أَلا هَل لما فات من مطلبِ
وهل عن ردَى المرءِ من مَهرَبِ
Alas! Is there no return for what is past?
No escape for man from his appointed fate?
وَهَل لامرئٍ يبتغيهِ القضا
ءُ من مُستجارٍ ومن مذهبِ
Can one opposed by destiny find refuge,
A means of fleeing, a place to migrate?
عذيرِيَ من حادثات الزّمان
أجِدُّ لهنَّ ويلعبْنَ بي
My excuse for the vicissitudes of Time
Is that they beguile and play tricks on me,
يُثلّمْنَ من حَنَقٍ مَرْوَتي
ويرعَيْنَ من نَهَمٍ خُلّبي
They prod my dignity and provoke my pride,
And rouse the sleeper of anxiety.
وإمّا بَرِحْنَ ففي طيّهن
نَ ما شئتَ من تعبٍ مُتعبِ
Sometimes they leave me be, at other times
They burden me with every kind of care,
وإنْ هنّ صفّينَ لي مشرباً
رَجَعْنَ فَرنّقْنَ لي مَشْربي
And when misfortunes crowd around my drink
They mix my beverage with despair.
فكم ذا أُعلّلُ بالمُبْرِضاتِ
وأُخدَعُ بالبارق الخُلّبِ
How often illness wears a false disguise,
How often flashing lightning blinds my sight,
وأُعدي بأدواء هذا الزّما
نِ عَدْوَى المُصحِّ من المُجرَبِ
How often are these cruel, evil days
More baneful than the healer's bitter night.
ولو كنتُ أعجبُ من حادثٍ
عجبتُ من الحادث الأقربِ
If I expressed wonder at some event
I'd wonder most at what is now most near:
أتاني على عُدَوَاءِ الدّيارِ
لَواذِعُ مِن نبأٍ مُنصِبِ
The news reached me, at our abandoned camp,
Of horror pouring on me like a flood.
فإنّ نجيع فخار الملو
كِ سِيط هنالك بالأثْلَبِ
The protector of kings lies slain out there
By the claws of a voracious jackal beast;
وإنّ أُسامةَ ذا اللِّبدَتيْ
نِ صُرِّع عن خُدَعِ الأَذْؤُبِ
And gallant Usama, with his braided locks,
Lies murdered through the cunning of the wolf.
غُلبتمْ بنقضِكُمُ عهدَهُ
ومن غلّبَ الغدْرُ لم يغلِبِ
You broke your word - who breaks faith will not prosper.
With what hand did you guide deceit's sure blow?
بأيِّ يدٍ قُدتمُ غِرَّةً
خِزامةَ ذا المُقرَمِ المُصْعَبِ
How did you conquer when the path between you
Was separated by the stars' wide span?
وكيف ظفِرتُمْ وبُعدُ المنا
ل بينكُمُ بسنا الكَوكبِ
How did you, made so helpless by yourselves,
Suspend yourselves from change's fickle bow?
وَكَيف عَلِقْتُم عَلى ما بِكمْ
من العَجْزِ بالحُوَّلِ القُلَّبِ
Where is your oath, while war's unbridled steeds
Plunged headlong, charging, trampling helter-skelter?
وأينَ يمينُكُمُ والعُهو
تطايحن في نَفْنفٍ سَبْسَبِ
Now your dominion, after him, is left
Without a hand to wield it or elbow.
وَأَصبح ملكُكُم بعدَه
بغير ذراعٍ ولا مَنكِبِ
Never did I fear that ancient serpents
Would strike throughout the ages with their venom.
وما كنتُ أخشى على الأُفعوانِ
مَدى الدّهرِ مِن حُمةِ العقربِ
But after you had driven them, emboldened,
In enmity against the curser's ark,
أَمِنْ بَعد أَن قادَها نحوَكمْ
نفوراً مُحَرَّمَةَ المركبِ
And set them loose among your lair and dwellings
Where nothing can allure them or give joy,
وَأَولَجها بَين أَبياتكمْ
وَلَيسَ لَها ثمَّ من مرغَبِ
And every strong and mighty warrior
Took up the task of their defence and guarding,
وَدافع عنها لِغير القوي
يِ كلَّ شديدِ القُوى مُحرِبِ
You have rewarded him the enemy's reward,
And made of him a sacrificial offering!
