مَضى لِسَبيلِهِ مَعنٌ وَأَبقى
مَكارِمَ لَن تَبيدَ وَلَن تُنالا
He went on his way, and Ma'n remained,
His noble deeds will never fade or be attained.
كَأَنَّ الشَمسَ يَومَ أُصيبَ مَعنٌ
مِنَ الإِظلامَ مُلبَسَةٌ جِلالا
When Ma'n was stricken, it was as if
The sun was shrouded in darkness and gloom.
هُوَ الجَبَلُ الَّذي كانَت نِزارٌ
تَهدُّ مِنَ العَدُوِّ بِهِ الجِبالا
He was the mountain against which small hills
Were rendered futile by the enemy.
وَعُطِّلَتِ الثُغورُ لِفَقدِ مَعنٍ
وَقَد يُروي بِها الأَسَلَ النِهالا
The frontiers were vulnerable without Ma'n
Who could make the young plants grow.
وَأَظلَمَتِ العِراقُ وَأَورَثَتها
مُصيبَتُهُ المُجَلِّلَةُ اِختِلالا
Iraq was darkened and left distraught
By the calamitous loss that caused its turmoil.
وَظَلَّ الشامُ يَرجِفُ جانِباهُ
لِرُكنِ العِزِّ حينَ وَهيَ فَمالا
Syria kept trembling,
When the pillar of glory began to tilt.
وَكادَت مِن تِهامَةَ كُلُّ أَرضٍ
وَمِن نَجدٍ تَزولُ غَداةَ زالا
The lands of Tihama nearly disappeared,
As did Najd the next morning.
فَإِن يَعلُ البِلادَ لَهُ خُشوعٌ
فَقَد كانَت تَطولُ بِهِ اِختِيالا
If he were to return the lands would bow to him,
As they were exalted by his presence before.
أَصابَ المَوتُ يَومَ أَصابَ مَعناً
مِنَ الأَحياءِ أَكرَمَهُم فَعالا
Death took on the day it took Ma'n
The most generous of the living.
وَكانَ الناسُ كُلُّهُمُ لِمَعنٍ
إِلى أَن زارَ حُفرَتَهُ عِيالا
All the people belonged to Ma'n
Until his children visited his grave.
وَلَم يَكُ طالِبٌ لِلعُرفِ يَنوي
إِلى غَيرِ اِبنِ زائِدَةً اِرتِحالا
No seeker of glory intended
To travel save to Ibn Ziyad's son.
مَضى مَن كانَ يَحمِلُ كُلَّ ثِقلٍ
وَيَسبِقُ فَضلُ نائِلِهِ السُؤالا
Gone is he who could shoulder every burden
And exceed in merit those who request.
وَما عَمدَ الوُفودُ لِمَثلِ مَعنٍ
وَلا حَطّوا بِساحَتِهِ الرِحالا
No delegations ever came for one like Ma'n
Nor pitched their tents in his field.
وَلا بَلَغَت أَكُفُّ ذَوي العَطايا
يَميناً مِن يَديهِ وَلا شِمالا
Nor did any givers reach with their palms
A right or left hand from him.
وَما كانَت تَجِفُّ لَهُ حِياضٌ
مِنَ المَعروفِ مُترَعَةٌ سِجالا
His reservoirs of kindness were never dry
For those who came to him with wants.
لِأَبيَضَ لا يَعُدُّ المالَ حَتّى
يَعُمَّ بِهِ بُغاةَ الخَيرِ مالا
The white-robed one who wouldn't count wealth
Until it reached the destitute.
فَلَيتَ الشامِتينَ بِهِ فَدَوهُ
وَلَيتَ العُمرَ مُدَّ لَهُ فَطالا
If only death had spared him - he was their sacrifice -
And his life had been prolonged.
