سكر الظبي واستحد حسامه — Hasan Alsairafi

سكر الظَّبيِ وَاِستَحدِ حُسامِهِ

فَالنَّجاةِ النَّجاة يا اللَهُ السَلامَه

The gazelle grew drunk and sharpened his sword.

So escape, escape! O God, grant safety!

مَن يُغَرِّر بِنَفسِهِ مَعَ ريمِ

ما عَهِدنا في قُسورِ إِقدامَه

Who would risk his life with a gazelle

Whose daring we have never known in a lion?

رَبِّ حَسُنَ اللِحاظُ دُعاةً

في صَميمِ القُلوبِ بَنوا غَرامَه

A lord of beauty, with glances for heralds:

Deep within hearts they built love for him.

وَبِهِ آمَنَ المَلّاحُ جَميعاً

وَاِستَكانوا وَأَصبَحوا خَدامَه

And all the beautiful ones believed in him,

And submitted, and became his servants.

لَستُ أَنساهُ لَيلَةً كانَ فيها

بِسَوِيِّ البَنانِ يَسقي المَدامَه

I cannot forget him, one night when he was

Serving wine with shapely fingers.

دارٌ بِالكاسِ يَرسُمُ الكَونَ شَكلاً

لِيُرينا بَينَ اليَدَينِ نِظامَه

He went round with the cup, tracing the universe's form,

To show us its order between his hands.

وَشُعاعَ الأَقداحِ وَالراحُ وَالجي

دُ مُضيءٌ وَاللَيلُ مُرخٍ ظَلامَه

And the goblets' radiance, the wine, and his neck

Shone, while night let down its darkness.

فَغَدا كُلُّ مُحتَسٍ يَتَمَشّى

وَالنِظامُ الشَمسي بادَ إِمامَه

Then every drinker began to walk,

With the solar system visible before him.

وَسَبانا العُقولُ حينَ تَجلي

مُثنِياً قامَةً وَأَيَّةَ قامَه

And he captivated our minds when he appeared,

Swaying his figure—and what a figure!

بِعُيونٍ تَجِلُّ عَن قَولِ نَجلا

وَخُدودٍ مِنها تَحَلَّت بِشامَه

With eyes beyond the mere description 'wide,'

And cheeks, one adorned with a beauty spot;

وَثَنايا رِضا بِها البَرءُ لَكِن

مَن يَحصُل مِنَ النُجومِ مَرامَه

And teeth of delight, in which lies healing—but

Who can gain from the stars what he desires?

بِأَبي شادِنا إِلى الراحِ يَصبو

وَالنَدامى بِحُبِّهِ مُستَهامَه

May my father be ransom for a fawn who longs for wine,

While his drinking companions are madly in love with him.

يا نَديمي ناشَدتُكَ الوُدَّ خَفِّف

عَنهُ في الشُربِ إِن فيهِ ظَلامَه

O my drinking companion, I implore you by affection: ease up

On him with the drink; there is injustice in it.

مَن يُطِق جَورُهُ وَجَورُ جُفونِ

هِيَ سُكري مِن غَيرِ شُربٍ مَدامَه

Who can bear his tyranny, and that of eyelids

That are drunken without drinking wine?

وَلِحاظُ مَقرونَةٍ بِالمَنايا

لَو رَآها عَمرُو رَمى الصَمصامَه

And glances bound to death—

Had Amr seen them, he would have cast aside al-Samsamah.

لَيتَ شِعري كَيفَ التَحَرُّزُ مِنهُ

وَفُؤادي أَلقى إِلَيهِ زَمامَه

Would that I knew how to guard against him,

While my heart has handed him its reins.

قَد أَطَعتُ الهَوى فَكانَ هَوانا

وَمُطيعُ الهَوى حَليفَ النَدامَه

I obeyed passion, and it brought humiliation;

And whoever obeys passion is bound to regret.

مَن مُجيري وَفاتَني لا يُبالي

أَفُؤاداً أَصابَهُ أَم حَمامَه

Who will protect me? My charmer does not care

Whether he has struck a heart or a dove.

مَهجُ الناسِ عِندَهُ كَعَصافي

رٍ لِإيقاعِها أَعِد سِهامَه

People's souls to him are like sparrows,

For whose capture he has readied his arrows.

وَالمُحَيّا وَلا مِثالَ كَفَخٍّ

طُرَّةَ الشِعرِ أَتقَنَت أَحكامَه

And his face—without compare—is like a snare

Whose fastening his fringe of hair has perfected.

حُبُّهُ لُؤلُؤٌ مِنَ الثَغرِ يُبديهِ

لِمَن رامَ صَيدُهُ بِاِبتِسامَه

Its bait is pearls he reveals from his mouth

With a smile to whomever he seeks to catch.

طالَما مِنهُ قَد تَحاشَيتُ خَوفاً

وَمَنَعتَ الفُؤادَ فيهِ اِقتِحامَه

Long did I keep clear of him in fear,

And kept my heart from plunging into his love.

غَيرَ أَنّي بِهِ وَقَعتَ وَقَد كا

نَ وَما كُلُّ وَقعَةٍ بِسَلامَه

Yet I fell for him, and what is done is done;

And not every fall ends safely.

