خذوا من جفوني ماءَها فهي ذُرَّفُ

فَما لكُمُ إلّا الجَوى والتّلَهُّفُ

Take the water from my eyelids, for they are overflowing,

So you have nothing left but agony and yearning.

وإنْ أنتما اِستوقفتما عن مَسيلها

غُروبَ مآقينا فما هنّ وُقَّفُ

And if you two stop its flow,

Our sunsets of sorrows will never cease.

كأنّ عيوناً كنّ زَوْراً عن البكا

غصونٌ مَطيراتُ الذُّرا فهي وُكَّفُ

It is as if the eyes were falsely weeping,

Branches shedding rain water, so they are held back.

دعَا العَذْلَ والتّعنيفَ في الحزن والأسى

فَما هجر الأحزانَ إلّا المعنّفُ

He called upon grace and reproach in sorrow and grief,

But nothing abandons sorrows except the reproached one.

تَقولونَ لِي صبراً جميلاً وليس لِي

على الصّبرِ إلّا حسرةٌ وتَلَهُّفُ

You tell me to have beautiful patience, but I have

Nothing regarding patience except sorrow and yearning.

وَكيفَ أُطيقُ الصّبرَ والحزنُ كلّما

عَنُفْتُ به يقوى عليَّ وأضعُفُ

And how can I endure patience when grief, whenever

I resist it, overcomes me and I weaken?

ذكرتُ بيومِ الطَّفِّ أوتاد أرضِهِ

تهُبُّ بهمْ للموت نكباءُ حَرْجفُ

I remembered the day of al-Taff, the pegs of its land

Swaying with them towards death, the stumbling of Ḥarjuf.

كرامٌ سُقوا ماءَ الخديعَةِ واِرتَوَوْا

وسيقوا إلى الموت الزُّؤام فأوجفوا

Noble ones who drank the water of deception and quenched their thirst

And were led to sudden death grimly frowning.

فكم مُرْهَفٍ فيهمْ ألمَّ بحدِّهِ

هنالك مسنونُ الغِرارين مُرْهَفُ

So how many smooth-cheeked ones among them

Pain afflicted with its edge there.

ومعتدلٍ مثلِ القناةِ مثقّفٍ

لواه إلى الموتِ الطويلُ المثقّفُ

The slender, straight like a spear, long and elegant,

Was taken by death, the long and elegant one.

قَضَوْا بعد أن قضّوا مُنىً من عدوّهمْ

ولم ينكلوا يوم الطّعانِ ويضعفوا

They fulfilled after they had fulfilled their purpose against their enemy

And did not waver on the day of spears and weaken.

وراحوا كما شاءتْ لهمْ أَرْيَحِيّةٌ

ودَوْحَةُ عزٍّ فرعُها متعطِّفُ

And they went as the meadows of 'Arayhiyya pleased them

And an oasis of glory whose branches meander.

فَإِنْ تَرَهمْ في القاع نَثراً فشملهمْ

بجنّاتِ عَدْنٍ جامعٌ متألّفُ

So if you see them in the plain scattered,

Embrace them with the gardens of Eden, brought together.

إِذا ما ثنوا تلك الوسائد مُيَّلاً

أُدِيرَتْ عليهمْ في الزّجاجةِ قَرْقَفُ

When they are covered with those pillows slanted,

Vases are placed over them in glass and pour forth.

وأحواضُهم مورودةٌ فعدوّهم

يُحَلّا وأصحابُ الولايةِ تَرْشُفُ

And their basins are well-watered while their enemy

Is left thirsty and the masters of devotion drink their fill.

فلو أنّنِي شاهدتهمْ أو شَهِدْتُهمْ

هُناك وأنيابُ المنيّةِ تَصْرِفُ

If only I had seen them or witnessed them

There while the fangs of death rove about.

لدافعتُ عنهمْ واهباً دونهمْ دمي

وَمن وهب النّفسَ الكريمةَ مُنصفُ

I would have defended them, sacrificing my blood for theirs,

And whoever sacrifices a precious soul is equitable.

ولم يكُ يخلو من ضرابي وطعنتي

حسامٌ ثليمٌ أو سِنانٌ مُقَصَّفُ

Neither polished sword nor sharpened spearhead

Would be without my blows and stabs.

