وجدي بلومك يا عذول يزيد — Alarjani

وَجْدِي بلَومِك يا عذولُ يَزيدُ

فاستَبْقِ سَهْمَك فالرَّمِيُّ بَعيدُ

My longing grows with your reproach, O reproacher.

So save your arrow: the target is far away.

بلَغ الهوى من سِرِّ قلبيَ مَوضِعاً

لا العَذْلُ يَبلُغُه ولا التَفْنيد

Love has reached a place in my heart's secrecy

that neither reproach nor faultfinding can reach.

وتَنِمُّ بالشَّجْوِ المُكَتَّمِ عَبْرَتِي

ومنَ الدُّموعِ على الغرامِ شُهود

My tear betrays the concealed sorrow,

and tears bear witness to passionate love.

كيف السّبيلُ إلى مِزَارِك ليلةً

ومنَ التّهائمِ دونَ وَصْلِكِ بِيد

How can I find a way to visit you one night,

when deserts of the lowlands stand before union with you?

يَصِلُ الرّسولُ إليكِ وهْو مُساعِدٌ

ويعودُ عنكِ إليّ وهْو حَسود

The messenger reaches you as a helper

and returns from you to me as an envious man.

وأُراقِبُ المِيعادَ منك وإنّما

من دونِ وَعْدِكِ للغَيورِ وَعيد

I await the appointed meeting with you, yet

before your promise stands the jealous one's threat.

واهاً لطيفِكِ حين يَطْرُقُ فِتيةً

شُعْثاً تَمِيلُ بها السُّرى ونَميد

Ah, your phantom, when it visits young men by night,

disheveled, swayed by night travel, while we reel!

عُنِيَ الغرامُ بهم فأيقظَ شَوقَهم

بينَ الجوانحِ والعيونُ رُقود

Love tended them and awakened their longing

within their ribs, while their eyes slept.

وجَلا لَهم وجْهَ المليحةِ مَوهِناً

فهمُ إليه على الرِحّالِ سُجود

And it unveiled the beauty's face for them late at night,

so they lay prostrate toward it upon their saddles.

يا صاحِ إنّ الدّهرَ يأْبَى خُلْقُه

ألاّ يَشوبَ عطاءهُ تَنْكيد

O friend, Time's nature will not allow

its gifts to be free of vexation.

فانْهَضْ إلى فُرَصِ السُّرورِ مبادِراً

فالعُمْرُ عِقْدٌ دُرُّه مَعْدود

So hasten to seize opportunities for joy:

life is a necklace whose pearls are numbered.

أوَما تَرى بُدَدَ النُّجومِ وقد بَدَتْ

فوق السّماء كأنّهنّ فَريد

Do you not see the scattered stars, now appearing

above the sky as though they were pearls?

والبدرُ تَأْتلِقُ الكواكبُ حَوْلَهُ

في جُنْحِ داجيةٍ وهُنّ رُكود

And the full moon, with stars gleaming around it

in the wing of a dark night, while they remain still?

فكأنَّها زُهْرُ الأئمّةِ وَشّحَتْ

أُفُقَ الهدَى وكأنّه مَسْعود

They seem like radiant imams adorning

the horizon of guidance, and it seems like Mas‘ud.

هادي الهُداةِ بعِلْمِه العَلَمُ الذي

فضَل الأنامَ مَقامُه المَحْمود

Guide of guides through his knowledge, the beacon whose

praiseworthy station surpasses mankind.

صدْرٌ لدينِ اللّهِ أُودِعَ سِره

فارتدَّ عنه الغَيُّ وهْو مَذود

A chief of God's religion, entrusted with its secret,

so error recoiled from him, driven away.

مَلَكَ العلومَ فراحَ وهْو لأهلِها

مَلِكٌ حَماهم ظِلُّهُ المَمْدود

He mastered the sciences and became, for their practitioners,

a king whose outspread shade protected them.

