أنا والرجاء وأنت والكرم — Alarjani

أنا والرَّجاءُ وأنت والكَرَمُ

ولكَ الفَعالُ كما ليَ الكَلِمُ

I and hope; you and generosity.

Deeds are yours, just as words are mine.

خُتِمَ الإجادةُ في المدائحِ بي

وبكَ الأَجاوِدُ في النّدى خُتِموا

Excellence in praise poetry reached its culmination in me;

and in you the generous reached their culmination in bounty.

حَجّتْكَ آمالُ العبادِ لأَنْ

عَلِمَتْ بأنَّ فِناءكَ الحَرَم

The hopes of humankind made pilgrimage to you, for

they knew that your courtyard was the sacred sanctuary.

تُوليهمُ مِنناً وتَشْكُرُهُمْ

قَسَماً لقد عَظُمَتْ بك النِّعَم

You grant them favors and thank them;

I swear, through you blessings have grown great.

مِدَحٌ على آثارِها مِنَحٌ

غُرُّ تدومُ كأنّها دِيَم

Praise poems, followed in their wake by gifts,

radiant and lasting, as though they were steady rains.

راجيكَ يَسأَمُ مِن تَتابُعِها

ولديكَ لا ضَجَرٌ ولا سَأَم

Whoever hopes in you tires of their succession,

yet with you there is neither vexation nor weariness.

أَبداً تُطالِعُ حالَ ذي أَمَلٍ

فَتعودُ حاليةً وَتنْتَظِم

You forever watch over the state of one who hopes,

so it becomes adorned and falls into order.

يا طالعاً ومُطالِعاً أَبداً

لم يَبْقَ لا ظُلْمٌ ولا ظُلَم

O you who forever rise and keep watch,

neither injustice nor darkness remains.

تَفْديكَ نفْسي وهْي طائعةٌ

ونفوسُ أَقوامٍ وإنْ رَغِموا

My soul would ransom you, willingly,

and the souls of others, even against their will.

من بَحْرِ جُودٍ فَيْضُ أَنمُلِه

للغَيْثِ عَلّمَ كيف يَنْسَجِم

From a sea of generosity, his fingertips' outpouring

taught the rain how to pour.

يُخْفي صَنائعَه ليُكْرِمَها

مثْلَ الوجوه تَصونُها اللُّثُم

He hides his good deeds to honor them,

as veils protect faces.

فتَزيدُ نُوراً كلّما كُتِمتْ

شمسُ الظّهيرة كيفَ تنكَتِم

Their radiance grows whenever they are hidden;

how can the noonday sun be concealed?

تَقِصُ الأُسودَ بكلّ ناحلةٍ

في الكفِّ ممّا تُنبِتُ الأجَم

You break lions' necks with every slender reed

in your hand, sprung from the reed beds.

تُبدي ملوكُ الأَرضِ وطاعتَها

فلكلّ ما رَسَمْتَه تَرتَسِم

The kings of the earth display their obedience,

and comply with every command you have laid down.

إن أَصبحَتْ حرباً لهمْ حُرِبوا

أو أَصبَحتْ سِلْماً لهمْ سَلِموا

If it becomes war against them, they are despoiled;

or if it becomes peace for them, they are safe.

تُغْني كما تُفْني فَريقتُها

نِعَمٌ طوالَ الدَّهرِ أَو نِقَم

It enriches as it annihilates; its retinue is

blessings for all time, or punishments.

تَجرِي بها يُمنَى يَدَيْ ملِك

في بَطْنها الآمالُ تَزدَحِم

A king's right hand wields it,

within whose palm hopes crowd together.

لَمّا غدا الأسيافُ من شَرَفٍ

فيها معَ الأقلام تَخْتَصِم

When the swords, for honor's sake, began

to contend with the pens within it,

قَبضَت لذي ولهذه قَبَصت

حتّى تراضَى السّيفُ والقَلَم

it gripped the one with its fist, the other with its fingertips,

until sword and pen were reconciled,

ليظلَّ كُلُّ من أنامِلهِ

بمَحلّهِ المَخْصوصِ يَتّسِم

so that each of his fingers might remain

distinguished by its own appointed place.

إنّي لَخادمُ كلّ ذي نظَرٍ

شافٍ يُميَّزُ عنْدَهُ الخَدَم

I am indeed the servant of every man whose insight

is keen, in whose judgment servants are distinguished.

يا أَعدلَ النّاسِ الّذينَ بهمْ

عند الحوادثِ تُكشَفُ الغُمَم

O most just of the people through whom

clouds of distress are lifted in calamities,

عنْدي فَدتْكَ النَّفْسُ حادثةٌ

الخصمُ فيها أَنت والحَكَم

I have a grievance—may my soul be your ransom—

in which you are both adversary and judge.

ما لي أُباعُ كذا مُجازَفَةً

ولكلِّ قومٍ في العُلا قِيَم

Why am I sold off like this, without appraisal,

though every people has its worth in high honor?

أَفبعْدَ تَسْييري لكمْ مِدَحاً

حُدِيَتْ بِهنَّ الأَينُقُ الرُّسُم

Is it after I sent you praise poems,

with which swift-striding she-camels were urged on,

مَصقولةً مثْلَ الرّياضِ غَدَتْ

يَبكي الغمامُ لها فتَبْتَسِم

polished, become like gardens

for which clouds weep, and which then smile,

تَرْضَى بأنْ تَغْدو لها طَرِباً

وفؤادُ ناظِمها لكُمْ وَجِم

that you are content to delight in them,

while their composer's heart is downcast over you,

ويَروحَ مُنْحلاً بسَعْيِكُمُ

أَمْرٌ غدا ليَ وهْو مُنْتَظِم

and through your efforts leave undone

an affair of mine that had been in good order,

وتَميلَ عن مِثْلي إلى نَفَرٍ

لا يُذكَرونَ إهانةً لَهُم

and turn away from one like me toward a group

left unnamed out of contempt for them?

