نصافي المعالي والزمان معاند — Alsharif Alradi

نُصافي المَعالي وَالزَمانُ مُعانِدٌ

وَنَنهَضُ بِالآمالِ وَالجَدُّ قاعِدُ

We befriend lofty honors, though time is hostile,

And rise with hopes, while fortune sits idle.

تَمُرُّ بِنا الأَيّامُ غَيرَ رَواجِعٍ

كَما صافَحَت مَرَّ السُيولِ الجَلامِدُ

The days pass us by, never returning,

As boulders meet the torrents flowing past.

وَتُمكِنُنا مِن مائِها كُلُّ مُزنَةٍ

وَتَمنَعُنا فَضلَ السَحابِ المَزاوِدُ

And every raincloud grants us access to its water,

Yet waterskins deny us the clouds' surplus.

وَما مَرِضَت لي في المَطالِبِ هِمَّةٌ

وَأَحداثُهُ في كُلِّ يَومٍ عَوائِدُ

No resolve of mine has sickened in pursuit of my aims,

Though time's misfortunes are daily visitors—

عَوائِدُ هَمٍّ لايُحَيَّينَ غِبطَةً

بِهُنَّ وَلا تُلقى لَهُنَّ الوَسائِدُ

Visitors of sorrow, not welcomed with delight

In their coming, nor are cushions laid out for them.

وَلِلَّهِ لَيلٌ يَملَأُ القَلبَ هَولُهُ

وَقد قَلِقَت بِالنائِمينَ المَراقِدُ

And what a night! Its terror fills the heart,

And beds grow restless beneath their sleepers.

يَقَرُّ بِعَيني أَن أَرى أَرضَ بابِلٍ

تَخوضُ مَغانيها الجِيادُ المَذاوِدُ

It delights my eye to see the land of Babylon,

Its habitations traversed by fierce steeds,

وَأَسحَبُ فيها بُردَ جَذلانَ شامِتٍ

إِذا شاءَ غَنَّتهُ الرَقاقُ البَوارِدُ

And there to trail the cloak of a joyful, gloating man,

Whom delicate, cool beauties serenade whenever he wishes.

سَلَلنا رِقابَ العيسِ مِن خَلَلِ الدُجى

تُلاعِبُها أَشطانُها وَالمَقاوِدُ

We drew the necks of pale camels through the gaps in darkness,

Their ropes and halters playing with them.

وَقَد حَفَّ بِالبَدرِ النُجومُ كَأَنَّهُ

هَدِيٌّ تَهاداهُ الإِماءُ الوَلائِدُ

The stars had gathered round the full moon, as though it were

A bride escorted in turn by young bondmaids.

وَفي أَعيُنِ القَومِ اِنضِمامٌ مِنَ الكَرى

وَطَرفُ السُرى بَينَ الأَزِمَّةِ شاهِدُ

Drowsiness drew the men's eyes closed,

While the eye of night travel kept watch among the reins.

فَمُضطَرِبٌ في غَرزِهِ مُتَرَنِّحٌ

وَآخَرُ مَكبوبٌ عَلى الرَحلِ ساجِدُ

One sways unsteadily in his stirrup,

And another lies face-down upon the saddle, prostrate.

وَغائِرَةٍ قَد وَقَّرَ النَومُ لَحظَها

تُسَفِّهُ جَفنَيها الهُمومُ العَوائِدُ

And many a sunken eye, its gaze made heavy by sleep,

Has its eyelids unsettled by recurring cares.

تَقودُ جِياداً مااِتُّهِمنَ عَلى مَدىً

بَلَى رُبَّما اِرتابَت بِهِنَّ الأَوابِدُ

It guides steeds never distrusted over any distance;

Yet wild beasts may sometimes mistrust them.

إِذا جالَ في أَشداقِها الظِمءُ قَلَّصَت

لَها الأَرضُ وَاِنقادَت إِلَيها المَوارِدُ

When thirst roams in their jaws, there contracts

For them the earth, and watering places yield to them.

أَبَحنا لَها تَقتَضُّ مِن عُذَرِ الرُبى

فَكَرَّت عَلَيها بِالعَجاجِ الفَدافِدُ

We let them strip the hills of their virginity,

And the wastelands charged back at them with dust.

