منال العلى بالمرهفات القواضب — Abn Almqrb Alaaona

مَنالُ العُلى بِالمُرهفاتِ القَواضِبِ

وَسُمرِ العَوالي وَالعِتاقِ الشَوازِبِ

Lofty glory is won with keen, cleaving swords,

And brown long spears and lean, noble steeds,

وَطَعنٍ إِذا ما النَّقعُ ثارَ وَأَقبَلَت

بَنو الحَربِ أَمثالَ الجِمالِ المَصاعِبِ

And spear-thrusts when battle-dust rises and there advance

War's sons, like unruly camels,

وَضَربٍ يُزِلُّ الهامَ عَن كُلِّ ماجِدٍ

عَلى الهَولِ مِقدامٍ كَريمِ المناسِبِ

And blows that send heads tumbling from every noble warrior,

Bold before terror, noble in lineage.

وَليسَ يَنالُ المَجدَ مَن كانَ هَمُّهُ

طروقَ الأَغاني وَاِعتِناق الحَبائِبِ

Glory is not attained by one whose concern is

Seeking songs at night and embracing beloveds.

وَلا بَلَغَ العَلياءَ إِلّا اِبنُ حُرَّةٍ

قَليلُ اِفتِكارٍ في وقوعِ العَواقِبِ

None reaches the heights but a freeborn woman's son,

Who gives little thought to unfolding consequences:

جَريءٌ عَلى الأَعداءِ مُرٌّ مذاقُهُ

بَعيدُ المَدى جَمُّ النَّدى وَالمَواهِبِ

Bold against his enemies, bitter to the taste,

Far-reaching, lavish in generosity and gifts,

حَليفُ سُرىً جَوّابُ أَرضٍ تَجاوَزَت

بِهِ العيسُ أَجوازَ القِفارِ السَباسِبِ

A companion of night journeys, a rover of lands crossed

By pale camels bearing him through the hearts of barren plains.

وَخاضَت بِهِ الخَيلُ النَّجيعَ وَحُطِّمَت

عَواليهِ قَسراً في صُدورِ الكَتائِبِ

And horses waded through blood with him, while shattered

Were his long spears, driven hard into battalions' breasts.

تَعَلَّمَ مِن فِعلِ الأَميرِ مُحمَّدٍ

فَأَصبَحَ مَلكاً في أَجلِّ المَراتِبِ

He learned from the deeds of Emir Muhammad,

And became a king of the most exalted rank.

فَتىً لَم تَزَل في كُلِّ يَومٍ جِيادُهُ

يُقسِّمنَ أَموالَ العَدُوِّ المُحارِبِ

A youth whose steeds have never ceased, day after day,

Dividing the wealth of the warring enemy.

يشنُّ بِها الغاراتِ أَروعُ ماجِدٌ

سَريعٌ إِلى الجُلّى بَعيدُ المَطالِبِ

He launches raids with them, an awe-inspiring nobleman,

Swift to great deeds, far-reaching in his aims.

شُجاعٌ إِذا ما أَصبَحَ الحَيُّ لَم يَكُن

صُبوحُهُم إِلّا رواقَ المَضارِبِ

A brave man: when the clan awakes, there is no

Morning draught for them but the clear liquor of sword-blades.

أَزاحَ الأَعادي عَن حِماها وَحازَهُ

فَأَضحَت لَهُ آسادُها كَالثَّعالِبِ

He drove the foes from their preserve and seized it,

So its lions became like foxes before him.

فَلَم يَبقَ أَرضٌ لَم تَجُزها جيادُهُ

وَقَد حطَّمَت أَركانَها بِالمَناكِبِ

No land remained that his steeds had not crossed,

Having shattered its pillars with their shoulders.

فَسائِل بِهِ في الحَربِ أَبناءَ مالِكٍ

وَما حاضِرٌ في عِلمِهِ مثلُ غائِبِ

So ask the sons of Malik about him in war;

An eyewitness's knowledge is unlike an absentee's.

غَداةَ تَوَلّوا هارِبينَ وَأَسلَمُوا

عَلى الرَّغمِ مِنهُم كُلَّ بَيضاءَ كاعِبِ

The morning they turned and fled, surrendering

Against their will every fair, budding-breasted maiden.

