يا دار أقوت بالأجالد — Bashar Ibn Burd

يا دارُ أَقوَت بِالأَجالِد

بَعدَ المَسودِ بِها وَسائِد

O dwelling, deserted at al-Ajalid,

after those ruled there and the ruler.

لا غَروَ إِلّا دَرسُها

بَينَ الأَمَقِّ إِلى كُداكِد

No marvel except its effacement,

between al-Amaqq and Kudakid.

يَمشي النَعامُ بِجَوِّها

مَشيَ النِساءِ إِلى المَساجِد

Ostriches walk across its open ground,

as women walk toward the mosques.

وَلَقَد رَأَيتُ بِها الخَرا

ئِدَ يَتَّصِلنَ إِلى الخَرائِد

Indeed, I once saw secluded maidens there,

joining other secluded maidens:

حورٌ أَوانِسُ كَالدُمى

أَو كَالأَهِلَّةِ في المَجاسِد

wide-eyed, winsome, like statues,

or crescent moons in saffron-dyed robes.

رُجُحُ الرَوادِفِ وَالشَوى

لا يَأتَزِرنَ عَلى الرَفائِد

Heavy of buttocks and limbs,

they wear no padding beneath their girdles.

مُتَهَلِّلاتٌ في العَبي

رِ وَفي الزَبَرجَدِ وَالفَرائِد

Radiant in blended perfume,

in chrysolite and choice pearls.

لا يَرعَوينَ إِلى المُري

بِ وَيَنينَ عَلى المَراصِد

They incline toward no dubious man,

and linger languidly at the lookout posts.

أَيّامَ عَبدَةُ وَسطَهُن

ن كَأَنَّها أُمُّ القَلائِد

In the days when Abda was among them,

like the centerpiece of necklaces.

يَحسُدنَ فَضلَ جَمالِها

لا تَعدَمي حَسَدَ الحَواسِد

They envy her surpassing beauty;

may you never lack envious women's envy!

لِلَّهِ عَبدَةُ إِذ غَدَت

مِنّا تُزَفُّ إِلى اِبنِ قائِد

How wondrous was Abda when she went,

led away from us as bride to Ibn Qa'id.

كَالحَلي حُسنُ حَديثِها

وَدَلالُها إِحدى المَصايِد

Her lovely speech is like jewelry,

and her coquetry is one of the snares.

وَلَقَد نَعِمتُ بِروحِها

وَدَفَعتُ عَن جَسَدٍ مُساعِد

Indeed, I delighted in her spirit,

and shielded a willing body.

يا شَوقَها لِفِراقِنا

وَتَقَلُّبي فَوقَ الوَسائِد

Oh, her longing for our parting,

and my tossing upon the pillows!

يا عَبدَ قَد شَخَصَ الفُؤا

دُ وَقَد شَخَصتِ فَغَيرُ باعِد

O Abd, the heart has departed;

you too have departed, so it is not far away.

قَرَعَ الوُشاةُ فَأَطرَقوا

وَشُغِلتِ عَنّا أُمَّ عابِد

The slanderers knocked, then lowered their heads,

and you were distracted from us, Umm Abid.

لا تُنجِزينَ مَواعِدي

وَيلي عَلى تِلكَ المَواعِد

You do not keep my promised meetings;

woe to me for those promises!

وَلَقَد أَقولُ لِمولَعٍ

غَيرانَ يَقعُدُ بِالقَصائِد

Indeed, I say to an obsessed man,

jealous, lying in wait with odes:

يا ذا المُقَحِّمُ سادِراً

أَقصِر فَإِنَّكَ غَيرُ راشِد

O you heedless intruder,

desist, for you are not rightly guided.

لا توعِدَنّي بِاللِقا

ءِ وَقَد شَرِبتُ دَمَ الأَساوِد

Do not threaten me with an encounter,

when I have drunk black serpents' blood.

لا أَتَّقي حَسَدَ الضَغي

نِ وَلا أُخَوَّفُ صَوتَ راعِد

I do not fear the spiteful man's envy,

nor am I frightened by a thunderer's voice.

يَخشى الأُسودُ عَرامَتي

وَنُقِيُّ مُعتَلَجِ الأَوابِد

Lions fear my fierceness,

and the marrow of the clash of untamed verses

جُرحٌ بِأَفواهِ الرُوا

ةِ لَدى المَجالِسِ بِالمَناشِد

is a wound upon reciters' lips

in assemblies, at recitations.

وَلَنِعمَ جَندَلَةُ الرَدى

في مَأقِطٍ كَالسَيفِ عانِد

How excellent a stone of death,

in a battlefield, swordlike and unyielding!

أَشفي مِنَ اللَمَمِ المُعِن

نَ إِذا تَقَحَّمَ غَيرَ قاصِد

I cure the obstinate man of madness,

when he barges in, straying from the path.

فَدَعِ الفُضولَ لِأَهلِها

قَطَعَ المِراءَ حُضورُ صاعِد

So leave meddling to its people;

Ṣāʿid's presence has ended the dispute.

