نشدتُكِ يا بانةَ الأجرعِ

متى رفعَ الحيُّ من لعلع

I yearned for you, O Bana of Al-Ajra'

When will the living one raise from Laila'

وهل مرَّ قلبيَ في التابعي

ن أم خارَ ضعفاً فلم يَتبَعِ

Did my heart pass by the followers

Or did it lack strength, so it did not follow?

لقد كان يُطمعني في المُقام

ونيّتُه نيّةُ المزمعِ

He made me hope for dwelling

And his intention was the intention of one who plans

وسِرْنا جميعاً وراء الحمُول

ولكن رجعتُ ولم يرجِعِ

And we all went after the camels

But I returned and he did not return

فأنّتُه لكِ بين القلوب

إذا اشتبهت أنة الموجَعِ

So I blamed him to you among the hearts

When the complaint resembles the sickness

وشكوى تدلُّ على سقمه

فإن أنتِ لم تُبصري فاسمعي

And a complaint that indicates his illness

So if you do not see, then listen

وأبرحُ من فقده أنّني

أظنُّ الأراكةَ عنّي تعِي

And I cease missing him that I

Think the plank is leaning away from me

يلوم على وطني وافرُ ال

جوانج ملتئمُ الأضلعِ

He blames my homeland - plenty of

Young men with mended ribs

يبارح طيرَ النوى لا يفال

بأبترَ منها ولا أبقعِ

They do not leave the birds of An-Nawa except they conquer it or demand it

And love has said a long unachievable path

وقال الغرام مدىً لا يُرام

فخذْ منه شيئاً وشيئاً دعِ

So take from it something, and leave something

Be patient over separation and grieve for it

تصبَّرْ على البين واجزعْ له

ولو كنتُ أصبرُ لم أجزعِ

And if I were more patient, I would not have grieved

And in the caravan a brunette from ‘Amir

وفي الركب سمراءُ من عامرٍ

بغير القنا السُّمرِ لم تُمنَعِ

Without a veil, she was not prevented

The living Aghlaima without her

أغيلمةُ الحيِّ من دونها

تجرُّ الذوابل أو تدَّعي

Drags the trains or claims

Their ibram lengthens out of jealousy

تطول عرانينُهم غَيْرةً

إذا ما استعير اسمها وادُّعي

When her name is borrowed and claimed

Men stand behind the women

رجالٌ تقوم وراءَ النساء

فيحمِي اللثامُ عن البُرقُعِ

So the veil protects from seeing the face

Turn, my friend, the cup of wine

أدرْ يا نديميَ كأسَ المدام

فكأسيَ بعدهُمُ مدمعي

For my cup after them is tearful

So if your limit in it is three

فإن كان حدُّك فيها الثلاثَ

فإنيَ أشرب بالأربَعِ

Then I drink four

In falseness, and we are not alert

وزَورٍ ولسنا بمستيقظينَ

ببطن العقيقِ ولا هُجَّعِ

In the valley of Al-‘Uqayq or awake

The su'raat of secret raise us

تُرفِّعنا جاذباتُ السُّرى

وتخفضنا فترةُ الوُقَّعِ

And the time of sleep reduces us

An entourage that follows the bier until

سَرَى يتبعُ النَّعفَ حتى أطابَ

حثيثَ الترابِ على ينبُعِ

The quick soil was good over the fountain

So he met adversity but it did not quench him

فبلَّ الغليلَ ولم يُروِه

وأعطَى القليلَ ولم يمنعِ

And he gave little but did not prevent

A hand that triumphed over the darkness of night

يدٌ نصعتْ لسوادِ الظلام

ومن لك بالأسودِ الأنصعِ

And who is like you in the most triumphant blackness

He donated where I did not expect

تبَرَّعَ من حيث لم أحتسبْ

بها وسقَى حيث لم أشرَعِ

With it and quenched where I did not begin

He saw my anxiety under his porticos

رأى قلقي تحتَ أرواقه

فدلَّ الخيال على مضجعِي

So imagination guided me to my bed

My warner of a time of resistance

نذيريَ من زمنٍ بالعتا

ب عن خُلْقِه غيرِ مسترجعِ

Against his manners, not reconsidering

And from an unjust ruler whose clay

ومن حاكم جائرٍ طينُه

على طابع الحق لم يُطبَعِ

Was not imprinted with the stamp of truth

He leans towards the red dear ones

يميلُ على الحُمُر المقرَباتِ

ويغضب للأسمرِ الأجدعِ

And becomes angry at the dark cheeked one

He equals me alone with misfortunes

يكاثرني واحداً بالخطوب

ويحملُ منّي على أَضلَعِ

And carries from me over ribs

And he eats me with his rhythms

ويأكلني بتصاريفه

فها أنا أفنَى ولم يشبعِ

So here I am vanishing and not satiated

And how much stood between me and fortunes

وكم قام بيني وبين الحظوظِ

وقد بلغتني فقال ارجعي

And when it reached me, it said go back

And it noticed me on the path of glory

ولاحظني في طريق العلا

أمُرُّ على الجَدَدِ المهيعِ

Passing by the new, neglected valleys

So it said to its devil, "Go to him

فقال لشيطانه قم إلي

ه فاحبس به الركب أو جعجعِ

And detain the caravan with him or frighten him"

