أَلا إِنَّ سَلمى عَن هَوانا تَسَلَّتِ
وَبَتَّت قُوى ما بَينَنا وَأَدَلَّتِ
Behold, Salma has outgrown her infatuation
And severed what was between us, turning away,
وَإِن يَكُ صُرماً أَو دَلالاً فَطالَ ما
بِلا رِقبَةٍ عَنَّت سُلَيمى وَمَلَّتِ
And were it an ankle ring or a necklace discarded
She threw off her collar with no care for obligation.
وَلَم يَبقَ فيما بَينَنا غَيرَ أَنَّها
تُحيرُ إِذا حَيَّيتُ قَولَ المُبَلَّتِ
Nothing was left between us save her bewilderment
When I greet her, at the speech of one enamored.
وَإِنّي إِذا رَدّت عَلَيَّ تَحِيَّةً
أَقولُ لَها اِخضَرَّت عَلَيكِ وَطُلَّتِ
And when she returns my greeting, I say to her
“Greenery be upon you, and may you be well adorned!”
عَداني عَنها إِنَّني كُلَّ شارِقٍ
أَهُزُّ لِحَربٍ ذاتِ نيرَينِ أَلَّتي
Passion has denied me her; each dawn
I ready myself for a two-edged sword’s onset.
أُذيبُ عَن أَحسابِ قَحطانَ إِنَّني
أَنا اِبنُ بَني بِطحائِها حَيثُ حَلَّتِ
I ease the accounts of Qahtan's droughts—I am
Of Bani Buhaitha's sons, wherever they alighted.
أَنا اِبنُ بَني نَفرِ بنُ قَيسِ بنُ جَحدَرٍ
بَني كُلِّ عَطّافٍ إِذا الخَيلُ وَلَّتِ
I am a son of Bani Nizar, sons of Qais son of Juhdir,
Sons of every knight when the steeds take flight.
لَنا مِن حِجازَي طَيِّئٍ كُلُّ مَعقِلٍ
عَزيزٍ إِذا دارُ الأَذَلَّينَ حُلَّتِ
We have in Hejazi Ta'i every mighty fortress
When the abode of the downtrodden is dissolved.
لِكُلِّ أُناسٍ مِن مَعَدِّ عَمارَةٌ
لَنا دِمنَةٌ آثارُها قَد أُطِلَّتِ
For every people of Ma'add there is a landmark—
Ours are ruins whose traces have been effaced.
لَنا نِسوَةٌ لَم يَجرِ فيهِنَّ مَقسِمٌ
إِذا ما العَذارى بِالرِماحِ اِستُحِلَّتِ
We have women war booty has not despoiled,
As when undefiled maids were made lawful.
وَما اِبتَلَتِ الأَقوامُ لَيلَةَ حُرَّةٍ
لَنا عَنوَةً إِلّا بِمَهرٍ مُبَلَّتِ
Tribes were never afflicted on a pitch-black night
As we afflicted them, without paying the bride price.
بِأَيِّ بِلادٍ تَطلُبُ العِزَّ بَعدَما
بِمَولِدِها هانَت تَميمٌ وَذَلَّتِ
In what land after its birth brought low Tamim’s glory
Do you seek glory? Tamim bent in humility!
أَقَرَّت تَميمٌ لِاِبنِ دَحمَةَ حُكمَهُ
وَكانَت إِذا سيمَت هَواناً أَقَرَّتِ
Tamim conceded authority to Dulhamah's son.
And when it lost glory it re-pledged its loyalty.
وَكانَت نَميمٌ وَسطَ قَحطانَ إِذ سَمَت
كَمَقذوفَةٍ في البَحرِ لَيلاً فَضَلَّتِ
Once Nu'aim stood amidst Qahtan as one flung
Into the sea in darkest night, left adrift.
وَنَجّاكَ مِن أَزدِ العِراقِ كَتائِبٌ
لِقَحطانِ أَهلِ الشامِ لَمّا اِستَهَلَّتِ
Qahtan's Syrian tribes saved you from Azd Iraq—
When death throes began, they came to your aid.
هُمُ الفاتِقونَ الراتِقونَ وَأَنتُمُ
عَضاريطُ لِلسَوءاتِ حَيثُ اِستُحِلِّتِ
They split, you mended; they purified, you corrupted,
Wherever depravities were made licit.
وَيَفتُقُ جانينا وَنَرُتُقُ فَتقَهُ
إِذا ما عَظيماتُ الأُمورِ اِستَجَلَّتِ
Our rifts will heal while their crevasses split
When towering matters come to pass.
بِجَيشٍ مِنَ الأَنصارِ لَو قَذَفوا بِهِ
شَماريخَ رَضوى الشامِخاتِ لَخَرَّتِ
With an army of Helpers we could cast them forth
And overturn even Rauda's firm-standing peaks.
