَمِ

O my reprover, offering his counsel—

if only he were not suspect in his advice!

يَلومُني في الهَوى وَأَحسِبُهُ

لَو ذاقَ مِنهُ ما ذُقتِ لَم يَلُمِ

He blames me for love, and I think that

had he tasted of it what you tasted, he would not blame me.

خَلِّ مَلامي في حُبِّ ظالِمَةٍ

لَم يَخلُ قَلبي فيها مِنَ الأَلَمِ

Cease blaming me for loving a cruel woman;

my heart has never been free of pain because of her.

شيمَتُها الهَجرُ فَهيَ تَبخَلُ بِال

وَصلِ عَلَينا يَقظى وَفي الحُلُمِ

Estrangement is her nature, so she withholds

union from us, awake and in dreams.

إِن بَخِلَت فَالسَماحُ لي خُلُقٌ

أَو غَدَرَت فَالوَفاءُ مِن شِيَمي

If she is miserly, generosity is my nature;

or if she betrays, loyalty is among my traits.

كَم لَيلَةٍ بِتُّ بَينَ مُرتَشَفٍ

مِن ريقِها بارِدٍ وَمُلتَثَمِ

How many a night I spent between a sip

of her cool saliva and a kiss.

أَمزُجُ شَكوايَ بِالخُضوعِ لَها

وَدَمعَ عَيني صَبابَةً بِدَمي

I mingle my complaint with submission to her,

and my eye's tears, in yearning, with my blood.

أَما وَدُرٍّ مِن لَفظِها بَدَدٍ

يَمُرُّ مِن ثَغرِها بِمُنتَظِمِ

Indeed, by the scattered pearls of her speech,

passing from her mouth through pearls strung in order,

وَمائِسٍ مِن قَوامِها ثَمِلٍ

وَمُسكِرٍ مِن رُضابِها شَيَمِ

and by the drunken sway of her figure,

and by her intoxicating, cool saliva [reading uncertain],

وَما بِخَدِّ الحَبيبِ أَخجَلَهُ ال

عَتبِ وَقَلبِ المُحِبِّ مِن ضَرَمِ

and by the fire in the beloved's cheek, made to blush by

reproach, and the burning in the lover's heart:

إِنَّ يَدَ المُستَضيءِ أَسمَحُ بِال

عَطاءِ يَومَ النَدى مِنَ الدِيَّمِ

indeed, al-Mustadi's hand is more liberal in

giving, on the day of bounty, than the steady rains.

خَليفَةُ اللَهِ وارِثُ البُردِ وَال

خاتَمِ وَالسَيفِ مالِكُ الأُمَمِ

God's caliph, heir to the mantle and the

ring and sword, ruler of the nations;

مُعيدُ شَملِ الإِسلامِ مُلتَئِماً

وَكانَ لَولاهُ غَيرَ مُلتَئِمِ

restoring Islam's scattered ranks to unity,

which, but for him, would have remained divided;

وَناشِرُ العَدلِ في الأَنامِ عَلى

فَقرٍ إِلَيهِ وَمُنشِرُ الكَرَمِ

spreading justice among humankind in their

need of it, and reviving generosity.

هُوَ الإِمامُ الَّذي مُعانِدُهُ

مُعانِدُ اللَهِ بارِىءِ النَسَمِ

He is the imam: whoever opposes him

opposes God, the Creator of souls.

حامي حِمى المُلكِ بِالمُثَقَّفَةِ ال

سُمرِ وَبيضِ الصَوارِمِ الحُذُمِ

Guardian of the realm's precincts with straightened

brown spears and white, keen-edged swords.

بَثَّت يَداهُ الآجالَ في الناسِ وَال

أَرزاقَ عَدلا بِالسَيفِ وَالقَلَمِ

His hands have distributed among people their allotted deaths and

their sustenance, justly, by sword and pen.

أَكرَمُ مَن مَدَّ بِالنَوالِ يَداً

وَخَيرُ ساعٍ يَسعى عَلى قَدَمِ

The most generous ever to extend a hand with gifts,

and the best of all who journey on foot.

طَبَّقَ إِحسانُهُ البِلادَ فَما

يَعدَمُ في عَصرِهِ سِوى العَدَمِ

His kindness has encompassed the lands; nothing

is lacking in his age but lack itself.

وَعَمَّ بِالجودِ كُلَّ ذي أَمَلٍ

وَخَصَّ بِالعَفوِ كُلَّ مُجتَرِمِ

His bounty embraces everyone who hopes,

and his pardon singles out every offender.

قَد نَكِرَت بيضُهُ الغُمودَ لِما

يُغمِدُها في التَريبِ وَاللِمَمِ

His white blades have forgotten their scabbards, because

he sheathes them in breastbones and locks of hair.

