صعود العلا إلا عليك حرام — Abn Almqrb Alaaona

صُعُودُ العُلا إِلّا عَلَيكَ حَرامُ

وَعَيشٌ سِوى ما أَنتَ فيهِ حِمامُ

To scale glory's heights is forbidden to all but you;

And any life other than the life you lead is death.

وَكُلُّ غَمامٍ لَم تُثِر غادِياتِهِ

رِياحُ نَدى كَفَّيكَ فَهوَ جَهامُ

And every cloud whose morning showers are not stirred

By the winds of your hands' bounty is rainless.

وَما المَجدُ إِلّا ما بَنَيتَ وَشادَهُ

بِعَزمِكَ بَأسٌ صادِقٌ وَحُسامُ

Glory is only what you built and what was raised

Through your resolve by true valor and a keen sword.

وَلا سَعيَ إِلّا دُونَ سَعيِكَ فَليَنَم

وَيَدري اِمرُؤٌ ناواكَ كَيفَ يَنامُ

All striving falls below yours—so let him sleep,

And let the man who rivals you learn how he can sleep!

وَأُقسِمُ لَولا صِدقُ بَأسِكَ لَاِغتَدَت

قوى مُررِ العَلياءِ وَهيَ رِمامُ

I swear, but for your true valor, they would have become—

The strands of glory's twisted ropes—mere rotting remnants.

وَلَو لَم تُلافِ المُلكَ مِن صَرعَةِ الرَدى

لَكُشِّمَ عِرنِينٌ وَجُبَّ سَنامُ

Had you not rescued kingship from death's overthrow,

Its nose would have been smashed, its hump cut off.

لِيَرقَ غَبيٌّ رامَ شَأوَكَ في العُلا

عَلى ظلعِهِ فَالنَجمُ لَيسَ يُرامُ

Let some fool who seeks your reach in glory climb

Despite his limp: the stars cannot be attained.

وَكَيفَ تُغاليكَ السِيادَةَ مَعشَرٌ

سَهِرتَ لَها اللَيلَ الطَويلَ وَنامُوا

How can a people rival you for lordship,

When you kept vigil for it through the long night, while they slept?

بِكَ العِزُّ أَضحَت شَمسُهُ مُستَنيرَةً

وَكانَ عَلَيها لِلخُمُولِ قَتامُ

Through you, honor's sun has come to shine,

Though once the dust of obscurity lay upon it.

لَعَمري لَنِعمَ المَرءُ أَنتَ إِذا غَدا

فِئامٌ تُساقيهِ الحُتُوفَ فِئامُ

By my life, what an excellent man you are when

One multitude gives another draughts of death.

وَرِثتَ العُلى عَن أَحمَدٍ وَمُحَمَّدٍ

وَفَضلٍ وَكُلٌّ في العَلاءِ إِمامُ

You inherited glory from Ahmad and Muhammad

And Fadl, each an exemplar in greatness.

وَإِنَّ لِمَسعُودٍ إِذا اِشتَجَرَ القَنا

لَطَعنٌ يَردُّ الجَيشَ وَهوَ لُهامُ

And Mas'ud, when the spears interlock,

Has thrusts that turn back even a vast army.

وَما الناسُ إِلّا آلُ فَضلِ بنِ عَبدَلٍ

إِذا جَلَّ خَطبٌ أَو تَنَكَّرَ عامُ

None are truly men but the house of Fadl ibn Abdal,

When disaster grows grave or a year turns hostile.

مَقالهُمُ فَذٌّ إِذا وَعَدُوا الغِنى

وَضَربُهُمُ تَحتَ العَجاجِ تَوامُ

Their word is given once when they promise prosperity;

Their blows beneath the battle dust come in pairs.

مَساميحُ طَعّانُونَ وَالخَيلُ تَدَّعي

وَطَيرُ المَنايا وُقَّعٌ وَحُيامُ

Generous spearmen, while the cavalry call out,

And death's birds are perched and thirsting.

وَما مِنهُمُ إِلّا هُمامٌ أَتى بِهِ

أَعَزُّ مِنَ اِولادِ المُلوكِ هُمامُ

Each of them is a noble hero, begotten by

A hero mightier than the sons of kings.

