أصاح ألا هل من سبيل إلى هند — Al Tirimmah

أَصاحِ أَلا هَل مِن سَبيلٍ إِلى هِندِ

وَريحِ الخُزامى غَضَّةً بِالثَرى الجَعدِ

O friend, listen—is there a way to Hind,

and the scent of lavender, fresh in the clumped, moist earth?

وَهَل لِلَيالينا بِذي الرِمثِ رَجعَةٌ

فَتَشفي جَوى الأَحشاءِ مِن لاعِجِ الوَجدِ

And can our nights at Dhu al-Rimth return,

to heal the inward anguish of longing's searing fire?

كَأَن لَم تَخِد بِالوَصلِ يا هِندُ بَينَنا

جَلَبناهُ أَسفارٍ كَجَندَلَةِ الصَمدِ

As though no mount had hastened between us to bring union, Hind—

one we brought on journeys, like a boulder on high ground.

بَلى ثُمَّ لَم نَملِك مَقاديرَ سُدِّيَت

لَنا مِن كَذا هِندٍ عَلى قَلَّةِ الثَمدِ

Yes, yet we could not control the destinies woven

for us from such a Hind, with so little water in the pool.

وَقَد كُنتُ شِمتُ السَيفَ بَعدَ اِستِلالِهِ

وَحاذَرتُ يَومَ الوَعدِ ما قيلَ في الوَعدِ

I had sheathed the sword after drawing it,

and feared, on the appointed day, what was said of promises.

وَلي في مُمِضّاتِ الهِجاءِ عَنِ الخَنا

مَناديحُ في جَوزٍ مِنَ القَولِ أَوقَصدِ

In satire's stinging barbs I have, apart from obscenity,

ample scope, in the heart of speech or its measured course.

أَحينَ تَراءَتني مَعَدٌّ أَمامَها

وَجُرِّدتُ تَجريدَ الحُسامِ مِنَ الغِمدِ

Is it now, when Ma‘add saw me ahead of her,

and I was unsheathed like a keen sword from its scabbard,

وَجارَيتُ حَتّى ما تُبالي حَوالِبي

أَذا صاحِبٍ جارانِيَ الناسُ أَم وَحدي

and competed until my backers no longer cared

whether men raced me with a companion or alone—

تَمَنّى سِقاطي المُقرِفونَ وَقَد بَلَوا

مَواطِنَ لا فاني الشبابِ وَلا وَغدِ

that the base-born wish for my downfall, though they have tested

the battle-stands of one neither past his youth nor a churl?

فَإِن أَنا لَم أَفطِم تَميماً وَعَمَّها

فَلا يَحذَروا لِأُمَّتي شاعِراً بَعدي

If I do not wean Tamim and her uncle,

let them fear no poet of my people after me.

وَنُبِّئتُ أَنَّ القَينَ زَنّى عَجوزَهُ

قُفَيرَةَ أُمَّ السَوءِ أَن لَم يَكِد وَكدي

I was told the smith branded his old mother an adulteress—

Qufayra, mother of evil—because he could not match my scheming.

سَأَسنَحُ فَليَسنَح فَميعادُنا المَدى

مَدى البُعدِ إِن يَصبِر إِلى غايَةِ البُعدِ

I shall come forth; let him come forth: our meeting is at the far reach,

the farthest distance, if he endures to its utmost limit.

لَقوا عِندَ رَأسِ الخَطِّ مِنّي اِبنَ حُرَّةٍ

بُعَيدَ النَدى يَأوي إِلى سَنَدٍ نَهدٍ

At Ra’s al-Khatt they met in me a freewoman's son,

far-reaching in bounty, who shelters against a mighty ridge.

فَتىً لَم يُسَوِّقُ بَينَ كاظِمَةِ النَدى

وَصَحراءِ فَلجٍ ثَلَّةَ الحَذَفِ القَهدِ

A youth who never drove, between dew-fresh Kazima

and the desert of Falj, a flock of little whitish sheep.

وَلَم تَنتَطِق بَحرِيَّةٌ مِن مُجاشِعٍ

عَلَيهِ وَلَم تَدعَم لَهُ جانِبَ المَهدِ

No coastal woman of Mujashi‘ girded herself for him,

nor propped the side of his cradle for him.

فَما لَكَ مِن نَجدٍ وَلا رَملِ عالِجٍ

إِلى مُضَرِ الفَجِّ المُيامِنِ مِن زَندِ

You have nothing, from Najd or the sands of ‘Alij

to Mudar of the rightward pass—not a single firestick.

أَغصَّت عَلَيكَ الأَرضَ قَحطانُ بِالقَنا

وَبِالهُندُوانِيّاتِ وَالقُرَّحِ الجُردِ

Qahtan has choked the earth against you with spears,

with Indian swords and full-grown, sleek-coated horses.

فَكُن دُخساً في البَحرِ أَو جُز وَراءَهُ

إِلى الهِندِ إِن لَم تَلقَ قَحطانَ بِالهِندِ

So become a dolphin in the sea, or cross beyond it

to India—if you do not find Qahtan in India.