So he neither held me in the valley

فلا هو في عَطَني ممسكي

ولا تاركي سارحاً أرتعي

Nor left me, released, to pasture

O Baghdad, you are not to me

أبغداد حُلتِ فما أنتِ لي

بدارِ مَصيفٍ ولا مَربعِ

A land of vacation, nor a yard

You lost radiance, so there is no pearl in you

صفِرتِ فما فيك من دَرَّةٍ

يقوم بها رمقُ المرضَعِ

To support the livelihood of the nursling

And Basra repelled glory from you

ودفَّعَت البَصرةُ المجدَ عن

ك حتّى ضعُفتِ فلم تدفعي

Until you weakened, so you did not repel

So the connection leaned toward it, and hope

فمال إليها فشلَّ الصلي

فَ عنكِ وملتفَتَ الأخدعِ

Turned away from you and the eyes glanced

So leave our gaze toward it

فخلِّي لنا نحوها طرفَنا

وطِيرِي لنا حَسداً أو قَعي

And let jealousy or hatred flow for us from you

To how long your flanks are decorated for me

إلى كم يُزخرَفُ لي جانباك

خداعاً ولو شئتُ لم أُخدعِ

Falsely, and if I wanted, I would not be deceived

And how much I covertly stole

وكم أسترقّ على شاطئيك

بمغربِ شمسك والمطلِعِ

At your sunset and sunrise

Diyala and the Euphrates call me

وتهتفُ دِجلةُ بي والفراتُ

حذارِ من الآجن المنقعِ

Beware of the crooked, bent one

And the soil of your land does not allow

وتربة أرضِك لا تسمحنَّ

بحمرائها للثرى الأسفعِ

With its redness the dark soil

And my face relaxes from the cool breeze

ويرتاح وجهي لبَرد النسيم

ونارُ الخصاصةِ في أضلعي

While the fire of inflammation is in my ribs

You are but a mirage

وما أنتِ إلا وميضُ السراب

على صفحة البلد البلقعِ

On the page of the effaced land

Why would I sweeten salty water

وما ليَ أقمحُ مِلحَ المياه

إذا كنتُ أشربُ من أدمعي

When I drink from my tears

Is there a land that killed me that I stay

وهل قاتلي بلدٌ أن أقيم

إذا خُطَّ في غيره مصرعي

When my place of death is marked in another

I guarded you until I became weak in you

حفِظتُكِ حتى لقد ضِعتُ فيكِ

فخفَّض حبُّكِ من موضعي

So your love lowered me from my position

And if I were fair to myself, and I

ولو كنتُ أنصفتُ نفسي وقد

قنعتُ بأهلكِ لم أقنعِ

Sufficed with your family, I would not have sufficed

Tomorrow is the appointed time of separation between us

غداً موعدُ البين ما بيننا

فما أنتِ صانعة فاصنعي

So what will you do, go ahead and do

May Allah make it a separation

عسى اللّه يجعلها فُرقةً

تعود بأكرم مستجمَعِ

That returns with the best gathering

And take these thirsty wishes

وتأوي لهذي الأماني العِطاشِ

فتأوي إلى ذلك المشرعِ

To that shore

And may it be fortunate by luck

ويسعدها الحظّ من ظل ذي ال

سعادات بالجانب الممرِعِ

In the shade of the eminent, secured side

So the minister - son of the minister

