يا طيف ألا زرتنا بسواد — Sharif Al Murtaza

يا طَيفُ أَلّا زُرتَنا بِسَوادِ

لَمّا تَصرّعنا حِيالَ الوادي

O dream-phantom, why did you not visit us in the darkness,

when we lay down facing the valley?

ما كان ضرّك والوُشاة بمعزِلٍ

عنّا جميعاً لو طرقتَ وِسادِي

What harm would it have done you, with the tale-bearers apart

from us all, had you visited my pillow by night?

والرّيُّ فيك وقد صَدَدْتَ فقل لنا

مَنّاً عَلَينا كيفَ ينقعُ صادِ

Thirst's quenching lies in you, yet you turned away; so tell us,

as a favor to us: how can a thirsty one be quenched?

وَمن أَجلِ أنّكَ تَسْتَبينُ على الكرى

أهوى الرُّقادَ ولاتَ حين رُقادِ

And because you become visible in sleep,

I love slumber, though this is no time for sleep.

والحبُّ داءٌ في القلوبِ سَقامُهُ

خافٍ على الرُّقباءِ والعُوّادِ

Love is a disease within hearts, its sickness

hidden from watchers and visitors to the sick.

يا زورةً مِن باخلٍ بلقائِهِ

عَجِلَتْ عطيّتُهُ على الميعادِ

O visit from one so stingy with his presence,

whose gift came ahead of its appointed time!

تَرك البياضَ لآمنٍ وَأَتى بهِ

فَرَقَ الوِشايةِ في ثيابِ حدادِ

He left white to the fearless, and brought it,

for fear of tale-bearing, in mourning clothes.

وَلَقد طَرقتُ الخِدْرَ فيه عقائلٌ

ما قِلْنَ إلّا في ضَمير فؤادِي

Indeed, I visited the curtained chamber by night, where noble women dwelt,

who rested at noon nowhere but in the depths of my heart.

لَمّا وَرَدتُ خِيامَهنّ سَقَيننِي

مِن كُلِّ مَعسولِ الرُّضاب بُرادِ

When I reached their tents, they gave me to drink

the cool, honey-sweet nectar of every mouth.

وَمُخضّبِ الأطرافِ صَدّ بِوجههِ

لَمّا رَأى شَيبِي مكانَ سوادي

And one with henna-dyed fingertips turned his face away

when he saw my gray hair in place of my black.

وَالغانِياتُ لذِي الشّباب حبائبٌ

وإذا المشيبُ دنا فهنّ أعادِ

Beautiful women are sweethearts to the youthful;

but when gray hair draws near, they are foes.

شَعَرٌ تبدّل لونُهُ فتبدّلتْ

فيه القلوبُ شناءَةً بودادِ

Hair changed its color, and hearts exchanged

affection for hatred on its account.

لَم تَجنِهِ إلّا الهمومُ بِمَفْرقي

ويُخالُ جاءَ بهِ معَ الميلادِ

Only cares brought it forth at the parting of my hair,

yet one would think I had come with it at birth.

وَلَقَد تكلّفنِي الوشاةُ وأَفرجوا

عن جامحٍ متصاممٍ متمادِ

The tale-bearers tried hard with me, but withdrew

from a headstrong man, feigning deafness, unrelenting.

يَلحى العذولُ وتلكَ منهُ سَفاهةٌ

وَفُؤادُه في الحبِّ غيرُ فؤادِي

The reprover blames me—that is folly on his part—

for his heart in love is not my heart.

حَتّى كَأنَّ لَهُ صَلاحِي في الهَوى

دون الخلائقِ أو عليه فسادِي

As though my well-being in love belonged to him

alone among all people, or my ruin were his burden.

مَن مبلغٌ ملكَ الملوكِ رسالةً

مِنْ رائحٍ بثنائِه أو غادِ

Who will convey a message to the king of kings,

among those going forth with his praise at dusk or dawn?

كم زارني وأنا البعيدُ عن النّدى

مِنْ سَيْبِ كفّكِ مِن لُهاً وأيادِ

How often, though far from bounty, have I been visited

by rich gifts and favors from your hand's largesse!

