لا تَحسَبوا رَبعَكُم وَلا طَلَلَه

لا تَحسَبوا رَبعَكُم وَلا طَلَلَه

أَوَّلَ حَيٍّ فِراقُكُم قَتَلَه

أَوَّلَ حَيٍّ فِراقُكُم قَتَلَه

Do not suppose your dwelling, nor its ruined traces,

Do not think your encampment or your ruins

Do not reckon that your campsite, nor its ruined traces,

The first living thing your parting has killed.

Are the first places to miss you and grieve for you

Were the first living things that your departure slew.

قَد تَلِفَت قَبلَهُ النُفوسُ بِكُم

قَد تَلِفَت قَبلَهُ النُفوسُ بِكُم

وَأَكثَرَت في هَواكُمُ العَذَلَه

وَأَكثَرَت في هَواكُمُ العَذَلَه

Before it, souls have perished because of you,

Souls were fascinated by you before them

For souls have perished because of you long before this,

And reproachers have said much about loving you.

And passion for you grew in more than one infatuated heart

And have cast excessive blame regarding your love.

خَلا وَفيهِ أَهلٌ وَأَوحَشَنا

خَلا وَفيهِ أَهلٌ وَأَوحَشَنا

وَفيهِ صِرمٌ مُرَوِّحٌ إِبِلَه

وَفيهِ صِرمٌ مُرَوِّحٌ إِبِلَه

It lay empty, though inhabited, and made us feel desolate,

It lies empty, though it contains a family, and we find it desolate

The place seemed empty though inhabited, and struck us with desolation,

Though a clan within it brought its camels home at dusk.

Yet it contains a shelter, a resting place for camels

Even while a clan was there, driving home their camels.

لَو سارَ ذاكَ الحَبيبُ عَن فَلَكٍ

لَو سارَ ذاكَ الحَبيبُ عَن فَلَكٍ

ما رَضِيَ الشَمسَ بُرجُهُ بَدَلَه

ما رَضِيَ الشَمسَ بُرجُهُ بَدَلَه

If that beloved left a heavenly sphere,

If that beloved were to travel from orbit

Had that beloved departed from a celestial sphere,

His zodiacal mansion would not accept the sun in his place.

The sun would not be content with another to take its place

Its constellation would not accept the sun in his stead.

أُحِبُّهُ وَالهَوى وَأَدأُرَهُ

أُحِبُّهُ وَالهَوى وَأَدأُرَهُ

وَكُلُّ حُبٍّ صَبابَةٌ وَوَلَه

وَكُلُّ حُبٍّ صَبابَةٌ وَوَلَه

I love him, and love itself, and his dwellings;

I love him, and love is madness and folly

I love him, and the passion itself, and his abodes,

And all love is yearning and lovesick bewilderment.

And all love is foolishness and madness

For all love is but deep yearning and obsession.

يَنصُرُها الغَيثُ وَهيَ ظامِئَةٌ

يَنصُرُها الغَيثُ وَهيَ ظامِئَةٌ

إِلى سِواهُ وَسُحبُها هَطِلَه

إِلى سِواهُ وَسُحبُها هَطِلَه

Rain sustains them, yet they thirst

The rain helps revive her when she is thirsty

The rain aids these ruins though they remain athirst

For something other than rain, though their clouds pour.

While her clouds pour down and flood the land

For something other than water, even as clouds pour down.

واحَرَبا مِنكِ يا جَدايَتَها

واحَرَبا مِنكِ يا جَدايَتَها

مُقيمَةً فَاِعلَمي وَمُرتَحِلَه

مُقيمَةً فَاِعلَمي وَمُرتَحِلَه

Alas for my ruin through you, O their young gazelle,

Keep the war away from you, O my chief!

Alas for my deprivation from you, O barren stones,

Whether staying or departing—know this!

Both you who stay and you who travel on

Whether you remain, know this, or whether you depart.

لَو خُلِطَ المِسكُ وَالعَبيرُ بِها

لَو خُلِطَ المِسكُ وَالعَبيرُ بِها

وَلَستِ فيها لَخِلتُها تَفِلَه

وَلَستِ فيها لَخِلتُها تَفِلَه

If musk and blended perfume were mixed into them,

If musk and ambergris were mixed with it

Were musk and ambergris mixed into that very soil,

And you were not there, I would think them scentless.