وَإِذا خَشيتَ مُحيطَةً

مِن وارِقِ الجَهَلاتِ زائِد

And if you fear an overwhelming calamity

from the leafy growth of follies, O Za'id,

فَاِندُب لَها روحَ القُلو

بِ فَلَيسَ عَن شَرَفٍ بِبارِد

summon Rawh, the spirit of hearts, to meet it;

he is no laggard in pursuit of honor.

نَوِّه بِأَروَعَ مِسعَرٍ

لِلحَربِ في الغَمَراتِ قائِد

Proclaim a gallant kindler

of war, a leader amid its perils.

أَسَدُ الخَليفَةِ تَلتَقي

بِشَباتِهِ نَحرُ المَكايِد

The caliph's lion: there clash

his spearpoints and the throat of stratagems.

وَفَتى العَشيرَةِ في الحِفا

ظِ وَزَينُها عِندَ المَشاهِد

The clan's champion in guarding honor,

and its ornament at great assemblies.

يَجري بِصالِحَةِ الخَلي

لِ وَلَيسَ عَن تِرَةٍ بِراقِد

He hastens to serve his friend's interests,

and sleeps through no debt of blood.

كَثُرَت مَواهِبُهُ الكِبا

رُ لِصادِرٍ مِنّا وَوارِد

His great gifts have multiplied

for those among us departing or arriving.

يُعطي القِيانَ مَعَ اللُهى

مِن سَيبِ مُشتَرِكِ الفَوائِد

He gives singing girls along with riches,

from bounty whose benefits are shared.

وَتَرى الحُلولَ بِبابِهِ

مِن بَينِ مُختَبِطٍ وَوافِد

You see those encamped at his door,

petitioners and visiting delegates,

مَتَعَرِّضينَ لِسَيِّدٍ

عَجلانَ بِالمَعروفِ زائِد

presenting themselves to a lord

quick with kindness, ever adding more.

عَطَفَت عَلَيهِ قُلوبُهُم

وَعَلى فَواضِلِهِ العَوائِد

Their hearts incline toward him,

and toward his recurring favors.

رَوحٌ يَروحُ مَعَ النَدى

وَيَراحُ لِلبَطَلِ المُناجِد

Rawh goes forth with generosity,

and springs eagerly toward the valiant champion.

تَرّاكُ أَلحِيَةِ الخَنا

وَإِلى الوَغى سَلِسُ المَقاوِد

One who shuns foul wrangling,

yet is easily reined toward battle.

نِعمَ الفَتى يَسعى بِهِ

صيدُ المَحيلِ مِنَ الأَصايِد

What a fine youth! At his service strive

the proudest lords of the drought-stricken land.

وَإِذا الرِياحُ تَرَوَّحَت

مُقوَرَّةً جَسَدَ المَقاحِد

When the winds blow at evening,

hollowing the bodies of high-humped camels,

وَتَناوَحَت شُعَبَ الذِئا

بِ وَلَم تَجِد عَوداً بِعاضِد

and wail through the wolves' ravines,

and you find no stick with a woodcutter,

مَطَرَت سَحائِبُهُ عَلَي

كَ مِنَ الطَرائِفِ وَالتَلائِد

his clouds rain down upon you

new possessions and inherited treasures:

حُلَلاً وَمُعلَمَةَ الوُجو

هِ وَكَالظِباءِ مِنَ الوَلائِد

robes, mounts with marked faces,

and slave girls like gazelles.

فَاِظفِر بِحَظِّكَ مِن أَخٍ

مُتَدَفِّقِ الشَرَباتِ ماجِد

So secure your share from a brother

noble, whose draughts overflow.

يُجدي عَلَيكَ بِمالِهِ

وَبِسَيفِهِ عِندَ الشَدائِد

He benefits you with his wealth,

and with his sword in times of hardship.

سامٍ لِزَلزَلَةِ الحُرو

بِ يُظِلُّهُ خَرقُ المَطارِد

Rising to the convulsions of war,

overshadowed by the pennons of lances.

مَلكٌ مِنَ المَلِكِ الهُما

مِ لِكَفِّهِ وُصِلَت بِساعِد

A king sprung from a high-souled king,

his palm joined to a forearm.

دَمّاغُ هاماتِ الرُبى

بِمَجَرِّ أَرعَنَ ذي رَثائِد

Crusher of the heads of hills

with the march of a mountainlike army, rank upon rank.

وَمُعَوَّدٌ ضَربَ الرِقا

بِ وَفَكَّهُنَّ مِنَ الحَدائِد

Accustomed to striking necks

and freeing them from irons.

أَهلي فِداؤُكَ مِن أَمي

رِ جَماعَةٍ راعٍ وَذائِد

My family be your ransom—what a commander

of a host, a guardian and defender!

