نار جوى في الضلوع تتقد — Sibt Ibn Altaawithy

نارُ جَوىً في الضُلوعِ تَتَّقِدُ

وَمُهجَةٌ قَد أَذابَها الكَمَدُ

A fire of passionate anguish blazes within the ribs,

And a heart that grief has melted.

في حُبِّ لَدنِ القَوامِ تَملِكُهُ

يَدي وَما لي بِالهَجرِ مِنهُ يَدُ

In love with one of supple frame, whom

My hand possesses, though I cannot bear his estrangement.

مُنفَرِدٌ بِالجَمالِ عاشِقُهُ

في حُبِّهِ بِالغَرامِ مُنفَرِدُ

Peerless in beauty, while his lover

Is peerless in the passion of loving him.

عَرَّضَني لِلسَقامِ عارِضُهُ

وَمُذ وَهى خَصرُهُ وَهى الجَلَدُ

His cheek-down has exposed me to sickness,

And since his waist grew frail, my fortitude grew frail.

كَيفَ اِصطِباري عَنهُ وَقَد فَنِيَت

ذَخائِرُ الصَبرِ فيهِ وَالعُدَدُ

How can I endure apart from him, when exhausted are

My stores of patience for him, and all reserves?

أَم كَيفَ يَخبو لِلشَوقِ في كَبِدي

نارٌ لَها نارُ خَدِّهِ مَدَدُ

Or how can longing's fire within my liver die,

When the fire of his cheek supplies its fuel?

وَهَل عَلى مِثلِ ما أُكابِدُهُ

في الحُبِّ يَبقى لِعاشِقٍ كَبِدُ

And beneath suffering such as I endure

In love, can any lover's liver survive?

أَنجَزَ وَعدي بِزَورَةٍ طالَما

كانَ غَريمُ الهَوى بِها يَعِدُ

He fulfilled the promised visit, which for so long

Love's debtor had been promising.

فَباتَ يَجلو حَمراءَ تَحسِبُها

مِن وَجنَتَيهِ في الكَأسِ تَتَّقِدُ

He spent the night unveiling red wine you would think

Was blazing in the cup from his cheeks.

وَسَّدتُهُ ساعِدي وَوَسَّدَني

خَدّاً لَهُ سَيفُ لَحظِهِ رَصَدُ

I pillowed him on my forearm, and he pillowed me

On a cheek guarded by the sword of his glance.

أَحومُ مِن حَولِهِ وَبي ظَمَأٌ

إِلى جَنا ريقِهِ وَلا أَرِدُ

I circle about him, with a thirst

For his saliva's harvest, yet I do not drink.

أَشكو إِلَيهِ وَجدي وَأَهوَنُ ما

مَرَّ عَلى مَسمَعَيهِ ما أَجدُ

I tell him of my anguish, yet of all that

Passes his ears, my suffering matters least.

حَتّى لَقَد كادَ أَن يَذوبَ بِأَن

فاسِيَ في فيهِ ذَلِكَ البَرَدُ

Till it almost melted beneath my

Breaths—that hail within his mouth.

حَتّى إِذا اللَيلُ شابَ مَفرِقُهُ ال

جونُ وَرَثَّت أَثوابُهُ الجُدُدُ

Until, when night grew gray along its

Black parting, and its new robes grew threadbare,

وَقُوِّضَت خَيمَةُ الدُجى وَعَلا

لِلفَجرِ في الجَوِّ ساطِعاً عُمُدُ

And darkness's tent was struck, and rose

Dawn's pillars, shining in the sky,

وَريعَ سِربُ النُجومِ وَاِستَبَقَت

في أُخرِياتِ الظَلامِ تَطَّرِدُ

And the flock of stars was startled, and they raced

Through the last of darkness, streaming after one another,

وَاِنحَلَّ عِقدُ الجَوزاءِ وَاِنتَشَرَت

في الغَربِ مِنهُ لَآلِىءٌ بَدَدُ

And Orion's necklace came undone, scattering

Its pearls, strewn through the west,

وَطارَ عَن وَكرِهِ إِلى الأُفُقِ ال

نَسرُ وَخافَ الغَزالَةَ الأَسَدُ

And from its nest toward the horizon flew the

Eagle, and the Lion feared the Sun-Gazelle,

قامَ يَميطُ الرُقادَ عَن مُقَلٍ

جارَ عَلى مُقلَتي بِها السَهَدُ

He rose, brushing slumber from eyes

Through which sleeplessness had oppressed my own.

