كلما اشتقت يا خليلي نجدا — Alarjani

كلّما اشتَقْتُ يا خَليلَيَّ نَجْدا

عَنَّ صَرْفُ الزّمانِ فازدَدْتُ بُعْدا

Whenever I long for Najd, O my two friends,

Time's vicissitudes arise, and I grow farther away.

كلَّ يومٍ أزيدُ بالقلبِ إقْبا

لاً عليه يَزيدُ بالوجْهِ صَدّا

Each day I turn my heart still more

toward it, while it turns its face farther away.

فمتى نَلْتَقي ونحن على ذا

أَيَّ قُرْبٍ رُمْنا إلى البُعْدِ أَدّى

When, then, shall we meet, while we remain like this?

Whatever closeness we sought led to distance.

قد بلَونا الهوى وكان شديداً

ولَقِينا النّوى فكان أَشَدّا

We have tried love, and it was harsh;

we have met separation, and it was harsher.

ووصَلْنا الحنينَ لو جَرَّ نَفْعاً

وأَدَمْنا البكاءَ لو كان أَجْدى

We sustained our yearning—if only it helped—

and prolonged our weeping—if only it availed.

وقطَعْنا البلاد سَهْلاً وحَزْنا

وَبرَيْنا الرِّكابَ حَلاً وشَدّا

We crossed the lands, smooth ground and rugged,

and wore down the riding camels, unloading and saddling.

وانتظَرْنا الزّمانَ يوماً فيَوْماً

واعتنَقْنا الخطوبَ وَفْداً فَوفْدا

We awaited Time, day after day,

and embraced calamities, troop after troop.

كُلُّ شَيءٍ لَقِيتُه دونَ نَجْدٍ

حين يَمَّمْتُه ولم ألْقَ نَجدا

All I encountered on the way to Najd,

when I made for it, yet never reached Najd,

غُربةٌ لم تدَعْ من العزْمِ فَضْلاً

ونوىً لم تدَعْ معَ العيسِ جَهْدا

was exile that left no reserve of resolve,

and separation that left the pale camels no strength.

غَرْبةُ الجَدِّ أَينَما أَتوجَّهْ

من تمادِي أيّامِها أَلْقَ سَعدا

Fortune's estrangement—wherever I turn,

through its dragging days, I encounter Sa'd.

إنْ تَعدَّى بها الزّمانُ علينا

فعلَى كم هذا الزّمانُ تَعَدّى

If Time has wronged us through it,

how many has this Time wronged!

لا تَلُمْهُ فاللّومُ ينجَحُ في الحُرْ

رِ وكان الزمانُ مُذْ كان وَغْدا

Do not blame it: blame works upon the noble,

but Time has been a knave since it first existed.

يَصِلُ المالَ بالهوانِ لراجي

هِ وكان الهوانُ للحُرِّ طَردا

It joins wealth to humiliation for the seeker of

it, while humiliation drives the noble away.

وأخو الهِمّةِ الأبيّةِ فيه

من بنيهِ يَختارُ عِزّاً وجُهدا

The man of unbending ambition within it,

among its sons, chooses honor and hardship.

أيّها الرّاكبُ المُغِذُّ مُجِدّاً

وأَراه لعهدِ نجدٍ مُجِدّا

O rider, hurrying onward in earnest,

who, I think, renews the bond with Najd,

قُلْ لنجدٍ عنّا سقَى اللّهُ نجداً

قولَ مَن ضَمَّ منه في القلبِ وَجدا

say to Najd for us: May God water Najd,

as one who harbors longing for it in his heart.

أَنت والسّاكنوك فيما عَهِدْنا

هِجْتُما لي جوىً أعادَ وأَبدا

You and your inhabitants, as we knew you,

have stirred in me a heartache that returns and begins anew.

فإذا ذُمَّتِ العهودُ فإنِّا

ما ذمَمْنا منهم ولا منكَ عَهدا

If old pledges are condemned, we

have condemned no pledge of theirs or yours.

فرعَى اللّهُ ذلك العهدَ عَهدا

وأَرى اللّهُ ذلك الحَيَّ سَعدا

May God guard that bond for an age,

and may God show that encampment good fortune.

وكسا اللّهُ ذلك العهَدَ رَوْضاً

وكسا اللّهُ ذلك الرَّوضَ وَرْدا

May God clothe that old haunt in a meadow,

and may God clothe that meadow in roses.

رُبَّ مُستَجهلِ العواذلِ فيه

بتُّ منه بمقلةٍ ليس تَهدا

Many a one for whom the reproaching women were deemed foolish:

for him I spent the night with an eye that would not rest.

