متى يستقيم الظل والعود أعوج — Al Burai

مَتى يَستَقيم الظل وَالعود أَعوج

وَهَل ذهبٌ صرف يساويه بهرج

When will the shadow be straight while the rod is crooked?

And can counterfeit metal equal pure gold?

ومن رام اخراج الزَكاة وَلَم يجد

نصابا يزكيه فمن أَينَ يخرج

And whoever seeks to pay the alms-tax but cannot find

A qualifying sum to give alms from—where can he pay them from?

هي النَفس وَالدنيا وابليس وَالهَوى

بطاعتهم عَن طاعة اللَه أَزعج

They are the soul, the world, Iblis, and desire;

In obeying them, I am driven from obedience to God.

أَروح وَأَغدو شارِبا كأس غفلة

بماء الامانيّ الكَواذِب يمزج

I go out evening and morning, drinking a cup of heedlessness

Mixed with the water of false hopes.

وأَمسى وأَضحى حامِلا في بِطاقَتي

ذنوبا تَكاد الارض منهن تخرج

And I pass evening and forenoon carrying in my record

Sins at which the earth almost bursts open.

اذا قالَت للنفس اِستَعدي بتوبة

أَبت وشفى الحظ لا يتحجج

When the soul is told, 'Prepare through repentance,'

It refuses; and the [ill-fated] one makes no excuse.

وان قلت للقَلب اِستَقم بي تعرضت

له شَهوات نارها تتأجج

And if I tell the heart, 'Be upright with me,' there arise

Before it desires whose fire blazes.

فَكَم أَتر بالعبادة وَالتقى

رياء وَباب الرشد عني مرتج

How often I [trade] in worship and piety

For show, while the gate of right guidance is barred against me.

أريد مقام الصالحين وَلَيسَ لي

كمنهجهم في الدين دين وَمنهج

I seek the station of the righteous, yet have no

Faith or path in religion resembling theirs.

وان حضر الاخوان للذكر وَالبكا

حضرت كأني لاعب متفرج

And when the brethren assemble for remembrance and weeping,

I attend as though I were a player, a spectator.

فَواخجلتي شيب وَعيب وَقددنا

رَحيلي وَلا أَدري علام أَعرج

Oh, my shame! Gray hair and faults—and drawing near is

My departure, while I do not know on what I shall ascend.

وَللمرء يوم يَنقَضي فيه عمره

وَموت وَقبر ضيق فيه يولج

For a person there is a day on which his lifespan ends,

And death, and a narrow grave into which he is made to enter.

وَيَلقى نَكيرا في السؤال وَمنكرا

يَسومان بالتَنكيل من يتَلجَلج

And he encounters Nakir and Munkar at the questioning,

Who inflict punishment on whoever stammers.

وَلا يدمن طول الحساب وَعرضه

وَهول مقام حرّه يَتَوهَج

And [there is no escape from] the long reckoning and its presentation,

And the terror of a station whose heat blazes.

وديان يوم الدين يبرز عرشه

وَيَحكم بين الخلق وَالحمق أَبلج

And the Judge of the Day of Judgment brings forth His throne,

And judges among creation, while folly is manifest.

فَطائِفة في جنة الخلد خلدت

وَطائِفة في النار تصلى فتنضج

So one company abides forever in the Garden of Eternity,

And another burns in the Fire until it is cooked through.

فَيا شؤوم حَظي حين ينكشف الغطا

اذا لَم يَكن لي من ذنوبي مخرج

Oh, the ill fortune of my lot when the veil is lifted,

If there is no escape for me from my sins!

وَلَيسَ مَعي زاد وَلالي وَسيلَة

بَلى هاشمى بالبهاء متوّج

And I have no provision with me, nor any means of approach;

Indeed, a Hashimite crowned with splendor.

أَلوذ الى ذاكَ الجناب فاحتَمي

بمن هو عند الكرب للكرب يفرج

I seek refuge in that noble presence and take shelter

In him who, in distress, brings relief from distress.

وأَدعوه في الدنيا فَتقضي حَوائجي

واني اليه في القيامة أَحوَج

I call upon him in this world, and my needs are met;

And at the Resurrection I need him still more.

اذا مدح الشعراء أَرباب عصرهم

مدحت الَّذي من نوره الكون ينهج

When poets praise the lords of their age,

I praise him by whose light the universe finds its way.