نَجلاءُ لا النافِثاتُ تَبلُغُ ما

يَبلُغُهُ سِحرُها وَلا العُقَدُ

Wide eyes: neither spell-blowing witches can match

The reach of their magic, nor can knotted charms.

كُلُّ قَتيلٍ بِلَحظِها وَبِتَو

قيعِ أَبي الفَضلِ ما لَهُ قَوَدُ

No one slain by their glance or by the decree

Of Abu al-Fadl has a claim to blood-requital.

ذي الكَرَمِ العِدِّ وَالمَآثِرِ لا

تَفنى وَيَفنى مِن دونِها العُدَدُ

Lord of ever-flowing bounty, whose glorious deeds never

Perish, while numbers run out before their end.

أَبلَجُ صَلتُ الجَبينِ ما وَلَدَت

شَرواهُ أُمُّ العُلى وَلا تَلِدُ

Radiant, smooth-browed: never has

The mother of greatness borne his like, nor ever will.

لا مُسرِفٌ في العِقابِ مَع سَرَفِ

الجاني وَلا في العَطاءِ مُقتَصِدُ

Not excessive in punishment, despite the excesses

Of the offender, nor sparing in his gifts.

إِن ضَلَّ في الرَأيِ مَعشَرٌ فَلَهُ

نَهجٌ مِنَ الحَقِّ واضِحٌ جَدَدُ

If a people lose their way in judgment, he has

A clear, level path of truth.

أَو قَلَّدَ الناسَ في الحُكومَةِ أَهلُ

الحَلِّ وَالعَقدِ فَهوَ مُجتَهِدُ

Or if others are followed in judgment by those

Who loose and bind, he judges independently.

لَهُ سَماحٌ لا أَهلُ بادِيَةٍ

يُخطيهِمُ صَوبُهُ وَلا بَلَدُ

His bounty leaves no desert folk

Untouched by its downpour, nor any town.

وَرَأفَةٌ لَو غَدَت مُقَسَّمَةً

في الناسِ ما عَقَّ والِداً وَلَدُ

And a compassion which, were it divided

Among mankind, no child would wrong a parent.

وَهِمَّةٌ طالَتِ السَماءَ فَما

يَطمَعُ في نَيلِ شَأوِها أَحَدُ

And an ambition that has reached the sky, so

None aspires to attain its height.

فَقُل لِمَن رامَ أَن يُساجِلَهُ

مَهلاً فَما تَلمِسُ السَماءَ يَدُ

Tell whoever seeks to rival him:

Gently! No hand can touch the sky.

لا تَحسِدوهُ فَالشَمسُ أَعظَمُ أَن

يُضمَرَ يَوماً لِمِثلِهِ حَسَدُ

Do not envy him: the sun is too great

For envy ever to be harbored toward its like.

وَيلٌ لِأَعدائِهِ لَقَد سَفِهوا

في الرَأيِ فَاِستَذأَبوا وَهُم نَقَدُ

Woe to his enemies! They acted foolishly

In judgment, playing wolves though they are sheep.

وَلَو رَأَوهُ في جَحفَلٍ صَعِقوا

أَو شَهِدوهُ في مَحفَلٍ سَجَدوا

Had they seen him amid an army, they would fall thunderstruck;

Or witnessed him in an assembly, they would bow down.

تَحمَدُ آثارَهُ الرَعايا وَكَم

ساسَ الرَعايا قَومٌ وَما حُمِدوا

His subjects praise his deeds; yet how many

Have ruled subjects and earned no praise!

رُدَّ إِلَيهِ الأُمورُ يُصلِحُها

مَن بِيَدَيهِ الصَلاحُ وَالرَشَدُ

Affairs were entrusted to him, to set them right,

By one in whose hands lie rectitude and guidance:

إِمامُ حَقٍّ صَفَت مَوارِدُهُ

فَالعَيشُ في ظِلِّ مُلكِهِ رَغَدُ

A true imam, whose sources run clear;

Life beneath his rule is therefore ease.

أَسنَدَ تَدبيرَها إِلى رَأيِهِ ال

جَزلِ فَنِعمَ العِمادُ وَالسَنَدُ

He entrusted their management to his

Sound judgment—an excellent pillar and support.

ثَقَّفَها ذو الرِياسَتَينِ فَما

يُخشى عَلَيها زَيغٌ وَلا أَوَدُ

The holder of the two chief offices set them straight, so

No deviation or crookedness need be feared for them.

