لذا اليوم أعملت القلاص العباهلا — Abn Almqrb Alaaona

لِذا اليَومِ أَعمَلتُ القِلاصَ العَباهِلا

وَأَبقَيتُها تَحكي الحَنايا نَواحِلا

For this day I drove the unhobbled young she-camels hard,

and left them lean, resembling curved bows.

لِذا اليَومِ كَم نَفَّرتُ عَن زُغبِها القَطا

وَنَبَّهتُ ذُؤبانَ الفَلاةِ العَواسِلا

For this day, how often I frightened sandgrouse from their downy chicks,

and roused the desert's loping wolves.

لِذا اليَومِ كَم مِن حُوتِ بَحرٍ ذَعَرتُهُ

وَكَم رُعتُ لَيثاً أَعصَلَ النابِ باسِلا

For this day, how many a sea creature I startled,

and how often I frightened a fierce lion with crooked fangs.

لِذا اليَومِ كَم جاثٍ بِغابٍ أَثَرتُهُ

وَغادَرتُ هَيقاً يَمسَحُ الأَرضَ جافِلا

For this day, how many a beast crouching in a thicket I flushed out,

and left a male ostrich sweeping over the ground in flight.

لِذا اليَومِ نَكَّبتُ الجَزيرَةَ راجِعاً

وَإِربِلَ لَم أَعطِف عَلَيها وَبابِلا

For this day I skirted al-Jazira on my return,

and did not turn toward Erbil or Babylon.

لِذا اليَومِ فارَقتُ اِختيارَاً أَحِبَّتي

وَأَهلَ وِدادي وَالمُلوكَ الأَفاضِلا

For this day I willingly parted from my loved ones,

those dear to me, and the noble kings.

فَكَم خُضتُ رَجوى اليَومِ مِن لُجِّ مُزبِدٍ

يُظنُّ اِصطِفاقُ المَوجِ فيهِ مَشاعِلا

How often, hoping for this day, I plunged through foaming depths,

where the clashing waves might be mistaken for torches.

وَكَم جُبتُ مِن مَوماةِ أَرضٍ تَرى بِها

مَعَ الآلِ حَقَّ العَينِ وَالأُذنِ باطِلا

How many a wilderness I crossed, where you see

the truth of eye and ear made false by the mirage.

تَخالُ بِها الحِرباءَ في رَأسِ جذلَةٍ

شَبيحاً مِنَ البدوانِ لِلعرضِ ماثِلاً

There you mistake a chameleon atop a tree stump

for a tall Bedouin standing for inspection.

وَتَحسبُ فيها الثُعلُبانَ مُجَدَّلاً

مِنَ الخَيلِ إِذ تَعلُو كَثيباً مُقابِلا

And there you take a male fox for a sturdy mount

among the horses, as you climb a dune facing it.

وَإِن عَرَضَت فيها الرِئالُ حَسِبتَها

بخاتِيَّ تَحمِلنَ الرَوايا قَوافِلا

And if young ostriches appear there, you take them for

Bactrian camels bearing water skins in caravans.

وَحَيِّ عِدىً قَد طالَ ما نَذَروا دَمي

فَلَو ظَفَروا بِي عَمَّمُوني المَناصِلا

And an enemy clan that had long vowed to spill my blood—

had they seized me, they would have turbaned me with blades.

تَخَطَّيتُهُم هُدءاً مِن اللَيلِ بَعدَما

تَنَكَّبَ حادي النَجمِ لِلغَربِ مائِلا

I passed beyond them in a quiet stretch of night, after

the stars' guide had veered, inclining westward.

وَلَو لَم أُمَنِّ النَفسَ في كُلِّ ساعَةٍ

بِذا اليَومِ لَم تَعدَم مِنَ الهَمِّ قاتِلا

Had I not sustained my soul each hour with hope

of this day, it would have found grief enough to kill it.

إِذا ما اِنقَضَت أَيّامُ عادٍ تَرَكتُها

وَقُلتُ نُرَجّي ذَلِكَ اليَومَ قابِلا

Whenever days like those of ‘Ad had passed, I left them behind,

and said, 'We hope for that day next year.'

