ألا من عذيري من جوى في الجوانح — Alarjani

ألا مَن عذيرِي من جوىً في الجوانحِ

ومن دَمْعِ عينٍ بالسَّرائرِ بائحِ

Ah, who will defend me from the burning grief within my ribs,

and from an eye's tears that divulge my secrets,

ومنِ لائمٍ يَسْعَى بكأسِ ملامة

على الصَّبِّ منه غابِقٌ بعدَ صابح

and from a reproacher bearing a cup of blame,

serving the lovesick evening draughts after morning ones,

ومِن مَوْقفٍ يومَ الوَداعِ وقَفْتُه

وقد هاجَ أشجانَ القلوبِ الجَرائح

and from a stand I took upon the day of farewell,

which stirred the sorrows of wounded hearts?

فقلتُ وقد زمُّوا المطايا عَشيةً

وقد جَرَّحَتْ أيدي الفِراقِ جَوارحي

I said, as they bridled the mounts one evening,

when separation's hands had wounded my limbs:

دَمُ القلبِ في عيني وتَسْخو بمائها

فقُلْ في إناءٍ لا بما فيهِ راشح

My heart's blood is in my eye, yet it freely sheds water—

tell, then, of a vessel leaking something other than its contents!

ولكنْ عَذّرْتُ العَينَ مِمَّا أَتتْ به

وقالتْ وبعضُ القولِ أوضَحُ واضح

Yet I excused the eye for what it had done,

when it said—and some speech is clarity itself—

هُمُ أودعوني الدُّرَّ يومَ رحيلِهم

وقد ثارَ في بحرٍ من الوَجْدِ طافح

They entrusted pearls to me upon their departure,

while a swelling surge arose in a sea of longing.

إليَّ مِنَ الأذْنِ ارتَمى فَخَزَنْتُه

من العِزِّ في الآماقِ خَزْنَ الشَّحائح

Through the ear they were cast toward me, and I stored them,

preciously, in my eye-corners, as misers hoard.

فما أنا في ما استَودَعوني بخائنٍ

ولو ذُبْتُ من نيرانِ وجْدٍ لَوافح

I will not betray what they entrusted me with,

even if I melt in longing's scorching fires.

تَقبّلتُ درّاً من سِرارِ حَديِثهمِ

فأدَّيتُ دُرّاً من دُموعي السَّوافح

I received pearls from their whispered conversation,

and repaid pearls from my streaming tears.

سِرارُ نوىً عندي ودّدْتُ على النوى

ودائعَه رَدّ الأمينِ المُناصح

Whispers of parting remain with me; despite separation I wished

to return their trusts like a faithful, devoted keeper.

ولولاهُ جادَ العينُ مِنّي بَعْبرةٍ

تُخَضِّبُ أطرافَ البّنانِ المَواسح

But for that, my eye would have poured a tear

to stain the fingertips that wipe it.

سلَوتُ الصِّبا لولا بُكاءُ حَمائمٍ

على فُرقةِ الأُلافِ صُبحاً نوائح

I would have forgotten youthful passion, but for weeping doves,

lamenting at dawn the separation of companions.

لَبِسْنَ حِداداً ثمّ مَزَّقْنَهُ سوى

مَزَرَّ جيوب في طُلاها طَرائح

They donned mourning, then tore it apart, save

the fastened collars draped around their throats.

وأنشَدنَ من شِعرِ الحمَامِ قصائداً

رَواها قديماً صادِحٌ بعد صادح

They recited poems from the poetry of doves,

handed down of old by singer after singer:

فِراقيَّةٌ أضحَى مُكَرَّرُ صَوتِها

لإلْفٍ قديمٍ وَدَّعَ الإلْفَ طائح

songs of separation, whose repeated cry now goes

to an old companion who departed after bidding its mate farewell.

وتَشكو الذي أشكو فأبكيِ مُساعِداً

وتَبكِي بلا ماءٍ من العينِ سافِح

She laments what I lament, and I weep in sympathy,

while she weeps without water streaming from her eye.

وتَحْذَرُ من زُرقٍ جَوارِحَ تُتَّقى

لِرامٍ ومِن خَطْفاتِ زُرْقِ الجَوارح

She fears blue-tipped, wounding shafts that must be avoided,

an archer's shafts, and the swooping snatches of blue-eyed raptors.

تُعاني خُطوباً وهي مِثْلي مُردِّدٌ

حَنيناً إلى يومٍ كما اعتادَ صالح

She suffers calamities and, like me, keeps repeating

her yearning for a day, as Salih was accustomed.

