أأعلن ما بي أم أسر فأكتم — Muslim Ibn Al Walid

أَأُعلِنُ ما بي أَم أُسِرُّ فَأَكتُمُ

وَكَيفَ وَفي وَجهي مِنَ الحُبِّ مَعلَمُ

Shall I declare what is within me, or keep it secret and conceal it?

And how, when my face bears a sign of love?

أَثيبوا بِوُدٍّ أَو أَثيبوا بِهَجرَةٍ

وَلا تَقتُلوني إِنَّ قَتلي مُحَرَّمُ

Requite me with affection, or requite me with estrangement,

And do not kill me; killing me is forbidden.

طَفَوتُ عَلى بَحرِ الهَوى فَدَعَوتُكُم

دُعاءَ غَريقٍ ما لَهُ مُتَعَوَّمُ

I floated upon the sea of passion and called to you,

With the cry of a drowning man who has nothing to keep him afloat,

لِتَستَنقِذوني أَو تُغيثوا بِرَحمَةٍ

فَلَم تَستَجيبوا لي وَلَم تَتَرَحَّموا

That you might rescue me, or offer merciful aid,

Yet you did not answer me, nor show mercy.

رَكِبتُ عَلى اِسمِ اللَهِ بَحرَ هَواكُمُ

فَيا رَبِّ سَلِّم أَنتَ أَنتَ المُسَلِّمُ

In God's name I embarked upon the sea of love for you,

So, my Lord, keep me safe! You, You are the giver of safety.

تَعَلَّقتُكُم مِن قَبلِ أَن أَعرِفَ الهَوى

فَلا تَقتُلونَني إِنَّني مُتَعَلِّمُ

I grew attached to you before I knew passion,

So do not kill me; I am a novice.

تُخَبِّرُني الأَحلامُ أَنّي أَراكُمُ

فَوَيلي كَم مِنَ الأَباطِلِ أَحلُمُ

Dreams tell me that I see you,

So woe to me—how many falsehoods I dream!

حَجَجتُ مَعَ العُشّاقِ في حَجَّةِ الهَوى

وَإِنّي لَفي أَثوابِ حُبِّكِ مُحرِمُ

With the lovers I made the pilgrimage of passion,

And I am a consecrated pilgrim, clad in the garments of love for you.

يَقولونَ لي أَخفِ الهَوى لا تَبُح بِهِ

وَكَيفَ وَطَرفي بِالهَوى يَتَكَلَّمُ

They say to me, 'Hide your passion; do not disclose it.'

And how, when my gaze speaks of passion?

أَأَظلِمُ قَلبي لَيسَ قَلبي بِظالِمٍ

وَلَكِنَّ مَن أَهوى يَجورُ وَيَظلِمُ

Shall I wrong my heart? My heart is no wrongdoer,

But the one I love oppresses and does wrong.

أَلا عَظَّمَت ما باحَ مِنّي مِنَ الهَوى

وَما في ضَميرِ القَلبِ أَدهى وَأَعظَمُ

Behold, she deemed great the passion that escaped me,

And what lies hidden in the heart is more dreadful and greater.

شَكَوتُ إِلَيها حُبَّها فَتَبَسَّمَت

وَلَم أَرَ شَمساً قَبلَها تَتَبَسَّمُ

I complained to her of my love for her, and she smiled,

And never before her had I seen a smiling sun.

فَقُلتُ لَها جودي فَأَبدَت تَجَهُّماً

لِتَقتُلَني يا حُسنَها إِذ تَجَهَّمُ

So I said to her, 'Be generous'; she showed a scowl,

To kill me—oh, her beauty when she scowls!

وَما أَنا في وَصلي لَها بِمُفَرِّطٍ

وَلَكِنَّني أَخشى الوُشاةَ فَأَصرِمُ

And I am not remiss in keeping ties with her,

But I fear the talebearers, so I break off.

يُعاوِنُها قَلبي عَلى جَهالَةٍ

وَأُوشِكُ يُبلي حُبُّها ثُمَّ يَندَمُ

My heart helps her in its ignorance,

And I am close to being worn out by love for her; then my heart will regret it.

وَكُنتُ زَماناً أَجحَدُ الناسَ ذِكرَها

فَكَذَّبَني دَمعٌ مِنَ الوَجدِ يَسجُمُ

And for a time I denied to others that I remembered her,

But tears streaming from longing gave me the lie.

فَأَصبَحتُ كَذّاباً لِكِتمانِيَ الهَوى

وَصارَ إِلى الإِعلانِ ما كُنتُ أَكتُمُ

So I became a liar for concealing my passion,

And what I had concealed became openly known.

تَوَسَّطتُ بَحرَ الحُبِّ حينَ رَكِبتُهُ

فَغَرَّقَني آذِيُّهُ المُتَلَطِّمُ

I reached the midst of love's sea when I sailed upon it,

Then its crashing surf drowned me.

