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The times have become bleak and the country desolate

سمج الزمان وأوحش البلد

1. The times have become bleak and the country desolate
As if no one lives in it

١. سَمُجَ الزَّمانُ وأوحش البلدُ
فكأنّما هو ما به أَحدُ

2. And people are distressed by calamity
Neither refuge nor pillars avail them

٢. والنّاسُ في ضيق المصُيبة ما
وسِعتهم نَزْوى ولا سَمَدُ

3. They have lost the precious one from the clan of Hasan
So they are afflicted by the loss of her they lost

٣. فقَدوا العزيزةَ من بني حسن
فتبّلدوا بمصابِ من فقدوا

4. Sorrows are manifest upon them
As well as anguish, regrets and suppressions

٤. وعليهم الأحزانُ ظاهرة
والوَجْدُ والحسرات والكمَدُ

5. Their eyes flow with tears
As if they are diseased and afflicted

٥. وعيونهم بالدمع جاريةٌ
فكأَنها العُوّارُ والرَّمَدُ

6. The means of the compassionate are severed
And the livers of those in anguish are cracked

٦. وتقطّعت من مشفِقٍ حيلٌ
وتصدّعت من مُحرقِ كَبدُ

7. No eyelid of her kin has dried
Nor of strangers, every skin is torn

٧. ما جفَّ جفن من أَقاربها
والأجنبيين ولا خلا جَلَدُ

8. With the pearls of her tears
And the sighs of her anguish, fires are kindled

٨. بصبَابة عَبراتُها دِررٌ
وكآبةٍ زفراتُها تَقِدُ

9. They weep when the morning breeze blows
And when the singing bird chirps

٩. وبكا إِذا جرت الصّبا سَحراً
وإذا تغنى الطائرُ الغَرِدُ

10. Among the men are noble horsemen
And of the women, delicate maidens

١٠. فمن الرّجال غطارفٌ نجبٌ
ومن النساء كواعبٌ خردُ

11. They have been bereaved of the leader of all women, a wet nurse
Chaste, wise, forbearing

١١. فُجعوا بسيدة الأَنام نَدًى
وتُقى وفيها الحلمُ والرّشدُ

12. Her right hand flows with virtue
To the neighbor, the kin, and the aspiring

١٢. ويمينُها بالفضل جارية
للجار والقربى ومن يَفِدُ

13. Charity is her habit and nature
As well as righteousness, good deeds and help

١٣. والجودُ عادتُها وشيمَتُها
والبرُّ والحَسنات والرّفدُ

14. Her mercy to the weak has gone
And they saw and tasted other than what they were accustomed to

١٤. زالت عن الضُّعفاءِ رحمتُها
فَرأوا وذاقوا غير ما عَهدوا

15. The cry of the orphans and widows, after
No dinner or clothes were left for them

١٥. ويَح اليتامى والأراملِ ما
أبقى لهم سَبَد ولا لبدُ

16. Hope has departed and their good tidings have disappeared
And misery and barrenness have afflicted them

١٦. ذهبَ الرّجاءُ وغاب بشرهُم
وعلاهُم البأساءُ والثكدُ

17. They lost the precious one, but even if they sought
The likes of her on earth, they would not find

١٧. عَدموا العزيزةَ ثم لو طلَبوا
مثلا لها في الأرض ما وجدوا

18. Her merits and conduct remain
Except for the soul and body that have passed

١٨. بقيت فضائلها وسيرتُها
من غاب إلاّ الرّوح والجسدُ

19. Yearning for those virtues in
The belly of the ground that the coffin embraces

١٩. لهفي تلك المحاسن في
بطن الصّعيد يضمها اللّحدُ

20. Beneath her the dust is spread
And above her the wooden planks are stacked

٢٠. من تحتها للترب مفترش
ومن الجنادل فوقها نضدُ

21. Such is the way of the people of times
And the world wears out as its conditions change

٢١. هذا سبيلُ بني الزّمان وقد