يَرُوحُ الفَتى لِلكَدِّ مِنهُم وَما لَهُ

سِوى البَدرِ خِدنٌ وَالنُجُومِ نُدامُ

At evening their young man sets out to toil, with no

Companion but the full moon, no drinking friends but stars.

وَلا مالَ إِلّا ذابِلٌ وَمُهَنَّدٌ

وَسَرجٌ عَلى ذي أَولَقٍ وَلِجامُ

No wealth save a slender spear, an Indian-forged sword,

And a saddle on a frenzied steed, and a bridle,

وَدِرعٌ كَأنَّ البيضَ وَالقُضبَ وَالقَنا

إِذا صافَحتَها بُورَقٌ وَثُمامُ

And armor against which bright swords, keen blades, and spears,

When they strike it, are borax and thumam grass.

نَكالٌ لِجانٍ غَيرِهِم فَإِذا جَنَوا

فَبَردٌ عَلَيهِم ما جَنوا وَسلامُ

A punishment for wrongdoers other than them; but when they offend,

Their offenses bring them only coolness and peace.

هُمُ القَومُ إِن حامَ المُحامُونَ أَقدَمُوا

وَإِن حَبَسَ القَومُ السَوامَ أَسامُوا

They are the men who advance when other defenders hang back,

And pasture their herds when others pen theirs.

وَإِن رَحَلَ الأَحياءُ عَن قُربِ مَنزِلٍ

لِخَوفٍ بَنوا في جَوِّهِ وَأَقامُوا

When clans depart from a nearby dwelling

Out of fear, they pitch their tents in its midst and stay.

وَإِنَّ لَهُم بِالأَريحِيِّ مُحَمَّدٍ

لَفَخراً لَهُ فَوقَ الأَنامِ مصامُ

And in the generous Muhammad they have

A glory whose station stands above mankind.

فَتى الحَربِ يَومَ البيضُ في الهامِ تَنحَني

وَيَومَ العَوالي في الصُدورِ تُقامُ

A warrior when bright swords bend within skulls,

And tall spears are planted in chests,

وَلِلطَيرِ مِن نَقعِ المَذاكي مَواكِنٌ

وَلِلأرضِ مِن قاني الدِماءِ ذِمامُ

When the dust of seasoned steeds gives birds roosts,

And crimson blood is the earth's pledge of protection.

هَديرُ فُحُولِ الشَولِ حينَ تُحِسُّهُ

كَشِيشٌ وَزَأرُ المُخدراتِ بُغامُ

The bellow of stallions among dry she-camels, when you hear it,

Is a hiss; the roar of lair-bound lions is a lowing.

إِذا هَمَّ أَمضى هَمَّهُ لَو تَساقَطَت

أَكُفٌّ وَأَقدامٌ لِذاكَ وَهامُ

When he resolves, he carries out his resolve, though there should fall

Hands, feet, and heads for its sake.

أَخُو الطَعنَةِ النَجلاءِ تَحسبُها فَماً

تَثَأَّبَ في حَيثُ الكَلامِ كَلامُ

He deals the gaping thrust you would think a mouth

Yawning where wounds are speech.

لِصَمصامِهِ هامُ العِدى وَلِرُمحِهِ

كُلاها وَلِلبَوغا دَمٌ وَعِظامُ

For his cleaving sword are the enemies' heads; for his spear,

Their kidneys; for the battle dust, blood and bones.

ذُراهُ حَياةٌ لِلصَديقِ شَهِيَّةٌ

وَلُقياهُ مَوتٌ لِلعَدُوِّ زُؤامُ

His shelter is a welcome life to a friend;

Meeting him is swift, deadly death to an enemy.

تَفِرُّ كُماةُ الحَربِ مِنهُ كَأَنَّها

وَإِيّاهُ بازي مَرقَبٍ وَحَمامُ

War's armored champions flee him, as though they

Were doves, and he a falcon on a lookout.

حِذارَ فَتىً لَو صَكَّ بِالسَيفِ ضارِباً

شَماماً لَقال الناسُ أَينَ شَمامُ

Beware a youth who, if he struck with his sword

At Shamam, would make people ask, 'Where is Shamam?'

صَوارِمُهُ مُذ لَم تَزَل وَرِماحُهُ

بِهِنَّ إِلى ماءِ النُحورِ أُوامُ

From the first, his keen swords and his spears

Have burned with thirst for the water of throats.

