قسما مني بأيام الصفاء — Alarjani

قسَماً منّي بأيام الصَّفاء

وبجَمْع الدّهرِ شَمْلَ القُرناءِ

I swear by the days of serenity,

and by time's gathering the companions together,

وبتأميلِيَ منهم عودةً

لا أطعْتُ الشّوقَ في طُولِ البكاء

and by my hope of their return:

may I never obey longing in prolonged weeping.

إنمّا أَذْخرُ عيْني لغَدٍ

إنْ قَضى اللهُ بوَشْك الالتقاء

I only save my eye for tomorrow,

if God decrees a speedy meeting.

ليسَ يشفى غيرُ عيني عِلَلي

إنْ تدانى الحَيُّ من بعدِ التّنائي

Nothing but my eye can heal my ailments,

if the tribe draws near after separation.

خَلِّها تَثْنِ إليهم نّظْرةً

ثمّ هَبْها عندهم للبُشَراء

Let it turn a glance toward them,

then give it, among them, to the bearers of glad tidings.

لو يُفادّون بعُمْري منهمُ

يومَ وصلٍ لم يكنْ غالِي الفداء

If my life could ransom from them

a day of union, the ransom would not be dear.

أصفياءٌ كَدَّروا عيَشْي نوى

كيف يصْفو العيشُ دونَ الأصفياء

Dear friends have clouded my life through separation;

how can life be serene without dear friends?

كم تجلَّدْتُ وما بي جَلَدٌ

وتصنّعْتُ وقد عَزَّ عزائي

How often I forced myself to endure, with no endurance in me,

and put on a show when consolation failed me,

جاحِداً وَجْدي بهم من حَذَرٍ

حين تَرميني عيونُ الرُّقَباء

denying my yearning for them out of caution,

when the watchers' eyes shot at me.

وإذا ما سَبقتْني عَبرةٌ

عندهم غطَّيتُ وجْهي برِدائي

And whenever a tear overtook me

in their presence, I covered my face with my cloak.

وإذا اليأسُ أَعَلَّ القلبَ لي

قلتُ للقلبِ تَعَلّلْ بالرّجاء

And whenever despair made my heart ill,

I told my heart: console yourself with hope.

فأدالَ اللهُ من جَورِ النَّوى

بدُنُوِّ الدّارِ بعد العدواء

Then God granted redress against separation's injustice,

bringing the dwelling near after estrangement.

وانتَهى الحالُ إلى أن واصَلوا

فتَواهَبْنا بِداياتِ الجفَاء

Matters came at last to their renewing union,

and we forgave each other the first estrangements.

سال من عَطْفِهمُ أوديةٌ

حَملَتْ كُلَّ جَفاءٍ كالجُفاء

From their affection flowed valley streams,

which carried away all harshness like foam.

لستُ أنسى يومَ بانوا جيرتي

ووُقوفي واجِماً في خُلَطائي

I do not forget the day my neighbors departed,

or my standing, silent with grief, among my companions,

وسؤالي كُلَّ رَكبٍ عَنَّ لي

عنهمُ عند رَواحٍ واْغتداء

or my asking every caravan that appeared to me

about them, at evening departure and morning departure,

وانتِظاري لخيالٍ منهمُ

زَورةً بين صباحي ومسائي

or my awaiting a phantom of theirs:

a visit between my morning and evening,

ومَبيتي ساهراً مُرتفِقاً

بالفلا والنِّضْو مَعقولٌ إزائي

or my spending the night awake, leaning on my elbow

in the desert, my worn-out mount hobbled beside me.

ونجومُ اللَّيلِ يَجْلو بينها

غُرةَ البدرِ لنا فَضْلُ الضياء

And amid the stars of night,

abundant light unveils for us the full moon's bright face,

كبني هاشمٍ الغُرِّ وقد

أحدقُوا حول نقيبِ النُّقَباء

like the illustrious sons of Hashim when

they encircled the chief of chiefs.

وبدا بدْرَ سماحٍ كاملٍ

بالعُلا إن لم يكنْ بَدْرَ سَماء

He appeared a full moon of perfect generosity,

in eminence, though no moon of the sky.

