بيني فما أنت من جدي ولا لعبي — Abn Almqrb Alaaona

بِيني فَما أَنتِ مِن جِدّي وَلا لَعِبي

ما لي بِشَيءٍ سِوى العَلياءِ مِن أَرَبِ

Depart; you belong neither to my earnestness nor to my play.

I have no desire for anything but lofty honor.

لا تُكثِري مِن مَقالاتٍ تزيدُ ضَنىً

ما الخَطُّ أُمّي وَلا وادي الحَساءِ أَبي

Do not heap up words that deepen my suffering;

al-Khatt is not my mother, nor is the valley of al-Hasa my father.

في كُلِّ أَرضٍ إِذا يَمَّمتُها وَطنٌ

ما بَينَ حُرٍّ وَبَينَ الدّارِ مِن نَسَبِ

In every land I head toward, I have a homeland;

there is no kinship between a free man and a dwelling.

يا ساكِني الخَطِّ وَالأَجزاعِ مِن هَجَرٍ

هَل اِنتِظارُكُم شَيئاً سِوى العَطبِ

O dwellers of al-Khatt and the valley tracts of Hajar,

is waiting for you anything but ruin?

بَحِحتُ ممّا أُناديكُم وَأَندُبُكُم

لِخَيرِ مُنقَلَبٍ عِن شَرِّ مُنقَلَبِ

I have grown hoarse calling to you and urging you

toward a better outcome, away from an evil one.

فَسَكِّتوني بِقَولٍ لا تَفونَ بِهِ

قَد صِرتُ أَرضى بِوَعدٍ مِنكُمُ كَذِبِ

You silenced me with words you do not fulfill;

I have come to accept even a lying promise from you.

يَلُومُني في فِراقِيكُم أَخو سَفهٍ

أَحَقُّ مِن ناضِحٍ بِالغَربِ وَالقَتَبِ

A fool reproaches me for parting from you,

more fit than a water-drawing camel for bucket and packsaddle.

اللَّهُ أَكرَمُ أَن أَبقى كَذا غَرَضاً

ما بَينَكُم لِصُروفِ الدَهرِ وَالنُوبِ

God is too generous to let me remain such a target

among you for time's vicissitudes and calamities.

لِي عَن دِيارِ الأَذى وَالهُونِ مُتَّسَعٌ

ما كُلُّ دارٍ مَناخُ الوَيلِ وَالحرَبِ

I have ample room beyond homes of injury and humiliation;

not every home is a resting place for misery and deprivation.

لا تَنسِبوني إِلى مَنشاي بَينَكُمُ

التُربُ تُربٌ وَفيهِ مَنبَتُ الذَّهَبِ

Do not judge my lineage by my upbringing among you:

earth is earth, yet it is where gold grows.

لا تَحسَبوا بُغضِيَ الأَوطانَ مِن مَلَلٍ

لا بُدَّ لِلوُدِّ وَالبَغضاءِ مِن سَبَبِ

Do not think my hatred of homelands comes from boredom;

affection and hatred must each have a cause.

قِلٌّ وَذُلٌّ وَخِذلانٌ وضَيمُ عِدىً

مُقامُ مِثلي عَلى هَذا مِنَ العَجَبِ

Want, humiliation, abandonment, and enemies' oppression—

for a man like me to stay amid this is astonishing.

إِذا الدِّيارُ تَغشّاكَ الهَوانُ بِها

فَخَلِّها لِضَعيفِ العَزمِ وَاِغترِبِ

If humiliation overwhelms you in a land,

leave it to the weak-willed, and go abroad.

حَسبي مِنَ المالِ ذَيّالٌ وَسابِغَةٌ

وَصارِمٌ مُرهَفُ الحَدّينِ ذُو شُطَبِ

Enough wealth for me is a long-tailed steed, an ample coat of mail,

and a cutting sword, sharp on both edges and grooved,

وَحُرَّةٌ مِن بَناتِ العيدِ ناجِيَةٌ

لا تَعرِفُ السَّيرَ غَيرَ الشَّدِّ وَالخَبَبِ

and a highbred, fleet she-camel of the daughters of al-Id,

knowing no gait but hard running and a quick trot.

