يقرُّ بعيني أن أراها مُغيرةً

يقرُّ بعيني أن أراها مُغيرةً

لها برؤوس المترفين عِثارُ

لها برؤوس المترفين عِثارُ

It delights my eyes to see them raiding,

I admit with my eyes that I want to see her changed,

Stumbling over the heads of the pampered.

With the heads of the pampered as a trophy,

سوابح في بحرَيٌ دمٍ وعجاجةٍ

سوابح في بحرَيٌ دمٍ وعجاجةٍ

فمندفقٌ مُثعنجرٌ ومُثارُ

فمندفقٌ مُثعنجرٌ ومُثارُ

Swimming through two seas: blood and swirling dust,

Swimmers in a sea of blood and tumult,

One surging in abundant torrents, the other stirred aloft.

Gushing out, stirred up and agitated,

كأن على أعوادها جنَّ عبقرٍ

كأن على أعوادها جنَّ عبقرٍ

من الصَّول لولا منطقٌ وشِعارُ

من الصَّول لولا منطقٌ وشِعارُ

As though upon their frames rode the jinn of ʿAbqar,

As if mounted on their poles were crazed demons,

Such is their onslaught—were it not for speech and a battle cry.

Were it not for eloquence and a banner,

تدافعن في غِرْبيب ليلٍ كأنما

تدافعن في غِرْبيب ليلٍ كأنما

جباهُ وجوه السَّابقات نهار

جباهُ وجوه السَّابقات نهار

They jostled forward through pitch-black night, as though

They charge in the darkness of night as though

The brows upon the racing steeds’ faces were daylight.

The faces of the outrunners were the day,

لهن إلى وطءِ القتيل تقدمٌ

لهن إلى وطءِ القتيل تقدمٌ

ومنهن عن أخذ الأسير نِفارُ

ومنهن عن أخذ الأسير نِفارُ

They advance to trample the slain,

They have precedence in trampling the slain foe,

And recoil from taking captives.

And some of them recoil from capturing a prisoner,

على الحي لا راجي النَّوال لديهم

على الحي لا راجي النَّوال لديهم

يُجادُ ولا باغي الذِّمام يُجارُ

يُجادُ ولا باغي الذِّمام يُجارُ

Against the tribe: no seeker of bounty among them

To the living they show no hope of clemency,

Is granted gifts, nor is a seeker of protection sheltered.

Neither given to devotion nor restrained from excess,

إذا قدروا لم يحملوا عن جريمةٍ

إذا قدروا لم يحملوا عن جريمةٍ

فسيَّان حربٌ فيهم وإِسارُ

فسيَّان حربٌ فيهم وإِسارُ

When able, they shoulder no burden for an offense;

When they determine no sin makes them falter

So war and captivity among them are alike.

Both war and captivity are their nature,

سلاحهمُ يومَ التسالم زينةٌ

سلاحهمُ يومَ التسالم زينةٌ

وحربهمُ يوم اللقاءِ فِرار

وحربهمُ يوم اللقاءِ فِرار

Their weapons on the day of peace are adornment;

Their weapons on making peace are adornment,

And their warfare on the day of battle is flight.

And their war at the encounter is to flee,

كأن مداف الورس فوق وجوهم

كأن مداف الورس فوق وجوهم

إذا قيلَ هذا معْركٌ وغِمار

إذا قيلَ هذا معْركٌ وغِمار

As though dissolved yellow wars-dye lay upon their faces,

As if the cheeks of the flowers were upon their faces

When it is said, 'Here is a battlefield and its turmoil.'

When it is said “This is battle and strife!”

تصالح فِهْرٌ فيهم وزنادهُ

تصالح فِهْرٌ فيهم وزنادهُ

وأُوْمِنَ كومٌ عندهم وعِشار

وأُوْمِنَ كومٌ عندهم وعِشار

Flint and its fire-striker have made peace among them;

A fox among them makes peace and its tail is perfidy,

And high-humped camels and ten-month-pregnant she-camels are safe with them.

And a believing heap among them is betrayal and bribery,

فلا الضيف يقري وهو غرثان ساغب

فلا الضيف يقري وهو غرثان ساغب

ولا خابطُ الليل البَهيم يُنارُ

ولا خابطُ الليل البَهيم يُنارُ

So no guest is fed, though he is famished and hungry,

So neither does the rain-drenched guest gain lodging,

Nor is a light shown to one stumbling through pitch-black night.

Nor the lost wanderer of night find fire,

حلومٌ كعيدان الأراكِ ضعيفةٌ

حلومٌ كعيدان الأراكِ ضعيفةٌ

وأعطافُ هزلٍ ما بهن وقارُ

وأعطافُ هزلٍ ما بهن وقارُ

Their minds are weak as the twigs of the arak tree,

Their bodies are like weak oleanders,

And frivolous bodies, with no dignity in them.

And their sides move about without dignity,

تمنيت أن الحي خرَّتْ عمادُهُ

تمنيت أن الحي خرَّتْ عمادُهُ

فتُنقضُ أوتار ويدركُ ثارُ

فتُنقضُ أوتار ويدركُ ثارُ

I wished the tribe’s pillars would come crashing down,

I wished the tribe’s pillar would collapse,

So cords might be undone and vengeance won.

That strings might snap and vengeance be gained,

غرست الحجا والودَّ في غير حقه

غرست الحجا والودَّ في غير حقه

ولم أدر أنَّ الحادثات ثمارُ

ولم أدر أنَّ الحادثات ثمارُ

I planted wisdom and affection where they did not belong,

I planted love and friendship in the wrong place,

And did not know that calamities were the fruit.

And did not realize deeds are fruit,

وهون وجدي أن تراخت منيةٌ

وهون وجدي أن تراخت منيةٌ

ولم يكتسف بدر العلاء سرارُ

ولم يكتسف بدر العلاء سرارُ

And my anguish was eased because death was delayed,

I thought my passion diminished,

And moonless darkness had not eclipsed the full moon of glory.

And the full moon was not unveiled,

فإن نحت الدهر المعاند أثْلَتي

فإن نحت الدهر المعاند أثْلَتي

فأنجمَ وُجْدٌ واستُعيد مُعارُ

فأنجمَ وُجْدٌ واستُعيد مُعارُ

So if hostile Time has hewn away my tamarisk,

If fate sculpted my defects,

Then affluence has ceased, and what was lent has been reclaimed.

Then emotion stirred and honor was restored,

فعند ابن سلطانٍ عطاءٌ ونجدةٌ

فعند ابن سلطانٍ عطاءٌ ونجدةٌ

كفاني عِزٌّ منهما ويَسارُ

كفاني عِزٌّ منهما ويَسارُ

For with Ibn Sultan are bounty and succor,

For with the son of Sulṭān is gift and help,

From them both I have honor and wealth enough.

Sufficient for me are his power and support.