دعنى من ذكر حداة الأينق — Shair Al Hamra

دَعنِىَ مِن ذِكرِ حُدَاةِ الأَينُقِ

ونَدبِ رَسمٍ لِلبِلَى مُعتَنِق

Spare me talk of the drivers chanting to she-camels,

and mourning a trace that embraces decay.

وَارنُ لها جوَّابةً أُفقَ الفضَا

مَدَّت جَنَاحى طائِرٍ مُحَلِّق

And gaze at it, ranging across the horizon of space;

it has spread the two wings of a soaring bird.

تسيرُ ليلاً وضُحًى وسَيرُهَا

رأدَ الضُّحَى كسَيرِها في الغَسَق

It travels by night and by morning, and its course

in early morning is like its course at dusk.

وهىَ إذا ما أسرَعَت في لَيلهَا

مِثلَ شِهابٍ للدُّجَى مُختَرِقِ

And when it speeds through its night,

it is like a meteor piercing the darkness.

وتارةً تبدُو كنجمٍ لاَمعٍ

بينَ الثُّريَّا والثَّرَى مُعَلَّقِ

And at times it appears as a shining star,

suspended between the Pleiades and the earth.

أُفقُ الفضاءِ مَدَّنُوناً حولَها

وهىَ كَنقطةٍ لنُون الأفقِ

Space's horizon has stretched a letter nūn around it,

and it is the dot of the horizon's nūn.

افترشَت متنَ الهَوا والتحَفَت

من السماءِ برداءٍ أزرق

It has bedded down upon the air's back and wrapped itself

in a blue cloak from the sky.

فَتارةً مِن مشرقٍ لمَغرب

وتارةً مِن مَغربٍ لمَشرِق

So, at times, from east to west,

and at times, from west to east.

وليقف لحظُكَ بالأرضِ أُختهَا

تنسَابُ في مُنعَرَجاتِ الطُّرقِ

And let your gaze rest on its sister upon the ground,

gliding through the bends of the roads.

تُسابِقُ الرِّيحَ فَيبقَى خلفها

وسَابقَت ظِلاَّلهَا لَم يُسبَق

It races the wind, which stays behind it,

and has raced its shadows, never outstripped.

كأُفعُوانٍ خلفَ صَيدِه جرَى

رامَ التِحَاقَه ولم يَلتَحِقِ

Like a serpent that ran after its prey,

seeking to catch it, but failing to catch up.

وقد حَنَت ضلُوعُها علَى حَبي

بٍ لفِراقِ شخصِه لم أطِقِ

And its ribs have curved around a beloved

whose person I could not bear to leave.

عَصرٌ بِمعجزاتِه جادَ لَنا

وبالعُلُوم والفنُونِ والرُّقِي

An age has lavished its wonders upon us,

and sciences, arts, and progress.

يقفُ فِكرُ المَرءِ فيه صَاغِرا

أمَام واقعٍ ألمّا يَصدُقِ

Within it, human thought stands humbled

before a reality it has not yet believed.

أكبرُ مُعجِزاتِه كما تَرَى

إيجَادُه شَخصِيَةً لم تُسبَقِ

Its greatest wonder, as you see,

is bringing forth a person without precedent:

هُوَ هُوَ الباشا التهاميِّ الذي

قد حازَ في العليَاءِ قصبَ السَّبَقِ

he, he is al-Tihami Pasha, who

has won the prize of preeminence in the heights.

باشا مَقامَه الملوكُ ترتَجِي

لِكَى تفوزَ بالمَقامِ الأليَقِ

A pasha whose station kings aspire to,

so they may attain the worthiest station.

مَن به عَصرُه قدِ ازدَهَى عَلَى

كلِّ العُصورِ ما مَضَى ومَا بَقِى

Through him his age has gloried above

all ages, those past and those remaining.

كلَّلَهُ المجدُ بتَاجِ عِزِّه

وهوَ بِعَرشِ كلِّ قَلبٍ مُرتَقِ

Glory has crowned him with the crown of its might,

and he ascends the throne of every heart,

بِطلعَةٍ وضَّاءةِ بنُورهَا

قد أشرَقت في الكَون شمسُ الأُفُقِ

with a radiant countenance, by whose light

the horizon's sun has shone throughout creation.

إذا تبدَّى في جلاَل هَيبَةٍ

فأىُّ قلبٍ عندهُ لم يخفِقِ

When he appears in majestic awe,

what heart in his presence does not beat?

فقلبُ مُحتَاجٍ رَجَاء خائِفٍ

وقلبُ بَاغٍ خَائِفٍ مِن فَرَقِ

Thus, the needy heart beats with fearful hope,

and the transgressor's heart with trembling terror.