طَرائِقُ بيدٍ يَعسُلُ الآلُ بَينَها

كَما اِضطَرَبَ السِرحانُ وَاللَيلُ بارِدُ

Tracks through desert wastes, among which the mirage lopes,

As a wolf darts about while the night is cold.

هَجَمنا عَلى غَولِ الطَريقِ وَبُعدِهِ

وَما رَكَضَت فيهِ الرِياحُ الصَوارِدُ

We plunged into the road's terror and its remoteness,

And through the places where the cold winds raced.

أَأُرسِلُ خَيلَ اللِحظِ في طَلَبِ الهَوى

وَمِن ظَنِّها أَنَّ الخُدودَ طَرائِدُ

Shall I loose the cavalry of my glance in pursuit of love,

Its fancy being that cheeks are quarry?

وَلي شُغُلٌ في طالِبٍ ضَلَّ قَصدَهُ

أُسائِلُ عَنهُ ما يَقولُ المَقاصِدُ

When I am occupied with a seeker who has strayed from his goal,

I ask about him: what do the destinations say?

أَقولُ لِدَهرٍ تاهَ إِذ صيدَ لَيثُهُ

كَذاكَ يُصادُ اللَيثُ وَاللَيثُ راقِدُ

I say to an age grown arrogant when its lion was caught:

Thus is a lion caught—when the lion sleeps.

أَثَلَّمَ هَذا النَصلَ بِالضَربِ ضارِبٌ

وَزَعزَعَ هَذا الطودَ بِالوَطءِ صاعِدُ

Did a striker notch this blade by striking it,

And did a climber shake this mountain with his footfall?

تَعَزَّ فَما كُلُّ المَصائِبِ قادِمٌ

عَليكَ وَلا كُلُّ النَوائِبِ عائِدُ

Take comfort: not every calamity comes

Upon you, nor does every misfortune return.

يَنالُ الفَتى مِن دَهرِهِ قَدرَ نَفسِهِ

وَتَأتي عَلى قَدرِ الرِجالِ المَكايِدُ

A man receives from his age according to his own worth,

And plots come in proportion to the stature of men.

فِدىً لَكَ يا مَجدَ المَعالي وَبَأسَها

فِعالُ جَبانٍ شَجَّعَتهُ الحَقائِدُ

A ransom for you, O glory and might of lofty honors,

Be the deeds of a coward whom grudges made brave.

فَما تَرَكَت مِنكَ الصَوارِمُ وَالقَنا

وَلا أَخَذَت مِنكَ الحِسانُ الحَرائِدُ

For keen swords and spears have left nothing of you,

Nor have lovely, secluded maidens taken anything of you.

عُزِلتَ وَلَكِن ما عُزِلتَ عَنِ النَدى

وَجودُكَ في جيدِ العُلى لَكَ شاهِدُ

You were dismissed, but not dismissed from generosity,

And your bounty, around greatness's neck, bears witness for you.

بِوَجهِكَ ماءُ العِزِّ في العَزلِ ذائِبٌ

وَوَجهُ الَّذي وُلّي مِنَ الماءِ جامِدُ

On your face the water of honor flows even in dismissal,

While the appointed man's face is dry of that water.

فَأَنتَ تُرَجّي المُلكَ وَهوَ زَوالُهُ

بِغَيرِ جِلادٍ فيهِ وَهوَ مُجالِدُ

You give hope to kingship, while he is its downfall,

Without fighting for it, while he is a fighter.

فَلا يَفرَحِ الأَعداءُ فَالعَزلُ مَعرِضٌ

إِذا راحَ عَنهُ صادِرٌ جاءَ وارِدُ

So let enemies not rejoice: dismissal is a marketplace;

When one departs from it, another arrives.

وَما كُنتَ إِلّا السَيفَ يَمضي ذُبابُهُ

وَلا يَنصُرُ العَلياءَ مَن لا يُجالِدُ

You were nothing but a sword whose edge cuts through,

And none who will not fight can champion greatness.

