هل لأخي صبوة نزوع — Sibt Ibn Altaawithy

هَل لِأَخي صَبوَةٍ نِزوعُ

أَم لِزَمانِ الحِمى رُجوعُ

Can one possessed of passion turn away,

or can the days of the sanctuary return?

أَم هَل لِأَقمارِهِ السَواري

بَعدَ سِرارِ النَوى طُلوعُ

Or will its night-roaming moons

rise after separation's moonless nights?

لِلَّهِ أَيّامُنا بِجَمعٍ

وَشَملُ أَحبابِنا جَميعُ

How wondrous were our days at Jamʿ,

when our loved ones were all together,

وَما خَلَت مِنهُمُ المَغاني

وَلا عَفَت مِنهُمُ الرُبوعُ

and the dwellings were not empty of them,

nor had their quarters faded away,

وَأَسهُمُ البَينِ طائِشاتٌ

عَنّا وَتَيرُ النَوى وُقوعُ

and parting's arrows flew astray

from us, while separation's shafts lay fallen.

وَما سَعى بِالفِراقِ ساعٍ

وَلا أَذاعَ الهَوى مُذيعُ

And no one had sought to part us,

nor had anyone broadcast our love.

بانوا بِشَرخِ الهَوى وَأَبقوا

قَلباً بِهِ لِلنَوى صُدوعُ

They departed in love's first bloom, and left

a heart fissured by separation,

وَزَفَراتٍ تَكادُ وَجداً

تَنفَضُّ مِن حَرِّها الضُلوعُ

and sighs of longing that almost

make the ribs burst apart from their heat.

كَيفَ يَزورُ الخَيالُ جَفناً

جَفاهُ مُذ بِنتُمُ الهُجوعُ

How can a dream-image visit an eyelid

that sleep has shunned since you departed?

أَو يَنجَعُ العَذلُ في مُحِبٍّ

دُموعُهُ فيكُمُ نَجيعُ

Or how can reproach avail with a lover

whose tears for you are blood?

لا رَقَأَت فيكَ لِلغَوادي

يا بُرقَتَي عاقِلٍ دُموعُ

May the morning rainclouds never cease weeping upon you,

O twin rocky tracts of ʿAqil!

وَيامَغاني اللِوى أَرَبَّت

عَليكِ هَطّالَةٌ هَموعُ

And O dwellings of al-Liwa, may there linger

upon you a cloud pouring and streaming,

حَتّى إِذا أَزمَعَت رَحيلاً

أَقامَ في رَبعِكَ الرَبيعُ

until, when it resolves to depart,

spring takes up residence in your abode.

هَل لي إِلى عَلوَةٍ رَسولٌ

أَم هَل إِلى وَصلِها شَفيعُ

Have I a messenger to ʿAlwa,

or an intercessor for union with her?

بَيضاءُ يَستَمطِرُ المَآقي

مِن ثَغرِها مُزنَةٌ لَموعُ

A fair beauty—the eyes are made to rain

by a cloud flashing from her mouth.

يُشرِقُ في وَجهِها صَباحٌ

عَلَيها مِن فَرعِها هَزيعُ

Morning shines upon her face,

and above her lies a stretch of night from her hair.

مُبدِعَةٌ في الجَمالِ وَجدي

بِها عَلى أَنَّهُ بَديعُ

A marvel of beauty; my passion

for her, wondrous though it is,

وَجَدَ أَبي الفَضلِ بِالمَعالي

وَهوَ بِها مُغرَمٌ وَلوعُ

is like Abu al-Fadl's passion for lofty deeds,

for he is enamored of them, ardently devoted.

خِرقٌ وَراءَ اللِثامِ مِنهُ

فَجرٌ إِذا شِمتَهُ صَديعُ

A man of discernment; behind his veil is

a breaking dawn, whenever you behold it.

ضا قَت مَعاذيرُهُ حَياءً

وَباعُ مَعروفِهِ وَسيعُ

His excuses grow scant from modesty,

while the reach of his kindness is vast.

مَورِدُ عِصيانِهِ وَخَيمٌ

وَرَوضُ إِحسانِهِ مَريعُ

The drinking-place of defying him is perilous,

and the meadow of his beneficence is lush.

ناديهِ يَستَجِب نَداهُ

فَهوَ بَصيرُ النَدى سَميعُ

Call upon him: his bounty will answer,

for in bounty he is keen of sight and hearing.

