طربت وأنت أحيانا طروب — Hadba Bin Al Khashram

طَرِبتَ وأَنتَ أَحياناً طَروبُ

وَكيفَ وَقَد تعَلّاكَ المَشيبُ

You were moved by longing, as you sometimes are—

And how, when gray hair has already overtaken you?

يُجِدّ النأَيُ ذِكرَكِ في فؤَادي

إِذا ذَهِلَت عَنِ النأي القُلوبُ

Separation renews remembrance of you in my heart,

When hearts forget the separation.

يؤَرِّقُني اكتِئابُ أَبي نُمَيرٍ

فَقَلبي مِن كآبَتِهِ كَئيبُ

The dejection of Abu Numayr keeps me awake;

So my heart is dejected by his dejection.

فَقُلتُ لَهُ هَداكَ اللَهُ مَهلاً

وَخَيرُ القَولِ ذو اللُّبِّ المُصيبُ

So I said to him: May God guide you—be calm.

And the best speech is thoughtful and sound.

عَسى الكَربُ الَّذي أَمسَيتُ فيهِ

يَكونُ وَراءَهُ فَرَجٌ قَريبُ

Perhaps the distress in which I am this evening

Will have relief close behind it,

فَيأَمنَ خائِفٌ ويُفَكَّ عانٍ

وَيأَتي أَهلَهُ النائي الغَريبُ

So the fearful may be safe and a captive freed,

And the far-off stranger may come to his family.

أَلا لَيتَ الرياحَ مُسَخَّراتٌ

بِحاجَتِنا تُباكِرُ أَو تَؤوبُ

Ah, if only the winds were at our command,

Going forth at dawn or returning on our errand;

فَتُخبِرنا الشَمالُ إِذا أَتَتنا

وَتُخبِر أَهلَنا عَنّا الجَنُوبُ

Then the north wind would bring us news when it came to us,

And the south wind would tell our family about us.

فإِنّا قَد حَلَلنا دارَ بَلوى

فَتُخطِئُنا المَنايا أَو تُصِيبُ

For we have settled in an abode of affliction,

So the fates of death may miss us or strike us.

فإِن يَكُ صَدرُ هَذا اليَومِ وَلّى

فإِنَّ غَداً لِناظِرِهِ قَريبُ

So if the first part of this day has passed,

Then tomorrow is surely near for whoever awaits it.

وَقَد عَلِمَت سُليَمى أَنَّ عودي

عَلى الحَدَثانِ ذو أَيدٍ صَليبُ

And Sulayma has learned that my timber

Is strong and stout against time's calamities;

وأَنَّ خَليقَتي كَرَمٌ وأَنّي

إِذا أَبدَت نَواجِذَها الحروبُ

And that nobility is my nature, and that I,

When wars bare their back teeth,

أُعينُ عَلى مَكارِمها وَأَغشى

مَكارِهَها إِذا كَعَّ الهَيوبُ

Help with their noble deeds and confront

Their horrors when the timid shrink back;

وأَنّي في العَظائِمِ ذو غَناءٍ

وأُدعى لِلفعالِ فأَستَجيبُ

And that in great ordeals I am of service,

And I am called to action, so I respond;

وأَنّي لا يَخافُ الغَدرَ جاري

وَلا يَخشى غوائِلي الغَريبُ

And that my neighbor fears no treachery,

Nor does the stranger fear my ill designs.

وَكَم مِن صاحِبٍ قَد بانَ عنّي

رُميتُ بِفَقدِهِ وَهوَ الحَبيبُ

And how many a companion has parted from me—

I was stricken by his loss, and he was beloved.

فَلَم أُبدِ الَّذي تَحنوا ضُلوعي

عَليهِ وإِنَّني لأَنا الكَئيبُ

So I did not reveal what my ribs curved

Around, though I myself was truly sorrowful,

مَخافَةَ أَن يَراني مُستَكيناً

عَدوٌ أَو يُساءَ بِهِ قَريبُ

For fear that I might be seen subdued

By an enemy, or that a kinsman might be grieved by it,

وَيَشمَتَ كاشِحٌ وَيَظُنَّ أَنّي

جَزوعٌ عِندَ نائِبَةٍ تَنوبُ

And a spiteful foe might gloat and think that I

Am fainthearted when a calamity befalls.

فَبَعدَكَ سَدَّتِ الأَعداءُ طُرقاً

إِليَّ وَرابَني دَهرٌ يَريبُ

So after you, enemies blocked the roads

To me, and a troubling age has troubled me.

وأَنكَرتَ الزَمانَ وَكُلَّ أَهلي

وَهَرَّتني لِغيبِتكَ الكَليبُ

And you found the times and all my kin unfamiliar,

And the dogs growled at me because of your absence.

وَكُنتُ تُقَطَّعُ الأَبصارُ دوني

وإِن وَغِرَت مِنَ الغَيظِ القُلوبُ

And once, gazes were cut short before reaching me,

Even though hearts burned with rage.

وَقَد أَبقى الحَوادِثُ مِنكَ رُكناً

صَليباً ما تؤَيِّسُهُ الخُطوبُ

And calamities have left of you a pillar,

Stout, which adversities do not drive to despair,

عَلى أَنَّ المَنيَّةَ قَد توافي

لِوَقتٍ والنوائِبُ قَد تَنوبُ

Though death may yet arrive

At its appointed time, and calamities may befall.