وان ذكروا لَيلى ولبنى فانني

بذكر الحَبيب الطيب الذكر ملهج

And if they mention Layla and Lubna, then I

Am devoted to recalling the beloved whose remembrance is sweet.

أَما وَمحل الهدى تدمى نحورها

وَمن ضمه البيت العَتيق المديج

Indeed, by the place of the sacrificial animals, where their throats bleed,

And by whoever the Ancient, [brocade-clad] House enfolds,

لَقَد شاقَني زوّار قبر محمد

فَشَوقي مَع الزوار يسري وَيدلج

The visitors to Muhammad's grave have indeed stirred my longing;

So my longing travels by night with the visitors and sets out in darkness.

تظل الهَوادي بالهوادج تَرتَمي

وَمالي في ركب المحبينهودج

The leading camels keep surging onward with their howdahs,

Yet I have no howdah in the lovers' caravan.

وَتمسى بروق الابرقين ضواحكا

فَتغري غَرامي بالبكا وَتَهيج

And at evening the lightning flashes of al-Abraqayn laugh,

Urging my passion to weep and stirring it up.

وأَرتاح من أَرواح أَطيب طيبة

اذ المسك في أَرجائِها يتأرج

And I delight in the breezes of sweetest Taybah,

For musk gives off its fragrance throughout her precincts.

بلاد بها جبريل يسحب ريشه

وَينزل من جوّ السَماء وَيعرج

A land where Gabriel trails his feathers,

And descends from the expanse of heaven and ascends.

نبيّ تَغار الشمس من نور وجهه

بهىّ لقىّ الثغر أَحور أَدعج

A prophet—the sun envies the light of his face;

Radiant, [pure]-toothed, with eyes of striking contrast and deepest black.

تَزيد به الايام حسنا وَيزدَهي

به الدين وَالدنيا به تتبرج

Through him the days grow lovelier, and he lends splendor

To religion; through him the world adorns itself.

مَكارِم أَخلاق وَحسن شَمائِل

وَشيمة جود بحره متموّج

Nobility of character and beauty of disposition,

And a habit of generosity, whose sea swells with waves.

غياث لملهوف وَغوث لِرائد

وَليث اذا صال الكمىّ المدجج

Relief for the distressed and aid for the seeker,

And a lion when the heavily armed warrior charges.

يخاصمه الاعداء وَالسيف حاكم

عليهموَريح النصر في القوم تتأج

The enemies contend with him, and the sword passes judgment

Upon them, and the wind of victory [blazes] among the people.

ومن خلفهم بأس شَديد وَنجدة

وَرأى يَراه السمهري المزجج

And behind them lie fierce might and valor,

And a judgment perceived by the keen-tipped Samhari spear.

فعز حماهم بالحماة مذلل

وَرأس علاهم بالكماة مشجج

So the might of their stronghold is humbled by the defenders,

And the head of their pride is gashed by the warriors.

فكم من أَسير في الوثاق مقيد

وَكَم مِن قَتيل بالدماء يضرج

So many a captive is bound in fetters,

And many a slain man lies drenched in blood,

بضرب تَلبيه الجَماجم وَالطلا

وَطعن ذبالات الحشام منه تسرج

By blows answered by skulls and necks,

And thrusts from which the wicks of the [entrails] are lit.

اليك شَفيع المذنبين تِجارَتي

فَرائد في سلك المحامد تدرج

To you, intercessor for sinners, goes my merchandise—

Unique pearls threaded on a string of praises.

مؤلفها عَبد الرَحيم كَأَنَّها

نجوم لها في جوّ جودك أَبرج

Their composer is Abd al-Rahim; they are like

Stars with celestial mansions in the sky of your generosity.

فَصلني بما يَمحو رسوم حَواسدي

وَيَشرَح صَدري بالسرور وَيبلج

So reward me with what erases the traces of my enviers,

And opens my breast with joy and makes it radiant.

وأكرم لاجلي من يَليني فكلنا

الى الرىّ من فياض فضلك ينهج

And, for my sake, honor those near me; for all of us

Seek to drink our fill from the overflow of your bounty.

وَصلى عليك اللَه ما هبت الصبا

وَما لاحَ فجر نوره متبلج

May God bless you as long as the east wind blows,

And as long as dawn appears, its light shining clear.

وَناز بحظ منك أَرباب هجرة

اليك وأوس ناصروك وَخزرج

And a share from you was [won] by those who migrated

To you, and your supporters Aws and Khazraj.