شاقتك من قتلة أطلالها — Al Asha

شاقَتكَ مِن قَتلَةَ أَطلالُها

بِالشِطِّ فَالوِترِ إِلى حاجِرِ

The ruins of Qatla's dwelling have stirred your longing,

at al-Shatt, then al-Witr, as far as Hajir,

فَرُكنِ مِهراسٍ إِلى مارِدِ

فَقاعِ مَنفوحَةَ ذي الحائِرِ

then the corner of Mihras, as far as Marid,

then Manfuha's plain, with its water basin.

دارٌ لَها غَيَّرَ آياتِها

كُلُّ مُلِثٍّ صَوبُهُ زاخِرِ

A dwelling of hers whose landmarks were changed

by every lingering cloud with a copious downpour.

وَقَد أَراها وَسطَ أَترابِها

في الحَيِّ ذي البَهجَةِ وَالسامِرِ

And once I would see her among her age-mates,

in the camp of splendor and evening gatherings,

كَدُميَةٍ صُوِّرَ مِحرابُها

بِمُذهَبٍ في مَرمَرٍ مائِرِ

like a statue whose shrine was decorated

with gilding upon shimmering marble,

أَو بَيضَةٍ في الدِعصِ مَكنونَةٍ

أَو دُرَّةٍ شيفَت لَدى تاجِرِ

or an egg hidden in a sand-mound,

or a pearl polished in a merchant's keeping.

يَشفي غَليلَ النَفسِ لاهٍ بِها

حَوراءُ تَسبي نَظَرَ الناظِرِ

One delighting in her soothes his soul's thirst:

a wide, dark-eyed beauty who captivates the beholder's gaze.

لَيسَت بِسَوداءَ وَلا عِنفِصٍ

داعِرَةٍ تَدنو إِلى الداعِرِ

She is neither dark-skinned nor a coarse woman,

a wanton drawing near to a wanton man.

عَبهَرَةُ الخَلقِ بُلاخيَّةٌ

تَشوبُهُ بِالخُلُقِ الطاهِرِ

Full and beautiful in form, ample-bodied,

she blends it with a pure character.

عَهدي بِها في الحَيِّ قَد سُربِلَت

هَيفاءَ مِثلَ المُهرَةِ الضامِرِ

I remember her in the camp, already robed,

slender-waisted, like a lean filly.

قَد نَهَدَ الثَديُ عَلى صَدرِها

في مُشرِقٍ ذي صَبَحٍ نائِرِ

Her breast had risen upon her chest,

upon a radiant bosom of luminous fairness.

لَو أَسنَدَت مَيتاً إِلى نَحرِها

عاشَ وَلَم يُنقَل إِلى قابِرِ

If she leaned a dead man against her upper chest,

he would live, and not be carried to a grave-digger,

حَتّى يَقولُ الناسُ مِمّا رَأوا

يا عَجَبا لِلمَيِّتِ الناشِرِ

until people would say of what they saw,

'What a marvel: the dead man rising again!'

دَعها فَقَد أَعذَرتَ في حُبِّها

وَاِذكُر خَنا عَلقَمَةَ الفاجِرِ

Leave her; you have done all you could in loving her,

and recall the foul speech of dissolute Alqama.

عَلقَمَ لا لَستَ إِلى عامِرٍ

الناقِضِ الأَوتارَ وَالواتِرِ

Alqam, no—you are no match for Amir,

who settles blood-debts and inflicts blood-loss,

وَاللابِسِ الخَيلَ بِخَيلٍ إِذا

ثارَ غُبارُ الكَبَّةِ الثائِرِ

and engages horsemen with horsemen when

the swirling dust of the battle-throng rises.

سُدتَ بَني الأَحوَصِ لَم تَعدُهُم

وَعامِرٌ سادَ بَني عامِرِ

You led Banu al-Ahwas, and went no farther,

while Amir led Banu Amir.

سادَ وَأَلفى قَومَهُ سادَةً

وَكابِراً سادوكَ عَن كابِرِ

He led, and found his people already chiefs,

while elder after elder of them ruled over you.

ما يُجعَلُ الجُدُّ الظَنونُ الَّذي

جُنِّبَ صَوبَ اللَجِبِ الزاخِرِ

A scanty well of uncertain yield is not reckoned—

one denied the thundering cloud's copious downpour—

مِثلَ الفُراتِيِّ إِذا ما طَما

يَقذِفُ بِالبوصِيِّ وَالماهِرِ

like the Euphrates when it overflows,

tossing the boatman and the skilled swimmer.

