أمن دمنة بين اللوى والدكادك — Abn Almqrb Alaaona

أَمِن دِمنَةٍ بَينَ اللِّوى وَالدَّكادِكِ

شُغِفتَ بِتَذرافِ الدُموعِ السَوافِكِ

Is it because of a ruined campsite between al-Liwa and al-Dakadik

that you are consumed with shedding streaming tears?

عَفَت غَيرَ آرِيٍّ وَأورَقَ حائِلٍ

وَأَشعَثَ مَشجُوجٍ وَسُفعٍ رَوامِكِ

It has vanished, save for a tethering stake and faded gray ashes,

a weathered, split tent-peg, and blackened stones lying still,

وَنُؤيٍ كَجِذمِ الحَوضِ غَيَّرَ رَسمُهُ

وَجِيفُ الحَصا بالمُوجِفاتِ الحَواشِكِ

and a trench like the remnant of a basin, its outline altered by

the racing of gravel under swift, fiercely blowing winds.

كَأَنَّ فُؤادي ناطَهُ ذُو سَخيمَةٍ

قَليلُ التَحَنّي في صُدورِ النَيازِكِ

As though a spiteful man had suspended my heart,

with little compassion, upon the points of short spears,

غَداةَ تَداعى الحَيُّ بِالبَينِ بَعدَما

جَلا الصُبحُ أَعجازَ النُجومِ الدَوالِكِ

the morning the tribe called one another to depart, after

dawn swept away the last of the setting stars.

وَقَد قَرَّبُوا لِلبَينِ كُلَّ هَمَرجَلٍ

أَمُونِ القَرى ضَخمِ العَثانين تامِكِ

They had brought forward for departure every huge camel,

sure-backed, thick-bearded, high-humped,

قِمَطرٍ دَرَفسٍ فَيسَرِيٍّ كَأَنَّما

مَناكِبُهُ جُلِّلنَ وَشيَ الدَرانِكِ

stocky, massive, powerful, as though

its shoulders were draped in the embroidery of thick rugs.

رَعى واجِفاً فَالصُلبُ مِن أَجبُلِ الغَضا

بِحَيثُ اِستَهَلَّت كُلُّ وَطفاءَ رامِكِ

It grazed at Wajif, then al-Sulb, among ghada-covered hills,

where every thick, dark raincloud poured down.

وَفي الجِيرَةِ الغادينَ لا عَن مَلالَةٍ

ظِباءٌ عَلى تِلكَ الهِجانِ البَوائِكِ

Among the neighbors departing at dawn—not from weariness—

were gazelles upon those great white camels,

خِماصُ الحَشا حُمُّ الشِفاهِ كَأَنَّما

يَلُثنَ مُرُوطَ العَصبِ فَوقَ العَوانِكِ

slender-waisted, dark-lipped, as though

they wound striped mantles over heaped sand dunes.

وَيَبسِمنَ عَن نَورِ الأَفاحِيِّ لَم يَزَل

يُغَذّى بِدَرّاتِ الذِهابِ الرَكائِكِ

They smiled to reveal chamomile blossoms, ever

nourished by showers of gentle rain.

وَفِيهِنَّ مِن ذُهلِ بنِ شَيبانَ غادَةٌ

يُطَيِّبُ رَيّاها عَبيرَ المَداوِكِ

Among them was a graceful maiden of Dhuhl ibn Shayban,

whose fragrance sweetened perfume ground with pestles.

كَأَنَّ عَلى فيها سُلافَةَ قَرقَفٍ

وَقَد غُوِّرَت أُمُّ النُجُومِ الشَوابِكِ

As though the purest wine lay upon her lips,

when the mother of the intertwined stars had set.

أَقُولُ لِها سِرّاً وَقَد غابَ كاشِحٌ

رَقيبٌ مَقالَ العاشِقِ المُتَهالِكِ

I speak to her in secret—with the hostile man absent,

the watcher—in the words of a desperately enamored lover:

لَكِ الخَيرُ ما هَذا الجَفاءُ وَهَذِهِ

دِياري وَأَهلي زُلفَةٌ مِن دِيارِكِ

Bless you! What is this coldness, when these are

my dwellings, and my people are close to yours?

أَتَرضينَ قَتلي لا بِسَلَّةِ صارِمٍ

مِن البِيضِ إِلّا سَلَّةً مِن لِحاظِكِ

Would you consent to my death, not by unsheathing a keen sword

from the white blades, but only by unsheathing your glances?

فَوَاللَهِ ما أَدري أَإِعراضُ بَغضَةٍ

لَنا أَو دَلالٌ فَاِفصحي عَن مَقالكِ

By God, I do not know: is this aversion born of hatred

toward us, or coyness? Make your meaning plain.