إِذا المِنبَرُ الغَربِيُّ زُعزِعَ مَتنُهُ
وَطَدنا لَهُ أَركانَهُ فَاِستَقَرَّتِ
Whenever the eastern pulpit’s pillar shakes
We buttress its corners `till stability it regains.
بِهِم بَيَّضَ اللَهُ الخِلافَةَ كُلَّما
رَأَوا نَعلَ صِنديدٍ عَنِ الحَقِّ زَلَّتِ
Through them Allah elevated the Caliphate. Whenever
They saw the slipper of one pure sway and turn askance,
بِهِم نَصَرَ اللَهُ النَبِيَّ وَأُثبِتَت
عُرى الحَقِّ في الإِسلامِ حَتّى اِستَمَرَّتِ
Through them Allah gave victory to the Prophet, affirming
The bonds of Truth in Islam till perpetuity it gained.
وَهُم دَمَغوا بِالحَقِّ أَيّامَ خالِدٍ
شَياطينَ أَهلِ الشِركِ حَتّى اِطمَأَنَّتِ
They stained the devils of idolaters in Khalid’s era with blood
Till reassured and tranquility again she obtained.
شَياطينُ مِن قَيسٍ وَخِندِفَ غَرَّها
مِنَ اللَهِ ما كانَت سَجاحٍ تَمَنَّتِ
Deluded devils of Qais and Khindif enraged by
What fate had denied them—things ne’er attained.
فَإِن يَكُ مِنّا مَوقِدوها فَإِنَّنا
بِنا أُخمِدَت نيرانُها وَاِضمَحَلَّتِ
If we rekindle the pyre then we are the ones
Who quenched its flames till they faded away.
مُلوكٌ أَصابَتها مُلوكٌ بِحَقِّها
وَما بيعَ آجالٌ لَها إِذ أُطِلَّتِ
Kings who took their turn until its rightful owners returned,
With no fixed terms sold when respite was gained.
أَفَخراً تِميميّاً إِذا فِتنَةٌ خَبَت
وَلُؤماً إِذا ما المَشرَفِيَّةُ سُلَّتِ
A Tamim-pride emerges when sedition dies down,
And vileness, when the noble station’s regained.
وَلَو خَرَجَ الدَجّالُ يَنشُدُ ذِمَّةً
لَزافَت تَميمٌ حَولَهُ وَاِحزَأَلَّتِ
Even if the Antichrist came seeking protection,
Tamim would flutter around him—and feel constrained!
فَراشُ ضَلالٍ بِالعِراقِ وَجَفوَةٍ
إِذا ماتَ مَيتٌ مِن قُرَيشٍ أَهَلَّتِ
A dross in Iraq and unscrupulous in treachery
When a death occurs in Quraish, they cry in elation.
فَخَرتَ بِيَومِ العَقرِ شَرقِيَّ بابِلٍ
وَقَد جَبُنَت فيهِ تَميمٌ وَقَلَّتِ
You fell at Aqra’, east of Babylon, when
Tamim lost courage and battlements regained.
فَخَرتَ بِيَومٍ لَم يَكُن لَكَ فَخرُهُ
وَقَد نَهِلَت مِنكَ الرِماحُ وَعَلَّتِ
You fell one day glory isn’t rightfully yours.
Spears flowed into you as your throngs took flight.
كَفَخرِ الإِمامِ الرائِحاتِ عَشِيَّةً
بِرَقمِ حُدوجِ الحَيِّ حينَ اِستَقَلَّتِ
Like an Imam scenting prey as night descends
On horseback at the plain of Huduj arrayed.
فَبِالعَقرِ قَتلى مِن تَميمٍ خَبيثَةٌ
وَلِلمِصرِ أُخرى مِنهُمُ ما أُجِنَّتِ
At Aqra’, Tamim's casualties: a wretched lot.
Others: to Egypt their ranks made headway.
فَما لَقِيَت قَتلى تَميمٍ شَهادَةً
وَلا صَبَرَت لِلحَربِ حينَ اشمَعَلَّتِ
Never were Tamim’s casualties martyred.
Never did they show valor when war drums beat.
فَأَينَ تَميمٌ يَومَ تَخطِرُ بِالقَنا
كَتائِبُ مِنّا أَظعَنَت وَأَحَلَّتِ
Where is Tamim when columns of our men threaten,
Squadrons from us: roaring, vicious, belts fastened tight?
كَتائِبُ مِن قَحطانَ بِالعَفرِ أَوقَعَت
وَقائِعَ فيها أَعظَمَت وَأَجَلَّتِ
Qahtan columns in dust clouds effected many
Great feats there while most splendid feats displayed.