Its refuse would still smell better than perfumes

Yet you were absent, I would deem it foul and scentless.

أَنا اِبنُ مَن بَعضُهُ يَفوقُ أَبا ال

أَنا اِبنُ مَن بَعضُهُ يَفوقُ أَبا ال

باحِثِ وَالنَجلُ بَعضُ مَن نَجَلَه

باحِثِ وَالنَجلُ بَعضُ مَن نَجَلَه

I am the son of one whose mere part surpasses the father of the

I am the son of one whose superior qualities

I am the son of one whose mere fragment surpasses the sire

Questioner; a son is part of the man who begot him.

Surpass my father’s in the search, while his heir exceeds the excellence of his predecessor

Of the genealogical seeker; and the son is but part of his begetter.

وَإِنَّما يَذكُرُ الجُدودَ لَهُم

وَإِنَّما يَذكُرُ الجُدودَ لَهُم

مَن نَفَروهُ وَأَنفَدوا حِيَلَه

مَن نَفَروهُ وَأَنفَدوا حِيَلَه

Only he invokes his forefathers before them

One recalls ancestors because of their deeds-

Men only cite their ancestors when they are

Whom they have outboasted and left without recourse.

Those who shunned and exhausted every stratagem

Defeated by a rival and have exhausted all their wiles.

فَخراً لِعَضبٍ أَروحُ مُشتَمِلَه

فَخراً لِعَضبٍ أَروحُ مُشتَمِلَه

وَسَمهَرِيٍّ أَروحُ مُعتَقَلَه

وَسَمهَرِيٍّ أَروحُ مُعتَقَلَه

Glory to a keen sword I go forth girded with,

So my pride is a Arab who travels protected

Glory belongs to the sharp blade I go forth wearing,

And to a sturdy spear I go forth bracing against my leg.

And a Samharite who journeys well-guarded

And the Samhari spear that I march clutching tight.

وَليَفخَرِ الفَخرُ إِذ غَدَوتُ بِهِ

وَليَفخَرِ الفَخرُ إِذ غَدَوتُ بِهِ

مُرتَدِياً خَيرَهُ وَمُنتَعِلَه

مُرتَدِياً خَيرَهُ وَمُنتَعِلَه

And let pride itself be proud, for I went forth with it,

And let pride then glory since I have ridden forth with it

Let Pride itself be proud that I have dawned within it,

Robed in its finest and shod in it.

Wearing the best of it and donning the finest

Clad in its finest essence and shod in its very grandeur.

أَنا الَّذي بَيَّنَ الإِلَهُ بِهِ ال

أَنا الَّذي بَيَّنَ الإِلَهُ بِهِ ال

أَقدارَ وَالمَرءُ حَيثُما جَعَلَه

أَقدارَ وَالمَرءُ حَيثُما جَعَلَه

I am he through whom God has made plain the

I am the one who God has shown thereby

I am the one through whom God has revealed the

Ranks; a man is wherever He has placed him.

Fates, and man is wherever God has placed him

True measures of men; for a man is where God places him.

جَوهَرَةٌ يَفرَحُ الكِرامُ بِها

جَوهَرَةٌ يَفرَحُ الكِرامُ بِها

وَغُصَّةٌ لا تُسيغُها السَفِلَه

وَغُصَّةٌ لا تُسيغُها السَفِلَه

A jewel in which the noble rejoice,

A jewel giving joy to the noble thereby

A jewel in which the noble-hearted find joy,

And a choking morsel the base cannot swallow.

And a choking grief no low person can stand

And a choking obstruction the base cannot swallow.

إِنَّ الكِذابَ الَّذي أَكادُ بِهِ

إِنَّ الكِذابَ الَّذي أَكادُ بِهِ

أَهوَنُ عِندي مِنَ الَّذي نَقَلَه

أَهوَنُ عِندي مِنَ الَّذي نَقَلَه

The lie used to plot against me

I almost consider the lies I engage in

The slander with which I am maliciously plotted against

Counts for less with me than the man who passed it on.

Better than what the transmitter has conveyed

Is more contemptible to me than the one who conveyed it.

