ألقي السلاح ربيعة بن نزار — Alsharif Alradi

أَلَقِيَ السِلاحَ رَبيعَةَ بِنَ نِزارِ

أَودى الرَدى بِقَريعِكِ المِغوارِ

Lay down your arms, Rabi'a son of Nizar;

death has carried off your intrepid champion.

وَتَرَجُّلي عَن كُلِّ أَجرَدَ سابِحٍ

مَيلَ الرِقابِ نَواكِسَ الأَبصارِ

And dismount from every sleek, swimming steed,

with necks bent and eyes cast down.

وَدَعي الأَعِنَّةَ مِن أَكُفِّكِ إِنَّها

فَقَدَت مُصَرِّفَها لِيَومِ مَغارِ

And let the reins fall from your hands: they

have lost their wielder for the day of a raid.

وَتَجَنُّبي جَرَّ القَنا فَلَقَد مَضى

عَنهُنَّ كَبشُ الفَيلَقِ الجَرّارِ

And cease trailing lances, for departed now

is the ram of the vast, advancing host.

وَلِيَغدُ كُلُّ مُغرِضٍ مِن بَعدِهِ

مُغرىً بِحَلِّ مَعاقِدِ الأَكوارِ

And let every girth-fastener, after him,

be intent on untying the camel-saddles' knots.

قَطَعَ الزَمانُ لِسانَكَ العَضبَ الشَبا

وَهَدى تَخَمُّطَ فَحلِكَ الهَدّارِ

Time has severed your keen-edged tongue,

and stilled your roaring stud-camel's fury.

وَاِجتاحَ ذاكَ البَحرَ يَطفَحُ مَوجُهُ

وَطَوى غَوارِبَ ذَلِكَ التَيّارِ

And swept away that sea whose waves overflowed,

and folded away the crests of that torrent.

اليَومَ صَرَّحَتِ النَوائِبُ كَيدَها

فينا وَبانَ تَحامُلُ الأَقدارِ

Today calamities have laid their plotting bare

against us, and fate's oppression stands revealed.

مُستَنزِلُ الأُسدِ الهِزَبرِ بِرُمحِهِ

وَلّى وَفائِقُ هامَةِ الجَبّارِ

The mighty lion who brought lions down with his spear

is gone, the cleaver of the tyrant's crown.

وَتَعَطلَت وَقَفاتُ كُلِّ كَريهَةٍ

أَبَداً وَحُطَّ رِواقُ كُلِّ غُبارِ

And every stand in grim battle lies deserted

forever, and every canopy of dust is lowered.

هَيهاتَ لا عَلَقُ النَجيعِ بِعامِلٍ

يَوماً وَلا عَلَقُ السُرى بِعِذارِ

Alas! No clotted gore upon a spearhead

ever again, nor traces of night travel upon a cheek-strap.

يا تَغلِبَ اِبنَةَ وائِلٍ ما لي أَرى

نَجمَيكِ قَد أَفَلا عَنِ النُظّارِ

O Taghlib, daughter of Wa'il, why do I see

your two stars have set beyond the watchers' sight?

غَرَبا فَذاكَ غُروبُهُ لِمَنِيَّةٍ

عَجلى وَذاكَ غُروبُهُ لِإِسارِ

Both have set: one set through a death

untimely, and the other through captivity.

ما لي رَأَيتُ فِناءَ دارِكِ عاطِلاً

مِن كُلِّ أَبلَجَ كَالشَهابِ الواري

Why have I seen your house's courtyard stripped

of every radiant man, like a blazing meteor,

مُتَخَلِّيَ الأَقطارِ إِلّا مِن جَوىً

وَنَشيجِ كُلِّ خَريدَةٍ مِعطارِ

its precincts deserted, save for anguish

and the sobbing of every perfumed maiden,

وَحَنينِ مُلقاةِ الرِحالِ مُناخَةً

وَصَهيلِ واضِعَةِ السُروجِ عَواري

and the moaning of kneeling camels, their saddles cast off,

and the neighing of bare-backed mares, their saddles laid aside?

فُجِعَت سَماؤُكِ بِالشُموسِ وَحُوِّلَت

عَنها وَعَنكِ مَطالِعُ الأَقمارِ

Your sky was bereaved of suns, and turned

away from it and you were the moons' rising-places.

في كُلِّ يَومٍ نَوءُ مَجدٍ ساقِطٌ

مِنها وَنَجمُ مَناقِبٍ مُتَوارِ

Each day a constellation of glory falls

from it, and a star of noble deeds vanishes.

عَضَّت بِبازِلِها المَنونُ وَلَم تَزَل

تَقرو طَريقَ النابِ بِالأَظفارِ

Death bit with her full-grown fang, and never ceased

following the fang's track with her claws.