يبلى الورى وصروفه جُدُد

22. In its renewal, fate gives lessons
Years pass and periods expire

٢٢. والدَّهر في حِدثانه عِبَرٌ
تمضي السنونَ وتنفَدُ الُمدَدُ

23. Every living being has a destined term
And every matter has an ending

٢٣. ولكل حي ينقضي أَجلٌ
ولكلِّ أَمر ينتهي أَمدُ

24. Where are the tyrants who were insolent
In their reign, and in their glory, defiant

٢٤. أين الجبابرةُ الذين طَغوا
في ملكهم وبعزهم مَرَدُوا

25. For them lofty palaces reaching the sky
And horses, supporters and troops

٢٥. لهم القصورُ الشُّمّ شامخةً
والخيلُ والأنصارُ والعَدَدُ

26. All those with a dazzling and an arrogant forehead
And a prowling, hunting nose

٢٦. من كلِّ من في خدّه صَعرٌ
لعُتو وبأنفه صَيَدُ

27. They pillaged and corrupted the lands
They poisoned men, oppressed and persecuted

٢٧. بطَشوا وعاثوا في البلاد وهم
سامُوا الرّجال الخسفَ واضطَهدوا

28. Until, when they reached the end of their term
They arrived at the stables of their ruin

٢٨. حتى إذا بلغَ المدى بهمُ
ورَدوا جمام حياضه ورَدُوا

29. Thamud perished and Aad was eradicated
And the people of Tubba only ruin remained

٢٩. هلكت ثمودُ وعادٌ انقرِضت
وأَباد قوم تبّع الأَبدُ

30. And so was Luqman who was carried off
By the eagles as snakes betrayed him

٣٠. وكذلك لقمانُ الذي فنيت
عنه النّسور وخانه لُبَدُ

31. Then the early Caesars amassed
Treasures but were not immortalized by them

٣١. ثم الأَكاسرة الأولى كثرت
لهم الكنوز فما بها خلدوا

32. Every man met his death
None can evade its appointed time

٣٢. كل امرءٍ لاقى منيّته
ما لامرئ عن وردها حَيَدُ

33. But our wounds! For we have lost our masters
Patience and composure collapsed within us

٣٣. لكن شجانَا فقدُ سادتنا
فانهدّ منّا الصّبْرُ والجَلدُ

34. A generous lady was lost
Our place of refuge and pillar

٣٤. أودت من الكرماء سيدَةٌ
وكانت يلاذُ بها ويُعتَمَدُ

35. She was precious among her clan
They did not abandon or distance themselves from her

٣٥. وهي العزيزة في عشيرتها
لم يخذْلوا عنها ولا بعُدُوا

36. They are all honorable nobles
The loyalty of Shaddad in battle, helpers

٣٦. وهم الأَعزة كلهم نُجبٌ
صبرُ شدادٌ في الوغى نُجُدُ

37. They rode the steeds straight
Their habit is raids and repulsion

٣٧. رَكبوا متونَ الخيل عاديةً
عادتُها الغاراتُ والطّردُ

38. The white and the brown horses they own
Saddled, the white and the green

٣٨. والبيضُ والسّمرُ اللّذان لهم
منصوبةٌ والبيض والزّرَدُ

39. And the most generous tribe of Ziyad built for her
Family, and of Mudar she had many

٣٩. وبنوا زياد الأَكرمون لها
أهل ومن مضر لها عددُ

40. Her father Abu Saeed the Benefactor
And Muhammad the son of Muammer

٤٠. أبو سعيد النّافعيّ أبٌ
ومحمّد بنُ معمّر وَلدُ

41. The Master, protector of the poor
As a lion shows tenderness over his cubs

٤١. السّيد الحامي الذّمار كما
يحنو على أشباله الأُّسدُ

42. He is the distinguished one in his generosity
He bestows lavishly and fulfills his promise

٤٢. وهو المبرَزّ في سماحته
يهب اللّهى ويفي بما يَعِدُ

43. He made it a place of refuge for visitors
And a guardian for the fearful, a pillar

٤٣. وذَراه للوفادِ منتجعَ
وحماه للخَواف مُستندُ

44. We see him among the people with his
