لو واصلتني يوما لم أمت أبداً — Ibn Sanaa Almalk

لو وَاصَلَتْنِيَ يَوْماً لم أَمُتْ أَبَداً

أَوْ لَمْ تَصِلْنِي فَيا مَوْتِي بها كمَدا

If she granted me union for a day, I would never die;

Or, if she did not join me—oh, my death of grief for her!

لِمَنْ أُوصِي بميراثِ الغَرامِ لَها

هَيْهات هَيْهاتَ لاَ أَرْضَى لَها أَحَداً

To whom shall I bequeath the inheritance of my passion for her?

Never, never! I would accept no one for her.

ومِنْ غَرامِي دموعٌ ما لها عَدَدٌ

وكَيْفَ أَسْخُو بِما لَمْ أُحْصِه عَدَدا

And among my passion's treasures are tears beyond counting;

How can I give freely what I have not numbered?

وإِنْ تَشَكَّكتَ أَنِّي قد قُتِلتُ بها

فاسْتَقْسمِ الدَّلَّ أَو فَاسْتَشْهِد الغَيَدا

And if you doubt that I have been slain by her,

Then put her coquetry under oath, or call her supple grace to witness.

فثغرُها ومُحيَّاها وقامَتُها

كانوا عليَّ كَما شاءَ الْهَوى لُبَدَا

For her mouth, her face, and her stature

Were massed against me, as passion willed.

وقد سُحِرْتُ بِتلكَ الْعَيْنِ لاَ قَذِيتْ

كما احْتَرقْتُ بِذَاك الخَدِّ لا خَمَدا

I was bewitched by that eye—may no mote trouble it—

Just as I was burned by that cheek—may its flame never die.

وليس يَنْفعُ فَاهَا جحدُه لِدَمِي

وخَدُّها عِنْد قَاضِي الحسنِ قَدْ شَهدا

Her mouth gains nothing by denying my bloodshed,

And her cheek has testified before the judge of beauty.

رأَِيت كُلَّ عجيبٍ من مَلاحَتها

حتَّى رأَيتُ بِفيها الخَمْرَ والبَرَدَا

I saw every marvel in her loveliness,

Until I saw wine and hail in her mouth.

من علَّمَ الظَّبيَ لولا طرفُها حوراً

وعلَّم الغُصْن لولا قَدُّها مَيدَا

Who taught the gazelle its dark-eyed beauty, if not her gaze,

And taught the branch to sway, if not her figure?

لم تبْدُ للبدرِ إِلا واسْتَحَى خَجَلاً

والنرجِسِ الغَضِّ إِلاَّ وَاشْتَكَى رَمَدا

She never appeared before the full moon without its blushing in shame,

Nor before the fresh narcissus without its complaining of sore eyes.

وعينُها وهي لا تَدْري وإِن رقدت

أَعَزُّ عِنْديَ مِنْ طَرْفِي وَإِن سَهَدَا

Her eye, though unaware of this, even when asleep,

Is dearer to me than my own eye, even when mine stays awake.

قولُوا لِجنِّةِ عَدْنٍ وهْيَ قَاتِلتي

مَا لِي رأَيْتُ نَعِيمي فِيكِ قَدْ نَفَدَا

Tell the Garden of Eden—she who slays me—

“Why have I found my bliss in you exhausted?”

قَالَت فإِنِّي بِحُسنِي نعمةٌ حَسُنَتْ

وإِنْ أَرَدْتَ وصَالاً لي فكن جِسَداً

She said, “In my beauty I am a lovely blessing;

And if you desire union with me, be a body.

وأَنتَ يَوْمَ نَدىً بالدَّمع تَهْطِله

وقلَّما اجْتَمَعَتْ شَمْسٌ ويَوْمُ نَدَى

Yet you are a day of rain, pouring it down in tears,

And seldom do the sun and a rainy day meet.”

ما أَطرقَ الطرفُ منِّي يومَ رُؤيتها

كِبْراً ولكن لذاك الحُسْنِ قَد سَجَدَا

My gaze did not lower itself on the day I saw her

Out of pride; rather, it prostrated itself before that beauty.

كذاك قَلْبي لَمْ يَخْفِق بها مَرَحا

وإِنَّما خاف يَومَ الْبَيْن فَارْتَعدا

Likewise, my heart did not beat for her out of joy;

It only feared the day of parting, and so it trembled.

بالحُبِّ يَرجعُ عبدُ المرءِ سيَّدَه

ويَجْتري الظَّبْيُ حتَّى يفرسَ الأَسَدَا

Through love, a man's slave becomes his master,

And the gazelle grows bold enough to slay the lion.