إِنَّ الَّذي فيهِ تَدارَيتُما

بُيِّنَ لِلسامِعِ وَالآثِرِ

Indeed, the matter over which you two disputed

has been made clear to the listener and the transmitter.

حَكَّمتُموني فَقَضى بَينَكُم

أَبلَجُ مِثلُ القَمَرِ الباهِرِ

You appointed me arbitrator, and I judged between you,

a bright-browed man like the dazzling moon.

لا يَأخُذُ الرَشوَةَ في حُكمِهِ

وَلا يُبالي غَبَنَ الخاسِرِ

He takes no bribe in his judgment,

nor cares about the defeated man's loss.

لا يَرهَبُ المُنكِرَ مِنكُم وَلا

يَرجوكُمُ إِلّا نَقى الآصِرِ

He fears no objector among you, nor

expects from you anything but an untainted bond.

يا عَجَبَ الدَهرِ مَتى سَوَّيا

كَم ضاحِكٍ مِن ذا وَمِن ساخِرِ

O wonder of the age! When were these two made equals?

How many laugh at this, and how many scoff!

فَاِقنَ حَياءً أَنتَ ضَيَّعتَهُ

مالَكَ بَعدَ الشَيبِ مِن عاذِرِ

So recover the modesty you have squandered;

you have no one to excuse you after gray hair.

وَلَستَ بِالأَكثَرِ مِنهُم حَصىً

وَإِنَّما العِزَّةُ لِلكاثِرِ

Nor do you outnumber them in men,

and might belongs only to the more numerous.

وَلَستَ بِالأَثرَينِ مِن مالِكٍ

وَلا أَبي بَكرٍ ذَوي الناصِرِ

Nor are you among the wealthiest of Malik,

nor of Abu Bakr, men with supporters.

هُم هامَةُ الحَيِّ إِذا حُصِّلوا

مِن جَعفَرٍ في السُؤدَدِ القاهِرِ

They are the head of the tribe when men are reckoned,

of Ja'far, in overpowering lordship.

أَقولُ لَمّا جاءَني فَجرُهُ

سُبحانَ مِن عَلقَمَةَ الفاجِرِ

I said, when his depravity reached me,

'How astonishing is dissolute Alqama!'

عَلقَمَ لا تَسفَه وَلا تَجعَلَن

عِرضَكَ لِلوارِدِ وَالصادِرِ

Alqam, do not act foolishly, nor ever expose

your honor to everyone coming and going.

أُؤَوِّلُ الحُكمَ عَلى وَجهِهِ

لَيسَ قَضائي بِالهَوى الجائِرِ

I interpret the judgment in its proper sense;

my verdict is not based on unjust whim.

قَد قُلتُ قَولاً فَقَضى بَينَكُم

وَاِعتَرَفَ المَنفورُ لِلنافِرِ

I gave a pronouncement that settled matters between you,

and the defeated contender acknowledged the victor.

كَم قَد مَضى شِعرِيَ في مِثلِهِ

فَسارَ لي مِن مَنطِقٍ سائِرِ

How often my verse has gone forth in such cases,

and speech of mine has traveled far!

إِن تَرجِعِ الحُكمَ إِلى أَهلِهِ

فَلَستَ بِالمُستي وَلا النائِرِ

If you return judgment to its rightful judges,

then you are neither the warp-setter nor the heddle-maker.

وَلَستَ في السِلمِ بِذي نائِلٍ

وَلَستَ في الهَيجاءِ بِالجاسِرِ

Nor are you generous in peace,

nor are you bold in battle.

إِنِّيَ آلَيتُ عَلى حَلفَةٍ

وَلَم أُقِلهُ عَثرَةَ العاثِرِ

I have sworn a solemn oath,

and have not forgiven his stumbling lapse:

لَيَأتِيَنهُ مَنطِقٌ سائِرٌ

مُستَوثِقٌ لِلمُسمِعِ الآثِرِ

a widely traveling utterance shall surely reach him,

securely preserved for the reciter who transmits it.

عَضَّ بِما أَبقى المَواسي لَهُ

مِن أُمِّهِ في الزَمَنِ الغابِرِ

May he bite what the razors left him

of his mother in bygone days.

وَكُنَّ قَد أَبقَينَ مِنها أَذىً

عِندَ المَلاقي وافِيَ الشافِرِ

And they had left some offensive flesh of her,

at the cleft, its vulval lip still whole.