فَوَاللَهِ ما أَدري وَإِنّي لَهائِمٌ

أَأَرجِعُ خَلفي فيهِ أَم أَتَقَدَّمُ

So, by God, I do not know, and I am lost in love,

Should I turn back within it, or press onward?

إِذا شِئتُما أَن تَسقِياني مُدامَةً

فَلا تَقتُلاها كُلُّ مَيتٍ مُحَرَّمُ

If you two wish to give me wine to drink,

Then do not kill it: every dead thing is forbidden.

خَلَطنا دَماً مِن كَومَةٍ بِدِمائِنا

فَأَظهَرَ في الأَلوانِ مِنّا الدَمَ الدَمُ

We mixed blood from a mound with our own blood,

Then blood brought blood to light in our complexions.

وَيَقظى يَبيتُ القَومُ فيها بِسَكرَةٍ

بِصَهباءَ صَرعاها مِنَ السُكرِ نُوَّمُ

And the company spend the night awake, drunk on it—

On tawny wine whose victims lie asleep from drunkenness.

فَأَغضَت وَلِلأَكواسِ في وَجهِ رَبِّها

لَهيبٌ كَلَونِ الوَردِ أَو هُوَ أَضرَمُ

Then she lowered her gaze, while the cups cast upon their master's face

A blaze the color of roses, or fiercer still.

فَمَن لامَني في اللَهوِ أَو لامَ في النَدى

أَبا حَسَنٍ زَيدَ النَدى فَهوَ أَلوَمُ

Whoever blames me for revelry, or for generosity blames

Abu Hasan, Zayd of bounty, is himself more blameworthy.

لَعَمري لَقَد بَذَّ الكِرامُ فَما لَهُ

نَظيرٌ إِذا عُدَّ الأَكارِمُ يُعلَمُ

By my life, he has surpassed the noble; he has

No known equal when the most generous are counted.

لَئِن أَحرَزَ العَلياءَ زَيدٌ فَقَبلَهُ

حَواها أَبو زَيدٍ أَخو الجودِ مُسلِمُ

If Zayd has attained the heights, then before him

Abu Zayd, Muslim, generosity's brother, possessed them.

وَما الناسُ إِلّا اِثنانِ فيهِ فَراغِبٌ

إِلَيهِ وَمَجهودُ الصَنيعَةِ مُرغَمُ

Toward him, people are of only two kinds: one who longs

For him, and one overwhelmed by his favors, humbled against his will.

أَطَلَّت عَلى أَعدائِهِ وَعُفاتِهِ

مَخايِلُ وَدقٍ صَوبُها الماءُ وَالدَمُ

Over his enemies and his petitioners have loomed

Portents of rain, whose downpour is water and blood.

فَتىً لا تَرى كَفّاهُ لِلمالِ حُرمَةً

إِذا لَم يَكُن في كُلِّ يَومٍ يُقَسَّمُ

A young man whose hands grant wealth no sanctity

If it is not shared out every day.

إِذا حَلَّ أَرضاً حَلَّها البائسُ وَالنَدى

فَأَيسَرَ ذو عِسرٍ وَعَزَّ مُهَضَّمُ

When he settles in a land, the poor and generosity settle there,

So the needy become prosperous, and the downtrodden gain honor.

وَلَم تَرَ قَوماً حارَبوهُ فَأَدرَكوا

نَجاةً وَلا قَوماً رَجَوهُ فَأَعدَموا

Never have you seen a people who fought him attain

Deliverance, nor a people who hoped in him become destitute.

وَما مَرَّ يَومٌ قَطُّ إِلّا جَرَت بِهِ

عَلى الناسِ مِن كَفَّيهِ بُؤسى وَأَنعُمُ

Not a day has ever passed without a flow

Of hardship and blessings from his hands upon people.

أَثارَ حُروبَ المالِ بِالبَذلِ وَالنَدى

فَنيرانُها في كُلِّ يَومٍ تَضَرَّمُ

He stirred up wars against wealth with giving and generosity,

So their fires blaze up every day.

جَبانٌ عَنِ الإِمساكِ غَيرُ تَخَلُّقِ

وَفي البَذلِ وَالإِعطاءِ لَيثٌ مُصَمِّمُ

A coward before withholding, and not through affectation,

But in giving and bestowing, a resolute lion.

تُسَرُّ بِوَفدِ السائِلينَ كُنوزُهُ

لِيَحوِيَها مِنهُم بَخيلٌ مُلَوَّمُ

His treasures rejoice at the delegation of petitioners,

That a much-reproached miser among them may possess them.

وَمُثرٍ مِنَ المَعروفِ وَالبَأسِ وَالنَدى

عَديمٌ مِن السَوءاتِ وَالبُخلِ مُصرِمُ

Rich in good deeds, valor, and generosity,

Devoid of shameful deeds and stinginess—destitute of both.

