لمن الركائب تستقي — Sibt Ibn Altaawithy

لِمَنِ الرَكائِبُ تَستَقي

مُ وَتَلتَوي تَحتَ الحُمولِ

Whose are the riding camels, straightening

and twisting beneath their loads?

مِثلَ السِهامِ تُقِلُّ أَم

ثالَ القِسِيِّ مِنَ النُحولِ

Like arrows, they bear

bowlike figures, wasted thin.

نَهَضَت غَوارِبُها مِنَ ال

أَشواقِ بِالعِبءِ الثَقيلِ

Their withers have shouldered

the heavy burden of yearning,

مُتَلَفِّتاتٍ مِن شَرا

فِ إِلى سَنا بَرقٍ كَليلِ

looking back from Sharaf

toward the gleam of faint lightning.

يَبدو لِشائِمِهِ كَمُخ

تَرِطِ السُرَيجيِّ الصَقيلِ

To its watcher it seems a drawn

Surayji blade, polished bright.

ياسَعدُ أَنجَدني عَلى ال

بُرَحاءِ إِسعادَ الخَليلِ

O Sa'd, help me against

anguish, with a friend's support.

قِف وَقفَةَ المُتَلَهِّفِ ال

حَرّانِ في عافي الطُلولِ

Pause like one who yearns,

burning-hearted, amid the effaced ruins;

وَاِحلُل عُقودَ الدَمعِ بي

نَ مَلاعِبِ الحَيِّ الحُلولِ

and loosen the knots of tears

among the playgrounds of the encamped tribe.

يا دارُ لا بَرِحَت تَجو

دُكِ كُلُّ غادِيَةٍ هَطولِ

O dwelling, may you always be drenched

by every pouring morning cloud;

وَتَنَفَّسَت ريحُ الصَبا

لِرُباكِ عَن وانٍ عَليلِ

and may the east wind breathe

upon your hills for one weary and ailing.

هَل لي إِلى ذاتِ القَلا

ئِدِ وَالمَراسِلِ مِن رَسولِ

Have I a messenger to her with necklaces

and pendant chains,

فَيُبِثَّ ما بي مِن ضَناً

بادٍ وَداءِ هَوىً دَخيلِ

to tell of the wasting that afflicts me,

plain to see, and love's inward sickness?

وَمِنَ المُحالِ تَنَظُّري

رَجعَ الحَوابِ مِنَ المُحيلِ

Yet it is impossible for me to await

a reply from the barren abode.

وَعَلى النَقا مِن وَجرَةٍ

بَلهاءُ تَلعَبُ بِالعُقولِ

And on the sandhill at Wajra

a guileless beauty toys with minds.

في ضَمِّ ما ضَمَّت غَلا

ئِلُها شِفاءٌ لِلغَليلِ

Embracing what her robes enfold

holds a cure for burning thirst:

بِمُؤَزَّرٍ فَعمٍ وَخَص

رٍ مِثلِ عاشِقِها نَحيلِ

full, rounded hips and a waist

as slender as her lover,

ما بَينَ خوطِ أَراكَةٍ

مِنها وَحِقفِ نَقاً مَهيلِ

what lies between an arak-tree shoot

of her form and a curved dune of loose-heaped sand.

كُحِلَت جُفوني بِالسُها

دِ بِناظِرٍ مِنها كَحيلِ

My eyelids were kohled with sleeplessness

by her dark, kohl-lined eye.

لَمّا وَقَفنا لِلوَدا

عِ وَقَد دَعا داعي الرَحيلِ

When we stood to say farewell,

and the herald of departure had called,

وَتَخاذَلَت أَنصارُ دَم

عي في هَوى الظَبِيِ الخَذولِ

and the allies of my tears deserted me

in love for the forsaking gazelle,

قالَت وَأَدمُعُها تَسي

لُ أَسىً عَلى الخَدِّ الأَسيلِ

she said, her tears flowing

in sorrow over her smooth cheek:

يا بَينُ كَم أَجلَيتَ يَو

مَ نَوى الأَحِبَّةِ عَن قَتيلِ

O parting, how many a slain one you have revealed

on the day of loved ones' departure!

ما لِلعَذولِ وَلَم أَزَل

كِلفاً بِعِصيانِ العَذولِ

What ails the reproacher? I have never ceased

to delight in defying the reproacher.

يُلحي عَلى جَذلانَ أَس

لَمَني إِلى هَمٍّ طَويلِ

He chides me for loving a joyful one

who has consigned me to lasting grief,

صَلِفٍ مَلولٍ آهِ وا

شَوقي إِلى الصَلِفِ المَلولِ

haughty and fickle—oh,

my longing for the haughty, fickle one!

