أتذكرهم وحاجتك ادكار — Jarir

أَتَذكُرُهُم وَحاجَتُكَ اِدِّكارُ

وَقَلبُكَ في الظَعائِنِ مُستَعارُ

Do you remember them, when remembrance is your need,

and your heart is on loan among the women in their litters?

عَسَفنَ عَلى الأَماعِزِ مِن حُبَيٍّ

وَفي الأَظعانِ عَن طَلَحَ اِزوِرارُ

They traveled tracklessly over the stony ground from Hubayy,

and the departing caravans veered away from Talah.

وَقَد أَبكاكَ حينَ عَلاكَ شَيبٌ

بِتوضِحَ أَو بِناظِرَةَ الدِيارُ

And when gray hair came upon you, you were made to weep

by the dwellings at Tudih or Nazirah.

فَتَحيا مَرَّةً وَتَموتُ أُخرى

وَتَمحوها البَوارِحُ وَالقُطارُ

At times they live, at others they die,

and scorching winds and showers efface them.

فَدارَ الحَيِّ لَستِ كَما عَهِدنا

وَأَنتِ إِذا الأَحِبَّةُ فيكِ دارُ

O dwelling of the tribe, you are not as we knew you;

you are a home when loved ones are within you.

وَكُنتُ إِذا سَمِعتُ لِذاتِ بَوٍّ

حَنيناً كادَ قَلبي يُستَطارُ

And whenever I heard a she-camel with a stuffed calfskin

moaning, my heart would almost fly away.

أَتَنفَعُكَ الحَياةُ وَأُمُّ عَمروٍ

قَريبٌ لا تَزورُ وَلا تُزارُ

Does life benefit you, while Umm Amr

is near, yet neither visits nor is visited?

وَقَد لَحِقَ الفَرَزدَقُ بِالنَصارى

لِيَنصُرَهُم وَلَيسَ بِهِ اِنتِصارُ

And al-Farazdaq has joined the Christians,

to aid them, though through him comes no victory.

وَيَسجُدُ لِلصَليبِ مَعَ النَصارى

وَأَفلَجَ سَهمُنا فَلَنا الخِيارُ

He prostrates himself before the cross with the Christians,

and our arrow has won, so the choice is ours.

تُخاطِرُ مِن وَراءِ حِمايَ قَيسٌ

وَخِندِفُ عَزَّ ما حُمِيَ الذِمارُ

Qays takes its chances from behind my protection,

and Khindif too—how staunchly honor is defended!

أَقَينٌ يا تَميمُ يَعيبُ قَيساً

يَطيرُ عَلى لَهازِمِهِ الشَرارُ

Does a blacksmith, O Tamim, find fault with Qays,

while sparks fly over his jowls?

أَخاكُم يا تَميمُ وَمَن يُحامي

وَأُمُّ الحَربِ مُجلِبَةٌ نَوارُ

Protect your brother, O Tamim! Who will defend him,

while Nawar, the mother of war, raises a clamor?

وَيَعلَمُ مَن يُحارِبُ أَنَّ قَيساً

صَناديدٌ لَها اللُجَجُ الغِمارُ

And whoever wages war knows that Qays

are champions; theirs are the deep, engulfing seas.

وَقَيسٌ يا فَرَزدَقُ لَو أَجاروا

بَني العَوامِ ما اِفتُضِحَ الجِوارُ

And Qays, O Farazdaq—had they granted refuge

to the sons of al-Awwam, their protection would not have been disgraced.

إِذاً لَحَمى فَوارِسُ غَيرُ ميلٍ

إِذا ما اِمتَدَّ في الرَهَجِ الغُبارُ

Then unwavering horsemen would have defended them,

when dust spread through the haze of battle.

وَكَرّوا كُلَّ مُقرَبَةٍ سَبوحٍ

وَطَرفٍ في حَوالِبِهِ اِضطِمارُ

and charged again on every prized mare with a swimming stride,

and every noble steed with lean-drawn flanks.

غَدَرتُم بِالزُبَيرِ وَما وَفَيتُم

فَداديناً يَبيتُ لَها خُوارُ

You betrayed al-Zubayr and did not keep faith,

you plow-oxen, whose lowing lasts through the night!

فَما رَضيَت بِذِمَّتِكُم قُرَيشٌ

وَما بَعدَ الزُبَيرِ بِهِ اِغتِرارُ

So Quraysh was not content with your pledge of protection,

and after al-Zubayr no one can be taken in by it.