نعاء إلى كل حي نعاء — Abu Tammam

نَعاءِ إِلى كُلِّ حَيٍّ نَعاءِ

فَتى العَرَبِ اِحتَلَّ رَبعَ الفَناءِ

Proclaim the death to every tribe—proclaim it!

The Arabs' champion has taken up death's abode.

أُصِبنا جَميعاً بِسَهمِ النِضالِ

فَهَلّا أُصِبنا بِسَهمِ الغِلاءِ

We have all been struck by an arrow aimed at its mark;

why not by one shot merely for distance?

أَلا أَيُّها المَوتُ فَجَّعتَنا

بِماءِ الحَياةِ وَماءِ الحَياءِ

Ah, O Death, you have bereaved us

of the water of life and the water of modesty.

فَماذا حَضَرتَ بِهِ حاضِراً

وَماذا خَبَأتَ لِأَهلِ الخِباءِ

What, then, have you brought to the townsman,

and what have you stored for those who dwell in tents?

نَعاءِ نَعاءِ شَقيقَ النَدى

إِلَيهِ نَعِيّاً قَليلَ الجَداءِ

Proclaim, proclaim the death of generosity's brother

to generosity itself—a death-tiding of little avail.

وَكانا جَميعاً شَريكَي عِنانٍ

رَضيعَي لِبانٍ خَليلَي صَفاءِ

The two were partners sharing a single rein,

nursed on the same milk, companions in pure affection.

عَلى خالِدِ بنِ يَزيدَ بنِ مَز

يَدِ أَمرِ دُموعاً نَجيعاً بِماءِ

For Khalid son of Yazid son of Mazyad,

draw forth tears—fresh blood mixed with water.

وَلا تَرَيَنَّ البُكا سُبَّةً

وَأَلصِق جَوىً بِلَهيبٍ رَواءِ

Do not ever deem weeping a disgrace,

and join burning grief to a flame of quenching water.

فَقَد كَثَّرَ الرُزءُ قَدرَ الدُمو

عِ وَقَد عَظَّمَ الخَطبُ شَأنَ البُكاءِ

For this loss has increased the worth of tears,

and calamity has magnified the stature of weeping.

فَباطِنُهُ مَلجَأٌ لِلأَسى

وَظاهِرُهُ ميسَمٌ لِلوَفاءِ

For its inward side is a refuge for sorrow,

and its outward side a mark of fidelity.

مَضى المَلِكُ الوائِلِيُّ الَّذي

حَلَبنا بِهِ العَيشَ وُسعَ الإِناءِ

The Wa'ili king has passed away, the one

through whom we milked life till the vessel was full.

فَأَودى النَدى ناضِرَ العودِ وَال

فُتُوَّةُ مَغموسَةً في الفَتاءِ

Thus generosity perished, its bough still green, and

chivalry, steeped in youth.

فَأَضحَت عَلَيهِ العُلى خُشَّعاً

وَبَيتُ السَماحَةِ مُلقى الكِفاءِ

So the heights of glory stood bowed over him,

and generosity's tent had its rear curtain cast down.

وَقَد كانَ مِمّا يُضيءُ السَريرَ

وَالبَهوَ يَملَأُهُ بِالبَهاءِ

He had been one who lit up the throne,

and filled the hall with splendor.

سَلِ المُلكَ عَن خالِدٍ وَالمُلوكَ

بِقَمعِ العِدى وَبِنَفيِ العَداءِ

Ask kingship and kings about Khalid:

of his crushing foes and banishing enmity.

أَلَم يَكُ أَقتَلَهُم لِلأُسودِ

صَبراً وَأَوهَبَهُم لِلظِباءِ

Was he not their greatest slayer of lions

held captive, and their most lavish giver of gazelles?

أَلَم يَجلِبِ الخَيلَ مِن بابِلٍ

شَوازِبَ مِثلَ قِداحِ السَراءِ

Did he not bring horses from Babylon,

lean-flanked, like arrow-shafts of sara wood?

فَمَدَّ عَلى الثَغرِ إِعصارَها

بِرَأيٍ حُسامٍ وَنَفسٍ فَضاءِ

Then he spread their whirlwind over the frontier,

with sword-sharp judgment and a spacious soul.

فَلَمّا تَراءَت عَفاريتُهُ

سَنا كَوكَبٍ جاهِلِيِّ السَناءِ

Then, when his warrior-demons came into view,

with a star's gleam of primeval brilliance,

وَقَد سَدَّ مَندوحَةَ القاصِعاءِ

مِنهُم وَأَمسَكَ بِالنافِقاءِ

and he had barred their escape through the main burrow-mouth

and seized the concealed escape-hole,

طَوى أَمرَهُم عَنوَةً في يَدَيهِ

طَيَّ السِجِلِّ وَطَيَّ الرِداءِ

he folded up their affairs by force in his hands,

as one rolls a scroll and folds a cloak.

