بغرة وجهك منا القسم — Alarjani

بِغُرَّةِ وَجهِكَ مِنّا القَسَم

وَما الصِدقُ إِلّا أَجَلُّ القِسَم

By the radiance of your face we swear;

truthfulness is the noblest of portions.

لِأَيّامُ مُلكِكَ لَمّا أَتَت

جَلا الظُلمَ أَنوارُها وَالظُلَم

When the days of your reign arrived,

their lights dispelled injustice and darkness.

وَلَمّا دُعيتَ لِدينِ الهُدى

نِظاماً عُنِيَت بِهِ فَاِنتَظَم

When you were called to be, for the faith of guidance,

an ordering bond, you tended it, and it became ordered.

هُما الشاهِدانِ بِأَنَّ العَلاءَ

إِلَيكَ اِنتَهى وَالزَمانُ الحَكَم

These two bear witness that eminence

has reached its summit in you, with Time as judge.

طَلَعتَ عَلى مَنزِلٍ لَم تَطَأ

هُ قَلبَكَ غَيرَ الثُرَيّا قَدَم

You rose to a station no foot had trodden

before you, save that of the Pleiades.

وَقَد زَعَم الأُفقَ أَنَّ الهِلا

لَ طَوقٌ عَلى النَحرِ مِنهُ اِنفَصَم

The horizon claimed that the crescent

was a collar broken loose from its throat.

فَقُلتُ وَقَد عَلِمَ الناظِرونَ

بِأَن كَذَبَ الأُفقُ فيما زَعَم

Then I said, while those watching knew

that the horizon had lied in its claim:

بِأَوَّلِ حَرفٍ مِن اِسمِ الوَزيرِ

لَهُ الفُلكَ اللَهُ قِدماً وَسَم

With the first letter of the minister's name,

God long ago marked the celestial sphere in his honor.

وَخافَ عَلى العَينِ مِن نورِهِ

لِذاك لَباقي اِسمِهِ ما أَتَم

He feared for the eye because of its radiance,

and therefore did not complete the rest of his name.

فَلَمّا جَرى تَحتَهُ سابِحاً

غَدا طائِعاً تابِعاً ما رَسَم

When it coursed beneath him, swimming,

it became obedient, following what he prescribed.

وَلَو لَم يَكُن طِرفَهُ المُمتُطى

إِذَن لَم يَكُن بِالبُروجِ اِحتَزَم

Had it not been the steed he rode,

it would not have girded itself with the zodiac.

أَيا مَن فَضائِلُهُ الباههِراتُ

تَزيدُ ظُهوراً إِذا ما كَتَم

O you whose dazzling virtues

grow more apparent when he conceals them!

عَلَوتَ بِجَدٍّ وَجِدٍّ مَعاً

فَأَوفَيتَ كَالنارِ فَوقَ العَلَم

You rose through fortune and diligence together,

towering like a fire above a mountain.

وَبالجِدِّ يُملَكُ قَهرُ العِدا

وَبِالجِدِّ يُعرَفُ بُعدُ الهِمَم

Through fortune, mastery over enemies is won;

through diligence, the reach of ambitions is known.

هُما اِثنانِ ما لَهُما ثالِثٌ

إِذا ما عَدَدتَ كِبارَ النِعَم

These are two, without a third,

when you count the greatest blessings.

وَإِن شِئتَ فَاِذكُر لِكَيما تَرى

نِهايَةَ ما بَلَغا في الأُمَم

If you wish, recall, that you may see

how far they have reached among nations,

رَبيعَةَ في العَرَبِ الأَوَّلينَ

وَسابورَ بَينَ مُلوكِ العَجَم

Rabi'a among the earliest Arabs,

and Shapur among the kings of Persia.

وَذا عَقَدَ التاجَ قَبلَ الوُجودِ

وَهَذا حَمى الظُعنَ بَعدَ العَدَم

One bound on the crown before existing;

the other guarded the women's litters after death.

فَلا عَدِمَتكَ المَعالي فَأَنتَ

نَشَرتَ لَها ماطَواهُ القِدَم

May lofty deeds never lose you, for you

have unfolded for them what antiquity folded away.

