أرى سيرها عنقاً أو خيدا

لعلك يا سعد تنوي زرودا

I see their gait: a brisk trot or a swift stride.

Perhaps, Sa'd, you mean to reach Zarud.

رويداً بها قاطعات المدى

إلى درك الحاج بيداً فبيدا

Gently with them, those that cross vast distances,

toward attaining their aims, desert after desert.

إذا نظمت بلداً بالخطى

توهمت عقداً عليه بديدا

When their steps thread a tract of land,

I imagine a necklace scattered upon it.

فلو كان حق يد لا يضاع

بسطنا لأخفافهن الخدودا

If a kindness's due were never neglected,

we would spread our cheeks beneath their hooves.

وكنت إذا البعد صد اللـ

ـقاء وآيسني باخل أن يجودا

And I, whenever distance barred the meet—

—ing, and a miser made me despair of his giving,

ركبت المنى وجياد المنى

تلين الشديد وتدني البعيدا

would mount hopes; and the steeds of hope

soften hardship and bring the distant near.

وحي يريك بجيد الكثيـ

ـب لزهر اللهاذم سلكاً نضيدا

And a clan shows you, at the neck of the sand—

—dune, a close-strung thread of gleaming spearheads.

خلعنا الضحى ولبسنا الدجى

إليه وكان رداء جديدا

We shed the morning light and donned the darkness

on our way to it; it was a new cloak.

طرقناه حيث الدجى فحمة

وتأبى الأسنة ألا وقودا

We visited it by night, when darkness was charcoal,

and spearheads would accept nothing but flame.

وقد جرد الغيث بيض البروق

وأقسم ألا تحل الغمودا

The rain had unsheathed the bright swords of lightning

and sworn they would not enter their scabbards.

وللركب تحت سيوف الوميض

جفون أبت أن تذوق الهجودا

Beneath the flashing swords, the riders had

eyelids that refused to taste sleep.

وقد لبست أكمه الوهاد

من صنعة الغاديات البرودا

And its hills and lowlands had donned

striped robes wrought by the morning rainclouds.

فنبه نيرانه والجفان

وأيقظ سماره والعبيدا

He roused his fires and serving bowls,

and woke his night companions and slaves:

عميد على عزه لا يجير

من ذلة الحب صباً عميدا

a chieftain who, for all his might, cannot shield

a lovesick man from love's abasement.

فليت الدمى لقنت صنعه

تقك الأسير وتؤوي الطريدا

If only those idols learned his ways,

to protect you, the captive, and shelter the fugitive.

ولا أبعد الله تلك الوجوه

نعم وسقى العهد تلك العهودا

May God never banish those faces—

yes, and may renewing rain water those bygone days.

وبيض السوالف سود الجفون

لي الله منهن بيضاً وسودا

And those with white necks and black eyelids—

God help me against them, white and black alike!

إذا آنسوا غارة للعيون

شاموا اللحاظ وهزوا الوقودا

When they sensed a raid by eyes,

they unsheathed their glances and brandished the kindling—

رماحاً إذا أشرعت للنزا

ل جعلن أسنتهن النهودا

spears that, when leveled for bat—

—tle, made breasts their spearheads.

أغزلان كاظمة لا غدا

كناسك في المحل إلا مجودا

O gazelles of Kazimah, may

your lair in drought always receive abundant rain.

لأمر رضينا برجع السلام

وإن كان ذاك نوالاً زهيدا

For a reason, we accepted a returned greeting,

though that was a meager gift.

أعيدوا على ناشد قلبه

فليس بأول حق أعيدا

Return it to one searching for his heart,

for it is not the first rightful claim restored.

ولا تثقوا بوفاق الجمال

فإن له بعد وصل صدودا

Do not trust beauty's accord,

for after union it turns away.

فلو كان شيء يجوز الخلود

إذا ملك المنقذي الخلودا

If anything were allowed immortality,

then al-Munqidhi would possess immortality.