قَمرٌ بِتُّ ساهراً فيه حتّى

كدْتُ أُفْني له الكواكبَ عَدّا

A moon, for whom I stayed awake until

I nearly exhausted the stars by counting them for him.

لو بخَدِّي منه يكون غليلي

لأبتْ مُقلتايَ أن تَتندّى

If my burning thirst for him were in my cheek,

both my eyes would refuse to grow moist.

لم يكن قبلَ يُنجِزُ الوَعْدَ حتّى

أَنجَز الدهرُ منه للبَيْنِ وَعدا

He had not fulfilled his promise before, until

Time, through him, kept a promise to parting.

جاء يومَ الوداعِ يُنشِدُ فيه

ما ترَى العيسَ في الأزِمّةِ تُحْدى

On the day of farewell he came reciting:

Do you not see the pale camels, bridled, being driven?

وبدا للنّوَى به مثْلُ ما بي

كم هوىً كان لازِماً فتعَدّى

Separation revealed in him the same as in me;

how much love, once confined, then crossed over!

وتقاضَيتُه وداعاً ولَثْماً

ليكونا لنا سلاماً وبَردا

I asked of him a farewell and a kiss,

that they might be peace and coolness for us.

فتأبَّى واعتادَه خجَلٌ أَل

هبَ منّي ومنه قلباً وخَدّا

But he refused, and shyness overtook him, kindling

my heart and his cheek.

ثُمَّ ولّى كالغصْنِ في مَرَحٍ يَفْ

تِلُ منّي ومنه جِيداً وقَدّا

Then he turned away, like a bough swaying joyfully, twisting

my neck and his figure.

بعد ما أَنفذَ الحشا بجفونٍ

سحَر القلبَ طَرْفُها حين ردّا

After he had pierced my breast with eyelids,

whose glance bewitched my heart when he looked back,

فكأنَّ الأستاذَ قابلَ عينَيْ

هِ بسِحرِ البيانِ منه فَأعْدى

it was as though the master had met his two eyes

with his spell of eloquence, and passed it on to them.

الأديبُ الذي حوىَ الفضلَ طُرّاً

والرْئيسُ الّذي علا الخَلْقَ مَجدا

The man of letters who possesses all excellence,

the chief who surpasses all people in glory,

والجوادُ الّذي كفَى الفضلَ رِفْداً

والغمامُ الذي سقى الأرضَ عِدّا

the generous man whose bounty fully sustains excellence,

the cloud that waters the earth without fail.

كُلُّ مَن مَدَّ في الفصاحةِ باعاً

حَدَّ منها له ذوو الفَهْمِ حَدّا

For everyone who stretched an arm's span in eloquence,

men of understanding set a limit to his reach.

وأَبو إسماعيلَ إن قال فَصْلاً

ببني إسماعيلَ طُرّاً يُفَدّى

But Abu Ismail, if he speaks decisively,

is ransomed with all the sons of Ismail.

أَجمَعتْ في البسيطةِ العُرْبُ والعُجْ

مُ على أَنّه تَوحَّد فَردا

Arabs and non-Arabs across the earth have agreed

that he stands alone, unique.

لم تكُنْ يَعرُبٌ لِيُعْرِبَ عنها

معه النّاسُ أو يَعُدُّوا مَعَدّا

People could not speak of Ya'rub

alongside him, or reckon Ma'add his peer.

هو أَهدَى فِكْراً وأَشرَفُ ألفا

ظاً وأعلَى رأياً وأثقَبُ زَنْدا

His thought is better guided, his words nobler,

his judgment loftier, his fire-stick keener to spark.

ذو كلامٍ تقولُ يُختارُ لفظاً

عنده لو تَراه يَشتارُ شُهدا

His speech is such that you would say: A word is being chosen

in his presence, if you saw him harvesting honey.

الأجلُّ الأجلُّ يختارُ منه

حين يختاره الأسدّ الأسدّا

From it he chooses the noblest of the noble,

when the most discerning selects it as the soundest.

إن يشأْ عند ذاك يَنثُرُ دُرّاً

أو يشَأْ بعد ذاك يَنظِمُ عِقْدا

If he wishes, then he scatters pearls,

or, if he wishes thereafter, he strings a necklace.

بِدَعٌ لم تَدعْ لوُسْعِ بليغٍ

صَرْفَ حَرْفٍ له بآخرَ نَقدا

Marvels that left no scope for an eloquent man

to exchange one of his letters for another in criticism.

مُعجِزاتٌ للنّاطِقين فلولا

ما لَهُ من ديانةٍ لتَحَدّى

Miracles that leave speakers helpless; were it not

for the piety he possesses, he would issue a challenge.