يَرومُ صِغارُ النّاسِ شَأوِيَ بعدَ ما

شأوْتُ كِباراً من سَراةٍ جَحاجِح

Petty men seek to reach my mark, after

I have outstripped great men, eminent, mighty chiefs.

وكيف ولم تُذْمَمْ عُهودُ شَيبتي

يُرجَّى سِقاطي بعد شَيْبِ المَسائح

How, when my gray-haired years have earned no blame,

can lapses be expected of me after my temple-locks have whitened?

وحاشايَ أن تَغْدو مِراضاً عزائمي

نتَائجُ أفكارٍ بدَتْ لي صَحائح

Far be it from me that my resolves should sicken,

the offspring of thoughts that appeared sound to me.

وأصبح ليلُ الشعْرمنّي مُفتِّحاً

لأبصار صدْقٍ من قُلوب فَوائح

The night of my hair has come to open

true inward eyes from fragrant hearts,

لِيَفْرُقَ ما بينَ السَّوائحِ ناظري

وقد طَلَعتْ شَمْسي وبينَ البوارح

so that my gaze may distinguish favorable omens,

now that my sun has risen, from unfavorable ones.

عَجِبْتُ لقومٍ عَرَّفَتْني تَجارِبي

بما كان عنهم خَبَّرتنْي قَرائحي

I marvel at people whom my experience has shown me

to be just as my poetic instincts had described them;

ومُنتَحِلٍ قد رَدَّ قَولِي بعَيْنِه

مُعاداً كما رَدَّ الصَّدى صَوتَ صائح

and at a plagiarist who repeats my very words,

reproduced as an echo repeats a shouter's voice.

وما للقريضِ اليومَ من فَضْل قِيمةٍ

فيُوجِبُ قَطْعَ السّارقِ المُتَواقح

Poetry today has no such great value

as would warrant cutting off the brazen thief's hand.

أرىَ اليومَ مَدّاحَ اللّئامِ بَمْدحِهم

كَمُستَنْبح يَرجو إجابَةَ نابِح

Today I see the panegyrist of base men, in praising them,

as one provoking barking, hoping for a barking dog's reply.

ولولا دَواعي نِسبةٍ عربيّةٍ

وإلْفٍ لنَظْمِ الرائقاتِ الفَصائح

But for the promptings of Arab descent

and a love of composing lucid, eloquent verses,

إذنْ لأنفْتُ اليومَ من قولِ فَقْرةٍ

وإن كَثُرتْ شكْوى الهمومِ الفوادح

I would now disdain to utter a single phrase,

though complaints of crushing cares were many.

أغالبُ صَرْفَ الدّهرِ والدّهرُ غالبٌ

وكم دائرٍ في لُجّةِ البحرِ سابح

I struggle against Time's vicissitudes, and Time prevails;

how many a swimmer circles in the sea's abyss!

ولولا زمانٌ أزمنَتْني صُروفُه

لقد كنتُ في الآفاقِ شَتَى المَنادح

But for an age whose reversals have crippled me,

I would have ranged through the horizons' many open spaces.

ومَولىً بدا منه تَجافٍ فَرابَني

وعَهْدِي به فوقَ المُجافي الثُلح

A patron showed estrangement that troubled me,

though I had known him to be above estrangement [ending unclear].

عَلِمْتُ بلا فِعْلٍ بدا منه عَتْبَهُ

ولا طَرْحِ قولٍ من مُجِدٍ ومازح

I knew his displeasure without any deed appearing from him,

or a word dropped by anyone in earnest or jest.

ولكنْ يَعودُ الدّهر حَوْليَ بعدما

مضَى زَمَنٌ والدْهرُ فيه مصالحي

But Time turns against me, after

an interval passed when Time was friendly to me.

وما الدّهرُ إلا عَبْدُه فَلَقِيتُه

غدا يتَلقاني بَطلْعةِ كالح

Time is merely his servant; I encountered it

now receiving me with a scowling face.

فإن يكُ حَقَّاً ما ظَنَنْتُ منَ الذي

تَصّورَ في فَهْمٍ لمولايَ سانح

If what I suspected is indeed true—what

arose as a passing thought in my lord's understanding—

وأقسَمْتُ بالبَيتِ المُشَّرفِ رُكْنُه

فمِن لاثمٍ يَهْوي إليه وما سح

I swear by the House whose Corner is revered,

and by all who bend to kiss it or stroke it,

ومَن حَجَّهُ من شَرْقِ أرضٍ وغَرْبِها

على ضُمرٍ خُوصِ العيونِ طَلائح

and those who make pilgrimage to it from the earth's east and west,

upon lean, narrow-eyed, exhausted mounts:

لمَا كان في قُرْبٍ من الدّار أو نَوىً

فؤادي إلى تَغْييرِ عَهْدٍ بجانح

never, whether near home or far away,

has my heart inclined toward changing its pledge.

