طرقت ودون طروقها — Sibt Ibn Altaawithy

طَرَقَت وَدونَ طُروقِها

مِن قَومِها الأُسدُ الغِضابُ

She came by night, though barring her visit

were the angry lions of her people.

وَاللَيلُ في أَذيالِهِ

شَفَقٌ كَما ذُبِحَ الغُرابُ

Night held within its trailing skirts

a twilight-red, as when a raven is slaughtered.

وَرِواقُهُ المَضروبُ مِن

دونِ العُيونِ لَها حِجابُ

Its canopy, spread

before watching eyes, was her veil.

خَودٌ مُنَعَّمَةٌ سَقا

ها ماءَ رَونَقِهِ الشَبابُ

A tenderly nurtured maiden, watered

by youth with the water of its radiance.

تَروى دَمالِجُها وَيغ

رُبُ في مَوَشَّحِها الحِقابُ

Her armlets drink their fill, while

the waist-cord vanishes within her girdled waist.

فَوَشى بِها عَبقٌ وَطي

بٌ لِلوُشاةِ بِها اِرتِيابُ

A lingering scent and perfume betrayed her;

the tale-bearers held suspicions of her.

وَبَدا لَنا ما كانَ يَس

تُرُ مِن مَحاسِنِها النِقابُ

And we beheld what

her face-veil had concealed of her charms.

فَكَأَنَّها قَمَرٌ تَفَر

رَقَ عَن مَطالِعِهِ السَحابُ

She seemed a moon, from whose rising-place

the clouds had scattered.

وَسَقَتكَ عَذباً مَن مَرا

شِفِها مَراشِفُها العِذابُ

And you were given sweetness from her lips,

poured by her own sweet lips.

وَأَدارَتِ البِكرَ الشُمو

لَ كَأَنَّها ذَهَبٌ مُذابُ

And she passed round the virgin

wine, like molten gold:

عَذراءَ أَلبَسَها وَشا

حاً مِن لَآليهِ الحَبابُ

a virgin whom the bubbles clothed

in a sash made of their pearls.

فَطَفِقتُ لا أَدري أَخَم

رٌ قَد سَقَتني أَم رُضابُ

Then I could not tell: was it wine

she had given me, or the nectar of her mouth?

في لَيلَةٍ رَقَّ النَسي

مُ بِها كَما رَقَّ العِتابُ

On a night when the breeze grew gentle,

as reproach itself grew gentle.

حَتّى إِذا طُوِيَت مُلا

ءَتُها كَما يُطوى الكِتابُ

Until, when its mantle had been folded

as a written scroll is folded,

وَفَرا الصَباحُ رِداءَ غَي

هَبِها كَما يَفرى الإِهابُ

and morning rent the robe

of its darkness as a hide is slit,

وَأَضاءَ في إِدبارِها

فَلَقٌ كَما نَصَلَ الخِضابُ

and in its retreat there shone

daybreak, as dye wears away,

وَاِستَلَّ نَصلٌ مِن أَدي

مِ اللَيلِ قُدَّ لَهُ قِرابُ

and a blade was drawn from the leather

of night, cut to make its sheath—

قامَت تَلوثُ خِمارَها

وَبِها اِرتِياعٌ وَاِكتِيابُ

she rose, winding on her veil,

filled with alarm and sorrow.

وَرَأَت لِواءَ الفَجرِ مَن

شوراً فَأَعجَلَها الذَهابُ

She saw dawn's banner

unfurled, and departure hurried her.

ناشَدتُها وَلِأَدمُعي

في الخَدِّ سَحٌّ وَاِنسِكابُ

I implored her, while my tears

poured and streamed down my cheek:

أَيُرى لِلَيلَتِنا الَّتي

سَمُحَ الزَمانُ بِها إِيابُ

Will there be a return of our night,

which time so generously granted?

جودي بِوَعدٍ مِنكَ وَال

ظَمآنُ يَخدَعُهُ السَرابُ

Grant me a promise from you—and

the thirsty are beguiled by a mirage.

وَلَئِن بَخُلتِ وَما عَلى ال

بيضِ الحِسانِ البُخلُ عابُ

And should you withhold—nor does withholding

disgrace fair beauties—

فَالصاحِبُ الحِزقُ الجَوا

دُ لَهُ العَطايا وَالرِغابُ

the resourceful, generous lord

has gifts and ample bounties.