فَهيَ عَلى الصاحِبِ المُؤَيَّدِ مَج

دِ الدينِ في ما يَنوبُ تَعتَمِدُ

Thus upon the aided vizier, Majd

Al-Din, they rely in whatever befalls.

فَعمُ حِياضِ العَطاءِ لا وَشلٌ

يَومَ النَدى وِردُهُ وَلا ثَمَدُ

His pools of giving brim; no trickle

Is his water-source on bounty's day, nor a shallow pool.

قَيَّدَ إِحسانُهُ العُفاةَ فَلِلَّ

هِ جَوادٌ أَصفادُهُ الصَفَدُ

His kindness fetters petitioners; by

God, what a generous man, whose fetters are gifts!

يَحطِمُ يَومَ الوَغى السِلاحَ وَلا ال

عَدُوُّ ناجٍ مِنهُ وَلا العُدَدُ

On battle's day he shatters weapons, and neither the

Enemy nor equipment escapes him.

فَيَنجَلي النَقعُ وَالظُبّى زُبُرٌ

قَد فَلَّها الضَربُ وَالقَنا قَصِدُ

The dust clears, and sword-edges are fragments,

Notched by blows, while spears lie splintered.

يُعِدُّ لِلرَوعِ كُلَّ سابِقَةٍ

لاحِقَةٍ ما لِجَريِها أَمَدُ

For terror's hour he readies every fleet mare,

Lean-bellied, whose running knows no limit.

كَأَنَّ ما لانَ مِن مَعاطِفِها

في الكَرِّنَبتٌ مِن خِروَعٍ خَضِدُ

As though what is supple in her flanks

In the charge were a bent castor shoot.

إِذا تَمَطَّت مِن تَحتِ فارِسِها

فَكُلُّ صَيدٍ مِن كَفِّهِ صَدَدُ

When she stretches beneath her rider,

Every quarry stands straight before his hand.

وَكُلُّ لَدنٍ كَأَنَّهُ شَطَنٌ

يَكادُ يُثنى ليناً وَيَنعَقِدُ

And every pliant lance, like a long rope,

Almost doubles and knots itself in its suppleness;

وَكُلُّ عَضبٍ كَأَنَّ رَونَقَهُ

جَدوَلُ ماءٍ في الغِمدِ مُطَّرِدُ

And every keen sword, whose luster seems

A stream of water flowing within its sheath;

وَكُلُّ ذِمرٍ مِن غِلمَةِ التُركِ في ال

سِلمِ مَهاةٌ وَفي الوَغى أُسُدُ

And every valiant warrior among the Turkish pages, in

Peace an oryx, but in battle a lion.

طَلقُ المُحَيّا رَخصُ البَنانِ لَهُ

مِن وَقرَتَيهِ وَصُدغِهِ لِبَدُ

Bright-faced, soft-fingered, with

Mane-tufts about his ear-hollows and temple-lock.

أَغيَدُ مَصقولَةٌ تَرائِبُهُ

أَينَ الكَمِيُّ الكَرّارُ وَالغَيدُ

Lissome, his upper breast polished smooth:

How far apart are the charging warrior and languid grace!

يَحيدُ تيهاً إِلى فَريسَتِهِ

وَاللَيثُ ما في صِفاتِهِ حَيَدُ

He swerves in proud display toward his prey,

Though a lion's nature knows no swerving.

مِن زَرَدٍ مُحكَمٍ بَراقِعُهُ

وَتَحتَها مِن عِذارِهِ زَرَدُ

His face-veils are made of tightly woven mail,

And beneath them his cheek-down forms another mail.

عِتادُ مُلكٍ لَهُ زَئيرُ سُطىً

فَرائِصُ المَوتِ مِنهُ تَرتَعِدُ

A kingdom's armament, with the roar of assault;

Death's very flanks tremble before him.

عارِضُ غَيثٍ وَرَحمَةٍ فَإِذا

هيجَ لِحَربٍ فَمُصعِقٌ بَرِدُ

A cloud of rain and mercy; but when

Roused for war, a hail-cloud hurling thunderbolts.

فَقُل لِشاكٍ مِن دَهرِهِ غَبَناً

يَسوؤُهُ أَنَّ عَيشَهُ نَكِدُ

Tell one who complains of wrong from his age,

Distressed that his life is harsh:

لا تَشكِهِ ظالِماً فَما فَسُدَ الدَهرُ

وَلَكِن أَبناؤُهُ فَسُدوا

Do not accuse it unjustly: the age has not grown corrupt,

But its children have.