أَتاهُم بِجَيشٍ يَملأُ الأُفقَ مالهُ

سِوى مَن يُراعي مِن شَبابٍ وَشائِبِ

He came to them with an army filling the horizon, with none

But watchful men, young and gray-haired.

فَلمّا رأَوهُ أَنَّهُ هُوَ لَم يَكُن

سِلاحُهُمُ إِلّا غُبارَ السَّلاهِبِ

When they saw that it was he, they had no

Weapon but the dust of long-limbed steeds.

وَهَل مَنَعَت مِنهُ غَزيَّةُ دارَها

بِأَسمَرَ عسّالٍ وَأَبيضَ قاضِبِ

And did Ghaziyya defend her home against him

With a swaying brown lance and a bright, cleaving sword?

غَداةَ أَتاهُم في سَماءٍ عَجاجَةٍ

أَسِنَّتُه مِن تَحتِها كَالكَواكِبِ

The morning he came to them amid a sky of dust,

His spearheads beneath it were like stars.

وَقَد جاءَهُم مِنهُ النَّذيرُ لِيَأخُذُوا

مِنَ البِرِّ عَن جَوزِ الطَّريقِ بِجانِبِ

A warner had already come to them from him, so they might take

A place in the open country, to one side of the road's center.

فَلَم يَقبَلوا قَولَ النَّصيحِ وَأَعرَضوا

وَظنّوا ظُنوناً يا لَها مِن كَواذِبِ

But they rejected the sincere adviser's words and turned away,

And formed conjectures—oh, how false they were!

فَصبَّحهُم شَعواءَ سَدَّت عَلَيهمُ

رحابَ الفَيافي شَرقِها وَالمَغارِبِ

He fell on them at dawn with a sweeping raid, cutting off

The broad desert expanses, their east and west.

فَما لَبِثوا إِلّا فواقاً وَأَجفَلوا

كَإِجفالِ شاءٍ مِن ذئابٍ سَواغِبِ

They lingered only a moment, then fled in panic,

Like sheep stampeding from ravenous wolves.

وَخَلّوا عَن الأَموالِ صُفراً وَأَسلَموا

عذابَ الثَنايا ضاحِكاتِ الترائِبِ

They abandoned their wealth, empty-handed, and surrendered

Women with sweet front teeth and smiling bosoms.

وَطارَ اِبنُ مَذكورٍ يَشِلُّ قِلاصَهُ

وَيُنذِرُ مِن غاراتِهِ كُلَّ صاحِبِ

And Ibn Madhkur took flight, driving his young she-camels,

And warning every companion of his raids.

وَلَم يرعَ ما قَد كانَ مِن خُلفِ دَهمَشٍ

وَقالَ الوَفا في مِثلِها غَيرُ واجِبِ

Nor did he heed Dahmash's earlier breach of promise,

And said, 'Fidelity in such a case is not required.'

وَلمّا أَتَت أهلُ الشَّآمِ يَقودُها

إِلَيهِ الرَّدى قَودَ الجَنيبِ لِراكِبِ

And when the people of Syria came, being led

To him by Death, as a rider leads a spare mount,

سَعيدٌ وَمَسعودٌ وَرَهطُ حَديثه

يَسيرونَ جُردَ الخَيلِ بَينَ النَجائِبِ

Sa'id, Mas'ud, and Haditha's kinsmen,

Traveling on sleek horses among noble riding-camels,

وَقَد حَسَدوا أَهلَ الحِجازِ وأَقبَلُوا

مِنَ الشامِ في أَهليهمُ وَالعَصائِبِ

They had envied the people of the Hijaz and come

From Syria with their households and bands.

أَتاهُم يَجوبُ البيدَ بِالخَيلِ وَالقَنا

فَتىً عَبدَلِيٌّ في الوَغى غَيرُ هائِبِ

To them came, crossing the wastes with horses and spears,

An 'Abdali youth, fearless in battle,

ضَروبٌ لِهاماتِ الكُماةِ مُعَوَّدٌ

بِمَنعِ التَوالي وَاِبتِذالِ الرَغائِبِ

A mighty striker of warriors' heads, accustomed

To guarding the rear and lavishing prized possessions.

