إليكن عني فانصرفن على مهل — Abn Almqrb Alaaona

إِلَيكُنَّ عَنّي فَاِنصَرِفنَ عَلى مَهلِ

فَلَستُ بِمُرتاعٍ لِهَجرٍ وَلا وَصلِ

Away from me, women; depart at your leisure.

For neither estrangement nor union dismays me.

وَما ذاكَ مِن بُغضٍ لَكُنَّ وَلا قِلىً

وَلَكِنَّ قَلبي عَن هَواكُنَّ في شُغلِ

That is not from hatred of you or aversion,

but my heart is occupied with things other than loving you.

أَبَت لِي وِصالَ البِيضِ هِمّاتُ ماجِدٍ

بَعيدِ الحَمايا غَيرِ نِكسٍ وَلا وَغلِ

A noble man's ambitions forbid me union with fair women—

his protected bounds far-reaching, neither weakling nor intruder,

غَيُورٍ عَلى العَلياءِ أَن يَبتَني بِها

رَزايا أُناسٌ ما تُمِرُّ وَلا تُحلي

jealous for high glory, lest it be espoused by

human calamities, men who neither embitter nor sweeten,

سَواسِيَةٍ لا في مَعَدٍّ مِن الذُرى

وَلا في بَني قَحطانَ في الكاهِلِ العَبلِ

all of one stamp, not of Maʿadd's heights,

nor of the mighty shoulder of Qahtan's sons.

مَضَت حِقبُ الدُنيا وَما في بُيُوتِهِم

لِعِزِّ المَعالي مِن سَليلٍ وَلا بَعلِ

The world's ages have passed, yet within their houses

the glory of high deeds has had neither offspring nor spouse.

أَضاعُوا حِماها فَاِستُبيحَ وَأَيقَظُوا

عَلَيها البلا مِن كَلِّ حافٍ وَذي نَعلِ

They neglected its sanctuary, which was violated, and stirred

against it affliction from every barefoot and shod man.

وَباعُوا بِرُخصٍ باعِثَ العدلِ فيهِمُ

فَراحُوا وَكُلٌّ مِنهُمُ في يَدَي عَدلِ

They sold cheaply the one who upheld justice among them,

and each was left in the hands of doom.

وَأَضحَوا كَفَقعٍ أَو أَداحِيِّ قَفرَةٍ

تُقَلَّبُ بِالمِنساةِ وَاليَدِ وَالرِجلِ

They became like truffles or ostrich nests in a wasteland,

turned over with staff and hand and foot.

تَسُومُهُمُ سُوءَ العَذابِ بِغلظَةٍ

عِداهُم وَيُسقونَ المَهانَةَ بِالرَطلِ

They are cruelly subjected to the worst torment

by their foes, and made to drink humiliation by the pound.

فَذُو المَالِ مِنهُم لا يَزالُ لِأَجلِهِ

يَروحُ أَخا وَيلٍ وَيَغدُو أَخا ثُكلِ

The wealthy man among them, because of his wealth, forever

returns a brother of woe and sets out a brother of bereavement.

وَذُو الفَقرِ في هَمَّينِ هَمّ مَعيشَةٍ

وَهَمِّ عَدُوٍّ فَهوَ يَمشي بِلا عَقلِ

The poor man bears two cares: the care of livelihood

and the care of an enemy, walking bereft of reason.

فَأَروحُهُم مَن راحَ فيهم وَرَأسُهُ

كَرَأسِ عَلاةِ القَينِ وَكَفِّهِ الطَبلِ

The most at ease among them goes about with his head

like a smith's anvil-top and his broad, flat palm.

فَذُو الحَزمِ مَن أَعطى بِباعٍ قَصيرَةٍ

وَأَلقى مَقاليدَ الأُمورِ إِلى نَذلِ

Their prudent man is one who yields with a shortened reach

and surrenders the reins of affairs to a knave.

وَذُو العَزمِ مَن أَمسى وَأَصبَحَ عائِذاً

بِجِلفٍ مِنَ الأَعرابِ أَو عاهِرٍ طِملِ

Their resolute man passes evening and morning seeking shelter

with some uncouth Bedouin or filthy lecher.