يا طالِباً بِالثَأرِ أَعجَلَكَ الرَدى

عَن أَن تَنامَ عَلى وُجودِ الثارِ

O seeker of vengeance, death hurried you away

before you could sleep with vengeance still to be won.

يَعتادُ ذِكرُكَ ما تَهَزَّمَ مِرجَلٌ

وَطَغى تَغَيُّضُ بُرمَةٍ أَعشارِ

Your memory returns whenever a cauldron rumbles

and the seething of a huge cooking-pot overflows.

هَجَرَت رِكابُ الرَكبِ بَعدَكَ قَطعَها

هَولَ الدُجى وَمَهاوِلَ الأَوعارِ

The caravan's camels, after you, have ceased to cross

the terrors of darkness and the perils of rugged lands.

وَعَدِمنَ كُلِّ مَفازَةٍ مَرهوبَةٍ

وَأَمِنَّ كُلَّ مُخاطِرٍ عَقّارِ

They no longer encounter any dreaded desert,

and are safe from every daring slaughterer.

فَالآنَ يَجرونَ الأَزِمَّةَ بُدَّناً

بَينَ المِياهِ تَفيضُ وَالأَنوارِ

So now they drag their halters, grown fat,

amid overflowing waters and blossoms.

أَينَ القِبابُ الحُمرُ تَفهَقُ بِالقِرى

مَهتوكَةَ الأَستارِ لِلزُوّارِ

Where are the red pavilions, brimming with hospitality,

their curtains flung open to visitors?

أَينَ الفِناءُ تَموجُ في جَنّاتِهِ

بِصَهيلِ جُردٍ أَو رُغاءِ عِشارِ

Where is the courtyard, whose gardens surge

with sleek steeds' neighing or pregnant camels' bellowing?

أَينَ القَنا مَركوزَةً تَهفو بِها

عَذَبُ البُنودِ يَطِرنَ كُلَّ مَطارِ

Where are the planted lances, upon which flutter

the banners' fringes, flying every way?

أَينَ الجِيادُ مَلَلنَ مِن طولِ السُرى

يَقذِفنَ بِالمَهَراتِ وَالأَمهارِ

Where are the steeds, weary of long night journeys,

casting forth fillies and colts?

مِن مَعشَرٍ غُلبِ الرِقابِ جَحاجَحٍ

غَلَبوا عَلى الأَقدارِ وَالأَخطارِ

From a people of thick necks, great chiefs,

who mastered destinies and dangers,

مِن كُلِّ أَروَعَ طاعِنٍ أَو ضارِبٍ

أَو واهِبٍ أَو خالِعٍ أَو قارِ

each an imposing spearman or swordsman,

or giver, or bestower of robes, or host,

وَفَوارِسٍ كَالشُهبِ تَطرَحُ ضَوءَها

يَومَ الوَغى وَأَوارِ حَرِّ النارِ

and horsemen like meteors casting their light

on the day of battle and the blaze of burning fire.

رَكِبوا رِماحَهُمُ إِلى أَغراضِهِم

أَمَمَ العُلى وَجَروا بِغَيرِ عِثارِ

They rode their spears toward their goals,

toward lofty glory, and raced without a stumble.

وَاِستَنزَلوا أَرزاقَهُم لِسُيوفِهِم

فَغَنوا بِغَيرِ مَذَلَّةٍ وَصَغارِ

And drew their sustenance down by their swords,

growing rich without abasement or humiliation.

كانوا هُمُ الحَيَّ اللِقاحَ وَغَيرُهُم

ضَرَعٌ عَلى حُكمِ المَقاوِلِ جارِ

They were the unsubjected tribe, while others

were meek, submitting to the chieftains' rule.

لا يَنبُذونَ إِلى الخَلائِفِ طاعَةً

بِقَعاقِعِ الإيعادِ وَالإِنذارِ

They would offer no obedience to caliphs

at the rattling of threats and warnings.

عَقَدوا لِواءَهُمُ بِبيضِ أَكُفِّهِم

كِبراً عَلى العَقّادِ وَالأُمّارِ

They tied their banner with their own white hands,

too proud for banner-binders and commanders.

وَاِستَفظَعوا خِلَعَ المُلوكِ وَأَيقَنوا

أَنَّ اللِباسَ لَها اِدراعُ العاري

They deemed kings' robes of honor shameful, certain

that donning them was clothing oneself in disgrace.

كَثُرَ النَصيرُ لَهُم فَلَمّا جاءَهُم

أَمرُ الرَدى وُجِدوا بِلا أَنصارِ

Many were their supporters, but when there came to them

the decree of death, they were found without helpers.

هُم أَعجَلوا داعي المَنونِ تَعَرُّضاً

لِلطَعنِ بَينَ ذَوابِلٍ وَشِفارِ

They themselves hastened Death's summoner by exposing themselves

to spear-thrusts amid slender lances and blades.