فَيا سَعدَهُ يَوماً بِلُقيايَ سَيِّداً

أَبَرَّ عَلى الساداتِ حَزماً وَنائِلا

How blessed a day, when I met a lord

who surpassed all lords in resolve and bounty.

بِلُقيايَ مَلكاً زَيَّنَ المُلكَ مُذ رَقَى

ذُراهُ وَحَلّى مِنهُ ما كانَ عاطِلا

Through meeting a king who adorned kingship ever since he climbed

its heights, and embellished whatever in it was bare.

هُماماً أَبَت هِمّاتُهُ أَن تَرى لَهُ

عَلى الأَرضِ في بَأسٍ وَجُودٍ مُماثِلا

A valiant lord whose ambitions refuse to let you see

his equal on earth in valor or generosity.

جَميلَ الثَنا عَذبَ السَجايا مُهَذَّباً

أَشَمَّ طَويلَ الباعِ قَرماً حُلاحِلا

Fair of renown, sweet in nature, refined,

proudly noble, far-reaching, a mighty, magnanimous chief.

رَزينَ حَصاةِ الحِلمِ أَلوى مُمَاحِكاً

لِأَعدائِهِ طَلّابَ وَترٍ مُماطِلا

Weighty in sober judgment, unyielding and contentious

toward his enemies, ever seeking vengeance, reluctant to yield.

سَريعاً إِلى الجُلّى بَطيئاً عَنِ الخَنا

قَؤُولا لِما يُعيي الرِجالَ المَقاوِلا

Swift to great deeds, slow toward shameful acts,

eloquent in what confounds the most eloquent men.

مِنَ الصارِمِ الهِنديّ أَمضى عَزائِماً

وَأَصدَقَ مِن نَوءِ الثُرَيّا مَخائِلا

Sharper in resolve than an Indian blade,

and truer in his promise than the Pleiades' rain season.

يُخافُ وَيُرجى حالَةَ السُخطِ وَالرِضا

وَما قالَ إِلّا كانَ لِلقَولِ فاعِلا

He is feared and hoped in, in anger and in favor,

and never spoke without acting on his word.

سَما لِلعُلى طِفلاً وَحالَ اِثِّغارِهِ

سَقى مِن نُحورِ الدارِعينَ العَوامِلا

He rose toward glory as a child; while shedding his milk teeth,

he watered spear-shafts from the throats of armored men.

وَدانَت كُماةُ الحَربِ غَصباً لِبأسِهِ

وَلَمّا تَجُز في السِنِّ عَشراً كَوامِلا

War's champions submitted unwillingly to his might,

before ten full years of age had passed.

فَيا سائِلاً عَنهُ وَما مِن جَهالَةٍ

تُسائِلُ بَل تُبدي لِأَمرٍ تَجاهُلا

O you who ask about him—not out of ignorance

do you ask, but for some purpose you feign ignorance.

سَلِ الخَيلَ عَنهُ يَومَ تَكسُو حُماتَها

طَيالِسَةً مِن نَسجِها وَغَلائِلا

Ask the horses about him on the day they clothe their defenders

in mantles of their own weaving and in tunics.

أَلَم يَكُ أَمضاها جَناناً وَصارِماً

وَأَطوَلَها إِذ ذاكَ باعاً وَذابِلا

Was he not the keenest among them in heart and sword,

and the longest-reaching then in arm and supple spear?

أَلَم يَأتِ مِن أَرضِ الشَواجِنِ يَختَطي

حَرابِيَّ أَجوَازِ الفَلا وَالخمائِلا

Did he not come from the land of al-Shawajin, striding past

the chameleons of the desert's heartlands and the thickets,

كَسَهمِ عَلاءٍ أَو كَما اِنقَضَّ كَوكَبٌ

يُعارِضُ عِفرِيتاً مِنَ الجَوِّ نازِلا

like ‘Ala's arrow, or like a falling star

descending from the sky to intercept an ifrit?

فَما حَلَّ عَقدَ السَيفِ حَتّى أَناخَها

ضُحىً بِعِذارِ الخَطِّ حَدباءَ ناحِلا

He did not undo his sword's bindings until he made his mounts kneel,

at midmorning by al-Khatt's edge, hump-backed and lean.

