سما لك هم ولم تطرب — Al Nabigha Al Jadi

سَما لَكَ هَمُّ وَلَم تَطرَبِ

وَبِتَّ بِبَثٍّ وَلَم تَنصَبِ

A care rose within you, though you felt no joy,

and you spent the night in sorrow, though you had not toiled.

وَقالت سُلَيمى أَرَى رأَسَهُ

كَناصِيَةِ الفَرَسِ الأَشهَبِ

Sulayma said, "I see his head

like the forelock of a gray horse."

وَذَلكَ مِن وَقَعاتِ المُنونِ

فَفِيئي إِليكِ وَلا تَعجَبى

That comes from the blows of fate;

so come to your senses, and do not wonder.

أَتَينَ عَلى إِخوَتي سَبعَةً

وَعُدنَ عَلى رَبعِيَ الأَقرَبِ

They took my brothers, seven in all,

then returned upon my closest kin

وَسادَةِ رَهطيَ حَتّى بَقي

تُ فَرداً كصِيصِيَّةِ الأَغضَبِ

and the chiefs of my clan, until I remained

alone, like the horn of a broken-horned bull.

فَلَيتَ رَسُولاً لَهُ حاجَةٌ

إِلى الفَلَجِ العودِ فَالأَشعَبِ

Would that a messenger had an errand

to old al-Falaj, then al-Ash'ab!

وَدَسكَرةٍ صَوتُ أَبَوابِها

كَصوتِ المَواتِحِ بِالجَوأَبِ

And a country estate whose gates sound

like the water-drawers at al-Jaw'ab:

سَبَقتُ صِياحَ فَرارِيجِها

وَصوتَ نَواقِيسَ لَم تُضرَبِ

I forestalled the crowing of its cockerels

and the sound of bells not yet struck,

برَنَّةِ ذي عَتَبٍ شارِفٍ

وَصَهباءَ كَالمِسكِ لَم تُقطَبِ

with the ringing of an old lute with bridges,

and tawny wine, musk-like, unmixed.

وَقَهوَةٍ صَهباءَ باكَرتُها

بِجُهمَةٍ وَالديكُ لَم يَنعَبِ

And tawny wine I sought early,

in the darkness, before the rooster crowed.

وَجُردٍ جَوانِحَ وِردَ القَطا

يوائِلنَ مِن عَنَقٍ مُطنِبِ

And sleek horses, leaning like sandgrouse coming to water,

seeking escape from a long-reaching gallop:

خَرَجنَ شَماطِيطَ مِن غارةٍ

بِأَلفٍ تَكَتَّبُ أَو مِقنَبِ

they emerged scattered from a raid,

with a thousand massed in ranks, or a mounted troop.

كأَنَّ الغُبارَ الَّذي غادَرَت

ضُحَيّاً دَواخِنُ مِن تَنضُبِ

As though the dust they left

at midmorning were smoke rising from tandub wood.

تَلافَيتُهُنَّ بِلا مُقرِفٍ

بَطيءٍ وَلا جَذَعٍ جَأَنَبِ

I caught up with them on no halfbred,

slow-moving, nor on a thickset colt,

بِعاري النَواهِق صَلتِ الجَبي

نِ أَجرَدَ كالقَدعِ الأَشعَبِ

but on one lean about the facial bones, smooth of forehead,

sleek, like a broad arrow-shaft.

يُقَطَّعُهُنَّ بِتَقرِيبِهِ

وَيَأوي إِلى حُضُرٍ مُلهِبِ

He outstrips them with his canter

and passes into a blazing gallop,

وَإِرخاءِ سِيدٍ إِلى هَضبَةٍ

يُوائِلُ مِن بَرَدِ مُهذِبِ

and a wolf's lope toward a hill,

seeking shelter from driving hail.

إِذا سِيقَتِ الخَيلُ وَسَطَ النها

رِ يُضرَبنَ ضَرباً وَلَم يُضرَبِ

When horses are driven in the middle of the day,

they are beaten hard, but he is not beaten.

غَدا مَرِحاً طَرِباً قَلبُهُ

لَغِبنَ وأَصبَحَ لَم يَلغَبِ

He starts the day playful, his heart rejoicing;

they tire, while he remains untired.

فَلِيقُ النَسا حَبِطُ الموقِفَي

نِ يَستَنُّ كالتيسِ في الحُلَّبِ

Well-parted in the thigh-sinew, full at both flanks,

he bounds like a billy-goat among hullab shrubs.