بِمِثلِكَ عِندَ شَبابِ الزَما

نِ كانَت بُطونُ اللَيالي عُقُم

Of one like you, when Time was young,

the wombs of the nights were barren.

وَلَم أَرَ كَالدَهرِ أَنّى أَتى

بِأَنجَبِ أَبنائِهِ في الهَرَم

I have seen nothing like Time: how did it produce

its noblest son in its old age?

بِجودِكَ يا مُغنِيَ الآمِلينَ

غَدا البَحرُ مُفتَضَحاً فَالتَطَم

Through your generosity, O enricher of the hopeful,

the sea was put to shame and slapped itself with waves.

وَحِلمُكَ مِن حَسَدٍ حينَ سارَ

لَهُ الذِكرُ عَمَّ الجِبالَ الصَمَم

And your forbearance—out of envy, when

its fame spread, deafness engulfed the mountains.

بِحَبلِ الوَزيرِ أَبي طالِبٍ

عَلِيَّ بنِ أَحمَدَ فَليُعتَصَم

To the cord of the minister Abu Talib,

Ali ibn Ahmad, let everyone cling.

وما هو إلاّ الهُمامُ الَّذي

به اعْتذَر الدَّهرُ لمّا اجْتَرم

He is none other than the noble champion

through whom Time apologized when it had sinned.

فتىً عينُهُ عيْنُ شمسِ الضُّحَى

لتَجْليةِ الخَطْبِ لمّا ادْلَهمّ

A man whose eye is the very sun of morning,

clearing away calamity when it grows dark.

له كلَّ يومٍ بها نظْرةٌ

إلى الخلْقِ كشّافةٌ للغُمَم

Each day he casts with it a glance

upon creation, dispelling its sorrows.

ألا يا أخا أدبٍ يَرْتَجي

له مُطْلِقاً من إسارِ العَدَم

O man of letters who hopes

for someone to release him from poverty's bondage:

إذا جِئْتَه فاشْكُ صرْفَ الزّمانِ

إليه ودَعْ يدَهُ والكَرَم

when you come to him, complain of Time's reversals

to him, and leave his hand to generosity.

تَجِدْ منْه مَولىً إذا ما أشا

رَ كان له الدَّهْرُ أَدنَى الخَدم

You will find in him a patron who, at a mere

gesture, has Time as his lowliest servant.

له قَلَمٌ فِعْلُهُ كاسْمِه

إذا طال للخَطْبِ ظُفْرٌ قَلَم

He has a pen whose action matches its name:

when calamity's claw grows long, it clips it.

بقمّتهِ مَشْيُهُ والملوكُ

إليه كذا مَشْيُهم بالقِمَم

It walks upon its head, and kings

likewise approach him upon their heads.

سعَى لك سَعْيَ البرايا له

وما زال يُخْدَمُ مَنْ قد خَدَم

It labored for you as all creatures labor for it;

those who have served have always been served.

يَراعٌ يُراعُ أخو الحَرْبِ منه

ويَسلَمُ مَنْ هو مُلْقي السَّلَم

A reed pen that strikes fear into the warrior,

while whoever offers peace remains safe.

وكان يُرَى مُحتَمي اللّيث فيه

فصار به إن عصَى يُصطلَم

The lion once found refuge within it;

now, if rebellious, it is slain by it.

فكيف سكونُ امرئٍ حادَ عنْك

رجاءَ تَمسُّكِه بالعِصَم

How can a man who turns away from you rest secure,

hoping to cling to safeguards,

وكفُّك تُحسِنُ صيْدَ الأسودِ

إذا ما أردتَ ببَيْتِ الأَجَم

when your hand is skilled at hunting lions,

if you wish, within their reed-bed lairs?

ألم تَر غُدوةَ مَوْلَى الورَى

إلى الصّيْدِ بالخَيْلِ لمّا عَزم

Did you not see the lord of mankind's morning departure,

when he resolved to hunt on horseback?

وقد حَطَّ وجْهُ الصّباحِ اللِّثامَ

فثاروا إلى خيلِهمْ باللُّجُم

Morning's face had lowered its veil,

and they rushed to their horses with bridles.