أَبَت عِزَّةً أَن تَقبَلَ الضَيمَ نَفسُهُ

وَذُو العِزَّةِ القَعساءِ كَيفَ يُضامُ

His soul, in its pride, refuses to accept humiliation;

How can a man of unyielding might be wronged?

وَآلى وَلَم يَستَثنِ أَن ضاعَ نَبلُهُ

وَلَو حالَ عامٌ دُونَ ذاكَ وَعامُ

He swore, without reservation, over his lost arrows,

Though a year and another should intervene before that.

سَما لِلعلا رَتاً سُمُوَّ اِبنِ حُرَّةٍ

نَجيبٍ نَمتهُ مُنجِبُونَ كِرامُ

He rose to glory, step by step, like a free woman's son,

Noble-born, begotten by generous sires of noble stock.

وَسامَ حِمى الأَعداءِ خَسفاً وَسَوَّمَت

بِهِ المالَ سامٌ في البِلادِ وَحامُ

He brought abasement upon his enemies' domains, and

Through him Shem and Ham pastured their livestock throughout the lands.

وَساسَ رَعاياهُ بِرَأفَةِ وَالِدٍ

وَسَطوَةِ لَيثٍ هَيَّجَتهُ سَوامُ

He governed his subjects with a father's tenderness

And a lion's onslaught when grazing herds provoke it.

حَليمٌ إِذا ما الحِلمُ كانَ نَباهَةً

وَفيهِ غَرامٌ إِن يُهَج وَعُرامُ

Forbearing when forbearance brings distinction,

Yet full of destruction and fury if provoked.

إِذا فَحلُ قَومٍ هاجَ وَاِنحَلَّ قَيدُهُ

فَفي سَيفِهِ قَيدٌ لَهُ وَخِزامُ

If a tribe's stallion grows wild and slips his tether,

His sword holds a tether and a nose-ring for him.

وَإِن نَبَّ في حَيٍّ عَتُودٌ فَعِندَهُ

حَصاةٌ بِها تُوجا الخُصى وَفِطامُ

If a young billy-goat bleats among a clan, he has

A stone to crush its testicles, and a weaning.

فَيا مُفرِغاً في كَيدِهِ جُهدَ نَفسِهِ

لخَيرٌ مِنَ السَعيِ الغَوِيِّ نُوامُ

O you who exhaust your strength in plotting against him,

Sleep is surely better than such misguided striving.

وَيا طامِعاً في نَيلِ ما نالَ مِن عُلاً

مَتى صَدَقَ الظَنَّ الكَذوبَ مَنامُ

O you who hope to reach the glory he attained,

When has a dream ever borne out a lying fancy?

وَيا باسِطاً كَفّاً لِإِدراكِ شَأوِهِ

بِكَفِّكَ فَاِضمُمها إِلَيكَ جُذامُ

O you who stretch out a hand to match his reach,

Your hand is leprous: draw it back to yourself.

وَيا مُضمِراً بَغضاءَهُ جُنَّ أَو فَمُت

فَداؤُكَ لا عُوفيتَ مِنهُ عُقامُ

O you who harbor hatred of him, go mad or die;

Your sickness—may you never recover from it—is incurable.

لَهُ هَيبَةٌ مِلءُ الصُدُورِ وَعَزمَةٌ

تُريهِ الجِبالَ الشُمَّ وَهيَ إِكامُ

His awe fills hearts, and his resolve

Makes soaring mountains look to him like hillocks.

وَما زالَ يُغضي وَالمُلوكُ تَهابُهُ

وَيَقعُدُ وَالأَعداءُ مِنهُ قِيامُ

He has ever lowered his gaze, while kings fear him,

And sits while his enemies stand in dread of him.

فَيا لائِماً في بَسطِ كَفِّ مُحمَّدٍ

مَتى لِيمَ في أَن يَستَهِلَّ غَمامُ

O you who blame Muhammad's open hand,

When was a cloud ever blamed for pouring rain?

عَدا الذَمَّ عَنهُ وَالمَلامَ مُحمَّدٌ

وَمُنتَجَبُ الآباءِ كَيفَ يُلامُ

Muhammad has driven censure and reproach away from himself;

How could one of chosen forebears be blamed?

