بني لحيان لوذوا بالجبال — Ahmad Muharram

بني لِحيانَ لُوذوا بالجبالِ

وَقُوا مُهَجَاتِكم حَرَّ القِتالِ

Sons of Lihyan, seek refuge in the mountains,

And shield your lives from the heat of battle.

أَمِنْ غَدرٍ إلى جُبنٍ لعمري

لقد ضِقْتُم بأخلاقِ الرِجالِ

From treachery to cowardice—by my life?

Indeed, you could not bear the virtues of men.

لكم من خَصمِكم عُذرٌ مُبِينٌ

فليس لنارِه في الحربِ صالِ

You have a clear excuse in your adversary:

For none can brave his fire in war.

أما انصدعتْ قُواكم إذ أخذتم

صحابتَه بمكرٍ وَاحْتيالِ

Did your strength not shatter when you seized

His companions through cunning and deception?

كَذبتُمْ ما لأهلِ الشِّركِ عَهدٌ

وما الكُفّارُ إلا في ضَلالِ

You lied: the people of idolatry keep no covenant,

And the unbelievers are in nothing but error.

قَتلتُمْ عاصماً بطلاً مَجيداً

مَخُوفَ الكَرِّ مَرهوبَ النِزالِ

You killed 'Asim, a glorious hero,

Feared in the charge, dreaded in combat.

فُنونُ الحربِ تَعرفُه عليماً

بأسرارِ الأسنَّةِ والنِّصالِ

The arts of war know him well versed

In the secrets of spearheads and blades.

وَتشهدُ أنه البطلُ المُرَجَّى

إذا فَزَعَ الرُّماةُ إلى النِّبالِ

And testify that he is the hero looked to with hope

When archers resort to their arrows.

رَماكُمْ ثُمَّ جَالدَكم فأدَّى

أمانتَهُ وَأَوْدَى غيرَ آلِ

He shot at you, then fought you hand to hand, fulfilling

His trust, and perished without falling short.

وقاتِلُ عُقْبَةٍ في يومِ بَدرٍ

أَيحفِلُ حِينَ يُقتلُ أو يُبالِي

And the slayer of 'Uqbah on the day of Badr—

Would he care when killed, or be troubled?

أردتُمْ بَيعَهُ لِيُنالَ وِترٌ

رُوَيْداً إنّ صاحبَكم لَغَالِ

You sought to sell him so that vengeance might be gained;

Not so fast—your man is costly indeed.

وليس لدى سُلافَة من كِفاءٍ

لِهَامَةِ ماجدٍ سَمْحِ الخِلالِ

Sulafah has no recompense equal

To the head of a noble man of generous character.

حَماهُ اللَّهُ من دَنَسٍ وَرِجْسٍ

وَسُوءِ المنُكراتِ من الفِعالِ

God protected him from defilement and impurity,

And the evil of reprehensible deeds.

شَهيدُ الحقِّ تَحرسُه جُنودٌ

مِنَ الدَّبْرِ المُسلَّحِ للنضالِ

The martyr of truth is guarded by hosts

Of bees armed for combat.

وَعبدُ اللَّهِ فِيمَ قَتلتموهُ

وَسُقْتُمْ صاحِبَيْهِ بشرِّ حالِ

And 'Abd Allah—why did you kill him,

And drive his two companions away in such a wretched state?

طِلاَبُ المالِ يُولِعُ بالدّنايا

ويَلوِي المرءَ عن طَلَبِ المعالي

The pursuit of wealth breeds a love of baseness,

And turns a man away from seeking lofty things.

رَضِيتُمْ بَيْعَ أَنْفُسِكم بَبَخْسٍ

قليلِ النَّفعِ من إبلٍ ومالِ

You consented to sell yourselves for a paltry price,

Of little benefit, in camels and wealth.

خُبَيْبٌ في يَدَيْ جافٍ شديدٍ

يُعذَّبُ في أداهمِهِ الثِّقالِ

Khubayb is in the hands of a cruel, harsh man,

Tortured in his heavy iron fetters.

