آه للبرق أضاءا — Sibt Ibn Altaawithy

آهِ لِلبَرقِ أَضاءا

أَيمَنَ الغَورِ عِشاءا

Ah, for the lightning that lit up

the right side of al-Ghawr at nightfall!

مُستَطيراً مِن قِرابِ ال

مُزنِ سَلّاً وَاِنتِضاءا

Flashing forth from the sheath of the

rain clouds, drawn and unsheathed,

كاّليَماني العَضبِ يَهتَز

زُ صِقالا وَمَضاءا

like a keen Yemeni blade, quivering

with polish and cutting sharpness;

واصِفاً تِلكَ الوُجوهَ ال

عَرَبيّاتِ الوِضاءا

depicting those faces,

Arab and radiant,

وَالثَنايا الغُرُّ يَبسِم

نَ وَميضاً وَسَناءا

and the bright-white front teeth that smile

with flashes and radiance.

لَم يَزَل يُنذِرُ بِالخَص

بِ رُبا الحَزنِ الظِماءا

It kept heralding fertility

to the parched hills of the rugged uplands,

وَسَقى داراً عَلى الخَل

صاءِ ما شاءَت وَشاءا

and watered a dwelling at

al-Khalsa’, as fully as dwelling and lightning wished.

مَن رَأى جُذوَةَ نارٍ

قَبلَهُ تَحمِلُ ماءا

Who had seen a glowing ember of fire

before this one, carrying water?

عَنَّ عُلوياً فَلَم يُه

دِ لَنا إِلّا العَناءا

It appeared aloft, but brought

us nothing but distress.

يا لَهُ مِن ضاحِكٍ عَل

لَمَ عَينيَّ البُكاءا

What a laughing one, that taught

my two eyes to weep!

كانَ لي داءً وَلِلأَط

لالِ أَقوينا دَواءا

It was an ailment to me, but for the ruins

we had deserted, a remedy.

هاجَ لِلقَلبِ بِمَسرا

هُ الجَوى وَالبُرَحاءا

Its nightly passage stirred in the heart

burning sorrow and torment,

مُذكِراً عَهدَ هَوىً عا

دَ لَهُ قَلبي هَواءا

recalling a time of love for which

my heart became empty air,

وَلَيالٍ مِن صِبىً سَر

رَ بِها الدَهرُ وَساءا

and nights of youth, in which

time brought delight and sorrow;

مَوسِماً لِلَّهوِ ما أَس

رَعَ ما كانَ اِنقِضاءا

a season of merriment—how swift

was its passing!

نلِتُ مِن حَسناءَ فيهِ

ما يَسوءُ الرُقَباءا

In it I obtained from a beautiful woman

what distressed the watchers.

بِأَبي مَن عَذَّبَ القَل

بَ مَلالاً وَجَفاءا

My father be ransom for the one who tormented my heart

with weariness and coldness;

سَلَبَ العاشِقَ لَمّا

لَبِسَ الحُسنَ العزاءا

who robbed the lover, on donning

beauty, of consolation.

وَعَلى الجِزعِ دُمىً يَس

فِكنَ بِاللَحظِ الدِماءا

And at the valley bend, doll-like beauties shed

blood with their glances.

يَنقَضي العُمرُ وَلا يَن

وينَ لِلدينِ قَضاءا

Life passes, yet they do not intend

to repay the debt.

فاِخشَ إِن سَلَّت ظُبا أَج

فانَها تِلكَ الظِباءا

So beware, if they unsheathe the blades of

their eyelids—those gazelles.

يا لَها مِن مُقَلٍ عَل

لَمتُ الناسَ الرِماءا

What eyes they are, that taught

people the art of archery!

جازياتٍ لَيسَ يَغرَم

نَ عَلى قَتلي الجَزاءا

They requite me, yet incur

no penalty for killing me.