فتى ناره في قرى أو وغى

كأفكاره يعصيان الخمودا

A young man—his fire, in hospitality or war,

and his thoughts alike defy extinction.

رفيع العماد طويل النجاد

يمد إلى المجد باعاً مديدا

Lofty of tent-pole and long of sword-belt,

he stretches a far-reaching arm toward glory.

هو المرء تعرفه في الندي

حلماً رصيناً وقولاً سديدا

He is the man you know in the assembly

by steadfast forbearance and sound speech.

إذا سيم ضيماً قسا كالحسام

وإن سيل في مغرم ذاب جودا

When subjected to injustice, he hardens like a sword;

when solicited over a debt, he melts into generosity.

يلين فإن عجمته الخطوب

كان صليباً عليها شديدا

He is gentle; but if calamities test him,

he stands firm and stern against them.

وإن عقمت منجبات الغما

م طرق بالجود كفا ولودا

And if the fruitful rain—

—clouds grow barren, he makes a fertile hand conceive bounty.

مليك طليق الندى واللسا

ن يبهج قاصده القصيدا

A king free with bounty and with his tong—

—ue, who gladdens the ode that seeks him.

تعجب له قائلاً فاعلاً

إذا ما انبرى مبدياً أو معيدا

You marvel at him in word and deed,

whenever he steps forth, initiating or repeating.

فطوبى لعينك يوم السلام

إذا ما الحجاب أجاز الوفودا

Blessed is your eye on the day of greeting,

when the chamberlains admit the delegations.

هو الواهب الخيل قب الكلى

ظماء الفصوص إلى العيس قودا

He gives horses, hollow-flanked,

dry-jointed, led alongside pale camels.

ينال مع العفو أقصى المنى

فكيف مع الجد يبغي المزيدا

With ease he gains the utmost of his hopes;

how, then, with effort, can he seek still more?

من القوم ماضيهم كالشبا

ب أقام حميداً وولى حميدا

From a people whose past, like you—

—th, was praised while present and praised when gone.

هم ذللوا عاصيات البلا

د وحلوا ذوائبها والنجودا

They subdued rebellious coun—

—tries and settled their summits and uplands.

ليوث الوغى وغيوث اللهى تعـ

ـل الصعاد وتروي الصعيدا

Lions of battle, rainclouds of bounty: they sla—

—ke the tall spears and water the ground.

كأن الزمان حذا حذوهم

مفتياً بأحداثه أو مفيدا

It is as though Time followed their example,

offering rulings through its events, or instruction.

إذا حوربوا أكثروا نجدة

وإن يكن السلب قلوا عديدا

When attacked, they abound in valor;

when there is booty, they are few in number.

وإن نثلوا سابغات الدلاص

والأسل الغاب كانوا أسودا

When they bring out their full coats of polished mail

and forest-thick spears, they are lions.

لهاميم تلقاهم والوجوه

مختلفات بهاليل صيدا

Mighty chiefs: you meet them, though their faces

differ, as noble, high-headed men.

مساميح ليس بمستنكر

لطفلهم مرضعاً أن يسودا

Openhanded men: it is no strange thing

for their suckling child to become a lord.

أكفهم أمهات الصفاح

متى ظمئت أوردتها وريدا

Their hands are mothers to the sword blades;

whenever those thirst, they bring them to a jugular vein.

لهم بالمبارك مجد ظريف

يضم إليه علاء تليدا

In al-Mubarak they have a newly won glory

that joins ancient eminence to itself.

وقد لقب السيف وهو النضار

واسم السيوف يخص الحديدا

He has been titled 'the Sword,' though he is pure gold,

and the name of swords belongs to iron.

غدا كافل الملك منه أشم

يرعي مناديه سمعاً حديدا

A proud guardian of the realm arose from him,

lending his caller a keen ear.

حمى سرحة وبنى صرحة وأعـ

ـلى فبات منيعاً مشيدا

He guarded a spreading tree, built a palace, and rai—

—sed it, till it stood impregnable and lofty.