عَفواً كما اِنخَرقتْ شآبيبُ الحَيا

مِن غير إبراقٍ ولا إرعادِ

Freely, as the downpours of rain burst forth,

without lightning or thunder.

نِعَمٌ غلبنَ على المزيدِ فما ترى

طمعاً يجاوزهنّ للمزدادِ

Favors that surpass all increase, so you see

no hope beyond them for one seeking more.

لمّا كَثُرنَ عليَّ منك تبرّعاً

وتفخّراً كثّرنَ مِن حُسَّادِي

When they multiplied upon me from you, freely given

and in proud display, they multiplied my enviers.

كنتُ المشمِّرَ قبلها ولَبِستُها

فَمشيت فيها ساحباً أبرادِي

Before them I had been girt up; then I donned them,

and walked within them, trailing my striped cloaks,

مُتأطّراً أَشَراً كزعزعةِ الصّبا

أفنانَ فرعِ الأيكةِ الميّادِ

swaying in exultation, as the east wind shakes

the boughs of the thicket's swaying tree.

وَلأنتَ يا ملك الوَرى في معشرٍ

طالوا مدى الأنجادِ والأمجادِ

And you, O king of humankind, belong to a people

who have outstripped the reach of the valiant and the glorious.

فاتوا الأنامَ وحلّقوا في شاهقٍ

عالٍ على الأعلامِ والأطوادِ

They have surpassed mankind and soared to a height

loftier than the peaks and massive mountains.

لا يتركون ذُرى الأسرّة عزّةً

إِلّا إِذا رَكبوا ظهورَ جيادِ

In their majesty they never leave the heights of thrones,

except when they mount the backs of noble steeds.

قَومٌ إِذا اِشتَجَر القنا ورأيتهُ

كالغابِ كانوا فيه كالآسادِ

A people who, when spears intertwine and you behold them

like a thicket, are lions in its midst.

وإذا مضتْ عَرَضاً أحاديثُ الوغى

قَلِقَتْ سيوفُهمُ من الأغمادِ

And when talk of battle happens to arise,

their swords strain to leave their scabbards.

الضارِبينَ القرنَ وهو مصمِّمٌ

بصوارمٍ بيضِ المتونِ حِدادِ

Striking the adversary as he stands resolute,

with cutting swords, bright-bladed and keen;

وَالحاطِمينَ غَداة كلِّ كريهةٍ

في الدّارعينَ صدورَ كلِّ صِعادِ

and shattering, on the morning of every fierce battle,

against the mail-clad, the points of every straight lance;

وَالراسِخينَ وَهَضْبُ يَذْبُلَ طائشٌ

والمُقفِرين مكامن الأحقادِ

and standing firm while the crags of Yadhbul reel,

and emptying the lurking places of rancor.

وَتَراهُمُ كَرَماً خلالَ نَعيمهمْ

مُتَنصّتين إلى غياثِ منادِ

In their generosity you see them, amid their ease,

listening intently for a caller's cry for help.

سَعدَتْ بِطالِعكمْ وَبارك ربّكمْ

فيما حوى واديكُمُ من وادِ

Good fortune came with your rising star; may your Lord bless

every valley that your valley contains.

فَفناؤهُ مَجْنى المَكارمِ واللُّها

وَمجاثمُ الطُلّابِ والرّوّادِ

For its courtyard is a harvest-ground of noble deeds and gifts,

and a roost for petitioners and scouts.

للّهِ درُّك نَصْبَ عورةِ حادِثٍ

حَدِباً ترامِي دونها وتُرادِي

How admirable you are, facing a peril's vulnerable breach,

bending protectively, trading arrows and stones in its defense!

وَالخَيلُ دامِيةُ الجلودِ كأنّما

لُطِخَتْ على أجسادها بجِسادِ

While the horses' hides are bloodied, as though

their bodies had been smeared with saffron dye,

في ظهرِ رَوْعاءِ الفؤادِ كأنّها

نجمٌ تهوّر أو شرارُ زِنادِ

on the back of a high-strung mare, as though she were

a plunging star or sparks struck from flints.

