لعمري وما دهري بتأبين هالكٍ
ولا جَزِعٍ مما أصابَ فأَوجعا
For my life, though time brought no lament for this doomed soul,
Nor grief for what befell and caused distress,
لقد كفّنَ المنهالُ تحت ردائهِ
فتىً غيرَ مِبطانِ العشياتِ أروعا
The days have shrouded their youth beneath their mantle,
One fairer than the softly nurtured nights in beauty dressed,
ولا بَرماً تهدي النساء لعرسه
اذا القشع من برد الشتاء تقعقعا
No pasturing camels will the women drive to his wedding feast
When the hoar-frost falls from the cold of winter's blast.
لبيبٌ أعانَ اللُّبَّ منه سماحَةٌ
خصيبٌ اذا ما راكبُ الجدب أوضعا
A noble soul who helped the wayfarer with generous hand,
Fertile he was if barren wastes spread far and wide.
تراه كصَدرِ السيفِ يهتزُ للندى
اذا لم تَجد عند امرىءِ السَّوءِ مطمعا
You'd think his breast the glittering sword that quivers with the dew
If by some evil man he hoped for gain denied.
ويوماً اذا ما كظَّكَ الخَصمُ ان يكن
نصيركَ منهم لا تكن انتَ أضيعا
Yet, when an envier pressed you, you'd not find,
A helper stauncher to defend your name and rights.
وان تَلقَهُ في الشَربِ لا تَلقَ فاحشاً
على الكأسِ ذا قاذورةٍ مُتَزَّبعا
At drinking bouts no wanton sot was he, who'd dip
His ladle in the bowl, foul dregs and troubled yeast.
وإن ضَرَّسَ الغزوُ الرجالَ رأيتَهُ
أخا الحربِ صَدقاً في اللِّقاءِ سَمَيدَعا
When the ranks closed for battle, a brother in arms was he,
True in the field of strife, bold but never rash.
وما كان وقّافاً اذا الخيلُ أَحجمت
ولا طائشاً عند اللّقاءِ مُدَفّعا
No laggard was he when the steeds plunged in,
Nor reckless, marring by his act the general plan.
ولا بكَهامٍ بَزّه عن عدوّهِ
اذا هو لاقى حاسراً أو مقنّعا
No blind self-seeker, making his exploits
A topic when the foe appeared or kept behind the veil.
فعينيَّ هلاّ تبكيانِ لمالكٍ
اذا أذرَتِ الريحُ الكنيفَ المرفَعا
Then let my eyes now overflow with tears for Malik
When the winds gust and stir the tufted mountain-tops,
وهَبّت شمالاً من تجاه أظايفٍ
اذا صادفَت كفَّ المفيض تقفعا
And blow north from the stony grounds of Ed-Dakhakhif,
Skirting the rain-clouds' hands that clash and split asunder,
وللشَربِ فابكي مالكاً ولبُهمَةٍ
شديد نواحيه على من تَشَجَّعا
Weep for Malik and for youth and strength cut short,
The day that tries men's souls and search out their intent,
وضيفٍ اذا أرغى طروقاً بعيرَه
وعانِ ثوى في القدِّ حتى تكنّعا
A guest denied, his camel herd gone blind and stunned,
Crouching, worn out, the rope slid from their flanks and trailed along,
وأرملةٍ تمشي بأشعَثَ مُحثلٍ
كفَرخِ الحُبارى رأسه قد تصوَعا
A widow walking with dishevelled mourning locks,
Like a sand grouse deprived of mate and chicks among.
اذا جَرّدَ القومُ القداح واوقدت
لهم نارُ ايسارٍ كفى من تضجعا
When warriors drew the wine-cups and kindled for their sake
Fires of hospitality, no more to rest their heads.
وإن شَهِدَ الايسار لم يُلفَ مالكٌ
على الفَرثِ يحمي اللحم ان يتوزَعا
If the wine was passed around, no man but wished Malik shared,
Guarding the meat from portioning till all were satisfied.
أبي الصبرَ آياتٌ أراها وانني
أرى كلَّ حبلٍ دون حبلكَ اقطعا
Impatient am I of maxims I hear and see,
Each cable but your own before my eyes is snapped.