أَلا أَيُّها الملَكُ الَّذي لا جَنابُهُ

بِوَعرٍ وَلا مَن في خِباهُ يُضامُ

O king, whose precincts are not

Hard to approach, and none in whose tent is wronged,

إِلَيكَ خَدَت بِي عَوهَجٌ شَدقَمِيَّةٌ

لَها السَوطُ عَن رَعيِ الخَميمِ كِعامُ

To you a tall, Shadqam-bred she-camel sped with me,

The whip her muzzle against grazing on khamim.

تَضِلُّ فَيَهدِيها سَناكَ كَأَنَّما

سَناكَ لَها دُونَ الزِمامِ زِمامُ

She strays, then your radiance guides her, as though

Your radiance, not the rein, were her rein.

وقَد أَصبَحَت في خَيرِ دارٍ مُناخَةً

لَدى خَيرِ مَلكٍ في الأَنامِ يُشامُ

Now she kneels in the finest abode,

Before the finest king beheld among mankind.

فَأَنتَ الَّذي لَولاهُ ما عُرِفَ النَدى

وَلا فُضَّ لِلفِعلِ الجَميلِ خِتامُ

You are the one but for whom bounty would be unknown,

And the seal of noble action never broken,

وَلا كانَ لِلعَلياءِ أُمٌّ وَلا أَبٌ

نِصابٌ وَلا لِلمَكرُماتِ نِظامُ

And glory would have neither mother nor father,

Nor foundation, and noble deeds no binding order.

أَيَجمُلُ أَن أُجفى وَأُنفى وَعِندَكُم

لِمَن لَيسَ مِثلي عِيشَةٌ وَمُقامُ

Is it right that I be shunned and banished, while with you

Those unlike me enjoy a livelihood and a home?

وَيُقبَلُ قَولُ الخَصمِ فِيَّ تَحامُلاً

وَأَسهَرُ خَوفاً مِنكُمُ وَيَنامُ

That my adversary's words against me be accepted unjustly,

While I lie sleepless in fear of you and he sleeps?

وَتُقطَعُ أَرحامي وَتُلغى مَوَدَّتي

وَيُقعَدُ بِي ما بَينَكُم وَيُقامُ

That my kinship ties be severed and my affection dismissed,

And my name be bandied about among you?

وَتُذنِبُ أَقوامٌ فَتُعزى ذُنوبُها

إِلَيَّ وَأُلحى عِندَكُم وَأُلامُ

Others commit offenses, yet their offenses are ascribed

To me; before you I am reproached and blamed.

هَبُونِيَ جاراً لِاِبنِ عَمٍّ مُصافِياً

فَلِلجارِ مِنكُم حُرمَةٌ وَذِمامُ

Consider me a cousin's loyal neighbor,

For a neighbor has inviolable rights and protection from you.

فَكَم مِن هُمامٍ قَد عَفا وَهوَ مُحرَجٌ

وَجادَ بِصَفحٍ وَالذُنوبُ عِظامُ

How many a noble man has pardoned, though sorely provoked,

And freely granted forgiveness when the offenses were grave.

وَذُو المَجدِ لا يَستَغرِقُ الجَهلُ حِلمَهُ

وَلَو قَعَدَ الواشُونَ فيهِ وَقامُوا

A glorious man's forbearance is not exhausted by folly,

Though slanderers sit and rise against him.

لَقَد كُنتُ أَرجُو أَن أُرى في جَنابِكُم

وَلِي مِن نَداكُم سابِقٌ وَحُسامُ

I had hoped to be seen in your precincts,

With a swift steed and a sword from your bounty.

إِذا كُنتُ أَخشاكُم وَأَخشى عَدُوَّكُم

فَإِنَّ حَياتي شِقوَةٌ وَغَرامُ

If I must fear you and also fear your enemy,

Then my life is misery and torment.

فَإِن كانَ ذَنبٌ فَاِترُكُوهُ لِما مَضى

وَهَل هُوَ إِلّا إِذ يُعَدُّ كَلامُ

If there was an offense, leave it to the past;

When reckoned, is it anything but words?