وَرَبابُهُ المُنهَلُّ يُل

هي عَن نَوالِكَ يا رَبابُ

His pouring rain-cloud distracts me

from your favors, O Rabab.

لِمُؤَيِّدِ الإِسلامِ كَف

فٌ لا يُساجِلُها السَحابُ

Mu'ayyid al-Islam has a hand

with which no cloud can vie;

وَأَنامِلٌ تَندى البِلا

دُ عَلى المُحولِ بِها رِطابُ

and fingers dripping dew: the lands,

despite their drought, are moist through them.

وَنَدى يَضيقُ بِسَحِّ دي

مَتِهِ المَحاني وَالشِعابُ

And bounty, whose steady downpour

the winding valleys and ravines cannot contain.

بَحرٌ لَه في كُلِّ با

دِيَةٍ وَحاضِرَةٍ عُبابُ

A sea whose surging flood reaches every

desert tract and settled town.

نَضُّ العَطاءِ إِلى مَوا

رِدِ جودِهِ تُنضى الرِكابُ

Free-handed in giving: toward the watering-places

of his bounty, mounts are ridden lean.

ما عِندَهُ لِمُؤَمِّلٍ

جَدَواهُ غَيرَ نَعَم جَوابُ

He has, for anyone hoping

for his bounty, no answer but 'Yes.'

لَولا سَحائِبُ رِفدِهِ

ما أَخضَرَّ لِلعافي جَنابُ

Were it not for the clouds of his bounty,

no courtyard would grow green for a suppliant.

طَعماهُ مُختَلِفانِ شُه

دٌ إِن بَلَوناهُ وَصابُ

His two flavors differ: honey

and bitter sap, if we put him to the test.

بَأسٌ يُهابُ وَرَأفَةٌ

في النازِلينَ بِها يُهابُ

Might that is feared, and compassion

for those who lodge with him, through which he is revered.

وَسَدادُ رَأيٍ لا يَضِل

لُ عَلى بَديهَتِهِ الصَوابُ

And sound judgment: the right course never eludes

his ready understanding.

أَسَدٌ لَهُ يَومَ الطِعا

نِ عَواسِلُ الخِطِيِّ غابُ

A lion, for whom, on the day of thrusting,

the swaying Khatti spears form a forest;

وَمِنَ التَريكَةِ لُبدَةٌ

وَمِنَ الظُبا ظُفرٌ وَنابُ

his mane is made of a helmet,

his claws and fangs of sword-blades.

تَعنو الوُجوهُ لِبَأسِهِ

وَتَلينُ في يَدِهِ الصِعابُ

Faces bow before his might,

and stubborn things yield in his hand.

أَموالُهُ وَعَتادُهُ

جُردٌ مُطَهَّمَةٌ عِرابُ

His wealth and equipment

are sleek, well-formed, purebred Arab steeds,

وَصَوارِمٌ أَبقى القِرا

عُ بِها فُلُولاً وَالضِرابُ

and keen swords in which clashing

and striking have left notches.

في غِمدِها وَشَكيمِها

مِنها الجَداوِلُ وَالهِضابُ

Within their sheaths and at their bits,

they are streams and hills.

وَعَواسِلٌ لُدنٌ إِذا اِش

تَجَرَ الكُماةُ بِها صِلابُ

And supple, swaying lances, which, when

armored champions clash with them, stand rigid:

حَيّاتُ وادٍ في نُحو

رِ الدارِ عينَ لَها اِنسِيابُ

valley serpents, gliding into the throats

of armored men.

يَحمِلنَ زُرقاً لِلنُفو

سِ بِها اِختِطافٌ وَاِستِلابُ

They bear blue spearheads, by which souls

are snatched away and seized.

ضَرِيَت ثَعالِبُها كَما

ضَرِيَت عَلى البُعدِ الذِئابُ

Their foxes have grown ravenous, as

wolves grow ravenous far afield.

يَرمي العَدُوُّ بِسَهمِها

فَلِكُلِّ شَيطانٍ شِهابُ

He shoots the foe with their shafts:

for every devil there is a shooting star.

يُنمى إِلى بيضِ المَآ

ثِرِ طابَ خَيمُهُمُ فَطابوا

He descends from men of shining

deeds: noble in nature, and thus noble themselves.