أَقَرّوا لَعَمري بِحُكمِ السُيوفِ

وَكانَت أَحَقَّ بِفَصلِ القَضاءِ

They acknowledged, by my life, the judgment of swords,

and swords were worthiest to give the final verdict.

وَما بِالوِلايَةِ إِقرارُهُم

وَلَكِن أَقَرّوا لَهُ بِالوَلاءِ

Their acknowledgment was not of mere governorship,

but they acknowledged allegiance to him.

أُصِبنا بِكَنزِ الغِنى وَالإِمامُ

أَمسى مَصاباً بِكَنزِ الغَناءِ

We have lost the treasure of wealth, while the Imam

has lost the treasure of able service.

وَما إِن أُصيبَ بِراعي الرَعِيَّةِ

لا بَل أُصيبَ بِراعي الرِعاءِ

He has not merely lost the shepherd of the people—

no, rather, he has lost the shepherd of shepherds.

يَقولُ النِطاسِيُّ إِذ غُيِّبَت

عَنِ الداءِ حيلَتُهُ وَالدَواءِ

The expert physician says, his ingenuity baffled

concerning the disease and its remedy:

نُبُوُّ المَقيلِ بِهِ وَالمَبيتِ

أَقعَصَهُ وَاِختِلافُ الهَواءِ

The harshness of his noon-resting place and night lodging

killed him outright, and the changes of air.

وَقَد كانَ لَو رُدَّ غَربُ الحِمامِ

شَديدَ تَوَقٍّ طَويلَ اِحتِماءِ

Yet, if death's sharp edge could have been repelled,

he was intensely cautious, long practiced in self-protection.

مُعَرَّسُهُ في ظِلالِ السُيوفِ

وَمَشرَبُهُ مِن نَجيعِ الدِماءِ

His halting-place was in the shadows of swords,

and his drink was drawn from fresh blood.

ذُرى المِنبَرِ الصَعبِ مِن فُرشِهِ

وَنارُ الوَغا نارُهُ لِلصِلاءِ

The heights of the forbidding pulpit were among his beds,

and battle's fire was his fire for warmth.

وَما مِن لَبوسٍ سِوى السابِغاتِ

تَرَقرَقُ مِثلَ مُتونِ الإِضاءِ

He had no garb except full-length coats of mail,

shimmering like the surfaces of pools.

فَهَل كانَ مُذ كانَ حَتّى مَضى

حَميداً لَهُ غَيرُ هَذا الغِذاءِ

Was there, from his first days until he passed away

honored, any nourishment for him but this?

أَذُهلَ بنَ شَيبانَ ذُهلَ الفَخارِ

وَذُهلَ النَوالِ وَذُهلَ العَلاءِ

O Dhuhl son of Shayban, Dhuhl of pride,

Dhuhl of bounty and Dhuhl of high honor,

مَضى خالِدُ بنُ يَزيدَ بنَ مَز

يَدَ قَمَرُ اللَيلِ شَمسُ الضَحاءِ

Khalid son of Yazid son of Mazyad has passed away,

the moon of night, the sun of midmorning.

وَخَلّى مَساعِيَهُ بَينَكُم

فَإِيّايَ فيها وَسَعيَ البِطاءِ

He left his noble deeds among you;

heed my warning: do not pursue them at a laggard's pace.

رِدوا المَوتَ مُرّاً وُرودَ الرِجالِ

وَبَكّوا عَلَيهِ بُكاءَ النِساءِ

Meet bitter death as men meet it,

and weep for him as women weep.

غَليلي عَلى خالِدٍ خالِدٌ

وَضَيفُ هُمومي طَويلُ الثَواءِ

My burning grief for Khalid is everlasting,

and the guest of my sorrows will stay long.

فَلَم يُخزِني الصَبرُ عَنهُ وَلا

تَقَنَّعتُ عاراً بِلُؤمِ العَزاءِ

No patience over his loss has disgraced me, nor

have I veiled myself in shame with base consolation.

تَذَكَّرتُ خُضرَةَ ذاكَ الزَمانِ

لَدَيهِ وَعُمرانُ ذاكَ الفِناءِ

I remembered the greenness of those days

beside him, and the flourishing life of that courtyard.

وَزُوّارُهُ لِلعَطايا حُضورٌ

كَأَنَّ حُضورَهُمُ لِلعَطاءِ

His visitors gathered to receive gifts,

as though they had gathered to give.

وَإِذ عِلمُ مَجلِسِهِ مَورِدٌ

زُلالٌ لِتِلكَ العُقولِ الظِماءِ

And when the learning of his assembly was a watering-place,

sweet and clear, for those thirsty minds;

تَحولُ السَكينَةُ دونَ الأَذى

بِهِ وَالمُرُوَّةُ دونَ المِراءِ

serenity stood in the way of harm

there, and noble conduct in the way of dispute.