وَقَبلَ أَذانِ العَصرِ نُودي بِمُلكِهِ

نِداءاً أَرانا الدَهرَ يَفتَرُّ جاذِلا

Before the afternoon call to prayer, his kingship was proclaimed,

a proclamation that showed us Time smiling with joy.

وَلَم يَرزَ مَنصُوراً فَتيلاً لِمُلكِهِ

عَلَيهِ وَلا أَولاهُ إِلّا فَواضِلا

He did not diminish Mansur by a thread through his rule

over him, nor did he bestow on him anything but favors.

وَذُو المَجدِ لا يَرضى عُقوقاً وَلا أَذىً

لِذِي رَحِمٍ لَو لَم يَكُن قَبلُ واصِلا

A man of glory approves neither estrangement nor injury

to a kinsman, even if he had not maintained the bond before.

وَلَو لَم يَخَف أَن يَذهَبَ المُلكُ لَم يَرُح

عَلى اِبنِ أَخيهِ مُدَّةَ الدَهرِ صائِلا

Had he not feared the kingdom's loss, he would never have gone

attacking his brother's son for all eternity.

وَلَم يَبغِ فيهِ مُسعِداً غَيرَ نَفسِهِ

وَمِثلُ عِمادِ الدِينِ يَكفي قَبائِلا

He sought no helper in it other than himself,

and one like ‘Imad al-Din suffices for whole tribes.

سِوى أَنَّ مِن نَسلِ المُفَدّى عِصابَةً

أَبَوا أَن يُطِيعُوا في هَواهُ العَواذِلا

Except that a band from al-Mufadda's descendants

refused to heed those who reproached their love for him.

وَما ذاكَ إِلّا أَن رَأَوا مِثلَ ما رَأى

وَقَد يَحفَظ الدُولاتِ مَن كانَ عاقِلا

That was only because they saw what he saw;

a wise man may preserve dynasties.

لَعَمري لَنِعمَ المُستَغاثُ مُحَمَّدٌ

إِذا البيضُ نُوزِعنَ البُرى وَالمَجاوِلا

By my life, Muhammad is an excellent refuge

when fair women are stripped of their rings and gowns.

وَنِعمَ مُناخُ الطارِقينَ رَمَت بِهِم

شَآمِيَّةٌ تُزجي سَحاباً حَوافِلا

An excellent resting-place for night visitors driven to him by

a Syrian wind herding clouds heavy with rain.

وَنِعمَ المُراعى لِلنَزيلِ وَطالَما

أَحَلَّت رِجالٌ بِالنَزيلِ النَوَازِلا

An excellent protector of the guest—how often

men have brought calamities down upon a guest.

وَنِعمَ لِسانُ القَومِ في يَوم لا تَرى

لِكِلمَةِ فَصلٍ تَرفَعُ الشَكَّ قائِلا

An excellent spokesman for his people on a day when you find

no one to utter a decisive word that dispels doubt.

أَعَزُّ وَأَوفى مِن عُمَيرٍ وَحارِثٍ

وَأَكرمُ مِن كَعبٍ وَأَوسٍ شَمائِلا

Mightier and more faithful than Umayr and Harith,

and nobler in character than Ka‘b and Aws.

وَأَصدَقُ بَأساً مِن كُلَيبٍ إِذا غَدا

يَجُرُّ إِلى حَربِ المُلوكِ الجَحافِلا

Truer in valor than Kulaib when he sets forth,

leading great armies into war against kings.

وَأَحَلَمُ مِن قَيسٍ إِذا الحِلمُ لَم يَرُح

يُطَوِّقُ عاراً أَو يُمَوِّقُ جاهِلا

More forbearing than Qays, when forbearance does not become

a collar of disgrace or make a fool of the ignorant.

وَأَمنَعُ جاراً مِن يَزيدٍ وَهانِئٍ

وَجَسّاسٍ الساقي حَسا المَوت وائِلا

More protective of a neighbor than Yazid and Hani’,

and Jassas, who made Wa’il drink death's draughts.

إِذا ما رَأَيناهُ ذَكَرنا مُحَمَّداً

أَباهُ فَبَشَّرنا مَضيماً وَآمِلا

Whenever we saw him, we remembered Muhammad,

his father, and brought glad tidings to the wronged and the hopeful.