قالت سلَوْتُ وما أَدْري أَأَعْلَمَها

بِذَاكَ دَمْعِيَ أَوْ أَنْفَاسِيَ الصُّعدا

She said I had forgotten her; I know not whether she was told

Of this by my tears or by my long-drawn sighs.

جارَتْ عَلَيَّ وسَلْ خَدِّي فكَم تَركَتْ

به طرائقَ مِنْ وبل البكا بددا

She wronged me—ask my cheek how often she left

Upon it scattered tracks from weeping's downpour.

ولا أرى ذا هلاً من لثم مبسمها

إلا بلثمي من عبد الرّحيم يَدَا

Nor can I be distracted from kissing her smiling mouth

Except by kissing the hand of Abd al-Rahim.

يدٌ لَو أنَّ فَمَ الصَّادِي يُقَبِّلُها

ما كان يَظْمَأُ يوْماً بَعْدَهَا أَبَداً

A hand that, if a thirsty mouth kissed it,

Would never let that mouth thirst again.

يَدٌ تَسِحُّ فَقالَ الْغَيْثُ وا أَسفا

والْبَحرُ وا كمَدَا واللَّيْلُ وا حَسدَا

A hand that pours abundantly, so the rain cried, “Oh, sorrow!”

And the sea, “Oh, grief!” and the night, “Oh, envy!”

يَدٌ لها كاسمها في الخلقِ قاطبةً

تعمُّ من غَابَ مِنْهم عَنْه أَوْ شَهِدا

A hand whose favor, true to its name, is for all creation,

Encompassing those absent from him and those present.

يَدٌ يَدُ اللهِ صَاغَتْها لِيَبْسطِ ندىً

أَوْ كَفِّ عَدْوي عِداً أَوْ رَدِّ كَفِّ رَدَى

A hand fashioned by God's hand, so he may spread generosity,

Or restrain the aggression of enemies, or repel the hand of death.

يُعطِي البحارَ ولكِن لا تَرى كَدَرا

وينفُثُ السِّحرَ لكن لاَ تَرى عُقَدا

He gives seas, yet you see no murkiness,

And breathes forth magic, yet you see no knots.

خيرُ الأَنَامِ ومَولاَهُم وفاضِلُهم

عبدُ الرحيم ولا تَستَثْني لي أَحَداً

The best of mankind, their master, and their most excellent

Is Abd al-Rahim—make no exception for anyone.

مِنْ أَصْلَحَ الحالَ منهم بعدمَا فَسَدتْ

وقلَّما صَلُح الشِّيءُ الَّذِي فَسَدا

He who set their affairs right after they had become corrupt,

And rarely does what has become corrupt become sound again.

ونَبهَ السَّعدَ فيهم بَعْد رَقْدَتِه

ومَنْ يُنَبِّه جَفْن السَّعدِ إِنْ رَقَدا

And roused good fortune among them after its sleep—

Who can rouse fortune's eyelid when it sleeps?

وردَّ عنهم شياطِيناً وقد مَردَت

وَلاَ مَرَدَّ لشيطانٍ إِذَا مَرَدا

And drove devils away from them after they had rebelled,

Though there is no repelling a devil once it rebels.

هُمْ يَجْهدون لِيوفُوا حَقَّ نِعْمَتِهِ

وما يُوفَّى له حَقُّ ولو عُبِدَا

They strive to fulfill what is due for his favor,

Yet his due cannot be fulfilled, even if he were worshipped.

يُحِبُّه كَالْمُوالِي فيه حاسِدُه

حتى يَوَدَّ حَسودٌ أَنْ يَكُونَ فِدَى

His envier loves him as his loyal follower does,

Until an envious man wishes to become his ransom.

كالْبَحْر حِين طَمَى والغيثِ حين هَمَى

والنَّجمِ حِين سَمَا والبَدْرِ حين بَدا

Like the sea when it surges, and the rain when it pours,

And the star when it rises, and the full moon when it appears.

في الدَّسْتِ يَقْعدُ والأَقدارُ قَائِنةٌ

مِنْ شَاءَ يَقعد فليقعدْ كما قَعدَا

He sits in the seat of honor, with the fates in attendance;

Let whoever wishes to sit sit as he has sat.

تَأْتِي الملوكُ إِلى أَبْوابِه زُمَراً

ويَدخُلون عَلى أَبْوابِه سُجُدَا

Kings come to his doors in groups,

And enter at his doors prostrating themselves.

قد آنسوا نَارَ مُوسى مِن بَديهته

فَما يَجيئُون إِلاَّ يَقْبِسون هُدى

They have glimpsed Moses' fire in his ready wit,

And come only to draw from it the light of guidance.

وحبَّروا فيه من مُدَّاحِه مِدَحا

لكن يُريدون مِنْ آرائِه الصَّفَدا

Among his panegyrists, they composed ornate praises of him,

But the gift they seek is from his counsels.