فلا يُصْغِ ذو حُكْمٍ إلى قولِ ناصحٍ

له باغْتيابِ الأفضلِينَ مَطارح

Let no ruler heed an adviser

who ranges widely in slandering the worthiest;

وواشٍ يُقَضّي بالوِشايةِ عُمْرَهُ

إذا هو يوماً لم يُغادِ يُراوح

or a tale-bearer who spends his life informing,

going out at evening whenever he has not gone out at dawn.

وكم خامِلٍ لا يَهْتدي لنباهةٍ

بغَيْرِ وقُوعٍ منه في عِرْضِ راجح

How many an obscure man finds no path to prominence

except by attacking a worthy man's honor!

وقومٍ أقامَ الغِلُّ لي في صُدورِهم

فما هو عنها ما حَييِتُ بِبارح

And people in whose breasts rancor against me has settled—

it will not leave them as long as I live.

لنَفْسي اصطنَعْتُ القومَ حتَّى إذا حَوَوا

بيَ السُؤلَ جازَوْني جَزاءَ التَماسح

I cultivated those people for myself, until, when they obtained

their wishes through me, they repaid me as crocodiles repay.

وأعرَفُ من نَفْسي بنَفْسي لن تَرَى

إذا رُمْتَ كَشْفاً عن عُيونِ القَوادح

You will never find anyone who knows me better than I do,

if you seek to uncover the sources of faults.

فَدُونَك من نَفْسي عُيونَك فاستَمعْ

لِمخْتَصرٍ ما عنده غيرِ شارح

So hold back your searching eyes from me, and listen

to one who states his case briefly, rather than expansively.

فما أنا إن لم تَدْنُ منّي بداخلٍ

مُماسٍ نفاقاً باللّقاءِ مُصابح

If you do not draw near me, I am not one to intrude,

calling hypocritically upon you evening and morning;

ولا كاتبٍ إن غِبْتُ عن غيرِ حاجةٍ

وأُجرِيَ مُجْرىَ ألكَنٍ مُتفاصح

nor one to write, when absent, without a need,

and be treated as a stammerer affecting eloquence;

ولا مُدَّعٍ ما ليس فيَّ تَشَيُّعاً

ففَضْليَ في أمثالهِ غيرُ ماسح

nor one to claim qualities I lack to display allegiance:

my merit does not stoop to flattery of that kind.

ولكنْ وَلاءٌ في الطَوّيةِ خالصٌ

ونَشْرُ ثناءٍ كاللطيةِ فائح

But mine is loyalty pure within the heart,

and spreading praise fragrant as perfume;

وعَهْدٌ كما يَزدادُ طولَ تَقادُمٍ

يَزيدُ لها في الراحِ طِيبَ روائح

and a pledge that, the longer it ages,

grows sweeter in fragrance, like wine;

ونَظْم قوافٍ في كرامٍ كأنَّها

عقودُ لآلٍ في طُلىً من طَلائح

and verses composed for noble men, resembling

pearl necklaces around the throats of the weary.

فمَن ذا الذي يَلْقَى مَعانيَّ هذه

ولا يَتمّنى سَعْيَه لِمَصالحي

Who could encounter these qualities of mine

and not wish to labor for my welfare?

أبَى اللهُ إلا أنْ يكونَ تَدارُكي

بَمولىً إلى العلياءِ سامِي المَطامح

God has willed that my rescue should come

through a patron whose ambitions soar toward eminence.

على يَدهِ العلياء حُسْنَ خَواتمي

يكونُ كما قد كان حُسْن فواتحي

Through his lofty hand, the happy ending of my days

will be as their happy beginning once was.

وما هو إلا ناصحُ الدّينِ إنَّه

بإنعامِه قِدْماً عَهِدْتُ مَناجِحي

He is none other than Nasih al-Din; indeed,

through his favors I knew my successes long ago.

أخو كرمٍ عَذْبِ المَشارِع في الندى

إذا أمَّه الرّاجي أسْنَى المَفاتح

A man of generosity, with sweet watering places in bounty,

whose portals are most splendid when the hopeful seek him.