فَسَلِ الفضائلَ إن سأَلْتَ بنا

تُخْبِرْكَ كم بَيْني وبَيْنَهُم

Ask the virtues, if you inquire about us;

they will tell you how much separates me from them.

وأَعِدْ إلينا نظَرةً لتَرَى

يا صاحِ أَين أنا وأَينَ هُم

Turn your gaze toward us again, to see,

my friend, where I stand and where they stand.

زَعَموا بأنّكَ تَعْتَني بِهمُ

هي هِجْرتي إن صَحَّ ما زَعموا

They claim that you care for them;

that is forsaking me, if their claim is true.

دَعْ أَنفُسَ الأوغادِ ساخِطةً

ما حَمْدُ كُلِّ النّاسِ يُغْتَنَم

Leave the souls of the scoundrels displeased;

not everyone's praise is worth winning.

شُكْري وشُكْرُهمُ إذا طُلِبا

شَمْلٌ لَعمْرُك ليسَ يَلْتَئِم

My gratitude and theirs, if both are sought,

are a gathering, by your life, that cannot unite.

أَعرِضْ عنِ الذُّلاّنِ إن عُرِضوا

فَوُجودُهمْ سِيّانِ والعَدَم

Turn away from the abject if they are brought before you;

for their existence and nonexistence are alike.

لا تَظْلِمِ الإحْسانَ مُصْطَنِعاً

مَنْ أَنتَ تَبْنِيهِ ويَنْهَدِم

Do not wrong beneficence by fostering

one whom you build up, while he crumbles.

لا يَتْبعَنَّ المرءَ ذو رِيَبٍ

عُرِفَتْ فكم من تابعٍ يَصِم

Let no man be followed by one whose dubious ways

are known: many a follower brings disgrace.

وإنِ ادَّعَى قِدَمَ الوَلاءِ فما

للوغْدِ لا قِدَمٌ ولا قَدَم

And even if he claims long-standing loyalty, still

a scoundrel has neither seniority nor standing.

في الوُدِّ أَوْلَى باتّهامِكَ مَنْ

في الدِّينِ أَصبحَ وهْو مُتَّهَم

In friendship, most deserving of your suspicion is one

who is already suspect in his faith.

وأَحَقُّ مَنْ عُنيَ المُلوكُ بِهِ

مَنْ سارَ فيما قالَ ذِكْرُهُم

And most deserving of kings' concern

is one through whose words their renown spreads.

لولا زُهيرٌ والمديحُ لهُ

لم يَدْرِ هذا النّاسُ مَنْ هَرِم

Were it not for Zuhayr and his praise of him,

these people would not know who Harim was.

وأَنا الَّذي لم يَسْخُ بي أَحَدٌ

إلاّ غدا ونَديمُهُ النَّدَم

And I am one whom no man has willingly given up

without regret becoming his boon companion.

وإذا اهْتَزَزتُ لمَدْحِ ذي كَرَمٍ

فأنا لسانٌ والزَّمانُ فُم

And when I am stirred to praise a generous man,

then I am a tongue, and time is a mouth.

فَلْتَطْلُبَنَّ رِضايَ مِنْ كَرَمٍ

ورِضا العُلا يا ابْنَ الأُلَى كَرُموا

So surely seek my approval out of generosity,

and glory's approval, O son of the noble.

ولْتُبْعِدَنَّ ذوي مُعانَدَتي

بحياةِ حُسْنِ مديحِكَ القَسَم

And surely banish those who oppose me;

by the life of your praise's beauty, I swear.

والحرُّ يُلزِمُهُ تَكرُّمُهُ

ما ليس يَلزَمُهُ فيَلْتَزِم

And a noble man's generosity binds him

to what does not bind him, and he accepts the bond.

لا سِيّما واللهُ يَشكُر ما

تَأْتي وأَهْلُ الدِّينِ كُلُّهُم

Especially since God gives thanks for what

you do, as do all the people of faith.

قلْ قَوْلةً للهِ فاصلةً

والدّاءُ َتحسِمُه فيَنْحَسم

Speak a decisive word for God's sake,

and the malady you eradicate will be eradicated.

دُمْ للأَفاضلِ ما هَمَتْ دِيَمٌ

واسْلَمْ لَهُمْ ما أَورقَ السَّلَم

Live on for the virtuous as long as steady rains fall,

and remain safe for them as long as the acacia puts forth leaves.

واْسَعْد بصَوْمٍ مَرَّ مُفْتَتَحٌ

منْه وأَقبلَ منه مُخْتَتَم

And rejoice in a fast whose opening has passed

and whose close has drawn near,

في دولةٍ غَرّاءَ عُرْوَتُها

بِيَدِ السُّعودِ فليس تَنْفَصِم

under a radiant reign whose bond

is in good fortune's hand, and cannot break.

آدابُنا وزَمانُنا قَصُرَتْ

مِن أَهلِهِ عِنْ أَهلِهِا الهِمَم

Our letters and our age—fallen short are

its people's aspirations toward those devoted to our letters.

فأَعِنْ على حَرْبِ الخُطوبِ فتىً

بكَ يا مُعينَ الدّينِ يَعْتَصِم

So help a young man wage war on calamities,

who seeks refuge in you, O Mu'in al-Din.

فالفَضْلُ يا ابْنَ الفَضْلِ صاحبُهُ

قَمِنٌ بأَنْ تُرعَى لهُ الذِّمَم

For excellence, O son of al-Fadl—its possessor

deserves to have pledges to him honored.