أنى طرقت ذوي شجن تعودهم — عدي بن زيد

أَنَّى طَرَقتَ ذَوي شَجنٍ تَعُودُهُمُ

وكنتُ عَهدي قَطُوفَ الَمشيِ مِحيارا

How did you come by night to visit those burdened with sorrow?

And I was, as I remember, slow of step and much bewildered.

أَم كيفَ جِزتَ فُيوجاً حَولَهُم حَرَسٌ

وَمُترَصاً بابُهُ بالشَّكِّ صَرَّارا

Or how did you pass the guards, with sentries around them,

And a fortified enclosure, its door creaking at its fastenings?

فَيَا لَهُ مِن حَبيبٍ صادَفَت أَلَماً

وكنتُ أُنِعمُه بالاً إذا زارا

Ah, what a beloved—you encountered pain!

And I used to ease his mind whenever he visited.

وَلم يكُن غيرَ شوقٍ بعدَ بارحَةٍ

وغَربَ عَينٍ تَسُحُّ العَينَ أسرارا

After last night there was nothing but longing,

And a torrent of tears, the eye pouring out secrets.

وقد أَراهُ على حالٍ أُسَرُّ بهِ

كأَنَّما أَجتَلي في الصُّبحِ دينارا

And sometimes I see him in a state that delights me,

As though I beheld a dinar in the morning light.

وأَحَورِ العَينِ مَربُوبٍ لَه غُسَنٌ

مُقَلَّدٌ من جَنَاحِ الدُّرِّ تِقصارا

And a cherished dark-eyed one with luxuriant hair,

Adorned with a short necklace fashioned from a wing of pearls,

قَدِ اصطَلَى نارَهُ حِيناً ويُضرِمُها

إذا خَبَا ضَوءُها الهِنديَّ والغارا

Has warmed himself at his fire awhile and rekindles it,

When its glow fades, with Indian aloeswood and laurel.

وذي تَناوِيرَ مَمعُونٍ لَهُ صَبَحٌ

يَغذُو أَوابِدَ قد أَفلَينَ أَمهارا

And a flowering, well-watered meadow with a pale glow,

Nourishes wild creatures that have borne foals.

والخُنسُ يُزجِينَ غُنّاً في طَوائفِهِ

يَضرِسنَ مِن خِروِعٍ رَيَّانَ أَثمارا

And snub-nosed wild cows urge lowing calves along its edges,

Biting into fruit from lush castor plants.

أَهبَطتُه الرَّكبَ أَحبُوهُم أَخَا ثِقَةٍ

رَحب الَجوانِحِ صَلتَ الَخدِّ عَيَّارا

I led the riders down to it, granting them a trusty companion,

Broad-ribbed, smooth-cheeked, swift-ranging.

كأَنَّ رَيِّقَهُ شُؤبُوبُ غاديةَ

لَمَّا تَقَفَّى رَقيبَ النَّقع مُسطارا

As though his first burst were a morning cloud's downpour,

When he followed the watcher of the dust, running straight.

يُربي عليهِ تِجاهَ الرَّكب ذُو دَرَكٍ

بالعَقبِ إن لَم يدمِّ الَجلزَ إحضارا

A sure pursuer gains on him before the riders,

With his heel, if he does not bloody the leather lash while galloping.

فِعشتُ أُولي صَديقي ما يُسَرٌّ بهِ

وَمن تَكَيَّدنَي ناباً وأظفارا

So I lived, granting my friend whatever delighted him,

And meeting whoever plotted against me with fang and claw.

فخالَ ذلكَ أحلاماً أُذَكِّرُها

بعدَ النَّعيمِ وكانَ العَيشُ أطوارا

Then he took that for dreams I call to mind,

After bliss—for life passed through changing phases.

مَن مُبلِغَ الصَّعبَ عَن عَانٍ يَوَدُّ لَهُ

طُولَ الَحياةِ وفيما رامً إظهارا

Who will carry word to al-Saʿb from a captive who wishes him

Long life and triumph in all he seeks?

إنِّي سُررتُ على ما كانَ مِن وَصَبٍ

بما يُنَبِّئُ قَيسٌ عَنكَ أَخبارا

I was gladdened, despite the suffering there had been,

By the news Qays brings about you.