قَومٌ رُبوعُهُمُ وَبو

عُهُمُ لِوَفدِهِمُ رِحابُ

A people whose dwellings and embrace

are spacious for their visitors.

في غَيرِ ما يَزكو بِهِ ال

أَحسابُ لَيسَ لَهُم حِسابُ

For anything that does not ennoble

their lineage, they have no regard.

إِن أَومَضوا صابوا وَإِن

أَوموا إِلى غَرَضٍ أَصابوا

If they flash lightning, they pour rain; and if

they point toward a target, they strike it.

وَإِذا دُعوا لِمُلِمَّةٍ

وَثَبو وَإِن سُئِلوا أَجابوا

And when summoned to a calamity,

they spring up; and when asked, they respond.

ياطالِباً مَسعاةَ مَج

دِ الدينِ أَنفُكَ وَالتُرابُ

O seeker of the achievements of Majd

al-Din—your nose in the dust!

أَجهَدتَ نَفسَكَ طالِباً

ما لَيسَ يُدرِكُهُ طِلابُ

You have exhausted yourself seeking

what no pursuit can attain.

مِن دونِ ما تَبغي عِقا

بٌ في تَوَقُّلِها عِقابُ

Before what you seek stand steep passes,

whose climbing is punishment.

لَكَ يا أَبا الفَضلِ المَسا

عي الغُرُّ وَالمِنَنُ الوِعابُ

Yours, O Abu al-Fadl, are

radiant achievements and ample favors,

وَعَميمُ طولٍ لا يُطا

وِلُ لِلنُهوضِ بِها الرِقابُ

and all-embracing bounty, beyond

what necks can stretch to shoulder.

أَدأَبتَ نَفسَكَ ما لَها

غَيرَ اِصطِناعِ العُرفِ دابُ

You have wearied yourself, with no habit

but the practice of kindness.

وَحَمَلتَ ما يَعنى بِهِ ال

قُلَلُ الشَوامِخُ وَالهِضابُ

And you have borne what would burden

the summits of lofty mountains and the hills.

فَاللَهُ في سَيفِ الخِلا

فَةِ أَن يُفَلَّ لَهُ ذُبابُ

For God's sake, guard the sword of the caliphate,

lest its point be blunted.

يَفديكَ أَغمارٌ بُرو

قُهُمُ لِشائِمِهِم خِلابُ

May fools be your ransom—their lightning

deceives whoever watches it for rain.

قَومٌ نَصيبُهُم مِنَ ال

عَلياءِ أَن يَزكو النَصابُ

A people whose share in eminence

is merely the purity of their stock;

كُلٌّ عَلى الآباءِ أَو

وَلُهُم بِآخِرِهِم يُعابُ

a burden on their fathers: their forebears

are shamed by their descendants.

لَهُمُ بُيوتُ سِيادَةٍ

لَكِنَّها بِهِمُ خَرابُ

They have houses of high standing,

but through them those houses lie ruined.

ما عِندَهُم إِلّا اِفتِخا

رٌ بِالأَوائِلِ وَاِنتِسابُ

They possess nothing but boasting

of forebears, and claims of lineage.

لا خَيرَ في المَوروثِ لا

يُنميهِ سَعيٌ وَاِكتِسابُ

No good lies in an inheritance

that effort and achievement do not increase.

فَاِسلَم فَأَنتَ لِكُلِّ عا

رِفَةٍ وَمَأثُرَةٍ مَآبُ

Remain safe: you are the home of every

kindness and glorious deed.

وَتَمَلَّ مُلكاً لا يُشا

بُ وَصَفوَ عَيشٍ لا يُشابُ

And long enjoy a dominion untainted,

and life's serenity, never marred.

يا كَعبَةَ الإِحسانِ قَد

نَزَلَت بِكَ الخَودُ الكَعابُ

O Kaaba of beneficence,

the lovely, budding-breasted maiden has alighted with you:

أُختُ القَناعَةِ لا تَخِف

فُ لَها إِلى طَمَعٍ رِكابُ

a sister of contentment: no riding-camels

hasten for her toward covetous gain.

وَفدُ الهَناءِ فَلا خَلا

لَكَ مِن وَفودِ الحَمدِ بابُ

An envoy of joy: may no door of yours

ever lack delegations of praise.