وَأَخٍ لَم يَرعَ لي في

مَذهَبِ الوُدِّ الإِخاءا

And a brother who did not keep for me, in

the way of affection, the bond of brotherhood,

باتَ يَستبرِدُ أَنفا

سَ غَرامي الصُعَداءا

spent the night finding cool the breaths

of my passion, those deep sighs.

قالَ لي وَالبرقُ يَستَح

لِبُ أَجفاني بُكاءا

He said to me, while the lightning milked

tears from my eyelids:

خَلِّ مِن دَمعِكَ ما تَب

كي بِهِ الرَبعَ الخَلاءا

Leave off the tears with which you mourn

the deserted dwelling.

فَصَوادي التُربِ مِن دَم

عِكَ قَد عُدنَ رَواءا

For the thirsty patches of earth, from your tears,

have become well-watered.

سَخيَت مِنكَ جُفونٌ

كُنَّ قِدماً بُخَلاءا

Eyelids of yours have grown generous

that long ago were miserly.

أَتَرى الصاحِبُ مَجدَ ال

دينِ أَعداها السَخاءا

Do you think the Sahib, Majd al-Din,

has infected them with generosity?

مَلِكٌ باهَت بِهِ الدُن

يا جَمالاً وَبَهاءا

A king in whom the world takes pride

for beauty and splendor,

حامِلُ الأَعباءِ لَو حُم

مِلُها رَضوى لَباءا

a bearer of burdens which, were they laid

upon Radwa, would make it succumb;

وَوَفيٌّ مِن سَجايا

ه تَعَلَّمنا الوَفاءا

and a faithful man, from whose virtues

we learned fidelity.

يَملَأُ الصَدرَ مَعاً وَال

عَينَ رَأياً وَرُواءا

He fills at once the breast and the

eye, with wisdom and handsome presence.

الجَوادُ الرَحبُ في الأَز

مَةِ صَدراً وَفِناءا

The generous man, spacious even in hardship

in both heart and courtyard,

وَأَخو العَزمِ كَما تَض

طَرِم النارُ ذَكاءا

and a man of resolve, just as

fire blazes with fierce heat.

وَسِعَ الجانِيَ وَالعا

فِيَ عَفواً وَحَباءا

He embraces the offender and the supplicant

with pardon and gifts.

فَتَراهُ كَرَماً يُج

زِلُ لِلباغي العَطاءا

So you see him, in his generosity,

lavishing gifts upon the seeker,

مُطرِقاً مِنُه وَقَد أَح

يا أَمانيهِ حَياءا

his gaze lowered before him—though he has revived

his hopes—out of modesty.

لَينُ عِطفٍ يَجعَلُ الشِد

دَةَ وَالبوئسَ رَخاءا

Gentle in bearing, he turns hardship

and misery into ease;

وَيَدٌ ما خُلِقَت إِلّا

لِتُغني الفُقَراءا

and a hand created only

to enrich the poor.

قائِدُ الأَبطالِ غُلباً

لا يَمَلّونَ اللِقاءا

Leader of stout-necked champions

who never tire of combat,

وَالخَميسُ المَجرُ قَد سَد

دَ بِقُطرَيهِ الفَضاءا

while the vast army has filled

the open expanse from flank to flank;

وَالسَراحيبُ تَفوتُ ال

ريحَ جَرياً وَنَجاءا

and the long-bodied steeds outstrip the

wind in gallop and swiftness,

تَحمِلُ الآسادَ إِقدا

ماً وَبأساً وَإِباءا

bearing lions in boldness,

in might and proud defiance.

وَمُجيلُ الرَأيِ في الحَر

بِ أَماماً وَوَراءا

And one who turns his thoughts in war

to what lies before and behind,

مُشرِفٌ تَحسِبُهُ ما

بَينَ عودَيهِ لِواءا

towering—you would think him

a banner between his two poles.

رَجَعَت عَنهُ سِراعُ ال

أَعوَجِيّاتِ بِطاءا

Back from him came the swift

A‘waj-bred steeds, now slow.