فيرعى الوزيرُ لها ابنُ الوزي

رِ ما ضاع عندكِ لمّا رُعي

Will take care of what was lost with you when taken care of

The quality of rhymes will storm for it

سيعصِفُ حادي القوافي لها

هُبوباً إلى الملِكِ الأروعِ

Blowing to the most eminent king

فتُنصَرُ بالمحتمَى المتَّقَى

وتُجبَرُ بالرازق الموسِعِ

So it will be helped by the guarded trusted one

And compelled by the provider, the enricher

فتىً عشق المجدَ لما سَلاَ

وعاش به الفضلُ لما نُعِي

A young man who loved glory when he reached

And virtue lived when it was mourned

وجمَّع من فِرَقِ المكرماتِ

بدائدَ لولاه لم تُجمَعِ

And he collected from the dispersed honors

With guidance, or else they would not have been collected

غلامٌ أنافَ بآرائه

على كلّ كهلٍ ومستجمِعِ

A boy who prided with his opinions

Over every old and gathered man

ومدّ بباع ابن ستين وهو

بباع ابن عشرين لم يذرَعِ

And extended with the arm span of a sixty year old

While he possesses the arm span of a twenty year old, he did not lack

ودلّ بمعجزِ آياتِهِ

على قدرة الخالق المبدعِ

And proved with the miracles of his signs

The power of the creating innovator

نوافرُ قرّت له لم تجزْ

بظنٍّ ولم تمش في مطمعِ

Purebred horses kneeled for him, not limiting

By assumption, nor walking in greed

رأى اللّهُ تكليفَه شرعَها

فقال له بهما فاصدَعِ

Allah saw his assignment as His law

So He said to him with them, go ahead and act

سقى كلّ ضدّين ماء الوفاقِ

بكأسِ سياسته المترَعِ

He quenched every two adversaries with the water of reconciliation

From his clever governing cup

فخيسُ الأسودِ كناسُ الظبا

ء والماءُ والنارُ في موضعِ

So the miserable black one was like the miserable hyena

And the water and fire were in one place

وجمَّاء من سَرح أمّ اليتي

م تنهَلُ والذئبَ من مكَرعِ

And he gathered from the pasture of Umm Layth

The wolf drinking and the sheep bleating

وسدّ بهيبته في الصدور

مسَدَّ الظُّبا والقنا الشُّرَّعِ

And he blocked with his prestige in the chests

The obstruction of hyenas and the wide clefts

فلو لطم الليثَ لم يفترِسْ

ولو وطِىء الصِّلَّ لم يَلسَعِ

So if the lion were to be slapped, it would not prey

And if the snake were stepped on, it would not bite

سل البَصرةَ اليومَ من ذا دعا

لها وبأيّ دُعاءٍ دُعِي

The Basra today - who called for it

And with what call was it called?

وكيف غدا جَنّةً صيفُها

وكانت جحيماً على المرتعِ

And how did its summer become a paradise

When it was hell for grazing?

ومن ردّها وهي أمّ البلا

د أُنساً على وحشة الأربُعِ

And who returned it while it is the mother of cities

A companion to the loneliness of the wilderness?

