عَفّى عَلِيُّ بنُ إِسحاقٍ بِفَتكَتِهِ

عَفّى عَلِيُّ بنُ إِسحاقٍ بِفَتكَتِهِ

عَلى غَرائِبِ تيهٍ كُنَّ في الحَسَنِ

عَلى غَرائِبِ تيهٍ كُنَّ في الحَسَنِ

Ali ibn Ishaq, through his deadly assault, erased

Ali ibn Ishaq was ennobled by his conquests

the strange displays of arrogance that were in al-Hasan.

Of strange charms that were the essence of beauty.

أَنسَتهُ تَفقيعَهُ في اللَفظِ نازِلَةٌ

أَنسَتهُ تَفقيعَهُ في اللَفظِ نازِلَةٌ

لَم تُبقِ فيهِ سِوى التَسليمِ لِلزَمَنِ

لَم تُبقِ فيهِ سِوى التَسليمِ لِلزَمَنِ

A calamity made him forget his bombast in speech,

His words bespoke elegance, but Time lessened them

leaving in him nothing but submission to time.

Leaving only resignation to fate's course.

أَبا عَلِيٍّ عَلَيكَ الفَوتَ إِن ذُكِرَ ال

أَبا عَلِيٍّ عَلَيكَ الفَوتَ إِن ذُكِرَ ال

إِدراكُ مِن طالِبي الأَوتارِ وَالإِحَنِ

إِدراكُ مِن طالِبي الأَوتارِ وَالإِحَنِ

O Abu Ali, embrace failure if mention is made of

Abu Ali, too late for praise if singers of epics

success among seekers of blood-revenge and redress for grudges.

And songs would seek to do justice to your feats!

لَمّا رَثَيتَ رَجاءً خِلتُ أَنَّكَ قَد

لَمّا رَثَيتَ رَجاءً خِلتُ أَنَّكَ قَد

ثَأَرتَهُ بِبُكا القُمرِيُّ في الفَنَنِ

ثَأَرتَهُ بِبُكا القُمرِيُّ في الفَنَنِ

When you elegized Raja, I thought you had

When you grieved for Raja', I thought you had avenged him

avenged him with the turtledove's weeping on the bough.

Adequately, in the poignancy of your verses.

فَنِمتَ عَنهُ وَلَم تَحفِل بِمَصرَعِهِ

فَنِمتَ عَنهُ وَلَم تَحفِل بِمَصرَعِهِ

لا مَتَّعَ اللَهُ تِلكَ العَينَ بِالوَسَنِ

لا مَتَّعَ اللَهُ تِلكَ العَينَ بِالوَسَنِ

Then you slept, heedless of him, and cared nothing for his slaying;

Yet from his fate you turned aside, unheeding,

may God never let that eye enjoy slumber.

Into revels that God prolonged, to your delight.

بَل ما يَسُرُّكَ مِلءَ الدارِ مِن ذَهَبٍ

بَل ما يَسُرُّكَ مِلءَ الدارِ مِن ذَهَبٍ

وَأَنَّ ما كانَ يَومَ الدارِ لَم يَكُنِ

وَأَنَّ ما كانَ يَومَ الدارِ لَم يَكُنِ

Rather, it would not please you for the house to be filled with gold

Rather, your joy is in a houseful of gold, though

and for what happened on the day of the house never to have happened—

What was, the day the house was seized, is now no more.

حِرصاً عَلى إِرثِ شَيخٍ ظَلَّ مُضطَهَداً

حِرصاً عَلى إِرثِ شَيخٍ ظَلَّ مُضطَهَداً

بِالشامِ يَكبو عَلى العِرنينِ وَالذَقَنِ

بِالشامِ يَكبو عَلى العِرنينِ وَالذَقَنِ

out of greed for the inheritance of an old man who remained oppressed

Greed made you covet a persecuted elder's estate,

in Syria, falling upon his nose and chin.

Bowing under sackcloth in Syria's wastes.

دَعاكَ وَالسَيفُ يَغشاهُ فَمِن بَدَنٍ

دَعاكَ وَالسَيفُ يَغشاهُ فَمِن بَدَنٍ

بِغَيرِ رَأسٍ وَمِن رَأسٍ بِلا بَدَنِ

بِغَيرِ رَأسٍ وَمِن رَأسٍ بِلا بَدَنِ

He called to you as the sword assailed him—then from a body

He appealed to you while the swords rained upon him

without a head, and from a head without a body.

As torsos without heads, and heads without torsos, fell.

فَلَم تَكُن كَبنِ حُجرٍ حينَ ثارَ وَلا

فَلَم تَكُن كَبنِ حُجرٍ حينَ ثارَ وَلا

أَخي كُلَيبٍ وَلا سَيفِ بنِ ذي يَزَنِ

أَخي كُلَيبٍ وَلا سَيفِ بنِ ذي يَزَنِ

So you were not like Ibn Hujr when he rose, nor

Not like Kulayb's brother when vengeance called him, were you;

Kulayb's brother, nor Sayf ibn Dhi Yazan.

Not Saif ibn Dhi Yazan's sword arm in that fray!

وَلَم يُقَل لَكَ في وِترٍ طَلَبتَ بِهِ

وَلَم يُقَل لَكَ في وِترٍ طَلَبتَ بِهِ

تِلكَ المَكارِمُ لا قَعبانِ مِن لَبَني

تِلكَ المَكارِمُ لا قَعبانِ مِن لَبَني

Nor were you told, concerning a blood-debt you sought to avenge:

No ode of yours sought out, as heart's desire,

"Those are noble deeds—not two wooden bowls of my milk."

The noble deeds not asked of craven souls.