مِلاءٌ كَنائنُهمْ والأكُفْ

فُ قد تَوَّجوها غداةَ اعْتَزَم

Their quivers were full, and their hands—

they had crowned them, that morning he set out,

برُزْقٍ جَوارحَ تَشْكو الظَّما

وزُرْقٍ جَوارحَ تَشْكو قَرَم

with blue-gray wounding shafts complaining of thirst,

and blue-gray raptors complaining of ravenous hunger.

تَرى كلَّ سَهْمٍ وشَهْمٍ حكا

في الطّيرِ وقْعَاً لعُظْمِ النَّهم

You see every arrow and bold hawk alike

strike at the birds, so great is their hunger.

خطيبٌ ومِنْبرُهُ ساعدٌ

يُقلِّبُ عينَيْنِ مثْلَ الضَّرَم

An orator whose pulpit is a forearm,

turning two eyes like blazing fire.

له مَنْسِرٌ عاقدٌ ما يَصيدُ

وعشْرينَ في طَلَقٍ إن هَجَم

It has a beak that binds whatever it catches,

and twenty in a single dash when it attacks.

وأهْرتَ أُدْمُ الفلا كاسْمِها

به الدَّهْرَ أُدُمٌ لنا تُؤْتَدَم

And a wide-mouthed hunter: the pale desert antelope, true to their name,

are always condiments for us through it.

من النُّمْرِ خِيطَ على جسمِه

أديم تَعيَّن لا مِنْ حَلَم

From spotted cats a hide was sewn upon its body,

patterned with eyes, not marked by ticks.

به عَلِقتْ شَرَرٌ لوَّحتْ

هُ من نارِ خَدٍّ له تَضْطَرِم

Sparks clung to it and scorched

it, from the fire blazing in its cheek.

ففي كُلِّ عضْوٍ له أعيُنٌ

تُراصِدُ إنْ هُوَ بالصَّيْد هَمّ

Thus every limb of its body has eyes,

keeping watch whenever it intends to hunt.

تَراهُ رديفاً وراءَ الغُلامِ

وبالنّمشِ الوجهُ منْه الْتَثَم

You see it riding behind the boy,

its face veiled in freckles.

شبيهَ سبيّةِ جيشٍ غدَتْ

تُذيقُ الكَرى مُقْلةً لم تَنَم

Like a girl taken captive by an army, now

giving sleep to an eye that had not slept.

جرَى الدّمعُ بالكُحْلِ من عَيْنها

فنَمْنَم جِلبابَها إذ سَجَم

Tears ran with kohl from her eye,

patterning her cloak as they streamed.

وقد كاد يَخْرجُ من جِلْدِه

وراءَ الطّريدةِ لمّا اقْتَحم

It nearly burst out of its skin

when it plunged after the quarry.

فقد سُمِّرَ الجلْدُ خوفاً علَيْ

هِ أَوّلَ ما الخَلْقُ منْه اسْتَتمّ

Its skin was therefore nailed on, out of fear for

it, as soon as its creation was complete.

وغُضْفٌ تُسابِقُ عَصْفَ الرِّياح

فَيسبِقُه حُضْرُها إنْ نَسَم

And floppy-eared hounds race the violent wind;

their gallop outstrips it whenever it blows.

رياحٌ مُجسَّمةٌ للعيونِ

مُقلَّدةٌ في طُلاها رُقُم

Winds made visible bodies to the eye,

wearing patterned necklaces at their throats.

لهُنَّ من البِيضِ مَصْقولةٌ

تُسَلُّ وتُغْمَدُ منْ كُلِّ فَم

They have polished white blades,

drawn and sheathed from every mouth.

فمِن أبيضٍ مثْلِ لونِ الدِّمَقْسِ

ومَن أصفرٍ أملسٍ كالزُّلَم

Among them is a white one, the color of silk,

and a yellow one, smooth as a divining arrow,

وآخَرَ ذي لُمَعٍ في السّوادِ

حكَى لونُها نفْخةً في فَحَم

and another with gleaming patches amid blackness,

whose color resembles a breath blown into charcoal.