أَما تَرى الفَضلَ في زَمانِ أَبي ال

فَضلِ عَزيزاً وَكانَ يُضطَهَدُ

Do you not see merit, in the time of Abu

Al-Fadl, held in honor, though once oppressed?

يَفديكَ يا مُحكَمَ الإِعادَةِ وَال

عَقدِ رِجالٌ لِلنَكثِ ما عَقَدوا

May you be ransomed, O firm in renewing and

Binding, by men who bind only to break.

لا يُضمِرونَ الوَفاءَ إِن عَهِدوا

عَهداً لا يُنجِزونَ إِن وَعَدوا

They harbor no faithfulness when they pledge

A covenant, nor fulfill when they promise.

لَهُم رَكايا نَوازِحٌ تَصدُرُ ال

وَفدُ ظِماءً عَنها كَما وَرَدوا

Their wells lie deep; from them depart the

Delegations, thirsty as when they arrived.

إِذا تَيَقَّظتَ لِلعُلى رَقَدوا

عَنها وَإِن قُمتَ بِالنَدى قَعَدوا

When you wake to seek greatness, they sleep,

Heedless of it; when you rise to give, they sit.

يا هِبَةَ اللَهِ أَيُّ مَوهِبَةٍ

لَم تَسخُ فيها بِكُلِّ ما تَجِدُ

O Hibat Allah, what gift is there

In which you have not lavished all you possess?

فَالطِرفُ وَالعَضبُ وَالمُفاضَةُ وَال

عَذراءُ مِنها وَالجَسرَةُ الأَجُدُ

The noble steed, the keen sword, the ample mail, and the

Virgin are among them, and the sturdy, strong-backed she-camel.

فَليَهنَ مِنكَ الآباءُ ما زَرَعوا

مِن خَلَفٍ صالِحٍ وَما حَصَدوا

May your fathers rejoice in you, in what they sowed

Of worthy offspring, and in what they reaped.

آباءُ صِدقٍ طابوا عَلى صالِحِ ال

دَهرِ أُصولاً فَطابَ ما وَلَدوا

True forefathers, noble through the long

Years as roots—noble, then, was what they begot.

فاتوا الوَرى سودَداً بِما رَكِبوا

مِن صَهَواتِ الأَنامِ وَاِقتَعَدوا

They surpassed mankind in lordship, by riding

And seating themselves upon the backs of men.

وَأَيُّ جيدٍ وَأَيُّ سالِفَةٍ

لَيسَ عَليها وَسمٌ لَهُ وَيَدُ

And what neck, what nape,

Does not bear his brand and his favor?

يا صَيرَفِيَّ القَريضِ لَولاكَ ما

كانَ لَهُ في الأَنامِ مُنتَقِدُ

O assayer of poetry, were it not for you,

It would have no discerning critic among mankind.

وَالشِعرُ كَالسَيلِ مِنهُ ما يَنفَعُ ال

ناسَ وَمِنهُ الغُثاءُ وَالزَبَدُ

Poetry is like a torrent: some of it benefits

People, and some is flotsam and foam.

وَقائِلوهُ فَمِنهُمُ الهامَةُ ال

مَكّاءُ وَاِبنُ الأَراكَةِ الغَرِدُ

Among its speakers are the owl that

Whistles, and the warbling child of the arak tree.

وَرُبَّ بَيتٍ يُبنى فَلا سَبَبٌ

يُعرَفُ مِنهُ التالي وَلا وَتِدُ

Many a verse is built, though no metrical cord

Or peg can the reciter discern within it.

فَاِرضَ بِقِلِّ الثَناءِ مِنّي فَما

تَجودُ كَفٌّ إِلّا بِما تَجِدُ

Accept, then, this little praise from me, for

A hand gives only what it finds.

وَاِنفِ سِواهُ فَإِنَّهُ زَبَدٌ

وَاِصغِ إِلَيهِ فَإِنَّهُ زُبَدُ

Reject all other praise, for it is foam;

And listen to this, for it is butter.

وَاِبقَ لِمُلكٍ يُعِزُّ دَولَتَكَ ال

غَرّاءَ فيما عَساهُ يَقتَصِدُ

Live on for a kingship that honors your

Radiant state in whatever it may seek,

في ظِلِ نُعمى لا تَنقَضي أَبَدا

ما اِمتَدَّ مِنها وَيَنقَضي الأَمَدُ

In the shade of a blessing that never ends,

However long it stretches, while time's span expires.