مُدِلٌّ عَلى سُلُطاتِ النُسو

رِ شُمِّ السَنابكِ لَم تُقلَبِ

Confident upon strong hoof-frogs,

with high hoof-tips that have never turned.

صَحِيحُ الفُصوصِ أَمِينُ الشَظا

نِيامُ الأَباجِلِ لَم تُضرَبِ

Sound in his joints, firm in his splint bones,

his leg-veins lie quiet, untouched by blows.

كَأَنَّ تَماثِيلَ أَرساغِهِ

رِقابُ وُعُولٍ لَدى مَشرَبِ

As though the forms of his pasterns

were ibex necks beside a watering place.

كَأَنَّ حَوافِرَهُ مُدبِراً

خُضبِنَ وَإِن كانَ لَم يُخضَبِ

His hooves, as he turns away, seem—

dyed though he has never been dyed—

حِجارَةُ غَيلٍ بِرَضراضَةٍ

كُسِينَ طِلاءً منَ الطُحلُبِ

stream-stones upon a bed of pebbles,

clothed in a coating of moss.

وَأَوظِفَةٌ أيِّدٌ جَدلُها

كَأَوظِفَةِ الفالِجِ المُصعَبِ

And cannon-bones, powerfully wrought,

like those of a massive, unbroken camel.

وَلَوحُ ذِراعَينِ في بِركَةٍ

إِلى جُؤجُؤ رَهِلِ المَنكِبِ

And the broad span of forearms within a chest,

up to a breast, full-fleshed at the shoulder,

أُمِرَّ ونُحِّيَ مِن صُلبِهِ

كَتنَحِيَةِ القَتَبِ المُجلَبِ

made firm and set apart from his backbone,

like a hide-covered pack-saddle set apart.

عَلى أَنَّ حارِكَهُ مُشرِفٌ

وَظَهرَ القطاةِ وَلَمَ يَحدَبِ

Though his withers stand high,

and his croup's back is raised, it is not humped.

كَأَنَّ مَقَطَّ شَراسِيفِهِ

إِلى طَرَفِ القُنبِ فالمَنقَبِ

As though the junction of his lower ribs,

down to the end of his sheath and belly-hollow,

لُطِمنَ بِتُرسٍ شَديدِ الصِفا

قِ مِن خَشَبِ الجَوزِ لَم يُثقَبِ

had been struck by a shield with a stout facing,

made of walnut wood, never pierced.

وَيَصهِلُ في مِثلِ جَوفِ الطَوِيّ

صَهيلاً يُبَيّنُ لِلمُعربِ

He neighs through a hollow like the inside of a well,

a neigh plain to the judge of breeding.

وَمِن دَونِ ذاكَ هَوِيٌّ لَهُ

هَوِيَّ القُطامِيّ لِلأَرنَبِ

And beneath that is a rushing sound of his,

the falcon's rush toward a hare.

كَأَنَّ تَواليَها بِالضُحى

نواعِمُ جَعلٍ مِن الأَثأَبِ

As though their rearmost ranks at midmorning

were supple young ath'ab trees.

أَتاهُنَّ أَنَّ مِياهَ الذّها

بِ فَالأَوقِ فَالمِلحِ فَالمِيثَبِ

News reached them that the waters of al-Dhahab,

then al-Awq, al-Milh, and al-Mithab,

فَنَجدَي مَريعِ فَوادِي الرَجاءِ

إِلى الخانِقَينِ إِلى أَخرُبِ

then the two uplands of Mari', then Wadi al-Raja',

as far as al-Khaniqayn, as far as Akhrub,

تُجَرّي عَلَيهِ رَبابُ السَما

كِ شَهرَينِ مِن صَيِّفِ مُخصِبِ

had streams sent over them by the clouds of al-Simak

for two months of bountiful summer rain.

عَليهنَّ مِن وَحشِ بَينُونَةٍ

نِعاجٌ مَطافِيلُ في رَبرَبِ

At those waters, among Baynuna's wild beasts,

were does with young, gathered in a herd.

وَكانَ الخَلِيلُ إِذا رابَني

فَعاتَبتُهُ ثُمَّ لَم يُعتِبِ

When a friend gave me cause for doubt,

and I reproached him, yet he made no amends,

هَوايَ لَهُ وَهَوَى قَلبِهِ

سِوايَ وَمَا ذاكَ بِالأَصوَبِ

my affection was for him, while his heart's affection

was for someone else—and that was not right—

فَإِنّي جَرِيءٌ عَلى هَجرِهِ

إِذا ما القَرينَةُ لَم تُصحِبِ

then I was bold in forsaking him,

when companionship would no longer go smoothly.

