ما بال نومك بالفراش غرارا — Jarir

ما بالُ نَومِكَ بِالفِراشِ غِرارا

لَو أَنَّ قَلبَكَ يَستَطيعُ لَطارا

Why is your sleep in bed so scant?

If your heart could, it would fly.

وَإِذا وَقَفتَ عَلى المَنازِلِ بِاللِوى

هاجَت عَلَيكَ رُسومُها اِستِعبارا

And when you stand at the dwellings at al-Liwa,

their traces stir you to weeping.

حَيِّ المَنازِلَ وَالمَنازِلُ أَصبَحَت

بَعدَ الأَنيسِ مِنَ الأَنيسِ قِفارا

Greet the dwellings, though the dwellings have become

after companionship, wastelands without a companion.

وَالغانِياتُ رَجَعنَ كُلَّ مَوَدَّةٍ

إِذ كانَ قَلبُكَ عِندَهُنَّ مُعارا

And the lovely women returned every affection

when your heart was on loan to them.

أَصبَحنَ بَعدَ خِلابَةٍ وَتَذَلُّلٍ

يَقطَعنَ دونَ حَديثِكَ الأَبصارا

After blandishment and meekness, they have come

to avert their eyes before you can speak.

أَفَما تُريدُ لِحِقدِهِنَّ تَحَقُّداً

أَم ما تُريدُ عَنِ الهَوى إِقصارا

Will you not answer their rancor with rancor,

or do you not wish to desist from love?

وَلَقَد يَرَينَكَ وَالقَناةُ قَويمَةٌ

وَالدَهرُ يَصرِفُ لِلفَتى أَطوارا

And indeed they once saw you when the spear-shaft was straight,

and time brings changing fortunes to a young man—

أَزمانَ أَهلُكَ في الجَميعِ تَرَبَّعوا

ذا البَيضِ ثُمَّ تَصَيَّفوا دُوّارا

in the days when your kin, all together, spent spring

at Dhu al-Bayd, then summered at Duwwar.

طَرَقَت جُعادَةُ بِالرَصافَةِ أَرحُلاً

مِن رامَتَينِ لَشَطَّ ذاكَ مَزارا

Ju'ada visited the saddles at al-Rasafa by night,

from Ramatayn—truly, that was a distant visit!

وَإِذا نَزَلتِ مِنَ البِلادِ بِمَنزِلٍ

وُقِيَ النُحوسَ وَأُسقِيَ الأَمطارا

And when you lodge at a place in any land,

may it be spared ill fortune and given rains to drink.

طالَ النَهارُ بِبَربَروسَ وَقَد نَرى

أَيّامَنا بِقُشاوَتَينِ قِصارا

The day has grown long at Barbarus, though we once found

our days at Qushawatayn short.

ما كُنتَ تَنزِلُ يا فَرَزدَقُ مَنزِلاً

إِلّا تَرَكتَ بِهِ لِقَومِكَ عارا

You never lodged in a place, O Farazdaq,

without leaving disgrace there for your people.

وَإِذا لَقيتَ بَني خَضافِ فَقُل لَهُم

يَومُ الزُبَيرِ كَسا الوُجوهَ غُبارا

And when you meet the sons of Khadaf, say to them:

'The day of al-Zubayr clothed the faces in dust.'

لُؤمَ المَواطِنِ يا قُيونَ مُجاشِعٍ

في الناسِ أَنجَدَ خِزيُهُنَّ وَغارا

Such baseness on the battlefields, O smiths of Mujashi'!

Their shame has spread among men, to uplands and lowlands.

غَرّوا بِحَبلِهِمُ الزُبَيرَ فَلَم يَجِد

عِندَ الجِوارِ بِحَبلِكَ اِستِمرارا

They deceived al-Zubayr with their rope of protection, and he found no

lasting strength in your rope when it came to protection.

ما كانَ جَرَّبَ في الحُروبِ عَدُوُّكُم

ناباً تَعَضُّ بِهِ وَلا أَظفارا

Your enemy had never experienced in war

a fang you could bite with, or any claws.

فَاِسأَل جَحاجِحَ مِن قُرَيشٍ إِنَّهُم

تَلقى لِحُكمِهِم هُدىً وَمَنارا

So ask the great chiefs of Quraysh; indeed,

you find guidance and a beacon in their judgment.

