بانَ الخَليطُ فَقَلبي اليَومَ مُختَلَسُ
حينَ اِزلَأَمّوا فَما عاجوا وَلا حَبَسوا
My heart today is smitten and restless,
When they descended they did not delay or linger.
يُحدى بِهِم كُلُّ عَجعاجٍ وَيَعمَلَةٍ
ما في سَوالِفِها عَيبٌ وَلا قَعَسُ
Every loud-voiced and working woman is challenged by them.
In their fine weapons there is no defect or dullness.
تَعومُ في الآلِ مُرخاةً أَزِمَّتُها
إِذا أَقولُ وَنَوا مِن سيرِهِم مَلَسوا
They float about in the tents slack-tied,
When I say bend aside from their march, they comply.
وَفي الخُدورِ مَهاً بِيضٌ مَحاجِرُها
تَفتَرُّ عَن بَرَدٍ قَد زانَهُ اللَعسُ
And in the rooms white, proud she-camels,
Shivering from cold that luster has adorned.
يَشفي القُلوبَ عِذابٌ لَو يُجادُ بِهِ
كَالبَرقِ لا رَوَقٌ فيهِ وَلا كَسَسُ
A suffering that would heal hearts if contested with,
Like lightning, no comfort or scarcity in it.
مَرضى العُيونِ وَلَم يَعلَق بِها مَرَضٌ
شُمُّ الأَنوفِ فَلا غِلظٌ وَلا فَطَسُ
A cure for sick eyes though no sickness clings to them,
A scent for noses, no harshness or stuffiness.
تَكسو الجُلودَ عَبيراً لَونُها شَرِقٌ
فَكُلُّ أَبشارِها مُصفَرَّةٌ مُلُسُ
Their skins are clothed in a fragrance whose color is dawn-shine,
While all their complexions are yellowed and smooth.
فَلَم يُبالوكَ إِذا ساروا لِطِيَّتِهِم
وَكانَ مِنهُم سَفاهُ الرَأيِ وَالشَكَسُ
They did not care though they marched to their wildness,
Among them were fools and crack-brained men.
فَدِمنَةُ الدارِ بَعدَ الحَيِّ قَد بَلِيَت
تُرابُها بِحَسى الأَرواحِ مُكتَنَسُ
The floor of the abode after its heyday is wasted,
Its soil by the sweeping of souls is brushed away.
وَما يَزالُ عَلَيها مُسبِلٌ هَطِلٌ
مُستَأسِدٌ هَزِجٌ بِالماءِ مُرتَجِسُ
And that which pours down on it is flooding rain,
Arrogant, copious, its water held back.
جَونٌ رُكامٌ سِماكِيٌّ لَهُ لَجَبُ
كَأَنَّهُ ماكِثٌ في الدارِ مُحتَبَسُ
Rubble, high and thick, enclosing depressions,
As though tarrying heedless within the house.
يَفري الإِكامَ مَعَ القيعانِ وَاِبلُهُ
يَنزِعُ جِلدَ الحَصى أَجَششُ مُنبَجِسُ
It spurts the gushing torrents and its showers
Strip the skins from the pebbles, tumultuous and leaping.
أَبلى مَعارِفَ أَطلالٍ وَغَيَّرَها
فَكُلُّ آياتِها مَمحُوَّةٌ طُمُسُ
It has worn away the relics of encampments and altered them,
So that all their vestiges are erased and blotted out.
نُويٌ وَسُفعٌ وَمَشجوجٌ مُلتَبِدٌ
كَأَنَّها كُتُبٌ عادِيَّةٌ دُرُسُ
Hilltops and slopes and winding valleys,
Like common books that are studied and conned.
فَالعِينُ فيها رَخيطانُ النَعام بِها
وَالعُونُ أَطهارُها وَاللُقَّحُ الشُمُسُ
There the ostrich’s feet wander while the mountain goat’s eyes
And the moufflons are their pure parts and the suns their warp threads.
وَلَيسَ يَحبِسُني عَن رِحلَةٍ عَرَضَت
صَوتُ الغُدافِ وَلا العَطّاسَةُ الفَطُسُ
Neither the croaking frogs nor the loud sneezes
Hold me back from a journey when it hoves into sight,
وَمَهمَةٍ قَفرَةٍ أُجنٍ مَناهِلُها
دَيمومَةٍ ما بِها جِنٌّ وَلا أَنَسُ
And an arid, trackless, desolate task, its water-holes
Permanent, wherein is neither jinn nor mortal.
يُقوي بِها الرُكبُ حَتّى ما يَكونُ لَهُم
إِلّا الزِنادُ وَإِلا القِدحُ مُقتَبَسُ
The party is strengthened by it until they have no need
Save for the flint and save for the kindled brand.
كَأَنَّ أَعلامَها وَالآلُ يَرفَعُها
سُبّاحُ ذي زَبَدٍ تَبدو وَتَغتَمِسُ
As though its landmarks and the tents they raise up
Are foam brought forth that appears and sinks back in again.
