شعفت بعهد ذكرته المنازل — Jarir

شُعِفتَ بِعَهدٍ ذَكَّرَتهُ المَنازِلُ

وَكِدتَ تَناسى الحِلمَ وَالشَيبُ شامِلُ

You were smitten with an old bond the dwellings recalled,

And nearly forgot restraint, though gray hair covered you.

لَعَمرُكَ لا أَنسى لَيالِيَ مَنعِجٍ

وَلا عاقِلاً إِذ مَنزِلُ الحَيِّ عاقِلُ

By your life, I shall not forget the nights of Manʿij,

Nor ʿĀqil, when the tribe's dwelling was ʿĀqil.

وَما في مُباحاتِ الحَديثِ لَنا هَواً

وَلَكِن هَوانا المُنفِساتُ العَقائِلُ

We have no desire for women free with their talk;

But our love is for the prized, highborn ladies.

أَلا حَبَّذا أَيّامَ يَحتَلُّ أَهلُنا

بِذاتِ الغَضا وَالحَيُّ في الدارِ آهِلُ

Ah, how lovely the days when our people camped

At Dhāt al-Ghaḍā, with the tribe settled in the encampment.

وَإِذ نَحنُ أُلّافٌ لَدى كُلِّ مَنزِلٍ

وَلَمّا تُفَرَّق لِلطِياتِ الجَمائِلُ

And when we were close companions at every stopping-place,

And the camel herds had not yet scattered toward distant destinations.

وَإِذ نَحنُ لَم يولَع بِنا الناسُ كُلُّهُم

وَما تَرتَجي صُرمَ الخَليطِ العَواذِلُ

And when we had not yet become everyone's obsession,

And the reproaching women did not hope for our companions' parting.

خَليلَيَّ مَهلاً لا تَلوما فَإِنَّهُ

عَذابٌ إِذا لامَ الصَديقُ المُواصِلُ

My two friends, gently! Do not reproach me, for it is

Torment when a devoted friend reproaches.

عَجِبتُ لِهَذا الزائِرِ الرَكبَ مَوهِناً

وَمِن دونِهِ بيدُ المَلا وَالمَناهِلُ

I marveled at this visitor to the caravan late at night,

With the wastes of al-Malā and watering-places between him and us.

أَقامَ قَليلاً ثُمَّ باحَ بِحاجَةٍ

إِلَينا وَدَمعُ العَينِ بِالماءِ واشِلُ

He stayed briefly, then revealed a need

To us, as watery tears trickled from his eye.

وَأَنّى اِهتَدى لِلرَكبِ في مُدلَهِمَّةٍ

تُواعِسُ بِالرُكبانِ فيها الرَواحِلُ

And how did he find the caravan in a pitch-black night,

Through which the mounts pressed onward with their riders?

أَناخوا قَليلاً ثُمَّ هاجوا قَلائِصاً

كَما هيجَ خَيطٌ مَغرِبَ الشَمسِ جافِلُ

They made their camels kneel briefly, then roused the young she-camels,

As a flock of ostriches is startled into flight at sunset.

وَأَيِّ مَزارٍ زُرتَ حَرفٌ شِمِلَّةٌ

وَطاوي الحَشا مُستَأنِسُ القَفرِ ناحِلُ

And what a place you visited: a lean, fleet she-camel,

And a gaunt, hollow-bellied one, at home in the wilderness.

وَلَولا أَميرُ المُؤمِنينَ وَأَنَّهُ

إِمامٌ وَعَدلٌ لِلبَرِيَّةِ فاصِلُ

Were it not for the Commander of the Faithful, and his being

A leader and just arbiter for humankind,

وَبَسطُ يَدِ الحَجّاجِ بِالسَيفِ لَم يَكُن

سَبيلُ جِهادٍ وَاِستُبيحَ الحَلائِلُ

And al-Ḥajjāj's outstretched sword-hand, there would be no

Path for jihad, and wives would be violated.

إِذا خافَ دَرأً مِن عَدُوٍّ رَمى بِهِ

شَديدُ القُوى وَالنَزعِ في القَوسِ نابِلُ

When he fears an enemy's onslaught, he shoots him forth,

That mighty archer, powerful in drawing the bow,

خَليفَةُ عَدلٍ ثَبَّتَ اللَهُ مُلكَهُ

عَلى راسِياتٍ لَم تُزِلها الزَلازِلُ

A just caliph—may God establish his rule

On firm foundations that earthquakes have not moved.

دَعوا الجُبنَ يا أَهلَ العِراقِ فَإِنَّما

يُباحُ وَيُشرى سَبيُ مَن لا يُقاتِلُ

Abandon cowardice, people of Iraq, for only

The captives of those who do not fight are seized and sold.

لَقَد جَرَّدَ الحَجّاجُ بِالحَقِّ سَيفَهُ

لَكُم فَاِستَقيموا لا يَميلَنَّ مائِلُ

Al-Ḥajjāj has indeed drawn his sword in justice

Against you; keep straight, and let no one turn aside.

فَما يَستَوي داعي الضَلالَةِ وَالهُدى

وَلا حُجَّةُ الخَصمَينِ حَقٌّ وَباطِلُ

For the caller to error is not equal to the caller to guidance,

Nor are the two adversaries' arguments alike: truth and falsehood.

وَأَصبَحَ كَالبازي يُقَلِّبُ طَرفَهُ

عَلى مَربَأٍ وَالطَيرُ مِنهُ دَواخِلُ

And he became like a hawk, turning his gaze

On a lookout, while the birds cower before him.

وَخافوكَ حَتّى القَومُ تَنزو قُلوبُهُم

نُزاءَ القَطا اِلتَفَّت عَلَيهِ الحَبائِلُ

They feared you until the people's hearts leapt

As sandgrouse leap when snares close around them.

