أَجابَ دَمعي وَما الداعي سِوى طَلَلِ
دَعا فَلَبّاهُ قَبلَ الرَكبِ وَالإِبِلِ
My tears replied, though the summoner was but a ruin,
It called, and they answered before the riders and camels.
ظَلِلتُ بَينَ أُصَيحابي أُكَفكِفُهُ
وَظَلَّ يَسفَحُ بَينَ العُذرِ وَالعَذَلِ
I stood among my companions, stemming the flow,
But it poured forth between my excuse and their blame.
أَشكو النَوى وَلَهُم مِن عَبرَتي عَجَبٌ
كَذاكَ كُنتُ وَما أَشكو سِوى الكَلَلِ
I complain of distance, and they marvel at my tears,
Yet such was I before, complaining only of fatigue.
وَما صَبابَةُ مُشتاقٍ عَلى أَمَلٍ
مِنَ اللِقاءِ كَمُشتاقٍ بِلا أَمَلِ
The pining of one who yearns with hope
Is not like the pining of one without hope.
مَتى تَزُر قَومَ مَن تَهوى زِيارَتَها
لا يُتحِفوكَ بِغَيرِ البيضِ وَالأَسَلِ
When you visit the tribe of the woman you love,
They offer you no gift but sharp swords and spears.
وَالهَجرُ أَقتَلُ لي مِمّا أُراقِبُهُ
أَنا الغَريقُ فَما خَوفي مِنَ البَلَلِ
Separation is more deadly to me than the peril I watch for;
I am a drowning man; what fear have I of getting wet?
ما بالُ كُلِّ فُؤادٍ في عَشيرَتِها
بِهِ الَّذي بي وَما بي غَيرُ مُنتَقِلِ
Why is it that every heart among her tribe
Is struck by what strikes me, yet mine alone is restless?
مُطاعَةُ اللَحظِ في الأَلحاظِ مالِكَةٌ
لِمُقلَتَيها عَظيمُ المُلكِ في المُقَلِ
Obeyed by glances, she is a sovereign among looks,
Her eyes hold a mighty dominion over all eyes.
تَشَبَّهُ الخَفِراتُ الآنِساتُ بِها
في مَشيِها فَيَنَلنَ الحُسنَ بِالحِيَلِ
The shy, sociable maidens try to resemble her
In her walk, stealing beauty through artifice.
قَد ذُقتُ شِدَّةَ أَيّامي وَلَذَّتَها
فَما حَصَلتُ عَلى صابٍ وَلا عَسَلِ
I have tasted the severity of my days and their pleasure,
Yet I secured neither the bitter gourd nor the honey.
وَقَد أَراني الشَبابُ الروحَ في بَدَني
وَقَد أَراني المَشيبُ الروحَ في بَدَلي
Youth showed me the spirit thriving in my body,
And gray hair showed me the spirit in my successor.
وَقَد طَرَقتُ فَتاةَ الحَيِّ مُرتَدِياً
بِصاحِبٍ غَيرِ عِزهاةٍ وَلا غَزِلٍ
I visited the maiden of the tribe by night, wearing
A companion sword neither celibate nor flirtatious.
فَباتَ بَينَ تَراقينا نُدَفِّعُهُ
وَلَيسَ يَعلَمُ بِالشَكوى وَلا القُبَلِ
It spent the night between our collarbones, pushed aside,
Knowing nothing of the complaint nor the kisses.
ثُمَّ اِغتَدى وَبِهِ مِن رَدعِها أَثَرٌ
عَلى ذُؤابَتِهِ وَالجَفنِ وَالخِلَلِ
Then it departed at dawn, bearing the trace of her scent
Upon its tassel, its sheath, and its interstice.
لا أَكسِبُ الذِكرَ إِلّا مِن مَضارِبِهِ
أَو مِن سِنانٍ أَصَمِّ الكَعبِ مُعتَدِلِ
I earn no mention except from its striking edges,
Or from a spearhead, solid-shanked and straight.
جادَ الأَميرُ بِهِ لي في مَواهِبِهِ
فَزانَها وَكَساني الدِرعَ في الحُلَلِ
The Prince bestowed it upon me among his gifts,
It adorned them, and he clothed me in mail amidst robes.