فَإِن تَلقَهُم يَوماً عَلى قيدِ فَترَةٍ

مِنَ الأَمرِ تَختَر قُربَ قَيسٍ عَلى البُعدِ

But if you meet them someday during a brief lull

in affairs, you will prefer nearness to Qays over distance.

وَمَن يَكُ يَهدي أَو يُضِلُّ اِتِّباعُهُ

فَإِنَّ تَميماً لا تُضِلُّ وَلا تَهدي

Whoever else may guide or mislead those who follow him,

Tamim neither leads astray nor guides.

هَجَتني تَميمٌ أَن تَمَنَّيتُ أَنَّها

إِذا حُشِرَت وَالأَزدَ في جَنَّةِ الخُلدِ

Tamim lampooned me because I wished that,

when she and al-Azd were gathered in the Garden of Eternity,

مُقيمينَ فيها جيرَةً لَيسَ بَينَهُم

خَفيرٌ وَلَو كانوا مِنَ العَيشِ في رَغدِ

dwelling there as neighbors, there should be between them

no protector, even though they lived in ease.

وَهَل لي ذَنبٌ إِن جَلَتِ مِن بِلادِها

تَميمٌ وَلَم تَمنَع حَريماً مِنَ الأَزدِ

And am I to blame if, from her own lands, there departed

Tamim, failing to defend her sanctuary against al-Azd?

وَجاءَت لِتَقضي الحِقدَ مِن أَبلاتِها

فَثَنَّت لَها قَحطانُ حِقداً عَلى حِقدِ

She came to settle the grudge born of her old grievances,

but Qahtan doubled it for her, adding grudge to grudge.

شَأَوناكَ إِذ لا دينَ نَرعى فَلَم تَزَل

تَبيعاً لَنا نُجدي عَلَيكَ وَلا تُجدي

We outstripped you when we observed no religion, and you remained

dependent on us: we bestowed on you, while you bestowed nothing.

وَجُرِّبتَ يَومَ الأَزدِ وَالدينُ قَد دَجا

عَلَيكَ فَلَم تَمنَعهُمُ خُطَّةَ الضَهدِ

You were tested on the day of al-Azd, when religion had spread its shade

over you, yet you did not shield them from humiliation.

تُرادي بِكِدّانِ الدَنا كَهفَ طَيِّئٍ

فَأَبصِر أَبا رَغلاتِ صَخرَةَ مَن تَردي

You pelt Tayy's mountain refuge with soft stones from low ground;

look, Abu Raghalat, whose rock you are pelting.

وَنَحنُ أَجارَت بِالأُقَيصِدِ هامُنا

طهَيَّةَ يَومَ الفارِعَينِ بِلا عَمدِ

Our heads gave shelter at al-Uqaysid

to Tuhayya on the day of al-Fari‘ayn, without pillars.

وَنَحنُ تَرَغَّمنا لَقيطاً بِعِرسِهِ

سُلَيمى فَحَلَّت بَينَ رَمّانَ فَالفَردِ

We humiliated Laqit through his wife,

Sulayma, who settled between Ramman and al-Fard.

وَنَحنُ حَشَونا ابنَي شِهابِ بنِ جعَفَرٍ

ضِباعَ اللَوى مِن رَقدَ فَاِدعوا عَلى رَقدِ

We fed the two sons of Shihab ibn Ja‘far

to the hyenas of al-Liwa from Raqd—so call curses upon Raqd!

وَنَحنُ حَصَدنا يَومَ أَحجارِ ضَرغَدٍ

بِقُمرَة عَنزٍ نَهشَلاً أَيَّما حَصدِ

We reaped, on the day of the stones of Darghad,

Nahshal at Qumrat ‘Anz—what a harvest!

وَغادَرَ زَيدُ الخَثلِ سَلمى بنَ جَندَلٍ

بِوُسعِ إِناءٍ قوتُهُ مِن نَدى الثَمدِ

Zayd al-Khathl left Salma ibn Jandal

in a vessel-sized space, sustained by the moisture of a scanty pool.

وَنَحنُ سَبَينا نِسوَةَ السيدِ عَنوَةً

وَنَحنُ قَتَلنا بِاللِوى كاظِمي حَردِ

We took the women of al-Sid captive by force,

and killed at al-Liwa men choking back their wrath.

وَعِندَ بَني سَعدِ بنِ ضَبَّةَ نِعمَةٌ

لَنا لَم يَرُبّوها بِشُكرٍ وَلا حَمدِ

The sons of Sa‘d ibn Dabba owe us a favor

that they did not nurture with gratitude or praise.

فَلا مِنَّةً رَبّوا وَلا بِكُفىً جَزَوا

وَفي زُهدِهِ ما يَرفِدَنَّكَ ذو الزُهدِ

They neither tended the favor nor repaid it in kind;

even a man of little has, in his poverty, something to give you.

