تَقولُ اِبنَةَ العَبسِيِّ قَد شِبتَ بَعدَنا
وَكُلُّ اِمرِئٍ بَعدَ الشَبابِ يَشيبُ
The daughter of al-Absi says you have aged after us
And every man ages after youth
وَما الشَيبُ إِلّا غائِبٌ كانَ جائِياً
وَما القَولُ إِلّا مُخطِئٌ وَمُصيبُ
Aging is but an absent thing that was present
And speech is either erring or right
تَقولُ سُلَيمى ما لَجِسمِكَ شاحِباً
كَأَنَّكَ يَحميكَ الشَرابَ طَبيبُ
Sulaima said why has your body become pale
As if wine protects you, o physician
فَقُلتُ وَلَم أَعيَ الجَوابَ وَلَم أَبُح
وَلِلدَهرِ في الصُمِّ الصِلابِ نَصيبُ
So I answered without knowing the answer or confessing
While fate laughs in silence at the obstinate soul
تَتابُعُ أَحداثٍ يُجَرِّعنَ إِخوَتي
فَشَيَّبنَ رَأسي وَالخُطوبُ تُشيبُ
Events follow each other that make my brothers drink
And turned my hair white while sorrows whiten
لَعَمري لَئِن كانَت أَصابَت مَنِيَّةٌ
أَخي وَالمَنايا لِلرِجالِ شَعوبُ
By my life if death has struck
My brother, and deaths are gifts for men
لَقَد كانَ أَمّا حِلمُهُ فَمُرَوِّحٌ
عَلَيَّ وَأَمّا جَهلُهُ فَعَزيبُ
His forbearance was refreshing for me
While his ignorance was blazing
أَخي ما أَخي لا فاحِشٌ عِندَ ريبَةٍ
وَلا وَرِعٌ عِندَ اللِقاءِ هَيوبُ
My brother, no debaucher in suspicion
Nor chaste at the meeting of maidens
أَخٌ كانَ يَكفيني وكانَ يُعينُني
عَلى النائِباتِ السُودِ حينَ تَنوبُ
A brother who was enough for me and who helped me
Against black misfortunes when they take turns
حَليمٌ إِذا ما سَورَةُ الجَهلِ أَطلَقَت
حُبى الشَيبِ لِلنَفسِ اللَجوجِ غَلوبُ
Forbearing when the surah of ignorance recited
The necklaces of old age on the stubborn soul
هُوَ العَسَلُ الماذِيُّ حِلماً وَشيمَةً
وَلَيثٌ إِذا لاقى العُداةَ قَطوبُ
He's sweet honey in forbearance and manners
And a lion when meeting rebels
هَوَت أُمُّهُ ما يَبعَثُ الصُبحُ غادِياً
وَماذا يَوَدُّ اللَيلُ حينَ يَؤوبُ
His mother fell when the dawn rises
And what the night wants when it becomes dark
هَوَت أُمُّهُ ماذا تَضَمَّنَ قَبرُهُ
مِنَ المَجدِ وَالمَعروفِ حينَ يَنوبُ
His mother fell, what does his grave contain
Of glory and kindness when it changes
فَتىً أَريحِيٌّ كانَ يَهتَزُّ لِلنَدى
كَما اِهتَزَّ مِن ماءِ الحَديدِ قَضيبُ
A youth of 'Urahi whose virility shook for dew
As the iron rod shook from water
كَعالِيَةِ الرُمحِ الرُدَينِيِّ لَم يَكُن
إِذا اِبتَدَرَ القَومُ العُلاءَ يَخيبُ
Like the spear point of the slim spear, he was not
Disappointed when the people asked for the most high
أَخو سَنواتٍ يَعلَمُ الضَيفُ أَنَّهُ
سَيُكثِرُ ماءً في إِناهُ يَطيبُ
A brother whose years, the guest knows
That he will pour plenty of water in his springs
حَبيبٌ إِلى الزُوّارِ غِشيَانُ بَيتِهِ
جَميلُ المُحَيّا شَبَّ وَهوَ أَديبُ
Beloved to visitors, his home always filled
Beautifully greeting while growing into a poet
إِذا قَصَّرَت أَيدي الرِجال عَنِ العُلا
تَناوَلَ أَقصى المَكرُماتِ كَسوبُ
When the hands of men fall short of high deeds
Dhaw' takes up the furthest generous deeds
جموعُ خِلالِ الخَيرِ مِن كُلِّ جانِبٍ