يُقرِّطُ مِخْلبَهُ أُذْنَهُ

ويَسْبِقُ ناظرَهُ حيثُ أَمّ

Its claw adorns its ear like an earring,

and it outstrips its own gaze wherever it heads.

وسَاروا إلى منْزلٍ عازِبٍ

لوَحْشِ البسيطةِ فيه مَضَمّ

They traveled to a remote place

where the wild beasts of the earth gathered.

فثارَ الضِّراءُ وطارَ الصُّقورُ

وحَنَّ السَّراءُ ورنَّ النَّشَم

The hunting hounds sprang up and the falcons flew;

the sara bows moaned and the nasham bows rang.

وملَّتْ جَوازِرُ أفْواهِها

سَواطيرُها وبَراها الوضَم

The slaughterers in their mouths grew weary—

their cleavers, worn down by the chopping blocks.

وبات منَ الحُورِ كم مِنْ لَقى

بأبوابِهم ومِنَ العِينَ كَم

How many dark-eyed beasts lay slain overnight

at their doors, and how many wide-eyed ones!

طرائدَ إصباحُها في الجلودِ

تَعادَى وإمْساوُها في البُرَم

Quarry that, in the morning, in their hides,

raced one another, and by evening were in cooking pots.

فللّهِ خَيْلٌ كرامٌ لهمْ

قَرتْهُمْ بتلْكَ الجِفانِ الرُّذُم

How splendid their noble horses,

which entertained them with those overflowing bowls!

وما إنْ لها غَيْرُ مَشّ الأكُفِّ

بأعرافها سُهْمةً في السُّهَم

Yet they had nothing but the wiping of hands

upon their manes as their portion among the shares.

وعادوا وقد قَرّطوا السّابقاتِ

أعِنّتَها وأَراحوا الجِذَم

They returned, having hung the swift horses' reins

like earrings upon them, and rested the whip handles.

ومن كلِّ غزْلانِ أرضِ الصَّرا

ةِ لم يَدَعوا ناجِمَ القَرْنِ ثَمّ

Of all the gazelles in the land of al-Sarat,

they left none with a budding horn there,

سِوى أنّهمْ بعثُوا بالأمانِ

لقَرْنِ الغَزالةِ حتّى نَجَم

except that they sent a pledge of safety

to the sun's horn, until it emerged.

أيا مَنْ بَيانُك دُرٌّ يُخَطُّ

لأنَّ بنانَك بحْرٌ خِضَمّ

O you whose eloquence is pearls set down in writing,

because your fingertips are a vast ocean!

إلى الوحشِ فرّعْتَ بِيضَ السُّيو

فِ لمّا قَهرْتَ العِدا بالقَلَم

You turned your gleaming swords upon the wild beasts

once you had conquered your enemies with the pen.

وَروّيْتَ منها ظِماءَ القَنا

فخوفُكَ لم يُبْقِ في القَوْمِ دَم

From them you gave the thirsty spears their fill,

for fear of you had left no blood in the enemy.

وناصحْتَ سلطانَك المُرتَجَى

وقِدْماً عُهِدتَ كريمَ الشّيَم

You loyally counseled your sovereign, in whom hopes rest;

long have you been known for noble qualities.

ولمّا توجّه تلقاءه

تحاميتَه كرماً لا سأم

When he set out toward the hunt,

you kept away out of generosity, not weariness.

فما حلَّ صَيْدَهُمُ لو غَدوْتَ

تُسايرُهمْ وذُراكَ الحَرَم

Their quarry would not have been lawful had you gone

riding beside them, for your precincts are a sanctuary.

خَرجْتَ تُشيِّعُ وفْدَ الحجَي

جِ والبيدُ غُبْرٌ تُثيرُ القَتَم

You went out to escort the company of pilgrims,

while the gray deserts stirred up dust.

وصارتْ لك الأرضُ فضّيّةً

رُجوعاً وَللسُّحْبِ أَيضاً خِدَم

The earth became silvery for you

on your return; the clouds, too, render services.

بقُربِكَ يَثْلُجُ قلْبُ العراقِ

سُروراً فقد عَظُمَ المُغْتَنم

At your nearness Iraq's heart grows cool

with joy, for great indeed is the gain.

