عجبت من الأيام إنجازها وعدي — Alsharif Alradi

عَجِبتُ مِنَ الأَيامِ إِنجازَها وَعدي

وَتَقريبَها ما كانَ مِنّي عَلى بُعدِ

I marveled at the days fulfilling my promise,

and bringing near what had been far from me.

وَإِنَّ اللَيالي مُذ لَبِستُ رِداءَها

تُحاذِرُ مِن حَدّي فَتَزري عَلى جَدّي

And indeed the nights, since I donned their cloak,

fear my edge, and so belittle my fortune.

وَلي إِن يَطُل عُمري مَعَ الدَهرِ وَقفَةٌ

تُذَلِّلُ أَحداثَ الزَمانِ لِمَن بَعدي

And, if my life is long, I have a stand to make against time,

that will subdue time's calamities for those after me.

وَإِنّي لَمُرُّ اليَأسِ مُستَرعَفُ الظُبى

وَإِنّي لَحُلوُ الجودِ مُستَمطَرُ الرِفدِ

And I am bitter in despair, called upon to draw blood with sword-edges,

and sweet in generosity, called upon to rain down gifts.

إِذا بَزَّني مالي عَطاءً تَرَكتُهُ

حَميداً وَطالَبتُ القَواضِبَ بِالرَدِّ

When my wealth is wrested from me in giving, I let it go,

praised, and demand its return from the cleaving swords.

وَقَد عَجَمَت مِنّي اللَيالي مُذَرَّباً

تَخَلَّلَ أَنيابَ الأَساوِدِ وَالأُسدِ

And the nights have tested in me a keen, seasoned man,

who passed among the fangs of black snakes and lions.

إِذا خَبَّ فيهِ مِلءَ حَيزومِهِ الجَوى

تَوَقَّرَ يُخفي مِنهُ غَيرَ الَّذي يُبدي

When anguish races within him, filling his breast,

he remains composed, concealing feelings other than those he displays.

وَكُنتُ إِذا الأَيّامُ جُلنَ بِساحَتي

رَجَعنَ وَلَم يَبلُغنَ آخِرَ ماعِندي

And whenever the days roamed through my courtyard,

they turned back without reaching the limit of what I possessed.

وَلَكِنَّها نَفسٌ كَما شِئتُ حُرَّةٌ

تَصولُ وَلَو في ماضِغِ الأَسَدِ الوَردِ

Yet it is a soul, free as I wished,

that charges, even within the jaws of the tawny lion.

وَأَعظَمُ ما أَلفَيتُ شَجواً وَلَوعَةً

عِتابُ أَخٍ فَلَّ الزَمانُ بِهِ حَدّي

And the greatest grief and burning sorrow I have found

is the reproach of a brother through whom time blunted my edge.

أَقيكَ الرَدى ما كانَ ما كانَ عَن قِلىً

وَلَكِن هَناتٌ كِدنَ يَلعَبنَ بِالجَلدِ

May I shield you from death! What happened was not born of hatred,

but small faults nearly made sport of my endurance.

وَلا تَحسَبَنَّ القَلبَ جازَت كُلومُهُ

إِلى القَلبِ إِلّا بَعدَما حَزَّ في الجِلدِ

And do not suppose the heart's wounds passed

into the heart before a cut was made in the skin.

مَنَحتُكَ ماعِندي مِنَ الصَدِّ مُعلِناً

وَعَقدُ ضَميري أَن أَدومَ عَلى الوُدِّ

I openly gave you what estrangement I had,

while my inward resolve was to remain constant in affection.

وَلَم أَغدُ مَحلولَ اللِحاظِ طَلاقَةً

وَقَلبي مَعقودُ الجَنانِ عَلى الحِقدِ

Nor did I go forth with my gaze unbound in cheerfulness,

while my heart's core was knotted in rancor.

سَجايا رَعَينَ المَجدَ في تَلَعاتِهِ

وَناقَلنَ في العَلياءِ غَوراً إِلى نَجدِ

Traits that grazed on glory amid its uplands,

and ranged through lofty honor from lowland to highland.