إِذا حَلَّ مَكروهٌ بِهِنَّ ذَهوبُ
He gathered all threads of goodness from every side
When misfortune befell them, they were safe
مُفيدٌ لِمَلقى الفائِداتِ مُعاوِدٌ
لِفِعلِ النَدى وَالمَكرُماتِ نَدوبُ
Beneficial in finding benefits, repeating
Acts of help and generosity are his scars
وَداعٍ دعا هَل مَن يُجيبُ إِلى النَدى
فَلَم يَستَجِبهُ عِندَ ذاكَ مُجيبُ
A supplicant supplicating, is there anyone responding to help
But then there was no respondent
فَقُلتُ اِدعُ أُخرى وَاِرفَعِ الصَوتَ جَهرةً
لَعَلَّ أَبا المِغوارِ مِنكَ قَريبُ
So I said, supplicate again and raise your voice aloud
Perhaps Abu Mighwar is near you
يُجِبكَ كَما قَد كانَ يَفعَلُ إِنَّهُ
بِأَمثالِها رَحبُ الذِراعِ أَريبُ
He will answer you as he used to do, he
Of wide arms was quicker to respond
أَتاكَ سَريعاً وَاِستَجابَ إِلى النَدى
كَذالِكَ قَبلَ اليَومِ كانَ يُجيبُ
He came to you swiftly and responded to help
That's how he used to respond before today
كَأَنَّهُ لَم يَدعُ السَوابِحُ مَرَّةً
إِذا اِبتَدَرَ الخَيلَ الرِجالُ نَجيبُ
As if the swimming horses never stopped
When the men harnessed the excellent horses
فَتىً لا يُبالي أَن تَكونَ بِجِسمِهِ
إِذا حالَ حالاتُ الرِجالِ شُحوبُ
A man who did not care if his body
Became pale when the conditions of men became bleak
إِذا ما تَراءى لِلرِجالِ رَأَيتَهُ
فَلَم يَنطِقوا اللَغواءَ وَهوَ قَريبُ
When he appeared to men, you saw him
And they did not babble while he was near
عَلى خَيرِ ما كانَ الرِجالُ رَأَيتُهُ
وَما الخَيرُ إِلّا طُعمَةٌ وَنَصيبُ
I saw him in the best state of men
And the best is nothing but pleasure and fortune
حَليِفُ النَدى يَدعو النَدى فَيُجيبُهُ
سَريعاً وَيَدعوهُ النَدى فَيُجيبُ
An ally of help, he calls help, it answers him
Quickly, and help calls him, he answers
غِياثٌ لِعانٍ لَم يَجِد مَن يُغيثُهُ
وَمُختَبِطٍ يَغشى الدُخانَ غَريبُ
A savior for someone helpless who found none to save him
And a choked man, smoke surrounds the stranger
عَظيمُ رَمادِ النارِ رَحبٌ فِناؤُهُ
غِلى سَنَدٍ لَم تَحتَجِبهُ عُيوبُ
Great embers, his abode is wide
Heated sand no defects hid
يَبيتُ النَدى يا أُمَّ عَمرٍ ضَجيعَةُ
إِذا لَم يَكُن في المُنقِياتِ حَلوبُ
Help sleeps, o mother of 'Amr, the bedding
If the pure were not few
حَليمٌ إِذا ما الحِلمُ زَيَّنَ أَهلَهُ
مَعَ الحِلمِ في عَينِ العَدُوِّ مهيبُ
Forbearing when forbearance adorns its people
With forbearance, fearful in the enemy's eyes
مُعَنّىً إِذا عادى الرِجالَ عَداوَةً
بَعيداً إِذا عادى الرِجالَ رَهيبُ
Hurt when he hurts men out of enmity
Feared when he opposes men out of enmity
غَنينا بِخَيرٍ حِقبَةً ثُمَّ جَلَّحَت
عَلَينا الَّتي كُلَّ الأَنامِ تُصيبُ
He enriched us with goodness for a period then fate
Struck us, the fate that strikes all people
فَأَبقَت قَليلاً ذاهِباً وَتَجَهَّزَت
لِآخَرَ وَالراجي الحَياةَ كذوبُ
It left little, leaving, and prepared
For another, and hoping for life is false
وَأَعلَمُ أَنّ الباقِيَ الحَيَّ مِنهُمُ
إِلى أَجَلٍ أَقصى مَداهُ قَريبُ
And I know whoever survives of them