محرَّمة أن يحومَ الزمانُ

عليها بأحداثه الوُقَّعِ

It is prohibited for time to hover over it

With its occurring events

وكانت روائعُ أخبارها

متى يَروِها ناقلٌ يُفزِعِ

And its wondrous news - when

A carrier relays them, he frightens

طلولاً تَناعبُ غربانُها

إذا الديك أَصبحَ لم يَصْقَعِ

For long its crows pecked

When the rooster came out, it did not crow

يرى المرء من دمه في قميصِ

أخيه صبائغَ لم تنصَعِ

A man sees his blood on his brother's shirt

Colors that did not fade

فكم رِحمٍ ثَمَّ مقطوعةٍ

ولو ربَّها الحزمُ لم تُقطَعِ

So how many severed wombs

And if reason guided them, they would not have been cut

ومن طامعٍ في الموَلَّى عليه

ولو سيس بالعدل لم يطمَعِ

And from a covetous one over the entrusted one

And if he walked with justice, he would not have coveted

رأى اللّهُ ضيعتها في البلاد

فأودعَها خيرَ مستودَعِ

Allah saw its weakness in the cities

So He entrusted it to the best trustee

وردّ لها الشمسَ بعد الغروبِ

بغيرِ عليٍّ ولا يُوشَعِ

And returned the sun to it after sunset

Without a Joshua or Ali

فبلِّغ ربيعةَ إن جئتَها

وسعداً وأسمعْ بني مِسْمَعِ

So relay to Rabee’ah if you come to it

And listen, O Bani Misma'

ضعي أهَبَ الحرب واستسلمي

لمالكِ أمرك واستضرعي

Lay down the weapons of war and surrender

To the owner of your matter and plead

ويكفيكِ منتقِعاً في الحدي

د أن تأبُري النخلَ أو تزرعي

And it suffices you, settled in the love,

To tether the palm trees or plant

فقد منع السَّرحَ ذو لِبدتين

متى ما يُهَجْهَجْ به يُوقعِ

For he who has two hanging lips has prevented roaming

Whenever it is provoked, it attacks

وسَدّت عليك مَجازَ الطري

ق مسحبةُ الأرقمِ الأدلعِ

And the procession of the eminent, charming hoof

Blocked the passes for you

وضمَّ عراقَكِ من فارس

شريفُ المغارس والمَفرَعِ

And he gathered your Iraq from Persia

The noble orchards and twigs

بطيء عن السوء ما لم يُهَجْ

فإن ير مَطعمةً يُسرعِ

Slow to evil unless provoked

Then he quickly attacks

من القوم تعصِف أقلامُهم

لواعب بالأسلِ الزعزعِ

From the people, their pens storm

Flirting with the firm, firm pillars

وتقضي على خرزات الملوك

عمائمُهم وهي لم توضَعِ

And they fulfill the beads of kings

With their turbans while they are undeserved

ويقعَص بالبطل المستميت

لسانُ خطيبهم المِصقعِ

And the eloquent tongue of their speaker picks out

The desperately heroic

إذا ادّرعوا الرَّقْمَ والعبقرِيَّ

سطَوا بالترائك والأدرعِ

When they dressed in amulets and genius

They conquered with the hosts and armors

لهم في الوزارة ما للبرو

ج في الأفْق مِن مطلِعٍ مطلِعِ

They have in ministries what stars have

In the horizon of appearing, appearing

مواريثُ مذ لبسوا فخرَها

على أوّل الدهر لم يُنزَعِ

Inheritances since they wore its pride

At the first of times, it was not stripped

هُمُ ومنابتُ هذي الملوك

من النبع والناسُ من خِروعِ

They and the origins of these kings

Are from the spring, and the people from piped wells

تصلصلَ من طينها طينُهُم

كما الماءُ والماءُ من مَنبَعِ

Their clay dripped from its clay

Like water from water from a spring

قُرِنتم بهم في شبابِ الزمانِ

قرينةَ عادٍ إلى تُبَّعِ

You were matched with them in the youth of time

The companion of ‘Aad to Thubba’