أيا مِلكاً يُبلِغُ الوافِدي

نَ أقْصى الأماني لأدْنَى الذِّمَم

O king who brings those who come to him

their utmost wishes for the slightest claim upon him!

غدا حاملاً من نَداكَ الرَّجاءُ

فلا غروَ إنْ بانَ منه وَحَم

Hope has become pregnant through your bounty;

no wonder, then, if it shows cravings.

وممّا اشتَهى رَبْعةٌ للقِران

متَى نظَر المرءُ فيها خَتَم

Among its cravings is a boxed Qur'an set:

whenever one reads within it, one reads it through.

وأجزاؤها كجُفونِ العيونِ

لهنّ عنِ النَّوْرِ فَتْحٌ وضَمّ

Its sections are like the eyelids of eyes,

opening and closing over blossoms.

على ظَهْرِها وقَف الصّاحبُ ال

أجَلُّ على المشهدِ المُحترَم

On its back: 'Endowed by the most

illustrious lord for the revered shrine.'

مكانٌ شريفٌ عظيمُ الثّوابِ

منَ الله في مثْلِه يُغْتَنم

A noble place: immense is the reward

from God to be gained in a place like it.

وقد وقَفَ الأمرُ في وَقْفةٍ

فلا يَنْتقِضْ ما لديك انْبَرم

The matter has come to a standstill;

let not what was settled with you be undone.

فمِثلُك يا عادِمَ المِثْل مَن

إذا قال للهِ قولاً جَزَم

One like you, O unequaled man, is someone

who, when he gives his word to God, makes it firm.

ويشكَرُ مُفْتَتَحُ المكْرماتِ

ولا مِثْلما يُشكَرُ المُخْتَتَم

The beginning of generous deeds is praised,

but not as their completion is praised.

أتَى العيدُ فاسْعَدْ بإقبالهِ

نَعمْ وبأمثالِه في نِعَم

The feast has come: rejoice in its arrival,

yes, and in many like it, amid blessings.

لقد سَنَّ ذا العيدُ نَحْرَ العِدا

كما عُهِدَتْ قبْلُ حُمْرُ النَّعَم

This feast has ordained the slaughter of enemies,

as red camels were slaughtered before.

فقُلْ للمُعادينَ إن شِئْتُمُ

ضَعوا عنكُمُ للعيونِ اللُّثُم

Tell your enemies: 'If you wish,

remove the veils from before your eyes.

أعارَكُمُ حِلْمُهُ أرْؤُساً

فلا تَسأموا حَمْلَها ما حَلُم

His forbearance has lent you your heads;

do not tire of carrying them while he remains forbearing.

ومَن عَدِمَ الشُّكَر للمُستَعيرِ

فأصبحَ مُرتَجعاً لم يُلَم

Whoever receives no thanks from a borrower

is not blamed when he reclaims his loan.

فلا يَخدعنّكُمُ مُنْعِمٌ

إذا شاء مِمّنْ عَصاهُ انْتقَم

Do not be deceived by a benefactor:

if he wishes, he takes vengeance on whoever disobeys him.

ولم يَنْجُ مُستَعصِمٌ بالنَّوى

فَينْجَو مُستهدَفٌ مِنْ أَمَم

One who sought safety in distance did not escape;

how could an exposed target close at hand escape?'

أيا مَنْ إذا ما عَظُمْنَ الذُّنوبُ

كأنَّ له العفْوَ أوفَى عِظَم

O you who, when sins grow great,

seem to possess a pardon greater still!

ومَنْ سَطْوُهُ الدَّهرَ يُردي العِدا

ومَنْ عَفْوُهُ الدَّهرَ يُحْيي الرِّمم

You whose might forever strikes enemies dead,

and whose pardon forever brings decayed bones to life!

لقد صاغَكَ اللهُ مِن لُطْفِه

وصان ذِمامَكَ مِن أنْ يُذَمّ

God fashioned you out of His kindness

and guarded your pledge against reproach.

وما أنت إلاّ له نِعمةٌ

علينا فبالشُّكْرِ فَلْتُستَدَم

You are nothing but a blessing from Him

upon us; through gratitude may that blessing endure.