يَبْتَني رُتبةً على كلِّ حالٍ

لِوَلّيٍ لها ويَكْبِتُ أَعدا

He builds up rank in every circumstance

for its holder, and humbles enemies.

ويُمِدُّ الوزيرَ منها بنَصْرٍ

فيكونُ الرُّكنَ الأعزَّ الأشَدّا

With it he lends the minister support,

becoming the mightiest, strongest pillar.

فبِها زادَهُ على النّاسِ قُرْباً

وبها خَصَّهُ من النّاسِ وُدّا

Through it, he drew him nearer than other men,

and through it singled him out among people for affection.

وبإصْفائهِ إذا القومُ خانوا

وبتَدبيرِه إذا الأمرُ جَدّا

And through his loyalty when others betrayed,

and his management when matters grew grave,

وبآرائه إذا ما استُضيئتْ

وبأقلامِه إذا ما استمَدّا

and his counsels when light was sought from them,

and his pens when he sought support.

مَأثُراتٌ ما إن يُرَى حين تَتْلو

لك فيها نِدّاً ولا منك بُدّا

Merits—when you recount them, none can find

an equal to you in them, nor any way to do without you.

أيّها الماجِدُ الّذي فاقَ مَجْداً

والفتى الواهبُ الّذي طابَ وِرْدا

O glorious man, surpassing all in glory,

and generous youth, sweet as a watering place,

لي بسامي عُلاك إدْلالُ مثْلِي

إذ تلَقّيتُ في اعتمادِك رُشدا

with your lofty eminence I have the confidence befitting one like me,

for in relying on you I found right guidance.

لا بأنّي عَمِلتُ فيك قصيداً

بل بأَنّي أَعملْتُ نحوَك قَصدا

Not because I composed a poem about you,

but because I directed my purpose toward you.

أنا مِمّن عشا إلى ضَوء آدا

بِك في العالمِين حتّى تَهَدّى

I am one who came by night to the light of your learning

among all peoples, until he found guidance,

واقتدَى بالّذي رُوِي لك من شِعْ

رِك حتّى صار المُجِيدَ المُفَدّى

and followed what was transmitted of your poetry,

until he became accomplished, worthy of ransom.

وسما طَرْفُه إليك من الشّو

قِ ولكنْ كانتْ لياليهِ نُكدا

His gaze rose toward you out of longing,

but his nights were wretched.

فتعاطَى لك السُّرَى بعدَ لأْيٍ

وتجافَى لك الكرَى واستعَدّا

So he undertook night travel to you after hardship,

shunned sleep for you, and made ready.

حمَل الحمدَ نحوَ بابِك فوق ال

عيسِ حتّى هدَى إليك وأَهْدى

He bore praise toward your door upon the

pale camels, until he found his way to you and offered his gift.

يَفتِكُ الدّهرُ بي لأدنَى مَعاشٍ

رَخُصتْ مُهجتي على الدّهرِ جِدّا

Time savages me for the humblest livelihood;

my life's blood has become very cheap to Time.

فاغتَنِمْها من فُرصةٍ وانتهِزْها

تَستدِمْ لي ما ساعدَ العُمْرُ حَمدا

Seize it, then, as an opportunity, and grasp it:

you will keep my praise for as long as life allows.

وتدارَكْ نَفْسي بها من يَدِ الأيْ

يامِ من قَبْلِ أن تَفوتَكَ فَقْدا

Rescue my soul through it from the hand of

the days, before its loss puts it beyond your reach.

واصطَنِعْني بها فلم أر كالحُرْ

رِ تَراه لدى الصَّنيعةِ عَبدا

Take me into your favor through it, for I have seen none like the freeman,

whom you find a slave when shown kindness.

وارْعَ ما بيننا منَ الأدبِ المُدْ

ني وإنّ كنتَ أنت أعلى وأَهْدى

Cherish what binds us: the letters that draw us

near, though you are loftier and better guided.

وابْقَ حتّى تكونَ مع كُّلِّ مولىً

لك عَوْناً على الزّمانِ وَردّا

And live on, to stand with every dependent

of yours as a help and a shield against Time.

وتَمتّعْ بلذّةِ العيشِ رَغْدا

وتعَجّلْ في عَهْدِ دُنياكَ خُلْدا

Enjoy the pleasures of life in ease,

and take immortality in advance within your worldly span.

وإذا ما أعارَك اللّهُ منه

ثوبَ عُمْرٍ أمِنْتَ أن يُستَرَدّا

And when God lends you, from that eternity,

a robe of life, may you be safe from its recall.