لا تَحسَبَنّي عَنكُمُ غافِلاً

فَلَستُ بِالواني وَلا الفاتِرِ

Do not suppose me heedless of you,

for I am neither slack nor flagging.

وَاِسمَع فَإِنّي طَبِنٌ عالِمٌ

أَقطَعُ مِن شَقشَقَةِ الهادِرِ

Listen, for I am astute and knowing,

more incisive than the throat-sac of a bellowing camel.

يُقسِمُ بِاللَهِ لَئِن جائَهُ

عَنّي أَذىً مِن سامِعٍ خابِرِ

He swears by God that if there reaches him

some hurtful word from me, through a well-informed listener,

لَيَجعَلَنّي سُبَّةً بَعدَها

جُدِّعتَ يا عَلقَمُ مِن ناذِرِ

he will surely make me a laughingstock afterward.

May your nose be cut off, Alqam, you vow-maker!

أَجَذَعاً توعِدُني سادِراً

لَستَ عَلى الأَعداءِ بِالقادِرِ

Do you threaten me, you heedless stripling?

You have no power against enemies.

اِنظُر إِلى كَفٍّ وَأَسرارِها

هَل أَنتَ إِن أَوعَدتَني صابِري

Look at a palm and its creases:

can you, if you threaten me, outlast me?

إِنّي رَأَيتُ الحَربَ إِن شَمَّرَت

دارَت بِكَ الحَربُ مَعَ الدائِرِ

I have seen that when war girds itself,

war whirls you about with all caught in its whirl.

حَولي ذَوّ الآكالِ مِن وائِلٍ

كَاللَيلِ مِن بادٍ وَمِن حاضِرِ

Around me are the tribute-holding lords of Wa'il,

like the night, nomads and settled folk alike,

المُطعِمو اللَحمَ إِذا ما شَتوا

وَالجاعِلو القوتِ عَلى الياسِرِ

those who feed people meat when winter comes,

and charge the lot-caster with providing food,

مِن كُلِّ كَوماءَ سَحوفٍ إِذا

جَفَّت مِنَ اللَحمِ مُدى الجازِرِ

from every high-humped, thickly fattened she-camel, when

the slaughterer's knives have dried bare of flesh.

وَالشافِعونَ الجوعَ عَن جارِهِم

حَتّى يُرى كَالغُصُنِ الناضِرِ

And they drive hunger away from their neighbor,

until he looks like a fresh branch.

كَم فيهِمُ مِن شَطبَةٍ خَيفَقٍ

وَسابِحٍ ذي مَيعَةٍ ضابِرِ

How many swift, slender mares they have,

and galloping steeds, full of mettle, bounding ahead,

وَكُلِّ جَوبٍ مُترَصٍ صُنعُهُ

وَصارِمٍ ذي رَونَقٍ باتِرِ

and shields with tightly wrought workmanship,

and sharp, gleaming swords that sever,

وَكُلِّ مِرنانٍ لَهُ أَزمَلٌ

وَلَيِّنٍ أَكعُبُهُ حادِرِ

and resounding bows with their twang,

and stout spears with supple nodes!

وَقَد أُسَلّي الهَمَّ حينَ اِعتَرى

بِجَسرَةٍ دَوسَرَةٍ عاقِرِ

And often I soothe sorrow when it assails

with a sturdy, massive, barren she-camel,

زَيّافَةٍ بِالرَحلِ خَطّارَةٍ

تُلوي بِشَرخَي مَيسَةٍ قاتِرِ

strutting with her saddle, swinging her tail,

swaying the two uprights of a close-fitting hackberry-wood saddle.

شَتّانَ ما يَومي عَلى كورِها

وَيَومُ حَيّانَ أَخي جابِرِ

How far apart are my day upon her saddle

and the day of Hayyan, Jabir's brother,

في مِجدَلٍ شُيِّدَ بُنيانُهُ

يَزِلُّ عَنهُ ظُفُرُ الطائِرِ

in a fortress whose structure was raised high,

from which a bird's claw slips away.

يَجمَعُ خَضراءَ لَها سورَةٌ

تَعصِفُ بِالدارِعِ وَالحاسِرِ

He gathers a dark-green host with a fierce rush,

sweeping away the armored and the unarmored.

باسِلَةُ الوَقعِ سَرابيلُها

بيضٌ إِلى جانِبِهِ الظاهِرِ

Terrible in its blows, its coats of mail

are gleaming white beside his victorious flank.