فَيَغتَدي كَزَوجة البيطار

إِذ كَلَفَت بِالتاجر المكثار

So she went astray like the perfumer's wife

When the prosperous merchant travelled

كانَ صَديق زَوجها فَزاره

فَأبصَرته فاشتهت جواره

Her husband's friend came to visit him

She saw him and lusted for his company

قالَت فَتى ما إن بَدا عذاره

صورته يزينها يَساره

She said, "O youth, your charm shines forth

His image adorns him, his beauty on the left"

وَبَعلي البائِس شَيخ معدم

زوجته شَقية لا تنعم

While my wretched husband is an impoverished old man

His wife is miserable, knowing no comfort

فَسَألته الخلع بِالصداق

وَرَجَت الراحة بِالفِراق

So she asked him for divorce, returning the dowry

And hoped for peace through separation

وَراسَلَت ذاكَ الفَتى مذاكره

قالَ لَها ما أَنت إلا فاجره

And she sent messages to court that young man

He said to her, "You are nothing but a wanton woman

لَو كُنت ذات كَرَم وَعفه

ما كُنت بِالصحبة مستخفه

Had you possessed dignity and chastity

You would not have taken the companionship so lightly

أضعت حَق الشَّيخ وَالأَولاد

وَحُرمة الصُّحبة وَالوِداد

You neglected the Sheikh's rights and the children's

And the sanctity of companionship and affection"

فرجعت تَطلب صُلح بعلها

فَلَم يردها لقبيح فعلها

So she returned seeking reconciliation with her husband

But he would not accept her back, due to her ugly deed

فمكثت حائرة مذبذة

بهمها بينهما معذبه

So she remained confused and disturbed

Troubled between them, tortured

فَلَم يَزَل يغره وَيخدعه

بِقَوله وَفي نزار يَطمعه

And he did not cease to deceive and delude him

With his words and hints of help he made him covet

حَتّى غَزاهم في جُيوش لجبة

وَقادَ كُل سلهب وَسلهبه

Until the overwhelming armies attacked

And every tyrant and predator led

وَعامر يظهر عَنهُ الغفله

كَأَنَّهُ مِن أَمرِهِ في مهله

While Amir feigned ignorance

As if he was in no hurry for the matter

وَالحَي قَد لاموه كُل اللوم

قالوا أبحت أرضنا للقوم

And the people blamed him heavily

They said, "You left our land exposed to the enemy

وَأَنتَ رب قينة وزق

وَلَست للملك بمستحق

While you are lord of Qina and Zaq

And owe no allegiance to the king"

حَتَّى إِذا قيل غَداً يَلقاكا

انظر فَهَذا هُو قَد أَتاكا

Until when it was said, "Tomorrow he will meet you"

Behold, he has come to you now

قال غَداً ألقاه ثُم نادى

جاراً لَهُ يَسأله الإِسعادا

He called a neighbor of his

Asking his aid and fortune

قال لَهُ إِنك في دِياري

سنين لَم تذمم بِها جواري

He said to him, "In my lands

For years you have not violated my neighborhood

وَإِن تَكُن في يعرب منتَسِباً

تَدعو كَما يَدعون قَحطان أَبا

And if you claim descent among the Arabs

Calling Qahtan father as they do

فَأَنتَ في نِزار رَأياً وَهَوى

لَم تَر في جوارِها ما يَجتوي

You have not seen in Nizar a view or passion

Nor found comfort in their neighborhood

وَإِنَّ في قَومي مِن الرِّجال

مَن يَرتَضي لِمثل هَذي الحال

Yet among my people are men

Who would approve of this situation

لَكِنَّني اخترتك دون قَومي

لدفع خَطب قَد أَطارَ نَومي

But I have chosen you over my kinsmen

To avert the fears that troubled my sleep

فامضِ إِلى ابن عمنا بسطام

فَهوَ صَميم العرب الكِرام

So go to our cousin, Bastam

For he is the essence of noble Arabs

وَاِدفع إِلَيهِ هَذهِ الصحيفة

فَإِنَّها صَغيرة لطيفة

And give him this small, kind note

And say, 'You did me a great favor

وَقُل لَهُ جزيت عَني خَيراً

وَلا زَجَرت للنحوس طَيراً

And did not deter the sinister omens

For I have attained my goal

فَقَد تَوصلت إِلى مُرادي

وَجئتَني بزمر الأضداد

And you brought the hostile hordes to me

I lured them out of their forts by guile

أخرجتهم بِالكَيد مِن حصونِهم

وَسقتهم عُنفاً إِلى منونهم

And violently led them to their doom

And had I wished to invade them, I could not

وَلَو أَرَدت غَزوَهُم لَم أقدر

إِلا بإتعاب الجِياد الضمر

Save by wearying the enduring steeds

For they are far from me and obstinate

لبعدهم عَني وَامتِناعهم

فَإنهم كَالعصم في قِلاعهم

Like eagles in their mountain keeps

And they have met this misery and toil

وَقَد لَقوا هَذا الشقاءَ وَالنصب

وَحسرت خيولهم مِن التعَب

And their horses are worn out from exhaustion

While we are in our homes, at leisure

وَنَحنُ في البيوت وادعونا

لَم نتعب المقربة الصفونا

Having never tired our noble horses'