وَإِمّا اِنتَدى بَعضَ البَوادي وَبَعضُهُم

سَواءٌ بِضاحي البَرِّ أَو باحَةِ الرَحلِ

And if he joins some desert dwellers' gathering—and some of them

are alike in the open wilderness or a dwelling's courtyard—

فَأَقوَلُهُ قَد كانَ جَدّي وَوالِدي

وَجَدُّ أَبي خُدّامَ رَهطِكَ مِن قَبلي

his boldest claim is, 'My grandfather and father were,

with my father's grandfather, servants of your clan before me.'

فَإِن يَتَلقّى بِالقَبُولِ مَقالَهُ

فَيا لَكَ مِن فَخرٍ وَيا لَكَ مِن فَضلِ

If his statement is received with acceptance,

what pride is his, what distinction!

وَإِن قالَ كلّا ما عَلِمتُ فَيا لَها

خُوَيخِيَّةٌ تُدعى مُضَيَّقَةَ السُبلِ

But if the man says, 'No, I know nothing of that,' then what

a little calamity, called 'the narrowing of the ways'!

وَإِن جاءَ يَوماً نازِلاً لِهَوانِهِ

تَلَقّاهُ مِنهُ بِالإِقامَةِ وَالنُزلِ

And if a man comes one day to lodge, exploiting his abasement,

he receives him with lodging and provisions,

كَأَنَّ عَلَيهِ إِذ يَحُلُّ نَقيعَةَ ال

قُدُومِ وَلَيسُوا لِلسَماحَةِ بِالأَهلِ

as though, when the man alights, he owed the feast of

arrival—though they are unworthy of generosity.

أَلا يا لَقَومي مِن رَبيعَةَ هَل أَرى

لَكُم يَومَ بَأسٍ يَصدِمُ الجَهلَ بِالجَهلِ

Ah, my people of Rabiʿa! Shall I ever see

a day of valor for you that confronts outrage with outrage?

إِلى مَ تُقاسُونَ الهَوانَ أَذِلَّةً

وَأَنتُم إِذا كُوثِرتُمُ عَدَدُ النَملِ

How long will you endure humiliation, abased,

when, if numbers are matched, you number like ants?

يَسُوقُكُم كَرهاً إِلى ما يَسُوءُكُم

عَبيدُكُمُ سَوقَ الأُحَيمِرَةِ الهُزلِ

They drive you unwillingly toward what pains you—

your own slaves—as scrawny little red asses are driven.

وَكَم تَتَرَدُّونَ الخُمولَ ضَراعَةً

وَلُؤماً وَتَشرونَ الغَباوَةَ بِالنُبلِ

How long will you cloak yourselves in obscurity, in meekness

and baseness, buying stupidity with nobility?

يَوَدُّ الفَتى مِنكُم إِذا عَنَّ أَو بَدا

لَهُ مِن بَني القِيناتِ أَسوَدُ كَالحَجلِ

A youth among you wishes, whenever there looms or appears

before him a black man of the singing-women's sons, black as a crow,

بِأَنَّ حَضيضَ الأَرضِ أَضحى بِقَعرِهِ

لَهُ نَفَقٌ مِمّا اِعتَراهُ مِنَ الخبلِ

that the lowest earth might hold in its depths

a tunnel for him, so crazed with fear is he.

فَذُو القَدرِ مِنكُم وَالجَلالَةِ يَحتوي

صفاياهُ مِنهُم بالمَطاميرِ وَالحَبلِ

The man of standing and dignity among you has

his prized possessions seized by them through dungeons and rope.

وَسائِرُكُم بِالبُهم يَرعى مُحَلِّقاً

بِأَثوابِهِ رُعباً مِنَ الجَدِّ وَالهَزلِ

The rest of you tend lambs, hitching up

your garments, terrified of earnestness and jest.

عَزيزُكُمُ يَرضى مِنَ الدُرِّ بِالحَصى

وَيَقنَعُ لَو يُعطى مِنَ الدَرِّ بِالمَصلِ

Your mighty man accepts pebbles in place of pearls,

and, offered milk, would be satisfied with whey.