تَميمٌ بِطُرقِ اللُؤمِ أَهدى مِنَ القَطا
وَلَو سَلَكَت طُرقَ المَكارِمِ ضَلَّتِ
Tamim knows the ways of vileness better than a wild cat,
And if it walked the noble path—it would stray!
أَرى اللَيلَ يَجلوهُ النَهارُ وَلا أَرى
خِلالَ المَخازي عَن تَميمٍ تَجَلَّتِ
I see night overcome by day, but never see
A gap in Tamim’s shame for the light of day.
وَضَبَّةُ تَهجوني وَكانَت لِطَيِّئٍ
قَطيناً فَأَضحت غَيرَهُم قَد تَوَلَّتِ
The Thahji tribe mocks me—and to Tai’i
It was once an ally. Then it slipped away.
وَعُكلُ عُبَيدِ التَيمِ وَالتَيمُ أَعبُدٌ
إِذا قيلَ خَلّي عَن حِياضِكَ خَلَّتِ
And Ukal—Tamim's slaves, and Tamim is more enslaved,
If told vacate your courtyard, it slipped away.
وَنَحنُ ضَرَبنا يَومَ نِعفَي بُزاخَةٍ
مَعَدّاً عَلى الإِسلامِ حَتّى تَوَلَّتِ
We crushed Ma'add at Ni'fai's day, until
Tai'i unsheathed swords and joined the fray.
وَحَتّى اِستَقادَت قَيسُ عَيلانَ عَنوَةً
وَصامَت تَميمٌ لِلسُيوفِ وَصَلَّتِ
Until Qais Ailan took back its women by force
While Tamim submitted to the swords at play.
لَعَمري لَقَد سارَت سَجاحٌ بِقَومِها
فَلَمّا أَتَت عِزَّ اليَمامَةِ حَلَّتِ
By my life, Sajaah led her tribe on the move
But when Yamamah’s glory arrived, there they stayed.
فَدارَسَها البَكرِيُّ حَتّى اِستَزَلَّها
فَأَضحَت عَروساً فيهِمُ قَد تَجَلَّتِ
Till the Bakri harried them about, humbled them
So she became their bride bedecked on display.
فَتِلكَ نَبِيُّ الحَنظَلِيّينَ أَصبَحَت
مُضَمَّخَةً في خِدرَها قَد تَظَلَّتِ
And that Hanthalite prophet then appeared
Soiled in her burrow, cloaked in shade.
فَلَو أَنَّ يَربوعاً يُزَقَّقُ مَسكُهُ
إِذاً نَهِلَت مِنهُ تَميمٌ وَعَلَّتِ
If Warbo'a is crushed for his musk,
Then Tamim would draw from it and display.
وَلَو أَنَّ بُرغوثاً عَلى ظَهرِ قَملَةٍ
يَكُرُّ عَلى صَفَّي تَميمٍ لَوَلَّتِ
If a flea on the back of a louse
Could attack Tamim’s ranks—they would sway.
وَلَو جَمَعَت يَوماً تَميمٌ جُموعَها
عَلى ذَرَّةٍ مَعقولَةٍ لَاِستَقَلَّتِ
If Tamim gathered its groups one day
Upon one rational being—it would break!
وَلَو أَنَّ أُمَّ العُنكَبوتِ بَنَت لَهُم
مِظَلَّتَها يَومَ النَدى لِأَكَنَّتِ
If the spider mother wove for them
Her canopy on a dewy day—it would shade!
ذَبَحنا فَسَمَّينا فَحَلَّ ذَبيحُنا
وَما ذَبَحَت يَوماً تَميمٌ فَسَمَّتِ
We sacrifice, then distribute the meat. Our sacrifice is valid
While Tamim never sacrifices or distributes.
أَفاضَت إِلى البَيتِ الحَرامِ بِحَجَّةٍ
فَلَمّا أَتَتهُ نافَقَت وَتَخَلَّتِ
They came to Mecca on hajj and pilgrim garb donned
But once there, hypocrisy and discord displayed.
أَفادَت تَميمٌ قَيسَ عَيلانَ وَاِتَّقَت
تَميمٌ بِأَستاهِ النِساءِ وَفَرَّتِ
Tamim taught Qais Ailan women their relaxed ways
While Tamim's women fled their protectors in dismay.
تَرَكتُم غَداةَ المِربَدَينِ نِساءَكُم
لَقَحطانَ لَمّا أَبرَقَت وَاِكفَهَرَّتِ
You left your women for Qahtan, the morn
Al-Mirbad's lightning struck and clouds arrayed.
إِذا الشامُ لَم تَثبُت مِنابِرُ مُلكِهِ
وَطَدنا لَهُ أَركانَهُ فَاِستَقَرَّتِ
If Syria’s kingdom thrones do not stand firm,
We buttress its corners `till stability it regains.
