تأوبني هم مع الليل منصب — Altofail Alghannoa

تَأَوَّبَني هَمٌّ مَعَ اللَيلِ مُنصِبُ

وَجاءَ مِنَ الأَخبارِ ما لا أُكَذِّبُ

A wearying grief returned to me with the night,

and news came that I cannot disbelieve.

تَظاهَرنَ حَتّى لَم تَكُن لِيَ ريبَةٌ

وَلَم يَكُ عَمّا أَخبَروا مُتَعَقِّبُ

The reports confirmed one another until I had no doubt,

nor was there any challenging what they told.

وَكانَ هُرَيمٌ مِن سِنانٍ خَليفَةً

وَحِصنٍ وَمِن أَسماءَ لَمّا تَغَيَّبوا

Huraym had been a successor to Sinan,

and Hisn, and Asma', when they passed away,

وَمِن قَيسٍ الثاوي بِرَمّانَ بَيتُهُ

وَيَومَ حَقيلٍ فادَ آخَرُ مُعجِبُ

and Qays, whose dwelling abides at Ramman;

and on the day of Haqil another admirable man died:

أَشَمُّ طَويلُ الساعِدَينِ كَأَنَّهُ

فَنيقُ هِجانٍ في يَدَيهِ مُرَكَّبُ

proud-nosed, long of forearm, as though

a prized purebred camel, firmly built in his forelegs.

وَبِالسَهبِ مَيمونُ الخَليقَةِ قَولُهُ

لِمُلتَمِسِ المَعروفِ أَهلٌ وَمَرحَبُ

And at al-Sahb, a man of blessed nature, whose words

to anyone seeking kindness were, 'Welcome, welcome!'

كَواكِبُ دَجنٍ كُلَّما غابَ كَوكَبٌ

بَدا وَاِنجَلَت عَنهُ الدُجُنَّةُ كَوكَبُ

Stars in clouded darkness: whenever a star set,

another star appeared, the gloom clearing from it.

لَعَمري لَقَد خَلّى اِبنُ خَيدَعَ ثَلمَةً

فَمِن أَينَ إِن لَم يَرأَبِ اللَهُ تُرأَبُ

By my life, Ibn Khayda' has left a breach;

how can it be mended unless God mends it?

وَبِالخَيرِ إِن كانَ اِبنُ خَيدَعَ قَد ثَوى

يُبَنّى عَلَيهِ بَيتُهُ وَيُحَجَّبُ

And with good remembrance—if Ibn Khayda' lies at rest—

his house is raised over him and screened.

نَدامايَ أَضحَوا قَد تَخَلَّيتُ مِنهُمُ

فَكَيفَ أَلَذُّ الخَمرَ أَم كَيفَ أَشرَبُ

My drinking companions are gone; I am left bereft of them.

How can I savor wine, or how can I drink?

وَنِعمَ النَدامى هُم غَداةَ لَقيتُهُم

عَلى الدامِ تُجرى خَيلُهُم وَتُؤَدَّبُ

Excellent companions were they, the morning I met them

at al-Dam, their horses being exercised and trained.

مَضَوا سَلَفاً قَصدَ السَبيلِ عَلَيهِمُ

وَصَرفُ المَنايا بِالرِجالِ تَقَلَّبُ

They went before us on the straight path laid upon them,

and death's vicissitudes turn among men.

أَلا هَل أَتى أَهلَ الحِجازِ مُغارُنا

وَمِن دونِهِم أَهلُ الجِنابِ فَأَيهَبُ

Has news of our raid reached the people of the Hijaz,

and, nearer than them, the people of al-Jinab, then Ayhab?

شَآمِيَّةٌ إِنَّ الشَآمِيَّ دارُهُ

تَشُقُّ عَلى دارِ اليَماني وَتَشغَبُ

A Syrian raid—for the Syrian's dwelling

bears hard on the Yemeni's dwelling and stirs strife.