وَما زِلتَ حَتّى أَسهَلَت مِن مَخافَةٍ

إِلَيكَ اللَواتي في الشُعوفِ العَواقِلُ

You persisted until, in fear, they came down to the plain,

To you—those sheltering on the mountain peaks.

وَثِنتانِ في الحَجّاجِ لا تَركُ ظالِمٍ

سَوِيّاً وَلا عِندَ المُراشاةِ نائِلُ

Two traits mark al-Ḥajjāj: he leaves no wrongdoer

Unharmed, and bribery wins no favor.

وَمَن غَلَّ مالَ اللَهِ غُلَّت يَمينُهُ

إِذا قيلَ أَدّوا لا يَغُلَّنَّ عامِلُ

Whoever embezzles God's wealth has his right hand shackled,

When told, "Hand it over!"—let no official embezzle.

وَما نَفَعَ المُستَعمَلينَ غُلولُهُم

وَما نَفَعَت أَهلَ العُصاةِ الجَعائِلُ

Their embezzlement did the appointed officials no good,

Nor did bounties profit the rebels' people.

قَدِمتَ عَلى أَهلِ العِراقِ وَمِنهُمُ

مُخالِفُ دينِ المُسلِمينَ وَخاذِلُ

You came to the people of Iraq, among whom were

Opponents of the Muslims' faith, and those withholding support.

فَكُنتَ لِمَن لا يُبرِئَ الدينُ قَلبَهُ

شِفاءً وَخَفَّ المُدهِنُ المُتَثاقِلُ

So, for those whose hearts faith did not heal, you were

A cure, and the dissembling laggard grew brisk.

وَأَصبَحتَ تَرضى كُلَّ حُكمٍ حَكَمتَهُ

نِزارٌ وَتُعطي ما سَأَلتَ المُقاوِلُ

And now every judgment you pronounce is accepted by

Nizār, and the chieftains grant whatever you ask.

صَبَحتَ عُمانَ الخَيلِ رَهواً كَأَنَّما

قَطاً هاجَ مِن فَوقِ السَماوَةِ ناهِلُ

You came upon ʿUmān at dawn, the horses moving easily, as though

Sandgrouse, fresh from drinking, had risen above al-Samāwa.

يُناهِبنَ غيطانَ الرِفاقِ وَتَرتَدي

نِقالاً إِذا ما اِستَعرَضَتها الجَراوِلُ

They race across the caravans' lowlands, and adopt

A nimble gait whenever rocky ground crosses their path.

سَلَكتَ لِأَهلِ البَرِّ بَرّاً فَنِلتَهُم

وَفي اليَمِّ يَأتَمُّ السَفينُ الجَوافِلُ

You took an overland road against those on land, and reached them,

And at sea the swift ships follow your lead.

تَرى كُلَّ مِزرابٍ يُضَمَّنُ بَهوُها

ثَمانينَ أَلفاً زايَلَتها المَنازِلُ

You see each swift vessel, its spacious hold carrying

Eighty thousand, parted from their dwellings.

جَفولٍ تَرى المِسمارَ فيها كَأَنَّهُ

إِذا اِهتَزَّ جِذعٌ مِن سُمَيحَةَ ذابِلُ

A swift runner: a nail in her seems as though it were,

When it sways, a withered palm trunk from Sumayḥa.

إِذا اِعتَرَكَ الكَلّاءُ وَالماءُ لَم تُقَد

بِأَمراسِها حَتّى تَثوبَ القَنابِلُ

When wharf and water clash, she is not hauled

By her hawsers until the troops gather.

تَخالُ جِبالَ الثَلجِ لَمّا تَرَفَّعَت

إِجَلَّتُها وَالكَيدُ فيهِنَّ كامِلُ

You would think them mountains of snow when they lift

Their sails, with every stratagem ready within.

تَشُقُّ حَبابَ الماءِ عَن واسِقاتِهِ

وَتَغرِسُ حوتَ البَحرِ مِنها الكَلاكِلُ

They cleave the water's foam from around its laden ships,

And their prows drive the sea's fish deep below.

لَقَد جَهَدَ الحَجّاجُ في الدينِ وَاِجتَبى

جَباً لَم تَغُلهُ في الحِياضِ الغَوائِلُ

Al-Ḥajjāj has indeed striven for the faith and gathered

A store of water in the cisterns that no calamities have consumed.

وَما نامَ إِذ باتَ الحَواضِنُ وُلَّهاً

وَهُنَّ سَبايا لِلصُدورِ بَلابِلُ

He did not sleep when nursing mothers spent the night distraught,

While they were captives, their hearts in turmoil.

أَطيعوا فَلا الحَجّاجُ مُبقٍ عَلَيكُمُ

وَلا جِبرَئيلٌ ذو الجَناحَينِ غافِلُ

Obey! For al-Ḥajjāj will not spare you,

Nor is two-winged Gabriel heedless.

أَلا رُبَّ جَبّارٍ حَمَلتَ عَلى العَصا

وَبابُ اِستِهِ عَن مِنبَرِ المُلكِ زائِلُ

Ah, many a tyrant you have forced to lean on a staff,

His arsehole displaced from the royal pulpit.

تَمَنّى شَبيبٌ مُنيَةً سَفَلَت بِهِ

وَذو قَطَرِيٍّ لَفَّهُ مِنكَ وابِلُ

Shabīb cherished a wish that brought him low,

And Dhū Qaṭarī was engulfed by a downpour from you.

تَقولُ فَلا تُلقى لِقَولِكَ نَبوَةٌ

وَتَفعَلُ ما أَنبَأتَ أَنَّكَ فاعِلُ

You speak, and your words meet no rebuff,

And you do what you have declared you will do.