مَن رأى يوم تَجَّلى والورى

ناِصبُو أَعناقهم للاجتلاء

Those who saw him the day he shone forth, while humankind

stretched their necks to behold,

وعليه حُلّةٌ مَنسوجةٌ

من أَناسِيِّ عيونِ الأولياء

with a woven robe upon him

made from the pupils of his supporters' eyes,

فوقَ طِرْفٍ يَسْرِقُ الطَّرفُ له

عزّةً كُلَّ عظيمِ الكِبْرياء

upon a noble steed—a glance steals for him,

in majesty, every man of towering pride;

مُرْتَدٍ عَضْباً يُحاكِي رأْيَه

إن نضاهُ عند خَطْبٍ في المَضاء

wearing a keen sword that rivals his judgment

in decisiveness, if he draws it in a crisis.

ومن اللهِ عليه هَيبةٌ

في عيونِ النّاسِ شِيبَتْ ببهاء

And from God there rests upon him an awe

mingled with splendor in people's eyes.

والفتى من دَهَشٍ مُقْتَسَمٌ

حيث للخلْق ضجيجٌ بالدُّعاء

Each man is scattered by amazement,

where the people raise a clamor of prayer:

فيدٌ تُومي وقلبٌ فرِحُ

وفمٌ داعٍ وَطرْفٌ منه راء

a hand gesturing, a heart rejoicing,

a mouth praying, and an eye of his gazing.

يُبصِرون الغيثَ واللّيثَ معاً

والحَيا والشّمسَ من غيرِ امتراء

They behold rain and lion together,

life-giving rain and sun, without any doubt.

ويُحَيّون هُماماً ماجداً

بِشْرُه للوَفْدِ عُنوانُ السَّخاء

They greet a valiant, noble man

whose smile to delegations is the sign of generosity.

سابَقَ الآباءَ في شوْطِ العُلا

فهْو إن خاشَنْتَه صَعْبُ الإباء

He raced his forefathers on the course of eminence;

if you treat him harshly, he is unyielding in proud refusal.

قَسَّمَتْ أفئدةَ النّاسِ له

راحتاهُ بين خوفٍ وارْتجاء

The hearts of people toward him were divided

by his two palms between fear and hope.

هاشِمي عاقد حبوتَه

في ذُرا بيتٍ رَبوبِيِّ البِناء

A Hashimite, binding his knee-wrap,

on the heights of a house divinely built,

يهبطُ الوحْيُ على سُكّانِه

فهمُ للهِ أهلُ الاصطفاء

upon whose inhabitants revelation descends:

they are God's chosen people.

بالهُداةِ الأُمناء انتظمَتْ

حافَتاهُ والملوكِ العُظماء

With trustworthy guides are arrayed

its two sides, and with mighty kings.

أيَّ سبْقٍ سبقُوا نحو العُلا

واقتفى آثارَهم أيَّ اقتفاء

What a lead they took toward eminence,

and how closely he followed their footsteps!

ملِكٌ أصبح مَحذورَ السُّطا

مُرتجَى النّائلِ مأهولَ الفِناء

A king whose onslaught has become feared,

whose gifts are hoped for, whose courtyard is thronged.

قد نَمتْه دَوحة من فَرْعها

شُعبةٌ مُثمِرةٌ بالخُلفَاء

A great tree brought him forth, from whose bough

comes an offshoot bearing caliphs as its fruit.

من أبيهِ الحَبْرِ فيه شَبَهٌ

في بيانٍ وسَماح ودَهاء

In him is a resemblance to his learned father

in eloquence, generosity, and shrewdness.

يَضَعُ الأشياء في مَوضِعها

مِثْلما باشَرْتَ نُقباً بِهناء

He puts things in their proper place,

just as you would treat mange with tar.

شارعُ ديِنَ ندىً إعجازُهُ

أنمُلٌ تَنبَعُ فينا بالعَطاء

A founder of generosity's creed, whose miracle is

fingertips gushing gifts among us.

