حيوا أمامة واذكروا عهدا مضى — Jarir

حَيّوا أُمامَةَ وَاذكُروا عَهداً مَضى

قَبلَ التَصَدُّعِ مِن شَماليلِ النَوى

Greet Umamah, and recall a bond now past,

before separation's scattering paths tore us apart.

قالَت بَليتَ فَما نَراكَ كَعَهدِنا

لَيتَ العُهودَ تَجَدَّدَت بَعدَ البِلى

She said, "You have grown old; we do not see you as we knew you."

If only former times could be renewed after decay!

أَأُمامُ غَيَّرَني وَأَنتِ غَريرَةٌ

حاجاتُ ذي أَرَبٍ وَهَمٌّ كَالجَوى

O Umam, while you remain innocent, I have been changed

by a man's pressing needs, and worry like burning heartache.

قالَت أُمامَةُ ما لِجَهلِكَ ما لَهُ

كَيفَ الصَبابَةُ بَعدَ ما ذَهَبَ الصِبا

Umamah said, "What is this folly of yours—what is it?

How can there be longing after youth has gone?"

وَرَأَت أُمامَةُ في العِظامِ تَحَنِّياً

بَعدَ استِقامَتِها وَقَصراً في الخُطا

And Umamah saw a bending in the bones,

after their straightness, and a shortening of the stride.

وَرَأَت بِلِحيَتِهِ خِضاباً راعَها

وَالوَيلُ لِلفَتَياتِ مِن خَضبِ اللِحى

And she saw dye in his beard that startled her—

and woe to young women from the dyeing of beards!

وَتَقولُ إِنّي قَد لَقيتُ بَلِيَّةً

مِن مَسحِ عَينِكَ ما يَزالُ بِها قَذى

And she says, "I have indeed suffered an ordeal

from wiping your eye: there is always grit in it."

لَولا اِبنُ عائِشَةَ المُبارَكُ سَيبُهُ

أَبكى بَنِيَّ وَأُمَّهُم طولُ الطَوى

Were it not for Aishah's son, whose bounty is blessed,

prolonged hunger would have made my sons and their mother weep.

إِنَّ الرُصافَةَ مَنزِلٌ لِخَليفَةٍ

جَمَعَ المَكارِمَ وَالعَزائِمَ وَالتُقى

Rusafah is indeed the dwelling of a caliph

who has united noble virtues, firm resolves, and piety.

ما كانَ جُرَّبَ عِندَ مَدِّ حِبالِكُم

ضَعفُ المُتونِ وَلا اِنفِصامٌ في العُرى

Never, when your ropes were stretched, was there found

weakness in their strands or snapping in their loops.

ما إِن تَرَكتَ مِنَ البِلادِ مَضِلَّةً

إِلّا رَفَعتَ بِها مَناراً لِلهُدى

You left no place in the lands where one might stray

without raising there a beacon of guidance.

أُعطيتَ عافِيَةً وَنَصراً عاجِلاً

آمينَ ثُمَّ وُقيتَ أَسبابَ الرَدى

May you be granted well-being and swift victory—

amen; then may you be shielded from the causes of death.

أَلحَمدُ لِلّاهِ الَّذي أَعطاكُمُ

حُسنَ الصَنائِعِ وَالدَسائِعِ وَالعُلى

Praise be to God, who has granted you

fine deeds of kindness, lavish gifts, and high honors.

يا اِبنَ الخَضارِمِ لا يَعيبُ جُباكُمُ

صِغرُ الحِياضِ وَلا غَوائِلُ في الجَبا

O son of the munificent, your pools are not marred

by small basins, nor do dangers lurk in the water.

لا تَجفُوَنَّ بَني تَميمٍ إِنَّهُم

تابوا النَصوحَ وَراجَعوا حُسنَ الهُدى

Do not shun the sons of Tamim, for they

have repented sincerely and returned to sound guidance.

مَن كانَ يَمرَضُ قَلبُهُ مِن ريبَةٍ

خافوا عِقابَكَ وَاِنتَهى أَهلُ النُهى

Those whose hearts were sick with suspicion

feared your punishment, and men of reason desisted.

وَاِذكُر قَرابَةَ قَومِ بَرَّةَ مِنكُمُ

فَالرِحمُ طالِبَةٌ وَتَرضى بِالرِضا

And remember the kinship of Barrah's people with you:

for kinship claims its due and is content with goodwill.