فَقُبحاً لَكُم ماذا تَعُدُّونَ في غَدٍ

إِذا اِفتَخَرَ الأَقوامُ يا أَخلَفَ النَسلِ

Shame on you! What will you count to your credit tomorrow,

when peoples boast, you most degenerate offspring?

فَإِن كانَ خَوفُ القَتلِ وَالأَسرِ داءَكُم

فَشَأنُكُم أَدهى مِنَ الأَسرِ وَالقَتلِ

If fear of killing and captivity is your sickness,

your plight is worse than captivity and killing.

فَعَزماً فَموتُ العِزِّ عِندَ ذَوي النُهى

حَياةٌ وَعَيشُ الذُلِّ مَوتٌ بِلا غُسلِ

Resolve, then! To men of understanding, an honorable death

is life, while a life of abasement is death without washing.

فَقَد يُنكِرُ الضَيمَ الكَريمُ بِسَيفِهِ

إِنِ اِسطاعَ أَو بِالشَدقَمِيَّةِ وَالرَحلِ

A noble man resists oppression with his sword,

if he can—or with a Shadqamiyya she-camel and a saddle,

كَما فَعَلَ العَبسِيُّ قَيسٌ وَإِنَّما

أَخُو الهِمَّةِ العَليا أَخُو الحَسَبِ الجَزلِ

as Qays the ʿAbsi did; only

the man of lofty ambition possesses ample noble lineage.

أَشاعَ لِعَبسٍ بِالسَلامِ وَأرقَلَت

بِهِ العِيسُ مِن نَجدٍ إِلى كَنَفي وَبلِ

He bade ʿAbs farewell, and the pale camels sped

with him from Najd to the two sides of Wabl.

وَحَلَّ عَلى الأَتلادِ غَيرَ مُجاوِرٍ

وَلَكِنَّ عِضّاً لا يَنامُ عَلى تَبلِ

He settled among the long-established folk, not as a protected stranger,

but as a hard-bitten man who never slept upon a blood-debt.

وَلا خَيرَ عِندي في حَياةٍ كَأَنَّها

حَياةُ دَعاميصِ الفَراشَةِ في الضَحلِ

I see no good in a life resembling

the life of al-Farasha's tadpoles in the shallows.

وَذي إِربَةٍ أَهدى لِيَ اللَومَ ناصِحاً

وَذُو اللُبِّ أَحياناً يُريعُ إِلى العَذلِ

A man of judgment offered me blame as advice;

even a man of sense sometimes turns to reproach.

يَقُولُ بِتَأنيبٍ أَأُنسيتَ ما جَرى

عَلَيكَ مِنَ الأَغلالِ والسِجنِ وَالكَبلِ

He says reproachfully, 'Have you forgotten what befell

you: chains, imprisonment, and fetters,

وَإِحرازِ ما أُوتيتَهُ وَاِكتَسَبتَهُ

عَلى غَيرِ ذَنبٍ مِن فِراخٍ وَمِن نَخلِ

and the seizure of what you were given and acquired,

of offshoots and palm trees, though you had done no wrong,

وَتفريقَهُ في كُلِّ شاوٍ وَخارِبٍ

وَذاتِ هَنٍ كَالماءِ في رَدعِ الوَحلِ

and its dispersal among every sheep-herder and robber,

and every woman with a private part like water in a smear of mud;

وَسَلبِ الحِسانِ المُكرَماتِ تَهاوُناً

بِهنَّ وَدَمعُ الأَعيُنِ النُجلِ كَالوَبلِ

and the despoiling of cherished beauties, showing contempt

for them, their wide eyes' tears pouring like heavy rain;

وَما كانَ مِن إِخراجِهِنَّ صَوارِخاً

مِنَ الضَيمِ مِن بَعدِ القِصارَةِ وَالشّكلِ

and their being driven out, screaming

from oppression, after seclusion and graceful ease;

وَسُكنى البَوادي دارَهُنَّ وَإِنَّها

لَدَارُ اِمرِئٍ لا بِالحصورِ وَلا الخَطلِ

and Bedouins dwelling in their house—though it is

the house of a man neither tongue-tied nor foolish.