فمن قال آلُ بويه الملوكُ

هُمُ آلُ عباسَ لم يُدفَعِ

So whoever said the Buyids are kings

They are the family of Al-‘Abbas, he was not refuted

تنوط وزارتُكم ملكَهم

مناطَ المعاصمِ بالأذرعِ

Your ministries take the rule from them

Like wrists take bracelets

فيا ابن الوزيرين جدّاً أباً

وأثلِثْ إذا شئت أو أربِعِ

So O son of two ministers - a grandfather and father

And add a third if you want, or a fourth

إلى حيث لا يجِدُ الناسبون

وراءَ المجرّة من مَرفعِ

To where the genealogists do not find

Beyond the galaxy an elevation

بحقٍّ مكانُك من صدرها

وكلّهُمُ غاصبٌ مدّعي

Your place is truthfully from its core

While all of them are usurping claimers

وإني لأعجبُ من عاجزٍ

متى تتصدَّ لها يَطمعِ

And I am amazed by an incapable one

When he takes charge of it, he covets

ومن مستطيلٍ لها عرقُهُ

إلى غير بيتك لم ينزِعِ

And from one whose lineage for it - his lineage

Does not extend to other than your house

يمدّ لها يدَه أجذَماً

وأين السّوارُ من الأقطعِ

Extending his hand to it, armless

And where is the bracelet from the cut off hand?

أيا حاميَ الذود ما للعرا

ق أُهمِلَ بعضٌ وبعضٌ رُعي

O protector of the homeland, why is Iraq

Neglected partly, and partly cared for?

فمن جانبٍ بلدٌ جُرحُه

بعدلك أُلحمَ لمّا رُعي

So on one side, the country - its wound

Was healed by your justice when cared for

ومن جانبٍ بلدٌ لا يرى

لخُرق الصِّبا فيه من مَرتَعِ

And on another side, a country that does not see

For the rends of youth in it any pasture

وما مِثلُ شمسك ممّا تَخُصُّ

فَعُمَّ البلادَ بها واجمعِ

And none are like your sun extending in the cities

So it reached all the cities - unite it!

وبغداد دارُ حقوقٍ عليك

متى ترعَ أيسرها تقنعِ

And Baghdad has rights over you

When will you care for its easiest parts and be content?