فَتَأتيهِمُ الأَنباءُ عَنّا وَحَملُها

خَفيفٌ مَعَ الرَكبِ المُخِفّينَ يَلحَبُ

News of us reaches them; its burden

is light, speeding with lightly laden riders.

وَفَرنا لِأَقوامٍ بَنيهِم وَمالَهُم

وَلَولا القِيادُ المُستَتِبُّ لَأَعزَبوا

We spared certain peoples their sons and property;

without firm command, they would have strayed.

بِحَيٍّ إِذا قيلَ اِركَبُوا لَم يَقُل لَهُم

عَواويرُ يَخشَونَ الرَدىَ أَينَ يُركَبُ

With a tribe who, when told, 'Mount!' are never asked

by death-fearing cowards, 'Where are we to ride?'

وَلَكِن يُجابُ المُستَغيثُ وَخَيلُهُم

عَلَيها حُماةٌ بِالمَنِيَّةِ تَضرِبُ

Rather, the cry for help is answered, and their horses

bear defenders, striking blows of death.

فَباتوا يَسُنّونَ الزِجاجَ كَأَنَّهُم

إِذا ما تَنادَوا خَشرَمٌ مُتَحَدِّبُ

They spent the night sharpening spear-butt spikes, like

a clustered swarm of bees when they called to one another.

وَخَيلٍ كَأَمثالِ السِراحِ مَصونَةٍ

ذَخائِرَ ما أَبقى الغُرابُ وَمُذهَبُ

And horses like wolves, carefully preserved,

treasures left behind by al-Ghurab and Mudhhab.

طِوالُ الهَوادي وَالمُتونُ صَليبَةٌ

مَغاويرُ فيها لِلأَريبِ مُعَقَّبُ

Long-necked, with powerful backs,

bold raiders, offering the discerning rider another charge.

تَأَوَّبنَ قَصراً مِن أَريكٍ وَوائِلٍ

وَماوانَ مِن كُلٍّ تَثوبُ وتَحلُبُ

They returned toward nightfall from Arik and Wa'il,

and Mawan, returning and mustering from each place.

وَمِن بَطنِ ذي عاجٍ رِعالٌ كَأَنَّها

جَرادٌ تُباري وِجهَةَ الريحِ مُطنِبُ

From the valley of Dhu 'Aj came squadrons like

a far-spreading swarm of locusts racing the wind's course.

أَبُوهُنَّ مَكتومٌ وَأَعوَجُ تُفتَلى

وِراداً وَحُوّاً لَيسَ فيهِنَّ مُغرَبُ

Their sires were Maktum and A'waj; they were weaned

bay and dark bay, with no albino among them.

إِذا خَرَجَت يَوماً أُعيدَت كَأَنَّها

عَواكِفُ طَيرٍ في السَماءِ تَقَلَّبُ

Whenever they went out one day, they were brought back like

hovering birds wheeling in the sky.

وَأَلقَت مِنَ الإِفزاعِ كُلَّ رِحالَةٍ

وَكُلَّ حِزامِ فَضلُهُ يَتَذَبذَبُ

In the alarm they cast off every saddle,

and every girth whose loose end fluttered.

إِذا اِستُعجِلَت بِالرَكضِ سَدَّ فُروجَها

غُبارٌ تَهاداهُ السَنابِكُ أَصهَبُ

When urged to gallop, the spaces between them were filled

by tawny dust passed from hoof to hoof.

فَرُحنا بِأَسراهُم مَعَ النَهبِ بَعدَما

صَبَحناهُمُ مَلمومَةً لا تُكَذِّبُ

We returned in the evening with their captives and plunder, after

striking them at dawn with a massed host that did not falter.

أَبَنَّت فَما تَنفَكُّ حَولَ مُتالِعٍ

لَها مِثلُ آثارِ المُبَقِّرِ مَلعَبُ

They settled; around Mutali' they always have

a playground marked like a pit-digging player's ground.

