أما والهوى لولا الألى نزلوا السفحا — Omar Onsi

أَما وَالهَوى لَولا الأُلى نَزَلوا السفحا

لَما أَلفت أَجفانك السهدَ وَالسَفحا

Indeed, by love, were it not for those who settled on the mountainside,

Your eyelids would not have grown used to sleeplessness and streaming tears.

وَلَولا الثَنايا بِالعذيب لَما شَجى

فؤادك برقُ الأبرقين لَها لمحا

And but for the front teeth at al-'Udhayb, no grief would have come

To your heart from al-Abraqayn's lightning, flashing for them.

سَقى اللَه عَهدي وَالمَعاهد مِن مِنىً

فَكَم مِن مُنىً مِنها بَلغت بِهِ المَنحا

May God water my bygone days and the familiar haunts of Mina;

For how many wishes from there I gained as gifts in those days!

وَحيّا الحيا مَغنى الأَغاني وَحَبّذا

غوانٍ لَها قَد برَّحت بي يَد البرحا

And may rain greet the dwelling of songs—how lovely

The beauties for whom torment's hand has sorely afflicted me!

وَبي ظبيات مِن زرودٍ شَغفنني

عَسى عطفة مِنكنّ يا ساكِني البَطحا

I suffer for gazelles from Zarud who have pierced my heart;

May some tenderness come from you, O dwellers of al-Batha!

فيا طاويَ الوَعساء مَهلاً فَكَم عَلى

هوى ظبيات القاع مضنىً طَوى الكَشحا

O crosser of the soft sands, gently! How many, for

Love of the plain's gazelles, have wasted away and drawn in their flanks!

وَكَم مِن لُباناتٍ لِباناتِ حاجرٍ

بِنا عَبثت والبين عنّا بها نحّا

And how many yearnings for Hajir's ban-trees

Have toyed with us, while separation carried them away from us!

مرامي النوى أقصت مرامي وإنّ لي

برامة آراماً لحا اللّه من يلحا

The shafts of separation have driven my aims far away; yet I have

At Rama, gazelles—may God curse whoever reproaches me!

حميت حماماتِ الحِمى سَجعاً اِصدحي

وَهى القَلب صَدعاً فَهوَ قَد أَلف الصدحا

May you be protected, doves of the sanctuary—sing out in coos!

The heart has weakened from being rent, for it has grown used to song.

وَيا عَذبات الرند قَد عذب الهَوى

فَما أَعذب التَعذيب عِندي إِذا صَحّا

And O laurel boughs, love has become sweet;

So how sweet is torment to me when love is true!

وَيا نَسمات القُرب مِن أَيمن اللوى

أَلا فاِحملي عَنّي لمتنِ الهَوى شَرحا

And O breezes of nearness, from the right side of al-Liwa,

Hear me: carry, on my behalf, a commentary on love's text!

أَجل لي رهان السبق في مَلعب الظُبى

إِذا ما عدَت بي عاديات الهَوى ضبحا

Yes, mine is the prize of victory in the arena of blades,

Whenever love's coursers gallop with me, panting.

وَما الحُبّ إِلّا في حَشاشة مُغرمٍ

تَوارَت لَدَيهِ موريات الجَوى قَدحا

Love is only in the last vestige of a besotted lover's life,

In whom longing's fire-kindlers lie hidden, striking sparks.

صبا لِلتَصابي مُدنفا بَيدَ أَنَّهُ

عَليل بِمعتلّ الصِبا جسمه صَحّا

He yearned for youthful dalliance, sick with love; yet he was

Ailing with youth's affliction, though his body was sound.

إِذا شامَ بَرق القُرب سامَ دُموعه

بِهَطلٍ إِذا شَحّ الحَيا وَبلها سحّا

Whenever he sights the lightning of nearness, he bids his tears

Fall in showers; when rain is stingy, he pours them in torrents.

أَعاذِلتي في حُبِّ مَن لَو تَمثّلت

لِأَعين حورِ العين هامَت بِها شَطحا

O you who reproach me for loving one who, were she to appear

Before the eyes of the wide-eyed houris, they would fall into ecstatic love for her:

هَبي أنّ ذا نصح فَأيُّ مُتيّمٍ

مِن الناس قَبلي في الهَوى قَبلَ النُصحا

Grant that this is advice—what love-enslaved lover

Among people before me ever accepted advice in love?