كَالغُصنِ أَعداني النُحُو

لُ بِخَصرِهِ الواهي النَحيلِ

His bough-like slenderness infected me

through his frail and slender waist.

مَهلاً فَما حَمَّلتَ ثِق

لَ اللَومِ فيهِ عَلى حَمولِ

Gently! You have not laid the weight

of reproach for him on a patient bearer.

بِجَمالِهِ أَقسَمتُ ما

لي عَنهُ مِن صَبرٍ جَميلِ

By his beauty I swear: I have

no graceful patience away from him.

كَلّاً وَلا لِيَدِ الخَلي

فَةِ في السَماحَةِ مِن عَديلِ

No indeed! Nor has the caliph's hand

any equal in generosity—

الساجِدِ المُتَهَجِّدِ ال

قَوّامِ في اللَيلِ الطَويلِ

he who prostrates and keeps prayerful vigil,

steadfast in prayer through the long night;

الثابِتِ الأَراءِ في

دَحضٍ بِواطِئِهِ زَليلِ

firm in his judgments upon

slippery ground that trips its treader;

مَن آلُهُ آلُ النَبِي

يِ وَجَدُّهُ جَدُّ الرَسولِ

whose kin are the Prophet's kin,

and whose forefather is the Messenger's forefather;

حامي حِمى الإِسلامِ بِال

سُمرِ الذَوابِلِ وَالنُصولِ

guardian of Islam's sanctuary with

dusky, slender spears and blades;

مُردي العَدُوِّ بِكُلِّ ما

ماضي الحَدِّ مَطرورٍ صَقيلِ

feller of the foe with all that is

keen-edged, whetted and polished,

أَغلاهُ ما أَبقى بِمَض

رِبِهِ القِراعُ مِنَ الفُلولِ

made most precious by the notches left

by combat upon its striking edge,

بِأَكُفِّ فِتيانٍ لَهُم

في الرَوعِ أَحلامُ الكُهولِ

in the hands of young men who possess,

in battle's terror, the judgment of elders;

مِن كُلِّ أَغلَبَ باسِلٍ

غَيرَ الجَبانِ وَلا النَكولِ

each a mighty, valiant man,

neither cowardly nor retreating.

يُسري وَحيداً وَهوَ مِن

حَدِّ العَزيمَةِ في رَعيلِ

He rides alone by night, yet

his keen resolve puts him amid a troop.

يَهوي بِهِ أَظمى الفُصو

صِ مُطَهَّمٌ سامي التَليلِ

A lean-jointed steed bears him swiftly,

well-built, with lofty neck.

عَزَماتُ مَنصورِ العَزا

ئِمِ لا يَنامُ عَلى الذُحولِ

Such are the resolves of one whose resolves prevail,

who never sleeps on unavenged wrongs—

مَلِكٌ مَناقِبُهُ تَجِل

لُ عَنِ النَظائِرِ وَالشُكولِ

a king whose virtues are too great

for equals or counterparts.

ما أَجدَبَت أَرضٌ سَقا

ها صَوبُ نائِلِهِ الهَطولِ

No land has grown barren when watered

by the pouring rain of his bounty.

أَضحَت بِهِ الأَمالُ وَهيَ

وَريقَةٌ بَعدَ الذُبولِ

Through him, hopes have become

fresh-leaved after withering;

لَقِحَت عَلى طولِ الحَيا

لِ وَرَوَّضَت بَعدَ المُحولِ

they conceived after long barrenness

and became gardens after drought.

نَجَلَ الخَلائِقَ مِن قُرَي

شٍ وَالجَحاجِحَةِ القُيولِ

He drew his qualities from Quraysh

and from mighty chiefs and kings,

جيرانِ بَيتِ اللَهِ ذي

الحُرُماتِ وَالشَرَفِ الأَثيلِ

neighbors of God's House, with its

sanctity and deep-rooted honor;

مِن مَعشَرٍ يُرعى ذِما

مُ الجارِ فيهِم وَالنَزيلِ

of a people who uphold the protection

of neighbor and guest among them.

يَأوي الطَريدُ إِلى ظِلا

لِ بُيوتِهِم وَاِبنَ السَبيلِ

The outcast seeks refuge in the shade

of their houses, as does the wayfarer;

أَطوادُ حِلمٍ في النَدِي

يِ وَفي الوَغا آسادُ غَيلِ

mountains of forbearance in the assembly,

and lions of the thicket in battle.

لَهُمُ قَديمُ مآثِرٍ

مَأثورَةِ عَن جِبرِئيلِ

Theirs are ancient noble deeds,

handed down from Gabriel.

