هلْ يدنينَّكَ منْ أجارعِ واسطٍ
أوْ باتُ يعملة ِ اليدينِ حضارِ
Can the dwellers of lowland Wasit or the wielders of Two Rivers' spears draw you near?
The slender-waisted ladies yearn for the knights of Sura.
شدقاءُ تصبحُ تشتئي غبَّ السُّرَى
فِعْلَ المُضِلِّ صِيارَهُ البَرْبَارِ
But the acts of the misguided become cries of ruin from the uncouth.
Malice originating from a beast's meanness deposited in him
منْ وحشِ خبَّة َ، أودعتْهُ نيَّة ٌ
لِلنَّاطِلِيَّة ِ مِنْ لِوَى البَقَّارِ
A harmful intent against authenticity from the twisting of the perfidious.
An eye of turning away cannot show innocence,
طَرِفُ التَّنائِفِ، مَا يُبِنُّ مَبَاءَة ً
يومَينِ، طيِّبُ نيَّة ِ الإنعارِ
Even for two days the good will of the reckless is wholesome.
A hunter tracked him, reading his tracks
وحَدَاهُ مُقْتَنِصٌ، قَرَا آثَارَهُ
بعياسلٍ سجحِ الخدودِ ضوارِي
With a bold-headed stallion speeding the pace.
Until we brought him while he bolted from the range
حَتَّى فَجِئْنَ بِهِ، فَأَجْفَلَ مِنْ مَدى ً
كَثَبٍ، وهُنَّ دَوامِجُ الإحْضَارِ
Like a rabbit, while they hurried to present him.
Totally confused, he flung himself about, then considered
شَأْواً تَقَاذَفَ جُلَّهُ، ثُمَّ ارْعَوَى
خمطاً، يهزُّ كحربة ِ الأسوارِ
A stratagem, brandishing it like the blade of a pickaxe.
So he lunged with his first reserved thrust
فنَحا لأوَّلهَا بطعنة ِ محفظٍ
تمْكُو جَوَانِبُها مِنَ الإِنْهارِ
Its flanks streaming from the flow.
We dodged in fear the blow of a courageous hero
فصددْنَ، خوفاً، عنْ سنانيْ باسلٍ
بَطَلٍ، أشَاحَ عَلى الوَغَى ، مِغْوارِ
A stalwart who turned away from the fury, veiling himself.
And he took by surprise a snorting knight, maneuvering his tight grip
وأفاجَ محبوراً، يفنِّنُ شدَّهُ
بفجاجِ طامسَة ِ الصُّوَى مقفارِ
With the plunging of a piercing-bright sword.
By Khālid, the people of munificence and fresh rains,
منْ خالدٍ، أهلِ السَّماحة ِ والنَّدَى ،
مَلِكِ العِراقِ إِلى رِمَالِ وَبَارِ
King of Iraq, to the sands and waterless desert.
O paternal uncle! No tribe of people is found
يا خالِ، ما وُجدُ امرىء ٍ منْ عصبة ٍ
يتضيَّفونَ قوادمَ الأكوارِ
Receiving the foreign bands.
Who numbers like your nine brothers
يعتدُّ مثلَ أبوَّة ٍ لكَ تسعة ٍ
بِيضِ الوُجُوهِ، أعِزَّة ٍ أَخْيارِ
Fair of face, most honorable and virtuous?
Shaq, Ghamgamah, al-Aghar, ʿĀmir
شقٌّ وغمغمة ُ الأغرُّ وعامرٌ
عُمَدَاءُ، أَهْلُ لُهاً، وأَهْلُ مَغار
The chiefs, worthy of glory, and worthy of refuge.
And Muʿawwidh, their prisoner by his harshness,
ومُعَوِّدُ الجَفْرَاءِ، رَهْنُ قِسِيِّهِمْ
بالجرجرادِ بكلِّ يومِ فخارِ
With locusts every day liberally compensated.
And al-Muntadha, a lion, and the star of his tribe.
والمُنْتَضَى أَسَدٌ، وكُرْزُ قَبِيلَة ٍ
فَنِجارُ ضِئْضِئِكُمْ كَخَيْرِ نِجارِ
Your excellent carpenters are like the best carpenter.
And Yazīd and the son of Yazīd attained an extended
ويَزِيدُ وابْنُ يَزِيدَ نَالاَ مُهْلَة ً
في المَجْدِ واقْتَدَحَا بِزَنْدٍ وَارِي
Glory and honor, a father succeeded by a father
Wherever the courses of their lives settled.
عزَّاً ومكرمة ً، أباً فأباً لهُ
حيثُ استقرَّ بهِمْ مدَى الأعمارِ
And the speech of their ancient deeds flowed
So they surged against the morsels and robes of the contenders.
وَصَلَ الحَديثُ لَهُمْ قَدِيمَ فَعَالِهِمْ
فجروْا علَى لقمٍ ودعسقِ أمارِ
A lineage continuous, not separated by
An ancestry more burdensome or reproachful ties.
حسباً تواصلَ ليسَ يفرقُ بينَهُ
جدٌّ أغثُّ، ولاَ وشائقُ عارِ
Diverting the gazes from their intimate conversations
Until the fortresses of secrets become clear.
صدِّفُ النَّواظرِ عنْ مناجاراتهِمْ
حتَّى يبنًّ حواصنَ الأسرارِ
Those patient each day are vigilant
And those victorious each day resolute.
الصَّابرونَ بكلِّ يومِ حفيظة ٍ
والفائزونُ بكلِّ يومِ نفارِ
The scents of the protected ones, extending their palms
With a bestowal - no meagerness or barrenness.