أمَامَه تَقف وهُوَ مُفرَدٌ

كأنَّمَا أنتَ أمامَ فيلَق

You stand before him, though he is alone,

as though you stood before a legion.

مَن قَاس غَيرَهُ به فَهو كَمَن

نَجمَ السُّهَا قاسَ ببَدرٍ مُشرِقٍ

Whoever compares another with him is like one

who compares the star al-Suha to a radiant full moon.

ماذا أقولُ في كَريم لَو يُنَا

دَى أحدٌ في مَغربِ أو مَشرقِ

What shall I say of a generous man, if a call were made

to someone in the West or the East:

مَن منكُمُ ما عمَّه نوَالُه

لخَرِسَ الكلُّ ولمَّا يَنطِقِ

‘Which of you has not been embraced by his bounty?’

all would fall silent, not one speaking.

أو قيلَ مَن غَريقُ بَحرِ جُودِه

لَصَاح كلٌّ كلُّنا ذُو غَرَق

Or were it asked, ‘Who is drowned in the sea of his generosity?’

each would cry, ‘All of us are drowned!’

ماذا أقولُ في كريمٍِ أخجلَ الس

سَيلُ أمامَه فلم يَندَفِق

What shall I say of a generous man who put to shame the

torrent before him, so it did not surge?

كأنَّه في الجُود قبلَ سُؤلِه

بابُ سَماءٍ سَحَّ في تدفُّقِ

In giving, before he is asked, he is as though

a gate of heaven pouring forth in torrents.

مَناصبٌ لم تُغنِ عن مكَاسِبٍ

وذَهبٌ لم يُغنِه عن وَرِقِ

High offices have not made attainments needless,

nor has gold made silver needless to him.

يضُوعُ عَرفُ المِسكِ عندَ ذِكرِه

لا سِيمَا في ذكرِه بالخُلُقِ

Musk's fragrance spreads at the mention of him,

especially when his character is mentioned.

بل كلُّ مِسكٍ عَبِقِ العَرفِ فمَا

بِغيرِ ذكرِه شَذاً لَم يَعبَقِ

Indeed, every musk with a fragrant scent

has breathed no perfume without the mention of him.

ذُو همَّةٍ قد زانَها تواضُعٌ

كهضَبَةٍ تَزهَى بزَهرٍ آنِقِ

He has a lofty ambition adorned by humility,

like a hill resplendent with lovely flowers.

إذا جلَستَ مَعَه مُذَاكِرا

فأنتَ للأزهَارِ ذو تَنَشُّقِ

When you sit with him in conversation,

you inhale the fragrance of flowers.

فكَم وكَم مِن نُكتَةٍ تفعَلُ بِال

ألبَابِ فِعلَ القُرقُفِ المُعَتَّقِ

How many, how many a witty remark acts upon

the minds as aged wine does!

كم حِكمةٍ مشفُوعَةٍ بحِكمَةٍ

في كُلِّ ما لَفظٍ له ومَنطِقِ

How many a wise saying accompanied by another

in every utterance and speech of his!

كأَنَّ لُقمان غَدا مُختَبئا

تحتَ لِسانِه البَليغِ الذَّلِقِ

It is as though Luqman has hidden

beneath his eloquent, fluent tongue.

ووَجهُه يزدادُ نوراً كلَّما

ردَّدتَ فيه الطُّرفَ لمَّا يَطرُقِ

And his face grows brighter whenever

you turn your gaze upon it, your eyes not yet lowered;

إذ لستَ تَقوَى مِن مَهابته أَن

ترَاهُ وهو فِيك ذو تَحَقُّقِ

for his awe leaves you unable

to see him, though he is firmly established within you.

ألطَّرفُ إن رآه يرتَدُّ حَسي

را مِن ضيَاء وجههِ المُؤتَلقِ

If the eye sees him, it returns exhausted

by the brilliance of his radiant face.

سَار أمامَه الجلالُ خاضِعا

فأىُّ ذي جَاهٍ له لم يُطرِقِ

Majesty has walked before him, submissive;

what man of rank has not bowed his head to him?

هو لِرَأسِ المجدِ أضحَى خاضِعا

لأنَّه للمجدِ تاجُ المَفرِقِ

He has bowed before the head of glory,

for he is the crown upon glory's head.

إذا القلوبُ في هوَاها افترَقَت

فهِىَ في حُبِّ عُلاها تَلتقِي

Though hearts differ in their desires,

they meet in love of their highest glory.

مَرآه للقلبِ الكَليمِ مُنعِشٌ

كأنَّه صوبُ الحَياء الوَدقِ

The sight of him revives the wounded heart,

like a downpour of abundant rain.