أَمِثلُكَ يَرضى دارَ ذُلٍّ إِذا مَأى

بها نَأمُ الضَيّونِ طارَ أَبُو الشِبلِ

Would one like you accept a house of shame, where, if there sounds

a tomcat's cry, the father of cubs takes flight?

أَما كانَ في أَرضِ العِراقِ مَراغِمٌ

تَرُوقكَ عَن دارِ الزَلازلِ وَالأَزلِ

Were there no places of refuge in the land of Iraq

to draw you away from this house of upheaval and hardship?'

فَقُلتُ لَهُ أَربِع عَلَيَّ وَفي الحَشا

لَوافِحُ أَحقادٍ مَراجِلُها تَغلي

I told him, 'Be gentle with me,' while within my breast

were scorching rancors whose cauldrons boiled.

وَجَدِّكَ لَم تَعذِل مَلُوماً وَلَم تَهج

جَثُوماً وَلَم تُوقِظ نؤُوماً عَلى تَبلِ

By your grandsire, you reproach no man deserving blame, nor stir

a crouching laggard, nor wake one asleep over a blood-debt.

لِأَمرٍ تَخَطَّيتُ الخَطايا وَلَم أَزل

بِمَطوِ المَطايا أُتبِعُ الجَهلَ بِالجَهلِ

For a purpose I have overlooked offenses, and have never ceased

urging my mounts onward, answering outrage with outrage.

وَما أَعجَبَتني دارُ ذُلٍّ وَإِن غَدَت

مَنازِلَ قَومي وَالأَكارِمِ مِن أَهلي

No house of humiliation has pleased me, though it became

the dwelling of my people and the noblest of my kin.

وَلَكِنَّني حاوَلتُ ما إِن أَتَمَّهُ

لِيَ اللَهُ لَم أَجفَل بِمَحلٍ وَلا مَغلِ

But I have sought something which, if God completes it

for me, will leave me unafraid of drought or famine.

وَقُلتُ عَسى يَوماً كَيَومٍ شَهِدتُهُ

قَديماً لِكَيما يلحَقَ الشُومُ بِالثُكلِ

I said, 'Perhaps a day will come like one I witnessed

long ago, so ill fortune may be joined to bereavement,

أَكُونُ بِهِ قُطبَ الرَحى وَمُديرَها

بِعَزمٍ عَلى أَهلِ الضَلالَةِ وَالجَهلِ

a day on which I am the mill's pivot and its turner,

resolute against the people of error and folly.'

فأَلفَيتُ قَوماً إِن طَلَبتَ اِنبِعاثَهُم

لِيَومِ سِبابٍ فَاِدعُ بِالخَيلِ وَالرَجلِ

But I found a people who, if you seek to rouse them

for a day of insults—then summon horsemen and footmen!

وإِن رُمتَ فيهم دَفعَ ضَيمٍ وَنُصرَةٍ

بِهِم رُمتَ أَو شالاً مِنَ اِصطُمَّةِ الرَملِ

Yet if you seek among them resistance to oppression and support

through them, you seek trickles of water from the solid mass of sand.

يُرَجّونَ عَبداً خائِباً قَعَدَت بِهِ

عَلى الخِزيِ أُمّاتٌ وَقَفنَ عَلى الغُسلِ

They set their hopes on a frustrated slave, held down

in disgrace by mothers who stood over the washing-water,

شَريساً أَعارَتهُ اللَيالي جَهالَةً

جَلالاً وَمالاً وَهيَ مَعتُوهَةُ العَقلِ

a vicious man to whom the nights, in their folly, lent

grandeur and wealth, being themselves deranged.

قِراعٌ وَلَكِنَّ الكَوَادنَ لَم تَكُن

لِتَجري مَعَ الخَيلِ العرابِ عَلى الحَبلِ

A clash of arms! Yet pack-horses were never

fit to race with thoroughbred horses along the course.