وَقُلنا لِأَبناءِ المُلوكِ تَوَقَّعُوا

لَهُ فَرَجاً يَأتي بِهِ اللَهُ عاجِلا

We told the sons of kings, 'Expect

relief for him, swiftly brought by God.'

وَأَيُّ فَتى مَجدٍ وَمُجدي رَغائِبٍ

وَمِحضَأ حَربٍ يَترُكُ الشَيخَ ذاهِلا

What a youth of glory, a giver of desired gifts,

and a kindler of war that leaves an old man bewildered!

وَشَلّالُ مَغشاةٍ وَحَلّالُ تَلعَةٍ

حَمى الخَوفُ خُبراواتِها وَالمَسائِلا

A scatterer of massed hosts, one who camps in a valley

whose rain-pools and watercourses fear has guarded.

فَيا باعَلِيٍّ يا اِبنَ مَن فاقَ مَجدُهُ

أَواخِرَ أَربابِ العُلا وَالأَوائِلا

O Abu ‘Ali, son of one whose glory surpassed

the latest lords of greatness and the earliest!

مَلَكتَ فَسِر فِيمَن مَلَكتَ بِسِيرَةٍ

تَسُرُّ مُقيماً في ذُراكُم وَراحِلا

You have gained the kingdom: govern those you rule in a manner

that gladdens both those staying in your shelter and those departing.

وَكُن مِثلَ ما قَد كانَ والِدُكَ الَّذي

تَلَقَّيتَهُ وَاِعمَل بِما كانَ عامِلا

Be as your father was, the one

you knew; and act as he acted.

وَأَدرِك رَعايا ضَيَّعَتها رُعاتُها

وَراحَت لِضُبعانٍ وَذِئبٍ أَكايِلا

Rescue subjects whom their shepherds have neglected,

and who have become food for a male hyena and a wolf.

فَأَنت لَعَمري بَينَ خالٍ وَوالِدٍ

يُعيدانِ لِلعَليا سَناماً وَكاهِلا

For you, by my life, stand between a maternal uncle and a father

who restore to glory its hump and withers.

أَبُوكَ الَّذي لَم تَحمِلِ الخَيلُ مِثلَهُ

إِذا أَجهَضَ الرَوعُ النِساءَ الحَوامِلا

Your father, whose equal the horses never carried

when terror made pregnant women miscarry,

مَضى لَم يُدَنِّس عِرضَهُ بِرَذِيلَةٍ

وَلا راحَ لِلمَولى وَلا الجارِ خاذِلا

passed away without staining his honor with a vice,

nor ever forsook an ally or a neighbor.

وَمَن يَدَّعي خالاً كَخالِكَ يَدَّعي

مُحالاً وَإِفكاً مُستَحيلاً وَباطِلا

Whoever claims a maternal uncle like yours claims

an impossibility, a lie, something inconceivable and false.

وَمَن كَحُسَينٍ إِن أَلَمَّت مُلِمَّة

تُريكَ البَليغَ النَدبَ فِدماً مُوائِلا

Who is like Husayn when a calamity befalls

that shows you an eloquent, able man tongue-tied and seeking refuge?

مَتى تَدعُهُ تَدعُ اِمرَءاً لا مُضَيِّعاً

صَديقاً وَلا عَن صارِخٍ مُتَثاقِلا

Whenever you call him, you call a man who neither neglects

a friend nor hangs back from someone crying for help.

حَمُولا لَما حَمَّلتَهُ ذا فَظاظَةٍ

عَلى مَن يُعادي أَلمَعِيّاً مُناضِلا

Readily bearing whatever burden you lay upon him, harsh

toward those he opposes, a quick-witted champion.

وَما بَرِحُوا آلَ المُفَدّى لِجارِهِم

وَلِاِبنِ أَخيهِم حِيثُ كانُوا مَعاقِلا

They—the house of al-Mufadda—have always been, for their neighbor

and their brother's son, wherever they were, strongholds.

وَغَزوانَ فَاِحفَظ وُدَّهُ وَاِحتَفِظ بِهِ

تَجِد سَيفَ عَزمٍ في مَراضِيكَ فاصِلا

As for Ghazwan, preserve his affection and hold fast to him:

you will find a sword of resolve, decisive in what pleases you.