عَسى بانة الجَرعاء تَعطف منّةً

عَليّ فَكَم قَد أَثخنت مهجاً جرحا

May the ban-tree of al-Jar'a bend, as a gracious favor,

Toward me; how many hearts she has gravely wounded!

بِعَيشك يا حادي المطيّ إِلى الحمى

خُذ الجدَّ جَدّاً واِترك الهَزل وَالمَزحا

By your life, O driver of camel mounts toward the sanctuary,

Take earnestness earnestly; leave frivolity and jest.

وَحيّ عَلى نَيل اللقا بَعد ذا الشَقا

وَمَن لامَ فاِضرب عَن مَلامته صفحا

And hasten to attain reunion after this misery;

Whoever reproaches, turn away from his reproach.

وَإلّا فَدع أَمر الهَوى وَاِطلُب العُلى

بِباب هدىً مَن أَمَّهُ بلغَ الرِبحا

Otherwise, leave love's affairs and seek high honor

At a door of guidance, where whoever goes finds profit.

وَحيّ حمى آل الرَسول وَلُذ بهم

فَإِنّك لا تَظمى هُناك وَلا تضحى

Greet the sanctuary of the Messenger's family, and seek refuge with them;

For there you will neither thirst nor suffer the sun's heat.

فَثمّ تَرى مَولىً عَلى باب فَضله

تُناخ مَطايا الوَفد بِالساحَة الندحا

There you will see a patron, at whose door of bounty

The delegation's camel mounts are made to kneel in the spacious courtyard.

هُوَ الشَهم عَبد اللَه وَالجَهبذ الَّذي

لرفع عِماد الدين قَد بَذل النُصحا

He is the noble 'Abd Allah, the discerning master who

Has offered sincere counsel to raise religion's pillar.

وَقام بِأَعباء الشَريعة رافِعاً

مَنار دَليل الحَقّ فَهوَ بِهِ صَحّا

And has shouldered the burdens of sacred law, raising

The beacon of truth's proof, which through him is made sound.

إِمام الوَرى مُفتي الأَنام وَمَن عَلى

فَضائله قامَت لَنا الحججُ الرجحا

Leader of humankind, mufti of all people, and one whose

Virtues are supported for us by weighty proofs.

سَقى حَلب الشَهباء صَوب مِن الحَيا

وَحَيّا أُناساً خَيّموا حَيّها البدحا

May a downpour of rain water Aleppo, the Gray,

And greet the people who camped in its spacious quarter:

مَطالع أَقمار مَنازل سادَةٍ

إِذا أَسفَرَت جنح الدُجا أَطلعت صُبحا

Rising-places of moons, abodes of noble lords,

When they brighten the wings of night, they bring forth dawn.

همُ آل عَبد الباقي وَالسادة الأُلى

هُمُ نقبا الأَشراف مَن بَلَغوا الصُحّا

They are the family of 'Abd al-Baqi and the lords who

Are chiefs of the nobles, men who have reached the heights.

وَمَن مِنهمُ ذا الفاضل القُدوة الَّذي

لَهُم شادَ مِن أَطواد عزّتهم رُكحا

And among them is this excellent exemplar, who

Raised for them a buttress from the mountains of their glory.

همام بَنو العَلياء تَحتَ لِوائهِ

إِذا مسّ قرح لَم تَكُن ترهب القَرحا

A resolute man; beneath his banner, the sons of high honor,

When touched by a wound, have no fear of wounds.

يَروع جُيوشَ الحادِثات يراعُهُ

مَتى هَزّ فَوق الطرسِ مِن قَدّه رُمحا

His reed pen terrifies the armies of calamities,

Whenever he brandishes above the page a spear fashioned from its shaft.

وَمَن يَتَولّى اللَه في الخَلق أَمره

بِعَين عِنايات الرضى بَلغ النجحا

And whoever has God oversee his affairs among creation,

With the watchful eye of favor's care, attains success.