بِالناصِرِ المَولى الإِما

مِ وَجودِهِ الجَمِّ الجَزيلِ

Through al-Nasir, the lord and imam,

and his abundant, bountiful generosity,

شيدَت مَبانيهِم وَقَد

تُربي الفُروعُ عَلى الأُصولِ

their edifices were raised—and

branches may outgrow their roots.

وَرِثَ الخِلافَةَ عَنهُمُ

وَالمُلكَ جيلاً بَعدَ جيلِ

He inherited the caliphate from them,

and kingship, generation after generation.

فَإِذا اِنتَمى عَدَّ الجُدو

دَ الأَنبِياءَ إِلى الخَليلِ

When he traces his lineage, he counts as forefathers

the prophets, back to the Friend of God.

بِنَدى أَبي العَبّاسِ أَن

جَزَ واعِدُ الأَمَلِ المَطولِ

Through Abu al-Abbas's bounty,

long-delaying hope has kept its promise.

ما زِلتُ أَركَبُهُ وَيَج

مَحُ بي وَيُحزِنُ في السُهولِ

I kept riding it, while it bolted

with me and made even level ground rough.

فَاليَومَ قَد أَلقى إِلَي

يَ مَقادَةَ السَمحِ الذَليلِ

So today it has handed me

the reins of a willing, docile mount.

يَمَّمتُهُ فَنَزَلتُ بِال

جَدِّ العُثورِ عَلى المُقيلِ

I made for him and, with stumbling fortune,

found lodging with one who rights the fallen.

وَأَحَلَّني في وارِفٍ

مِن ظِلِّ دَولَتِهِ ظَليلِ

And he lodged me beneath the spreading

sheltering shade of his rule.

وَلَبِستُ مِن نَعمائِهِ

حَصداءَ سابِغَةَ الذُيولِ

And from his blessings I donned

close-linked mail with long, ample skirts;

وَالدَهرُ يَرمُقُني بِطَر

فٍ مِن حَوادِثَهِ كَليلِ

and time watches me with a gaze

blunted in its power to bring calamity.

يا فارِجَ الكَربِ العَظي

مِ وَكاشِفَ الخَطبِ الجَليلِ

O reliever of mighty distress,

and dispeller of grievous calamity!

يا مَن صِفاتُ عُلاهُ تُخ

رِسُ كُلَّ ذي لَسَنٍ قَؤولِ

O you whose lofty qualities silence

every eloquent, voluble speaker!

أَحسَنتَ في الدَهرِ المُسي

ءِ وَجُدتَ في الزَمَنِ المُحيلِ

You did good in an age that did ill,

and gave generously in a barren time.

فَإِلَيكَ رائِقَةً أَرَق

قَ مِنَ المُعَتَّقَةِ الشَمولِ

For you, then, a limpid ode, more delicate

than aged wine;

عَذراءَ تُلحِقُها فَصا

حَتُها بِأَشعارِ الفُحولِ

a virgin whom her eloquence ranks

with the poems of master poets.

ما ضَرَّها أَن لا تَكو

نَ عَقيلَةً لِأَبي العَقيلِ

It harms her not that she is not

a noble lady belonging to Abu al-Aqil.

فَضُلَت عَلى أَخَواتِها

فَضلَ الضَحاءِ عَلى الأَصيلِ

She surpasses her sisters

as forenoon surpasses late afternoon.

عُرِفَت بِمَنطِقِها وَعِت

قُ الخَيلِ يُعرَفُ بِالصَهيلِ

She is known by her speech; noble breeding

in horses is known by their neigh.

وَأَطالَ مِن تَعنيسِها

عَدَمُ الكُفاةِ مِنَ البُعولِ

Her wait for marriage was prolonged

by the lack of worthy husbands.

ما لِلكَواكِبِ ما لَها

عِندَ القُلوبِ مِنَ القَبولِ

The stars do not find the welcome she finds

in people's hearts.

لَم أَرضَ في الدُنيا لَها

غَيرَ الخَليفَةِ مِن مُنيلِ

I have accepted for her, in this world,

no benefactor but the caliph.

وَلَطالَما نَزَّهتُها

عَن مَوقِفِ الشِعرِ الذَليلِ

How often I have kept her above

the abject station of poetry,

وَجَذَبتُ فَضلَ زِمامِها

عَن مَرتَعِ الطَمَعِ الوَبيلِ

and drawn back the slack of her reins

from greed's pernicious pasture.

فَتَمَلَّ مُلكاً ما لِرا

ئِعَةٍ عَليها مِن سَبيلِ

So enjoy a kingdom that no terror

can ever assail,

وَعُلُوَّ جَدٍّ ما لِطا

لِعِهِ المُشَرِّقِ مِن أُفولِ

and lofty fortune, whose star

rises radiant and never sets.