ما العِزُّ إِلّا في عَوالي الرِماح
أَو في شِفارِ الباتِراتِ الصِفاح
Glory comes from spear tips thrust,
Or edges of sharp swords that clash.
لا يَختَشي فَوتَ العُلا ضارِبٌ
بِنَفسِهِ في الهَولِ ضَربَ القِداح
He who seeks glory unafraid if it eludes him,
Striking his own soul with dread and terror.
إِن أَدرَكَ الأَمرَ الَّذي رامَهُ
فازَ وَإِن ذاقَ الحِمامَ اِستَراح
If he attains what he hoped, he prevails,
If he tastes death, he finds rest.
يا صاحِ شَمِّر في اِستِباقِ العُلى
وَانهَض إِلى الرِزقِ بِباقي الجَناح
Rouse yourself, my friend, to pursue the heights!
Rise up toward sustenance with what strength remains.
عَلَيكَ أَن تَسعى لِشَيءٍ وَما
عَلَيكَ أَن تَضمَنَ عُقبى النَجاح
Yours it is to strive for something, not
Yours to guarantee success.
ما أَحسَنَ الجَدَّ إِذا نالَهُ
صاحِبُهُ بِالجِدِّ لا بِالمُزاح
How fine is serious work if
The worker treats it seriously, not as jest.
لا يُدرِكُ العَلياءَ إِلّا فَتىً
مِثلُ أَبي العُلوانِ بَحرِ السَماح
Only a hero like Abu 'l-Ulwan will gain
Glory's summits, so free with gifts.
مُعتَسِفُ الهِمَّةِ لا يَرتَضي
لِنَفسِهِ بِالسَلمِ دُونَ الكِفاح
His spirit loathes to accept peace
Without struggle, his due denied.
يَحتَقِرُ المَوتَ وَيَغشى الوَغى
بِجُؤجُؤٍ ثَبتٍ وَوَجهٍ وَقاح
He scorns death, undaunted by violence,
Steadfast, bold-faced, nothing can shift him.
كَأَنَّما تَحتَ جَلابِيبِهِ
أَغلبُ لا يَثنِيهِ وَخزُ الرِماح
As if his coat of mail holds
An unconquerable army no spear can pierce.
تَمشي بِهِ سَلهَبَةٌ شَطبَةٌ
أَو سَلهَبٌ شَطبٌ كَثيرُ المَراح
With him paces a slim-waisted beauty
Or a slender-waisted knight much inclined to jest.
كَأَنَّما دُهمَتُهُ ظُلمَةٌ
وَوَجهُهُ أَوَّلُ فَجرِ الصَباح
His darkness is like the night coming on,
His face the break of dawn.
يَجرِي وَتَجري الرِيحُ في إِثرِهِ
فَيَلحَقُ الفُرصَةَ قَبلَ الرِياح
He runs, the wind runs after him,
He outstrips chance before misfortunes arrive.
مُؤَدَّبُ الأَعضاءِ مُستَحسَنٌ
ماشِينَ بِالبُهرِ وَلا بِالجِماح
Well-trained in all his limbs, handsome,
Walking proudly, no prancing ostentation.
كَالغادَةِ الحَسناءِ أَرسانُهُ
تَلعَبُ في هادِيهِ لُعبَ الوِشاح
His steed's like a lovely, playful girl
Tossing her plaits in sport.
يَكادُ أَن يَختِمَ مِن وَطئِهِ
صُخُورَ البِطاح
His horse all but seals the rocks
With its stamp, so heavy its tread.
لَهُ سَبِيبٌ مُسبَلٌ خَلفَهُ
كَأَنَّهُ فَرعُ الفَتاةِ الرَداح
Behind him a flowing tail that seems
A girl's plaited locks undone.
إِذا مَشى سَدَّ بِهِ فَرجَهُ
مِثلَ عَثاكِيلِ نَخيلِ القَراح
When he walks his thighs close
Like palm trunks near springs that murmur.
وَيَسمَعُ الجَرسَ بِمَنصُوبِةٍ
كَأَنَّها قادِمَةٌ في جَناح
His bells speak to him in rhythmic tones
As if they came on wings.
تُخبِرُهُ بِالغَيبِ في لَيلَةٍ
لا يَستَطِيعُ الكَلبُ فِيها النُباح
They tell him of mysteries on nights too dark
For dogs even to bark.
لَيلاءَ مِثلِ العَينِ مَطمُوسَةٍ
لا تَملِكُ المُقلَةُ فيها الطِماح
Nights black as blinded eyes
Where stars cannot glance or gleam.
مُسوَدَّةِ الأَرجاءِ مُشتَقَّةٍ
في اللَونِ مِن لَونِ المَساعي القِباح
Darkness spreads, growing
From the ugly deeds of villains.
طِرفٌ إِذا باراهُ طَرفُ الفَتى
عادَ وَما أَدرَكَهُ بِالتِماح
A glance his eyes bestow on a lad
Returns baffled, no audacity left in it.
عَوَّدَهُ أَبلَجُ مِن عامِرٍ
مَغدىً إِلى مَلحَمَةٍ أَو مَراح
The water-meadows of 'Amir accustomed him
To feasts or to forays and raids.