قارَعتُ صَرفَ الزَمانِ مِنهُ

بِماجِدٍ مالَهُ قَريعُ

I battled time's reversals, finding in him

a noble man without a peer.

يَحمِلُ يَومَ الهِياجِ مِنهُ

مَتالِفاً طَرفُهُ التَليعُ

On the day of battle, his long-necked steed

bears him, a host of deadly perils.

مِن عَزمِهِ تُطبَعُ المَواضي

وَرَأيِهِ تُنسَجُ الدُروعُ

From his resolve are forged the cutting blades,

and from his judgment are woven coats of mail.

كَفَّت يَدَ الخَطبِ مِنهُ كَفٌّ

كَالدَهرِ ضَرّارَةٌ نَفوعُ

A hand of his has stayed calamity's hand,

like time, bringing both harm and benefit.

يَمطُرُنا دائِماً نَداها

فَدَهرُنا كُلُّهُ رَبيعُ

Its bounty rains upon us always,

so all our days are spring.

يُجيلُ رُقشاً إِذا اِنتَضاها

لَم يُرقَ مِن كَيدِها لَسيعُ

He brandishes mottled serpents; when he unsheathes them,

no one stung by their guile can be healed with charms.

ريقَتُها لِلوَلِيِّ شَهدٌ

وَسُمُّها للِعِدى نَقيعُ

Their saliva is honey for an ally,

and their venom is deadly to enemies.

لِلَّهِ كَم قَلَّدَ البَرايا

صَنيعَةً سَيفُهُ الصَنيعُ

God be praised! How often has mankind been adorned

with a favor by his finely wrought sword!

ذَبَّ عَوادي الزَمانِ عَنّا

ذُبابُهُ الباتِرُ القَطوعُ

Time's assaults were driven back from us

by its severing, cleaving edge.

إِذا أَلَمَّت بِنا الرَزايا

فَرَأيُهُ المَعقِلُ المَنيعُ

Whenever calamities befall us,

his judgment is the impregnable stronghold.

مَدَّ عَلَينا رُواقَ عَدلٍ

وَنَحنُ في ظِلِّهِ رُتوعُ

He spread over us a canopy of justice,

and we thrive within its shade.

تَرعى الرَعايا لَهُ جُفونٌ

مُستَيقِظاتٌ وَهُم هُجوعُ

Eyes keep watch over the subjects for him,

wakeful while they are asleep.

حَجَّت إِلى بابِهِ المَطايا

يَقذِفُها النازِحُ الشَسوعُ

The mounts made pilgrimage to his gate,

flung onward by the distant, far-reaching expanse.

تَخوضُ بَحرَ السَرابِ مِنها

سَفائِنٌ رَكبُها القُلوعُ

They wade through the sea of mirage,

ships whose riders are their sails.

لَم يُبقِ في خُطمِها المَوامي

مِنها سِوى أَذرُعٍ تَبوعُ

In their halters the wastelands have left

nothing of them but far-reaching forelegs.

كَأَنَّها في النُسوعِ تَهوي

بِشُعثِ رُكبانِها نُسوعُ

It is as though, plunging within their saddle-straps

with their tousled riders, they were north winds.

صَلّوا بِآمالِهِم إِلَيهِ

فَهُم بِأَكوارِها رُكوعُ

They turned their hopes toward him in prayer,

so upon their saddles they bow,

حَتّى أُنيخَت عَلى كَريمٍ

يُعطي وَصَوبُ الحَيا مَنوعُ

until they were made to kneel before a generous man

who gives even when the rain refuses to fall,

مَن مَعشَرٍ أَنجَبَت أُصولٌ

لَهُم فَطابَت بِهِم فُروعُ

from a clan whose roots bore noble offspring,

and whose branches grew fine through them.

أَحسابُهُم كَالنَهارِ بيضٌ

غُرٌّ وَأَعراضُهُم تَضوعُ

Their ancestral honors are white as day,

radiant, and their reputations waft fragrance.

شادوا بِعِزِّ المُلوكِ بَيتاً

بِناؤُهُ باذِخٌ رَفيعُ

With the might of kings they raised a house

whose structure is towering and lofty.