فَلي هِمَّةٌ عَلَيا وَنَفسٌ أَبِيَّةٌ

تَمُجُّ وِصال اللّاوِياتِ المَواعِكِ

For I have lofty aspiration and a proud soul

that spits out union with evasive, delaying women.

وَلِي عَزمَةٌ إِن ساعَدَ الجدُّ أَشرَقَت

وَنافَت عَلى شُمِّ الرِعانِ الشَوامِكِ

I have a resolve that, if fortune favors it, shines

and towers above the lofty peaks of towering mountains.

ولا بُدَّ مِن نصِّ القِلاصِ وَإِن غَدَت

حُطاماً أَعالي دَأيِها المُتلاحِكِ

The young she-camels must be driven hard, even if

the tops of their close-set vertebrae turn to wreckage.

عَلَيهِنَّ فِتيانٌ كِرامٌ تَحَرَّجُوا

مِنَ النَومِ إِلّا فَوقَ تِلكَ الحَوارِكِ

Upon them ride noble youths who scruple

to sleep anywhere except upon those withers.

أَقُولُ لَهُم وَالعِيسُ تَشدُو كَأَنَّها

مَعَ الآلِ أُمّاتُ الرِئالِ الرَواتِكِ

I say to them, while the pale camels stride as though

amid the mirage they were mothers of swift-striding ostrich chicks:

أَقيمُوا صُدورَ اليَعمُلاتِ ورَفِّعُوا

عَنِ السُبلِ تَنجُوا مِن سَبيلِ المَهالِكِ

Straighten the sturdy she-camels' breasts, and turn aside

from the roads; you will escape the path of destruction.

فَعَنَّ لَنا مِن بَين سِتّينَ لَيلَةٍ

وَميضُ سَناً عَن أَيمَنِ الجَوِّ نابِكِ

Then, during sixty nights, there appeared to us

a flash of radiance, high on the right of the sky.

فَقالُوا تَرى النَجمَ اليَمانيَّ قَد بَدا

يَلُوحُ بِمُستَنٍّ مِنَ الأُفقِ حالِكِ

They said, 'You see, the Yemeni star has appeared,

gleaming along a dark reach of the horizon.'

فَقُلتُ لَهُم ما ذاكَ نَجمٌ تَرَونَهُ

بِناحِيَةِ الخَضراءِ ذاتِ الحَبائِكِ

I told them, 'That is no star you see

in the quarter of the green sky with its woven paths.'

فَقالوا فَماذا قُلتُ نارٌ بِرَبوَةٍ

تُشَبُّ لِأَبناءِ الهُمومِ الضَرابِكِ

They asked, 'Then what?' I said, 'A fire on a hill,

kindled for stalwart sons of care.

يُضِيءُ سَناها بِالدُجى مُتَنَمِّرٌ

عَلى الدَهرِ مُودِي البَرك رَحبِ المَبارِكِ

Its radiance in the dark is lit by a man tiger-fierce

against time, a slayer of camel herds with spacious kneeling grounds,

أَغَرُّ نَماهُ كُلُّ حامٍ مُمانِعٍ

عَنِ المَجدِ بِالمُستَأثراتِ البَواتِكِ

a radiant noble descended from every staunch protector

of glory, wielding prized, cleaving swords,

مِنَ العَبدليّينَ الأُلى في أَكُفِّهِم

حَياةٌ لِأَوّابٍ وَمَوتٌ لِباعِكِ

among the Abdali men, those in whose palms

are life for a returning supplicant and death for an obstinate foe.

أُناسٌ هُمُ الناسُ اِنتَدَوا وَتَشَعّبَت

بِهِم هِمَمٌ ما بَينَ ناءٍ وَآرِكِ

Men who are truly men: they assembled, and there branched out

through them aspirations, among those distant and those abiding.

فَحُلّوا عُرى التِرحالِ وَاِستَعصِمُوا بِهِ

مِنَ الدَهرِ واِرمُوا صَرفَهُ بِالدَوامِكِ

So undo the bonds of travel, and seek his protection

from time; pelt its vicissitudes with massive stones.

فَإِنَّ لَدَيهِ مِن عَلِيٍّ مَقاذِفاً

عَنِ المَجدِ يَخشى فَتكَهُ كُلُّ فاتِكِ

For he has in Ali a fighting defender

of glory, whose deadly assault every slayer fears.

يُجيرُ عَلى الأَيّامِ ما لا تُجيرُهُ

عَلَيهِ وَيَسطُو بَالخُطُوبِ العَوارِكِ

He shields against the days what they cannot shield

against him, and strikes at crushing calamities.

