لا تنكر الألحاظ في سطواتها — Mufti Fathallah

لا تنكِرِ الألحاظَ في سَطَواتِها

فلَكَمْ رأيت القتلَ من غَمزاتِها

Do not deny the glances' overpowering assaults;

For how often you have seen killing come from their winks!

وَاِحفَظْ فُؤادَك مِن سِهامِ جُفونها

وَاِحذَرْ كَمينَ الحَتفِ في رَمياتِها

And guard your heart from the arrows of her eyelids,

And beware death's ambush in her shots.

وَاِتركْ حِجاكَ إِذا عَقِلتَ لِسِحرِها

وَاِحفَظْ صَحيحَ العِشقِ عَن كَسراتِها

And yield your reason to her enchantment, if you have sense,

And shield love's wholeness from her shattering blows.

وَاِسمَعْ أَحاديثَ المَحبَّةِ واِرْوِها

مِن حَيثُ صَحَّت عن عُدولِ ثِقاتِها

And hear love's traditions and recount them,

Where they are authenticated by its upright, trustworthy transmitters.

وَاِكتُب غَرامَكَ في مَصاحِفِهِ الَّتي

تَختَارُ وَاِتلُ عَليَّ مِن آياتِها

And write your passion in its sacred volumes that

You choose, and recite to me some of their verses.

وَاِلزَمْ غَرامَ الغانِياتِ فَإِنّه

تُشفى بِهِ الأرواحُ عَن عاهاتِها

And cleave to passion for beauties, for

Through it souls are healed of their afflictions.

وَاِختَرْ لِنَفسكَ غادَةً تغوي بها

إِنَّ الهِدايَةَ في كِبارِ غُواتها

And choose for yourself a graceful maiden through whom you stray;

Indeed, guidance lies among the greatest of those she leads astray.

وَاِخلَعْ فُؤادَكَ وَالحَياءَ بِحبّها

وَاِترُكْ عَزيزَ الأَهلِ في مَرضاتِها

And cast off your heart and modesty for love of her,

And forsake your dearest kin to please her.

وَاِكتُمْ هَواها ما اِستَطعتَ وَوارِهِ

وَاِستُرْهُ عَن عُذّالِها ووُشاتِها

And conceal your love for her as much as you can, and hide it,

And veil it from her reproachers and tale-bearers,

حَتّى عَنِ الغَيداءِ لَو أَيقَنتَها

تُبدي هَواكَ وَلَو لَدى لَحَظاتِها

Even from the graceful beauty, if you are sure she

Reveals your love, even in her glances.

إِنَّ المَحبَّةَ بِالوُشاةِ فَسادُها

إِذْ أَنّهم لا شَكَّ مِن آفاتِها

Love finds its corruption in tale-bearers,

For they are undoubtedly among its blights.

وَالعاذِلونَ عَلى الغَرامِ مَضرَّةٌ

تفني المحبَّةَ مِن أُصولِ نَباتِها

And those who reproach passion are a scourge

That destroys love at the roots of its growth.

وَلَقد عَلِقتُ بِغادَةٍ ميّادةٍ

تُزري بِغُصنِ البانِ في مَيلاتها

And I have indeed fallen for a swaying maiden,

Whose sways put the bān tree's branch to shame.

ما حَلَّ أَفئِدةَ العَواشِقِ حُبُّها

في لَمحَةٍ إِلّا رَعى حبّاتِها

Love for her never entered lovers' hearts

For an instant without grazing on their innermost kernels.

مِنها اِستَعارَ الظبيُ كُحلَ عُيونِهِ

لَمّا حَكاها الظبيُ في لَفَتاتِها

From her the gazelle borrowed the kohl of its eyes,

When the gazelle imitated her turning glances.

ما نَفرَةُ الغزلانِ إِلّا ألفةٌ

لَو أَنّها قيسَت إِلى نَفراتها

The gazelles' shying is nothing but tameness,

If measured against her shying away.

ما البَدرُ إِلّا نَبذةٌ مِن نورِها

ما الشّمسُ إِلّا الضّوءُ مِن وَجناتِها

The full moon is only a fragment of her light;

The sun is only the radiance from her cheeks.

ما الصّبحُ إِلّا فرقُها وَجَبينُها

ما اللَّيلُ إِلّا البعضُ من وَفراتِها

Dawn is only her hair's parting and her brow;

Night is only a portion of her abundant locks.

ما الوردُ إِلّا حُمرةٌ مِن خَدِّها

ما المِسْكُ إِلّا البَعضُ مِن شاماتِها

The rose is only redness from her cheek;

Musk is only a portion of her beauty marks.

ما البرقُ إِلّا لَمعَةٌ مِن ثَغرِها

ذَهَبت بِعَقلِ الصّبِّ في خَطفاتِها

Lightning is only a gleam from her mouth,

That stole the lovesick one's reason in its sudden flashes.