تَخالُها بَعدِ خِمسِ الرَّكبِ رائِحَةً

دَوِّيَّةً فَقَدَت رَألاً بِذي نَجَبِ

You would think her, returning at dusk after the caravan's five-day march,

a desert ostrich that had lost a chick at Dhu Najab.

لأَطلُبَنَّ العُلى جَهدي طِلابَ فَتىً

يَدوسُ بِالعَزمِ هامَ السَّبعَةِ الشُهُبِ

I shall seek the heights with all my strength, like a youth

who tramples with resolve the heads of the seven bright planets.

فَإِن أَنَل فَبِسَعيي ما أَتَيتُ بِهِ

بِدعاً وإِلّا فَقد أَعذَرتُ في الطَلبِ

If I attain them, it is by my striving; I have done nothing

unprecedented; if not, I have done all I could in the quest.

واحَسرَتا لِتَقضّي العُمرِ في بَلَدٍ

الشّؤمُ في أَهلِها أَعدى من الجربِ

Alas for a lifetime spent in a land

whose people's ill fortune is more contagious than mange!

لا سَيّدٌ ماجِدٌ يَحمي ذِمارَهُمُ

يَحظى لَدَيهِم وَلا حُرٌّ أَخو أَدَبِ

No noble lord who guards their honor

wins their favor, nor any free man of refinement.

مالي وَجِسمي وَسَمعي مِنهُمُ وَفَمي

وَناظِري وَمَحَلُّ الفِكرِ في تَعبِ

My wealth, my body, my hearing, and my mouth suffer at their hands,

and my sight and the seat of thought are weary.

دُعايَ يا رَبِّ أَلهِم رَبَّ دَولَتنا

أَن يُبلِغَ الرَّأسَ مِنّا رُتبَةَ الذَنبِ

My prayer, O Lord: inspire the ruler of our state

to raise the head among us to the rank of the tail.

أَفي القَضِيَّةِ أَن أَبقى كَذا تَبَعاً

وَرُتبَتي في المَعالي أَشرَفُ الرُتَبِ

Is it decreed that I should remain a follower like this,

when my rank in noble attainments is the highest of ranks?

لا يَرتَجي لِحُؤُولِ الحالِ ذُو أَمَلِ

نَيلي وِلا يَتَّقي ذُو مَيلَةٍ غَضَبي

Because my circumstances have changed, no hopeful man expects

my bounty, nor does any wrongdoer fear my anger.

أَرى العُلى تَقتَضيِني غَيرَ وانِيَةٍ

عَزماً يُبَيِّنُ عَن فَضلي وَعَن حَسبي

I see high honor, never slackening, demand of me

a resolve that reveals my merit and noble lineage.

وَما نَهَضتُ لَهُ إِلّا وَأَقعَدَني

خذلانُ قَومي وَعَيثُ الدَهرِ في نَشبي

Yet whenever I rise to it, I am made to sit down by

my people's abandonment and time's ravaging of my wealth.

وَالمَرءُ يَسعى بِلا رَهطٍ وَلا جِدَةٍ

كَالسَّهمِ يُرمى بِلا ريشٍ وَلا عَقبِ

A man who strives without kinsmen or wealth

is like an arrow shot without feathers or sinew binding.

عُجِّلتُ يَومِيَ إِن لَم أُفنِ غارِبَها

أَلَيسَ لا بُدَّ مِن هَمٍّ وَمِن نَصَبِ

May my death be hastened if I do not wear out her withers!

Must there not be worry and toil in any case?

تَقولُ لِي هِمَمي خَلِّ المُقامَ وَقُم

فَإِنَّما راحَةُ الأَبدانِ في التَعَبِ

My ambitions tell me: leave your settled home and rise,

for the body's ease lies only in exertion.

وَاِرغَب بِمَدحِكَ إِلّا في سَليلِ عُلاً

يُنمَى إِلى العِزِّ مِن آبائِكَ النُجُبِ

Direct your praise only toward a scion of noble heights,

traced to glory through your noble ancestors;

مُتَوَّجٍ عَبَدَليٍّ حينَ تَنسِبُهُ

لِخَيرِ جَدٍّ إِذا يُدعى وَخَيرِ أِبِ

a crowned Abdali, when you trace his lineage,

to the best grandfather named and the best father.