وَزَيْدٌ عِنْدَ جَبّارٍ عنيدٍ

يَصُبُّ عليه مُختلفَ النَّكالِ

And Zayd is with an obstinate tyrant,

Who pours upon him every kind of torment.

كِلاَ أَبَوَيْهِمَا قُتِلاَ بِبَدرٍ

فَتِلكَ حفائظُ الرِّمَمِ البَوالي

Both their fathers were killed at Badr;

These, then, are the grudges of decaying remains.

يَزيدُهما البلاءُ هُدىً وَعِلماً

بأَنّ الحادثاتِ إلى زَوالِ

Affliction increases their guidance and knowledge

That calamities pass away,

وَأَنَّ لِكُلِّ نَفْسٍ مُنْتَهاها

وإنْ طَمِعَ المضلَّلُ في المُحالِ

And that every soul has its appointed end,

Even if the deluded hope for the impossible.

لِكُلٍّ مَشهدٌ عَجَبٌ عليه

جَلالُ الحقِّ بُورِكَ مِن جَلالِ

Each has a wondrous scene, bearing

The majesty of truth—blessed be that majesty!

يَروحُ الموتُ حولهما وَيَغْدو

يُكَشِّرُ عن نَواجِذِهِ الطِّوالِ

Death circles them both at dusk and dawn,

Baring its long back teeth.

وَذِكْرُ اللَّهِ مُتَّصِلٌ يُوالِي

مِنَ العَبَقِ المُقدَّسِ ما يُوالي

And remembrance of God is unbroken, sending forth

Sacred fragrance in continual succession.

هُوَ الإيمانُ مَن يشدُدْ قواهُ

يُزَلْزِل في الخطوبِ قُوى الجِبالِ

It is faith: whoever strengthens its powers

Makes the strength of mountains quake amid calamities.

هنيئاً يا خُبَيْبُ بلغتَ شَأْواً

رَفيعَ الشَّأنِ مُمتنعَ المَنَالِ

Joy to you, Khubayb! You have attained a stature

Lofty in rank, beyond attainment.

مَلأتَ يَدَيْكَ مِن رِزقٍ كَريمٍ

أتاكَ بِغَيْرِ كَدٍّ أو سُؤالِ

You filled your hands with noble sustenance

That came to you without toil or asking.

تَنزَّلَ مِن لَدُنْ رَبٍّ رَحيمٍ

عَميمِ الجودِ فَيّاضِ النَّوالِ

It descended from the presence of a merciful Lord,

All-embracing in generosity, overflowing in gifts.

كُلِ العِنَبَ الجَنِيَّ وَزِدْهُ حَمداً

على حَمْدٍ يَدومُ مَدى الليالي

Eat the freshly picked grapes, and increase your praise of Him,

Adding to praise that lasts throughout the nights.

تَقولُ الحارِثِيَّةُ مَا لِعَيْنِي

أَفي سِحرٍ تَقَلَّبُ أم خَيالِ

The Harithi woman says, 'What has happened to my eye?

Does it wander amid enchantment, or illusion?

أرى عِنَباً وما مِن ذَاكَ شَيْءٌ

بِمكّةَ يا لها عِظَةً ويالي

I see grapes, though nothing of the kind exists

In Mecca! What a lesson—and what a wonder for me!

ويا لكَ من أسيرٍ ما عَلِمنا

له بين الأسَارى من مِثالِ

And what a captive you are! We have never known

An equal to him among the captives.'

أتى الأجلُ الذي انتظروا وَهَذِي

سُيوفُ القومِ مُحَدَثَةُ الصِّقالِ

The appointed hour they awaited has come, and here are

The people's swords, freshly polished.

فماذا في يَمينكَ يا خُبَيْبٌ

وما بالُ الصَّغيرِ من العيالِ

What, then, is in your right hand, Khubayb?

And what of the little one among the children?

كأنَّ بأُمِّهِ حَذَراً عليهِ

نَوازِعَ من جنونٍ أو خَبالِ

As though his mother, out of fear for him, felt

Stirrings of madness or derangement.

تَرَى الموسَى بِكَفِّكَ وَهْوَ رَهْنٌ

بِذَبحٍ فوقَ فخذك واغتيالِ

She sees the razor in your palm, while he lies hostage

To slaughter and treacherous killing upon your thigh.