ما الخَمرُ إِلّا ريقُها وَرُضابُها

كَم يَسكَرُ الوَلهانُ مِن نَكهاتِها

Wine is only her saliva and her lips' nectar;

How often the love-distraught grows drunk on her fragrant breath!

ما الحُسنُ إِلّا عَبدُها وَخَديمُها

ما الحُورُ إِلّا البعضُ مِن فَتياتِها

Beauty is only her slave and her servant;

The houris are only some of her maidens.

كُلُّ المَحاسِنِ وَالكمالِ مَعَ البَها

مَجموعَةٌ في ذاتِها وصِفاتِها

All beauties and perfection, together with splendor,

Are gathered in her person and her qualities.

أَتَزورُني بِعدَ التباعُدِ والجَفا

وعلى المتيَّم حُرِّمت زَوراتُها

Will she visit me after estrangement and coldness,

Though her visits are forbidden to the enthralled lover?

أتجودُ لي بالقُرب بعدَ بعادِها

وتزيلُ عني باللِّقا جَفواتها

Will she grant me nearness after her distance,

And dispel her coldness toward me through reunion?

هل نهلةٌ من ريقها ورُضابها

فَلَعلَّ روحي تَهتَدي لِحياتِها

Is there a draught of her saliva and her lips' nectar,

So perhaps my soul may find its way to life?

هَل نَسمَةٌ مِنها إِليّ تَمرُّ بي

حَتّى أَشُمَّ العِطرَ من نَفحاتها

Might a breeze from her come toward me and pass by me,

So that I may smell the perfume of her fragrant wafts?

يا مُهجَتي مُوتي أَسىً وَصَبابةً

إِنَّ الحَبيبَة أَحرمَتكَ صِلاتها

O my soul, die of sorrow and yearning;

The beloved has denied you her favors.

وَدَعي أَمانيَ وَصلِها وَوُعودِها

طَبعُ الأَماني خُلفُها بِعداتِها

And abandon hopes of union with her and of her promises;

It is the nature of hopes to break their promises.

وَتَجرَّعي غُصَصَ النَّوى وَمرارَهُ

مِن حيثُ أَنّ البُعدَ مِن مَرضاتِها

And swallow the choking pains of separation and its bitterness,

Since distance is among the things that please her.

وَاِستَبشِري بِالبُعدِ إِذْ لَم تخرجي

وَقتَ البُعادِ مِنَ الخطورِ بِذاتِها

And rejoice in distance, since you have not left

Her thoughts during the time of separation.

وَتَجَمَّلي بِرِدا التصبُّرِ كلَّما

تَشويكَ نارُ البُعدِ في جَمَراتِها

And adorn yourself with the mantle of patient endurance whenever

The fire of separation scorches you with its embers.

فَالصّبرُ شَأنُ ذَوي المَحبَّةِ وَالهَوى

والهَجرُ في الحَسناءِ من عاداتِها

For patience is the way of those devoted to love and passion,

And abandonment is among the beautiful woman's habits.

يا لائِمي كُفَّ المَلامَةَ وَاِتَّئدْ

أَفَلا عَلِمتَ بِهَجرِها وشَتاتِها

O my reproacher, cease your blame and be measured;

Have you not learned of her abandonment and estrangement?

وَقتُ المَلامةِ في اِبتِداءِ مَحبَّتي

وَسَقيتني في حينِها كاساتِها

The time for blame was at the beginning of my love,

And you gave me its cups to drink at that time.

بِئسَ المَلاحةُ حينَ بُعدِ ذَوي الهَوى

مَع أَنَّها قبحت لَدى أَوقاتِها

How wretched is beauty when lovers are far apart,

Though it is ugly even at its own times.

وَالبُعدُ مِن ثَمرِ المَلامةِ في الهوى

وَظَفرتُ فيما رُمتُ مِن ثَمَراتِها

And distance is among the fruits of blame in love,

And in what I sought, I gained some of its fruits.

يا سائِراً وَجِّهْ مَسيرَكَ نَحوَها

تَنَلِ المُنى فَالخَيرُ نَحوَ جِهاتِها

O traveler, turn your course toward her;

You will attain your wishes, for good lies in her direction.

وَاِحلِفْ عَلَيها أَن تَجودَ بِنَفحِها

إِنَّ الصَّبا تهديهِ مع نَسماتِها

And adjure her to give freely of her fragrance;

Indeed, the east wind brings it as a gift with its breezes.

وَاِذكُرْ مُعنّىً عِندَها فَلَعلَّها

تَمحو التّنائي في يدَيْ رحَماتِها

And mention a tormented lover in her presence; perhaps she

Will erase remoteness with the hands of her mercies.

وَاِشرَحْ غَريبَ مَحبّتي وَصَبابتي

وَاِنقُلْ لَها عَن غُربَتي حالاتِها

And explain the strangeness of my love and yearning,

And convey to her the conditions of my exile.

وَاِحمِلْ إِلَيها يا أَمينُ رِسالَتي

تَفديكَ روحُ مُتيَّمٍ بِحيَاتِها

And carry my message to her, O trusted one;

May the soul of an enthralled lover ransom you with its life.