ما أنجبَ الدهرُ مثيلاً لَهُ في

شأن عَلائِه الذِي لم يُلحَقِ

Time has begotten no equal to him

in his exalted standing, which none has reached.

أولا فكَذّبني وجِىء بوَاحِدٍ

إِن قلتَ فيما قلتَ لم أصَدِّقِ

Or else, prove me false and bring one,

if you say I was not truthful in what I said.

بَيَّضَ وَجهَ دَهرِه جُوداً ومَج

دا فهوَ فَخرُ مَغربٍ ومَشرِقِ

He has brightened his age's face through generosity and glory,

and so he is the pride of West and East.

تُخبِرُ عن غَيبٍ لَه فِراسَةٌ

فمَا تنبَّأَ به فَلتَثِقِ

He has an insight that tells of the unseen;

so trust whatever he foretells.

قد أعجزَت صِفاتُه الحُسنَى جَمي

عَ قالَةِ الشِّعرِ الكثيرِ الرَّونَقِ

His excellent qualities have baffled all

the speakers of poetry rich in splendor.

هَيهَات مارامَ اليراعُ عدَّها

ولو يُراعِي رَامها لم يُطِقِ

Far from it! The pen has not sought to count them;

even if my pen tried, it could not.

لكنَّ شِعري يَزدهي بِمدحهِ

كالعِقدِ يزدهِي بحُسن العُنُقِ

Yet my poetry glories in praising him,

as a necklace glories in the beauty of the neck.

واللهِ لولاَه لَبِتُّ أبكَمَا

مُطَلِّقا لِلشِّعرِ دون حَنَقِ

By God, but for him I would have remained mute,

divorcing poetry without rancor.

كَسَدَ سوقُ الشِّعر لَولاه فلاَ

حُرٌّ كريمُ القولِ إن لم يُنفِقِ

The market for poetry would have languished without him; for no

freeborn man is generous in speech unless he spends.

غَمَرنِي إحسانُه فهوَ الذِي

لولاَه عُودِي لم يَكن بالمُورِقِ

His kindness has flooded me; it is he

without whom my branch would not have leafed.

مولاي يامن هطَلت علَىَّ نَع

مَاؤُه في مصطَبَحِي وغَبَقِي

My lord, O you whose blessings have rained upon me

at my morning draught and evening drink,

باللّهِ إنى ومتَى وكيفَ لِي

أفِي بدَينٍ لك أحنَى عُنُقِي

by God, indeed—when and how can I

repay a debt to you that has bowed my neck?

لا لاَ فما أنا مُطِيقٌ له لَو

اَفنيتُ في مَدحكَ شعرِي المُونَقِ

No, no! I cannot repay it, even if

I exhausted my lovely poetry in praising you,

ولو علَى خدِّي كتَبتُه وكا

نَ عِوضَ الحِبرِ سوَادُ حَدَقِي

even if I wrote it upon my cheek, and

the blackness of my pupils served instead of ink.

فأغدقَ النُّعمَى علىَّ سَيِّدي

نعَم نعم ولتَكُ خيرَ مُغدِقِ

So lavish your bounty upon me, my lord;

yes, yes, and be the best of lavish givers.

إِن خُصَّ مَدحُهم بطِيبِ ألسُنٍ

فمدحُهُ خُصَّ بِطِيبٍ عَبِقِ

If their praise is marked by sweetness of tongues,

his praise is marked by fragrant sweetness.

أو خصَّ بالقولِ ثَناءً لهمُ

فَهوَ بفِعلٍ للثَّنَا مُحَقّقِ

Or if praise for them is confined to words,

he makes praise true through deeds.

كلُّ عظِيمٍ سوفَ يأتِي أو مَضَى

أو حاضِرٍ لمَجدِه لم يَلحَقِ

Every great man yet to come or gone before,

or now present, has not attained his glory.

يا لَيثَ إفرقيَا وسيِّدَهَا

وفَخرَ أهلِها الكرامِ السُبَّقِ

O lion of Africa and its lord,

and pride of its noble, foremost people,

مَن لم يكن كريمَ كَفٍّ فليكُن

واشَقوَةً له كرِيمَ المَنطِقِ

whoever is not generous of hand should at least be—

alas for him!—generous of speech.

إنَ ابنَ زائدةٍ أضحَى زائدا

ودُلَفٍ ذُو دُلَفٍ في الطُّرُقِ

Indeed, Ibn Za'ida has become superfluous,

and Dulaf shuffles along the roads.

ألسَّيِّدُ المُوَفَّقُ ابنُ السَيِّد ال

مُوَفَّقِ ابنِ السّيِّد المُوَفَّقِ

The favored lord, son of the

favored lord, son of the favored lord.