وَقابِل بِهِ كَيدَ العَدُوِّ وَصِل بِهِ

جَناحَكَ واِجعَلهُ لِعَلياكَ حائِلا

Counter through him the enemy's guile, and strengthen with him

your wing; make him a bulwark for your glory.

فَما فيهِ تَضييعٌ عَلَيكَ وَلا تَرى

لَهُ في مَراضي مَن تُصافي مُشاكِلا

There is no neglect of your interests in him, nor will you find

his equal in pleasing those you cherish.

وَأَيُّ رَئيسٍ لا يُرى دُونَ مالِهِ

صَديقٌ وَلا عافٍ يُرَجِّيهِ حائِلا

And what a chief! Before his wealth there is never seen,

by friend or hopeful petitioner, any barrier.

وَجُندُكَ رُشهُم ما اِستَطَعتَ وَلا تَكُن

وَإِن غَفِلُوا عَن رَبِّهِم مُتَغافِلا

Provide for your troops as much as you can, and do not be

heedless, even if they are heedless of their lord.

فَما الجُندُ إِلّا جُنَّةٌ تَتَّقي بِها

غَوائِلَ مَولىً أَو عَدُوّاً مُصاوِلا

Troops are nothing but a shield with which you ward off

an ally's treacheries or an attacking enemy.

وَلا تُهمِلَن وُدّي لَكُم وَقَرابَتي

وَأَشعارِيَ اللّاتي مَلَأنَ المَحافِلا

Do not neglect my affection for you and my kinship,

nor my poems, which have filled the assemblies.

فَكَم لِيَ في عَلَياكُمُ مِن غَريبَةٍ

يَظَلُّ مُسامِيكُم لَها مُتَضائِلا

How many a rare marvel I have composed upon your glory,

before which your rival keeps dwindling.

نَتائِجُ فِكرٍ غادَرَت كُلَّ فِكرَةٍ

نَتُوجٍ لِما يَحلُو مِنَ الشِعرِ حائِلا

Offspring of thought that have left every other thought,

though fertile in sweet poetry, barren.

وَكَم غُصَصٍ جُرِّعتُها في هَواكُمُ

وَلَم أُصغِ سَمعاً لِلَّذي جاءَ عاذِلا

How many bitter mouthfuls I was forced to swallow for love of you!

Yet I lent no ear to anyone who came reproaching me.

وَفارَقتُ أَهلي غَيرَ قالٍ وَأُسرَتي

وَولدِيَ خِلّانَ الصِبا وَالمَنازِلا

I left my family without hatred, and my kin,

my children, childhood companions, and homes.

وَإِنَّ مَديحي غَيرَكُم غَيرُ رائِقٍ

وَلَو أَنَّني بُلِّغتُ فيهِ الوَسائِلا

My praise of anyone but you is not pleasing,

even if through it I obtained every means to my ends.

بَقيتَ لَنا يابا عَلِيٍّ لِنَقتَضي

بِكَ الثارَ مِن أَيّامِنا وَالطَوائِلا

May you remain for us, Abu ‘Ali, so that we may exact

through you vengeance on our days and repayment of old blood-debts.

وِعاشَ اِمرُؤٌ يَشناكَ ما عاشَ خائِفاً

قَليلاً ذَليلاً خاشِعَ الطَرفِ خامِلا

May the man who hates you live, throughout his life, afraid,

weak, abased, downcast in gaze, obscure.

وَيهنيكَ ذا المُلكُ الَّذي عَمَّ يُمنُهُ

عُقَيلاً وَأَحيا عَبدَ قَيسٍ وَوائِلا

May this kingdom bring you joy, its good fortune embracing

‘Uqayl and reviving ‘Abd Qays and Wa’il.

وَدُونَكَ مِن تَيّارِ بَحرٍ إِذا طَمى

أَراكَ بِحارَ الأَرضِ جَمعاً صَلاصِلا

Take this from the surge of a sea which, when it swells,

shows you all the earth's seas as shallow pools.

وَأَنفَذتُها في حِكمَةٍ وَبَلاغَةٍ

كَسَت حُلَّةً مِن بَعدِ عَهدِكَ عاقِلا

I have sent it forth in wisdom and eloquence

that clothed a man of sense in a robe after long separation from you.