وَإِذا الحَجيجُ إِلى المَشاعِرِ أَوجَفوا

فَاِسأَل كِنانَةَ وَاِسأَلِ الأَنصارا

And when the pilgrims hurry to the sacred sites,

then ask Kinana, and ask the Ansar.

وَاِسأَل ذَوي يَمَنٍ إِذا لاقَيتَهُم

وَاِسأَل قُضاعَةَ كُلَّها وَنِزارا

And ask the people of Yemen when you meet them,

and ask all of Quda'a, and Nizar:

مَن كانَ أَثبَتَ بِالثُغورِ مَنازِلاً

وَمَنِ الأَعَزُّ إِذا أَجارَ جِوارا

who held the firmest positions on the frontiers,

and who is mightiest when he grants protection?

نَحنُ الحُماةُ غَداةَ جَوفِ طُوَيلِعٍ

وَالضارِبونَ بِطِخفَةَ الجَبّارا

We are the defenders on the morning in the hollow of Tuwayli',

and those who struck the tyrant at Tikhfa.

هَل تَعرِفونَ عَلى ثَنِيَّةِ أَقرُنٍ

عَبساً غَداةَ أَضَعتُمُ الأَدبارا

Do you recognize, at the pass of Aqrun,

'Abs, on the morning you left your backs unguarded?

وَدَعَت غَمامَةُ بِالوَقيطِ فَنازَعَت

حَبلَ المَذَلَّةِ عَثجَلاً وَضِرارا

And Ghamama called at al-Waqit, then tugged

the rope of humiliation with 'Athjal and Dirar.

يا لَيتَ نِسوَتَكُم دَعَونَ فَوارِسي

وَثُدِيُّهُنَّ تُزاحِمُ الأَكوارا

O, would that your women had called upon my horsemen,

while their breasts jostled against the camel saddles!

إِنّي لَأَفخَرُ بِالفَوارِسِ فَاِفتَخِر

بِالأَخبَثينَ شَمائِلاً وَنِجارا

Indeed I boast of horsemen; so boast

of those foulest in character and stock.

وَإِذا تُبودِرَتِ المَكارِمُ وَالعُلى

رَجَعَت أَكُفُّ مُجاشِعٍ أَصفارا

And when noble deeds and lofty honors are competed for,

the hands of Mujashi' return empty.

عَدّوا خَضافِ إِذا الفُحولُ تُنُجِّبَت

وَالجَيثَلوطَ وَنَخبَةً خَوّارا

Count Khadaf when the best sires are selected,

and al-Jaythalut, and a weak-hearted coward.

وَإِذا فَخَرتَ بِأُمَّهاتِ مُجاشِعٍ

فَاِفخَر بِقَبقَبَ وَاِذكُرِ النِخوارا

And when you boast of the mothers of Mujashi',

then boast of Qabqab, and mention al-Nikhwar.

عيدانُكُم عُشَرٌ وَلَم يَكُ عودُكُم

نَبعاً وَلا سَبِطَ الفُروعِ نُضارا

Your sticks are milkweed; your wood has never been

nab' wood, nor smooth-branched nudar.

قَد شانَ فَخرَ مُجاشِعٍ أَن لَم تَكُن

عِندَ الحَقائِقِ تُدرِكُ الأَوتارا

The pride of Mujashi' has been marred because you did not

attain vengeance when matters came to the test.

وَلَقَد نَزَلتَ فَكُنتَ أَخبَثَ نازِلٍ

وَظَعَنتَ لا جَذِلاً وَلا مُختارا

And indeed you lodged, and were the foulest lodger,

and departed neither glad nor by your own choice.

إِنَّ الفَرَزدَقَ يا مُجاشِعُ لَم يَجِد

بِالأَجرَعَينِ لِمُنكَرٍ إِنكارا

Indeed, al-Farazdaq, O Mujashi', found no

condemnation of wrongdoing at al-Ajra'ayn.

ماذا يَريبُكَ إِذ تَعوذُ بِتَغلِبٍ

مِنّي وَدَمعُكَ بادِرٌ إِدرارا

What troubles you, as you seek refuge with Taghlib

from me, while your tears rush out in streams?

خِربانَ صَيفٍ نَفَّشَت أَعرافَها

عايَنَّ أَسفَعَ مُلحَماً مِبكارا

Summer bustards, their crests fluffed up,

have seen a dark, flesh-fed hawk that hunts early.