ما جَاءَهُ بَشَر مِنْهم ليُرْشِدَه

إِلاَّ وَهَيَّاله مِنْ أَمْرِه رَشَدا

No man among them came to him seeking guidance

Without his providing sound direction for that man's affairs.

ومَا استَقَامَت لِمَلْكٍ قطُّ مملكةٌ

إِلاَّ إِذا قَصَدَ النَّهجَ الَّذِي قَصَدَا

No kingdom ever came right for a king

Unless he followed the path that he had followed.

ولاَ ارْتَوَتْ مِنْ زُلالِ العِزِّ عِزَّتُه

إِلاَّ إِذَا وَرَد الرَّأْي الَّذِي وَرَدَا

Nor did his honor drink its fill of glory's pure water

Unless he drew on the counsel that he had drawn upon.

مظفَّرُ الرأي مدلول بفطنته

على الإصابة يقظان وإن هجد

Victorious in judgment, guided by his discernment

Toward the right decision, wakeful even when asleep.

أغنى الملوكَ بِكُتْبٍ عَن كَتَائِبهم

فما بَرى قَلَماً إِلاَّ غَزا بَلَدَا

With letters he spared kings the need for their battalions;

He never sharpened a pen without conquering a land.

بِخَطِّه عادَ رُمْحُ الحَظِّ مُضْطَرباً

كَما تَراه وسَيْفُ الهنْد مُرْتَعِدا

At his handwriting, fortune's spear became unsteady,

As you see it, and the Indian sword trembling too.

انْظرُ إِلى الكُتْبِ تَلْقَ اللَّفظَ مُطَّرِزاً

ثُمَّ انْظُر الجيْشَ تَلْقَ الجيْشَ مُضْطَرِدَا

Look at the letters: you will find the wording embroidered;

Then look at the army: you will find the army advancing in order.

تَحِلُّ مَا تعقِدُ الآراءُ فِطنتُه

ولا يُطيقون حَلاًّ لِلَّذِي عَقَدا

His discernment unties what opinions knot,

And they cannot untie what he has knotted.

أَبدى له الحظُّ ما يَخْفى لِدِقَّتِه

وقرَّبَ السَّعدُ منْه كُلَّ مَا بَعُدَا

Fortune revealed to him what its subtlety conceals,

And good fortune brought near him everything distant.

وبَعْدَ هذا فإِنِّي كلمَّا بَعُدا

أَضْرمتُ نَاراً على الأَحْشَاءِ مُتَّقِدَا

And after all this, whenever he grows distant,

I kindle a fire upon my entrails, myself ablaze.

لم يُبْقِ لي بُعده قلباً ولا كَبِدا

ولا جُفوناً ولا صَبْراً ولا جَلَدَا

His distance has left me neither heart nor liver,

Nor eyelids, nor patience, nor fortitude.

وعند قومٍ عَلى حرب النَّوى عُدَدٌ

وليْس يُحسِن قلبي يَنْقُل العُدَدَا

Some people have weapons for waging war on separation,

But my heart does not know how to carry the weapons.

يا ظاعِنين لقَدْ قَصَّرتُمُ أَمَلاً

يا غائِبينَ لقد طوَّلْتُمُ الأَمَدَا

O departing ones, you have cut short a hope;

O absent ones, you have prolonged the waiting.

أَمَا تَشَوَّقْتُمُ مصرَ الَّتيِ شَقِيَتْ

ولا مَلَلْتُم مِن الشَّامِ الَّذي سَعِدا

Have you not longed for Egypt, which has suffered,

And have you not tired of al-Sham, which has been happy?

يا مالِكَ النَّفْس لِمْ صَيَّرْتَها هَمَلاً

وآخِذَ الْقَلْبِ لمْ لا تَأخُذِ الجَسَدَا

O master of my soul, why have you left it neglected?

And taker of my heart, why do you not take my body?

تركْتَنِي حائِراً في الدَّارِ مُغْتَرِباً

في الأَهْلِ مُستَوحِشاً في الخَلْقِ مُنْفَرِداً

You left me bewildered, a stranger in my own home,

Lonely among my family, alone among all people.

كم اجتهدتُ بِجهدي في اللَّحاق به

وقَدْ أَصَابَ ولَو أَخْطَا مَن اجْتَهدا

How often I strove with all my strength to catch up with him!

And whoever strives has done right, even if he errs.

لقد وعدتَ نُجومَ السَّعدِ طالِعةً

فِينَا ومِثْلُكَ مَنْ أَوْفَى بِما وَعَدا

You have indeed promised that the stars of good fortune would rise

Among us; one such as you fulfills what he promises.