كَفى البُخَلاءَ السائِلينَ بِجودِهِ

وَقَصَّرَ عَنهُ الجائِدونَ فَأَحجَموا

By his generosity he spared the misers the petitioners,

And the generous fell short of him, then withdrew.

تَبَلَّجَ لِلإِشراقِ بيضاً وُجوهُها

إِذا ذَكَرَت زَيداً عُبَيدٌ وَأَرقَمُ

Their faces shine forth, white with radiance,

When Ubayd and Arqam mention Zayd.

بِهِ تُحرِزُ الغاياتُ بَكرٌ وَوائِلٌ

إِذا عُدَّ بَأسٌ أَو نَدىً أَو تَكَرُّمُ

Through him Bakr and Wa'il attain the highest honors

When valor, generosity, or noble conduct is reckoned.

حَنيفَةُ قَومٌ لا تَزالُ أَكُفُّهُم

تُشيمُ العَطايا وَالمَنايا فَتَسجُمُ

Hanifa are a people whose hands never cease

To watch for gifts and death, then rain them down.

أَقامَ النَدى مِن وائِلٍ حينَ حُصِّلَت

عَلى رَهطِ زَيدٍ فَهوَ فيهِم مُخَيِّمُ

Among Wa'il, when its clans were assessed, generosity settled

Upon Zayd's clan; there it remains encamped among them.

وَما ظَلَموا لَكِن نُفوسُ عُداتِهِم

وَأَموالُهُم في الناسِ مِنهُم تَظَلَّمُ

They did no wrong, yet their enemies' souls

And their wealth cry out against them among the people.

سَلِ الحَربَ عَن زَيدٍ إِذا هِيَ أُوقِدَت

وَدَبَّ لَها شِربٌ مِنَ المَوتِ مُفعَمُ

Ask war about Zayd when it is kindled,

And a brimming draught of death creeps toward it,

وَصافَحَ حَدَّ البيضِ بَيضُ كُماتِها

وَكانَ عَناءَ الخَيلِ فيها التَحَمحُمُ

And its champions' helmets shake hands with bright sword-edges,

And the horses' toil in it is whinnying.

وَذَمَّ كَمِيُّ وَاِستُفِزَّ مُبارِزٌ

وَأُرهِبَ مَرهوبٌ وَخاطَرَ مُقدِمُ

An armored warrior finds fault, and a duelist is unnerved,

The feared are terrified, and the bold risk their lives.

يُخَبِّركَ عَن زَيدٍ بِحُسنِ بَلائِهِ

ظُباتُ سُيوفٍ وَالوَشيجُ المُقَوَّمُ

You are told of Zayd and his gallant deeds by

Sword-edges and straightened spear-shafts.

وَقافِيَةٍ أَحيَيتُ في أَخَواتِها

وَفيها نُجومَ اللَيلِ وَالناسُ نُوَّمُ

And a rhymed poem—in its sister poems I kept alive

And in it, the stars of night, while people slept.

بَعَثتُ لَها قَلباً ذَكِيّاً وَفِطنَةً

وَقَولَ لِسانٍ صادِقٍ لَيسَ يُفحَمُ

I summoned for it a keen heart and insight,

And the speech of a truthful tongue that cannot be silenced.

فَلَمّا أَتَتني مُستَقيماً قَريضُها

مُثَقَّفَةُ البُنيانِ وَالأُسُّ مُحكَمُ

When it came to me, its verse sound and straight,

Refined in structure, with its foundation firm,

حَبَوتُ بِها زَيداً فَزَيَّنتُ ذِكرَهُ

كَما زَيَّنَ السِلكَ الجُمانُ المُنَظَّمُ

I bestowed it upon Zayd, and so adorned his renown,

Just as strung pearls adorn the thread.

إِذا القَرمُ زَيدٌ لَم يَقِفكَ عَلى النَدى

فَمُت فَالنَدى مِن غَيرِ زَيدٍ مُحَرَّمُ

If Zayd, the noble chief, does not acquaint you with bounty,

Then die: bounty from anyone but Zayd is forbidden.

أَبا حَسَنٍ أَصبَحتُ ما لي وَسيلَةٌ

إِلَيكَ وَلا حَبلٌ سِوى الوِدِّ مُبرَمُ

O Abu Hasan, I now have no means

To you, nor any firmly twisted cord save affection.

عَطاؤُكَ مَوفورٌ وَعُرفُكَ واسِعٌ

وَعِرضُكَ مَمنوعٌ وَمالُكَ مُسلَمُ

Your giving is abundant, and your kindness far-reaching,

Your honor is protected, and your wealth freely surrendered,

وَفِعلُكَ مَحمودٌ وَمَجدُكَ شامِخٌ

وَجودُكَ مَوجودٌ وَبَحرُكَ خِضرِمُ

Your conduct is praised, and your glory towering,

Your bounty is ever available, and your sea is vast.