فَلا مُبالٍ وَلا مُداجٍ وَلا

فَلا مُبالٍ وَلا مُداجٍ وَلا

وانٍ وَلا عاجِزٌ وَلا تُكَلَه

وانٍ وَلا عاجِزٌ وَلا تُكَلَه

So I am neither concerned nor dissembling, nor

So no weak, rejecter, complainer, incapable or gullible one,

I am neither indifferent, nor a flatterer, nor

Slack, nor helpless, nor dependent on others.

No feeble opponent whose sword betrayed him at the encounter and the skirmishes,

Sluggish, nor helpless, nor a burden upon others.

وَدارِعٍ سِفتُهُ فَخَرَّ لَقىً

وَدارِعٍ سِفتُهُ فَخَرَّ لَقىً

في المُلتَقى وَالعَجاجِ وَالعَجَلَه

في المُلتَقى وَالعَجاجِ وَالعَجَلَه

And many an armored man I struck with my sword; he fell cast aside,

No listening weakling whose poetry

Many an armored foe I struck so he fell prone,

Amid the clash, the dust, and the haste.

Baffles the careful critic unraveling subtle expressions,

Amidst the clash, the dust of war, and the haste.

وَسامِعٍ رُعتُهُ بِقافِيَةٍ

وَسامِعٍ رُعتُهُ بِقافِيَةٍ

يَحارُ فيها المُنَقِّحُ القُوَلَه

يَحارُ فيها المُنَقِّحُ القُوَلَه

And many a listener I startled with a rhyme

And sometimes I attend a meal with

And many a listener I have startled with a verse,

In which the eloquent refiner of verse loses his way.

One who cannot equal the bread he eats

In which even the skilled refiner of speech is bewildered.

وَرُبَّما أُشهِدُ الطَعامَ مَعي

وَرُبَّما أُشهِدُ الطَعامَ مَعي

مَن لا يُساوي الخُبزَ الَّذي أَكَلَه

مَن لا يُساوي الخُبزَ الَّذي أَكَلَه

And sometimes I invite to share my food

And he displays ignorance of me while I know him

And oft-times I invite to share my meal

Someone not worth the bread he has eaten.

While the pearl is still a pearl despite one who does not recognize it

One who is not worth the very bread he has eaten.

وَيُظهِرُ الجَهلَ بي وَأَعرِفُهُ

وَيُظهِرُ الجَهلَ بي وَأَعرِفُهُ

وَالدُرُّ دُرٌّ بِرَغمِ مَن جَهِلَه

وَالدُرُّ دُرٌّ بِرَغمِ مَن جَهِلَه

And he professes ignorance of me, though I know him;

I am shy before my tribes not to

He feigns ignorance of my worth, though I know him well,

And a pearl is a pearl despite whoever fails to recognize it.

Drag my train in other than their territory

Yet a pearl remains a pearl, despite one who knows it not.

مُستَحيِياً مِن أَبي العَشائِرِ أَن

مُستَحيِياً مِن أَبي العَشائِرِ أَن

أَسحَبَ في غَيرِ أَرضِهِ حُلَلَه

أَسحَبَ في غَيرِ أَرضِهِ حُلَلَه

I am ashamed before Abu al-Asha'ir to

I drag it in the presence of a king

Feeling shame before Abu al-Asha'ir that I,

Trail his robes upon a land other than his.

Whose clothes are from his boon companion and his intimate

Should trail the robes of his glory in a land not his own.

أَسحَبُها عِندَهُ لَدى مَلِكٍ

أَسحَبُها عِندَهُ لَدى مَلِكٍ

ثِيابُهُ مِن جَليسِهِ وَجِلَه

ثِيابُهُ مِن جَليسِهِ وَجِلَه

I trail them before him, in the presence of a king

While the white tunics of his servants resemble

I trail them in his presence, before a sovereign,

Whose robes are afraid of his companion.

The first camel-loads of gifts from his treasury

Whose very garments stand in awe of the one wearing them.

وَبيضُ غِلمانِهِ كَنائِلِهِ

وَبيضُ غِلمانِهِ كَنائِلِهِ

أَوَّلُ مَحمولِ سَيبِهِ الحَمَلَه

أَوَّلُ مَحمولِ سَيبِهِ الحَمَلَه

And his pages' bright swords are like his gifts:

Why should I not praise al-Husayn or

His fair pages are as bright as his benevolence,

The first of his bounty to be carried away are its bearers.