له قَلَمٌ سِيانِ سُودُ صحائف

يُسَطِرُها وقْعاً وبيِضُ صفائح

He has a pen: alike are the blackened pages

it inscribes with strokes and the gleaming sword-blades

بَكَفّ شجاعٍ سافحٍ لدَمِ العِدا

وعن جُرْمِ ذي وُدٍّ وإن جَلَّ صافح

in a brave man's hand, spilling enemies' blood,

yet pardoning a friend's offense, however great.

هُمامٍ لأسرارِ العبادِ مُروِّحٍ

وبين الندى والبأسِ حَزْماً مُراوح

A hero who brings relief to people's innermost selves,

prudently alternating between bounty and might.

سَعَى للعلا والأفْقُ حَول رِكابِه

بأعَزلَ يَسعَى من نُجومٍ ورامِح

He sought glory while the horizon about his mounts

marched with stars, the Unarmed and the Spear-bearer.

كأنّ الثُريّا استأمَنتْ لجنُودِها

فقد بسَطَتْ للعهدِ كفَّ مُصالح

As though the Pleiades had sought safety for their troops,

they stretched out a peacemaker's hand for a treaty.

لناصحِ دينِ اللهِ بَشّر ناظري

تَلاءْ لُؤُ بشْرٍ من مُحَيّاهُ لائح

Of Nasih Din Allah, my eyes received glad tidings:

the radiance of joy shining from his countenance.

وناصحُ دينِ اللهِ ما زال قلبُه

بشأنيَ مَعْيناً جَزيلَ المَنائح

Nasih Din Allah's heart has always been

a flowing spring in my affairs, abundant in gifts.

ولكن كَفاني الدَّهرَ من قلبِ ناصحٍ

وإن كَثُرَتْ آولاؤه قَلْبُ ناصح

But in place of Nasih's heart, enough against Time for me—

however many his favors—is 'Nasih' reversed: a horse.

ومَن يك بحراً يَغْمُرُ الأرضَ فَيْضُه

فما عُذره ألا يَجَودَ بسابح

Whoever is a sea whose overflow engulfs the earth,

what excuse has he for withholding a swimming steed?

خصوصاً وعن إدارِيَ اختَرْتَ حُسنْهُ

فماذا عليه لو غدا وهْو ما نحى

Especially—concerning my management, you chose its beauty [text uncertain].

So what would it cost him to become my benefactor,

وفي إثْرِهِ منّي على القُرْبِ والنّوى

ثناءً كأنفاسِ الرّياضِ النّوافح

with, in his wake, from me, both near and far,

praise like the fragrant breaths of gardens,

ومَدْحٌ بَديعٌ والمنائحُ طالما

غدَتْ وهْيَ أثمانٌ لغُرِّ المَدائح

and exquisite panegyric? Gifts have so often

served as payment for brilliant praises.

وسائرُ شُكْرٍ يَعْبَقُ الأرضَ نَشْره

إذا سارَ غادٍ منه في إثْرِ رائح

And traveling thanks whose fragrance perfumes the earth,

as one morning traveler follows another at evening.

فلِي فرسا فاطْرَحْ ولاعِبْ تَغالُبا

إذالَ على كُثْرٍ إذن من مدائحي

Set down a horse for me, then play to outdo me;

then you will have abundant praises from me [text uncertain].

فلو فَرسَيْن اثنَيْنِ عن حاتمِ الندى

تَشفَّع إن لاعْبتُه لِعْبَ طارح

If, for Hatim of bounty, two horses

interceded when I played him at a casting game,

قَمَرْتُ النُّهى عنه ولم يَبْقَ في الورى

بجُودٍ له ذِكْرٌ بعيدُ المَطارح

I would win men's minds away from him, and among mortals

he would retain no far-reaching fame for generosity.

وما هي بِكْراً من هِباتِك أبتَغِي

فكم لِيَ من مُهْرٍ وهَبْت وقارح

Nor is what I seek the first of your gifts:

how many a colt and mature horse you have given me!

عسى فرسٌ أسِري إلى فارسٍ به

وأنت إذا استُسمِحْتَ أسْمحُ سامح

Perhaps a horse on which I might journey by night to Fars—

and, when asked, you are the most generous giver.

فتَسمَعُ شُكْري ثَمّ عندَ مُلوكِها

وما شُكْرُ دانٍ مُشْبِهاً شُكْرُ نازح

Then you will hear my thanks there, among its kings;

a nearby man's thanks do not resemble a distant man's.

