بِغَيرِكَ راعِياً عَبِثَ الذِئابُ
وَغَيرَكَ صارِماً ثَلَمَ الضِرابُ
Without your guarding shepherd's hand, the wolves ran wild in play,
And any sword but yours was blunt and useless in the fray.
وَتَملِكُ أَنفُسَ الثَقَلَينِ طُرّاً
فَكَيفَ تَحوزُ أَنفُسَها كِلابُ
You hold dominion o'er the souls of men and jinn alike,
How then could wretches claim their souls against your strike?
وَما تَرَكوكَ مَعصِيَةً وَلَكِن
يُعافُ الوِردُ وَالمَوتُ الشَرابُ
They did not flee your presence out of rebel pride or hate,
But shunned the watering-place where death lay in the wait.
طَلَبتَهُم عَلى الأَمواهِ حَتّى
تَخَوَّفَ أَن تُفَتِّشَهُ السَحابُ
You chased them to the waters till the very clouds on high
Feared you would search their rainy depths within the sky.
فَبِتُّ لَيالِياً لا نَومَ فيها
تَخُبُّ بِكَ المُسَوَّمَةُ العِرابُ
Sleepless nights you passed, while beneath your guiding rein,
The branded noble chargers trotted 'cross the plain.
يَهُزُّ الجَيشُ حَولَكَ جانِبَيهِ
كَما نَفَضَت جَناحَيها العُقابُ
Around you the army shakes its mighty flanks in span,
As a soaring eagle shakes its wings above the land.
وَتَسأَلُ عَنهُمُ الفَلَواتِ حَتّى
أَجابَكَ بَعضُها وَهُمُ الجَوابُ
You questioned the wild wastelands of where the fugitives lay,
Until the waste replied, 'Here they are,' in dismay.
فَقاتَلَ عَن حَريمِهِمِ وَفَرّوا
نَدى كَفَّيكَ وَالنَسَبُ القُرابُ
They fled, but your open hand and kinship's ancient ties
Fought to protect their women from the captor's eyes.
وَحِفظُكَ فيهِمِ سَلَفي مَعَدٍّ
وَأَنَّهُمُ العَشائِرُ وَالصِحابُ
Your care for Ma'add’s ancient line within their veins runs deep,
For they are comrades of your fold and kin you keep.
تُكَفكِفُ عَنهُمُ صُمَّ العَوالي
وَقَد شَرِقَت بِظُعنِهِمِ الشَعابُ
You held back the deaf spears from striking them down dead,
When the narrow mountain passes choked with the train they led.
وَأُسقِطَتِ الأَجِنَّةُ في الوَلايا
وَأُجهِضَتِ الحَوائِلُ وَالسِقابُ
In the hurried litters, unborn babes were cast away,
And pregnant camels aborted amidst the disarray.
وَعَمرٌ في مَيامِنِهِم عُمورٌ
وَكَعبٌ في مَياسِرِهِم كِعابُ
The tribe of 'Amr on their right fell to despair and flight,
And Ka'b upon the left were scattered in the night.
وَقَد خَذَلَت أَبو بَكرٍ بَنيها
وَخاذَلَها قُرَيظٌ وَالضِبابُ
The clan of Abu Bakr forsook their own sons in the din,
As Qurayz and Al-Dibab betrayed their kith and kin.
إِذا ما سِرتَ في آثارِ قَومٍ
تَخاذَلَتِ الجَماجِمُ وَالرِقابُ
Whenever you march upon a people’s trace in chase,
Skulls bow down before you and necks fall in disgrace.
فَعُدنَ كَما أُخِذنَ مُكَرَّماتٍ
عَلَيهِنَّ القَلائِدُ وَالمَلابُ
Their women returned as they were taken, honored and secure,
Adorned with necklaces and scents, their dignity kept pure.
يُثِبنَكَ بِالَّذي أَولَيتَ شُكراً
وَأَينَ مِنَ الَّذي تولي الثَوابُ
They offer thanks for the grace your mercy did bestow,
But how can mere thanks match the life-debt that they owe?
وَلَيسَ مَصيرُهُنَّ إِلَيكَ شَيناً
وَلا في صَونِهِنَّ لَدَيكَ عابُ
No shame befalls them in their destined fate with you,
Nor in your keeping of them is there fault to rue.
وَلا في فَقدِهِنَّ بَني كِلابٍ
إِذا أَبصَرنَ غُرَّتَكَ اِغتِرابُ
Nor is it exile for them to lose the Kilab clan,
If they but gaze upon the brightness of your face, O man.
وَكَيفَ يَتِمُّ بَأسُكَ في أُناسٍ
تُصيبُهُمُ فَيُؤلِمُكَ المُصابُ
How can your might find fullness in a crushing blow
Against a kin whose pain makes your own tears flow?
تَرَفَّق أَيُّها المَولى عَلَيهِم
فَإِنَّ الرِفقَ بِالجاني عِتابُ
Be gentle, O Master, as you hold the command,
For mercy to the sinner is the sharpest reprimand.