Expend the love that he expended?

And the first to be borne by his generosity are the bearers themselves.

ما لِيَ لا أَمدَحُ الحُسَينَ وَلا

ما لِيَ لا أَمدَحُ الحُسَينَ وَلا

أَبذُلُ مِثلَ الوُدِّ الَّذي بَذَلَه

أَبذُلُ مِثلَ الوُدِّ الَّذي بَذَلَه

Why should I not praise al-Husayn and

Did the eye conceal from him any information

Why should I not praise Al-Husayn, and why not

Offer affection like the affection he has offered?

Or did the two tear-ducts attain what he hoped for?

Offer affection equal to that which he has bestowed?

أَأَخفَتِ العَينُ عِندَهُ خَبَراً

أَأَخفَتِ العَينُ عِندَهُ خَبَراً

أَم بَلَغَ الكَيذُبانُ ما أَمَلَه

أَم بَلَغَ الكَيذُبانُ ما أَمَلَه

Has the spy with him concealed some news,

Or is he not the striker of every obstinate head

Did the eye conceal any report concerning him?

Or has the arch-liar attained what he hoped for?

Bared on the day of battle, made haggard?

Or has the chronic liar achieved what he hoped for?

أَم لَيسَ ضَرّابَ كُلِّ جُمجُمَةٍ

أَم لَيسَ ضَرّابَ كُلِّ جُمجُمَةٍ

مَنخُوَّةٍ ساعَةَ الوَغى زَعِلَه

مَنخُوَّةٍ ساعَةَ الوَغى زَعِلَه

Or is he not the smiter of every skull,

The man of generosity – nothing separates him from it

Is he not the striker of every stubborn skull,

Haughty and impetuous in the hour of battle,

Even if generosity itself could speak, he would rebuke it

Filled with arrogance, restless in the hour of battle?

وَصاحِبَ الجودِ ما يُفارِقُهُ

وَصاحِبَ الجودِ ما يُفارِقُهُ

لَو كانَ لِلجودِ مَنطِقٌ عَذَلَه

لَو كانَ لِلجودِ مَنطِقٌ عَذَلَه

And generosity's companion, never parting from it—

The rider of horror – nothing makes him dismount

He is the companion of Generosity; it never parts from him,

If generosity had speech, it would reproach him—

Even if horror itself had a girth, he would cinch it

So that were Generosity to speak, it would chide him for excess.

وَراكِبَ الهَولِ لا يُفَتِّرُهُ

وَراكِبَ الهَولِ لا يُفَتِّرُهُ

لَو كانَ لِلهَولِ مَحزِمٌ هَزَلَه

لَو كانَ لِلهَولِ مَحزِمٌ هَزَلَه

And the rider of terror, never giving it respite—

The horseman in brilliant red Yemeni cloth

And the rider of Terror—it does not make him falter,

If terror had a waist, he would make it lean—

With a quiver slit open in the thick of the fighting

Were Terror to have a saddle-girth, he would wear it thin.

وَفارِسَ الأَحمَرِ المُكَلِّلَ في

وَفارِسَ الأَحمَرِ المُكَلِّلَ في

طَيِّئٍ المُشرَعَ القَنا قِبَلَه

طَيِّئٍ المُشرَعَ القَنا قِبَلَه

And the rider of al-Ahmar, charging among

When his steeds saw his face

He is the knight of the red steed, crowned among

Tayy, with spears leveled toward him?

They swore by God they did not see his nape

The tribe of Tayy, with spears leveled towards him.

لَمّا رَأَت وَجهَهُ خُيولُهُمُ

لَمّا رَأَت وَجهَهُ خُيولُهُمُ

أَقسَمَ بِاللَهِ لا رَأَت كَفَلَه

أَقسَمَ بِاللَهِ لا رَأَت كَفَلَه

When their horses saw his steed's face,

So they exaggerated his feat, yet made it seem small

When their horses beheld his face,

He swore by God they would never see its rump.

Though his feat was bigger than what he did

They swore by God they would never see his back in flight.