نُضي فَقَضى حَقَّ الضَرائِبِ في الوَغى

وَأَثنَت عَلَيهِ حينَ رَدَّ المَغامِدُ

Drawn, it paid blows their due in battle,

And the scabbards praised it when it returned.

فَأَعطوا عِنانَ الضُرِّ غَيرَكَ إِذ رَأوا

يَمينَكَ تَستَولي عَليها الفَوائِدُ

They gave another the reins of harm, when they saw

Benefactions taking possession of your right hand.

وَما كُنتَ يَوماً في الزَمانِ بِمُمسِكٍ

عُرى المالِ إِن ضَجَّت إِلَيكَ المَواعِدُ

Never, at any time, did you hold tight

To wealth's bonds, when promises clamored to you.

وَلا كُنتَ تَرضى أَن تَصِحَّ بِبَلدَةٍ

إِذا قيلَ عُضوٌ مِن زَمانِكَ فاسِدُ

Nor would you consent to be healthy in a town,

If told that a limb of your age was diseased.

أَيا غُدوَةً ساءَ الحُسَينَ صَباحُها

وَسَرَّ العِدى فيها الزَمانُ المُعانِدُ

O dawn whose morning saddened al-Husayn,

And in which hostile time delighted his enemies,

لَحَقَّقتِ عِندي أَنَّ كُلٌّ صَبيحَةٍ

مُجاجَةُ سُمٍّ وَاللَيالي أَساوِدُ

You have indeed convinced me that every morning

Is a spit of poison, and the nights are black snakes.

يُعَرِّفُكَ الإِخوانُ كُلٌّ بِنَفسِهِ

وَخَيرُ أَخٍ مَن عَرَّفَتكَ الشَدائِدُ

Brothers each acquaint you with themselves,

But the best brother is one whom hardships have revealed to you.

وَطاغٍ يُعيرُ البَغيَ غَربَ لِسانِهِ

وَلَيسَ لَهُ عَن جانِبِ الدينِ ذائِدُ

And a tyrant lends injustice the sharp edge of his tongue,

And he has no defender on religion's side.

شَنَنتَ عَلَيهِ الحَقَّ حَتّى رَدَدتَهُ

صَموتاً وَفي أَنيابِهِ القَولُ راقِدُ

You poured truth upon him until you left him

Silent, with speech asleep between his fangs.

يَدِلُّ بِغَيرِ اللَهِ عَضداً وَناصِراً

وَناصِرُكَ الرَحمَنُ وَالمَجدُ عاضِدُ

He boasts of a support and helper other than God,

While your helper is the All-Merciful, and glory lends support.

تُعَيِّرُ رَبَّ الخَيرِ بالي عِظامِهِ

أَلا نُزِّهَت تِلكَ العِظامُ البَوائِدُ

You taunt the lord of goodness for his decayed bones—

Indeed, may those perished bones be kept above reproach!

وَلَكِن رَأى سَبَّ النَبِيِّ غَنيمَةً

وَما حَولَهُ إِلّا مُريبٌ وَجاحِدُ

Yet he thought insulting the Prophet a prize,

And around him are only the suspect and the denying.

وَلَو كانَ بَينَ الفاطِمِيّينَ رَفرَفَت

عَلَيهِ العَوالي وَالظُبى وَالسَواعِدُ

Had he been among the Fatimids, there would have fluttered

Over him tall spears, sword-blades, and forearms.

أَلا إِنَّ جَدبَ الحِلمِ عِندَكَ مُخصِبٌ

وَإِنَّ لَئيمَ المَجدِ عِندَكَ رافِدُ

Indeed, the barrenness of forbearance is fertile with you,

And even the miser of glory becomes a giver beside you.

ضَجِرتَ مِنَ العَلياءِ فَاِختَرتَ عَزلَها

كَأَنَّكَ قَد أَفنَت نَداكَ المَحامِدُ

You wearied of greatness and chose to relinquish it,

As though praises had exhausted your bounty.

تَرَكتَ قَلوصاً بِالفَلاةِ وَوَحشَها

تُجاذِبُهُ عَن نَفسِهِ وَتُراوِدُ

You left a young she-camel in the wilderness, while its wild beasts

Struggle with it for its life and seek to lure it away.

