سل الدهر عني أي خطب أمارس — Alabywrdy

سَلِ الدّهْرَ عنّي أيَّ خَطْبٍ أمارِسِ

وعنْ ضَحِكي في وَجْهِهِ وهْوَ عابِسُ

Ask Time about me—what ordeal I grapple with,

and about my laughter in his face while he frowns.

فَما لبَنيهِ يَشتَكونَ بَناتِهِ

وهَلْ يُبْتَلى بالبَلْهِ إلا الأكايسُ

Why do his sons complain of his daughters?

Are any but the cleverest afflicted with fools?

سأحمِلُ أعْباءَ الخُطوبِ فَطالَما

تَماشَتْ على الأيْنِ الجِمالُ القَناعِسُ

I shall shoulder calamities' burdens, for often

have huge, sturdy camels trudged on despite exhaustion.

وأنْتظِرُ العُقْبى وإنْ بَعُدَ المَدى

وأرْقُبُ ضَوْءَ الفَجْرِ والليلُ دامِسُ

I await the outcome, however distant the goal,

and watch for dawn's light while night is pitch-dark.

فَللهِ دَرّي حينَ تُوقِظُ هِمّتي

مُساوَرَةُ الأشْجانِ والنّجْمُ ناعِسُ

God bless my mettle, when my resolve is roused

by sorrow's assault, while the star is drowsy.

وصَحْبي وَجيهِيٌّ ورُمْحٌ وصارِمٌ

ودِرْعٌ وصَبْري والخَفاجِي سادِسُ

My companions are a Wajihi steed, a spear, a keen sword,

a coat of mail, my patience, and al-Khafaji as the sixth.

وإني لأقْري النّائِباتِ عَزائِماً

تَروضُ إباءَ الدّهْرِ والدّهْرُ شامِسُ

I entertain calamities with firm resolves

that tame Time's defiance, though Time is restive.

وأحْقِرُ دُنيا تَسْتَرقُّ لَها الطُّلى

مَطامِعُ لحَظي نَحْوَها متَشاوِسُ

I scorn a world for whose sake necks are enslaved

by greedy desires; my glance toward it is disdainful.

تَجافَيْتُ عَنْها وهْيَ خَوْدٌ غَريرةٌ

فهَلْ أبْتَغيها وهْيَ شَمْطاءُ عانِسُ

I turned away from her when she was a tender, innocent maiden;

should I seek her now, a gray-haired spinster?

وفيَّ عُرَيْقٌ منْ قُرَيشٍ تعطَّفَتْ

عليّ بهِ أعياصُها والعَنابِسُ

In me is a root of Quraysh, through which have inclined

toward me its A'yas and 'Anabis.

أُغالي بعِرْضي في الخَصاصَةِ والمُنى

تُراوِدُني عَنْ بَيْعِهِ وأُماكِسُ

In poverty I hold my honor dear, while hopes

entice me to sell it, and I bargain hard.

وأصْدَى إذا ما أعْقَبَ الرِّيُ ذِلّةً

وأزْجُرُ عِيسِي وهْيَ هِيمٌ خَوامسُ

I go thirsty if drinking my fill brings humiliation,

and urge on my pale camels, thirst-crazed and due their fifth-day drink.

وَلي مُقلةٌ وحْشيّةٌ لا تَرُوقُها

نَفائِسُ تَحْويها نُفوسٌ خَسائِسُ

I have an untamed eye that is not dazzled

by treasures possessed by base souls,

وقد صَرّتِ الخَضْراءُ أخْلافَ مُزْنِها

وليسَ على الغَبْراءِ رَطْبٌ ويابِسُ

though the green vault has bound the teats of its rainclouds,

and nothing moist or dry remains upon the dust-gray earth.

وخِرْقٍ إِلى فَرْعَيْ خُزَيْمَةَ يَنْتَمي

ويَعلمُ أنّ الجُودَ للعِرْضِ حارِسُ

Many a discerning noble, descended from Khuzayma's two branches,

and knowing that generosity guards honor,

لَحاني على تَرْكِ الغِنى ومُعَرَّسي

جَديبٌ وجاري ضارِعُ الخَدِّ بائِسُ

has reproached me for forsaking wealth, while my camp

is barren, and my neighbor is downcast and wretched.

فقُلْتُ لهُ إن العُلا مِنْ مَآرِبي

وما ليَ عَنْها غَيرَ عُدْميَ حابِسُ

I told him: Lofty honor is among my aims;

nothing but my poverty holds me back from it.

وإني بطَرْفٍ صيغَ للعِزِّ طامِحٌ

إليها وأنْفٍ أُودِعَ الكِبْرَ عاطِسُ

With an eye fashioned for glory I aspire

toward it, and hold high a nose endowed with pride.

فشَدَّ بعَبْدِ اللهِ أَزْري وأعْصَمَتْ

يَميني بمَنْ باهَى بهِ العُرْب فارِسُ

So he strengthened my back through Abd Allah, and fast clung

my right hand to him through whom Persia rivaled the Arabs:

بأرْوَعَ منْ آلائِهِ البَحْرُ مُطْرِقٌ

حَياءً ومِنْ لأْلائِهِ البَدْرُ قابِسُ

to an august man, before whose bounties the sea bows its head

in shame, and from whose radiance the full moon borrows light.

حَوى خَرَزاتِ المُلْكِ بالبَأسِ والندىً

وغُصْنُ الصِّبا لَدْنُ المَهَرّةِ مائِسُ

He gathered the beads of kingship through valor and generosity,

while youth's bough swayed, supple in its movement.

