ألم يك في وجدي وبرح تلددي — Abu Alatahyah

أَلَم يَكُ في وَجدي وَبَرحِ تَلَدُّدي

نِهايَةُ نَهيٍ لِلعَذولِ المُفَنِّدِ

Was there not in my longing and the agony of my restlessness

the utmost deterrent to the fault-finding reproacher?

وَأَخذُ مَشيبٍ مِن شَبابٍ أَرى بِهِ

تَقاضِيَ دَينٍ أَو تَنَجُّزَ مَوعِدِ

And in gray hair's encroachment upon youth I see

the claiming of a debt, or the calling in of a promise.

سَأَلتُ الغَوادي مُلحِفاً في سُؤالِها

وَناشَدتُها في سَقيِ بُرقَةِ ثَهمَدِ

I begged the morning rain clouds, insistent in my plea,

and implored them to water Burqat Thahmad.

مَنازِلُ ما أَبقى البِلى مِن عِراصِها

سِوى أَرسُمٍ مَعفُوَّةِ الآيِ هُمَّدِ

Dwellings—decay has left nothing of their courtyards

but lifeless traces, their signs effaced.

مَعاهِدُ مِن خَودٍ تَناصَرَ حُسنُها

تَناصُرَ ضَوءِ الكَوكَبِ المُتَوَقِّدِ

Haunts of a tender maiden whose beauties strengthened one another,

like the mutually strengthening light of a blazing star.

تَثَنّى عَلى لَحظِ العُيونِ إِذا مَشَت

تَثَنِّيَ غُصنِ البانَةِ المُتَأَوِّدِ

She sways beneath watching eyes when she walks,

like the bending bough of a bān tree.

يَهونُ عَلى الحَسناءِ إِغرامُ مُغرَمٍ

بِها لَم يُهَوِّن مِنهُ إِسعادُ مُسعِدِ

The fair one finds it easy to torment a lover

in love with her, whose pain no comforter's aid has eased.

وَلَو حَرِجَت مِمّا أَتَتهُ لَراعَها

مُصابُ رَمِيٍّ عَن جَوى الحُبِّ مُقصَدِ

And had she felt compunction for what she had done, she would have been appalled

by the plight of one pierced and mortally wounded by love's burning anguish.

أَرى اِبنَ نُصَيرٍ مُفضِلاً في نَوالِهِ

عَطاءَ مُعيدٍ في السَماحَةِ مُبتَدِ

I see Ibn Nusayr lavish in his bounty,

giving as one who both renews and initiates generosity.

غَدَونا نَذودُ الدَهرَ عَن سَيبِ كَفِّهِ

بِمَشكورِ نَيلِ الأَمسِ مُنتَظِرِ الغَدِ

We went forth in the morning to ward off time from his hand's bounty,

with thanks for yesterday's gifts, awaiting tomorrow's.

يَرُدُّ الشُكوكَ المُشكِلاتِ إِذا اِلتَوَت

عَلَيهِ إِلى شَزرٍ مِنَ الرَأيِ مُحصَدِ

He refers perplexing doubts, when they grow tangled

before him, to a firm, tightly twisted cord of judgment.

فَواضِلُ مِن ساعاتِ عَزمِ مُناجِزٍ

تُطَبَّقُ تَطبيقَ الحُسامِ المُهَنَّدِ

Excellent deeds born of moments of swift, decisive resolve,

brought to bear like the joint-cleaving stroke of an Indian-forged sword.

وَبادي مَواعيدٍ يَعودُ بِمِثلِها

مَتى يُصدِرِ المَوعودَ بِالنُجحِ يورِدِ

And he initiates promises, then offers their like again;

whenever he sends a promise's recipient away satisfied, he brings him back to water.

وَكافي كُفاةٍ مُستَقِلٍّ بِعِبئِهِم

مَتى يَهزِلوا في مُعظَمِ الأَمرِ يَجدُدِ

And he sustains capable men, shouldering their burden alone;

whenever they make light of a weighty matter, he acts in earnest.

مَقاوِمُ ماتَنفَكُّ تُهدى كِفايَةً

إِلى الرُؤَساءِ مِن أَميرٍ وَسَيِّدِ

Deeds ceaselessly offered as effective support

to leaders, prince and lord alike.

يَقولُ أَبو الجَيشِ الأَميرُ بِفَضلِها

وَيُثنى بِحُسناها الحُسَينُ بنُ أَحمَدِ

The prince Abu al-Jaysh declares their excellence,

and al-Husayn ibn Ahmad praises their goodness.

إِلَيكَ رَحَلنا العيسَ مِن أَرضِ بابِلٍ

يَجورُ بِها سَمتَ الدَبورِ وَيَهتَدي

We saddled the pale camels to journey to you from Babylon's land;

their driver veers with them toward the west wind, yet finds his way.

فَكَم جَزَعَت مِن وَهدَةٍ بَعدَ وَهدَةِ

وَكَم قَطَعَت مِن فَدفَدٍ بَعدَ فَدفِ

So many a hollow after hollow they have crossed,

and how many a high plain after high plain they have traversed!

طَلَبنَكَ مِن أُمِّ العِراقِ نَوازِعاً

بِنا وَقُصورُ الشامِ مِنكَ بِمَرصَدِ

They sought you from the mother-city of Iraq, eagerly straining onward

with us, while the palaces of al-Sham stand watch for you,

إِلى إِرَمٍ ذاتِ العِمادِ وَإِنَّها

لَمَوضِعُ قَصدي موجِفاً وَتَعَمُّدي

toward Iram of the pillars; indeed, it is

the very goal I hasten toward, my deliberate destination.