Unique traits of character

٤٤. ونراه بين النّاس وهو بما
فيه من الأَخلاق مُنفَردُ

45. They acknowledged his glory and generosity
And testified for him every virtue

٤٥. وبمجدِه وبجوده اعترفوا
وله بكل فضيلة شَهدوا

46. And when they set out to the place of return
They found success in what they intended

٤٦. وإذا هُم قصدوا لعائدَةِ
وجَدوا النجاح لما به قصدوا

47. Muhammad bin Muammer has a foot
That rises above the heights, and over kings, a hand

٤٧. لمحمد بن معمر قدمٌ
تَعلو العُلى وعلى المُلوك يَدُ

48. His father Abu Umar left him a lineage
For which he strives and exerts himself

٤٨. أبقى أبو عمَر له حسباً
فلصونهِ يسعى ويجتهدُ

49. Every day he attains high merits
And for his endeavor in his glory, he ascends

٤٩. في كل يوم يستفيد عُلىً
ولجَدّهِ في مَجدِه صَعَدُ

50. His day never ceases to increase over
Yesterday, and tomorrow he will leap forward

٥٠. أبداً له يوم يزيدُ على
أمس ويعدو بالمزيد غَدُ

51. Have patience Abu Abdel Ilah over
The adversity you encounter and find

٥١. صبراً أبا عبد الإله عَلى
مكروه ما تلقى وما تجدُ

52. If you cry or despair for the lady
You have lost, no wonder and no shame

٥٢. إنْ تبكِ أو تجزْعْ لسّيدة
فقدت فلا عجبٌ ولا فَنَدُ

53. Or if you are patient, patience is an honor
And worship of God on which one relies

٥٣. أو تصطبرْ فالصّبرُ مكرمةٌ
وعبادةٌ اللهِ تعتمدُ

54. If your Lord willed, no harm would have afflicted you
And sorrow, care and agony would have missed you

٥٤. لو شاءَ ربُّكَ لم يُصبك أَذى
وشجاً عداك الهَمُّ والشَّهَدُ

55. Surrender Abu Abdel Ilah and live
A life in which is serenity and comfort

٥٥. واسلم أَبا عبد الإله وعِشْ
عيشاً به السّرآءُ والرَّغدُ

56. Excuse those who envy you for their enmity
If not for virtue, there would have been no envy

٥٦. واعْذُرْ حسودَك في عَداوتهِ
لولا الفضيلةُ لم يكن حَسَدُ

57. They envied you when they found you better than them
Not denying nobility or rejecting it

٥٧. حَسدوك إذ وَجدوك افضَلهم
لا انكروا شرَفاً ولا جحَدوا

58. Who denies the nobility of Ateeq? And who
Conceals the merits for which he is praised?

٥٨. مَنْ منكرٌ شرفَ العتيك ومَن
مُخفٍ فضائل ما به حُمِدوا

59. Aydaan, no shame in the glory they possess
And Qanaah, pillar of might they lean on

٥٩. عيدانُ وعلى مجدٍ ما بها خورٌ
وقناةُ عزّ ما بها أَوَدُ

60. And their predecessors are their pillars
For them are the steeds and the mountain goats

٦٠. وعلى دعائمها سوابقهم
ولها العواسل والظّبا عَمَدُ

61. The clan of Omar inundated them
Each of them to each a pillar

٦١. غَمرتهم أَيدي بني عمرٍ
كلٌ لكلٍ منهم عَضُدُ

62. And peace be upon your precious one, for her
From Him an extended lifetime

٦٢. وعلى عزيزتك السّلامُ لها
منه على طول المدى مَدَدث

63. The clouds have watered her soil and the King
The One, the Eternal has pardoned her

٦٣. وسَقى الغمائمُ ترابها وعفى
عنها المليك الواحدُ الصّمدُ

64. She will continue to love people, they sought
Righteousness and she reformed them when corrupt

٦٤. وبقيت تحبوُ الناس سألوا
براً وتصلحهم إذا فسدوا

65. And to you the likes of the bride have been lost
Many warning examples have been set

٦٥. وإليكم مثلَ العَروسِ فَقد
زُفَّت إليك أَوابدٌ شُرُدُ