يَغدو البَخيلُ مُذَمَّماً

وَغَدَوتَ تَرفُلُ في المَحامِد

The miser goes forth blamed,

while you go forth trailing robes of praise.

وَكَفَيتَ رَهطَكَ واحِداً

لِلَّهِ دَرُّكَ أَيَّ واحِد

You alone have sufficed for your clan;

God bless you—what a singular man!

رَكّابُ أَهوالِ المُلو

كِ مُناوِياً سَبَلَ الرَواعِد

Rider of the terrors of kings,

defying the downpours of thunderclouds.

وَيَروحُ أَطوَلَهُم يَداً

في فِعلِهِم وَعَلَيكَ شاهِد

He returns the longest-handed of them,

in their deeds; and against you stands a witness.

وَيُريكَ خَيراً في غَدٍ

وَلِذَلِكَ الغَتَلِيِّ زائِد

He shows you good in the morrow,

and that mighty man has yet more.

وَتَعودُ حينَ تَسُرُّنا

وَأَخو الفَعالِ عَلَيكَ عائِد

You return when you delight us,

and the man of noble deeds returns to you.

وَلَقَد أَقَمتَ قَناتَنا

وَسَقَيتَنا وَالمُزنُ جامِد

You have straightened our spear-shaft,

and watered us while the rainclouds withheld their rain.

أَصلَحتَ أَمرَ جَميعِنا

وَوَفَيتَ مِنّا بِالمَعاهِد

You have set all our affairs right,

and fulfilled the covenants on our behalf.

وَتَرَكتَ قَلعَةَ وَرزَنٍ

كَمَسارِبِ البَقَرِ الرَوائِد

You left the fortress of Warzan

like the tracks of grazing cattle.

سِيّانَ مَعطِنُ أَهلِها

وَمَعاطِنُ الغُبرِ الجَدائِد

Alike are its people's watering place

and the watering places of gray, dry-uddered she-asses.

وَأَرى البُصَيرَةَ أَشرَقَت

وَتَزَيَّنَت لِلِقا المَجاسِد

I see al-Busayra shining,

and saffron-dyed robes arrayed for the meeting.

وَعَلى المَسارِحِ نَضرَةً

وَعَلى المَصادِرِ وَالمَوارِد

Freshness lies upon the pasture grounds,

and on paths from water and the watering places.

وَلَقَد جَرَت حَلَباتُهُم

فَسَبَقتَهُنَّ وَأَنتَ قاعِد

Their racing bands have run,

yet you outstripped them while still seated,

بِخُؤولَةٍ قَرَعوا العُلى

وَبِفَضلِ أَعمامٍ وَوالِد

through maternal uncles who reached the heights,

and the excellence of paternal uncles and a father.

فَاِقدَح زِنادَكَ بِالمُهَل

لَبِ أَو قَبيصَةَ ذي المَراقِد

So strike your fire-steel on al-Muhallab,

or Qabisa, lord of resting places,

أَو حاتِمٍ بَلَغوا اليَفا

عَ وَضَوءُ نارِكَ غَيرُ خامِد

or Hatim: they attained the heights,

while the light of your fire never dies.

بَل أَيُّها الرَجُلُ المُصي

خُ إِلى الأَقارِبِ وَالأَباعِد

But O man who listens

to near kin and distant folk,

اِعرِف فَتىً بِفَعالِهِ

شَتّانَ بَينَ نَدٍ وَجامِد

know a man by his deeds:

how far apart are the bountiful and the frozen!

الفَضلُ عِندَ بَني المُهَل

لَبِ في المُقاوِمِ وَالمُقاعِد

Excellence belongs to Banu al-Muhallab

in places of standing and sitting.

قَومٌ إِذا جُحِدَ الرَبي

عُ فَما رَبيعُهُمو بِجاحِد

A people: if spring is disowned,

their spring never withholds its bounty.

لا يَبخَلونَ عَلى القَصِي

يِ وَيُنعِمونَ عَلى المُسانِد

They are not miserly toward the distant,

and bestow favors on their supporters.

وَمُرَفَّلينَ عَلى العَشي

رَةِ في الحُلومِ وَفي الوَطائِد

Men robed in honor above their clan,

in forbearance and firm foundations.

وَلَقَد حَلَفتُ بِرَبِّ مَك

كَةَ وَالمُحَلِّقَةِ السَواجِد

Indeed, I have sworn by the Lord of Mecca,

and by the head-shaving worshippers who prostrate:

ما نالَ فَضلَ بَني المُهَل

لَبِ مِنذُ كانوا جودُ جائِد

Banu al-Muhallab's excellence has never been reached,

since they came to be, by any giver's bounty.

فَإِذا أَرَدتَ سَبيلَهُم

في الوُدِّ وَالشَكِّ المُباعِد

So if you desire their path

in affection and in estranging doubt,

فَاِنكِ العِدى وَرِدِ الرَدى

وَاِبذُل فَما شَيءٌ بِخالِد

wound the enemy, brave death,

and give freely: nothing lasts forever.