ضَرَبنا بُطونَ الخَيلِ حَتّى تَدارَكَت

زُرارَةَ قَسراً وَهيَ مُصغِيَةٌ تَردي

We struck the horses' bellies until they overtook

Zurara by force, leaning into their gallop.

فَقادَت لَنا المَأمومَ في القَدِّ عَنوَةً

جَنيباً إِلى ضَبعَي مُواشِكَةِ الوَخدِ

They brought us the skull-wounded man by force, in rawhide bonds,

led beside the shoulders of a swift-pacing she-camel.

فَيا قَينُ هَل حُدِّثتَ يَومَ اِبنِ مِلقَطٍ

وَيَومَيكَ لِاِبنِ مُضرِطِ الحجرِ الصَلدِ

O smith, have you been told of the day of Ibn Milqat,

and your two days with the son of the man who makes hard stone fart?

وَلَو كُنتَ حُرّاً لَم تَبِت لَيلَةَ النَقا

وَجِعثِنُ تُهبى بِالكُباسِ وِالبِعَردِ

Were you freeborn, you would not have spent the night at al-Naqa

while Ji‘thin was being pounded with huge, stiff cocks,

كَما زَعَموا إِذ أَنتَ في البَيتِ مُطِرقٌ

وَلَو غِبتَ فيمَن غابَ لَم تَكُ ذا فَقدِ

as they claimed, while you sat in the house with your head bowed.

Had you gone with those who went, you would not have been missed.

وَبِتَّ خِلافَ القَومِ تَغسِلُ ثَوبَها

بِكَفَّيكَ مِن مُستَكرَهِ الصائِكِ الوَردِ

You spent the night behind the others, washing her garment

with both hands, removing the loathsome, rank, reddish stain.

وَبِالعَفوِ تَسعى أَو بِوِترٍ وُتِرتَهُ

وِكِلتاهُما ياقَينُ مَكروهَةُ الوِردِ

You pursue pardon or vengeance for a wrong done you;

both, O smith, are watering-places one loathes to approach.

أَنا اِبنُ مُجيرِ الماءِ في شَهرِ ناجِرٍ

وَقَد طَمِعِ النُعمانُ في المَشرَبِ البَردِ

I am the son of the man who protected the water in the month of Najir,

when al-Nu‘man coveted the cool drinking-place.

مَنَعنا حِمى غَوثٍ وَقَد دَلَفَت لَنا

كَتائِبُ جاءَت وَاِبنُ سَلمى عَلى حَردِ

We defended Ghawth's protected pasture when there advanced upon us

battalions, with Ibn Salma coming in wrath.

وَكُنّا إِذا الأَحسابُ يَوماً تَنازَلَت

وَدَقنا وَخَفَّضنا مِنَ البَرقِ وَالرَعدِ

Whenever noble lineages met one day in contest,

we let rain fall, holding back thunder and lightning.

مَلَأنا بِلادَ الأَرضِ مالاً وَأَنفُساً

مَعَ العِزَّةِ القَسعاءِ وَالنائِلِ المُجدي

We filled the lands of the earth with wealth and people,

with formidable might and bounty that enriches.

لَنا المُلكُ مِن عَهدِ الحِجارَة رَطبَةٌ

وَعَهدُ الصَفا بِالليِ مِن أَقدَمِ العَهدِ

Kingship has been ours since the stones were wet,

and the days when smooth rock was pliant are among the oldest days.

لَنا سابِقاتُ العِزِّ وَالشِعرِ وَالحَصى

وَرِبعِيَّةُ المَجدِ المُقَدّمِ وَالحَمدِ

Ours is precedence in might, poetry, and numbers,

and the first fruits of foremost glory and praise.

فَقُل مِثلَها يا قَينُ إِن كُنتَ صادِقاً

وَإِلّا فَمِن أَنّى تُنيرُ وَلا تَسدي

Say the like, smith, if you are truthful;

otherwise, how can you set the heddles without laying a warp?

رَأَسنا وَجالَدنا المُلوكَ وَأُعطِيَت

أَوائِلُنا في الوَفدِ مَكرُمَةَ الوَفدِ

We led and battled kings; and there was granted

to our forefathers, among envoys, the envoys' highest honor.

فَأَيُّ ثَنايا المَجدِ لَم نَطَّلِع بِها

عَلى رَغمِ مَن لَم يَطَّلِع مَنبِتَ المَجدِ

What mountain passes of glory have we not climbed,

despite those who have never reached the soil where glory grows?

وَإِنَّ تَميماً وَاِفتِخاراً بِسَعدِها

بِما لا يُرى مِنها بِغَورٍ وَلا نَجدِ

Tamim, with her boasting of her Sa‘d,

of what is nowhere seen of her, in lowland or upland,

كَأُمِّ حُبَينٍ لَم يَرَ الناسُ غَيرَها

وَغابَ حُبَينٌ حيث غابَت بَنو سَعدِ

is like Umm Hubayn: people have seen none but her,

while Hubayn vanished where the sons of Sa‘d vanished.