أُنُفُ الحَفَائِظِ، يَبْسُطُونَ أَكُفَّهُمْ
بِنَوَالِ لاَ نَزْرٍ ولاَ إِصْفارِ
They include those dwelling among them
Against the capricious times and bitterness of deprivation.
يتضمَّنُونَ لمنْ يجاورُ فيهِمُ
رَيْبَ الزَّمَانِ وكَبَّة َ الإِقْتَارِ
And the neighbor among them increases his gift
With the succession of disasters and rocks.
والجَارُ وَسْطَهُمُ يَزِيدُ عَطَاؤُهُ
بتتابعِ الهلكاتِ والأحجارِ
And I will compose for Khālid and his people
Praise that penetrates all caves for him.
ولأُحْدِثَنَّ لِخَالِدٍ ولِقَوْمِه
مَدْحاً يَغُورُ لَهُ بِكُلِّ مَغارِ
And they excel, whether pledging or reciting poetry
Without vying in pretentious odes.
ويفونَ إنْ عقدُوا، وإنْ أتلوْا حبَوا
دونَ التَّلاءِ بفخمة ٍ مذكارِ
O paternal uncle! No she-camel like you has withheld
Among the young of happy Yemen and tender sprouts.
يا خالِ، ما وشحتْ بمثلكِ ناقة ٌ
منْ صغْي ذي يمنٍ وجذمِ نزارِ
After the son of Āminah, the prophet Muḥammad,
Green toward thickets of trees.
بعدَ ابنِ آمنة َ النَّبيِّ محمَّدٍ
خُضْراً إلى لَفَفٍ مِن الأَشْجَارِ
He stretched out a hand to a tribe from his wealth
Without disturbance or commotion.
أندَى يداً لعشيرة ٍ منْ مالِهِ
في غيرِ تعتعة ٍ ولاَ اقْذحرارِ
And he veiled after an immense prestige
And freed in a cloak every captive.
وأسدَّ بعدَ ثأى ً لوهْي عظيمة ٍ،
وأفكَّ في قنعٍ لكلِّ إسارِ
And he spread benefit and attained great goals
For a brother who erred and a confused companion.
وأعمَّ منفعة ً، وأعظمَ نائلاً
لأخٍ أسَافَ وصَاحِبٍ مُحْتَارٍ
And he turned away from sin and exercised great restraint
Against an assailant who takes pride in plunging into the unknown.
وأصدَّ عنْ خطلٍ، وأحلمَ قدرة ً
عَنْ كَاشِحٍ يَسْتَنُّ بالأغْوَارِ
And he strengthened protection and delivered ample aid
When the decrees of fate descend upon you.
وأَشَدَّ مَحْمِيَة ً، وأَبْلَغَ صَوْلَة ً
لَكَ إِذْ تُحَطُّ عَوَاقِبُ الأَقْدَارِ
And he demonstrated in advice what had never before
Entered the minds of those with insight.
وأدَلَّ في عِظَة ٍ عَلَى مَالَمْ يَكُنْ
أبداً ليذهنَهُ ذوو الأبصارِ
What no one past attained, and its seeker
In origin, when absent, is one bound to perish.
مَا نَالَهَا أَحَدٌ مَضَى ، ومُرِيدُهُ
في الأَصْلِ، حِينَ تَغِيبُ، ذُو آصَارِ
And he intended, being cautious, that recklessness not shepherd
Until it kills both prudent and reckless.
وأودَّ، بعدَ حذارِ، أنْ لاَ يرعوِي
حَتَّى يُميتَ وَرِيدَ كُلِّ حَذَارِ
And he was most gentle in calm and farthest
In comfort, and most honorable to a neighbor.
وأجدَّ في دعة ٍ، وأبعدَ غاية ً
في روحة ٍ، وأعزَّ ذمَّة َ جارِ
And he showed, when fate frowned, the greatest
Capacity in the ruggedness of every misfortune and ease.
وأَشَدَّ، إِذْ زَنَأَ الزَّمَانُ، تَوَسُّعاً
في عِيصِ كُلِّ شَصِيبَة ٍ ويَسَارِ
If you were not a man, by what you see
You would be meat that even the contenders address respectfully.
لَوْ لَمْ تَكُنْ رَجُلاً لَكُنْتَ بِمَا تَرَى
لحماً تدينُ لهُ الأجادلُ ضارِي
A falcon that hunts by spreading its wings
And beak and hunts with talons.
صَقْرٌ، يَصيدُ إِذَا غَدَا بِجَنَاحِهِ
وبخطْمِهِ، ويصيدُ بالأظفارِ
He decides matters without a hiatus or pause
Persistently, arranging the ranks of castles.
يمضي الأمورَ، بلا وتيرة ِ فترة ٍ،
أَرِباً، يُقَوِّمُ أَسْهُمَ الأُسْوَارِ
Like the sword its polish made flawless and which
His resolve protected with the skulls of unbelievers.
كالسَّيفِ أخلصَهُ الجلاَءُ، وصانَهُ
تصميمُهُ بجماجمِ الكفَّارِ
He rises and retires with his interior filled
By his strength, and through him misfortunes have channels.
يُمْسي ويُصْبِحُ جَوْفُهُ مِنْ قُوتِهِ
وبِهِ لِمُخْتَلِفِ الهُمُومِ مَجَارِي
And a she-camel reserved her first lactation, and her caretaker
Was a remedy that will be at dawn.
وَسُمِيَّة ٌ بَكَرَتْ، وكَانَ وَلِيُّها
وطبٌ يكونُ إناهُ بالأسحارٍ