فيا حاسديهمْ فضلَهمْ وهو باهرٌ

وكم حسد الأقوامُ فضلاً وأسرفوا

So O envious ones of their superiority which is manifest

And how much have people envied conspicuous superiority and transgressed!

دعوا حَلَباتِ السَّبقِ تمرح خيلُها

وتغدو على مضمارها تَتَغَطْرَفُ

Leave the racetrack for their horses to frolic

And race on its course leaping playfully.

ولا تزحفوا زَحْفَ الكسير إلى العُلا

فلن تلحقوا وللصّلالِ التَّزَحُّفُ

And do not crawl with the crawling of the broken

To the heights, for you will not catch up and crawling is only for the lowly.

وخلّوا التكاليفَ الّتي لا تُفيدكمْ

فَما يَستوي طَبعٌ نبا وتكلُّفُ

And leave aside the burdens that do not benefit you,

For innate disposition and affectation are not equal.

فَقَد دامَ إِلْطاطٌ بهمْ في حقوقهمْ

وأعْوَزَ إنصافٌ وطال تحيُّفُ

Oppression against them has lasted regarding their rights

And fairness is lame and skewing has been prolonged.

تناسيتُمُ ما قال فيهمْ نبيُّكُمْ

كأنّ مقالاً قال فيهمْ مُحَرَّفُ

You forgot what your prophet said about them

As if he related something distorted about them.

فَكَم لِرسول اللَّهِ في الطَّفِّ من دمٍ

يُراق ومن نفسٍ تُماتُ وتُتْلَفُ

So how much blood of the Messenger of Allah is shed in al-Taff

And souls slain and brought together!

ومِن ولدٍ كالعينِ منه كرامةً

يُقاد بأيدي النّاكثين ويُعْسَفُ

And children just like his eyes in esteem

Are led by the hands of oath breakers and abused!

عزيزٌ عليه أن تُباع نساؤُهُ

كما بيع قِطْعٌ في عُكاظَ وقَرْطَفُ

It is difficult for him that his wives are sold

Just like fabrics sold in 'Ukadh and Qarṭaf.

يُذَدْنَ عن الماءِ الرِّواءِ وتَرْتوِي

من الماءِ أجمالٌ لهْم لا تُكَفْكَفُ

They are prevented from drinking fresh water and beauties

Drink water instead of them which are not pushed away.

فيا لعيونٍ جائراتٍ عن الهدى

ويا لقلوبٍ ضِغنُها مُتَضَعِّفُ

So O eyes that have deviated from guidance

And O hearts whose grudges have multiplied!

لكمْ أم لهمْ بيتٌ بناه على التُّقى

وبيتٌ له ذاك السّتارُ المُسَجَّفُ

Do you or do they have a house built upon piety

With a curtained enclosure for it?

به كلَّ يومٍ من قريشٍ وغيرها

جهيرٌ مُلَبٍّ أو سريعٌ مطوِّفُ

To it each day come processions

Of pilgrims from Quraysh and others circumambulating.

إذا زارَهُ يوماً دَلوحٌ بذنبِهِ

مضى وهو عُريانُ الفِرا متكشِّفُ

Whenever a requestor comes to it with his sin one day

He leaves barefoot with sins exposed.

وزَمْزَمُ والرّكبُ الّذي يَمسحونه

وَأَيمانُهمْ مِن رَحمة اللَّه تَنطِفُ

And Zamzam and the caravans who wipe it

And their oaths by Allah’s mercy dripping.

ووادي مِنىً تُهدى إليه نحائرٌ

تُكَبُّ على الأذقانِ قسراً فتُحْتَفُ

And the valley of Mina, to which sacrificial animals are gifted,

Forcibly rolling in the dust upon their cheeks.

وَجمعٌ وما جمعٌ لمن ساف تُربهُ

ومِن قبلِهِ يومُ الوقوفِ المعَرَّفُ

And a crowd—what a crowd for one who honored his soil!

And before it is the known day of standing still.

وأنتمْ نصرتُمْ أم هُمُ يومَ خَيْبَرٍ

نبيَّكُمُ حيث الأسنّةُ تَرعُفُ

Did you or did they support your prophet on the day of Khaybar

When tongues were parched?