وَإِذ هُوَ مُطلِقُ كَبلِ المَصيفِ

وَإِذ هُوَ مِفتاحُ قَيدِ الشِتاءِ

And when he loosened summer's fetter,

and when he was the key to winter's shackle.

لَقَد كانَ حَظّي غَيرَ الخَسيسِ

مِن راحَتَيهِ وَغَيرَ اللَفاءِ

Indeed, my share was no paltry portion

from his two palms, nor a meager remnant.

وَكُنتُ أَراهُ بِعَينِ الرَئيسِ

وَكانَ يَراني بِعَينِ الإِخاءِ

I regarded him with the eye reserved for a chief,

and he regarded me with the eye of brotherhood.

أَلَهفي عَلى خالِدٍ لَهفَةً

تَكونُ أَمامي وَأُخرى وَرائي

Ah, my grief for Khalid! One pang

stands before me, and another behind me.

أَلَهفي إِذا ما رَدى لِلرَدى

أَلَهفي إِذا ما اِحتَبى لِلحِباءِ

Ah, my grief when he strode toward death!

Ah, my grief when he sat, knees girdled, to give gifts!

أَلَحدٌ حَوى حَيَّةَ المُلحِدينَ

وَلَدنُ ثَرىً حالَ دونَ الثَراءِ

Has a grave enclosed the serpent dreaded by heretics,

and soft earth barred the way to wealth?

جَزَت مَلِكاً فيهِ رَيّا الجَنوبِ

وَرائِحَةُ المُزنِ خَيرَ الجَزاءِ

May the king within it be rewarded by the south wind's fragrance

and the scent of rainclouds with the finest recompense.

فَكَم غَيَّبَ التَربُ مِن سُؤدَدٍ

وَغالَ البِلى مِن جَميلِ البَلاءِ

How much nobility the earth has hidden,

and how much splendid service decay has destroyed!

أَبا جَعفَرٍ لِيُعِركَ الزَمانُ

عِزّاً وَيُكسِبكَ طولَ البَقاءِ

O Abu Ja'far, may time lend you

glory and grant you a long life.

فَما مُزنُكَ المُرتَجى بِالجَهامِ

وَلا ريحُنا مِنكَ بِالجِربِياءِ

For your hoped-for raincloud is no rainless cloud,

nor is our wind from you the north wind.

وَلا رَجَعَت فيكَ تِلكَ الظُنونُ

حَيارى وَلا اِنسَدَّ شِعبُ الرَجاءِ

Nor have those expectations concerning you returned

bewildered, nor has hope's mountain pass been blocked.

وَقَد نُكِسَ الثَغرُ فَاِبعَث لَهُ

صُدورَ القَنا في اِبتِغاءِ الشِفاءِ

And the frontier has relapsed; dispatch to it

spearpoints, in pursuit of healing.

فَقَد فاتَ جَدُّكَ جَدَّ المُلوكِ

وَعُمرُ أَبيكَ حَديثُ الضِياءِ

For your grandfather outstripped the grandfathers of kings

while your father's life had only newly dawned.

وَلَم يَرضَ قَبضَتَهُ لِلحُسامِ

وَلا حَملَ عاتِقِهِ لِلرِداءِ

He was not content with his grip upon the sword,

nor with his shoulder's bearing of the cloak.

فَمازالَ يَفرَعُ تِلكَ العُلى

مَعَ النَجمِ مُرتَدِياً بِالعَماءِ

He kept ascending those heights of glory,

alongside the stars, cloaked in clouds,

وَيَصعَدُ حَتّى لَظَنَّ الجَهولُ

أَنَّ لَهُ مَنزِلاً في السَماءِ

and rising until the ignorant would surely think

that he had a dwelling in the sky.

وَقَد جاءَنا أَنَّ تِلكَ الحُروبَ

إِذا حُدِيَت فَاِلتَوَت بِالحُداءِ

Word has reached us that those wars,

when urged with camel-song, balked at the chant;

وَعاوَدَها جَرَبٌ لَم يَزَل

يُعاوِدُ أَسعافَها بِالهَناءِ

and when mange returned to them, he never ceased

returning to treat them with tar.

وَيَمتَحُ سَجلاً لَها كَالسِجالِ

وَدَلواً إِذا أُفرِغَت كَالدِلاءِ

He drew up for them one full bucket equal to many,

and a pail that, when emptied, equaled many pails.

وَمِثلُ قُوى حَبلِ تِلكَ الذِراعِ

كانَ لِزازاً لِذاكَ الرِشاءِ

And the like of that arm's corded strength

was a firm support for that well-rope.

فَلا تُخزِ أَيّامَهُ الصالِحاتِ

وَما قَد بَنى مِن جَليلِ البِناءِ

So do not dishonor his worthy days,

or the noble edifice he has built.

فَقَد عَلِمَ اللَهُ أَن لَن تُحِبَّ

شَيئاً كَحُبِّكَ كَنزَ الثَناءِ

For God knows that you will never love

anything as you love the treasure of praise.