وَقَد كُنتُ أَبغي رُتبَةً بَعدَ رُتبَةٍ

فَآنَفُ لي مِن أَن أَفوزَ بِها وَحدي

And I used to seek rank after rank,

yet disdained to win it alone,

حِفاظاً عَلى القُربى الرَؤومِ وَغَيرَةً

عَلى الحَسَبِ الداني وَبُقيا عَلى المَجدِ

out of regard for tender kinship, and jealous concern

for our closely shared ancestral honor, and care for glory.

وَلِم لا وَنَحنُ الراجِعانِ مِنَ العُلى

إِلى المَغرَسِ الرَيّانِ وَالسُؤدُدِ الرَغدِ

And why not, when we are the two who return from eminence

to well-watered roots and abundant nobility,

مِنَ القَومِ أَشباهُ المَكارِمِ فيهِمُ

وَعِرقُ المَعالي الغُرِّ وَالحَسَبِ العِدِّ

from a people in whom are the likenesses of noble virtues,

and the root of radiant honors and ever-flowing ancestral worth.

حَسَدتُ عَليكَ الأَجنَبينَ مَحَبَّةً

وَنافَستُ فيكَ الأَبعَدينَ عَلى الوُدِّ

Out of love, I was jealous of strangers over you,

and vied with those more distant for your affection.

وَقَد كانَ لَذعٌ فَاِتَّقيتُ شَباتَه

بِقَلبٍ عَلى الضَرّاءِ كَالحَجَرِ الصُلدِ

And there was a sting, so I guarded against its sharp point

with a heart, in adversity, like solid stone.

تَجَلَّدتُ حَتّى لَم يَجِد فيَّ مُغمَزاً

وَعُدتُ كَما عادَ الجُرازُ إِلى الغِمدِ

I steeled myself until it found no vulnerable spot in me,

and returned as the cleaving sword returns to its sheath.

وَها أَنا عُريانُ الجَنانِ مِنَ الَّتي

تَسوءُ وَمَنفوضُ الضُلوعِ مِنَ الوَجدِ

And here I am, my heart bare of anything that

causes hurt, and my ribs shaken free of anguish.

وَكَم سَخَطٍ أَمسى دَليلاً إِلى رِضىً

وَكَم خَطَإٍ أَضحى طَريقاً إِلى عَمدِ

And how often has anger become a guide to contentment,

and how often has error become a path to deliberate purpose.

أُقَلَّبُ عَيناً في الإِخاءِ صَحيحَةً

إِذا اِرتَمَتِ الأَعداءُ بِالأَعيُنِ الرُمدِ

I turn a healthy eye upon brotherhood,

when enemies exchange shots with inflamed eyes.

وَإِنِّيَ مُذ عادَ التَوَدُّدُ بَينَنا

تَجَلّى الدُجى عَن ناظِري وَوَرى زَندي

And for me, since affection returned between us,

darkness has lifted from my sight, and my fire-stick has sparked.

وَعادَ زَماني بَعدَما غاضَ حُسنُهُ

أَنيقاً كَبُردِ العَصبِ أَو زَمَنِ الوَردِ

And my time, after its beauty had ebbed away, returned

splendid as a tie-dyed mantle or the season of roses.

وَكُنتُ سَليبَ الكَفِّ مِن كُلِ ثَروَةٍ

فَأَصبَحتُ مِن نَيلِ الأَماني عَلى وَعدِ

And I had been empty-handed, robbed of all wealth,

so now I have a promise of attaining my wishes.

وَفارَقتُ ضيقَ الصَدرِ عَنكَ إِلى الرَضى

كَما نَشَطَ المَأسورِ مِن حَلَقِ القِدِّ

And I left the tightness in my breast toward you for contentment,

as a captive breaks free of the loops of leather thongs.

وَقَد ضَمَّني مَحضُ الصَفاءِ وَصِدقُه

إِلَيكَ كَما ضُمَّت ذِراعٌ إِلى عَضدِ

And unalloyed, sincere goodwill has joined me

to you, as a forearm is joined to an upper arm.

وَكُنتُ عَلى ما بَينَنا مِن عِيابَةٍ

أَعِدُّكَ جَدّي حينَ أَسطو عَلى ضِدّي

And despite the fault-finding between us, I would

count you my good fortune when I assailed my adversary.