سندوها من القدود رماحا — Abn Qlaks

سنّدوها من القُدودِ رِماحا

وانتضَوْها من الجُفونِ صِفاحا

They set them up as spears from slender forms,

And unsheathed them as broad blades from eyelids.

يا لها حالةً من السِّلْمِ حالَتْ

فاستحالَتْ ولا كِفاحَ كِفاحا

What a state—it turned away from peace,

Becoming combat, though there was no combat!

صِحْ إذا درّتْ العيونُ دِماءً

إنّهم أثخنوا القلوبَ جِراحا

Cry out, when eyes pour blood:

Indeed, they have riddled the hearts with wounds!

يا فؤادي وقد أُخِذْتَ أسيراً

أتقنْطَرْتَ أم وضعتَ السِّلاحا

O my heart, now that you have been taken captive,

Did you fall headlong, or lay down your arms?

عجباً للجفون وهيَ مِراضٌ

كيف تستأسِرُ العُقولَ الصِّحاحا

How strange that eyelids, though ailing,

Take sound minds captive!

قُلْ لأعشارِكَ التي اقتسَموها

ضربوا فيكِ بالعيونِ القِداحا

Tell those tenths of you that they divided:

They cast lots over you with eyes for arrows.

آه من موقفٍ يودّ به المُغْ

رَمُ لو مات قبلَه فاستراحا

Ah, that moment when the love-stricken wishes

He had died before it, and so found rest!

حيثُ يخشى أن ينظِمَ اللثْمُ عِقْداً

فيه أو يعقِدَ العِناقُ وِشاحا

Where one fears that kisses will string a necklace

There, or an embrace will knot a sash.

ظو المطايا جوامحٌ لِفراقِ

تستحثّ البُكورُ فيه الرّواحا

[Unclear opening] The mounts bolt toward parting,

There, early departure urges evening departure onward.

وجناحُ النّوى يضمُّ ظِباءً

لم يخفْ في دم الأسود جُناحا

And separation's wing enfolds gazelles,

Fearing no guilt in the blood of lions.

يتجنّى على المَشوقِ ذُنوباً

يجتنيها ثنائِياً وانتزاحا

It invents sins against the yearning lover,

Reaping them twofold [reading uncertain], and in estrangement.

إنْ أبى دمعُه يُقالُ تسلّى

أو أتى قيلَ ذاك بالسّرِّ باحا

If his tears refuse to flow, they say he has found solace;

Or if they come, they say: "That man has revealed the secret."

ما على من يقولُ في الحبِّ عارٌ

قاتل الخالقُ الوجوهَ الملاحا

No shame falls on one who says in love:

"May the Creator smite those lovely faces!"

قرّبوا لي الجوى وكان بعيداً

منعوني الكرى وكان مُباحا

They brought heartache close to me, though it had been far;

They denied me sleep, though it had been permitted.

ولقد راضَني الزمانُ ذَلولاً

بعد أن كنتُ أستطيلُ الجِماحا

Time has indeed tamed me into docility,

After I once prolonged my wild defiance.

وتناءَتْ مطارِحُ الصّيدِ عني

فأرَتْني لولا عليُّ اطّراحا

And the hunting grounds receded from me,

And, but for Ali, would have shown me rejection.

حسنٌ جاءَ من أبي الحسنِ النّدْ

بِ فردّ الحِسانَ عندي قِباحا

Beauty came from noble Abu al-Hasan,

And so made the beauties ugly in my eyes.

جدَّ في جودِ كفّه وتناهى

فخشينا بأن يكونَ مِزاحا

He was earnest in his hand's bounty, and went to the utmost,

So we feared it might be a jest.

وابتداني وما سألتُ نَوالاً

كنتُ لولاهُ قد نسيتُ السّماحا

He took the initiative with me, though I had asked no gift;

But for him, I would have forgotten generosity.

جاهُهُ شفْعُ مالِه فهو وَتْرٌ

يقتضينا من حالتَيْهِ اقتراحا

His prestige pairs with his wealth, yet he is unmatched,

Inviting us to choose between his two capacities.

فإذا ما أردْتَ كان سَحاباً

وإذا ما أردتَ كان رياحا

If you so wish, he becomes a cloud;

And if you so wish, he becomes winds.

ركضَتْ حلبةَ المدائح كما

أن أصابت طُرْقَ الثّناءِ فِساحا

They raced the course of panegyric, since

They found the paths of praise wide open.

والقوافي خُرْسٌ فإن جُعِلَ الجو

دُ مَسيحاً لها أُعيدَتْ فِصاحا

And rhymes are mute; but if generosity is made

Their Messiah, they are restored to eloquence.

كم أُديرَتْ عليه كأسُ ثناءٍ

هزّ أعطافَه إليها ارتِياحا

How often a cup of praise was passed to him,

And he swayed his flanks toward it in delight.

مغرمٌ بالعُلا يسوقُ إليها

طِرْفَ جِدٍّ لنَيلِها طمّاحا

Enamored of eminence, he drives toward it

A steed of resolve, straining high to attain it.

حسْبُه بالطُروسِ روضاً أنيقاً

يجتَنيها شقائقاً وأقاحا

The written pages suffice him as a lovely garden;

He harvests them as anemones and daisies.

وكفاهُ من المعاني اللواتي

يجتَليها حِجاهُ روْحاً وراحا

And enough for him are the meanings which

His intellect beholds, as refreshment and wine.

شيمٌ صُوِّرَتْ من السّؤدُدِ المحْ

ضِ فجاءتْ كالماءِ عذباً قَراحا

Traits molded from unalloyed nobility,

Coming like water, sweet and pure.

طُبعَتْ نفسُه على الخيرِ حتى

ليس يعدو الصّلاحَ والإصلاحا

His soul was formed for goodness, so that

He never goes beyond virtue and setting things right.

يا هِلالا نَماهُ أكملُ بدرٍ

لست ممّنْ أخشى عليه الصّباحا

O crescent nurtured by the most perfect full moon,

You are not one for whom I fear the dawn.

من أبي القاسم اقتسَمْتَ صِفاتٍ

زِدْتَ أوضاحَها لنا إيضاحا

From Abu al-Qasim you took a share of qualities,

Whose brightness you made clearer still to us.

مثلَ ما يُنظمُ الحليُّ على الغي

دِ وإن كُنّ كالصّباحِ صِباحا

As ornaments are strung upon graceful women,

Though they are as beautiful as the morning.

زمني عندكم حديقةُ عزٍّ

تقتضيني تنزّهاً وانفِساحا

My time with you is a garden of honor,

Inviting me to stroll and roam freely.

فأنا أقطعُ الزمانَ اغتباقاً

تحت أفنانِ دوحِها واصطِباحا

So I pass my time drinking at evening,

Under its great trees' boughs, and drinking at morning.

فرجٌ يا بني أبي الفرجِ اقتدْ

نَ إليّ السرورَ والأفراحا

Respites, O sons of Abu al-Faraj, have led

Joy and gladness to me.

قد تقضّى الصيامُ عنك حَميداً

شاكراً منك عفّةً وصلاحا

Fasting has passed from you commendably,

Thanking you for chastity and righteousness.

وأتى الفِطرُ سافراً عن مُحيّا

كاد يحكي جَبينكَ الوضّاحا

And Eid al-Fitr arrived, unveiling a face

That almost mirrored your radiant brow.

فتهنّأ به فقد صحّ لمّا

أن رأينا هِلالَ وجهِكَ لاحا

So rejoice in it, for it was confirmed when

We saw the crescent of your face shine forth.