وَالقَومُ أعناقٌ بغيرِ كواهلٍ

حُصِدَتْ وأجسامٌ بغير هوادِ

While the men are necks without shoulders,

mown down, and bodies without necks.

أَمّا القلوبُ فهنَّ فيك أصادِقٌ

وَلِمَن سِواك مُصادقٌ ومُعادِ

As for hearts, they are true friends to you;

toward anyone else, some are friends and some are foes.

ألَّفْتَهُنَّ على النّدى فَتألّفتْ

بدَداً على الإثناءِ والإِحمادِ

You united them through generosity, and they came together,

scattered though they were, in praise and acclaim.

وأنَا الّذي واليتُ فيك مدائحاً

كالشّمسِ طالعةً بغير بلادِ

I am the one who has poured forth successive praise-poems for you,

like the rising sun, confined to no land.

يَتَرنّم الخالِي بهنّ وربّما

وَنَتِ الرِّكابُ فكنَّ حَدْوَ الحادِي

The man at leisure sings them; and when, at times,

the riding-camels flag, they become the driver's chant.

يا لَيتَهنّ عُرِضنَ عندك مِن يدِي

وسُمِعنَ حين سُمِعنَ مِن إنشادِي

Would that they had been presented before you by my own hand,

and, when heard, had been heard in my own recitation.

فَاِمننْ بِتقريبٍ إليك أفُز بهِ

يا مالكَ التّقريبِ والإِبعادِ

Grant me nearness to you, that I may prosper through it,

O master of bringing near and sending far!

فالحظّ عندك عصمتِي ووثيقتِي

والرّأيُ منك ذخيرتِي وعَتادِي

For favor with you is my protection and my guarantee,

and your counsel is my reserve and my equipment.

وأحقُّ بالإدْناءِ من حُجُراتكمْ

كَلِفٌ يوالِي فيكُمُ ويعادِي

Most deserving of being brought near your chambers

is a devoted man who makes friends and foes for your sake.

أنتمْ ملاذِي في الخطوبِ وأنتُمُ

إنْ زلّ بالمكروه منه عِمادِي

You are my refuge in calamities, and you remain so

if my mainstay falters through the harm they bring.

أوسعتُمُ لمّا نزلتُ بكمْ يدِي

وأطبْتُمُ لمّا أضفتمْ زادِي

You filled my hand when I came to dwell with you,

and made my provisions pleasant when you hosted me.

وأريتمونِي بالمكارِم أنَّنِي

لم أدرِ كيف خلائقُ الأجوادِ

Through noble deeds you showed me that I

had not known the nature of generous men.

سَبَلٌ من الآباءِ لمّا غُيّبوا

في الأرض عنه أقامَ في الأولادِ

A downpour from the fathers: when they were hidden

from it in the earth, it lived on in their sons.

فاِسلَمْ لَنا ملكَ الملوكِ وَلَم تَزلْ

تبقى على الدّنيا بغير نَفَادِ

Remain safe for us, O king of kings, and may you ever

endure in this world without end.

وَاِسعَدْ بِنيروزٍ أَتاك مُبشِّراً

ببلوغِ كلِّ محبّةٍ ومُرادِ

And rejoice in a Nowruz that has come to you heralding

the attainment of every cherished wish and aim.

يَمضِي وَيَأتيكَ الزّمان بمثلهِ

أبداً يلفّ مراوحاً بمغادِ

It passes, and time brings you its like,

forever folding evenings together with mornings.

لا رابَنا فيك الزّمانُ ولم تزلْ

يفديك مِنّا كلَّ يومٍ فادِ

May time never alarm us over you, and may there ever

be one of us each day to ransom you,

في عزِّ مُلكٍ كالثّريّا مُرتقىً

شَثِنِ المرائِرِ ثابتِ الأوتادِ

in the might of a kingship, as lofty as the Pleiades,

with stout cords and firmly planted stakes.