أَدُومُ عَلى العَهدِ ما دامَ لِي

فَإن خانَ خُنتُ وَلَم أَكذِبِ

I keep the pact as long as it is kept with me;

if he betrays, I betray—and I do not lie.

وَبَعضُ الأَخِلاّءِ عِندَ البَلا

ءِ والرُزءِ أَروَغُ مِن ثَعلَبِ

And some friends, in times of trial

and calamity, are more evasive than a fox.

وَكيفَ تُواصِلُ مَن أَصبَحَت

خِلالَتُهُ كَأَبي مَرحَبِ

How can you keep ties with one whose

friendship has become like Abu Marhab's?

رَآكَ بِبَثَّ فَلَم يَلتَفِت

إِلَيكَ وَقالَ كَذاكَ اِدأَبِ

He saw you in anguish, yet did not turn

toward you, and said, "Keep toiling like that."

وَما نَحَني كَمِنَاحِ العَلُو

قِ ما ترَ مِن غِرَّةٍ تَضرِبِ

My sympathy is not like the milk-gift of a withholding she-camel;

whatever unguarded opening you see, you strike.

أَبي لي البَلاَءُ وَإِنِّي اِمرؤٌ

إِذا ما تَبَيَّنتُ لَم أَرتَبِ

Proven valor forbids it to me; I am a man

who, once sure, has no doubt.

فَلا أُلفِيَن كاذباً آثماً

قَديمَ العَداوَةِ كَالنَيرَبِ

So let me find no sinful liar,

long-standing in enmity, like a talebearer,

يُخَبِّرُكُم أَنَّه ناصِحٌ

وَفي نُصحِهِ حُمَةُ العَقرَبِ

who tells you he is a sincere adviser,

while his advice holds a scorpion's venom.

إذَا ناءَ أَوَّلُكُم مُصعِداً

يَقُولُ لآخِرِكُم صَوِّبِ

When your foremost goes away uphill,

he tells your rearmost, "Go down!"

لِيُوهِنَ عَظمَكُمُ لِلعِدى

وَعَمداً فَإن تُغلَبُوا يَغِلبِ

to weaken your bones for the enemy,

deliberately: if you are defeated, he wins.

وَخَصمَي ضِرارٍ ذَوَي تُدرَإِ

مَتَى يَأتِ سِلمُهُما يَشغَبِ

And two adversaries bent on harm and contention:

whenever peace comes between them, strife erupts.

وَمُستَأذِنٍ يَبتَغِي نائلاً

أَذِنتُ لَهُ ثُمَّ لَم يُحجَبِ

And a man asking entry, seeking a gift:

I gave him leave, and he was not kept out.

فَآبَ بِصالحِ ما يَبتَغِي

وقُلتُ لَهُ اِدخُل فَفِي المَرحَبِ

He returned with a good share of what he sought,

and I told him, "Enter: you are welcome here."

وَلَستُ بذي مَلَقٍ كَاذِبٍ

إِلاقٍ كَبَرقٍ مِنَ الخُلَّبِ

I am not one of false flattery,

deceitful, like lightning that brings no rain.

وَقَومٍِ يَهيِنُونَ أَعراضَهُم

كَوَيتُهُمُ كَيَّةَ المُكلِبِ

And people who debase their own honor,

I branded them as one brands the rabies-stricken.

وَيَومٍ كَحاشِيَةِ الأَرجُوا

نِ مِن وَقعِ أَزرَقَ كَالكَوكَبِ

And a day like the border of purple cloth,

from the stroke of blue steel, bright as a star,

حَدَتهُ قَنَاةٌ رُدَينِيَّةٌ

مُثَقَّفَةٌ صَدقَةُ الأَكعُبِ

driven forward by a Rudayni spear-shaft,

straightened, with sound nodes.

إِذَا شِئتَ أَبصَرتَ مِن عَقبِهِم

يَتامى يُعاجَونَ كَالأَذؤُبِ

If you wished, you could see among their offspring

orphans tended like wolves.

فَإِن لَم يَكُن مِنهُمُ زاجِرٌ

وَلَم تُرعَ رِحمٌ وَلَم تُرقَبِ

If none among them holds them back,

and no kinship is safeguarded or respected,

وَحانَت مَنايا بأَيديكُمُ

وَمَن يَكُ ذا أَجَلِ يُجلَبِ

and appointed deaths come at your hands—

whoever has an appointed end is brought to it—

فَإِنَّ لَدى المَوتِ مَندُوحةً

وَإِنَّ العِقابَ عَلى المُذنِبِ

then in death there is release,

and punishment falls on the guilty.