سَوَّستَ مُجتَمَعَ الأَباطِحِ كُلِّها

وَنَزَلتَ مِن جَبَلَي قُرَيشٍ في الذُرى

You have governed the gathered folk of all the gravel plains,

and taken your place on the summits of Quraysh's two mountains.

أَخَذوا وَثائِقَ أَمرِهِم بِعَزائِمٍ

لِلعالَمينَ وَلا تَرى أَمراً سُدى

They secured the bonds of their rule with firm resolves

for all peoples; you see no matter left unattended.

يا اِبنَ الحُماةِ فَما يُرامُ حِماهُمُ

وَالسابِقينَ بِكُلِّ حَمدٍ يُشتَرى

O son of defenders, whose sanctuary none can assail,

and of those foremost in every praise that may be purchased.

ما زِلتُ مُعتَصِماً بِحَبلٍ مِنكُمُ

مَن حَلَّ نُجوَتَكُم بِأَسبابٍ نَجا

I have always held fast for safety to a rope from you;

whoever reaches your high ground through such ties is saved.

وَإِذا ذَكَرتُكُمُ شَدَدتُم قُوَّتي

وَإِذا نَزَلتُ بِغَيثِكُم كانَ الحَيا

And when I mention you, you strengthen me;

and when I alight where your rain falls, it is life-giving rain.

فَلَأَشكُرَنَّ بَلاءَ قَومٍ ثَبَّتوا

قَصَبَ الجَناحِ وَأَنبَتوا ريشَ الغِنا

So I shall surely give thanks for the favors of a people who strengthened

the quills of my wing and made the feathers of wealth grow.

مَلَكوا البِلادَ فَسُخِّرَت أَنهارُها

في غَيرِ مَظلِمَةٍ وَلا تَبَعِ الرَيا

They ruled the lands, and their rivers were made to serve,

without injustice or the taint of ostentation.

أوتيتَ مِن جَذبِ الفُراتِ جَوارِياً

مِنها الهَنِيُّ وَسائِحٌ في قَرقَرى

You were granted flowing channels drawn from the Euphrates,

among them al-Hani and a stream running through Qarqara.

وَالمَجدُ لِلزَندِ الَّذي أَورَيتُمُ

بَحرٌ يَمُدُّ عُبابُهُ جوفَ القِنى

And glory to the fire-stick you have kindled!

A sea whose swelling flood feeds the channels' depths.

سيروا إِلى البَلَدِ المُبارَكِ فَاِنزِلوا

وَخُذوا مَنازِلَكُم مِنَ الغَيثِ الحَيا

Travel to the blessed land, and alight there,

and take your lodgings by the life-giving rain.

سيروا إِلى اِبنِ أُرومَةٍ عادِيَّةٍ

وَاِبنِ الفُروعِ يَمُدُّها طيبُ الثَرى

Travel to the son of an ancient root,

and the son of branches nourished by fertile soil.

سيروا فَقَد جَرَتِ الأَيامِنُ فَاِنزِلوا

بابَ الرُصافَةِ تَحمَدوا غَبَّ السُرى

Travel on, for favorable omens have appeared; alight

at Rusafah's gate, and you will praise the outcome of your night journey.

سِرنا إِلَيكَ مِنَ المَلا عيدِيَّةً

يَخبِطنَ في سُرُحِ النِعالِ عَلى الوَجى

We traveled to you from al-Mala on Idiyyah camels,

beating the ground in broad sandals despite their sore feet.

تَدمى مَناسِمُها وَهُنَّ نَواصِلٌ

مِن كُلِّ ناجِيَةٍ وَنِقضٍ مُرتَضى

Their footpads bleed while they are worn lean,

each a fleet she-camel or a prized, travel-worn mount.

كَلَّفتُ لاحِقَةَ النَميلِ خَوامِساً

غُبرَ المَخارِمِ وَهيَ خاشِعَةُ الصُوى

I drove the swift-stepping she-camel over five-day stages,

through dusty passes with low-lying waymarks.

نَرمي الغُرابَ إِذا رَأى بِرِكابِنا

جُلَبَ الصِفاحِ وَدامِياتٍ بِالكُلى

We pelt the raven when it sees upon our mounts

scabs along their flanks and bleeding sores at their loins.