ذوُ بُدُو بعضُ أسابِ الّذي

ظَلّ يأتيهِ وبعض ذو خَفاء

Manifest are some reasons for what

he keeps doing, while some remain hidden.

ليس بالمسؤولِ عن أفعاله

بل على الأقوامِ حُسْنُ الاقتداء

He is not answerable for his deeds;

rather, peoples must emulate him well.

ليس يَعْرى من جلابيبِ العُلا

عند مَيْلٍ منه أو عنْدَ استواء

He is never stripped of the robes of eminence,

whether he bends or stands straight.

وكذاك النّجمُ في أفلاكه

كيفما دار قَرينٌ للعلاء

Likewise the star within its orbits,

however it turns, remains a companion of loftiness.

كعبةٌ للمجدِ يُومي نحوَها

كُلُّ مَن في الأرضِ من دانٍ وناء

A Kaaba of glory, toward which gestures

everyone on earth, near and far.

إنْ تَزُرْهُ تَر كفّاً كالحَيا

حين يُمتاحُ ووجْهاً ذا حَياء

If you visit him, you see a palm like life-giving rain

when drawn upon, and a face possessed of modesty.

هو كالطَّودِ وقاراً في الحُبا

وهْو كالجَودِ بِداراً بالحِباء

He is like a mountain in dignity when seated in his knee-wrap,

and like generosity itself in hastening with gifts.

تَقْصُرُ الأنجُمُ عن آرائه

إن حكَتْها في سناً أو في سَناء

The stars fall short of his judgments,

even if they resemble them in radiance or eminence.

وبذاك النّطَرِ السّامي له

فاق في الآفاقِ كُلَّ النّظراء

Through that lofty vision of his,

he surpassed all his peers across the horizons.

وأميرُ المؤمنين اختَصَّه

من بنى الدّهرِ بقُرْبٍ واجتِباء

The Commander of the Faithful singled him out

among the sons of time for closeness and selection.

يحَمد النّاصحُ مَن كان ولا

مثْلَ حَمْدِ النصَحاء النُّسَباء

A loyal counselor, whoever he is, offers praise; yet none

matches the praise of loyal counselors who are kin.

لم يَنَلْ ما قد تَمنّى كاشحٌ

داخلٌ ما بين عُودٍ ولِحاء

No malicious foe obtained what he had wished for,

intruding between wood and bark.

وإذا الأحبابُ بالوَصْلِ اكتَفَوا

نُبِذ الواشون نَبْذاً بالعَراء

And when loved ones are content with union,

the slanderers are utterly cast into the wilderness.

إن تَسلْني عن زماني وأنا

ذو اخْتبارٍ لبنيهِ وابتلاء

If you ask me about my age, while I

have experience of its sons and their trials,

فَعليٌّ لك يا عَمْرو العُلا

منتهَى بحرِ بنيك النُّجباء

then Ali, for you, O Amr al-Ula,

is the utmost reach of the sea of your noble sons.

هاكَها من رائق الشِّعرِ وإن

لم يكَدْ يَسلُكُ نهْجَ الشعَراء

Take this, of the purest poetry, even though

he scarcely follows the poets' path.

يَشعَرُ الدّهْرَ ويَقْضي مُبدعاً

ما لشعرٍ منه قدْحٌ في قَضاء

He writes poetry throughout his life and judges with originality;

no verse of his impairs a judgment.

مَدْحُه الدّهْرَ لقومٍ مَدْحُهم

مَحْضُ صدقٍ لم يِشِنْهُ بافْتراء

His praise, throughout time, is for people whose praise

is pure truth, never stained by falsehood.

بكُمُ يا آل عبّاسٍ يُرى

من صُروفِ الدّهر ما عشتُ احتمائي

Through you, O house of Abbas, is seen

my shelter from time's vicissitudes as long as I live.

لم أزَلْ أشْفعُ فيكم طارِفاً

من مَديحي بتليدٍ من وَلائي

I have always paired, in your honor, something new

of my praise with the long-established stock of my allegiance.

إنْ نشَرْتُم فعَنِ الشُّكرِ لكُم

أو طَويتُم فعلَى الوُدّ انطوائي

If you unfold, it is with gratitude to you;

or if you fold away, my folds enclose affection.