هُوَ البرُّ وَالبَحر الَّذي عَمَّ نَفعهُ

فَيا طالَما تَندى مَكارمه السَنحا

He is the benevolent one and the sea whose bounty embraces all;

Oh, how often his freely offered kindnesses shed dew!

هُوَ العالم النحرير وَالعلم الَّذي

بِهِ يَهتَدي السارون في المهم السرحا

He is the masterful scholar and the landmark

By which night travelers find their way across the open wastes.

هُوَ البَدر في صَدر المَجالس إن يَضق

بِنا الصَدر يَوماً نال مِن حلمه شَرحا

He is the full moon at the head of gatherings; if there is constriction

In our breast one day, it finds relief through his forbearance.

جلت ظلمات الغيّ أَنوارُ رُشدهِ

عَنِ الناس حتّى لا جُناح وَلا جنحا

The lights of his guidance have dispelled error's darkness

From people, till neither blame nor gloom remains.

جَنى مِن جَنى الأفضال وَالفَضل يانِعاً

فَطابَ شَذا رَيّاً مَحامده نَفحا

He gathered ripe fruit from the harvest of favors and excellence,

And his praiseworthy qualities wafted a rich, sweet fragrance.

وَقَد سَعدت بَيروت إِذ شرفت بِهِ

فَأضحت بِهِ مِن بَعد أَتراحها فَرحى

And Beirut was blessed when it was honored by him;

Through him it grew joyful after its sorrows.

سَقاها كُؤوس الأنس وَاليمن وَالهَنا

فَلم نَدرِ أَيّ الناهلين بِنا أَصحى

He gave it cups of fellowship, good fortune, and bliss,

So we could not tell which of us drinkers was more sober.

وَمَن هَطلت في أَرضه سُحُبُ الرضى

فَما ضَرّه الحُسّاد لَو أَصبَحَت أَشحا

And whoever has clouds of favor rain upon his land,

The envious do him no harm, even if they become more grudging.

فَيا أَيهذا السَيّد الملجأ الَّذي

حَوى كَرَم الأَخلاق فَاِستوجَب المَدحا

So, O lord, the refuge who

Embraces nobility of character and thus deserves praise,

وَمَن عَن سُليمان رَوى الملك وَالعُلى

وَعَن جَدّه طَه رَوى النَصر وَالفَتحا

And who transmits kingship and high rank from Sulayman,

And from his forefather Taha transmits victory and conquest:

لَقد وَقَفَت بلقيس نَظمي بِبابكم

فَهَبها قبولاً مِنكَ أَن تَدخل الصرحا

The Bilqis of my verse has stood at your gate;

Grant her your acceptance, that she may enter the palace.

هِيَ البكر وافت تَنجلي حَيث تَنثَني

بِمَدحك تيهاً تَخجل الغادة البدحا

She is a virgin, come to unveil herself wherever she sways,

Proudly praising you, putting the full-figured beauty to shame.

وَلا بدع أن يهدى إِلى البَحر جَوهَر

فَإِنّ لَنا في لجّ تمداحه سَبحا

Nor is it strange that a jewel should be offered to the sea,

For we swim in the depths of praising him.

فَهبني فَدَتك النَفس عَفوك إن أَكُن

أَتيت بِما يَستَوجب الرَمي وَالطَرحا

Grant me—may my soul ransom you—your pardon, if I have

Offered something deserving to be cast away and discarded.

عَلى أَنّ تَقصيري بِعلياك بَيّنٌ

وَعَين الرِضا تَستَلزم العَفو وَالصفحا

Though my failure to do justice to your greatness is plain,

The eye of favor calls for pardon and forgiveness.

فَدُم بَدر سَعد في سَما المَجد مُشرقا

سَناه إِذا أَمسى عَلى الناس أَو أَضحى

Remain a full moon of fortune in glory's sky, shining

With its radiance over people, whether evening or morning comes.

فَلا زِلت وِرداً لِلأَنام وَمَنهلا

وَلا برحت تَلقى بِساحتكم فسحا

May you ever remain a watering-place and a spring for humankind,

And may you never cease to find ample room in your courtyard.