سأنَشُر في الآفاقِ عنك مدائحاً

مَحاسِنُ قومٍ عندَها كالمقابح

I shall spread praises of you throughout the horizons,

beside which other people's virtues seem like faults.

فزلْزالُ أرضِ الحاسِديَن مُجَدَّدٌ

إذا جُدْتَ لي بالعادياتِ الضَوابح

The earth beneath the envious will quake anew

when you grant me panting, racing horses.

فهَبْ ليَ طِرْفاً يَسبِقُ الطَرْفَ إن جرَى

كإيماضِ إحْدَى البارقاتِ اللّوائح

Give me a steed that outruns the glance when it runs,

like the flash of a gleaming lightning bolt;

مُطيعُ هوىً مُجريهِ ليس بناكصٍ

حَرونٍ ولا طاغٍ منَ الخيلِ جامح

obedient to its rider's desire, never backing away,

balking, unruly, or running wild;

كريمٌ من الأفراسِ لا يَدُ سائطٍ

تُعاني له ضَرباً ولا يَدُ كابح

a noble horse, for which no whip-wielder's hand

must labor to strike, nor a restrainer's hand to curb;

يُهَمْلِجُ مثلَ الماء خَطْواً إذا مشَى

وذو سُنْبُكٍ في الصّخْرِ للنّارِ قادح

smooth-gaited as water in its steps when it walks,

with a hoof that strikes fire from rock;

أغَرُّ من الدُهْمِ الجِيادِ مُحَجَّلٌ

كلَيْلٍ جَلتْه خَمسةٌ من مَصابح

a white-blazed, white-stockinged horse of the finest blacks,

like night illuminated by five lamps.

وأشْهَبُ يُغْني عن حُجولٍ وغُرَّةٍ

غِنَى عُرْفِكَ المعروفِ عنَ مَدْحِ مادح

And a gray needs neither stockings nor a blaze,

as your well-known bounty needs no praiser's praise.

وأيُّ شيِاتِ الخيلِ حَلْىٌ مُزايَلٌ

إذا ما عدا بَعضُ العتاقِ الصَّحائح

Whatever a horse's markings, they are passing adornment

when a sound thoroughbred breaks into a run.

فَصِيّرْ سِواراً في يَساري عِنانَه

أُبادِرْ به قَطْعَ الفلا والصّحاصِح

Make its reins a bracelet around my left hand,

that I may hasten across deserts and open plains,

لأبْرَحَ من أرضٍ سَئِمْتُ إقامتي

بها قبلَ هَبّاتِ الرّياحِ البَوارح

to leave a land where I have wearied of staying,

before the gusts of scorching winds.

فما لِي إلى نَيْلِ العُلا من وَسيلةٍ

سوى وَطء أجبالٍ ووَطْءِ أباطِح

I have no means of attaining glory

except to tread mountains and gravelly valleys.

فيا صَدْرُ بل يا بَحْرُ لا زلْتَ زاخراً

بِحارُ البرايا عندَه كالضّحاضِح

O chief—rather, O sea—may you ever surge,

beside whom humanity's seas are shallow pools.

فما كُلّ بَحْرٍ لّلآلِي بلافِظٍ

ولا كُلَّ صَدْرٍ للصُّدورِ بِشارح

Not every sea casts forth pearls,

nor does every chief bring ease to hearts.

لقد عَدَلَ الدّهرُ الذي فيكَ جائرٌ

وعاد لَعْمرِي آسِياً غيرَ جارح

Time, once unjust to you, has now become just,

and returned, by my life, a healer rather than a wounder,

إذا قَسّمتْ حُسّادَ علياك كَفُّه

وأعداؤها بينَ الجَوى والجَوانح

when its hand divides the enviers of your eminence

and its enemies between heartache and the ribs.

فلا زلتَ ذا قلبٍ من الأنْسِ آهِل

ولا زلْتَ ذا طَرْفٍ من العزِّ طافح

May you ever possess a heart inhabited by joy,

and an eye brimming with glory,

مَدى الدَّهْرِ مَحْسوداً له كُل وامقٍ

وَلِيَ ومَحسْوداً بهِ كلُّ كاشح

forever envied, with every loving soul

your friend, and every spiteful foe envying you;

وفي ثَوْبِ عُمْرٍ يَسْحَبُ الدّهْرَ ذَيْلَه

من المُلْكِ سَحْباً في عِراصٍ فَسائح

and in a robe of life whose hem trails through Time,

with royal sweep across spacious courts.