فإذا بدا العلماءُ وهْو بمَجْمَعٍ

يوماً تبَيَّن سَيِّدٌ ومَسود

When scholars appear while he is at a gathering

one day, master and subject stand clearly apart.

مُتجّرِدٌ للهِ يَنصُرُ دِينَهُ

والسّيفُ أحسَنُ حَلْيِه التَّجْريد

Wholly devoted to God, he champions His religion;

a sword's finest adornment is its unsheathing.

فالدِّينُ فوق النَّسْرِ من إعْلائهِ

وعَدُوُّه في بَطْنِه مَلْحود

Through his exalting it, the faith stands above the Eagle,

and his foe lies entombed in its belly.

وهواهُ حَدٌّ في البريّةِ فاصلٌ

بين الضَّلالةِ والهُدَى مَحْدود

Love for him is a dividing boundary among mankind,

clearly drawn between error and guidance.

ففَداهُ في الأقوامِ كُلُّ مُقَصِّرٍ

يَنْميهِ لُؤْمٌ طارِفٌ وتليد

May every deficient man among the peoples ransom him,

bred by baseness both newly acquired and inherited.

كَثُرَتْ نفائسُه وقَلّتْ نَفْسُه

كالحَدِّ زاد لنَقْصِه المَحْدود

His treasures have multiplied, but his soul has shrunk,

like a definition whose deficiency enlarges what it defines.

ومُحَرِّفون عن الصّوابِ مَقالَهُ

والإفْكُ رُكْنُ سَدادِه مَهْدود

And those who twist his words away from correctness—

falsehood's pillar of soundness lies demolished.

ما ضَرَّ ما قال الغُواةُ فأكثروا

واللهُ بالحقِّ المُبينِ شَهيد

The misguided men's words did no harm, however profuse,

and God bears witness to the manifest truth.

أعَربْتَ للسّلطانِ عن حُجَجٍ وقد

أصبَحْتَ تُبدِيءُ قائلاً وتُعيد

You set out arguments for the sultan, and

began speaking, stating and restating them.

جلَتِ الشُّكوكَ عن التيقُّن مِثْلما

فلَق الظّلاَمَ من الصّباحِ عَمود

They cleared doubts away from certainty, just as

a shaft of dawn cleft the darkness.

أحسَنْتَ غايةَ ما يُطاقُ وإنّما

في النّاسِ مَن إحسانُه مَجْحود

You did good to the utmost possible, yet

among people are those whose good deeds are denied.

فاليوَم أذعَنَتِ العُداةُ وراعَهم

عِزّاً لواءُ جَلالِك المَعْقود

Today the enemies submitted, awed

by your majesty's fastened banner in all its might.

بلَغُوا نهايةَ ما يُشاءُ فَردَّهُم

لك صاحبانِ النّصرُ والتّأييد

They reached the utmost of what was sought, but were repelled

by your two companions: victory and support.

ولَربّما جَمعَ الأعادي كَيْدُهم

ويُزادُ في تَمْكينهِ المَجْدود

Often enemies are united by their plotting,

while the fortunate man grows more firmly established.

وكذا يُعادِي النّاسُ طُرّاً قولَ لا

ويُحِلُّها في صَدْرِه التّوحيد

Likewise, all people hate the word 'no',

yet the affirmation of God's oneness places it at its forefront.

فاللهَ أسألُ أن يَزيدَك رِفْعةً

إن كان فوقَك للعلاء مَزيد

So I ask God to raise you higher,

if greatness has any further height above you,

وَيُتابعَ الأعيادَ نَحوك يَنْثَنِي

عِيدٌ ويُقْبِلُ بالمَيامِن عِيد

and send you feast days in succession, as there departs

one feast and another arrives with blessings.

يا مَن حُسِدْتُ عليه من شَرفى به

قولُ الحسودِ على الفَتى مَردود

O you, for whom I am envied through the honor I gain in you,

the envious man's words against a man are rejected.

