عاهدوا الربع ولوعا وغراما — Al Burai

عاهدوا الربع وَلوعا وَغَراما

فَوفوا للربع بالدَمع ذماما

They pledged themselves to the dwelling in ardor and consuming love,

And honored their covenant to it with tears.

كلما مَروا عَلى أَطلاله

سفحوا الدمع بدي السفح اِنسجاما

Whenever they passed by its ruins,

At Dhi al-Safh [uncertain reading], they poured tears in streams.

نزلوا بالشعب من شرقيه

مستظلين اراكا وَيشاما

They alighted in the ravine on its eastern side,

Seeking shade beneath arak and basham trees [uncertain reading].

ينثر الطل عليهم لؤلؤا

يشبه اللؤلؤ حسنا واِبتساما

The dew scatters pearls upon them,

Resembling pearls in beauty and smiling radiance.

واذا هبت صبا نجد لهم

فهمتهم عَن ربا نحد كلاما

And when the east wind of Najd blows their way,

It conveys to them words from the hills of Najd.

يا رافيقي بنواحيرامة

غن لي بالابرق الفردوراما

O my companion in the environs of Rama,

Sing to me of al-Abraq al-Fard and Rama.

كم بدور في خدور المنحنى

يَستَغير البدر منهن التماما

How many full moons dwell in the curtained chambers of the bend!

The full moon borrows its fullness from them.

حبهم حل سويدا مهجتي

وَفؤادي بعد ما فت العظاما

Love for them settled in the innermost core of my soul,

And of my heart, after it had crushed my bones.

أَيُّها اللائم اذنى لا تعي

زخرف القول فدع عنك الملاما

O reproacher, my ear does not heed

Embellished words; so leave reproach aside.

أولع الحب بدمعي وَدمي

فَعلام اللوم في الحب علاما

Love is obsessed with my tears and blood;

Then why this blame in love—why?

عذريّ الوجد قَلبي فيهم

يكره المسك وَيَرتاح الخزاما

My heart is ʿUdhri in its passion for them;

It dislikes musk and delights in lavender.

وَالفَتى العذرى لاينفك عن

عهدة الشوق وان ذاق الحماما

And the ʿUdhri youth never breaks free of

The bond of longing, even if he tastes death.

ليت شعري هل أَداني شعبهم

بعد بعدي وَتَرى عيني الخياما

Would that I knew: will their ravine draw me near

After my remoteness, and will my eye behold the tents?

ما عليك سادتي من حرج

لَو تردون لَيالينا القداما

There is no hardship for you, my masters,

If you restore our nights of old.

ان تَناءَت دارنا عَن داركم

فاذكر وَالعهد وَزورونا مناما

If our dwelling has grown far from yours,

Then remember the covenant, and visit us in dreams.

هيجتني نسمة نجدية

قلبت قَلبي عميدا مستهاما

A breeze from Najd stirred me,

Making my heart love-stricken and distraught.

كلما ناحَت حَمامات الحمى

في أَراكَ الشعب ناوحت الحماما

Whenever the doves of the sanctuary lamented

Among the ravine's arak trees, I lamented with the doves.

وأحبابي الأولى عاهدتهم

عقلوا عَقلي بمن أَهوى هياما

And my beloved ones, to whom I pledged myself,

Bound my reason in passion for the one I love.

عرضوا الكأس علينا مرة

فاِنتَهى السكر وَما فضوا الختاما

They offered us the cup once,

Then intoxication reached its limit before they broke the seal.

ثملت أَرواحنا من ذكرهم

لَم نَر الراح وَلا ذقنا المداما

Our souls grew drunk from the mention of them;

We neither saw wine nor tasted the vintage.

يا ندماي فؤادي عندكم

ما فعلتم بفؤادي يا ندامى

O my drinking companions, my heart is with you;

What have you done to my heart, O companions?

همت فاِستعذبت تَعذيبي بكم

فأجرحوا قَلبي وَلاتخشوا أَثاما

I fell madly in love, so I found my torment by you sweet;

So wound my heart, and fear no sin.

أَنتم من دمي المَسفوح في

أوسع الحل وان كان حرما

Concerning my spilled blood, you are in

The fullest lawful liberty, even though it be inviolate.

واصرموا حَبلي وان شئتم صلوا

لذلى الحبوصالا وانصراما

And sever my cord, and if you wish, join it;

Love is sweet to me in union and separation.

أَنا راض بالَّذي تَرضونه

لكم المنّة عفوا واِنتقاما

I am content with whatever you approve;

Yours is the favor, in pardon and vengeance.