أَوَلَيسَ يَكفينا تَسَلُّطُ بَأسِها

حَتّى تَسَلُّطُها عَلى الأَعمارِ

Is the sway of their violence not enough for us,

without their dominion over lifespans too?

نَزَلوا بِقارِعَةٍ تَشابَهَ عِندَها

ذُلُّ العَبيدِ وَعِزَّةُ الأَحرارِ

They met a calamity before which were alike

the abasement of slaves and the honor of free men.

سَدَّ البِلى وَأَنارَ فَوقَ جُسومِهِم

مِن كُلِّ مُنهالِ النَقا مَوّارِ

Decay laid warp and weft over their bodies

from every cascading, swirling drift of dune-sand.

خُرسٌ قَد اِعتَنَقوا الصَفيحَ وَطالَما اِع

تَنَقوا الصَفائِحَ وَالدِماءُ جَوارِ

Mute, they have embraced stone slabs; how often they em-

braced sword-blades while blood flowed!

نُقِضَت مَرائِرُهُم وَكُنَّ أَكُفُّهُم

مَبلولَةً بِالنَقضِ وَالإِمرارِ

Their tightly twisted cords were undone, though their hands

had been moist from unravelling and twisting tight.

صاروا قَراراً لِلمَنونِ وَإِنَّما

كانوا لِسَيلِ الذُلِّ غَيرَ قَرارِ

They became a resting-place for death, though

they had been no resting-place for abasement's flood.

كُنّا نَرى أَعيانَهُم مَمدوحَةً

فَاليَومَ يُمتَدَحونَ بِالآثارِ

We once saw their very persons praised;

today they are praised through what they left behind.

شَرَفاً بَني حَمدانَ إِنَّ نُفوسَكُم

مِن خَيرِ عِرقٍ ضارِبٍ وَنِجارِ

Glory to you, sons of Hamdan! Your souls

spring from the noblest deep-striking root and stock.

أَنِفَت مِنَ المَوتِ الذَليلِ فَأَشعَرَت

جَلداً عَلى وَقعِ القَنا الخَطّارِ

They scorned ignoble death, and wore next to the skin

endurance beneath the blows of swaying lances.

بَكَرَت عَليكَ سَحابَةٌ نَفاحَةٌ

تُلقي زَلازِلَها عَلى الأَقطارِ

May a bountiful cloud come to you at dawn,

casting its tremors across the lands,

شَهّاقَةٌ أَسفاً عَليكَ بِرَعدِها

طَوراً وَباكِيَةً بِعَذبِ قِطارِ

sobbing in grief for you through its thunder

at times, and weeping sweet rain.

وَسَقَتكَ أَوعِيَةُ الدُموعِ فَجاوَزَت

قَطَراتِ ذاكَ العارِضِ المِدرارِ

And may the vessels of tears water you, surpassing

the drops of that copiously raining cloud.

وَإِذا الصَبا حَدَتِ النَسيمَ مَريضَةً

تَفلي جَميمَ الرَوضِ وَالنَوّارِ

And when the languid east wind sings the breeze onward,

combing the meadow's lush growth and blossoms,

مَمطورَةَ الأَنفاسِ فاهَ بِطيبِها

سَحَرٌ بِبَينُ بِها مِنَ الأَسحارِ

rain-wet in breath, its fragrance voiced

by a dawn distinguished by it from other dawns,

فَجَرَت عَلى ذاكَ التُرابِ سَليمَةً

مِن غَيرِ إِضرارٍ لَها بِجِوارِ

then may it pass safely over that earth,

doing no injury to its neighbors,

تَجري وَذاكَ القَبرُ غَيرُ مُرَوَّعٍ

مِنها وَذاكَ التُربُ غَيرُ مُثارِ

flowing while that grave lies unafraid

of it, and that soil remains unstirred.

إِنّي ذَكَرتُكَ خالِياً فَكَأَنَّما

أَخَذَت عَلَيَّ الأَرضُ بِالأَطرارِ

I remembered you alone, and it was as though

the earth had hemmed me in on every side,

وَكَأَنَّما مالَت عَلَيَّ بِحَدِّها

نَزَواتُ قانِيَةِ الأَديمِ عُقارِ

and as though there bore down upon me, with its sharp potency,

the surges of wine with crimson skin.

لا زالَ زائِرُ قَبرِهِ في عَبرَةٍ

تَنعى البَقاءَ إِلَيهِ وَاِستِعبارِ

May the visitor to his grave remain forever in tears

mourning to him the passing of permanence, and in sobs;

وَالرَوضُ مِن حالٍ عَليهِ وَعاطِلٍ

وَالمُزنُ مِن غادٍ عَلَيهِ وَسارِ

and the meadow, adorned above him or unadorned,

and the clouds, visiting him at dawn or by night.