ولكنْ للكريمِ السَّمْحِ ناهٍ

مِنَ الشِّيَمِ السَّنِيَّةِ والخِصَالِ

But a noble, generous man has a restrainer

In lofty virtues and noble traits.

وماذا كنتَ تحذرُ من عقابٍ

وَوِرْدُ الموتِ مُحتضَرِ السِّجالِ

And what punishment were you afraid of,

With death's watering-place and its buckets close at hand?

وَسِعْتَ عَدوَّكَ الموتورَ حِلماً

ومكرمةً على ضيقِ المجالِ

You extended forbearance to your bereaved enemy,

And generosity, though your scope was narrow.

فأيُّكما الذي رَمَتِ السَّجايا

مُروءَتَهُ بِأَسرٍ واعْتِقَالِ

Which of you is he whose character cast

His manly honor into captivity and confinement?

وأَيُّكما القتيلُ وَمَنْ سيبقى

حياةٌ للأواخِرِ والأوالي

And which of you is slain, and who will remain

A life for later generations and earlier ones?

ألا إنّ الصلاةَ لَخيرُ زادٍ

وإنّ الركبَ آذنَ بارتحالِ

Indeed, prayer is the finest provision,

And the caravan has announced its departure.

تزودْ يا خُبَيْبُ وَثِقْ بِرَبٍّ

لِمثلِكَ عِندَهُ حُسْنُ المآلِ

Take provisions, Khubayb, and trust in a Lord

With whom one like you has a good final abode.

فَسِرْ في نورِهِ الوضّاحِ وَالبس

جَمالَ الخُلدِ في وَطَنِ الجمالِ

So walk in His brilliant light, and wear

The beauty of immortality in the home of beauty.

هُنالِكَ مَعْرِضٌ للَّهِ فخمٌ

بَدِيْعُ الصُّنعِ لم يَخْطُرْ بِبالِ

There is a magnificent display of God's,

Wondrously fashioned, never imagined by a mind.

أَتَرْضَى أن تَرى خَيْرَ البرايا

مَكَانَكَ ساءَ ذَلِكَ من مَقالِ

Would you consent to see the best of creation

In your place? How evil a saying that is!

صَدَقْتَ خُبَيْبُ إنّكَ لِلعوادي

إذا هِيَ أخطأَتْهُ لَذُو احْتِمالِ

You spoke truly, Khubayb: calamities,

If they spare him, you can surely endure.

تَبيعُ بِشَوكةٍ تُؤذيهِ نَفْساً

تَشُكُّ صَمِيْمَها صُمُّ العوالي

You would trade for a thorn that pains him a soul

Whose very core the solid spearheads pierce.

كذلِكَ قال زَيْدُ الخيرِ لمّا

تَردَّى في السَّفاهةِ كلُّ قالِ

So spoke Zayd the Good, when

Every hater sank into folly.

همُو قتلوكَ مَصلوباً وأَغْروا

بِهِ وبِكَ الضِّعافَ مِنَ الموالي

They killed you crucified, and incited

The weak among the clients against him and you.

رَفِيقُكَ في التَجَلُّدِ والتأَسِّي

وَخِدْنُكَ في التَّقدُّمِ والصِّيالِ

Your companion in fortitude and consolation,

And your comrade in advancing and battle.

أتعتزلانِ دِينَ اللَّهِ خَوْفاً

فَمنْ أولَى بخوفٍ وَابْتِهالِ

Would you two abandon God's religion out of fear?

Who, then, has greater cause for fear and supplication?

معاذَ اللَّهِ إنّ اللَّهَ حَقٌّ

وإنّ المجرِمينَ لَفِي وَبَالِ

God forbid! God is truth,

And the criminals are surely in ruin.

لَدِينُ الشِّركِ أجدرُ بِاجْتنابٍ

وأخلقُ باطِّراحٍ واعْتِزالِ

The religion of idolatry is surely more deserving of avoidance,

And more fitting to reject and abandon.