So kill the people's women and children

فاقتل نِساء القَوم وَالأَولادا

وَخرب الحُصون وَالبِلادا

And destroy the forts and towns

Then we will not remain here

ثُم فإنا ههنا لا نبقى

فأنت ذو تيقظ وَحذق

For you are of great vigilance and skill'

And Bastam had stayed due to illness

وَكانَ بسطام أَقام لمرض

خامره لَما غَزا فَما نَهَض

That had weakened him and kept him bedridden

Beware, O Ziyad, that you do not betray us

إياك يا زياد أَن تخونا

فَما فتئت ثقة مَأمونا

For the confidence of al-Mamun was never broken

Do not prefer your people out of zeal

لا تؤثرن قَومك للحميه

وَنسبة في الأَصل يعربيه

And the ancestral lineage of Arabs

Nor say, 'I am a Qahtani

وَلا تَقُل إِني قَحطاني

وَعامر أجنب عَدناني

While Amir is a foreign Adnani'

In secret leaning towards them

فَتنثَني إِلَيهم بسري

فَيحذرون حيلَتي وَمَكري

So they would suspect my guile and scheming

This advice comes purely from a dear friend

وَهَذِهِ مِن خالص العين بدر

خُذها وَبادر في الأُمور تبتدر

Take it, and seize the initiative in this endeavor"

So he went forth, heading towards Bastam

فَسارَ عَنهُ قاصِداً بسطاما

حَتَّى إِذا ما عاين الهماما

Until when he saw the protector

Among his people of the Arabs, he wavered

في قَومِهِ مِن يَعرُب تحيرا

في رَأيهِ وَعادَ قَد تَغَيرا

In his opinion and changed

And said, "Who will excuse me among the Arabs

وَقالَ مَن يعذرني في العرب

كَيفَ أَبيع طائِعاً بَني أَبي

If I willingly betray the sons of my father?

I fear that Adnan will kill them

أَخاف أَن تقتلهم عَدنان

فَيَمكث الناس وَلا قَحطان

And neither Qahtan nor Adnan remain

My roots are more deserving of me than the lands

أَصلي أولى بي مِن الديار

وَأُسرَتي لازمة الجوار

And my family is obliged to the neighborhood"

So at that moment Ziyad ibn Uthman ibn Rasan

فَجاءَ مِن ساعَتِهِ ذايزن

قالَ أبيت اللعن رب اليمن

From the best house in Yemen, came to him

He said, "I am Ziyad ibn Unwan ibn Rasan

أَنا زِياد بن عنان بن رَسَن

مِن خَير بَيت فاعلمنه في اليَمن

Know that I am from the best house in Yemen

Bloodshed drove me out from there

أَخرَجني مِنها دم أصبته

وَمُغرم في سيرَتي كسبته

And I gained experience from my conduct

Then I settled in the lands of Amir

ثُم نَزَلت في بِلاد عامر

مِن ذَلك الزَّمان كَالمُجاور

And have been like a neighbor since that time"

And he explained the story clearly to him

وَشَرح القصة شَرحاً واضِحاً

وسلم الكِتاب مِنهُ ناصِحاً

And handed over the letter sincerely

So when they read the scroll

فَفَرقوا إِذ قَرَأوا الصحيفه

وَاِنصَرَفوا مِن البِلاد خيفه

They dispersed from the land in fear

And left behind the valuables and burdens

وَخَلفوا الأَموال وَالأَثقالا

فَأَصبَحَت لِعامر أَنفالا

So Amir gained spoils in the morning

And he did not cease capturing and killing them

وَلَم يَزَل يأسرهم وَيقتل

مُبادِراً بِقَتلهم لا يمهل

Assailing and killing them without delay

Until when they reached their own lands

حَتَّى إِذا ما وَصَلوا دِيارَهُم

وَلَم يخل عامر معاشرهم

Amir did not spare their warriors

And when they felt safe, they killed Bastam

وَأَمنوا وَقَتَلوا بسطاما

وَنالَ مِنهُم عامر ما راما

And Amir attained what he desired from them

So is plotting, and whoever plots

كَذَلِكَ الكيد وَمَن يَكيد

يَنَل مِن الأُمور ما يُريد

Attains what he wants from matters

Whoever betrays heedlessly

فَإِن مَن يَغدر غَير ناظر

في أَمرِهِ مثل جابر

Is like a fleecer in his affairs