نَمَتهُ مِن هاشِمٍ لُيوثُ وَغىً

يَفرَقُ مِنها اللُيوثُ في الأَجَمِ

War-lions of Hashim's line gave rise to him,

whom the lions in the thickets fear.

فُروعُ مَجدٍ جَلَّت مَآثِرُهُم

مِنَ العُلى في الفُروعِ وَالقِمَمِ

Branches of glory, whose noble deeds tower

among the branches and summits of eminence;

مِن كُلِّ قيلٍ يُقيلُ زَلَّةَ عا

ثِرٍ وَقَرمٍ إِلى النَدى قَرِمِ

from every prince who pardons the lapse of one

who stumbles, and every lord eager for bounty;

طَلقِ المُحَيّا لَألاءُ غُرَّتِهِ

في الخَطبِ تَجلو حَنادِسَ الظُلمِ

bright of face, the radiance of his brow

in calamity dispels the deepest gloom.

هُمُ الوَفِيّونَ بِالعُهودِ إِذا

قَلَّ وَفاءُ الرِجالِ بِالذِمَمِ

They are faithful to covenants when

men's loyalty to their pledges grows scarce.

الضارِبونَ الكُماةَ في الغارَةِ ال

شَعواءِ وَالمُطعِمونَ في الإِزَمِ

Those who strike armored warriors in the

sweeping raid, and feed others in famine;

جيرانُ بَيتِ اللَهِ الحَرامِ إِذا

عُدَّ فِخارٌ وَسادَةُ الحَرَمِ

neighbors of God's sacred House, when

glories are counted, and masters of the Sanctuary.

طالَهُمُ المُستَضيءُ باعَ عُلىً

وَهِمَّةً وَالعُلُوُّ بِالهِمَمِ

Al-Mustadi surpasses them in reach of glory

and resolve; loftiness is won by lofty aims.

مَلَّكَهُ اللَهُ أَمرَ أُمَّتِهِ

وَكَفَّ عَنها بَوائِقَ النِقَمِ

God gave him rule over his community,

and warded from it the calamities of vengeance,

وَرَدَّ كَيدَ الأَعداءِ باغِيَةً

بِحَدِّ سَيفٍ مِن بَأسِهِ حَذِمِ

and repelled the schemes of rebellious enemies

with the keen edge of a sword born of his might.

فَكانَ لِلدينِ خَيرَ مُنتَصِرٍ

وَكانَ اللَهُ خَيرَ مُنتَقِمِ

Thus he was the faith's finest champion,

and God was the finest avenger.

يَمَّمتُهُ ظامِئاً فَأَورَدَني

مَناهِلاً مِن حِياضِهِ الفُعُمِ

I sought him, thirsty, and he led me to

watering places fed by his brimming pools.

وَشارَفَت بي مِنهُ الأَماني عَلى

بَحرِ عَطاءٍ بِالجودِ مُلتَطِمِ

Through him my hopes brought me to the brink of

a sea of gifts whose bounty surges in waves.

أَعلَقتُ كَفّي لَمّا اِعتَلَقتُ بِهِ

حَبلاً مِنَ اللَهِ غَيرَ مُنقَصِمِ

I fastened my hand, when I clung to him,

to an unbreakable cord from God,

وَذِمَّةً مِنهُ لَو أُذِمَّ بِها

لِذي شَبابٍ ما ريعَ بِالهَرَمِ

and to a pledge from him which, if extended

to a young man, would leave him unfrightened by old age.

فَاِجتَلِها كَالعَروسِ تَتبَعُ في ال

إِحسانِ أَسلافَها مِنَ الخَدَمِ

So behold her unveiled, like a bride, following in

excellence her predecessors among the tributes of service:

عَذراءَ لَم يُجدِ مِثلَها كَرَماً

قَبلي زُهَيرٌ يَوماً عَلى هَرِمِ

a virgin whose like was never generously bestowed

before me by Zuhayr on Harim, on any day;

عونَ قَوافٍ أَتَتكَ تَحمِلُ أَب

كارَ مَعانٍ لَم تُفتَرَع بِفَمِ

seasoned rhymes have come to you carrying

virgin meanings, never deflowered by a mouth;

شَوارِداً يُقتَفى مَذاهِبُها

فَهيَ لَقاحُ الخَواطِرِ العُقُمِ

far-roaming verses whose tracks are followed,

for they fertilize barren minds.

وَاِبلِ جَديدَ البَقاءِ ضافِيَةً

عَلَيكَ مِنهُ مَلابِسُ النِعَمِ

Wear out life's fresh fabric, while ample

robes of its blessings drape you.

وَاِفطِر وَعَيِّد وَاِسلَم لِنُصرَةِ مَظ

لومٍ ضَعيفٍ وَجَبرِ مُهتَضَمِ

Break your fast, celebrate the feast, and remain safe to aid

the weak oppressed and restore the wronged.