بِها تَوائِمُ جُونٌ في أفاحِصِها
مِثلُ الكُلى عَزَّهُنَّ الماءُ وَالغَلَسُ
The barren uplands are coupled with it in its groves
Like kidneys that water and mud have nourished.
حَكَّت جُلوداً كَأَنَّ الريشَ إِذ بَثِرَت
مِنَ قَبلِ تَشويكِهِ في بَثرِهِ العَدَسُ
It has scoured hides that are as though the feathers when they are shed
By the bird beating them in its threshing-floor, the lentils.
قَد جُبتُها وَرُؤوسُ القَومِ مائِلَةٌ
مِن مَتِّهِم وَمِن الإِدلاجِ قَد نَعَسوا
I have gained them while the people’s heads incline
Drowsily, drunk, and from the gloom they have slumbered.
كَأَنَّهُم في السُرى وَاللَيلُ غامِرُهُم
إِذ كَلَّموكَ مِنَ الإِسآدِ قَد خَرِسوا
As though they in their coverts and the night covering them darkly
When they spoke to thee out of tipsiness, they faltered.
لَم يَبقَ مِنهُم وَقَد مالَت عَمائِمُهُم
مُعانِقي المَيسِ إِلّا الروحُ وَالنَفَسُ
Of them grasping the wine-skins naught remains
But the soul and the breath.
تَخدي بِهِم ضُمَّرٌ حُوصٌ وَسِيرَتُها
تَكادُ مِنها رِقابُ الرَكبِ تَنفَرِسُ
Carrying me is a virile she-camel, durable,
And a vigorous riding-beast, a thoroughbred Sa’dis.
كَأَنَّ أَصواتَ أَلحِيها إِذا اِصطَدَمَت
أَصواتُ عِيدانِ رُهبانٍ إِذا نَقَسوا
Quick she-camels, masculine, their letter pronounced alike,
While all their treadings are silent and smooth.
تَحمِلُني جَسرَةٌ أُجدٌ مُضَبَّرَةٌ
وَجناءُ مُجفَرَةٌ مَنسوبَةٌ سَدَسُ
She passes a hill-like dune with traits
Like the leaders’ though no sorrow clings to it.
رَهبٌ عَرَندَسَةٌ حَرفٌ مُذَكَّرَةٌ
فَكُلُّ أَخفافِها مَلثومَةٌ لُطُسُ
The tooth has left its mark in it though it is combed;
As it leaves its effect on the common hack.
تُمِرُّ جَثلاً عَلى الحاذَينِ ذا خُصَلٍ
مِثلِ القَوادِم لَم يَعلَق بِها العَبَسُ
As though it after the eye’s exhaustion, when it was tired,
Were a patch-coated garron with a withered face.
قَد أَثَّرَ النِسعٌ فيها وَهِيَ مُسنَفَةٌ
كَما يُؤَثِّرُ في العادِيَّةِ المَرَسُ
It spent the night by a lively whistling thorn-tree
That a wind makes applaud when the darkness lifts from its person.
كَأَنَّها بَعدَ جَهدِ العَينِ إِذ ضَمَرَت
مُوَلَّعٌ لَهَقٌ في وَجهِهِ خَنَسُ
It encountered slender game, lean of flesh, raiding,
Of Dumat al-Jandal’s hunters of wild beasts, seeking.
باتَ إِلى حِقفِ أَرطاةٍ تُصَفِّقُهُ
ريحٌ فَلَمّا اِنجَلى عَن شَخصِهِ الغَلَسُ
It loosed hounds that did not flinch and chased them,
Loping, of variegated hues, sullen.
صادَفَ خوطاً قَليلَ اللَحمِ مُغتَدِياً
مِن أَهلِ دَومَةَ صَيدَ الوَحشِ يَلتَمِسُ
Longing to bear him seized it while it bore him
While he in fright of the huntsman cowered, cringing.
أَشلى كِلاباً فَلَم تَنكُل وَأَجرِيَها
غُضفاً نَواحِلَ في أَلوانِها غَبَسُ
Until when of their mouths it gained the leap
And no harm met it, all of them docile,
فَاِشتَقَّ تَحمِلُهُ رُحٌّ وَيَحمِلُها
وَهُوَ بِذُعرٍ مِنَ القُنّاصِ مُنتَخَسُ
It wheeled as if an enraged lion turning in fury,
Brandishing a blade that makes the lionesses scatter –
حَتّى إِذا كانَ مِن أَفواهِها كَثَباً
وَما طَلَتهُ ضِراءٌ كُلُّها حَنِسُ
So they are different, a wounded one and a ducking one!
It stretched those first with a blow and went straight for them
كَرَّ وَقَد لَحِقَت مِنها سَوابِقُها
كَأَنَّهُ مَرزُبانٌ مُغضَبٌ مَرِسُ
So in succession to its hounds it spurred them on.