وَراحِلَةٍ وَصَّيتُ عُضروطَ رَبِّها

بِها وَالَّذي تَحتي لِيَدفَعَ أَنكَبُ

Many a riding-camel I charged her master's drudge

to tend; beneath me was one leaning into the charge.

لَهُ طَرَبٌ في إِثرِهِنَّ وَرَبُّهُ

إِلى ما يَرى مِن غارَةِ الخَيلِ أَطرَبُ

He thrilled to follow those mares, while his master

thrilled still more at the horse-raid he beheld.

كَأَنَّ عَلى أَعرافِهِ وَلِجامِهِ

سَنا ضَرَمٍ مِن عَرفَجٍ يَتَلَهَّبُ

Upon his mane and bridle there seemed

the glow of blazing fire from burning 'arfaj shrubs.

كَسيدِ الغَضا الغادي أَضَلَّ جِراءَهُ

عَلا شَرَفاً مُستَقبِلَ الريحِ يَلحَبُ

Like a wolf among ghada trees, out at dawn, having lost his cubs,

he climbed a height and raced into the wind.

لَهُنَّ بِشُبّاكِ الحَديدِ تَقاذُفٌ

هُوِيَّ رَواحٍ بِالدُجُنَّةِ يُعجِبُ

Amid meshes of iron they darted against one another,

with wondrous swoops like birds returning through darkness.

فَلَم يَبقَ إِلّا كُلُّ جَرداءَ صِلدَمٍ

إِذا اِستُعجِلَت بَعدَ الكَلالِ تُقَرِّبُ

None remained but sleek, hard-muscled mares,

cantering when urged, even after exhaustion.

قَتَلنا بِقَتلانا مِنَ القَومِ مِثلَهُم

وَبِالموثَقِ المَكلوبِ مِنّا مُكَلَّبُ

For our slain, we killed an equal number of their men;

for our man clamped in bonds, another was shackled;

وَبِالنَعَمِ المأَخوذِ مِثلُ زُهائِهِ

وَبِالسَبيِ سَبيٌ وَالمُحارِبِ مِحرَبُ

for the livestock taken, roughly the same number;

for captives, captives; for a warrior, a fierce warrior.

وَبِالمُردَفاتِ بَعدَ أَنعَمِ عيشَةٍ

عَلى عُدَواءَ وَالعُيونُ تَصَبَّبُ

And for the women borne pillion after a life of utmost ease,

across rough ground, with eyes streaming,

عَذارِيَ يَسحَبنَ الذُيولَ كَأَنَّها

مَعَ القَومِ يَنصُفنَ العَضاريطَ رَبرَبُ

maidens dragging their hems, like

a gazelle herd among the men, serving the drudges,

إِلى كُلِّ فَرعٍ مِن ذُؤابَةِ طَيّءٍ

إِذا نُسِبَت أَو قيلَ مَن يَتَنَسَّبُ

descended from every noble branch of Tayy's highest stock,

when their ancestry is traced or one asks who claims descent.

وَبِالبيَضَةِ المَوقوعِ وَسطَ عُقارِنا

نَهابٌ تَداعى وَسطَهُ الخَيلُ مُنهَبُ

And for our tribe's heart, raided amid our estates,

plunder given over, with horses calling in its midst.

وَحَيَّ أَبي بَكرٍ تَدارَكنَ بَعدَما

أَذاعَت بِسِربِ الحَيِّ عَنقاءُ مُغرِبُ

They rescued the clan of Abu Bakr after

a far-ranging 'Anqa had made off with the tribe's flock.

رَدَدنَ حُصَيناً مِن عَدِيٍّ وَرَهطِهِ

وَتَيمٍ تُلَبّي بِالعُروجِ وَتُحِلبُ

They brought Husayn back from 'Adiyy and his band,

and from Taym, rallying and mustering at al-'Uruj.