وسكن حتى وجيف البلاد

فأطفالها لا تريد المهودا

He stilled even the land's throbbing,

so its children do not ask for cradles.

وسارت كواكب أيامه

على رغم كل عدو سعودا

And the stars of his days moved onward

auspiciously, despite every foe.

فأقلامه مثل أسيافه

تميت شقياً وتحيي سعيدا

His pens, like his swords,

kill the wretched and give life to the fortunate.

رمى بفتاه نحو الثغور

فأصمى عدوا وأردى حسودا

He shot his young man toward the frontiers,

striking an enemy dead and felling an envier.

وأغنى غناء أبيه الهمام

كذاك الشبول تحاكي الأسودا

He served as capably as his noble father;

so lion cubs resemble lions.

لزانت كنانة هذي السهام

كما زانت المرهفات الغمودا

These arrows would surely grace Kinanah,

as sharpened blades grace their sheaths.

لقد ضحك الثغر بشراً به

وكان القطوب لديه عتيدا

The frontier smiled gladly at him,

though frowning had stood ready there.

وأمست لياليه بيض الوجوه

وقد كن أيامه البيض سودا

Its nights became white-faced,

though its white days had been black.

وما جاده الغيث عن فاقة

ولكنه جاءه مستفيدا

The rain did not shower him because he was needy,

but came to him seeking gain.

له من عزائمه جحفل

ولو سار في كل أفق وحيدا

He has an army made of his resolves,

even if he traveled alone through every horizon.

فريد يقل لديه العديد

ومن شرف الدر سمي فريدا

Peerless—multitudes seem few beside him;

a pearl's nobility earns it the name 'peerless.'

ومن كنت والده لك يكن

له عجباً حفظ ملك وليدا

And for one whose father you are, may it be to you

a marvel that he guards a kingdom as a newborn.

يحل العقود من المشكلات

ويعقد للأمراء البنودا

He unties the knots of tangled problems

and ties banners for commanders.

ويصلب أن عزه فادح

وإن هزه مادح لأن عودا

He hardens if a crushing burden overpowers him,

but if a praiser shakes him, his wood grows supple.

وإني لجوهرة تصطفى

إذا ادخر الموسرون العقودا

And I am a jewel chosen

when the wealthy store away necklaces.

وما بغيتي غير حسن الوداد

وحسبي بمثلك مولى ودودا

My only aim is beautiful affection;

a loving patron like you suffices me,

وعلمك أن مديحي يزين ما

زانه الدر تاجاً وجيدا

and your knowledge that my praise adorns what

pearls adorned: a crown and a neck.

وإني أسير بلا صاحب

فاطوى الدجى وأصيد الشرودا

I travel without a companion,

folding up the darkness and catching what runs wild.

وآنف مما يقول الأنام

فأهدي الغزالة لمياء رودا

I scorn what other people say,

and offer the gazelle, dark-lipped and tender.

ولا خير في الشعر بعد الخمو

ل إذا لم تكن سامعاً مستعيدا

There is no good in poetry after obscur—

—ity, if you do not listen and ask to hear it again.

وإن عشت أرسلتها في علا

ك معنى حليماً ولفظاً رشيدا

And if I live, I will send it in praise of your glo—

—ry, with a forbearing meaning and judicious wording.

فو المجد ما الند غير الثناء وا

فق من عرض مجد نديدا

By glory, incense is only praise that has mat—

—ched a peer in a noble man's honor.

فرحب بغيد بنات القريض

فلولا صفاتك ما كن غيدا

So welcome the graceful daughters of verse;

without your qualities, they would not be graceful.

مهى لو تقادم ميلادها

لقام لبيد لديها بليدا

Oryxes: had their birth come long ago,

Labid would have stood dull beside them.

ولا زال فهمك بعلاً لها

تزف إليه فتجلى نشيدا

May your understanding remain their husband,

to whom they are led as brides and unveiled in song.