كَم هاجَ وَجدي وَالغرامَ حَمائمٌ

قَد غَرَّدت صُبحاً عَلى أَيْكاتِها

How often doves have stirred my longing and passion,

Singing in the morning atop their thickets.

قَد أَطرَبَتني وَاِبتَهَجتُ مَسرَّةً

إِذْ حَلَّ قَلبي الأنسُ مِن أَصواتِها

They delighted me, and I rejoiced in gladness,

As comfort from their voices settled in my heart.

وَسَمِعتُها أَثنَت عَلى الذاتِ الّتي

قَسَمي غَدا بِحَياتِها وَصِفاتِها

And I heard them praise that person whose

Life and attributes became the objects of my oath:

ذاتُ الكريمِ اِبنِ الكريمِ المعتلي

مِن ذَروةِ العُليا عَلى هاماتِها

The generous man, son of the generous, who rises

From the summit of eminence above its crowns.

ذو راحَةٍ ما البحرُ إِلّا قَطرَةٌ

مِن جُودِها أَو مِن بِلالِ هِباتها

Possessed of a palm beside which the sea is only a drop

Of its generosity, or of the moisture of its gifts.

ذو فِطنَةٍ كلّ المَعارِفِ صيدها

لا شَيءَ مِنها فَرَّ مِن شَبَكاتِها

Possessed of discernment whose quarry is all knowledge;

Nothing of it has escaped its nets.

ذو هِمّةٍ تبدو الثريَّا نَعلها

لَكنَّها كالبرقِ في عَزَماتِها

With resolve for which the Pleiades seem a sandal,

Yet it is like lightning in its determinations.

ما آصفٌ إِلّا لَدَيها قاصِرٌ

لَو لَم يَكُن مِن بَعضِ بِعض رُواتِها

Asaf is merely deficient beside it,

Even were he not among the least of its narrators.

ذو شيمَةٍ حَمَلَت حِسانَ مَحامِدٍ

حَيثُ المَكارِمُ مِن أُصولِ نباتِها

Possessed of a disposition bearing fine, praiseworthy qualities,

Where noble virtues spring from the roots of its growth.

حَسَنُ المُحيَّا وَالصّفاتِ بِلا اِمْتِرا

وَفعالهُ أَبدَت لَنا حَسَناتِها

Fair of countenance and qualities, beyond doubt,

And his deeds have shown us their virtues.

حَسَنُ الطِّباعِ كَريمُها وَسَليمُها

تَأبى التَغيّرَ مِن جَميعِ جِهاتِها

Good in temperament, noble and sound in it,

It resists change in every respect.

غَيرُ السّهولَةِ لا يحلّ طِباعَهُ

أَيحلُّها ما لَيسَ مِن عاداتِها

Nothing but gentleness inhabits his temperament;

Could what is not among its habits inhabit it?

تَأبى المَعايبُ أَن تَمرّ بدارهِ

مِنْ حيثُ أضحى من أجلِّ أُباتها

Faults refuse to pass by his house,

For he has become one of the noblest of those who reject them.

يَحمي بِبيضِ الحقِّ بيضَ مَكارِمٍ

وَهوَ الغَيورُ وَمِن أَجلِّ حُماتها

He guards unsullied virtues with the bright swords of truth,

And he is zealous, among their noblest protectors.

ما في الأَكارِمِ سَيّدٌ بِفضيلةٍ

إِلّا وَكانَ الصّدرُ في ساداتِها

There is no lord of a virtue among the noble

Without the chief being counted among its masters.

أَفديهِ شَمسَ هِدايَةٍ وَوِلايَةٍ

فَقَدِ اِستَنارَ بِهِ بُدورُ هُداتها

I would ransom him, a sun of guidance and authority;

For through him the full moons of its guides have shone.

وَلَقَد خَدَمتُ جَنابَهُ بِقَصيدَةٍ

تُزري بعَقدِ الدُّرِّ في كَلِماتِها

And I have served his august presence with a poem

Whose words put a necklace of pearls to shame.

غَرّاءُ بِكرٌ غادةٌ حَسناءُ قَد

كُتبت سطورُ المدحِ في وَجَناتها

Radiant, a virgin, a graceful beauty; indeed,

Lines of praise have been written on her cheeks.

وَزَفَفْتُها تُهدى إِلَيهِ وإنّها

مِن أَحسَنِ الأَبكارِ في زيناتِها

And I led her in bridal procession, offered to him; indeed she

Is among the loveliest virgins in her adornments.

وَصَداقُها منهُ القَبولُ وَغَيرُهُ

لا تَرتَضيهِ يَكونُ مِن صَدقاتها

And her bridal dower from him is acceptance; anything else

She will not consent to count among her bridal gifts.

واللَّهُ يُبقيهِ مَدى الأيّامِ ما

شَدَتِ الحَمائمُ في ذُرى دَوْحاتها

May God preserve him throughout the days, as long as

Doves sing in the crowns of their spreading trees.