تُبقي المَذَلَّةُ يا فَرَزدَقُ وَالقَذى

وَالمُخزِياتُ بِعَينِكَ العُوّارا

Humiliation keeps, O Farazdaq, along with grit

and shameful deeds, the blemish in your eye.

فَجَعَ الأَجارِبُ بِالزُبَيرِ وَمِنقَرٌ

لَم يَختِلوكَ وَجاهَروكَ جِهارا

The Ajarib and Minqar bereaved you of al-Zubayr;

they did not ambush you; they challenged you openly.

وَعَرَفتَ مَنزِلَةَ الذَليلِ فَلَم تَجِد

إِلّا التَلَهُّفَ ثُمَّتِ الإِقرارا

And you learned the station of the abased, finding nothing

but anguished regret, followed by acknowledgment.

قَد عَجَّلوا لَكَ يا فَرَزدَقُ خَزيَةً

فَطَلَبتَ لَيلَةَ بَيَّتوكَ ضِمارا

They have dealt you swift disgrace, O Farazdaq,

so, the night they raided you, you sought the unattainable.

وَتَقولُ جِعثِنُ لِلفَرَزدَقِ لا أَرى

داراً كَدارِكُمُ الخَبيثَةِ دارا

And Ji'thin says to al-Farazdaq, 'I see no

house—any house—like your foul house.'

وَتَقولُ طَيبَةُ إِذ رَأَتكَ مُقَنَّعاً

أَنتَ الخَبيثُ عِمامَةً وَإِزارا

And Tayba says on seeing you with your head covered:

'You are foul in turban and waistcloth.'

لَو كانَ أَهلُكَ قَبلَ ذاكَ تَبَيَّنوا

وَسَأَلتِ عَن جَهلِ الخَبيثِ نُوارا

If only your kin had understood before that,

and you had asked Nuwar about the foul man's folly!

حَوضُ الحِمارِ أَبو الفَرَزدَقِ فَاِعرِفوا

مِنهُ قَفاً وَمُقَلَّداً وَعِذارا

'The Donkey's Trough' is al-Farazdaq's father; so recognize

in him a nape, a neck, and a cheek.

لَم يُلقَ أَخبَثُ يا فَرَزدَقُ مِنكُمُ

لَيلاً وَأَخبَثُ بِالنَهارِ نَهارا

No one fouler than you folk has been found, O Farazdaq,

by night, nor fouler in daylight, by day.

قَصُرَت يَداكَ عَنِ السَماءِ وَلَم تَجِد

كَفّاكَ لِلشَجَرِ الخَبيثِ قَرارا

Your hands fell short of the sky, and failed to find

any firm hold for your palms on the foul tree.

كَيفَ الفَخارُ وَما وَفَيتَ بِذِمَّةٍ

يَومَ الزُبَيرِ وَلا حَمَيتَ ذِمارا

How can you boast, when you honored no covenant

on al-Zubayr's day, nor defended what you must protect?

أَنَسيتَ وَيلَ أَبيكَ أَيّامَ الصَفا

قَتلى أُصيبَ بِقَتلِهِم وَأُسارى

Have you forgotten your father's woe in the days of al-Safa—

the slain, whose killing afflicted him, and the captives?

وَالخَيلَ إِذ حَمَلَت عَلَيكُم جَعفَرٌ

كُنتُم لَهُنَّ بِرَحرَحانَ دُوارا

And the horses, when Ja'far charged against you—

you were their Duwar, an idol to circle, at Rahrahan.

قُلتُم بِبُرقَةِ رَحرَحانَ لِمَعبَدٍ

لا تَدعُنا وَتَرَبَّصِ المِقدارا

At Burqat Rahrahan you said to Ma'bad,

'Do not call on us; await the decree of fate.'

تَرَكَ الكُبولَ جَوالِياً في مَعبَدٍ

وَالمُخَّ في قَصَبِ القَوائِمِ رارا

It left the fetters hanging loose upon Ma'bad,

and the marrow watery in the shafts of his leg bones.

وَالناسُ قَد عَلِموا مَواطِنَ مِنكُمُ

تُخزي الوُجوهَ وَتَمنَعُ الإِسفارا

And people have learned of episodes of yours

that shame faces and keep them from being bared.

وَفَدَ الوُفودُ إِلى المُلوكِ فَأَنجَحوا

فَذَروا الوِفادَةَ وَاِنفُخوا الأَكيارا

Delegations went to the kings and met with success;

so give up going as envoys, and blow the bellows.