وَلَم يَكُ كَنزُهُ ذَهَباً وَلكِن
سُيوفَ الهِندِ وَالحَلَقَ المُذالا
His treasure was not gold but
Swords from India and fine coats of mail,
وَذابِلَةً مِنَ الخَطِّيِّ سُمراً
تَرى فيهِنَّ ليناً وَاِعتِدالا
Horses dark as night yet obedient and calm,
Deeds of praise stored for the virtuous,
وَذُخراً مِن مَحامِدَ باقِياتٍ
وَفَضلَ تُقى بِهِ التَفضيلَ نالا
Favors that if humbled had been
Steeds he disliked to humiliate.
لَئِن أَمسَت رُوَيداً قَد أُذيلَت
جِياداً كانَ يَكرَهُ أَن تُذالا
With him they charged and he made them leap up,
Returning them with their reins.
لَقَد كانَت تُصابُ بِهِ وَيَسمو
بِها عَقباً وَيُرجِعَها حَبالا
They warded off calamity and kept him safe,
Though death's specter befell them.
وَقَد حَوَتِ النِهابَ فَأَحرَزَتهُ
وَقَد غَشِيَت مِنَ المَوتِ الطِلالا
Gone is he whom you hoped
Would rectify your life's stumbles.
مَضى لِسَبيلِهِ مَن كُنتَ تَرجو
بِهِ عَثَراتُ دَهرِكَ أَن تُقالا
You cannot control the tears that fell
From your eyes, pouring nonstop.
فَلَستَ بِمالِكٍ عَبَرات عَينٍ
أَبَت بِدُموعِها إِلّا اِنهِمالا
In your heart is blazing sorrow,
Like a flaming fire lit.
وَفي الأَحشاءِ مِنكَ غَليلُ حُزنٍ
كَحَرِّ النارِ يَشتَعِلُ اِشتِعالا
It's as if after Ma'n, the nights
Have joined together and prolonged.
كَأَنَّ اللَيلَ واصَلَ بَعدَ مَعنٍ
لَيالِيَ قَد قُرِنَّ بِه فَطالا
You've left me and my children with worries
And sorrows that keep us busy.
لَقَد أَورَثتَني وَبَنيَّ هَمّاً
وَأَحزاناً نُطيلُ بِها اِشتِغالا
A woman who saw me said, astonished,
"He's changed in body and demeanor."
وَقائِلَةٍ رَأَت جِسمي وَلَوني
مَعاً عَن عَهدِها قُلِبا فَحالا
She saw a man whom sadness had aged
And caused sickness and anxiety.
رَأَت رَجُلاً بَراهُ الحُزنُ حَتّى
أَضَرَّ بِهِ وَأَورَثَهُ خَبالا
"I see Marwan has returned gaunt
As an Indian sword that lost its polish."
أَرى مَروانَ عادَ كَذي نُحولٍ
مِنَ الهِندِيِّ قَد فَقَدَ الصِقالا
I said to her, "What you see changed in me
Is deep sadness that struck high."
فَقُلتُ لَها الَّذي أَنكَرتِ مِنّي
لِفَجعِ مُصيبَةٍ أَنكى وَعالا
"Days of sorrow rotate,
Altering man's state again and again.
وَأَيّامُ المَنونِ لَها صُروفٌ
تَقَلَّبُ بِالفَتى حالاً فَحالا
After you, people see us in times
That have not been kind to our forefathers.
يَرانا الناسُ بَعدَكَ فل دَهرٍ
أَبي لِجُدودِنا إِلّا اِغتِيالا
We are like cups, from which times didn't spare
A portion for us or let us subsist."
فَنَحنُ كَأَسهُمٍ لَم يُبقِ ريشاً
لَها رَيبُ الزَمانِ وَلا نصالا
We would quench thirst at your basin
And not reject the overflow.
وَقَد كُنّا بِحَوضِكَ ذاكَ نَروي
وَلا نَرِدُ المُصَرَّدَةَ السِحالا
My father yearned for you when gifts
Were made, false and corrupted.