هُوَ الدّاءُ العُضالُ لِمُبتغيهِ

وكلُّ الشَّرِّ في الدَّاءِ العُضالِ

It is the incurable disease for whoever seeks it,

And all evil lies in the incurable disease.

كمالُ النَّفسِ إيمانٌ وَتَقْوَى

وماذا بعدَ مَرتبةِ الكمالِ

The soul's perfection is faith and piety;

And what lies beyond the rank of perfection?

حَبِيسَ الأربعينَ ألا انطلاقٌ

كَفَاكَ ألم تَزَلْ مُلْقَى الرِّحالِ

Captive of the forty, is there no release?

Enough! Have you not stayed with your baggage laid down?

أَسَرَّكَ أن تَظَلَّ مَدَى اللَّيالي

جَمِيْعَ الشَّملِ مَوصولَ الحِبالِ

Has it pleased you to remain throughout the nights

With all gathered together and your cords still joined,

عَلَى خَرْقَاءَ يَكرهُ مَن يراها

طِلابَ الوُدِّ مِنها والوصالِ

Upon a witless one, whose very sight makes one loathe

Seeking her affection and union?

عَلِقْتَ بها فما أحدثتَ هَجراً

ولا حَدَّثْتَ نَفْسَكَ بالزِّيالِ

You have clung to her, and brought about no parting,

Nor spoken to yourself of separation.

يَمَلُّ المرءُ صاحِبَهُ فَيشقَى

بِصُحْبَتِهِ وما بِكَ مِن مَلالِ

A man tires of his companion and grows miserable

In his company; yet you have no weariness.

وَيَسْلُو كلُّ ذِي شَجَنٍ وَوَجْدٍ

وأنتَ على مُصَابِكَ غير سالِ

Every man of sorrow and yearning finds solace,

Yet you, despite your affliction, remain unconsoled.

بُليتَ بِكلِّ ذِي قَلْبٍ غَبِيٍّ

غُدافِيٍّ مِنَ الإيمانِ خَالِ

You were afflicted with every dull-hearted one,

Raven-dark and empty of faith.

لأنتَ الحجَّةُ الكُبرى عليهم

فما نَفْعُ المِراءِ أوِ الجدالِ

You are indeed the greatest proof against them;

What use is disputation or argument?

تَأَهَّبْ يا خُبَيْبُ أتاكَ غَوْثٌ

يَؤُمُّكَ في رَكائبهِ العِجالِ

Make ready, Khubayb! A rescuer has come to you,

Heading toward you on his swift mounts.

مَضَى بِكَ يَتبَعُ الغُرَماءُ مِنه

بَعيدَ مَدَى التَعَلُّلِ والمِطالِ

He carried you away; the creditors pursued him

Through a long course of excuses and delay.

تَقَاضَوْهُ فما ظَفِرَ التَّقاضي

بِغَيْرِ عُلالَةِ النَّقْعِ المُذالِ

They pressed their claims, but their demands won

Nothing but a scant draught of trailing dust.

قَطيعٌ من طَغامِ القومِ يَعْدُو

على آثارِهِ عَدْوَ الرِّئَالِ

A herd of the people's rabble runs

Along his tracks, running like young ostriches.

فلمّا أوشكوا أن يُدْرِكُوه

أهَابَ عليكَ يا ربِّ اتِّكالِي

And when they were about to overtake him,

He cried, 'On You, my Lord, I rely!'

وألقَى بالشَّهيدِ فَغيَّبتْهُ

طَباقُ الأرضِ كَنزاً من لآلِ

And he cast down the martyr, who was hidden by

The layers of earth, as a treasure of pearls.

يَزينُ المسلمِينَ إذا تداعَتْ

شعوبُ الأرضِ من عَطِلٍ وَحَالِ

He adorns the Muslims when there gather

The earth's peoples, unadorned and adorned.

طَوَتْ جَسَداً من الريحانِ رَطباً

عليهِ جلالةُ الشَّيخِ البَجالِ

It enfolded a fresh body of sweet basil,

Bearing the majesty of a venerable elder.

قَضَى وَكَأنَّهُ حَيٌّ يُرجَّى

لِحُسنِ الصُّنْعِ من صحبٍ وآلِ

He died, yet seemed alive, still looked to

For good deeds by companions and kin.