قَسَماً بخُوصٍ كالحنايا فوقَها

أشياخ صِدْقٍ من كِنانةَ صِيد

I swear by sunken-eyed camels, curved like bows, bearing

true-hearted, noble elders of Kinanah.

أَمُّوا بها البلدَ الحرامَ فكلها

ذُلُلٌ يُبارِينَ الأزِمّةَ قُود

They headed on them toward the Sacred City, and all were

docile and long-necked, keeping pace with the reins.

وطَوَوْا إليه فِناءَ كلِّ قبيلة

فهم على ربِّ العبادِ وُفود

And toward it they rolled up the land of every tribe,

as delegations to the Lord of His servants.

لم يَصْدُقِ الواشون فيما بَلّغُوا

كَلاّ ولم يَتغيَّرِ المَعْهود

The slanderers did not tell the truth in what they reported.

No indeed: the established bond has not changed.

لكنّني لمّا رَميْتُ بنَظرة

حَوْلي كما حَذِرَ الرُّماةَ طَريد

But when I cast a glance

around me, like hunted quarry wary of archers,

وتَفرَّق الأنصارُ واجتمَع العدا

ألْباً وهل يَكْفي الجُموعَ وحيد

and supporters scattered while enemies gathered

in a hostile bloc—can one man withstand multitudes?

وهَممْتُ منهم أن ألوذ بنَحْوةٍ

فرأيتُ أن طَريقَها مَسْدود

And I wished to seek refuge from them in some direction,

I saw that its path was blocked.

شِمْتُ اللّسانَ تَقيّةً ولَربّما

حَنِقَ الكَمِيُّ وسَيْفُه مَغْمود

I sheathed my tongue in self-protection; often

the armored warrior grows enraged while his sword stays sheathed.

عِفْتُ الكلامَ وقد تَكنّفَني العِدا

حذَراً كما عاف النَّشيدَ عَبيد

I shunned speech while enemies surrounded me,

out of caution, as ‘Abid shunned recitation.

وغدوْتُ في إسخاطِهم لرِضاكمُ

حَدَّ المُطاقِ ولِلأُمورِ حُدود

In angering them to win your pleasure, I reached

the limit of endurance; all things have limits.

ما كان ذلك لا وعَهْدِكَ إنّه

ما سَرَّني بالنّفْسِ دُونَكَ جُود

It was not that—no, by your covenant! Indeed,

giving my life apart from you has brought me no joy.

بلْ غَيْرةً من أن يَغيْبَ بيَ الرّدى

عن خِدْمةٍ والآخَرون شُهود

Rather, jealousy lest death should carry me away

from service while others remain present.

فأَعِدْ لها نظَر المُصيبِ فَرُبّما

ذمَّمْتَ بعضَ النّاسِ وهْو حميد

So consider it again with a discerning eye; perhaps

you have blamed someone who is praiseworthy.

أفمِثْلُ وُدِّي للكرامِ وإن جنَتْ

نُوَبُ الزمّانِ تُذَمُّ منه عُهود

Can a love like mine for noble men—even if wrongs are wrought

by Time's calamities—have its pledges condemned?

أم مِثْلُ خُبْرِكَ للرّجالِ يَجوزُ أن

يَخْفَى عليه كاشِحٌ ووَدود

Or could discernment of men like yours

fail to discern a spiteful foe and a loving friend?

لا تَحسَبِ المُتصادقِينَ أصادِقاً

ما كُلُّ مَصْقولِ الحديدِ حَديد

Do not take those who profess friendship for true friends:

not every polished piece of iron is sharp.

واعْلَقْ بمَنْ أولاك خالصَ وُدِّه

يوماً فما أُمُّ الصّفاءِ وَلُود

Cling to whoever bestowed on you his pure affection

one day: the mother of sincerity is not prolific.

