أَلاَ يا صَاحِ مَنْ للمَجْدِ صَاحٍ
ونَخْوَةِ طامحِ العينينِ طَاحِ
Oh you who calls for glory, who voices
The tenderness of one whose eyes yearn -
كأَنَّ الدهرَ تفضحُه ذُنوبي
فليس سِوى بِعَادي واطرّاحي
As if my sins have shamed the ages -
I have but my caprice and mischief.
وغايةُ هذه الدُّنيا فَسَادٌ
فكيفَ نكونُ منها في صَلاحِ
The goal of worldly life is corruption.
How can we within it find righteousness?
هي الخَرقَاءُ تَنْقضُ بعدَ نَسْجٍ
فما فيها لحيٍّ من فَلاَحِ
This dilapidated world unravels what is woven.
No living soul succeeds through it.
يَؤولُ به الشَّبابُ الى مَشِيبٍ
ويسْلِمُهُ الغُدُوُّ الى الرَّواحِ
Youth leads to aging which leads to the grave,
And the morn hands him over to the winds.
وقد فتِنَ الأَنامُ بها وغُرُّوا
كما يُغْتَرُّ بالحَدَقِ المِلاحِ
The people are tempted by it and fooled
As the mirage fools the saline terrain.
وتأخذُ من جَوانبنا الليالي
كما أَخذَ المَسَاءُ من الصَّباحِ
The nights take from our sides
As the evening takes from the morn.
أَمَا في أَهْلِهَا رَجُلٌ لَبِيبٌ
يحسُّ فيَشْتكِي أَلمَ الجِرَاحِ
Is there not among its people a reasonable man
Who feels and complains of the pain of wounds?
أَرى التَّشْميرَ فيها كالتَّواني
وحِرْمَانَ العَطِيَّةِ كالنَّجاحِ
I see reluctance in it to be haste
And deprivation as attainment.
وَمَنْ لبسَ التُّرابَ كمنْ علاه
فلا تَغْرُرْكَ أنفاسُ الرِّيَاحِ
He who wears dust is as he who wore it.
Do not be fooled by breaths of wind.
وكيفَ يكِدُ مُهْجَتَهُ حَريصٌ
يَرى الارزاقَ في ضَربِ القِداح
How can one who seeks his ruin tire himself
When he sees that fate is cast?
لعَمْرُ أَبي لمَمتَعِضٌ حَريُصٌ
الى العلياءِ مُنْخرِط الجِمَاحِ
By my father I am a weary, greedy man
Stretching his wings to reach the heights.
كَصَدْرِ الذابلِ الخطّيّ أَهدَى
اليهِ المَجْدُ شُكْري وامتدَاحِي
Like the breast of a fading horse, my glory
And praise are for you, most generous.
أَحَبُّ اليَّ مِنْ بَذْلِ العَطايا
وجُردِ الخَيلِ والنعْمِ المُراحِ
I love more than gifts, horses, and possessions
Praise protected, not freely permitted.
وأَجدر أنْ يُتَاحَ له ثَنَاءٌ
مَصُونٌ غير متبذلٍ مُباحِ
A man gives you deeds discreetly
And no words vainly uttered.
فتى يُعْطيكَ فِعْلاً في حَياءٍ
ولا يُعطيكَ قولاً في ارتَياحِ
As though in my plight, I complained
To a submissive man, restless in worry;
كأَني اذْ شكوتُ شكوتُ مابي
الى مُتَذَللٍ قَلِقِ الوِشَاحِ
A loathing eye and passion
Rushing to scorn my disgrace.
يَصُدُّ بوجههِ وَهَواهُ عينٌ
على هينيَّ عارِمَةُ الطمَاحِ
And a bold man set to noble deeds
Transcending wine and while being sober.
وَشَمَّرَ للمكارمِ شَمَّرِيُّ
تَخَالُ به المُدامةَ وهو صَاحِ
High of purpose, his comfort rises
To the nobility of courage and generosity.
رفيعُ الهمِ تنهض راحتاهُ
الى شَرفِ الشَّجَاعَةِ والسَّمَاحِ
He surprised them, a wealthy man, when he met
The present might discarding weapons.
فَفَاجَأَهُمْ غنيٌّ حين يَلْقَى
بحاضرِ شوكتيهِ عن السِّلاحِ
Carefree, advancing assured
To the edge of blades and armor.
رَخيُّ البَالِ يُقْدِمُ مُطْمَئِنّاً
على حَدِّ الأَسِنَّةِ والصِّفَاحِ
The horses' chests were struck by his
Unstoppable cries and shouts.
وقد رُميتْ صُدورُ الخَيْلِ منهُ
بمَاضٍ لا يُهَدُّ من الصِّيَاحِ
The nimble-footed horse refuses cunning
Jabbing at the tips of spears.
جَريُّ الوثب يَرْغَبُ عن مكَرٍّ
يُعَاسِل فيه أطرافَ الرِّمَاحِ
He relieved their distress and lit their darkness,
The wise of will defies every villain.
فَفَرجَ كَربَها وَجَلا عَمَاهَا
ذلوقُ العَزمِ يعْصي كلَّ لاحِ
He did not consider the nights' cycles
Or the hopes of blissful outcomes.
ولم يَرقُبْ بها دولَ الليالى
ولا عدةَ الأَمانى بالفَلاحِ
Through him, the palms of my hands have attained
Success preceding my steps forward.
به نالتْ بنانُ يَدى وطالتْ
أَمامَ الزَّفِ قَادِمَتَا جَنَاحي
I was not the first to see him,
Smooth of skin, prosperous of regions.
وَمَا وُدِّى لأول من تَرَاهُ
صقيل البشْر مَعْمُورَ النَّواحي
Deeds have preceded him in my eyes,
Clarifying his frank generosity.
وقد سَبقتْ له عندى أَيادٍ
مُبيناتٌ من الكرم الصُّرَاحِ
Those traits, O son of Nasr,
Cannot be erased by time.
وتلك على السَّوالفِ يا بنَ نَصْرٍ
سِمَاتٌ ليس يَمْحُوهُنَّ مَاحِ