فسلطانُ عزّك لم يقهر ال

عدا في سراها ولم يقمعِ

The authority of your glory did not defeat

The enemies in its outskirts, and did not suppress

وجعفرُ ما جعفر المكرما

تِ لم يسلُ عنها ولم ينزِعِ

And Ja'far - not Ja'far the generous

Did not ask about it and did not take

وكم جذع منك أقرحته

ومُثَّغرٍ بعد لم يجذَعِ

And how many a trunk you wounded from it

And frowning after, it was not cut down

وأنت وإن كنتَ جنِّبتها

فلم ترعَ فيها ولم ترتعِ

While you, even if you avoided it

You did not care for it or graze in it

فعندك منها الذي لا يُرَى

محاسنُ تبصَرُ بالمَسمَعِ

For you have from it what is not seen

Beauties that are seen with hearing

فجرِّدْ لها عزمةً كالحسام

متى ما يجِدْ مفصِلاً يقطعِ

So unleash for it determination like a sword

Whenever it finds a joint, it cuts

فإن الطريق إليها علي

ك غيرُ مُشيك ولا مُسبِعِ

For the path to it is not your walking

Nor your pacing, nor your hurrying

متى رمتها فهي من راحتي

ك بين الرواجب والأشجعِ

When you shoot it, it is for me from your rest

Between the hilltops and the valiant

بنا ظمأٌ إن جفانا حياك

وواصلنا الغيث لم ينقعِ

Within us is a thirst - if our sides dry out from you

And we seek rain, it does not quench

فغوثاً فما زلت غوث اللهيف

متى يدع مستصرخاً تسمعِ

So help! You have not stopped being Allah's help

Whenever a desperate one calls you hear

ولو لم يكن غير أني أراك

فيفزع فضلي إلى مَفزَعِ

And even if it were nothing but that I see you

My excellence panics to a refuge

فإن يجمع اللّه هذا الثناءَ

وتلك المكارمَ في مجمعِ

So if Allah combines this praise

And those favors in a gathering

وإن لم أسِرْ فانتشلني إليك

وقُدْني بحبل الثنا أتبعِ

And if I do not succeed, then take me to you

And guide me with the rope of praise, I will follow

ورِشْ بالنوال جَناحي أطرْ

وبالإذنِ في مَهَلي أُسرِعِ

And sprinkle the attainment on my wing - arrange

And with permission in my pace, I hurry

فما تطرح الأرضُ وفداً إلي

ك أحسنَ عندك من موقعي

The ground never casts a delegation to you

Better than my position with you

ولو ساعد الشوقَ طَولٌ إليك

طلعتُ به خيرَ مستطلَعِ

And if longing aided a rise to you

I would rise with it - the best surveyor

فغيبةُ مثليَ عن موضعٍ

وإن عزَّ عمرٌ على الموضعِ

For the absence of my like from a position

Even if a lifetime pained the position

وإني لقعدةُ مستفرِهٍ

بصيرٍ ومتعةُ مستمتِعِ

And I am the prey of a lonely

Insightful one, and the joy of one enjoying

شهابٌ على أنديات الملوك

متى يُقتبَسْ بالندى يلمعِ

A comet over the social circles of kings

Whenever ignited by dew, it shines

وإن لم يبِنْ شبحٌ ذابلٌ

على طودِ ملككم الأتلعِ

And even if a withering phantom does not appear

Over the tall mountain of your rule

فإن القُلامةَ في ضعفها

تعان بها بطشةُ الإصبعِ

The pen in its weakness

Is aided by the grasp of the finger

لكم في يدي وفمي صارمانِ

بصيرانِ في القول بالمقطعِ

For you in my hand and mouth two swords

Keen in speech, chopped

ومن دون ذلك رأيٌ يسد

دُ ناحيةَ الحادثِ المُفظِعِ

And other than that, an opinion that blocks

The side of the dreadful event

ومفضَى الأمانة مني إلى

صفاةٍ من الحفظِ لم تُقرَعِ

And the result of honesty from me is to

Purity from protection, not struck

فإما علمت وإلا الخبيرُ

فسلْهُ فمثليَ لا يدّعي

So either you knew or the Expert

Ask Him - one like me does not claim

بقيت لمعوز هذا الكلام

متى أدعُ عاصيَهُ يَبخَعِ

There remained for the desperate one this speech

Whenever I call its sinner, it gags

وحيداً أُحيَّا بها إن حضرتُ

مُدحتُ وإن غبتُ لم أُقذعِ

And lonely am I greeted with it if present

I am praised and if absent, I am not abused

وهل نافعي ذاك بل ليت لا

يضرّ إذا هو لم ينفعِ

And is that beneficial to me? But I wish not

To harm when it did not benefit

سمعتُ الكثير وما إن سمعتُ

بأكسدَ منّي ولا أضيعِ

I heard much and never heard

Of anything more unprofitable from me or lost

لعلك تأوي لها قصةً

إلى غير بابك لم تُرفَعِ

Maybe you take from it a story

To other than your door it is not raised

ومَن كنتَ حاكمَ أيّامه

متى يطلب النَّصفَ لا يُمنعِ

And who were you an arbiter over their days?

When he seeks half, he is not prevented

متى تصطنعني تجد ما اقترحت

مكان اغتراسك والمصنَعِ

Whenever you employ me, you will find what I suggest

The place of your plantation and factory

وعذراء سقتُ لكم بُضعَها

ولولا رجاؤك لم تُبضعِ

And an untouched maiden whom I escorted for you

And if not for hoping for you, she would not have been touched

من المالكات قلوبَ الملو

ك لم تتذلّل ولم تخشعِ

Of the queens, the hearts of kings she did not soften or humble

The rhymes pray to her face

تصلّي القوافي إلى وجهها

فمن ساجداتٍ ومن رُكَّعِ

So from bowing and from kneeling

I resided and presented it as a guide

أقمتُ وقدّمتُها رائداً

فشفِّع وسيلتها شفِّعِ

So intercede and make smooth its means, intercede

Fortunes disobeyed me, so O full moon, be

عصتني الحظوظُ فيا بدر كن

دليلاً على حظّيَ الطيِّعِ

A guide to my fortune, the obedient

No wonder I defeat calamities

فلا غرو أن أقهرَ الحادثاتِ

ورأيُك لي ولساني معي

And your view is for me and my tongue with me