أَروَعُ لا المالُ في آمانٍ

مِنهُ وَلا جارُهُ مَروعُ

An awe-inspiring man: his wealth is not safe

from him, yet his neighbor is never frightened.

وَعيدُهُ نازِحٌ بَطيءٌ

وَوَعدُهُ مُكشِبٌ سَريعُ

His threat is distant and slow,

but his promise is near and swift.

يَخضَعُ لِلَّهِ مُستَكيناً

وَالناسُ طُرّاً لَهُ خُضوعُ

He bows to God in humility,

while all mankind bows to him.

يُمسي وَسُلطانُهُ مُطاعٌ

وَهوَ لِسُلطانِهِ مُطيعُ

At evening, his authority is obeyed,

while he himself obeys his sovereign.

جَرَّدَ مِنهُ الإِمامُ عَضبا

ذا شُطَبٍ حَدُّهُ قَطوعُ

In him the Imam unsheathed a keen blade,

grooved, with a cleaving edge.

قَدَّمَهُ مُقدِماً جَرِيّا

فَلا جَبانٌ وَلا هَلوعُ

He put him forward, bold and daring,

neither cowardly nor panic-stricken.

قامَ بِأَعبائِهِ ضَليعاً

وَقَد وَنى الرَازِخُ الظَليعُ

He undertook his burdens, strong and capable,

when the overburdened, limping one had faltered.

مَنزِلَةٌ ما اِرتَقى إِلَيها ال

فَضلُ وَلا نالَها الرَبيعُ

A rank never reached by

al-Fadl, nor attained by al-Rabiʿ.

ياهِبَةَ اللَهِ ذا الأَيادي

يَفديكَ مَن بَرقُهُ خَدوعُ

O Hibat Allah, possessor of bounties,

may he whose lightning deceives be your ransom!

لَيسَ عَلى وِردِهِ لِعافٍ

وَلا لِذي غُلَّةٍ شُروعُ

At his watering-place no petitioner has access,

nor anyone consumed by thirst.

لَم يُرعَ يَوماً لَديهِ عَهدٌ

وَلا زَكا عِندَهُ صَنيعُ

No pledge was ever honored by him,

nor has a kindness borne fruit with him.

وَالعَدلُ أَن يَفدِيَ الجَوادَ ال

بَخيلُ وَالحافِظَ المُضيعُ

And justice demands that the generous be ransomed

by the miser, and the preserver by the squanderer.

طُلتَ الوَرى هِمَّةً وَباعاً

وَقَصَّرَت أَذرُعٌ وَبوعُ

You tower above mankind in aspiration and reach,

while arms and arm-spans fall short.

فَاِجتَلِ بِكراً لَها بِوَصفِ ال

جَمالِ مِن نَفسِها شَفيعُ

So unveil a virgin: in describing her

beauty, her own self is her intercessor.

عازِفَةَ النَفسِ لَم يَشُبها

حِرصٌ وَلا عابَها قُنوعُ

High-minded, she has not been tainted

by greed, nor blemished by begging.

لَها إِذا اِستُجلِيَت قَبولٌ

كَأَنَّها غادَةٌ شَموعُ

When unveiled, she wins acceptance,

like a graceful, playful maiden.

يَنالُ مِنها الجَليسُ حَظّاً

يُحرَمُهُ عِندَها الضَجيعُ

Her companion gains from her a pleasure

that her bedfellow is denied.

نَقَّحَها شاعِرٌ وَلِيٌّ

لِدَرِّ إِحسانِكُم رَضيعُ

A loyal poet has refined her,

nursed on the milk of your beneficence.

يَنشُرُ مِنها بِكُلِّ نادٍ

لَطائِماً نَشرُها يَضوعُ

In every assembly he brings forth from her

perfume caskets whose fragrance wafts.

وَاِبقَ رَفيعَ البِناءِ يَشجى

بِغَيظِهِ ضِدُّكَ الوَضيعُ

And live on, your edifice lofty, while

your lowly rival chokes on his rage,

في نِعمَةٍ ظِلُّها مَديدٌ

وَدَولَةٍ طَودُها مَنيعُ

in a blessing whose shade stretches long,

and in dominion whose mountain is impregnable,

ما خَلَعَت صَبوَةٌ عِذاراً

وَما اِنتَشى شارِبٌ خَليعُ

as long as passion casts off its bridle,

and as long as a dissolute drinker grows drunk.