Poem: “I See You, Resistant to Tears”
This poem was composed by Abu Firas al-Hamdani, and below are its verses:
You stand firm against tears, your trait is patience;
Is there no prohibition or command over passion for you?
Indeed, I long for you, and I possess a burning desire,
Yet someone like me cannot share their secrets!
When night casts its shadow, I extend the hand of love,
And I subdue tears from the creatures of arrogance.
The fire within me nearly ignites,
When passion and thought stir it to flame.
My hope for reunion, and death in its pursuit,
If I die of thirst, then let no rain descend!
I have preserved our bond, yet you have squandered it,
And more gracious than various acts of loyalty is your excuse.
These days are but pages,
Written by the hand of their author—misery.
For my own sake, from among the inhabitants of the neighborhood,
My love bears guilt, while her beauty gives me permission.
She turns to the gossipers about me, and surely I
Have ears that are heavy against every whispering tongue.
I have appeared, and my family is present, for I
See that a dwelling where you are not is desolate.
I have opposed my people for your love, and yet they
And I would perish without the wine and water of your affection.
And if what the rumor-mongers said is true,
Faith may demolish what disbelief has built,
And in some fidelity, I found humiliation,
For a woman in the neighborhood is marked by treachery.
Serene yet youthfully spirited, she is often flustered,
And sometimes she paces like a foal.
She inquires, “Who are you?” while she well knows
Can a person like me be in a state of rejection?
I answered as she wished, and as love compelled her:
“Your victim!” She replied: “Which one? There are many.”
I said to her: “If you wanted it, you wouldn’t have to torment yourself,
Nor would you need to ask about me while you already know!”
She said: “Time has diminished your worth after us,”
I answered: “God forbid, it is you, not time.”
And there would have been no sorrow, without you,
But passion is a bridge leading to annihilation.
Between jest and seriousness, a heart may perish,
If distance tortures, leaving it void of love.
Thus, I realized there is no glory left for a lover,
And that my hands are empty of what I longed for.
I turned my affairs over, and I find no comfort,
If separation makes me forget, grief calls upon me.
I returned to the fate of time and its decree;
She has the blame, yet I carry the excuse.
As if I were calling to a swift gazelle,
On a high place, deserting her in fright.
She may startle momentarily, then gaze as if she
Is summoning a remote rain in the valley.
Do not deny me, daughter of my uncle, for he
Who denied me is known by both the Bedouins and the townfolk.
And don’t reject me, for I am not one to beHindered,
If the path is unsteady, and victory escapes my grasp.
Indeed, I am a force that every battalion envies,
Accustomed to a triumph that will not let up.
I would endure until the white wings and the spears are quenched,
And I would starve until the wolf and the eagle are satisfied.
And I shall not approach the clan with a scheme,
Nor shall the army arrive before I do, to disturb.
Oh, what countless destinies have I faced,
Where I stood against fate, defeating every dawn.
I charged and fought until I secured my stance,
With rage and the shimmering banners directed towards me.
And companions with tails towards me encountered,
Neither harshness nor challenge dissuaded them.
I offered her what the entire army has amassed,
And departed without exposing her with shame.
Nor did wealth hinder me from generosity;
What need have I for riches if I do not protect my honor?
I was captured without my companions wounded at the battlefield,
Nor my horse unbridled, neither its master lost.
But if destiny tightens around a man,
There is neither favor to protect him, nor sea.
My comrades asked: “Shall we flee or die?”
I answered: “Both are bitter choices.”
But I shall proceed towards what does not shame me,
And it suffices you from two matters, the best among them is capture.
They say to me: “You sold your safety for death,”
I replied: “Indeed, I suffer no loss.”
And can death turn away from me for a moment,
If misfortune leaves me with neither captivity nor distress?
It is death, so choose what carries your mention.
For a person does not cease to exist while memories live on.
And there is no good in repelling death through shame,
As Amr did on a day—turned back by disgrace.
They promise, “Let your garments be free;” yet
I wear garments soaked in their blood.
With the blade that has pierced them, I remember my name;
And the handles of the spear shattered my chest among them.
My people will mention me when their resolve strengthens,
And in the dark night, the moon is missed.
So if I live, I will bear the wounds known to them,
And those that wear the swords, and will endure.
If I fall, then it is destined for man to die,
Even if the days are prolonged, and life extends.
If another should fill the place I occupied,
They would find no value higher than the worth of loss.
We are people who know no balance,
Our chests are open before the world or the grave.
It is of no concern to us to lose our souls for glory,
And whoever seeks a noble spouse will not pay dearly.
The most honored of people in existence and the greatest among the high-born,
And the most generous of those who tread upon the earth, without boasting.