وإذا المَدْحُ سَرى في جَحْفلٍ

فأنا الحاملُ فيهِ للّواء

When praise marches in a great army,

I am the standard-bearer within it,

بقَريضٍ كلّما حَبرتُه

هزّ أعطافَ المُلوكِ الكُرَماء

with verse which, whenever I embellish it,

stirs the sides of generous kings.

قلتُ والرّكْبُ بأجوازِ الفَلا

عيسُهمُ مُنتعلاتٌ بالنَّجاء

I said, while the caravan crossed the desert's expanses,

their pale she-camels shod with speed:

بَكّروا والصُّبْحُ في طَيِّ الدُّجَى

وجْهُ حسناءَ حَييٌ في خباء

they set out early, while dawn in the folds of darkness

was a beauty's bashful face within a tent.

وحُداةُ العيسِ يَنفون الكَرى

ويُطيرون المَطايا بالحُداء

The drivers of the pale camels banish sleep

and send the mounts flying with their driving songs.

كُلُّ وجناءَ إذا ما طَرِبوا

عَطّتِ البيدَ بهم عَطَّ المُلاء

Every sturdy she-camel, whenever they rejoice,

rends the deserts with them as fine cloth is rent.

وإذا ما ادّرعَتْ هاجِرةً

جُعِلَ الظِّلُّ لها مثْلَ الحذاء

And whenever she dons the armor of midday heat,

her shadow is made to resemble a shoe.

الرِّضَا يا حاديَ العيسِ الرِّضا

فَلَقَصْديهِ من النّاس ارتضائي

Al-Rida, O driver of the pale camels—Al-Rida!

For, of all people, I choose to seek him.

هو أكفَى الخَلْقِ للوفْدِ ندىً

وبه أيضاً عنِ الخَلْقِ اكتفائي

He best supplies delegations with generosity,

and through him I also have no need of others.

بل لذي الفَخْريْنِ نفسٌ كبُرتْ

منه عِزّاً في جُدودٍ كُبَراء

Indeed, the Possessor of the Two Glories has a soul grown great

in his honor, amid mighty forefathers.

حَضْرةٌ منك تَحَلَّى جِيدُها

بنظامٍ هو مأْمون الوَهاء

A court whose neck is adorned through you

with a necklace safe from fraying,

وارتقَتْ في دَرَجِ العِزّ إلى

حيثُ لا يُوجدُ فَضْلٌ لارتقاء

and which has risen upon the steps of honor to

where no further scope for ascent exists.

إن يكن فَخْرُكَ في الوهْم انتَهى

فلْيَطُلْ عُمْرُك من غير انتهاء

If your glory has reached its limit in imagination,

then may your life grow long without an end.

عِشْ لطُلاب المعالي قُدوةً

بك يُبدون اقتداءً لاهتداء

Live as a model for seekers of high honors;

through you they show emulation to find guidance.

هذه دولةُ مَجْدٍ وعُلاً

جَمعتْ بالجودِ شَمْلَ الفُضَلاء

This is a dynasty of glory and eminence,

which gathered the virtuous together through generosity.

أصْبَحَتْ مَنصورةً راياتُها

إذْ رَعتْها منك عَيْنُ الاعتناء

Its banners have become victorious,

since your watchful eye of care guarded it.

وبك استغنَتْ فلم تُبقِ لها

حاجةً يوماً إلى غيرِ اكتفاء

Through you it has grown self-sufficient, leaving it

no need, ever, to find sufficiency elsewhere.

فلها فابْقَ يَميناً أبَداً

مُغْنياً في نَصْرِها كُلَّ الغناء

So remain its right hand forever,

giving every effective aid toward its victory.

يا يميناً لو دعتْ كُل الورى

بشِمالٍ لغَدوا دونَ الوفاء

O right hand, if you summoned all humankind

with a left hand, they would fall short of full requital.

لا يَزلْ جوُدك يَجلوك لنا

في سوارٍ صيغَ من حُسْنِ الثّناء

May your generosity never cease to display you to us

in a bracelet cast from the beauty of praise.