أفبَعْدَ إبْلائي وإنْ لم يُرضِكم

أيّامَ صِدْقٍ كُلُّها مَشْهود

After my devoted service—though it did not please you—through

days of loyalty, every one attested,

أصبحتُ أستَكْفِي التَوعُّدَ منكمُ

والحِلْمُ أنْ يُستَنجَزَ المَوعود

have I come to beg you to spare me threats,

when prudence lies in seeking fulfillment of what was promised?

وأُسامُ عُذْرَ جريمةٍ لم أجْنِها

إنّ الشّقيَّ بما جَنَى لَسعيد

And am I forced to offer an excuse for a crime I never committed?

Indeed, one suffering for his own crime is fortunate!

أمّلْتُ ما طَرق الزّمانُ بغيرِه

اَلغَرْسُ سَعْيٌ والقِطافُ جُدود

I hoped for something other than what Time brought.

Planting is effort; harvesting is good fortune.

ولأبكِيَنَّ عليه عُمْرِيَ كُلَّه

لا مثلّما حَدَّ البُكاءَ لَبيد

And I shall surely weep for it all my life,

not as Labid set a limit to weeping.

أحبابَنا كَثُرَ العِتابُ فأقصِروا

حتّى نعودَ إلى الرِّضا وتَعودوا

Our loved ones, reproach has grown excessive; desist,

until we return to contentment, and you return.

لا تُطلِقونا بالإساءةِ بعدما

لُوِيَتْ علينا للجميلِ قُيود

Do not release us through mistreatment after

bonds of kindness have been wound around us.

لا تَهْجُروا إنّي على ما نابَني

في الدّهرِ إلاّ هَجْرَكم لجَليد

Do not forsake me: against all that has befallen me

in Time, except your abandonment, I am steadfast.

وصِلُوا فقد جُبِلَتْ على حُبِّيكمُ

نَفْسي وتَبديلُ الطِّباعِ شَديد

And maintain our bond, for love of you was ingrained in

my soul; changing natural dispositions is hard.

إن كان ما زعَم الوُشاةُ فلا يَزلْ

حَظَّيَّ منكم هَجْرةٌ وصُدود

If what the slanderers alleged is true, may there ever remain

my two portions from you: estrangement and aversion.

من بَعْد صحبةِ خمس عشْرة حِجّةً

أنساكُمُ إنّي إذَنْ لَكَنود

After fifteen years of companionship,

would I forget you? Then I would be truly ungrateful.

ولنا بِكُم عَهْد يَرِقُّ لذِكْرِه

قَلْبُ الفتَى ولَوَ انّهُ جُلْمود

We have a bond with you whose remembrance softens

a man's heart, even if it is solid rock,

وسَوابق الخِدَمِ التي يأْبَينَ أنْ

يتَتابَعَ الإنضاجُ والتَّرميد

and past services that refuse to let

cooking be followed by burning to ashes.

يا مَنْ ثَنى العِطْف المَهابةُ دونه

حيرانَ أَمضي خُطْوة وأَعود

O you before whom awe turns my shoulder aside,

bewildered, I take a step and turn back.

لم تَخْل عَيْني من خِيالِك ساعةً

فتَشابَه التّقريب والتَّبعيد

My eye has not been empty of your image for an hour,

so bringing near and keeping far have come to seem alike.

كُنْ كيف شِئْت فبي وإن لم تُدنني

ما عشْتُ حُبٌّ لا يزال يَزيد

Be however you wish: within me, even if you do not draw me near,

as long as I live, is a love that never ceases to grow.

إن أخلق الوُدُّ القديم فعِفْتَهُ

فَهُناك وُدُّ تَصطَفيهِ جَديد

If old affection has worn thin and you have come to dislike it,

there is new affection for you to choose.

أوْ لم ترِدْني في الأصاغرِ خادماً

فبَقِيتَ والقومَ الّذين ترِيد

Or if you do not want me serving among the lowliest,

then may you live on with the people you desire.