إذ حَلَّ عنكض عَزيزُ الفَقدِ مُجتَنباً

للِهاجراتِ نَقِيَّ الصَّدرِ نَحَّارا

When one whose loss is grievous arrived [word unclear], shunning

Foul speech, pure of heart, lavish in slaughtering camels.

ولَو هَلَكتُ تركتُ النَّاسَ في وَهَل

بعدَ الَجميعِ وصارَ العَيشُ إكسارا

And had I perished, I would have left people in alarm,

After all had been together, and life would have broken into fragments.

فالحمدُ لِلَّهِ إذ نَجَّاكَ مِن عَطَبٍ

واللهُ لا يَبتَغي للِحَمدِ أَنصارا

So praise be to God, who saved you from ruin,

And God seeks no helpers for His praise.

وإذ نَقَمتُ مِنَ الوَجناءِ جِبلَتَها

إذ خافَ منكَ وَلُّي الشَجوِ إدبارا

And when I found fault with the sturdy she-camel's natural build,

When the bearer of sorrow feared rejection from you,

فأَنتَ تَرفَعُها جَذلانَ مُبتَهِجاً

سَهواً وتُعمِلُها عَرفاءَ مِذكارا

You raise her, joyful and exultant,

At ease, and set her to work, long-maned and bearing males.

تَهدي الأَنامَ وتُعطِيهمُ نَوائِبهُم

في الدِّينِ عَدلاً وفي الأَعطاءِ إغزار

You guide mankind and provide for their needs in adversity:

Justice in religion, and abundance in giving.

بَل أَلسِنُوني سُراة العَمِّ إنَّكُمُ

لَستُم مِنَ الُملكِ والأبدالِ أَغمارا

Rather, tell me, chiefs of the clan, for you

Are no novices in kingship and succession.

ماذا تُرجَوُّونَ إن أَودَى رَبيُعكُمُ

بَعدَ الألَهِ ومَن أَذكَى لَكُم نارا

What do you hope for if your spring perishes,

After God—and the one who kindled a fire for you?

كَلاَّ يميناً بذاتِ الوَدعِ لو حَدَثَت

فيكُم وقابَلَ قَبرُ الماجِدِ الزَّارا

No indeed! An oath by the cowrie-adorned one: if it befell

Among you, and the noble one's grave faced its visitors,

بِتَلِّ جَحوَشَ ما يَدعُو مُؤذِّنُهُم

لأَمرِ دَهرٍ وإذ يَحتَثُّ أَنفارا

On the hill of Jahwash, their herald would call no more

For a crisis of fate, while urging bands of men onward;

ولا تَحُلُّ نَبِيَّ البِشر قُبَّتُهُ

تَسُومُهُ الرُّومُ أن يُعطُوهُ قنِطارا

Nor would his tent alight on the high ground of al-Bishr,

The Romans offering to give him a qintar.

إذاَ لَبُؤتُم بجمعٍ لا كِفَاءَ لَهُ

أَوتادُ مُلكٍ عَظيمٍ جَدُّهُ بارا

Then you would return with a host that has no equal—

Pillars of a mighty kingship, its good fortune ruined.

أو أن تُشَمِّر حَربٌ بعدَ ما لَقِحَت

حتَّى تَشُوبَ لَكُم شَيباءَ مِذكارا

Or a war would gird herself after conceiving,

Until she embroils you, grey-haired and bearing sons.

إذ قَومُها فَقَدتَهُ لا يُعَقِّلُها

حتَّى يُعَرِّفَكُم ذُلاًّ وإصغارا

When you have lost him, her people cannot rein her in,

Until he makes you know humiliation and abasement.

كأَنَّ أَعداءَها منكُم وخاشمَها

منَ العَدُوِّ على الأيَّامِ صَبَّارا

As though her foes were among you, and her subduer

Were from the enemy, steadfast through the days.

وَالُمشتَلِيكُم وقد زالَت دَعامَتكُم

أو تَزعَمُونَ وتَزدادُونَ أوتارا

And the one who summons you, once your supporting pillar has fallen,

Or so you claim, while you gather more blood-feuds.

فَلم يَلِث مُلكُهُ إذ راشَ سَهمُكُمُ

وحَلَّ عنكُم عَوالي فَضِلهِ العارا

So his kingship did not falter when he feathered your arrow,

And with his lofty favors he removed disgrace from you.

فكُلُّكُم مِن غَدٍ يَرعَى مَحَبَّتَهُ

ولا يَزالُ بأَمنٍ مُونِقاً دارا

So each of you, from tomorrow, will cherish his affection,

And remain secure, with a delightful dwelling.