مِن آلِ فَضلٍ بُناةِ المَجدِ تَعرِفُهُ

كُلُّ القَبائِلِ مِن ناءٍ وَمُقتَرِبِ

Of the house of Fadl, builders of glory, known to

all the tribes, both distant and near:

الضارِبي الهامَ في يَومٍ تَخالُ بِهِ الش

شَمسَ المُنيرَةَ قَد غابَت وَلم تَغِبِ

those who strike heads on a day when you would think

the shining sun had set, though it had not;

وَالهاتِكينَ عَلى الجَبّارِ قُبّتهُ

شَدَّ النَهارِ بِلا خَوفٍ وَلا رَهَبِ

who tear down the tyrant's pavilion

at the height of day, without fear or dread;

وَالمَطعِمينَ إِذا هَبَّت شَآمِيَةٌ

نَكباءُ تَقلَعُ كسرَ البَيتِ بِالطُنُبِ

and who feed others when a northerly wind blows,

a crosswind tearing up the tent's side, guy ropes and all.

بَنى المَعالي لَهُم فَضلٌ وَشَيَّدَها

أَبو سِنانٍ قَريعُ العجمِ وَالعَربِ

Fadl built their lofty honors, and they were raised high by

Abu Sinan, foremost among non-Arabs and Arabs;

وَأَحمَدٌ اِبنُهُ المَلكُ الَّذي مَنَعَت

ما بَينَ نَزوى سَراياهُ إِلى حَلَبِ

and Ahmad, his son, the king whose detachments guarded

all between Nizwa and Aleppo.

وَماجِدٌ كانَ نِعمَ المُستغاثُ إِذا

دَعا إِلى الحَربِ داعِيها فَلم يُجَبِ

And a noble lord, the best to call upon when

the summons to war was sounded and went unanswered.

وَمن أُولَئِكَ إِذ يُعزى أُبُوَّتُهُ

فَلَيسَ يُدرَكُ في فَضلٍ وَلا حَسَبِ

And his ancestry, when traced, comes from those men,

so he cannot be matched in merit or lineage.

وَلَم يَمُت مَن أَبو شُكرٍ خَليفَتُهُ

المخجِلُ البَدرَ وَالمُزري عَلى السُّحبِ

He has not died whose successor is Abu Shukr,

who shames the full moon and puts rain clouds to shame.

مُقَدَّمٌ كاِسمِهِ في كُلِّ مَكرُمَةٍ

فَإِن نَبا بِكَ دَهرٌ فَاِدعُهُ يُجِبِ

Muqaddam—foremost, as his name says—in every noble deed;

if time deals harshly with you, call on him: he will answer.

وَأَين مِثلُ أَبي شُكرٍ إِذا اِستَعَرَت

نارُ الوَغى واِتَّقى المَسلوبُ بِالسَّلبِ

Where is the equal of Abu Shukr when there blazes

the fire of war, and the despoiled saves himself by yielding his spoils?

مُردي حُروبٍ تَرى تَحتَ العَجاجِ لَهُ

في الخَيلِ وَقعاً كَوَقعِ النّارِ في الحَطَبِ

A slayer in battle, whose impact beneath the dust you see

among the cavalry, like fire's impact upon wood.

لا يَتَّقي بَأَسَهُ الأَبطالُ يَومَ وَغىً

إِلّا بِعَقدِ ذِمامٍ مِنهُ أَو هَرَبِ

Champions cannot ward off his might on a day of battle

except through a pledge of protection from him, or flight.

لَو أَنَّ لِلسَّيفِ يَومَ الرَّوعِ عَزمَتَهُ

ما كانَ لِلبيضِ مَعناهُ وَلا اليَلبِ

If the sword had his resolve on the day of terror,

helmets and leather armor would serve no purpose.

وَلَو تَكون لِليثِ الغابِ نَجدَتُهُ

ما كانَ مَسكَنُهُ في الغابِ وَالقَصَبِ

If the forest lion possessed his bravery,

its dwelling would not be among thickets and reeds.

وَالشَّمسُ لَو خُلِقَت مِن نورِ غُرَّتِهِ

لَما تَوارَت عَنِ الأَبصارِ بِالحُجبِ

If the sun were created from the light of his brow,

it would never hide from sight behind veils.