His farthest extent is near
لَقَد أَفسَدَ الموت الحَياةَ وَقَد أَتى
عَلى يَومِهِ عِلقٌ عَلَيَّ جَنيبُ
As if Abu Mighwar did not fulfill a covenant
When the invaders ambushed the people as a watcher
أَتى دونَ حُلوِ العَيشِ حَتّى أَمَرَّهُ
نَكوبٌ عَلى آثارِهِنَّ نُكوبُ
And left no noble youth for an unlucky person
When the winds of winter blew strong
فَإِن تَكُنِ الأَيّامُ أَحسَنَّ مَرَّةً
إِلَيَّ فَقَد عادَت لَهُنَّ ذُنوبُ
If one who was absent turns away or lags
That is enough from them, and the person at fault prospers
كَأَنَّ أَبا المِغوارِ لَم يوفِ مَرقباً
إِذا ما رَبا القَومَ الغُزاةَ رَقيبُ
As if Abu Mighwar of glory, the desert did not lure him
When the houses were empty due to isolation
وَلَم يَدعُ فِتياناً كِراماً لِمَيسِرٍ
إِذا اِشتَدَّ مِن ريحِ الشِتاءِ هُبوبُ
A deserted encampment where if its sand is removed
Scars appear atop their scars
فَإِن غابَ عَنّا غائِبٌ أَو تَخاذَلو
كَفى ذاكَ مِنهُم وَالجَنابُ خَصيبُ
And I cry for him, and I am truthful
About him, and some sayers are liars
كَأَنَّ أَبا المِغوارِ ذا المَجدِ لم تجب
بِهِ البيدَ عيسٌ بِالفَلاةِ جَيوبُ
The young man of war, when it came, its sky
And the splitter of firewood on a trip, the generous hands
عَلاةٌ تَرى فيها إِذا حُطَّ رَملُها
نُدوباً عَلى آثارِهِنَّ نُدوبُ
You comforted me saying death is only in towns
How so when this is a plateau and dunes?
وَإِنّي لَباكيهِ وَإِنّي لَصادِقٌ
عَلَيهِ وَبَعضُ القائِلينَ كَذوبُ
The water of a sky that was not stagnant
In the desert flowing over it are the winds
فَتى الحَربِ إِن جارَت كَأَنَّ سَماءَها
وَفي السَفرِ مِفضالُ اليَدَينِ وَهوبُ
His home is in the abode of truth and bliss
No doctor found fault in his sayings
وَحَدَّثتُماني إِنَّما المَوتُ في القِرى
فَكَيفَ وَهَذيِ هَضبَةٌ وَكَثيبُ
If the world was for sale I would buy him
For with him souls became fragrant
وَماءُ سَماءٍ كان غَيرَ مَجَمَّةٍ
بِبادِيَةٍ تَجري عَلَيهِ جَنوبُ
With my eyes or right hand, and it was said to me
He is the winner on the day he returns
وَمَنزِلُهُ في دارِ صِدقٍ وَغِبطَةٍ
وَما قالَ من حُكمٍ عَلَيهِ طَبيبُ
By my life just as the remote when gone
What comes tomorrow is near
فَلَو كانَتِ الدُنيا تُباعُ اِشتَرَيتُهُ
بِها إِذ بِهِ كانَ النُفوسُ تَطيبُ
And my hopes to meet the hopeful
Though its tracks branched from meeting me
بِعَينَيَّ أَو يُمنى يَدَيَّ وَقيلَ لي
هُوَ الغانِمُ الجَذلانُ يَومَ يَؤوبُ
Like Dahil's supplication forever burdened
And he has no respondent even til death
لَعَمري كَما أَنّ البَعيدَ لَما مَضى
فَإِنَّ الَّذي يَأتي غَداً لَقَريبُ
By God I do not forget him since the rising of dawn
And whatever iron spearhead shook
وَإِنّي وَتَأميلي لِقاءَ مُؤَمَّلٍ
وَقَد شَعَبَتهُ عَن لِقاي شَعوبُ
I long to meet him though crowds
Have come between me and that meeting
كَداعي هُذَيلٍ لا يَزالُ مُكَلَّفاً
وَلَيسَ لَهُ حَتّى المَماتِ مُجيبُ
Like one who supplicates to Hudhayl but has
No respondent even until death
فَوَاللَهِ لا أَنساهُ ما ذَرَّ شارِقٌ
وَما اِهتَزَّ مِن فَرقِ الأَراكِ قَضيبُ