مَنيعُ الحِمى لا يَذعَرُ القَومُ سَرحَهُ

وَلا تُتَّقى غاراتُهُ بِالمَآلِكِ

His domain is inviolable; no men startle his grazing herds,

nor can messages ward off his raids.

فَتىً لا يَرى مالاً سِوى ما أَفادَهُ

طِعانُ العِدى في المَأزَقِ المَتَضانِكِ

A youth who counts no wealth except what is won for him

by spearing foes in the tight press of battle.

وَلا يَقتَني مِن مالِهِ غَيرَ سابِحٍ

وَأَبيضَ مَخشُوبِ الغِرارَينِ باتِكِ

Of his wealth he keeps only a fleet steed,

a white, cleaving sword with two roughly honed edges,

وَمَسرُودَةٍ جَدلاءَ تَضفو ذُيولُها

عَلى قَدَمِ القَرمِ الأَنَدِّ الضُبارِكِ

and tightly linked mail, whose skirts hang long

over the foot of the mighty, unyielding, stalwart chief.

وَأَحسَنُ مِن شَدوِ المَزاهِيرِ عِندَهُ

صَليلُ المَواضي في مُتونِ التَرائِكِ

Sweeter to him than the music of lutes

is the clang of keen blades upon the crowns of helmets.

وَلا يَتَساوى رَدعُ مِسكٍ وَعَنبَرٍ

لَدَيهِ بِرَدعٍ مِن دَمِ القِرنِ صائِكِ

A smear of musk and ambergris cannot compare

in his eyes with a clinging smear of an adversary's blood.

وَإِن جَعَلَت فَوقَ الأريكِ مَقيلَها

رِجالٌ فَسَل عَنهُ رِجالَ الأَوارِكِ

If some men make their midday resting place upon couches,

ask about him of the men with arak-grazing camels.

لَهُ كُلَّ يَومٍ غارَةٌ مُشمَعِلَّةٌ

تَرى الصِّيدَ مِن شَدّاتِها في مَناسِكِ

Each day he launches a swift, sweeping raid;

its fierce attacks send proud chiefs into sanctuaries.

بِها يَحتَوِي نَهبَ الأَعادي وَيَصطَفي

عَقائِلَ أَبناءِ المُلوكِ العَواتِكِ

Through it he takes the enemy's spoils and selects

the noble, perfumed women of kings' sons.

حَمِيٌّ عَلى ما حازَهُ وَأَتَت بِهِ

إِلَيهِ الأَتاوى مِن مَليكٍ مُتارِكِ

He jealously guards what he has won, and what has come

to him as tribute from a king who keeps the peace.

هُمامٌ إِذا ما هَمَّ لَم يَثنِ عَزمَهُ

أَقاويلُ أَبناءِ الطِغامِ الضُكاضِكِ

A valiant lord: when he resolves, his resolve is never bent

by the chatter of sons of the rabble, those paltry fellows.

ترى العَرَبَ العَربا يحُجّونَ بَيتَهُ

كَأَنَّهُمُ جاؤُوا لِذَبحِ النَسائِكِ

You see the Arabs of pure lineage make pilgrimage to his house,

as though they came to slaughter sacrificial beasts,

رِجالاً وَرُكباناً فَمِن طَالِبٍ غِنىً

وَمِن تائبٍ عَن ذِلَّةٍ مُتَدارِكِ

on foot and mounted: some seeking wealth,

others turning away from humiliation, seeking recovery.

تَخالُ إِياساً في الفَصاحَةِ باقِلاً

لَدَيهِ وَفُرسانُ الوَغى في تَداوُكِ

You would think Iyas a Baqil in eloquence

beside him, while the horsemen of battle clash together.

إِذا صالَ لَم يُعدَل بِقَيسِ بنِ خالِدٍ

وَإِن قالَ لَم يُعدَل بِسَعدِ بنِ مالِكِ

When he charges, Qays ibn Khalid cannot match him;

when he speaks, Sa'd ibn Malik cannot match him.

وَإن جادَ بَذَّ المَرثدِيِّينَ جُودُهُ

وَأَنسى بَني الآمالِ جُودَ البَرامِكِ

When he gives, his generosity outstrips the Marthadis

and makes the sons of hope forget the bounty of the Barmakids.

أَبا ماجِدٍ لَم يَبقَ إِلّاكَ ماجِدٌ

يُرجّى لِأَبكارِ الخُطُوبِ النَواهِكِ

O Abu Majid, no noble man remains except you

to be looked to against new, exhausting calamities.

أَنِفتُ لِمَدحي مَن سِواكُم لِأَنَّني

إِلى ذِروَتَيكُم في سِنامٍ وَحارِكِ

I disdained to praise anyone but you, because

I belong to your twin heights, the hump and the withers.

