عيون المها بين الرصافة والجسرِ



A gazelle's eyes


ترجمة جازي عبد المقصود

عُيونُ المَها بَينَ الرُصافَةِ وَالجِسرِ-جَلَبنَ الهَوى مِن حَيثُ أَدري وَلا أَدري

A gazelle's eyes between Rusafa and bridge there hidden.
They brought the platonic passion from each direction.

أَعَدنَ لِيَ الشَوقَ القَديمَ وَلَم أَكُن-سَلَوتُ وَلكِن زِدنَ جَمراً عَلى جَمرِ

They renewed to me the yearning of olden days' remembrance
Inciting my soul when they sent me glance after glance

سَلِمنَ وَأَسلَمنَ القُلوبَ كَأَنَّما-تُشَكُّ بِأَطرافِ المُثَقَّفَةِ السُمرِ

God guards them however; they ensure our hearts needing
They were as if the piercing javelins thrust in and bleeding.

وَقُلنَ لَنا نَحنُ الأَهِلَّةُ إِنَّما-تُضيءُ لِمَن يَسري بِلَيلٍ وَلا تَقري

They told us that they are the full moons shown forever
"We light the way to who travel at night not to bewilder".

فَلا بَذلَ ألا ما تَزَوَّدَ ناظِرٌ-وَلا وَصلَ ألا بِالخَيالِ الَّذي يَسري

No offering unless satisfies the spectator to be luckily.
No concrete reunion unless touches souls ardently.

أحينَ أزحنَ القَلبَ عَن مُستَقَرِّهِ-وَأَلهَبنَ ما بَينَ الجَوانِحِ وَالصَدرِ

When her eyes stabbed my heart to be aside moved
And between ribs and chest the ardent love they inflamed.

صددنَ صدودَ الشاربِ الخمر عندما-روى نفسَهُ عن شربها خيفةَ السكرِ

Shamefully her eyes turn away as a parrying drunkard.
Felt himself drank more, tries to be rational and tempered

ألا قَبلَ أَن يَبدو المَشيبُ بَدَأنَني-بِيَأسٍ مُبينٍ أَو جَنَحنَ إِلى الغَدرِ

Her eyes chased me before my hair became gray
Hopeless her eyes shun me or start to betray

فَإِن حُلنَ أَو أَنكَرنَ عَهداً عَهِدنَهُ-فَغَيرُ بَديعٍ لِلغَواني وَلا نُكرِ

If their mode is changeable into betrayal and denial,
Long time ago with love I was familiar for a while.

وَلكِنَّهُ أَودى الشَبابُ وَإِنَّما-تُصادُ المَها بَينَ الشَبيبَةِ وَالوَفرِ

A beautiful girl when sees the hoar hair, becomes timid.
That is what I suffer really and leads me to be disappointed.

كَفى بِالهَوى شُغلاً وَبِالشَيبِ زاجِراً-لَوَ اَنَّ الهَوى مِمّا يُنَهنَهُ بِالزَجرِ

The gray hair is enough to withhold me from love matter!
But the passionate soul would not refrain from love easier.
أَما وَمَشيبٍ راعَهُنَّ لَرُبَّما-غَمَزنَ بَناناً بَينَ سَحرٍ إِلى نَحرِ

Yet, if they still startle from the hoar hair and bashful—
Perhaps most of them are flirtatious and playful.

وَبِتنا عَلى رَغمِ الوُشاةِ كَأَنَّنا-خَليطانِ مِن ماءِ الغَمامَةِ وَالخَمرِ

We slept our night in spite of the talebearer,
In a pretty welfare as we were wine and water.

خَليلَيَّ ما أَحلى الهَوى وَأَمَرَّهُ-وَأَعلَمَني بِالحُلوِ مِنهُ وَبِالمُرِّ

O! Fellows, what love is sweat once and bitter in other!
No one had practiced with love more than I did forever.

بِما بَينَنا مِن حُرمَةٍ هَل رَأَيتُما-أَرَقَّ مِنَ الشَكوى وَأَقسى مِنَ الهَجرِ

As there is cordiality between us, do you consider?
How much separation is bitter and complains of love is tender!

وَأَفضَحَ مِن عَينِ المُحِبِّ لِسِرِّهِ-وَلا سِيَّما إِن أَطلَقَت عَبرَةً تَجري

There is nothing rather than teardrop acting as a revealer.
Especially when eye sheds tear and it is obviously to other.