فَلَم يُنجِهِم إِلّا الفرارُ وَجيرَةٌ

أَتَت مِنهُ ما فيها مَعابٌ لِعائِبِ

Nothing saved them but flight and protection

Which came from him, with no fault a critic could find.

وَقَد زَعَموا في زَعمِهم أَنَّ خَيلَهُم

تَدوسُ قُرى البَحَرينِ مِن كُلِّ جانِبِ

They had claimed, in their assertions, that their horses

Would trample the villages of Bahrayn from every side.

وَهَيهاتَ ما قَد حاوَلُوهُ وَدونَهُ

سُيوفُ اِبنِ فَضلٍ ذي العُلى وَالمَناقِبِ

Far beyond reach was what they sought; before it stood

The swords of Ibn Fadl, master of lofty glory and noble deeds,

وَفِتيانُ صِدقٍ مِن عَقيلٍ أَعَزَّةٌ

ثِقالٌ عَلى الأَعدا كِرامُ المناسِبِ

And true-hearted young men of 'Aqil, mighty,

A heavy burden on their foes, noble in lineage.

بِهِ بَلَغوا آمالَهُم وَمُناهُمُ

وَحَلّوا مِنَ العَلياءِ أَعلى المَراتِبِ

Through him they attained their hopes and wishes,

And settled in the highest ranks of lofty glory.

هُوَ السَّيّدُ الضِّرغامُ وَالأَسَدُ الَّذي

بَنى مَجدَهُ فَوقَ النُّجومِ الثَوَاقِبِ

He is the lord, the fierce lion, the lion who

Built his glory above the piercing stars.

لَهُ خَضَعَت غُلبُ الرِّقابِ وَأَصبَحت

بِه الأَرضُ تَزهو بَعدَ تِلكَ الغَياهِبِ

To him stout-necked men bowed, and

Through him the earth grew radiant after those dark depths.

تَرى عِندَهُ رُسلَ المُلوكِ مُقيمَةً

ذَهابُ رَسولٍ عِندَ آخرِ آيبِ

You see kings' envoys staying with him,

One envoy departing as another returns,

مَخافَةَ سَطواتٍ لَهُ يَعرِفُونَها

تُقيمُ عَلى الأَعداءِ صَوتَ النَوادِبِ

For fear of onslaughts of his that they know well,

Which raise over his foes the voice of mourning women.

مُورِّثُهُ مِن عَهدِ عادٍ وَجُرهمٍ

وُهَيبُ بنُ أَفصى وَالقُرونِ الذَواهِبِ

His glory was bequeathed to him from the age of 'Ad and Jurhum

And the generations long gone by Wuhayb son of Afsa.

وَمالَ أَميرُ المُؤمِنينَ بِوُدِّهِ

إِلَيهِ وَسَمّاهُ زَعيمَ الأَعارِبِ

And the Commander of the Faithful turned his affection

Toward him and named him leader of the Bedouin Arabs.

حَمى البرَّ مِن حَدِّ العِراقِ فَحازَهُ

إِلى الشّامِ وَاِستَولى عَلى حَدِّ ناعِبِ

He guarded the open country from Iraq's frontier and held it

As far as Syria, and took control of the border of Na'ib.

فَعَزَّ لِسامي عِزِّهِ كُلُّ خائِفٍ

مَرُوعٍ وَأَغنى جُودُهُ كُلَّ طالِبِ

Through his exalted might, every fearful one grew strong,

Though terror-stricken; his generosity enriched every petitioner.

فَلا عَدمَت يَوماً رَبيعَةُ مِثلَهُ

لِتَشييدِ عِزٍّ أَو لِبَذلِ مَواهِبِ

So may Rabi'a never lack one like him,

For building up glory or bestowing gifts.

وَلا بَرِحَت أَيّامُهُ في سَعادَةٍ

وَلا زالَ مَحروسَ الحِمى وَالجَوانِبِ

And may his days never cease to be happy,

And may he ever remain guarded in his domain and on all sides.