وَإِنَّهُمُ عَبيدُكَ حَيثُ كانوا
إِذا تَدعو لِحادِثَةٍ أَجابوا
They remain your servants wherever they reside,
Ready to answer when you call to battle at your side.
وَعَينُ المُخطِئينَ هُمُ وَلَيسوا
بِأَوَّلِ مَعشَرٍ خَطِئُوا فَتابوا
They are the very essence of those who err, 'tis true,
Yet not the first to sin and then their vows renew.
وَأَنتَ حَياتُهُم غَضِبَت عَلَيهِم
وَهَجرُ حَياتِهِم لَهُمُ عِقابُ
You are their life, though anger clouds your brow today,
To sever them from life is punishment enough to pay.
وَما جَهِلَت أَيادِيَكَ البَوادي
وَلَكِن رُبَّما خَفِيَ الصَوابُ
The desert tribes know well the favors of your hand,
Though sometimes truth is hidden in the shifting sand.
وَكَم ذَنبٍ مُوَلِّدُهُ دَلالٌ
وَكَم بُعدٍ مُوَلِّدُهُ اِقتِرابُ
How many sins are born of love's excess and pride,
And distance bred from standing too close to the side.
وَجُرمٍ جَرَّهُ سُفَهاءُ قَومٍ
وَحَلَّ بِغَيرِ جارِمِهِ العَذابُ
A crime the foolish of the tribe drew down in hate,
While punishment on the innocent fell with heavy weight.
فَإِن هابوا بِجُرمِهِمِ عَلِيّاً
فَقَد يَرجو عَلِيّاً مَن يَهابُ
If in their guilt they hold Ali in trembling fear,
It is Ali whom the fearful hope for when he's near.
وَإِن يَكُ سَيفَ دَولَةِ غَيرِ قَيسٍ
فَمِنهُ جُلودُ قَيسٍ وَالثِيابُ
If he be Sword of State for other than Qays’ line,
Yet Qays's very skin and robes from him do shine.
وَتَحتَ رَبابِهِ نَبَتوا وَأَثّوا
وَفي أَيّامِهِ كَثُروا وَطابوا
Beneath his rain-clouds they have grown and thrived,
And in his days, their goodness has revived.
وَتَحتَ لِوائِهِ ضَرَبوا الأَعادي
وَذَلَّ لَهُم مِنَ العَرَبِ الصِعابُ
Beneath his banner they struck the foeman down,
And humbled Arab chiefs of high renown.
وَلَو غَيرُ الأَميرِ غَزا كِلاباً
ثَناهُ عَن شُموسِهِمِ ضَبابُ
Had any but the Prince raided Kilab's lands,
A mist had veiled the sun of their fierce bands.
وَلاقى دونَ ثايِهِمِ طِعاناً
يُلاقي عِندَهُ الذِئبَ الغُرابُ
He would have met such thrusting at their gate,
Where wolf and crow engage in deadly debate.
وَخَيلاً تَغتَذي ريحَ المَوامي
وَيَكفيها مِنَ الماءِ السَرابُ
And steeds that feed upon the desert air,
For whom the mirage serves as water there.
وَلَكِن رَبُّهُم أَسرى إِلَيهِم
فَما نَفَعَ الوُقوفُ وَلا الذَهابُ
But it was their Lord who marched on them by night,
Availing naught was standing firm or flight.
وَلا لَيلٌ أَجَنَّ وَلا نَهارٌ
وَلا خَيلٌ حَمَلنَ وَلا رِكابُ
No night concealed them, nor the light of day,
No steed nor camel bore them safe away.
رَمَيتَهُمُ بِبَحرٍ مِن حَديدٍ
لَهُ في البَرِّ خَلفَهُمُ عُبابُ
You cast against them a vast, iron sea,
While waves of steel pursued them relentlessly.
فَمَسّاهُم وَبُسطُهُمُ حَريرٌ
وَصَبَّحَهُم وَبُسطُهُمُ تُرابُ
It struck at eve while on silk rugs they lay,
And struck at dawn when on the dust they were prey.
وَمَن في كَفِّهِ مِنهُم قَناةٌ
كَمَن في كَفِّهِ مِنهُم خِضابُ
He who held a spear within his grip that day,
Was weak as one with dyed hands raised in pray.
بَنو قَتلى أَبيكَ بِأَرضِ نَجدٍ
وَمَن أَبقى وَأَبقَتهُ الحِرابُ
Sons of those your father slew in Najd's domain,
And those whom spears had spared upon the plain.
عَفا عَنهُم وَأَعتَقَهُم صِغارا
وَفي أَعناقِ أَكثَرِهِم سِخابُ
He pardoned them and freed them when but small,
With childhood amulets upon the necks of all.
وَكُلُّكُمُ أَتى مَأتى أَبيهِ
فَكُلُّ فَعالِ كُلِّكُمُ عُجابُ
And each of you has trod his father's noble way,
So wondrous are the deeds you both display.
كَذا فَليَسرِ مَن طَلَبَ الأَعادي
وَمِثلَ سُراكَ فَليَكُنِ الطِلابُ
Thus let him march who seeks the foe to fight,
And let the chase be swift as was your night.