ورافِدُ الرَبِّ مَغبوطاً بِصُحبِتَه

وطالبُ الوجَهِ يَرضَى الحالَ مُختارا

And the lord's supporter, envied for his companionship,

And the seeker of his favor accepts his condition by choice.

مَن لا يُشارِكُ يوماً نَفسَهُ لَمَمٌ

ومَن يُعَشِّي جَوازَي عُرفِه الجارا

One whose soul is never touched by madness,

And one who gives the neighbor supper in recompense for his kindness.

مُولَى الفِعالِ ومُجني كُلِّ مَوحِدةٍ

حُلوُ الشَّمائلِ يَلقَى الجَيشَ مَوَّارا

Master of deeds, gathering every singular achievement,

Sweet of disposition, meeting the surging army.

غيرُ العَنيفِ بما أَدَّت نَقيَبتُهُ

يَبني لِمَن بَعدَه نُعمَى وآثارا

Never harsh in what his nature brings forth,

He builds blessings and lasting works for those after him.

عَفُّ الَمكاسِبِ ما تكَدي خُسَاسَتُه

كالبَحرِ يُلحِقُ بالتَّيَّار تَيَّارا

Scrupulous in his gains; scantness never checks his giving,

Like the sea, adding current to current.

الواهِبُ الأَلفَ مَحبوساً هجائُنها

كأَنَّ أَلوانَها غُشِّينَ جَيَّارا

The giver of a thousand camels, their purebreds kept penned,

As though their colors had been overlaid with lime.

والدُّهمُ شُعثُ الذُّرَى سَوداءُ تُشِبهُها

مِمَّا وَنَى مِن صَفَا شَبعانَ جَبَّارا

And the dark, shaggy-humped ones—a black mass resembles them,

Of rock that gave way from Shabʿan, massive.

في الرَّوضِ تَرعَى وتَجري في طَوائفِه

يَنسِلنَ في نَقَلِ الشِّعريِّ إدبارا

In the meadow they graze and run about its edges,

Scampering away over the stones of al-Shiʿri.

بَلهَ التَّرايِعِ منهُ في مَرابِطِكُم

والصَّافِناتُ إذا جُرِّدنَ أَبشارا

Not to mention the swift steeds from him in your stables,

And the poised horses when their hides are bared.

فأَيُّكُم لَم يَنَلهُ عُرفُ نائِلهِ

دَثراً سَواماً وفي الأَريافِ أَوصارا

So which of you has not received the kindness of his bounty—

Abundant grazing herds, and title-deeds in the countryside?

فاليَومَ إذ ما وَقَاكَ اللهُ صَرعَتَهُ

وزادَ أعداءَهُ ذلاًّ وإمعارا

So today, since God has protected you from his downfall,

And made his enemies more abased and impoverished,

فاستَعتِبوُا واشكُرُوا للهِ نِعمَتَهُ

تُلفوا إلَهَكُمُ للِظلًّمِ غَفَّارا

Make amends, then, and thank God for His blessing;

You will find your God ever-forgiving of wrongdoing.

يَزدكُمُ حِدَّةً ما دامَ قائِتكُم

وفي قَوِى حَبلِكُم مَتناً وإمرارا

He will increase your vigor so long as your provider endures,

And add firmness and a tight twist to the strands of your rope.

مَتَى يَمُت لا يَرَوا عَدلاً لَهُ أَبَداً

في كلّ ما قَلَبُوا عُرفاً وإنكارا

When he dies, they will never see his equal,

In everything they examine, familiar or unfamiliar.

ولَو عَلِمنا جِبالاً يُستَلاذُ بها

مِن رَهطِنا قامَةٌ لِلمُلكِ أَعمارا

And if we knew mountains where refuge might be sought,

From our clan, upholders of kingship through lifetimes,

فأَنَّهُ لا كَشِرواهُ رَأَى أَحَداً

أَمَرَّ أَمراً وأَقوَى مِنهُ أَضرارا

For he has seen no one to match him,

Harsher in command and mightier than he in inflicting harm.

قد ظَنَّ باللهِ مَن يَبغي به بَدَلاً

ومَن يُرجّي لِريَبِ الدَّهرِ إظهارا

Whoever seeks a replacement for him has thought ill of God,

And whoever hopes for the triumph of time's calamities.