فَأَكبَروا فِعلَهُ وَأَصغَرَهُ

فَأَكبَروا فِعلَهُ وَأَصغَرَهُ

أَكبَرُ مِن فِعلِهِ الَّذي فَعَلَه

أَكبَرُ مِن فِعلِهِ الَّذي فَعَلَه

They thought his deed great, but it was belittled

The perfecter and the joiner and the concealer

They magnified his deeds, yet he deemed them small;

By one greater than his deed—the man who did it.

So that no part of his favor distracted him from another

For greater than the deed is the greatness of the doer.

القاطِعُ الواصِلُ الكَميلُ فَلا

القاطِعُ الواصِلُ الكَميلُ فَلا

بَعضُ جَميلٍ عَن بَعضِهِ شَغَلَه

بَعضُ جَميلٍ عَن بَعضِهِ شَغَلَه

Destroyer and benefactor, the perfect man; no

The granter while spears made him a grove

The Severer of enemies, the Joiner of friends, the Perfect One,

Part of his goodness has distracted him from another.

The thruster while blades came one after another

So that no single virtue distracts him from another.

فَواهِبٌ وَالرِماحُ تَشجُرُهُ

فَواهِبٌ وَالرِماحُ تَشجُرُهُ

وَطاعِنٌ وَالهِباتُ مُتَّصِلَه

وَطاعِنٌ وَالهِباتُ مُتَّصِلَه

So he gives while spears crowd around him,

And whenever he secured the countryside he would travel on

He bestows gifts even while spears thrust at him,

And he thrusts while his gifts are unceasing.

And whenever a halt was unsafe he would avoid it

And he strikes with the lance while his giving remains unbroken.

وَكُلَّما آمَنَ البِلادَ سَرى

وَكُلَّما آمَنَ البِلادَ سَرى

وَكُلَّما خيفَ مَنزِلٌ نَزَلَه

وَكُلَّما خيفَ مَنزِلٌ نَزَلَه

And whenever he made the lands safe, he journeyed by night,

And whenever the enemy resisted at dawn

Whenever he has secured the lands, he travels on,

And whenever a campsite was feared, he camped there.

He would find a way to make it seem he had tricked them

And whenever a dwelling place is feared, there he makes camp.

وَكُلَّما جاهَرَ العَدُوَّ ضُحىً

وَكُلَّما جاهَرَ العَدُوَّ ضُحىً

أَمكَنَ حَتّى كَأَنَّهُ خَتَلَه

أَمكَنَ حَتّى كَأَنَّهُ خَتَلَه

And whenever he openly faced the enemy at midmorning,

He scorns eggs and spleens when

Whenever he confronts the enemy in the broad light of noon,

He gained such mastery that he seemed to have caught him by stealth.

The knowers of genealogy or camel spokes have authenticated his ancestry

He dominates them so fully, it seems he struck by stealth.

يَحتَقِرُ البيضَ وَاللِدانَ إِذا

يَحتَقِرُ البيضَ وَاللِدانَ إِذا

سَنَّ عَلَيهِ الدِلاصَ أَو نَثَلَه

سَنَّ عَلَيهِ الدِلاصَ أَو نَثَلَه

He scorns bright swords and supple spears, whether

Eloquence refined my poetry for him

He holds swords and pliable spears in contempt whenever

He pours polished mail over himself or strips it off.

While jurisprudence refined his reason for me

He dons his smooth armor or casts it aside.

قَد هَذَّبَت فَهمَهُ الفَقاهَةُ لي

قَد هَذَّبَت فَهمَهُ الفَقاهَةُ لي

وَهَذَّبَت شِعرِيَ الفَصاحَةَ لَه

وَهَذَّبَت شِعرِيَ الفَصاحَةَ لَه

Discernment has refined his understanding for me,

So I became like a quiescent sword - no one

Deep wisdom has refined his understanding for my sake,

And eloquence has refined my poetry for him.

Praises the sword except the one who wields it

Just as eloquence has refined my poetry for him.

فَصِرتُ كَالسَيفِ حامِداً يَدَهُ

فَصِرتُ كَالسَيفِ حامِداً يَدَهُ

لا يَحمَدُ السَيفُ كُلَّ مَن حَمَلَه

لا يَحمَدُ السَيفُ كُلَّ مَن حَمَلَه

So I have become like a sword, praising his hand:

Thus I have become like the sword that praises his hand—

A sword does not praise everyone who bears it.

For the sword does not offer praise to just any who wield it.