وَالبَحرُ لَو غُمِسَت فيهِ شَمائِلُهُ

لَصارَ أَنقَعَ لِلصَديانِ مِن ثَغبِ

If his qualities were immersed in the sea,

it would quench the thirsty better than a cool rock-pool.

تَسَنَّمَ المُلكَ لَم تَبقُل عَوارِضُهُ

وَحَلَّ مِن ذِروَتَيهِ أَفضَلَ الرُتَبِ

He ascended the throne before hair sprouted on his cheeks,

and took the highest station on its twin summits.

سَهلُ الخَليقَةِ مَحمودُ الطَريقَةِ من

نَاعُ الحَقيقَةِ سُمُّ الجَحفَلِ اللَجِبِ

Gentle in nature, commendable in conduct, a staunch

defender of sacred honor, poison to the clamorous host;

ماضي العَزيمَةِ وَرّادٌ بِهِمَّتِهِ

عَلى المَتالِفِ هَجّامٌ عَلى النُّوَبِ

unwavering in resolve, ever venturing with his ambition

into deadly places, charging at calamities.

لَو يَبرُزُ المَوتُ في شَخصٍ وَقالَ لَهُ

اِنزِل لَنازَلَهُ ضَرباً وَلَم يَهَبِ

If death appeared in human form and said to him,

'Come down!' he would meet it with blows, unafraid.

مِلءُ المُفاضَةِ مِن بَأسٍ وَمِن كَرَمٍ

وَمِن وَفاءٍ وَمِن حِلمٍ وَمِن أَدَبِ

He fills his ample mail with valor and generosity,

with fidelity, forbearance, and refinement.

بَدّاعُ مَكرُمَةٍ خَواضُّ مَلحَمَةٍ

أَشهى الكَلامِ إِلى فيهِ هَلا وَهَبِ

An originator of noble deeds, a plunger into pitched battle;

the words sweetest to his mouth are 'Onward!' and 'Give!'

يَوماهُ يَومُ نَدىً غَمرٍ وَيَومُ وَغَىً

لا يَومُ كاسِ رَنَوناةٍ وَلا طَرَبِ

His two days are a day of overflowing bounty and a day of war,

not a day for a cup of folly or revelry.

الطاعِنُ الخَيلَ شَزرَاً كُلَّ نافِذَةٍ

سُلكى وَمَخلوجَةٍ تَشفي مِنَ الكَلبِ

He thrusts sideways at the cavalry with every piercing stroke,

straight or wrenched aside, curing their rabid fury;

وَالتارِكُ القِرنَ في البَوغاءِ مُنعَفِراً

بِضَربَةٍ سَبَقَت مِنهُ عَلى غَضَبِ

and leaves his rival sprawled in the dust,

with a swift blow delivered in wrath.

وَالواهِبُ الهَجَماتِ الحُمرَ تَتبَعُها

فِصلانُها في السِّنينِ العُرَّمِ الشُّهبِ

And gives great herds of red camels, followed by

their calves, in harsh, ash-gray years.

يَقري الضُّيوفَ سَديفَ الكُومِ مُغتَبِطاً

في الشِّيزِ لا الخازِر المَمذوقَ في العُلَبِ

He gladly serves guests fat from high-humped she-camels,

in blackwood bowls, not diluted sour milk in small cups.

تَأبى لَهُ الضَّيمَ نَفسٌ عَزَّ خالِقُها

لا كالنُّفوسِ وَأَصلٌ غَيرُ ذي أَشَبِ

A soul—glorious is its Creator—rejects injustice for him,

unlike other souls, and a lineage without tangled admixture.

أَجرا عَلى البَطَلِ المِقدامِ مِن أَسَدٍ

عَلى حُوارٍ وَمِن صَقرٍ عَلى خَرَبِ

Bolder against the advancing champion than a lion

against a camel calf, or a falcon against a male bustard.

يا اِبنَ المُلوكِ الأُلى شادوا مَمالِكَهُم

بِسَلَّةِ البيضِ وَالخَطِّيَّةِ السُّلُبِ

O son of kings who built their realms

with drawn bright swords and slender Khatti spears!