وأجْدادُهُ ممّنْ رَعاهُنَّ سِتّةٌ

تَطيبُ بِهمْ أعْراقُهُ والمَغارِسُ

Six of his forefathers were among those who tended them;

through them his roots and planting-grounds are made fragrant.

فصارُوا بهِ كالسَّبْعَةِ الشُّهْبِ ما لَهُمْ

مُسامٍ كما لَمْ يَدْنُ منهُنَّ لامِسُ

With him they became like the seven radiant stars, having no

rival, just as no hand has ever drawn near those stars.

وأعْلى مَنارَ العِلْمِ حينَ أظَلّنا

زَمانٌ لأشْلاءِ الأفاضِلِ ناهِسُ

He raised the beacon of learning when there loomed above us

an age gnawing at the limbs of the worthy.

وقد كانَ كالرَّبْعِ الذي خَفَّ أهْلُهُ

لهُ أثَرٌ ألْوى به الدَّهْرُ دارِسُ

It had been like a campsite whose people had departed,

with a fading trace that Time had swept away.

إذا رَكِبَ اخْتالَتْ بهِ الخَيْلُ أو مَشى

لَوَتْ مِنْ هَواديها إليهِ المَجالِسُ

When he rides, the horses prance proudly with him; when he walks,

assemblies turn their necks toward him.

وإنْ طَرَقَ الأعْداءَ أقْمرَ لَيْلُهُمْ

بهِ وأَديمُ الأرْضِ بالدَّمِ وارِسُ

If he attacks his enemies by night, their night grows moonlit

with him, while earth's skin is saffron-stained with blood.

حَباهُ أميرُ المؤْمِنينَ بِصارِمٍ

كَناظِرَتَيْهِ دُونَهُ القِرْنُ ناكِسُ

The Commander of the Faithful favored him with a keen sword,

like his two eyes, before which the rival bows his head;

وطِرْفٍ إذا الآجالُ قَفَّيْتَها بهِ

فهُنَّ لآجالٍ قُضينَ فَرائِسُ

and a steed: when you pursue wild herds upon it,

they are prey to deaths already decreed;

ومُرْضِعَةٍ ما لَمْ تَلِدْهُ فإنْ بَكى

تبَسَّمَ في وَجْهِ الصّباحِ الحَنادِسُ

and a nurse of what she never bore: if it cries,

the deep darkness smiles in morning's face;

إِلى خِلَعٍ تَحكي رِياضاً أنيقَةً

بكَفَّيْهِ تَسْقيها الغَمامُ الرّواجِسُ

along with robes of honor resembling lovely gardens,

watered at his hands by rumbling clouds.

وكيفَ يُبالي بالمَلابِسِ ساحِبٌ

ذُيولَ المَعالي وهْوَ للمَجْدِ لابِسُ

How should one care for garments when he trails

the trains of lofty honors, himself clothed in glory?

وأحْسَنُ ما يُكْسى الكِرامُ قَصائِدٌ

أوابِدُ مَعْناها بِوادِيكَ آنِسُ

The finest clothing the noble receive is poetry:

wild-ranging rarities whose meaning is at home in your valley.

تُزَفُّ إِلى نادِيكَ مُلْساً مُتونُها

وتُهدَى إِلى أكْفائِهِنَّ العَرائِسُ

They are led as brides to your assembly, their backs smooth;

and brides are given to their equals.

وتَدْفَعُ عنكَ الكاشِحينَ كأنّما

مَناطُ قَوافيها الرِّماحُ المَداعِسُ

They fend off your bitter enemies, as though

their rhymes hung upon thrusting spears.

وتُبعَثُ أرْسالاً عِجالاً إليهمُ

كما تابَعَ الطّعْنَ الكَمِيُّ المخالِسُ

They are dispatched against them in swift, successive bands,

as the armored warrior follows thrust with thrust, striking unawares.

ولَولاكَ ما أوْهى قُوى الفِكْرِ مادحٌ

ولا افْترَّ عنْ بَيتٍ منَ الشِّعْرِ هاجِسُ

Were it not for you, no panegyrist would exhaust thought's powers,

nor would inspiration smile to reveal a line of verse.

رَعَيْتَ ذِمامَ الدّينِ بالعَدْلِ بَعدَما

أُضيعَ ولَمْ يَحْمِ الرّعيّةَ سائِسُ

You safeguarded religion's covenant with justice, after

it was neglected and no ruler protected the people.

فظلَّ يمرُّ السّخْلُ بالذِّئب آمِناً

ولا ترهَبُ الأُسْدَ الظِّباءُ الكَوانِسُ

So the lamb goes on passing safely by the wolf,

and gazelles in their coverts have no fear of lions.

وعرَّضْتَ مَنْ عاداكَ للهُلْكِ فانْتَهى

عنِ المُلْكِ حتى قَلَّ فيهِ المُنافِسُ

You exposed whoever opposed you to destruction, so he withdrew

from kingship, until rivals for it became few.

وأرْهَفْتَ منْ غَرْبي وما كانَ نابِياً

كَما سَنّتْ البيضَ الرِّقاقَ المَداوِسُ

You sharpened my edge, though it had not been dull,

as honing tools sharpen slender, gleaming swords.

وجابَتْ إلَيْكَ البيدَ هُوجٌ عَرامِسٌ

عليهنَّ صِيدٌ مِنْ قُرَيشٍ أَحامِسُ

Headstrong, sturdy camels crossed the deserts toward you,

bearing proud and valiant men of Quraysh.

فما أنتَ مّنْ يَبْخَسُ الشِّعْرَ حقّهُ

ولا أنا ممّا يَضْمَنُ النُّجْحَ آيِسُ

You are not one to deny poetry its due,

nor do I despair of what guarantees success.