سَتَذكُرُكَ الأَرماحُ وَهيَ قَوارِبٌ

وَلَيسَ لَها إِلّا القُلوبُ مَوارِدُ

The spears will remember you when they seek water,

For their only watering places are hearts.

حَوى المَجدَ يا قَيسَ بنَ عَيلانَ ماجِدٌ

وَجَلَّ فَما يُلقى لَهُ فيهِ حاسِدُ

A noble man has won glory, O Qays ibn Aylan,

And risen so high that no envier of him in it is found.

فَتىً يَحتَوي أَرماحَكُم وَهوَ صارِمٌ

وَيُسري جُيوشاً نَحوَكُم وَهوَ واحِدُ

A youth who encompasses your spears, himself a sharp sword,

And sends armies by night toward you, though he is but one.

وَيَومَ عُوَيثٍ وَالسُيوفُ بَوارِقٌ

تَظَلُّ المَنايا وَالقِسِيُّ رَواعِدُ

And on the day of Uwayth, while swords were lightning-flashes,

Deaths hovered, and bows were thunderclaps.

رَدَدتَهُمُ وَالسُمرُ بَينَ ظُهورِهِم

تُعَقِّلُ فيهِ المَوتَ وَالمَوتُ شارِدُ

You drove them back, brown spears among their backs,

Tethering death on that day, though death ran wild.

وَقَد خَلَقَت فيها عُيوناً قَريحَةً

يَنامونَ عُمرَ اللَيلِ وَهيَ سَواهِدُ

And they had opened sore eyes in them;

They sleep the whole length of night, while those eyes stay awake.

أَسِنَّةُ فِهرٍ في صُدورِ جِيادِهِم

كَأَنَّ قَناها لِلجِيادِ مَقاوِدُ

The spearheads of Fihr are in their horses' breasts,

As though their shafts were reins for the steeds.

هُمُ ذَخَروا أَعمارَهُم لِسُيوفِهِ

فَأولى لَها وَالحَربُ عَذراءُ ناهِدُ

They saved their lifetimes for his swords;

So all the better for them, while war is a virgin with budding breasts.

رَأَيتُ فَيافي تَقتَضي هَبَواتِهِ

وَتَرغَبُ أَرساغَ الجِيادِ القَوادِدِ

I saw wastelands demanding his dust clouds,

And coveting the fetlocks of long-bodied steeds.

مَدىً يَمخَصُ الأَشواطَ حَتّى يُعيدَها

وَلازُبدَةٌ إِلّا الجَوادُ المُجاوِدُ

A distance that churns the courses until it renders them

With no cream but the thoroughbred that vies in speed.

لَنِعمَ حَريمُ العَزمِ أَنتَ وَثَغرُهُ

إِذا رَجَّحَ الرَأيَ الأَلَدُّ المُجالِدُ

How excellent you are as the sanctuary and frontier of resolve,

When a stubborn fighter weighs his judgment.

أَلَستَ مِنَ القَومِ الَّذينَ إِذا سَطَوا

تَبَرّى مِنَ التاجِ العَظيمِ المَعاقِدُ

Are you not of the people who, when they strike,

The fastenings of the mighty crown come undone?

سِياطُهُمُ بيضُ الظُبى وَسُجونُهُم

إِذا غَضِبوا دونَ العَلاءِ المَلاحِدُ

Their whips are white sword-blades, and their prisons,

When angered in defense of honor, are graves.

رِقابُ العِدى وَالعيسُ فيهِم ذَليلَةٌ

وَلِلبيضِ ما نيطَت عَليهِ القَلائِدُ

The necks of enemies and pale camels alike are humbled among them,

And white swords own whatever necklaces hang upon.

يُعَشِّشُ طَيرُ الخَضبِ في حُجُراتِهِم

وَتُعقَلُ مِنهُنَّ البُيوتُ الشَوارِدُ

Birds of dye nest in their chambers,

And through them wandering verses are tethered.