وَمِن عَلِيِّ بنِ عَبدِ اللَهِ مَعرِفَتي
بِحَملِهِ مَن كَعَبدِ اللَهِ أَو كَعَلي
Through Ali ibn Abdullah comes my knowledge
Of bearing that which is like Abdullah or Ali.
مُعطي الكَواعِبِ وَالجُردِ السَلاهِبِ وَال
بيضِ القَواضِبِ وَالعَسّالَةِ الذَبُلِ
The Giver of buxom maidens and short-haired steeds,
Of sharp white swords and quivering lances.
ضاقَ الزَمانُ وَوَجهُ الأَرضِ عَن مَلِكٍ
مِلءِ الزَمانِ وَمِلءِ السَهلِ وَالجَبَلِ
Time and the face of the earth were too narrow for a King
Who fills all of Time, the plains, and the mountains.
فَنَحنُ في جَذَلٍ وَالرومُ في وَجَلٍ
وَالبَرُّ في شُغُلٍ وَالبَحرُ في خَجَلِ
So we are in joy, while the Byzantines are in terror,
The land is busy, and the sea is ashamed.
مِن تَغلِبَ الغالِبينَ الناسَ مَنصِبُهُ
وَمِن عَدِيٍّ أَعادي الجُبنِ وَالبَخَلِ
From Taghlib, whose lineage conquers mankind,
And from Adi, enemies of cowardice and greed.
وَالمَدحُ لِاِبنِ أَبي الهَيجاءِ تُنجِدُهُ
بِالجاهِلِيَّةِ عَينُ العِيِّ وَالخَطَلِ
Praise for the Son of the Lion is supported
By the Jahiliyyah—the essence of speech against stammering.
لَيتَ المَدائِحَ تَستَوفي مَناقِبَهُ
فَما كُلَيبٌ وَأَهلُ الأَعصُرِ الأُوَلِ
Would that praises could fully capture his virtues!
But what are Kulayb and the people of ancient ages?
خُذ ما تَراهُ وَدَع شَيئاً سَمِعتَ بِهِ
في طَلعَةِ الشَمسِ ما يُغنيكَ عَن زُحَلِ
Take what you see, and leave what you have heard
Of the sunrise; it suffices you against Saturn.
وَقَد وَجَدتَ مَجالَ القَولِ ذا سَعَةٍ
فَإِن وَجَدتَ لِساناً قائِلاً فَقُلِ
You have found the field of speech to be vast,
So if you find a tongue capable of speaking, then speak!
إِنَّ الهُمامَ الَّذي فَخرُ الأَنامِ بِهِ
خَيرُ السُيوفِ بِكَفَّي خَيرَةِ الدُوَلِ
Indeed, the Hero in whom all creation takes pride
Is the best of swords in the hands of the best of states.
تُمسي الأَمانِيُّ صَرعى دونَ مَبلَغِهِ
فَما يَقولُ لِشَيءٍ لَيتَ ذَلِكَ لي
Aspirations fall dead short of his limit,
And he never says of a thing, "Would that this were mine."
أُنظُر إِذا اِجتَمَعَ السَيفانِ في رَهَجٍ
إِلى اِختِلافِهِما في الخَلقِ وَالعَمَلِ
Look, when the two swords meet in the dust of battle,
At the difference between them in creation and deed.
هَذا المُعَدُّ لِرَيبِ الدَهرِ مُنصَلِتاً
أَعَدَّ هَذا لِرَأسِ الفارِسِ البَطَلِ
This one is prepared for the vicissitudes of time, drawn bare;
That one he prepared for the head of the heroic knight.
فَالعُربُ مِنهُ مَعَ الكُدرِيِّ طائِرَةٌ
وَالرومُ طائِرَةٌ مِنهُ مَعَ الحَجَلِ
The Arabs fly with him like the sandgrouse,
And the Romans fly from him like the partridge.
وَما الفِرارُ إِلى الأَجبالِ مِن أَسَدٍ
تَمشي النَعامُ بِهِ في مَعقِلِ الوَعَلِ
What use is fleeing to the mountains from a lion,
When ostriches walk with him in the ibex's stronghold?
جازَ الدُروبَ إِلى ما خَلفَ خَرشَنَةٍ
وَزالَ عَنها وَذاكَ الرَوعُ لَم يَزُلِ
He crossed the passes to what lies behind Kharshanah,
And withdrew from it, but that terror has not withdrawn.