وقد كان مجذاماً الى الحرب ركضه
سريعاً الى الداعي اذا هو أفزَعا
A staunch assailant was he, charging to the fray,
Quick to respond if endangered lives implored his aid.
وانّي متى ما أدعُ باسمكَ لا تُجِب
وكنتَ جديراً ان تجيبَ وتُسمِعا
Whene'er I call your name, no answer do you give,
Worthy though you were to answer and attend.
وكان جناحي ان نَهضتُ أقلّني
ويحوي الجناحُ الريشَ ان يتنَزعا
You were my wings, when risen, you'd lift me high,
The wing drops feathers if its joints asunder rip.
وعشنا بخيرٍ في الحياة وقبلنا
أصابَ المنايا رهطَ كسرى وتبّعا
In happiness we lived our life and met our destined fate.
A company like Kisra's and those after him of royal state,
وكنا كندماني جذيمةَ حقبةً
من الدهر حتى قيل لن يتصدعا
We were like Jadhima's herds that kept together for a time
Till people said, no power can bid this kin apart.
فلما تَفَرّقنا كأني ومالكاً
لطول اجتماعِ لم نَبت ليلةٌ معا
But when we separated, Malik and I were like
Two friends, however close and long united from our birth
فان تكن الايامُ فَرَّقنَ بيننا
فقد بان محموداً أخي حين ودَعا
If days have come between us, then my brother showed his worth,
The day he turned away and took his last farewell.
فتىً كان أحيا من فتاةٍ حييةٍ
واشجعَ من ليثٍ اذا ما تَمتَعا
A youth he was, of noble birth and noble too his soul,
Braver than the lion in his den secure.
أقول وقد طار السنا في ربابه
وجون يَسُحُ المَاءَ حين تريّعا
I say, as white hairs fly about his head, and cheeks
Like watered valleys flow, by rains renewed.
سقى الله أرضاً حلِّها قبرُ مالكٍ
ذهابَ الغوادي المدجناتِ فأمرَعا
May God water a land whose hollows are Malik's grave,
And send a torrent from the hill-tops to pour down.
وآثَرَ سيلَ الواديين بديمةٍ
تُرشِحُ وسمياً من النَبتِ خِروعا
Choosing the course where the two valleys meet at Dima,
Distilling heather-perfume and acacia's scented flowers.
فمجتمعَ الاسدامِ من حول شارعٍ
فروّى جبال القريتينِ فَضَلفَعا
There round the leagues of tomb-stones, in a narrow pass,
His theme inspires the mountains tuneful harmony.
فوا اللهِ ما أُسقي البلادَ لحبِّها
ولكنني أسقي الحبيبَ المودَّعا
No, not for love of it I watered this land, but because
Though far from me, my greetings rest upon his grave,
تحيتُهُ مني وان كان نائياً
وأمسى تراباً فوقَهُ الارضُ بلقعا
Where now the dust has settled over his violet dome.
Says the daughter of Omar: Why, when alive and well
تقول ابنةُ العمريِّ ما لكَ بعد ما
أراكَ حديثاً ناعمَ البالِ أفرَعا
Were you so gentle-souled and fair, and now are dead?
And I replied: My care since you have asked is long,
فقلتُ لها طولُ الاسى اذ سألتني
ولوعةُ حزنٍ تتركُ الوجهَ اسفعا
Grief's agony imprints the face and scores the flesh:
Mother of many sons am I, for whom I've wept,
وفقدُ بني أمٍّ تَداعَوا فلم أكن
خِلافَهُمُ أن استكين وأضرَعا
Not for their loss rebellious, bowed in resignation bent.
Onward I pass, as one who meets the fate of war,
ولكنني أمضي على ذاك مُقدماً
اذا بعضُ من يلقى الحروب تكعكعا
When heroes stagger and confused, fall back in disarray.
Custom has changed me, once it wore down Qais and Malik,
وغَيّرني ما غالَ قيساً ومالكاً
وعمراً وجَزءً بالمُشَقَّرِ ألمعا
Omar and Jazza pierced by its infecting wounds.
