O Lord, the Graceful Drapes Flourish
This poem by Ibn Khafajah beautifully captures the essence of nature:
O Lord, the graceful drapes of nature adorn,
From every swaying branch do they drape,
Shimmering softly, swaying from their edges,
As you wish, the skirts billowing with delight.
With an evening breeze, they shake off their curls,
And become possessed by the gentle lulling of the serene.
Spring has unveiled its veil from a textured crown,
Just like the goblet’s bump rolls back the wine.
The clouds wove a cloak that she wore,
Adorning it with the beauty of morning’s light.
The dew exudes its flowers, as if
Their mantles were brushed by the hand of benevolence.
And there, the Gulf kissed the edges of the canvas,
While the lips of the flowers met the horizons.
O Heart, How You Suffer in Your Yearning!
This excerpt from Al-Mutanabbi praises Sayf al-Dawla al-Hamdani:
O heart, how you suffer from desires unfulfilled,
And from my body, exists only a lingering pain.
Why do I conceal a love that has overwhelmed me,
While nations profess their love for Sayf al-Dawla?
If our love for him is mutual, oh how I wish
We could share our feelings equally.
I visited him while the swords of India were sheathed,
And beheld him, his swords dripping with blood.
He was the finest of God’s creations,
And in his excellence, he radiated virtues untold.
Victory over enemies that sought him brings pain,
Yet holds hidden treasures within its embrace.
Fear has taken on your form and molded
With a respect that can’t be fabricated by foolishness.
You have bound yourself to a responsibility that is boundless,
That no land nor flag might hide them from you.
Whenever you sought an army, they turned tail and fled,
Yet ambition never faltered in its pursuits.
To you belongs the honor of their defeat in every skirmish,
And no shame in their flight because of you.
Don’t you see that sweet victory comes only with triumph,
When the swords of India and the finest meet?
Oh, fairest of people, except in my matters,
Your judgments leave me in a quandary.
I beseech you with earnest glances,
That you do not confuse fortune with folly.
What benefit lies in taking a glance,
If light and darkness stand in equal illumination?
Indeed, the Mockery of the Bahiliyyin is Daring
This piece by Al-Farazdaq expresses sharp satire:
Indeed, the satire of the Bahiliyyin is bold,
A marvel of the days steeped in wonders.
Bahili! Is there in your pitcher, as you boast,
A bribe like that of the two sons of `Iqal and Hajjab?
This bribe is like a pitcher that spills dark sins,
From on high, the waters flow like stars in sight.
Whoever remains therein hides their shame,
For the shame of the son of Dukhan is never absent.
By your life! I, and the deaf, and his mother,
Are sitting in close quarters in her dwelling.
She says, clasping him with twenty years near her,
Oh, I wish I were the wife of Ibn Ghalib!
To sip a breeze not belonging to the Bahiliyyin,
Yet it is a breeze of the noble and the kind.
The sons of Darim like musk, their scents are sweet,
If the stench of the aged slaves become foul.
Oh, every Bahili home is met with,
By a donkey and talk of nothing but oily affairs.
They pay taxes on what they owe, merely,
They were but excuses for the levies imposed.
If the sons of Dukhan stood at the junction of a clan,
Of low spirits, though few in their numbers.
They would say, “Flee, sons of Dukhan; you are indeed
Lowly, and drinkers of the dregs of drinks.”
Thus, the faces of the Dukhanis are cast down,
Upon the waters, a bid to escape ruin.
Bahili! Indeed, the water cannot cleanse
The shame that clings to you, for it never departs.
And your insults are folly, while you
Are bartered for in markets like fabric worn thin.
Tell the Beautiful One, My Remembrance Ails
This composition by `Umar ibn Abi Rabi`ah is a poignant expression of love:
Tell the beautiful one: my remembrance has waned,
For the tears every morning hasten towards you.
Oh, had my heart, invested in your desire,
What I have is indeed unmatched and priceless.
It awoke when Hind was stingy, never giving,
What I yearned for, and awaited, unfulfilled.
And I feared separation, nearing their abode,
Patience was futile, as forewarning bore no consequence.