وَوَاللَهِ ما أَوضَعتُ فيما يُريبُكُم

وَلا شُدَّ لِي يا قَومِ فيهِ حِزامُ

By God, I never hastened into what would make you doubt me,

Nor, my people, was any saddle-girth tightened for me in it.

وَإِنّي لمنكُم سُؤتُمُ أَو سُرِرتُمُ

إِلى أَن يُوارِيني ثَرىً وَرِجامُ

I am one of you, whether you are displeased or pleased,

Until earth and gravestones cover me.

أَلَستُ الَّذي سَيَّرتُ فيكُم غَرائِباً

لِكُلٍّ إِلَيها إذ تَمُرُّ هُيامُ

Am I not the one who sent forth rare verses about you,

For which all feel a passion as they circulate?

أَلَيسَ أَبي في الإِنتِسابِ أَباكُمُ

عَلى أَنَّني عَبدٌ لَكم وَغُلامُ

Is not my father, in lineage, your father,

Though I am your servant and your page?

أَما اِجتيحَ مالي في هَواكُم وَأُسهِرَت

بِذا السِجنِ عَيني وَالعُيونُ نِيامُ

Was not my wealth ravaged for love of you, and was not sleep denied

My eye in this prison while other eyes slept?

فَراعُوا ذِمامي قدرَ ظَنِّي فَكُلُّنا

صَدىً عَن قَريبٍ في التُرابِ وَهامُ

Honor my claim to protection as I expect; for all of us

Will soon be decayed remains and skulls in the dust.

فَلَم يَبقَ إِلّا أَن تُزَمَّ رَكائِبي

وَيُصبِحَ كَيدٌ بَينَنا وَسَنامُ

Nothing remains but for my riding camels to be bridled,

And for Kayd and Sanam to stand between us.

فَخَيرٌ مِنَ الأَحساءِ إِن دامَ عُتبُكُم

أُشَيٌّ وَوادِى مَنهَمٍ وَنَعامُ

Better than al-Ahsa, if your displeasure lasts,

Are Ushayy, Wadi Manham, and Na'am.

وَما ذاكَ مِنّي بِاِختيارٍ وَلا رِضاً

وَلَكِن يَحِلُّ الشَيءُ وَهوَ حَرامُ

This is no choice of mine, nor what I desire,

But a thing may become lawful though it is forbidden.

وَلَم أَرَ أَشقى مِن كَريمٍ بِبَلدَةٍ

يَجُرُّ وَيَجني غَيرُهُ وَيُلامُ

I have seen none more wretched than a noble man in a town

Where another commits offenses and crimes, yet he is blamed.

وَإِنَّكُمُ دِرعي وَسَيفي وَساعِدي

وَتُرسي إِذا ضَمَّ الكُماةَ زِحامُ

You are my armor, my sword, and my strong arm,

And my shield when battle's crush brings champions together.

وَما لي لِسانٌ غَيركُم إِن تَطاوَلَت

عَلَيَّ رِجالٌ وَاِستَمَرَّ خِصامُ

I have no voice but you if men grow insolent

Against me and the dispute persists.

فَلا تَسمَعُوا فِيَّ الوُشاةَ فَإِنَّهُم

لَأَكذبُ مِن آلٍ رَأتهُ حِيامُ

Do not listen to slanderers against me, for they

Are falser than a mirage seen by thirsty camels.

فَإِنّيَ سَيفٌ قاطِعٌ مِن سُيُوفِكم

وَبَعضُ السُيوفِ المُنتَقاةِ كَهامُ

I am a keen-cutting sword among your swords,

And some carefully chosen swords are blunt.

وَمِن أَجلِ قُرباكُم حُسِدتُ وَسُدِّدَت

إِلَيَّ نِصالٌ لِلعِدى وَسِهامُ

For my kinship with you I was envied, and aimed

At me were enemies' spearheads and arrows.

فَبُورِكتُمُ يا آلَ فَضلٍ فَإِنَّكُم

ضِياءٌ وَبَعضُ المالِكينَ ظَلامُ

Blessings upon you, house of Fadl, for you are

Light, while some rulers are darkness.

وَلا زالَ يُهدى كُلَّ يَومٍ إِلَيكُمُ

عَلى القُربِ مِنّي وَالبعادِ سَلامُ

May there always be sent to you, each day,

From me, whether near or far, a greeting of peace.