And it sank down like a falling star in its swoop –
يَهِزُّ لَدناً يَذُبُّ الضارِياتِ بِهِ
فَهُنَّ شَتّان مَجروحٌ وَمُنحَدِسُ
As the kindled brand gleams amid the darkness.
Thus I likened it to a slain old she-oryx
أَردى أَوائِلَها طَعناً فَأَقصَدَها
فَفي التَوالي إلى كَلّابِها شَوَسُ
When every rope lies prone upon it, dangling easily.
It purposes the Commander of the Faithful, al-Walid –
وَاِنصاعَ كَالكَوكَبِ الدُرِّيِّ مَيعَتُهُ
كَما تَضَرَّمَ وَسطَ الظُلمَةِ القَبَسُ
Though the travel were long and the waste lands spread before it –
God’s Caliph from whom the clouds are summoned for rain
فَذاكَ شَبَّهتُهُ عَنساً مُقَتَّلَةً
إِذ كُلُّ حَبلٍ عَلَيها جائِلٌ سَلِسُ
No filth ever touched his garments.
A staunch king who attacks affairs formidably
تَنوي الوَليدَ أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ وَإِن
طالَ السِفارُ وَأَضحَت دونَهُ الطَبَسُ
When the hot-head is perplexed by the strategy.
To him have submitted the Arabs of the horizons, fearing him,
خَليفَةَ اللَهِ يُستَسقى الغِمامُ بِهِ
مامَسَّ أَثوابَهُ مِن غَدرَةٍ دَنَسُ
And the Byzantines submitted all together and the Persians.
They fear the columns of troops passing among them
مَلكاً هُماماً يَجيلُ الأَمرَ جائِلَهُ
إِذا تَحَيَّرَ عِندَ الخُطَّةِ الهَوِسُ
Bearing complete mail-coats for their warriors.
With them you bring captives, then divide them
دانَت لَهُ عَرَبُ الآفاقِ خَشيَتَهُ
وَالرومُ دانَت لَهُ جَمعاءُ وَالفُرُسُ
As wild beasts stalk your prey in the wilderness.
Your enemy is broken by force – verily hatred kills them.
خافوا كَتائِبَ غُلباً أَن تُطيفُ بِهِم
لِلسابِغاتِ عَلى أَبطالِها جَرَسُ
And if they intend any treachery, may they be wretched!
They see nothing and in their ears is deafness
بِهِنَّ تَحوي سُبِيّاً ثُمَّ تَقسِمُها
كَما يَصِيدُكَ وَحشَ القَفرَةِ الفَرَسُ
When you rouse them from some temptation, they relapse.
They are those whom I have heard God promise
قَسراً عَدَّوَكَ إِنَّ الضِغنَ قاتلُهُم
وَإِنَّهُم إِن أَرادوا غَدرَةً تَعِسوا
And the idolaters – whoever does not support you is unclean!
Their words raved whether you said good or ill
لا يُبصِرونَ وَفي آذانِهِم صَمَمٌ
إِذا نَعَشتَهُمُ مِن فِتنَةٍ رَكَسوا
At the assembly, whether they stood or sat.
Umayya has lost the paths of truth in following them –
هُمُ الَّذينَ سَمِعتُ اللَهَ أَوعَدَهُم
والمُشرِكونَ وَمَن لَم يَهوَكُم نَجَسُ
Verily affairs to the doubter grow confused!
A people who when thoughts are prodded, think noble thoughts –
هَجَّنَ أَقوالَهُم ما قُلتَ مِن حَسَنٍ
عِندَ المَقامَةِ إِن قاموا وَإِن جَلَسوا
Verily lineages come together and then intertwine!
And the easiest people to give to one grabbing,
هَدَت أُمَيَّةُ سُبلَ الحَقِّ تابِعَها
إِنَّ الأُمورَ عَلى ذي الشَكِّ تَلتَبِسُ
And the readiest people with lances when they wax hot!
They are not afraid when killing befalls them,
ذَوو جُدودٍ إِذا ما حودِسَت حَدَسَت
إِنَّ الجُدودَ تَلاقى ثُمَّ تَحتَدِسُ
Nor are they happy with redemption should they be hard pressed!
When Quraysh resolved they were its leaders
وَأَسهَلُ الناسِ أَعطاناً لِمُختَبِطٍ
وَأَكثَرُ الناسِ عِيداناً إِذا حَمِسوا
And the best of them to foster glory when they were grafted!
A people supporting me whom I have pardoned –
لا يَجزَعونَ إِذا ما القَتلُ حَلَّ بِهِم
وَلا يُرَونَ فُراحى إِن هُمُ خَمِسوا
Never by thy life did they grudge nor sulk!
إِذا قُرَيشٌ سَمَت كانوا ذَوائِبَها
وَخَيرَهُم مَنبِتاً في المَجدِ إِذ غُرِسوا
قَومٌ هُمُ مَوَّلوني قَد عَفَوتُهُمُ
فَلا وَجَدِّكَ ما ضَنّوا وَلا عَبَسوا