فَكُلَّما حَلَمَت عَذراءُ عِندَهُمُ
فَإِنَّما حَلَمَت بِالسَبيِ وَالجَمَلِ
Whenever a virgin among them dreams,
She dreams only of captivity and the camel.
إِن كُنتَ تَرضى بِأَن يُعطو الجِزى بَذَلوا
مِنها رِضاكَ وَمَن لِلعورِ بِالحَوَلِ
If you are content that they pay the tribute, they give
Your contentment from it; and who can cure the one-eyed of a squint?
نادَيتُ مَجدَكَ في شِعري وَقَد صَدَرا
يا غَيرَ مُنتَحِلٍ في غَيرِ مُنتَحِلِ
I called out to your glory in my verse as they departed:
"O genuine one among the non-genuine!"
بِالشَرقِ وَالغَربِ أَقوامٌ نُحِبُّهُمُ
فَطالِعاهُم وَكونا أَبلَغَ الرُسُلِ
In the East and West are peoples we love,
So rise upon them and be the most eloquent of messengers.
وَعَرِّفاهُم بِأَنّي في مَكارِمِهِ
أُقَلِّبُ الطَرفَ بَينَ الخَيلِ وَالخَوَلِ
And inform them that I, amidst his nobilities,
Turn my gaze between the horses and the servants.
يا أَيُّها المُحسِنُ المَشكورُ مِن جِهَتي
وَالشُكرُ مِن قِبَلِ الإِحسانِ لا قِبَلي
O Benefactor, thanked on my behalf,
Though gratitude is due to the benevolence, not to me.
ما كانَ نَومِيَ إِلّا فَوقَ مَعرِفَتي
بِأَنَّ رَأيَكَ لا يُؤتى مِنَ الزَلَلِ
My sleep was only based on my knowledge
That your judgment is not approached by error.
أَقِل أَنِل أَقطِعِ اِحمِل عَلِّ سَلِّ أَعِد
زِد هَشَّ بَشَّ تَفَضَّل أَدنِ سُرَّ صِلِ
Forgive, bestow, grant, support, elevate, console, restore,
Increase, cheer, smile, favor, draw near, gladden, unite!
لَعَلَّ عَتبَكَ مَحمودٌ عَواقِبُهُ
فَرُبَّما صَحَّتِ الأَجسامُ بِالعِلَلِ
Perhaps the consequences of your blame will be praiseworthy;
For often bodies are healed by sicknesses.
وَما سَمِعتُ وَلا غَيري بِمُقتَدِرٍ
أَذَبَّ مِنكَ لِزورِ القَولِ عَن رَجُلِ
I have not heard, nor has anyone else, of a potentate
More defensive than you against false words regarding a man.
لِأَنَّ حِلمَكَ حِلمٌ لا تَكَلَّفُهُ
لَيسَ التَكَحُّلُ في العَينَينِ كَالكَحَلِ
Because your clemency is a nature you do not feign;
For applying kohl to the eyes is not like having dark eyes.
وَما ثَناكَ كَلامُ الناسِ عَن كَرَمٍ
وَمَن يَسُدُّ طَريقَ العارِضِ الهَطِلِ
People's talk did not turn you away from generosity;
And who can block the path of the pouring rain cloud?
أَنتَ الجَوادُ بِلا مَنٍّ وَلا كَدَرٍ
وَلا مِطالٍ وَلا وَعدٍ وَلا مَذَلِ
You are the generous one without reproach or murkiness,
Without delay, without promise, without meanness.
أَنتَ الشُجاعُ إِذا ما لَم يَطَأ فَرَسٌ
غَيرَ السَنَوَّرِ وَالأَشلاءِ وَالقُلَلِ
You are the brave one, when no horse treads
Anything but armor, scattered limbs, and skulls.
وَرَدَّ بَعضُ القَنا بَعضاً مُقارَعَةً
كَأَنَّهُ مِن نُفوسِ القَومِ في جَدَلِ
And some spears deflect others in the striking,
As if they were in a dispute over the souls of the men.
لا زِلتَ تَضرِبُ مَن عاداكَ عَن عُرُضٍ
بِعاجِلِ النَصرِ في مُستَأخِرِ الأَجَلِ
May you continue to strike those who oppose you from the side,
With immediate victory in a long-deferred lifespan.