كنت في الشعب وَكانوا جيرَتي

لو صفا لي ذلك العيش وداما

I was in the ravine, and they were my neighbors;

If only that life had been untroubled for me and endured!

قسما بالبيت وَالركن الَّذي

طاب تَقبيلا وَمسحا وَالتزاما

I swear by the House and the Corner that

Was sweet to kiss, touch, and embrace:

ان في طيبةقوما جارهم

في محل النجم يَعلو أن يسامى

Indeed, in Taybah dwell people whose neighbor

Has a station among the stars, too lofty to be rivaled.

روضة الجنة في أَوطانهم

وَثَرى آثارهم يبرى الجذاما

The garden of Paradise lies in their homelands,

And the soil of their traces heals leprosy.

كل من لَم ير فرضا حبهم

فَهو في النار وان صلى وصاما

Whoever does not deem loving them an obligation

Is in the Fire, even if he prays and fasts.

هم نجوم أَشرق الكون بهم

بعد ما كانَت نواحيه ظلاما

They are stars through whom the universe shone,

After its regions had been darkness.

فتَحوا الارض بعليا بأسهم

واِستَباحوا يمنا منها وَشاما

They conquered the earth by their supreme valor,

And took possession of its Yemen and al-Sham.

فيهم البدر الَّذي أَنواره

لَم يطق من بعدها الحق أنكاما

Among them is the full moon whose lights

Made it impossible for truth thereafter to remain concealed.

الاعز المتقى من هاشم

طيب العنصر حاشا أَن يضاما

The mightiest, the God-fearing one of Hashim,

Pure in lineage—far be it that he be wronged—

المدانى قاب قَوسين الَّذي

كان للأملاك وَالرسل اماما

The one brought near to within two bow-lengths, who

Was leader of the angels and messengers.

اِرتَضاه اللَه نوراللهدى

واِنتضاه لدم الاعدا حساما

God chose him as a light of guidance,

And unsheathed him as a sword to spill the enemies' blood.

خصه اللَه بدين قيم

نمخ الاديان ندبا وَالتزاما

God singled him out with an upright religion

That superseded the religions in recommended and obligatory observance.

وَكتاب أَحكمت آياته

عصمة اللَه لمن رام اِعتصاما

And with a Book whose verses were made firm,

God's safeguard for whoever seeks protection.

يَهتَدي كل من اِستَهدى به

سبل الرشد وَيعمى من تعامى

Everyone who seeks guidance through it is guided

Along the paths of rectitude; whoever feigns blindness goes blind.

فرض العمرة وَالحج لنا

وَصَلاة وَزَكاة وَصياما

He prescribed for us ʿumrah and the Hajj,

And prayer, almsgiving, and fasting.

يا رَسول اللَه ياذ الفضل يا

بهجة المحشر جاها وَمقاما

O Messenger of God, O possessor of bounty, O

Splendor of the Gathering, in honor and station!

يا وجيه الوجه في الدارين يا

شافع الخلق اذا الدوا خصاما

O noble of countenance in both abodes, O

Intercessor for creation when they contend fiercely in dispute!

عد على عَبد الرَحيم الملتجى

بحمى عزك ياغوث اليَتامى

Bestow your favor on ʿAbd al-Rahim, who seeks refuge

In the sanctuary of your might, O succor of orphans!

وَرِفاقي الكل قم بي وَبهم

في الملمات اذا اِحتجنا القياما

And all my companions—stand by me and by them

In calamities, when we need support.

وأقلني سَيدي من عثرتي

واكتسابى الذنب من خمسين عاما

And pardon me, my master, for my stumbling

And the sin I have acquired over fifty years.

نحن في روض ثناكم نجتني

ثمرات المدح نثرا وَنظاما

In the garden of praise for you, we gather

The fruits of praise, in prose and verse.

لوسما المجد لأقصى غاية

كنت للمجد سناء وَسناما

Were glory to rise to its farthest height,

You would be glory's radiance and summit.

يدك العليا عَلى كل يد

زادك اللَه علوّا واِحتراما

Your exalted hand is above every hand;

May God increase you in exaltation and honor,

وَكَسا روحك منه رحمة

وَصَلاة تَرتَضيها وَسَلاما

And clothe your soul in mercy from Him,

And in blessings you approve, and peace,

تَقتَضي حقكعني دائما

وَتعم الآل وَالصحب الكراما

Forever securing your due on my behalf,

And encompassing your family and noble companions.