فَلَهفُ أَبي عَلَيكَ إِذا العَطايا
جُعِلنَ مُنى كَواذِبَ وَاِغتِلالا
My father longed for you when captives
Complained of the shackles bruising their necks.
وَلَهفُ أَبي عَلَيكَ إِذا الأَسارى
شَكَوا حَلَقاً بِأَسوُقِهِم ثِقالا
My father longed for you when orphans
Wandered disheveled, as if cast off.
وَلَهفُ أَبي عَلَيكَ إِذا اليَتامى
غَدَوا شُعثاً كَأَنَّ بِهِم سُلالا
My father longed for you when livestock
Suffered drought, dying of emaciation.
وَلَهفُ أَبي عَلَيكَ إِذا المَواشي
قَرَت جَدباً تُماتُ بِهِ هُزالا
My father longed for you, for every pregnant she-camel
Bearing burdens that weighed down its back.
وَلَهفُ أَبي عَلَيكَ لِكُلِّ هَيجا
لَها تُلقى حَوامِلُها السِخالا
My father longed for you when poetry
Went astray in praise of the undeserving.
وَلَهفُ أَبي عَلَيكَ إِذا القَوافي
لِمُمتَدَحٍ بِها ذَهَبَت ضَلالا
My father longed for you in every matter
For which the honorable would say, strategize!
وَلَهفُ أَبي عَلَيكَ لِكُلِّ أَمرٍ
يَقولُ لَهُ النَجِيُّ أَلا اِحتِيالا
We stayed in Yamama, having despaired
Of staying in a place we didn't want.
أَقَمنا بِاليَمامَةِ إِذ يَئِسنا
مُقاماً لا نُريدُ لَهُ زِيالا
We said, where can we go after Ma'n
When gifts and hospitality have departed?
وَقُلنا أَينَ نَرحَلُ بَعدَ مَعنٍ
وَقَد ذَهَبَ النَوالُ فَلا نَوالا
If you are gone, many are the horses
Whose bridles you've pulled with strength.
فَإِن تَذهَب فَرُبَّ رِعالِ خَيلٍ
عَوابِسَ قَد كَفَفتَ بِها رِعالا
You were a spring for some people,
And a calamity for others.
وَقَومٍ قَد جُعِلتَ لَهُم رَبيعاً
وَقَومٍ قَد جُعِلتَ لَهُم نَكالا
None who witnessed your feats was firmer,
More forbearing when wronged, and harsher in affliction.
فَما شَهِدَ الوَقائِعَ مِنكَ أَمضى
وَأَكرَمُ محتَداً وَأَشَدُّ بالا
The Caliph, when matters trouble him
And he lacks men, will remember you.
سَيذكُرُكَ الخَليفَةُ غَيرَ قال
إِذا هُوَ بالأُمورِ بَلا الرِجالا
He won't forget your exploits against enemies
That brought them ruin and woes.
وَلا يَنسى وَقائِعِكَ اللَواتي
عَلى أَعدائِهِ جُعِلَت وَبالا
A battlefield you witnessed defending
That even its knights disliked to fight in.
وَمُعتَرَكاً شَهِدتَ بِهِ حِفاظاً
وَقَد كَرِهَت فَوارِسُهُ النِزالا
The brother of Umayya will remember you in elegy
Along with praise you were given.
حَباكَ أَخو أُمَيَّةَ بِالمَراثي
مَعَ المِدَحِ اللَواتي كانَ قالا
Every year he journeyed close to you
Prolonging his stay at Al-Wasit.
أَقامَ وَكانَ نَحوَكَ كُلَّ عامٍ
يُطيلُ بواسِطِ الرَحلِ اِعتِقالا
In sorrow, he shunned travel
And swore never to saddle his mount.
وَأَلقى رَحلَهُ أَسَفاً وَآلى
يَميناً لا يَشُدُّ لَهُ حِبالا