فَما وَلَدَتني حاضِنٌ حَنَفِيَّةٌ

عبيدِيَّةٌ تَسمُو إِلى الحسَبِ الجَزلِ

Then no nursing mother of Hanifa bore me,

an ʿUbaydiyya reaching to great noble ancestry;

وَلا عُرِفَت في المَروَتَينِ أُبُوَّتي

وَلا كُنتُ أهدى السابِقينَ إِلى الفَضلِ

nor has my ancestry been known in al-Marwatayn,

nor was I the best-guided of those racing toward excellence,

وَلا نَزَلَ الأَضيافُ يَوماً بِعقوَتي

وَلا ثَبَتَت في ماقِطٍ حَرجٍ رِجلي

nor have guests ever alighted in my courtyard,

nor has my foot stood firm in a cramped battlefield,

لَئِن أَنا لَم أَغشَ اللِئامَ بِوَقعَةٍ

يَشيبُ لَها مِن هَولِها مَفرِقُ الطِفلِ

if I do not descend upon the base with a battle

whose terror turns a child's hair white,

وَيَومٍ يَظَلُّ العَثرُ فيهِ نَبائِلاً

مُغَربَلَةً فَوقَ الشَناوِيرِ وَالزَبلِ

and a day when blood lies in great clots,

sifted over al-Shanawir and al-Zabl,

لِيَعلَمَ أَهلُ الغَدرِ أَنَّ عَداوَتي

لَأَمقَرُ مِن صابٍ وَأَقطَعُ مِن نَصلِ

so the people of treachery know that my enmity

is bitterer than bitter sap and sharper than a blade.

وَإِنّي لَكالنَشرِ الَّذي تَستَلِذُّهُ

وَأَهنى لَها لَو قدِّرَت مَرتَعَ الأزلِ

I am like the regrown herbage she finds sweet;

a famine pasture would be wholesomer for her, could she judge.

وَهَل يَكشِفُ الغَمّاءَ عَن ذي ضَرورَةٍ

وَيَجلو ظَلامَ الخَطبِ إِلّا فَتىً مِثلي

Who lifts deep distress from one in need

and dispels calamity's darkness, except a man like me?

كَذَلِكَ كانَت مُنذُ كانَت أُبُوَّتي

ذَوو الهامَةِ الخَشناءِ وَالجانِبِ السَهلِ

Thus have my forefathers been since they first were:

men of rugged heads and gentle bearing.

إِذا السَيِّدُ الجَبّارُ أَبدى تَعامياً

وَصَعَّرَ خَدّاً وَاِستَباحَ حِمى المَطلِ

When a tyrannical lord feigns blindness,

turns his cheek in pride and trespasses into delay's preserve,

أَضاءَت لَهُ أَسيافُنا فَهَدَينَهُ

وَقَوَّمنَهُ فَاِستَبدَلَ الحِلمَ بِالجَهلِ

our swords light his way and guide him,

setting him straight, so he exchanges folly for restraint.

فَسائِل مَعَداً هَل لَها مِن مُعَوِّلٍ

سِوانا إِذا البَزلاءُ قامَت عَلى رِجلِ

Ask Maʿadd whether she has any support

but us when the great ordeal stands upon one leg.

وَهَل قادَنا بِالجَهضَمِيَّةِ سَيِّدٌ

وَإِن كانَ فينا واسِعَ البَأسِ وَالفَضلِ

Did any lord ever lead us at al-Jahḍamiyya,

though among us he might have ample valor and merit?

أَلَم نَترُكِ الضحيانَ يَكبُو وَبَعدَهُ

كُلَيباً أَذَقنا عِرسَهُ مَضَضَ الثَكلِ

Did we not leave al-Ḍaḥyān stumbling, and after him

make Kulayb's wife taste the anguish of bereavement?

وَأَردى أَخانا اليَشكُريَّ وَفَرخَهُ

فَوارِسُ مِنّا غَيرُ ميلٍ وَلا عُزلِ

Our brother al-Yashkuri and his fledgling were brought down

by horsemen of ours, neither wavering nor unarmed.

سَواءٌ عَلَينا قَومُنا إِذ تُضِيمُنا

وَأَعَداؤُنا وَالفَرعُ يُنمي إِلى الأَصلِ

Our own people, when they wrong us, are to us the same

as our enemies; the branch is traced back to the root.