فَحَوى السَبقَ عَلى رِس

لٍ وَفاتَ الرُسَلاءا

He won first place at an easy pace

and outstripped his rivals.

يا مُميتَ العُدمِ أَحيَي

تَ بِجَدواكَ الرَجاءا

O slayer of poverty, you have revived

hope through your bounty.

يا أَبا الفَضلِ فَضَلتَ ال

غَيثَ جوداً وَسَخاءا

O Abu al-Fadl, you have surpassed the

rain in bounty and generosity.

وَتَأَخَّرتَ زَماناً

فَشَأَوتَ القُدَماءا

Though you came later in time,

you outstripped the men of old.

وَتَكَرَّمتَ فَبَخَّل

تَ المُلوكَ الكُرَماءا

And you gave so generously that you made

generous kings seem miserly.

وَلَكَم أَبلَيتَ في الرَو

عِ فَأَحسَنتَ البَلاءا

How often you proved yourself amid terror

and acquitted yourself nobly!

فَاِفتَرِع هَضبَ العُلا وَاِز

دَد عُلُوّاً وَاِرتِقاءا

So scale the heights of glory, and

grow in loftiness and ascent.

وَاِدَّرِعها نِعَماً تَب

هَجُ فيها الأَولِياءا

And wear those honors as armor, as blessings

through which you gladden your allies;

نِعَمٌ تَعتادُ مَغنا

كَ صَباحاً وَمَساءا

blessings that revisit your abode

morning and evening.

حَوضُها المَورودُ يَزدا

دُ عَلى الوِردِ صَفاءا

Their frequented pool grows

clearer with each visit to drink.

ذَهَبَت يا هِبَةَ اللَ

هِ أَعاديكَ هَباءا

Gone, O Hibat Allah,

are your enemies, like scattered dust.

شَرِبوا كَأسَ الرَدى فَاِل

بَس مِنَ الحَمدِ رِداءا

They drank death's cup; so don

a robe of praise.

وَطُلِ الناسَ كَما طُل

تَهُمُ باعاً بَقاءا

And surpass mankind—as you surpassed

them in reach—in length of life.

وَاِستَمِع مَدحَ وَليٍّ

مُخلِصٍ فيكَ الوَلاءا

And hear the praise of a loyal friend,

sincere in his devotion to you:

عَبدُ شُكرٍ وَحَرٍ أَن

يَشكُرَ الرَوضُ السَماءا

a slave to gratitude—and fitting it is that

the garden should thank the sky.

يَنتَقي غُرَّ القَوافي

لَكَ وَالمَدحِ اِنتِقاءا

He selects the brightest rhymes

for you and for praise, choosing with care.

ساهَرٌ يَنظِمُ في جي

دِ مَعاليكَ الثَناءا

Wakeful, he strings upon the neck

of your lofty achievements his praise;

مَدحُ إِخلاصٍ وَقَد يَم

دَحُ أَقوامٌ رِئاءا

sincere praise, though

some people offer praise for show.

خِدَمٌ تَحمِلُ في أَو

عِيَةِ الشُكرِ الهَناءا

Services bearing, in the vessels

of gratitude, felicitations.

ما لِأَحداثِ خُطوبٍ

كَيدُها يَمشي الضَراءا

Why do these fresh calamities,

whose guile moves under cover,

عَصَفَت عِندي وَهَبَّت

في بَني الدَهرِ رُخاءا

rage where I am, yet blow

gently among the sons of time?

وَكَذا الأَيّامُ لا تَع

تامُ إِلّا الفُضَلاءا

Such are the days: they single out

none but the excellent.

أَنا وَالصاحِبُ شِعراً

وَنَداً نِلنا السَماءا

The Sahib and I, through poetry

and generosity, have reached the sky.

وَكِلانا في زَمانٍ

واحِدٍ جِئنا سَواءا

And both of us, in a single

age, came forth together.

خَتَمَ الأَجوادَ طُرّاً

وَخَتَمتُ الشُعَراءا

He sealed the line of all generous men,

and I sealed the line of poets.