أَبَعدَ فَوارسَ يَومَ الشُرَي

فِ آسَى وَبعدَ بَني الأَشهَبِ

After the horsemen of the day at al-Shurayf,

should I grieve—and after the sons of al-Ashhab,

وَبَعدَ أَبيهِم وَبَعدَ الرُقا

دِ يَومَ تَرَكناهُ بِالأَكلُبِ

and after their father, and after al-Ruqad,

on the day we left him at al-Aklub?

إِذا ما انتَشَيتُ طَرَحتُ اللِجا

مَ في شِدقِ مُنجَرِدٍ سَلهَبِ

When I grow drunk, I put the bridle

into the mouth of a sleek, long-limbed steed.

يَبُذُّ الجِيادَ بِتَقرِيِبهِ

وَيَأوي إِلى حُضُرٍ مُلهَبِ

He outstrips noble steeds with his canter

and passes into a blazing gallop.

كُمَيتٌ كأَنَّ عَلى مَتِنِهِ

سَبائِكَ مِن قِطَعِ المُذهَبِ

A bay, as though upon his back

lay ingots cut from gilded metal.

كَأَنَّ القُرُنفُلَ والزَنجَبِيلَ

يُعَلُّ عَلى رِيقِها الأَطيَبِ

As though cloves and ginger

were poured repeatedly over her sweetest saliva.

فَأَخرَجَهُم أَجدَلُ السَاعِدَي

نَ أَصهَبُ كَالأَسَدِ الأَغلَبِ

Then one sinewy in both forearms brought them out,

tawny, like a thick-necked lion.

فَلَماَّ تَخَيَّمنَ تَحتَ الأَرا

كِ والأثلِ مِن بَلَدٍ طيّبِ

When they pitched tents beneath the arak

and tamarisk trees in a pleasant land,

عَلى جانَبي حائِرٍ مُفرِطٍ

بِبَرثٍ تَبَوَّأنَهُ مُعشِبِ

on both sides of an overflowing basin,

on soft, grassy ground where they settled,

وَقُلنَ لَحى اللَهُ رَبُّ العبادِ

جَنُوبَ السِخالِ إِلى يَترَبِ

they said, "May God, Lord of mankind, curse

the lands south of as-Sikhal as far as Yatrab!

لَقَد شَطَّ حيٌّ بِجِزعِ الأَغَرِّ

حَيّاً تَرَبَّعَ بِالشُربُبِ

A tribe at al-Agharr's valley-bend has indeed grown distant

from a tribe quartered for spring at al-Shurbub."

كَطَودِ يُلاَذُ بِأَركانِهِ

عَزيزِ المُراغِمِ وَالمَهرَبِ

Like a mountain to whose flanks one flees for shelter,

unassailable as a haven and refuge,

إِذا مَسَّهُ الشَرُّ لَم يَكتَئِب

وَإِن مَسَّهُ الخَيرُ لَم يُعجَبِ

if evil touches him, he does not despair;

if good touches him, he does not grow conceited.

فَأَدخَلَكَ اللَهُ بَردَ الجِنا

نِ جِذَلاَنَ في مُدخَلٍ طَيِّبِ

May God admit you to Paradise's coolness,

joyful, through a pleasant entrance.

أَصابَهُمُ القَتلُ ثُمَّ الوَفاةُ

هَذَّ الإِشاءَةِ بِالمَخلَبِ

Slaughter struck them, then death,

like a young palm lopped with a pruning-hook.

مَضَوا سَلَفاً ثُمَّ لَم يَرجِعُوا

إِلينا فَيا لَكَ مِن مَوكِبِ

They went before us, and never returned

to us—oh, what a procession!

غُيُوثاً تَنُوءُ عَلى المُقتِري

نَ إِن يَكذِبِ الغَيثُ لَم تَكذِبِ

Rain-clouds rising over the needy:

if the rain failed, they never failed.

كِراماً لَدى الضَيفِ عندَ الشِتا

ءِ والجَدبِ في الزَمَنِ الأَجدَبِ

Generous to the guest in winter

and drought, in the most barren season.

إِذا عَزَبَ الناسُ أَحلامَهُم

أَراحُوا الحُلُومَ فَلَم تَعزُبِ

When people let their good sense stray,

they bring their judgment home, so it never strays.