وَما والِدٌ مِثلُ اِبنِ موسى لِمَولِدٍ

قَريبٍ تَجافاهُ الرَجالُ الأَباعِدُ

No father is like Ibn Musa to a son

Close to him, whom distant men shunned.

حَمى الحَجَّ وَاِحتَلَّ المَظالِمَ رُتبَةً

عَلى أَنَّ رَيعانَ النَقابَةِ زائِدُ

He protected the pilgrimage and held the office of redressing grievances,

Though the prime of the naqibship is greater still.

فَأَقبَلَ وَالدُنيا مَشوقٌ وَشايقٌ

وَأَعرَضَ وَالدُنيا طَريدٌ وَطارِدُ

He came forward, and the world was both enamored and enamoring,

And turned away, while the world was both driven and driving.

وَساعَدَهُ يَومَ اِستَقَلَّ رِكابَهُ

أَخوهُ وَقالَ البَينُ نِعمَ المُساعِدُ

And on the day he set his riding-camels in motion, he was aided

By his brother, and separation said, 'What an excellent helper!'

هُما صَبَرا وَالحَقُّ يَركَبُ رَأسَهُ

عَشِيَّةَ زالَت بِالفُروعِ القَواعِدُ

The two endured while truth went headlong on its course,

On the evening foundations slipped away with their branches.

تَفَرَّدَ بِالعَلياءِ عَن أَهلِ بَيتِهِ

وَكُلٌّ يُهاديهِ إِلى المَجدِ والِدُ

He stood alone in greatness among his household,

And a father guides each of them toward glory.

وَتَختَلِفُ الأَمالُ في ثَمَراتِها

إِذا شَرِقَت بِالرَيِّ وَالماءُ واحِدُ

Hopes differ in the fruits they yield,

When drenched with irrigation, though the water is one.

وَمَدَّ عَلى الجَوزاءِ أَطنابَ مَنزِلٍ

يَلوذُ بِخَقوَيهِ السُها وَالفَراقِدُ

He stretched the ropes of a dwelling across al-Jawza,

At whose two flanks al-Suha and al-Faraqid seek refuge.

فَقُرٌّ لِنيرانِ البَوارِقِ مُصطَلٍ

وَظِمءٌ لِأَحواضِ الغَمائِمِ وَاِرِدُ

Cold warms itself at the fires of lightning,

And thirst comes to drink at the pools of clouds.

أَحَقُّ بِلادِ اللَهِ بِالمُزنِ أَرضُهُ

إِذا شامَ أَقصى خَطرَةِ البَرقِ رائِدُ

His land is the most deserving of God's lands of rainclouds,

When a scout watches the farthest flicker of lightning.

كَأَنّي بِهِ وَالعِزُّ يَنضو هُمومَهُ

وَقَد خَضَعَت تِلكَ الخُطوبُ النَواكِدُ

I can almost see him, with honor casting off his cares,

And those grievous calamities brought low.

أَعادَ إِلَيهِ اللَهُ ماضي سُرورِهِ

وَرَدَّ اللَيالي وَهيَ بيضٌ أَماجِدُ

May God restore his former joy to him,

And return the nights, bright and noble.

مُنيتَ بِشَوقٍ يَنحَرُ الدَمعَ سَيفُهُ

إِذا حادَثَتهُ بِالصِقالِ المَعاهِدُ

You are afflicted with longing whose sword slaughters tears,

Whenever familiar haunts freshen its polish.

أَآلَ هُذَيمٍ هَل تَقَرُّ قُلوبُكُم

وَقَلبُ اِبنِ عَدنانٍ عَلى الدَهرِ واجِدُ

O house of Hudhaym, can your hearts be at ease,

While the heart of Ibn Adnan is bitter toward time?

إِذا جَحَدوا نُعماكَ لَوَّت رِقابَهُم

لِمَنِّكَ أَطواقٌ بِها وَقَلائِدُ

If they deny your benefactions, their necks are twisted

By the collars and necklaces of your bounty around them.

وَلا زالَتِ الأَسيافُ تَسبي حَريمَهُم

وَتَسبي حَريمَ المالِ مِنكَ القَصائِدُ

May swords never cease to take their households captive,

And poems to capture wealth's sanctuary from you.