سَبَقَ السَيفُ أَيُّها اللائِمُ العَذلُ

فَلَم يَبقَ مَوضِعٌ لِلمَلامَه

The sword preceded reproach, O faultfinder;

So no room remains for blame.

فَدَعوني مَعَ المَليحِ وَشَأني

مَالجُرحُ بِمَيتِ إيلامَه

So leave me with the fair one, and let me be:

A wound brings no pain to a dead man.

فَلَو أَنّي بِهِ حَليفٌ سَقامُ

رَبِّ يَومَ بِالوَصلِ يَبري سَقامَه

Even if, through him, I am bound to sickness,

A day of union may yet heal that sickness.

وَإِذا الروحُ مَن عَناهُ اِستَجارَت

وَغَدا الكاسُ طافِياً لِلطَمامَه

And when the soul sought refuge from his torment,

And the cup floated, filled to the brim,

عُدتُ أَعدو وَنِعمَ وَاللَهُ قَصدي

نَحوَ خَيري إِنسانِ عَينِ الشَهامَه

I ran again—and excellent, by God, was my aim—

Toward Khayri, the pupil of chivalry's eye,

أَو حَدُّ الناسِ أَكرَمُ الناسِ في البَأ

سِ وَفي الفَضلِ وَالنَدا وَالكَرامَه

Peerless among men, noblest of men in valor,

And in merit, generosity, and honor.

أَشبَهُ السَيرِ بِالسَريرَةِ حَسَنا

وَالمَزايا عَلى النَوايا عَلامَه

His conduct mirrors his inner nature in goodness;

And virtues are a sign of intentions.

شادَ لِلشُكرِ وَالثَناءُ بُيوتاً

وَعَلى المَجدِ قَد أَقامَ الدَعامَه

He built houses for gratitude and praise,

And raised a pillar to uphold glory.

كانَ ثَديُ الرِضا إِلَيهِ رِضاعا

وَعَلى البِرِّ وَالكَمالِ فَطامَه

The breast of contentment nourished him,

And he was weaned on goodness and perfection.

وَإِذا ما عَن طَوقِهِ شَبَّ أَضحى

لا لِغَيرِ الفِخارِ يُبدي هَيامَه

And when he outgrew his collar, he came to

Show devotion to nothing but glory.

وَاِصطَفاهُ مُلوكُ مِصرَ شَباباً

كَأَصطَفا سَيِّدُ المَلا لِأُسامَه

And Egypt's kings chose him in his youth,

As the lord of the people chose Usamah.

فَاِرتَقاها مَناصِباً ذاتَ شَأنٍ

وَكَساها مِن جَدِّهِ بِفَخامَه

So he rose to offices of consequence,

And clothed them in grandeur through his diligence.

وَغَدا مُغرَماً بِكُلِّ عَلاءٍ

جاعِلُ الحَزمِ هَمُّهُ وَاِهتِمامَه

And became enamored of every lofty attainment,

Making resolve his concern and care.

لَو رَأى في السَماءِ مَجداً وَفَخراً

لَاِبتَغاها فَلازَمَت أَقدامَه

If he saw glory and honor in the sky,

He would seek it, and it would cling to his feet.

مَعَ أَنَّ الفِخارَ وَالمَجدَ لَفظُ

هُوَ مَعناهُما البَديهِ فَهامَه

Though pride and glory are but words,

He is their meaning, plain to understand.

وَإِذا كانَ في الوُجودِ كَرامُ

فَهُم مِنهُ قَطرَةً مِن غَمامَه

And if there are generous people in the world,

They come from him—a drop from his cloud.

فَهوَ كَالنَيرَينِ في الناسِ نَفعاً

كَم إِلَيهِ مِن نِعمَةٍ مُستَدامَه

For he is like the two luminaries in benefiting people;

How many enduring blessings are owed to him!

قَد تَجافى عَنِ المَظالِمِ بِالعَد

لِ وَلا زالَ رافِعاً أَعلامَه

He has shunned wrongs through justice,

And may he always keep its banners raised.

ما دَرى الناسُ حَقَّ قَدرَ لَدَيهِ

أَنا مَيّازٌ قَدرُهُ وَمَقامَه

People have not known his true worth;

I discern his worth and station.

هُوَ كَالظَفرِ في بَنانِ المَعالي

وَسِواهُ مَهما عَلا كَقَلامَه

He is like the nail on the fingers of eminence,

And anyone else, however high he rises, is like a nail clipping.

وَذَكاهُ عَنِ اِبنِ أَكثَمَ يَروي

وَعَلى أَحنَفَ فَقِس أَحلامَه

And his intelligence speaks on Ibn Aktham's authority;

And compare his forbearance with Ahnaf's.

أَيُّها الماجِدُ الأَبَرُّ المَرجى

جَملَ اللَهِ بِالصَفا أَيّامَه

O noble, most virtuous one in whom hope is placed,

May God beautify his days with serenity.

جاءَكَ العامُ وَالعُلا وَالأَماني

ضامِناتٍ لِما تُحِبُّ دَوامَه

The year has come to you, while eminence and hopes

Guarantee the continuance of what you love,

مُعلِناتٍ لَكَ الوَلا وَالتَهاني

بِثُغورٍ وَأَوجُهُ بَسامَه

Proclaiming loyalty and congratulations to you

With smiling mouths and faces.