وَأَكبَرتُ نَفسي أَن أُرى مُتَضائِلاً

أُرَجّي نَوالاً مِن لَئِيمٍ رَكارِكِ

I held myself too high to be seen diminished,

hoping for bounty from a spineless miser,

مَخافَةَ تَرّاكٍ يَقُولُ وَقَولُهُ

أَمَضُّ وَأَمضَى مِن حُدودِ النَيازِكِ

for fear a deserter would say—and his words

are more painful and sharper than the edges of short spears—

لَوَ اِنَّ بَني القَرمِ العُيونيِّ سادَةٌ

كِرام يُرَوّونَ القَنا في المَعارِكِ

'If the Uyunid chief's sons were lords,

noble men who drench their spears in battle,

لَغارُوا عَلى النَظمِ الجَميلِ وَلَم يَكُن

لَهُم في مَعاني لَفظِهِ مِن مُشارِكِ

they would jealously guard fine verse, and none would

share with them the meanings of its words.'

أَما كانَ فيهِم مِثلُ عَمرو بنِ مرثِدٍ

وَذُو المَجدِ دفّاعُ الهُمومِ السَوادِكِ

Was there not among them one like Amr ibn Marthad,

and a man of glory who drives off clinging cares?

فَغَر فَبَناتُ الفِكرِ أَولى بِغَيرَةٍ

وَأَجدَرُ مِن نُجلِ العُيونِ الرَكارِكِ

So guard jealously: daughters of thought have a greater claim to jealous care

and deserve it more than delicate women with wide eyes.

وَحافِظ عَلى الذِكرِ الجَميلِ فَإِنَّما

مَصيرُ الفَتى أُحدُوثَةٌ في الشَكائِكِ

Preserve a fair remembrance, for

a man's final lot is a tale among the tribes.

وَلا تُسلِمَن لِلدَهرِ مَولىً هَواكُمُ

هَواهُ وَمَهما ساءَكُم غَيرُ حاسِكِ

Do not surrender to time a kinsman: your love

is his love; however he offends you, he bears no rancor.

يَمُتُّ بِوُدٍّ مِن ضَميرٍ تَحُوطُهُ

عَواطِفُ أَرحامٍ إِلَيكُم شَوابِكِ

He claims kinship through affection from a heart encircled

by the tenderness of family ties intertwined with you.

وَلَستُ وَإِن أَودى الزَمانُ بِثَروَتي

وَزاحَمَني مِنهُ بِخَصمٍ مُماحِكِ

Nor am I—even if time destroys my wealth

and besets me with a quarrelsome foe of its own—

بِمُهدٍ ثنائي وَالمَناديح جَمَّةٌ

إِلى حَوتَكِيٍّ أَبشَع اللُؤمِ راعِكِ

one to offer my praise, with so many alternatives,

to a puny wretch, hideously base and foolish,

يَرى مُورِدَ الآمالِ حَولَ فِنائِهِ

بِعَينِ نوارٍ تَلحَظُ الشَيبَ فارِكِ

who eyes the bearer of hopes around his courtyard

as a man-shunning, husband-hating woman eyes gray hair.

ولا ضارِعٍ طَوعَ المُنى يَستَفِزُّني

إِلى مُقرِفٍ رَجمُ الظُنونِ الأَوافِكِ

Nor am I one to abase myself at desire's bidding, driven

to a baseborn man by the guesswork of deceitful suppositions.

وَلَستُ بِمفراحٍ بِمالٍ أُفيدُهُ

لعَمري وَلا آسٍ عَلى إِثرِ هالِكِ

Nor am I overjoyed by wealth I acquire,

by my life, nor grieving after what has perished.

وَلا مادِحٍ إِلّا سُراةَ بَني أَبي

جَمالُ المَعالي بَل لُيُوثُ المَعارِكِ

Nor do I praise any but the leaders of my father's sons,

the beauty of lofty deeds—rather, lions of battles.

وَلي وَقفَةٌ في دارِهِم إِثرَ وَقفَةٍ

وما ذاكَ في أَشباهِ قَومي بِشائِكِ

I stand in their house, time after time,

and that is no thorny matter among my people's peers.

فَإِن صَدَّقُوا ظَنّي وَظنّيَ أَنَّهُم

نُجُومُ سَماءٍ شَمسُها غَيرُ دالِكِ

If they confirm my belief—and I believe they are

stars of a sky whose sun does not set—

فَإِمّا نَبَت بِي دارُهُم أَو تَوَعَّرَت

عَلَيَّ فَما ضاقَت رِحابُ المَسالِكِ

but if their house rejects me or grows rugged

to me, the broad roads have not become narrow.