فررتمْ وما فرّوا وحِدْتُمْ عن الرّدى

وما عنه منهم حائدٌ مُتَحَرِّفُ

You fled while they did not,

And you deviated from righteousness while none of them were deviants.

فحصنٌ مشيدٌ بالسّيوف مهدّمٌ

وبابٌ منيعٌ بالأنامل يُقْذَفُ

So a fortified fortress demolished with swords

And an impenetrable door torn down with fingers.

توقّفتُمُ خَوف الرّدى عن مواقفٍ

وما فيهمُ من خِيفةٍ يتوقَّفُ

You stopped out of fear of harm in situations

While they had no fear that made them stop.

لهم دونكمْ في يوم بَدْرٍ وبعدها

بيوم حُنَيْنٍ كلّما لا يُزَحْلَفُ

They had, more than you, victory on the day of Badr and after it

On the day of Ḥunayn, about which there is no doubt.

فقل لبنِي حرْبٍ وإنْ كان بيننا

من النَّسَبِ الدّاني مَرائِرُ تُحْصَفُ

Then say to the clan of Ḥarb, even if there is

Enmity between us of ancient pedigree:

أفي الحقّ أنّا مُخرجوكم إلى الهدى

وأنتمْ بلا نهجٍ إلى الحقّ يعْرَفُ

Is it true that we guided you to righteousness

While you had no path to truth that was known?

وإِنّا شَبَبْنا في عِراصِ دياركمْ

ضياءً وليلُ الكفر فيهنّ مُسْدَفُ

And we grew up in the shelters of your lands

A light, while the night of disbelief in them was gloomy.

وإنّا رَفَعناكمْ فَأشرف منكُمُ

بنا فوق هاماتِ الأعزّةِ مُشرِفُ

And we raised you above the greatest heights

While we were above the noble foreheads exalted.

وها أنتُمُ ترموننا بجنادلٍ

لها سُحُبٌ ظلماؤها لا تَكشّفُ

Yet here you are accusing us with polished arrowheads

Whose darkness is not uncovered.

لنا منكُمُ في كلّ يومٍ وليلةٍ

قتيلٌ صريعٌ أو شريدٌ مخوَّفُ

Every day and night you kill some of us,

Either slain and motionless or banished and scared.

فخرتمْ بما مُلِّكتُمُوه وإِنّكمْ

سِمانٌ من الأموال إذْ نحن شُسَّفُ

You took pride in what you possess while you are

Thirsty for wealth while we remain parched.

وما الفخر يا مَنْ يجهل الفخر للفتى

قَميصٌ مُوشّىً أو رداءٌ مُفَوَّفُ

Boastfulness is not pride, O ignorant one of pride,

In a adorned shirt or cloak with trimming.

وَما فَخرنا إلّا الّذي هَبَطَتْ به ال

ملائك أو ما قد حوى منه مُصْحَفُ

We only take pride in what the angels brought down

Or what is contained in the protected book.

يُقِرُّ به من لا يُطيق دفاعَه

ويعرفه في القوم من يتعرَّفُ

It establishes for one unable to defend it

And the knowledgeable among the people recognize it.

ولمّا ركبنا ما ركبنا من الذُّرا

وليس لكمْ في موضع الرِّدفِ مَرْدَفُ

And when we rode what we rode of misfortune

While you have no companion in the saddle.

تيقّنتُمُ أنّا بما قد حويتُمُ

أحقُّ وأولى في الأنامِ وأعرفُ

You became certain that in what you contained

We are more deserving and take precedence among people.

ولكنّ أمراً حاد عنه محصِّلٌ

وأهوى إليه خابطٌ متعسِّفُ

But something deviated the implementer

And a transgressor was inclined to it.

وكم من عتيقٍ قد نبا بيمينِهِ

حسامٌ وكم قطّ الضّريبةَ مُقرَفُ

How many bonds have been severed by the swords

And many a collector of taxes had his neck severed!

فلا تركبوا أعوادَنا فركوبُها

لمن يركبُ اليومَ العَبوسَ فيوجِفُ

So do not mount our steeds, for riding them

Is for one who rides the frowning day frowning.

ولا تَسكنوا أَوطانَنا فعِراصُنا

تميل بكمْ شوقاً إلينا وترجِفُ

And do not settle in our lands, for our homesteads

Incline to us in longing and quiver.