تُجازونَهُ بجزاء العدوِّ
وتَجْزونَه أُسْوَةَ المُذنِبِ
Had he but doubted you, as I did,
He ne'er had doubted, nor been made to suffer.
ولو رابه منكُمُ ما أرا
بَ شآكمْ وَلكن لم يَرْتَبِ
Seize it! Its first taste will delight you,
Though in the end it will not be so sweet.
خُذوها تلَذُّ لَكمْ عاجلاً
وآجلُها غيرُ مُستَعذَبِ
Do not delay the vengeance owed him!
He is a man who would not bear delay.
ولا تَرقبوا غير ودْقِ الحِمام
وشيكاً من العارِضِ الصيِّبِ
I see it now, like the mountains of Hijaz,
Or hanging curtains of the darkest rain;
ففِي الغيبِ مِن ثارِه فيكُمُ
شفاءٌ لأفئدةٍ وُجَّبِ
Upon them every brave young warrior,
When fearsome terrors rise, knows no surrender,
ألا غنّياني بقرع السّيوفِ
فَما غيرُها أبداً مُطربي
Their swords slash through the necks of the accursed,
Like rods of flaming fire ready to ignite.
وحُثّا عليَّ كؤوسَ النّجيعِ
سواءً شربتُ ولم أشربِ
As we passed by his abandoned campsite
Where the companion once lived, now deserted,
ولا تمطُلا ثاره إنّه
فتىً حرّم المَطْلَ في مَطلبِ
The place still rang with voices of guests and comrades
But only crows cawed in response nearby;
كأنّي بها كجبالِ الحجا
زِ يُقبلنَ أو قِطَعِ الغَيْهبِ
We wept for heedlessness in days gone by,
A life now vanished, once so fresh and verdant,
عليهنّ كلُّ شُجاعِ الجَنان
إذا رُهبَ الهولُ لم يَرهَبِ
And said: Since tears flow easily from the eye,
Why should the heart not weep with equal ease?
لأسيافهم في رؤوس الكُماةِ
مصمّمة القُضُب اللّهّبِ
O dwelling! How you wear your cloak of misery!
The water of vitality is not yet dry!
ولمّا مررنا على رَبْعِهِ
خرابِ الأنيس ولم يَخرِبِ
How could you forget that glorious time
Of generosity and welcoming hospitality?
تَبدّل بعدَ عَجيج الوفودِ
بحاجاتِهم صرَّةَ الجُندُبِ
How are you now emptied of inhabitants
While crows caw undisturbed in your empty space?
ومن سابغاتٍ ملَأْن الفِناءَ
من القَزّ أردية العنكبِ
Where are the dens of that courageous lion
And the lion cub's playground full of frolic?
بَكينا على غَفَلاتٍ بِهِ
سُرِقنَ وعيشٍ مضى طيّبِ
Where are the posts where his young servants stood?
The troops crowding on horseback down the roads?
وَقُلنا لما كانَ صعبَ المَذا
لِ من سَبَلِ العين لا تَصعُبِ
The paths his racers sped like lightning bolts,
At dawn swooping down from their watchful crags?
أيا دارُ كيف لبستِ العَفاء
وماءُ النضارِة لم ينضُبِ
Did his sword ever rest from slashing blows?
Was his blade ever sheathed from crimson blood?
وَكيفَ نسيتِ الّذي كان فيكِ
من العزّ والكرم الأرحبِ
Did frightened horses speed in panic, crazed,
To any refuge or place of dread?
وكيف خلوتِ من القاطنين
وغربانُ بينك لم يَنعَبِ
Were not long lances in the violent fray
Splintered in the shock by the spearhead's thrusts?