يُدِيْرُ القومُ أعيُنَهم حَيارى

كأنّ اللَّهَ ليس بِذِي مِحَالِ

The people turn their eyes about, bewildered,

As though God had no mighty power.

وَيَأسَفُ مَعشرٌ باتوا سهارَى

تَفيضُ جِراحُهم بعدَ انْدِمالِ

And a company grieves, having spent the night sleepless,

Their wounds flowing again after healing.

أجابَ اللَّهُ دَعْوَتَهُ فبادوا

وعادوا مِثلَ مُحْتَرَقِ الذُبالِ

God answered his prayer, and they perished,

And became like burnt-out lampwicks.

بَني لِحْيانَ ما صَنَعَ ابنُ عمروٍ

وماذا بالأُسودِ من النّمالِ

Sons of Lihyan, what did Ibn 'Amr do?

And what are ants to lions?

قَتلتم صحبَهُ وصرعتموه

فيا لِلُّؤْمِ والخُلُقِ الرُّذالِ

You killed his companions and struck him down—

What baseness, and what vile character!

ولولا الغَدْرُ لم يخشَوا أذاكم

وهل تخشى القُرومُ أذَى الأَفالِ

But for treachery, they would not have feared your harm;

Do camel stallions fear the harm of calves?

أأصحابُ اليمينِ بكم أُصِيبوا

لأنتم شَرُّ أصحابِ الشِّمالِ

Were the companions of the right struck down by you?

You are surely the worst companions of the left.

بَني لِحْيَانَ وَاعَجبِي لِبأْسٍ

خَبَتْ جَمَراتُه بعدَ اشْتِعالِ

Sons of Lihyan, how I marvel at a valor

Whose embers died down after blazing!

فررتم تَتَّقون الموتَ زَحْفاً

على القِمَمِ الشَّواهِقِ والقِلالِ

You fled, avoiding death, crawling

Over towering peaks and mountaintops.

هو المَسْخُ المُبينُ فمن أُسودٍ

تَصيدُ القانِصينَ إلى وِعالِ

It is a manifest transformation: from lions

That hunt the hunters into mountain goats.

دَعُوا الشِّركَ المُذِلَّ إلى حياةٍ

مِنَ الإسلامِ وارفةِ الظِّلالِ

Leave humiliating idolatry for a life

Of Islam, with luxuriant shade.

هو الدّيْنُ الذي يُحيي البرايا

ويُصلِحُ أمرَهم بعدَ اخْتِلالِ

It is the religion that gives creation life

And sets their affairs right after disorder.

يَظلُّ النُّورُ في الآفاقَ يَسْري

وَيَسطعُ ما تَلا القرآنَ تالِ

The light keeps coursing through the horizons,

And shines as long as a reciter recites the Quran.

أرى أُمَماً على الغَبراءِ مَرْضَى

تَبَطَّنَ جَوفَها داءُ السِّلالِ

I see nations on the dusty earth, sick;

Consumption has burrowed into their depths.

تُخالُ أشَدَّ خَلْقِ اللَّهِ بأساً

على الضعفِ المُبرِّحِ والهُزالِ

They are thought the fiercest of God's creatures,

Despite crushing weakness and wasting.

إذا مَلأتْ جَوانِبَها دَوِيّاً

فلا تَغْرُرْكَ جَلْجَلَةُ السُّعالِ

When they fill their surroundings with a roar,

Do not let the rattling of their cough deceive you.

مُخضَّبةَ البَنانِ لكلِّ صَيْدٍ

يَعِنُّ وتلك أنيابُ السَّعالي

Their fingertips dyed for every quarry

That appears—those are the fangs of she-ghouls.

حَيَارَى لا تُرِيْدُ الحقَّ نَهْجاً

ولا تَدَعُ الحرامَ إلى الحلالِ

Bewildered, they do not seek truth as a path,

Nor leave the forbidden for the lawful.

ألا هادٍ يُقَوِّمُ من خُطاها

وَيَحْسِمُ دَاءَها بعد اعْتِلالِ

Is there no guide to straighten their steps

And eradicate their disease after their sickness?