ولا تكشفوا ما بيننا من حقائدٍ

طواها الرّجالُ الحازمون ولفّفوا

And do not uncover what hatreds are between us

Which resolute men have concealed and wrapped up.

وكونوا لنا إمّا عدوّاً مجاملاً

وإمّا صديقاً دهرَه يتلطّفُ

Either be an enemy who is courteous

Or a lifelong friend of gentle disposition.

فللخيرِ إنْ آثَرْتُمُ الخيرَ موضعٌ

وللشَّرِّ إنْ أحببتُمُ الشّرَّ موقفُ

If you have chosen goodness, there is a place for goodness,

And for evil, if you love evil, a standing place.

عكفنا على ما تعلمون من التُّقى

وأنتمْ على ما يعلمُ اللّهُ عُكَّفُ

We busied ourselves with what you know of piety

While you busied yourselves with what Allah knows.

لكمْ كلُّ موقوذٍ بِكظَّةِ بطنِهِ

وَليسَ لنا إلّا الهضيمُ المخفّفُ

For you are every glutton with his bulging belly

While we have nothing but light digestible food.

إلى كمْ أداري مَن أُداري من العِدا

وأهدُن قوماً بالجميل وألطُفُ

How long will I coddle those I coddle among the enemies

And gently guide a people with kindness and gentleness!

تلاعَبُ بِي أيدي الرّجالِ وليس لِي

مِنَ الجورِ مُنجٍ لا ولا الظّلمِ مُنصفُ

The hands of men play games with me and I have

No protector from injustice or justice from oppression.

وحشو ضلوعي كلُّ نَجلاءَ ثَرَّةٍ

متى ألَّفوها أقْسَمَتْ لا تألَّفُ

And they stuff my chest with every polished arrowhead,

Which, whenever brought together, swears it will not reconcile.

فظاهرها بادي السّريرةِ فاغرٌ

وباطنها خاوي الدّخيلةِ أجوفُ

Its exterior is obvious, its interior empty,

Its outside gaping, its inside hollow and void.

إذا قلتُ يوماً قد تلاءم جُرحُها

تَحَكَّكُ بالأيدي عليَّ وتَقْرِفُ

If one day I say its wounds have healed,

It scratches at me with hands and tears viciously.

فكم ذا أُلاقِي منهُمُ كلَّ رابحٍ

وَما أَنا إلّا أَعزلُ الكفِّ أكشفُ

So how many from them I meet, every winner,

While I have nothing but the empty palm exposed!

وَكَم أَنا فيهم خاضعٌ ذو اِستكانةٍ

كأنِّيَ ما بين الأصحّاءِ مُدْنَفُ

And how I am among them submitting with resignation

As if I am not considered among the healthy!

أُقادُ كأنّي بالزّمامِ مُجَلَّبٌ

بطيءُ الخُطا عاري الأضالعِ أعجفُ

I am led as if bound by the halter,

Slow of pace, ribs exposed, frail.

وأَرسفُ في قيدٍ من الحزمِ عنوةً

ومن ذيدَ عن بسط الخُطا فهو يَرسُفُ

And I am pulled by force in a bond of resolve

And whoever holds back from taking steps, it is he who takes far steps.

ويَلْصَقُ بي من ليس يدري كَلالةً

وأُحْسَبُ مضعوفاً وغيري المضعَّفُ

And one who does not know weariness clings to me

While I am considered weak and others are the weakened ones.

وعُدنا بما مِنّا عيونٌ كثيرةٌ

شُخوصٌ إلى إدراكه ليس تَطرِفُ

And we were promised what many eyes long for—

Elderly ones whose eyes will not see it carried out.

وقيل لنا حان المَدا فتوكّفوا

فَيا حُججاً للّهِ طال التَّوَكُّفُ

And we were told the time is up, so hold back,

For O signs of Allah, the holding back has been prolonged!

فَحَاشَا لنا من رِيبةٍ بمقالكمْ

وحاشا لكمْ من أن تقولوا فتُخلِفوا

Far be it from us to doubt your words

And far be it from you to say and then fail to fulfill!

وَلَم أَخشَ إلّا من معاجلةِ الرّدى

فأُصرفُ عن ذاك الزّمان وأُصدَفُ

I feared nothing but encountering harm

So I turn away from that time and block my ears.