إِمّا لِعِزٍّ بِالقَنى يُبتَنى
أَو لِحِمىً في بَلَدٍ يُستَباح
Either to honor bound fast by vows
Or to defend a land given up for pillage.
وَنَصبُ عَينيّ فَتىً ماجِدٌ
سِلاحُهُ النَصرُ وَنِعمَ السِلاح
My eyes are set on a hero whose arms
Bring triumph - finest of trophies.
مَن قاسَ بِالسُحبِ نَدى كَفِّهِ
أَيقَنَ أَنَّ السُحبَ بَحرٌ شَحاح
Whoever matched his hand's rain with clouds'
Knew the clouds had scant generosity.
ما لِلغَوادي نَفعُ إِحسانِهِ
وَإِنَّما وَصف الغَوادي اِصطِلاح
Of no use are water-meadows' gifts -
The name water-meadow but borrowed finery.
وَكَم لِفَخرِ المُلكِ مِن مِنَّةٍ
بَنَت لَهُ العِزَّ الرَفيعَ النَواح
Many gifts honor brought the ruler
Raising glory's cry ever higher.
ما نَظَرَ الناظِرُ في وَجهِهِ
إِلّا وَأَيقَنتَ لَهُ بِالفَلاح
None looked him in the face
But knew good fortune was his.
فَتىً إِذا ضاقَت سَجايا الفَتى
كانَت سَجاياهُ الرِحابَ الفِساح
A hero, if other heroes' souls are cramped,
His soul is spacious and lavish.
تَكادُ أَن تَشرَبَ أَخلاقُهُ
مِن طِيبِها شُربَ الزُلالِ القَراح
His noble traits could almost
Drink up the limpid rainwater and have their fill.
لَولاهُ لَم يَبقَ فَتىً يُرتَجى
وَلا جَوادٌ مُفضِلٌ يُستَماح
But for him no lad of promise would remain
No steed of worth men ask to borrow.
يا مَلِكاً طَوّحَ إِحسانُهُ
شُكري إِلى كُلِّ مَكانٍ فَطاح
O king whose gifts of bounty sent
My thanks scattering everywhere.
وَباتَ في الآفاقِ حَمدي لَهُ
يَشكُو اِغتِراباً دائِماً وَانتِزاح
While my praise of him remains in every region
Complaining of banishment and long exile.
لِلناسِ مُدّاحٌ فَما بالُهُم
يَعمَونَ عَن هَذي القَوافي الفِصاح
People have one who praises them - why then
Ignore these eloquent verses?
ما الفَضلُ لِلأَصواتِ في حُسنِها
الفَضلُ في نَظمِ المَعاني المِلاح
No merit lies in pleasant voices -
Merit lies in apt construction.
سَلني عَنِ الشِعرِ وَسَلهُم تَجِد
أَكثَرَنا ذا خَجَلٍ وَافتِضاح
Ask me of poetry, ask them, you will find
Most tongue-tied, abashed, not free-spoken.
وَلَيلَةٍ كَلَّفتُ صَحبي بِها
خَبطَ الدُجى باليَعمَلاتِ الطِلاح
One night I tasked my companions and they
Blundered in the dark against tent pegs.
إِلى فَتىً مُنَشِرحٍ صَدرُهُ
لِطالِبي المَعرُوف أَيَّ اِنشِراح
A lad with generous heart greets them
At dawn - radiant his visage.
لاحَ مَعَ الصُبحِ لَهُم وَجهُهُ
فَما دَرَوا أَيَّ الصَباحَينِ لاج
They know not which dawn shines brighter,
His or the one that comes with early morning.
يا عُدَّةَ الدَولَةِ يا مَن لَهُ
مالٌ مُباحٌ وَحِمىً لا يُباح
O mainstay of the state, you who own
Wealth none forbid, and others hold inviolate.
عِرضُكَ أَعدى الأَرضَ حَتّى غَدَت
بَيضاءَ تُزهى في قَميصٍ لَياح
Your virtue made the world so bright
It gleams like white robes washed clean.
تُظَنُّ بِالكافُورِ مَفروشَةً
أَو بِرِياضِ النَورِ نَورِ الأَقاح
You'd think it sprinkled with camphor
Or graced with gardens filled with light.
اُنظُر إِلى الأَجيالِ مَبيَضَّةً
كَأَنَّها في العَينِ بَيضُ الأَداح
Behold generations made white
Like eggs in the eye of the cook.
أَحسَنُ مِنها مَنظَراً راحَةٌ
كَرِيمَةٌ حامِلَةٌ كاسَ راح
Lovelier than these to look upon
Is a generous goblet brimming with joy.
فَاِنهَض إِلى اللَذَةِ مُستَمتِعاً
بِالعَيشِ لا ذُقتَ الحِمامَ المُتاح
Arise, take your pleasure, make merry,
Taste the permitted, leave the forbidden untried.
وَاسعَد بِعيدٍ شابَ مِن طُولِ ما
لاقاهُ مِن شَوقٍ وَفَرطِ اِرتِياح
Rejoice in a feast that dispelled by its length
Yearning heaped on yearning.
لا زِلتَ مَسعوداً بِأَمثالِهِ
في نِعمَةٍ قالَت لَنا لا بَراح
Still may you remain blessed by its like
While bounty tells us - no parting.