It wore down the Nudmanis, Yazid, would I had sold
وما غال نُدماني يزيد وليتني
تمليته بالأهلِ والمالِ أجمعا
My family and wealth to ransom them entire!
Though I jested, sorrow has pierced me with such darts
وإنّي وإن هازلتني قد أصابني
من البثّ ما يُبكي الحزين المفجَعا
As pierce the grieving heart and make it bleed.
If fate brings down calamity and harm on men,
ولستُ اذا ما الدهرُ أحدثَ نكبةً
ورزءً بزوّار القرائبِ أخضعا
I make no plaint to friends and kin who come to mourn.
Blaming me but to hear, do not twist the blade
قعيدكِ الاّ تُسمعيني ملامَةً
ولا تَنكثي قَرحَ الفؤادِ فييجعا
To aggravate my heart's incurable distress.
For I have seen them go, nor could my hand defend
فَقَصرَكِ انّي قد شهدتُ فلم أجد
بكفيّ عنهم للمنية مَدفعا
Against death's stroke or hold its hurried pace in check.
No joy is mine if once in fortune's lap I sat,
فلا فَرِحاً إن كنتُ يوماً بغبطة
ولا جَزِعاً مما أصاب فأوجعا
No grief if death struck down and caused grim pain.
Had it but struck the waverer, the coward soul,
فلو أن ما ألقى يصيب مُتالعاً
أو الركن من سلمى اذا لتضعضعا
Or Rakan's house in Selma, razing it to dust,
Three squadrons never would have borne their dead away,
وما وَجدُ أظَآرٍ ثلاث روائمٍ
أصبَنَ مجَراً من حوار ومَصرعَا
Their wounds still bleeding, smeared with dust and gore,
Recalling in their griefs the loss of Malik, matching verse to verse,
يذكرَن ذا البثّ الحزينَ ببثِّه
اذا حَنّت الاولى سَجعنَ لها معا
The first one mourning, then the second answering through her tears,
As they drew near, arose and turned away again,
اذا شارف منهنّ قامت فرجَعت
حنينا فابكى شجوها البَركَ أجمعا
Weeping in pity for his grave and all around.
More tenderly than I, none mourned when Malik died,
بأوجدَ مني يوم قامَ بمالكٍ
منادٍ بصير بالفراق فأسمعا
Though the death-song sounded, none lent an ear.
Have no glad tidings come to cheer your abode, arousing
فان يكُ حزن أو تتابعُ عبرةٍ
أذابت عبيطاً من دم الجوفِ مُنقَعا
Angry grief in him whom loss of friends distress?
Does a malicious tongue rejoice that doom befell Malik?
تجرعتها في مالكٍ واحتسيتها
لاعظم منها ما احتسى وتجرَّعا
He saw it happen but no aid afforded then?
Have you turned aside from the proud and lofty course,
ألم تأتِ أخبارُ المحلّ سراتكم
فَيغضَب منكم كلُ من كان موجعا
And brought dejection, stepping with punctilious care?
Rejoice you never that I see death lower for all,
بمشمته إذ صادفَ الحتفُ مالكاً
ومشهده ما قد رأى ثم ضَيّعا
And none escapes, however bold and pressing forward then.
Perhaps a day will come when you lament some blow,
أأَثرتَ هِدماً بالياً وسويّةً
وجئتَ بها تعدو بريداً مُقَزَّعا
From those who once caressed you, now estranged.
You blamed a man who would have brought you in his grace
فلا تَفرحَن يوماً بنفسك انني
ارى الموتَ وقّاعاً على من تَشَجّعا
Shelter and aid, imparted or divided share.
Let not Malik's death cause joy to slanderers,
لعلَّكَ يوماً ان تُلِمَّ مُلّمَةٌ
عليك من اللآئي يدعنك أجدَعا
Misfortune's changes end: he turned away and left us lone.
نعيتَ امرءً لو كان لحمُك عندَه
لآواه مجموعاً له أو مُمَزَّعا
فلا يُهنيء الواشين مقتلُ مالكٍ
فقد آبَ شانيه إياباً فوَدّعا