I spoke, as there were none to deter my heart,
Neither for consolation nor bringing calm.
Oh, I wish I had perished had I not met
With joy, longing, when I gazed upon her.
And my longing was fueled by her discretion,
Which ignites thoughts within the heart of a lover.
And she spoke to a harmless girl: Is it evening,
Or is Omar’s morning simply approaching?
May God protect him, whether we remain here,
Or travel afar when the journey draws near.
So I approached walking, without the ones who stayed,
Accompanied by a friend, where presence lingered.
None turned to her, as her attire was unadorned,
Only a shadow cast behind, veiling her face.
So she struck her face and called upon her with her,
A fair woman from her kind, steadfast in composure.
Why upon his arrival, dear sister, must he witness,
The gatherings of foes, whenever they arrive?
Could it be one misstep among our misfortunes,
And a fateful turn through destiny’s course?
She said: You intended this moment for our disgrace,
Severing ties and realization of what has been said.
Would you not have sent a messenger to inform?
Before the moon settles and the evening begins.
I said: A call reached my heart, causing sleeplessness,
And none will join me among you to chide me.
So I spent the night drinking ancient wine, mingled
With honey, fragrant musk, and essence divine.
With Indian amber and camphor infused,
Mixed with clove over gentle, shimmering surface.
So I spent the night kissing her, to enjoy our moments,
As she swayed, grace in the chill and her form.
Until post night’s curtain, they rose as dawn:
“Arise, enjoy your existence; morning light shines.”
I rose to walk, she stood, as if in a trance,
Like one intoxicated under the weight of spellbound joy.
They trailed behind me, their fine silk attire,
And the delicate fibers, seeking to conceal their footprints.
Gentleness Achieves What Impetuosity Cannot
This aphorism from Abu al-‘Atahiyyah conveys wisdom:
Gentleness accomplishes what impetuosity cannot,
And few among people possess a stable character.
One who neither discards their prudence nor forsakes it,
Shall be called forth to confront what they dread.
In vain the empty fancies of this world shall be found,
While the truth shines brightly, illuminating all paths.
When shall an ever-eager soul awaken,
For greed is the ailment nestled deep in their heart?
People benefit from others’ advantages,
Yet, it is around their necks that the chains lie.
Competing in life, people strive,
But none may claim more than what they have been allocated.
O you who builds a palace in this world,
Have you secured your castle where floods and ruins convene?
Do not be neglectful; for your dwelling is fleeting,
Drinking from it brings rises and the rumbles of it.
Death is a dire place in which you shall dwell,
Look to yourself before it tackles you, O death.
The name is but humble when death befalls;
And the newly minted is quickly forgotten.
Youth soon withers while old age consumes vitality,
Like leaves that fall from their branches in autumn.
What troubles me is your relentless avarice,
Ever prolonged through your neck and outward sight.
You denounce your world with disdain unvoiced,
Yet cling to your worldly attachment nonetheless.
If I had sense, I would have prepared provisions for it,
Before I depart this life, as long as I have breath.
When you gaze upon your world’s images,
They diminish, leaving you with but tattered remains.
We are a caravan, destined by fate’s travel,
For one day we seek the shade, then disperse.
No one upon the remnants of the past shall remain,
As though they are indeed preserved for those to follow.
What flutters and drifts shall surely fade without trace,
And land, ocean, regions, and the encompassing sky.
We inhabit this land, a castle of illusions,
And we are all bound to depart, ready to journey on.
Truly, I have seen as my eyes remain open,
Slain by the havoc among humanity that disrupts.
How many a beloved one, death has abased,
Where once the banner waved above their prime?
For every individual, a destiny awaits,
And God provides, neither through cunning nor through folly.
When I gaze towards your world, advancing,
Let not flattery nor sweetness mislead you.
O brethren, we are the victorious tomorrow,
Provided God spares us from a world filled with decay.
Gratitude to God, a praise without end,
For what is exalted, save He who has worth.
And praise be to God, in a perpetual hymn,
For those who reached unto Him have surely succeeded.
What blinds the people from the day of resurrection,
When the sweat envelopes them in dire moments.