وَأَين مَكامنُ ذاكَ الشجاع
ومربضةُ الأسدِ الأغلبِ
If his sword had known your current state
It would have blamed its arm for lack of strength.
وأين مواقفُ وِلْدانِهِ
ومُزدَحمِ الجُند في الموكبِ
And for a useless wrist it would have substituted
An arm made resolute by amputation!
ومجرى سوابقِهِ كالصّقورِ
جلبنَ صباحاً على مَرْقَبِ
A people gave you the poison draught to drink -
They have no antidote to make you recover!
أيمضِي وأسيافُهُ ما فَتِئْ
نَ بالضّرب والسُّمرُ لم تُخضَبِ
If you asked them for a cure, their presence
Would defer the answer to absent tongues.
وَلَم تُعجل الخيلُ مذعورةً
إلى مَرغبٍ وإلى مرهبِ
You were so generous you ignored the envious,
And thus were trapped by those who beg and plot.
ولم يُستلبْ بالرّماح الطّوا
لِ في الرّوع واسطةُ المِقْنَبِ
If you walk alone in this age, my friend,
Your generosity will never disappear;
ولو عَلِمَ السّيفُ لمّا علا
كَ حالَ كليلاً بلا مَضرِبِ
And if they wall you in with jointed armor
Your valiant efforts will not be confined.
وبُدّل من ساعدٍ هزّه
لحتفك بالسّاعد الأعضبِ
Peace upon you, though you are denied peace
By a time of misery and disappointment!
تعامَه قومٌ سقوك الحِمامَ
فما فيهُمُ عنك مِن مُعرِبِ
Alas for your days that have departed,
Leaving the rainclouds without further rain!
فلو عن رداكَ سألنهاهُمُ
أحالَ الحضور على الغُيَّبِ
You rose only to set like the life
Of youth when it nears the verge of old age.
ألِفْتَ التكَرّم حتّى غفل
تَ عن جانب الحاسد المُجلبِ
After you no more is sweetness in sweetness -
How can life after you be sweet?
ولم تَعتدِ المنعَ للطّالبين
فجدْتَ بنفسك للطُّلَّبِ
Forbidden it is that I gain a brother -
No brotherhood can equal yours, alas!
فإِن تكُ يا واحداً في الزّمانِ
ذهبتَ ففضلُك لم يذهبِ
You'll not see me take to intimate friendship
Or seek asylum in a stranger's shelter.
وإنْ حجّبوك بنسْجِ الصّفيحِ
فغرُّ مساعيك لم تُحجَبِ
I wanted none but you, and when you went
I found my foot betrayed, though not by choice.
سلامٌ عليك وإن كنتَ ما
سلمتَ من الزّمن الأخيبِ
With the clashing of swords let me delight -
Nothing else will ever rouse my spirit!
وواهاً لأيّامك الماضياتِ
مُضِيَّ السّحابة عن مُجدبِ
Pour the wine of the slain in cups -
Whether I drink it or refuse, it's equal!
فَما بِنْتَ إلّا كبين الحياةِ
وشرخِ الشّباب عن الأشيبِ
Do not hesitate to take his vengeance,
He is a man who would forbid hesitation!
ولا خَير بعدكَ في الطيّباتِ
فَما العَيشُ بَعدك بالطيّبِ
I see it now, like the mountains of Hijaz,
Or rents torn open in the barrier's veil,
حَرامٌ عليّ اِكتسابُ الإخاءِ
فَمثل إِخائك لم أكسِبِ
Upon them every brave young warrior,
When awesome terrors rise, knows no surrender,
وَلستَ ترانِيَ فيمنْ ترا
هُ إِلّا عَلى نجوَةِ الأجْنَبِ
Their swords slash through the necks of the despised,
Like rods of flaming fire ready to ignite!
ولستُ به طالباً غيرَه
فقِدْماً وجدتُ ولم أطلُبِ