نَماكَ مِن آلِ إِبراهيمَ كُلُّ فَتىً

مُهَذَّبٍ طاهِرِ الأَخلاقِ مُنتَخَبِ

Every noble youth of the house of Ibrahim begot your line,

refined, pure in character, and chosen.

كَم في أُبوَّتِكَ الأَمجادِ مِن مَلكٍ

بِالمَجدِ مُلتَحِفٍ بِالتاجِ مَعتَصِبِ

How many kings among your glorious forefathers,

wrapped in glory, their brows bound with crowns!

لَم يَبقَ إِلّاكَ فَاِذكُر ما يُقالُ غَداً

وَإِن هَمَمتَ بَضَعفِ العَزمِ فَاِنتَسِبِ

None but you remains: remember what will be said tomorrow;

if you contemplate weak resolve, recall your lineage.

لا تَركَنَنَّ إِلى مَن لا وفاءَ لَهُ

الذِئبُ مِن طَبعِهِ إِن يَقتَدِر يَثِبِ

Never lean on one who has no fidelity;

a wolf's nature is to spring if it has the power.

وَلا تَكُن لِذَوي الأَلبابِ مُحتَقِراً

ذُو اللُبِّ يَكسِرُ فَرعَ النَبعِ بِالغَرَبِ

And do not scorn men of understanding;

a man of wit breaks a nabʿ branch with willow wood.

وَاِحسِب لِشَرِّ العِدى مِن قَبلِ مَوقِعِهِ

فَرُبَّما جاءَ أَمرٌ غَيرُ مُحتَسَبِ

Reckon with your enemies' evil before it strikes;

an unforeseen event may well occur.

وَغَر عَلى المُلكِ مِن لعبِ الرِّجالِ بِهِ

فَالمُلكُ لَيسَ بِثَبّاتٍ عَلى اللَعِبِ

Guard the kingship jealously against men's playing with it,

for kingship cannot stand firm amid play.

وَاِرفَع وَضَع وَاِعتَزِم وَاِنفَع وَضُرَّ وَصِل

وَاِقطَع وَقُم وَاِنتَقِم وَاِصفَح وَخُذ وَهَب

Raise and lower, resolve, benefit and harm, and join;

sever, rise, take vengeance, pardon, take, and give.

وَاِحذَر تُؤَخِّر فِعلاً صالِحاً لِغَدٍ

فَكَم غَدٍ يَومُهُ غادٍ فَلم يَؤُبِ

Beware of putting off a worthy deed until tomorrow;

for many a tomorrow's day goes forth and never returns.

وَاِبسُط يَدَي فاضِلٍ في الأَمرِ تُكفَ بِهِ

ما نابَ واِرمِ العِدى عَن قَوسِهِ تُصِبِ

Give a worthy man free rein in affairs, and through him be spared

whatever befalls; shoot at enemies with his bow, and you will hit.

فَفاضِلٍ غَيرِ خَوّارٍ وَلا وَكلٍ

في الكائِناتِ وَلا وانٍ وَلا وَعِبِ

A worthy man, neither fainthearted nor helpless

in whatever happens, neither slack nor timid;

أَوفى نِزارٍ وَأَكفاها وَأَمنَعها

عِندَ اللّقاءِ وَأَحماها عَلى الحَسَبِ

the most faithful of Nizar, most capable, and strongest in defense

at the encounter, and most zealous in guarding honor.

إلَيكَ جَوهَرَةً مِن طَبعِ قائِلَها

تَبقى عَلى غابِرِ الأَزمانِ وَالحِقَبِ

Here is a jewel from its speaker's natural gift,

to endure through all remaining ages and epochs.

يُقالُ لِلمُدَّعي شِعراً يُعادِلُها

كَذَبتَ ما الضَرَبُ الطَّلحِيُّ كَالضَّرَبِ

To anyone claiming verse that matches it, it is said:

'You lie: talh-tree gum is not honey.'

بَقيتَ في دَولَةٍ يَشقى العَدُوُّ بِها

تَرعى الصَديقَ وَتُدعى كاشِفَ الكُرَبِ

May you endure in a reign that makes the enemy wretched,

caring for friends and called the dispeller of distress.