وَحَيّاً مِنَ الأَعيارِ لَو فَرَّطَتهُمُ

أَشَتّوا فَلَم يَجمَعهُمُ الدَهرَ مَشعَبُ

And a clan of al-A'yar—had they left them behind,

they would have scattered, with no reunion ever after.

وَهُنَّ الأُلى أَدرَكنَ تَبلَ مُحَجَّرٍ

وَقَد جَعَلَت تِلكَ التَنابيلُ تَنسُبُ

They were the ones who exacted Muhajjar's blood-debt,

when those squat wretches began proclaiming their descent.

وَقالَ أُناسٌ يَسمَعونَ كَلامَهُم

هُمُ الضامِنونَ ما تَخافونَ فَاِذهَبوا

Some who heard their words said,

'They guarantee you against what you fear, so go!'

فَما بَرِحوا حَتّى رَأَوها تَكُبُّهُم

تُصَعِّدُ فيهِم تارَةً وَتُصَوِّبُ

They stayed until they saw the horses knocking them down,

sweeping uphill among them, then plunging down.

يَقولونَ لَمّا جَمَّعوا الغَدوَ شَملَهُم

لَكَ الأُمُّ مِنّا في المَواطِنِ وَالأَبُ

When they gathered their company in the morning, they said,

'Our mother and father are yours upon the battlefields.'

وَقَد مَنَّتِ الخَذواءُ مَنّاً عَلَيهِمُ

وَشَيطَانُ إِذ يَدعوهُمُ وَيُثَوِّبُ

Al-Khadhwa had bestowed a great favor on them,

and Shaytan, as he called them and renewed the summons.

جَعَلتَهُم كَنزَاً بِبَطنِ تَبالَةٍ

وَخَيَّبتَ مِن أَسراهُمُ مَن تُخَيِّبُ

You made them a treasure in Tabala's valley,

and dashed the hopes of whichever of their captives you chose.

فَمَن يَكُ يَشكو مِنهُمُ سوءَ طُعمَةٍ

فَإِنَّهُمُ أَكلٌ لِقَومِكَ مُخصِبُ

Whoever among them complains of poor fare—

they themselves are rich fare for your people.

وَكُنّا إِذا ما اِغتَفَّتِ الخَيلُ غُفَّةً

تَجَرَّدَ طَلاّبُ التِراتِ مُطَلِّبُ

And whenever our horses snatched a mouthful of grazing,

an unrelenting seeker of vengeance sprang into action,

مِنَ القَومِ لَم تُقلِع بَراكاءُ نَجدَةٍ

مِنَ الناسِ إِلّا رُمحُهُ يَتَصَبَّبُ

a man of the tribe: no fierce encounter

among men ended without his spear dripping.

وَأَصفَرَ مَشهومِ الفُؤادِ كَأَنَّهُ

غَداةَ النَدى بِالزَعفَرانِ مُطَيَّبُ

And a yellow shaft, startled at heart, as though

at dewy dawn it had been perfumed with saffron.

تَفَلتُ عَلَيهِ تَفلَةً وَمَسَحتُهُ

بِثَوبِيَ حَتّى جِلدُهُ مُتَقَوِّبُ

I spat a little spittle upon it and wiped it

with my garment, until its skin was peeling away.

يُراقِبُ إيحاءَ الرَقيبِ كَأَنَّهُ

لِما وَتَروني آخِرَ اليَومِ مُغضَبُ

It watched the watcher's signal, as though

angered at day's end by the losses they had dealt me.

فَفازَ بِنَهبٍ فيهِ مِنهُم عَقيلَةٌ

لَها بَشَرٌ صَافٍ وَرَخصٌ مُخَضَّبُ

It won plunder, including a noblewoman of theirs,

with clear skin and tender, dyed fingers.

فَلا تَذهَبُ الأَحسابُ مِن عُقرِ دارِنا

وَلَكِنَّ أَشباحاً مِنَ المالِ تَذهَبُ

Our ancestral honors do not leave the heart of our dwelling;

only the outward forms of wealth depart.