شَدُّوا إلَيكَ نياط َ القلبِ والعَصَبا
وَوَطَّؤوا خَطوَكَ الأجفانَ والهُدُبا
They extended to you the nerves and fibers of the heart
And trod your steps with their eyelids and eyebrows
وَسَمَّروا كُلَّ ضِلْع ٍمِن أضالِعِهِم
في كلِّ مُنْعَطَفٍ جاوَزتَهُ نُصُبا
And nailed every rib of theirs
To each turning you crossed, erect with fatigue
وَفَتَّحُوا لَكَ أبوابَ الصُّدورِ وَقَد
كانَتْ تَلوحُ كأنْ قَد أُوصِدَتْ حِقَبا
And opened to you the doors of their chests, which
Seemed as if they had been locked up
لو استَطاعُوا أضاءُوا مِن مَحاجِرِهِم
على طريقِكَ في تِلكَ الدُّجى شُهُبا
If they were able, they would have illuminated
Your path in that darkness with flames
وَسَيَّروا الرِّيحَ مِن أنفاسِهِم شَرَفاً
أنْ يَحمِلوكَ على أنفاسِهِم حُدُبا
And sent the wind from their breaths honorably
To carry you on their breaths, hunchbacked
أنْ يَلمِسُوا مِنكَ كَفَّا ًباللَّظى غُمِسَتْ
وَيَلثِموا مِنكَ وَجْها ًبالسَّنا عُصِبا
To touch from you a palm soaked
And kiss from you a face dried with yearning
وَيَحضِنوا ذلكَ الصَّدرَالذي حَضَنَتْ
عِظامُهُ الكَونَ كلَّ الكَونِ ما رَحُبا
And embrace that chest whose bones
Embraced the whole universe, however spacious
أسبابُ أهلِكَ يا أوفاهُمُ رَحِماً
أقاطِعٌ أنتَ مِن أسبابِهِم سَبَبا ؟!
Are the causes of your family, O most faithful of them,
Insufficient for their causes?!
اُنظُرْتَجِدْ في عيون ِالنَّاس ِأيَّ هَوىً
جَذلانَ تَهتِكُ عَنه ُالنَّظرَة ُالحُجُبا
Look, you will find in people's eyes whatever love
That the bashful glance reveals its veils over
يَكادُ مَن يَشهَدُ الأعناقَ مُتْلَعَةً
إلَيكَ يُبصِرُ منها مَنظَراً عَجَبا
Whoever witnesses the outstretched necks to you
Sees from them a wondrous sight
أكُلُّ قَلبٍ لَه ُ في ما شَدَوتَ بِه
شأنٌ ، فَكُلٌّ بِشَيءٍ منكَ قد جُذِبا ؟
Is every heart that holds from what you have called to
A case, so each is attracted by something of you?
أم أنَّها هالَة ُالمَجْدِ التي سَكَبَتْ
على الجَبين ِمنَ الأضواءِ ما خَلَبا
Or is it the aura of glory that poured
Onto the forehead from the lights some dreams
وأروَعُ المَجْدِ مَرْمَى هامَةٍ زَحَمَتْ
ذ ُرا السَّماءِ ، وَخَطْوٍ لم يَزَلْ تَرِبا !
And the most wondrous glory aimed at a resolve that crowded
The spheres of the sky, and a step that did not cease to grow
ما كانَ مَجْدُ كَ مِزماراً تُرَنِّمُهُ
وَقَيْنَةً تَتَلَوَّى حَولَه ُ طَرَبا
Your glory was not a flute you compose
And a lute that whirls around it enchanted
وَلا رَنينَ كؤوسٍ كُلَّما امتَلأتْ
طَفَتْ حُلومُ ذ َويها فَوقَها حَبَبا
Nor the echo of cups whenever they are filled
Their sweetness overflows above them seeds
وَلا حَدَوتَ رِكابَ الأرذلينَ بِما
يُوحَى إلَيكَ ، وَلم تَمسَحْ لَهُم ذ َنَبا
And you did not court the feet of the vile with what
Is inspired to you, and you did not erase sins for them
بَلى ، رأيْتُكَ حَتْفاً والِجاً أبَداً
بيوتَهُم ، مُكْفَهِرَّاً، عاصِفاً ،غَضِبا
But I saw you storming their homes for eternity
Furious, raging, angry
لم تخْشَ إذ ْكنتَ صِلَّ الرَّملِ مُنتصِباً
أنْ يَسلِبوكَ ، وَهَل مِن مُرمِلٍ سُلِبا ؟
You did not fear when you were a pillar of sand standing
That they would rob you, and is there anyone who robbed a pillar?
حتى إذا عَجَمُوا صُلْبَ القَناةِ فَلَم
يُلْفُوا، كما وَهِمُوا، باناً ولا قَصَبا
Until when they bridged the strait so roughly
And did not find, as they imagined, apparent or reed
جَرَتْ نُهَيْراتُهُم مِن حَولِ رَمْلَتِها
تُشَعشِعُ المالَ ،والألقابَ ،والُّرتَبا
Their roaring around its sand poured
Money, titles, and positions
تَوَهَّمُوا هامَةَ العِملاق ِتُثْقِلُها
تِلكَ الثِّمارُ فَتَحني جذعَها الصَّلِبا
They imagined the aura of the giant tree weighs it down
Those fruits so its rigid trunk bends
لكنْ أبَتْ كلُّ ذ َرَّاتِ الرِّمال ِ فَلَم
تَشرَبْ، وَظلَّ مَهيبُ العُودِ مُنتَصِبا !
But every speck of sand refused
To drink, and the awe of the pole remained standing!
وَهَلْ يَقَرُّ جَناحٌ أنتَ ناشِرُهُ
إلاّ عَلى مُرتَقىً أو يَفرَعُ السُّحُبا !
And which wing that you spread
Would alight except on a high place or above the clouds!
أبا فُراتٍ ، وَلَنْ يَنفَكَّ مُرتَقِباً
شَوقُ الجموع ِ،وَلنْ تَنفَكَّ مُرتَقَبا
O Abu Furat, and the longing of the crowds will not cease
Expecting, and you will not cease to be expected
خَمسونَ عاماً صَواريهِم يَجيشُ بها
خِضَمُّ شِعرِكَ ما لانَتْ ، وَلا نَضَبا
For fifty years their temples roared with
The flood of your hair which did not weaken or run out
أولاءِ واللهِ ، لو خَيْلُ الفُراتِ كَبا
طُوفانُها عَذروا أنَّ الفُراتَ كَبا
By God, if Euphrates horses grew
Their flood pardoned that the Euphrates grew
إلاّكَ يا حاديَ الطُّوفانِ ، لا عُذُرٌ
ولا شَفاعَةَ إنْ لم تَفرَعِ الشُّهُبا !
Except you, O leader of the flood, no excuse
And no intercession if you do not branch out flames!
هذا هوَ المَجدُ سَبَّاقاً يُقَصِّرُعَن
أدنى مَرامِيه ِسَعيُ المَجدِ ما وَثَبا
This is glory, outpacing, falling short
Of its least aims the endeavor of glory, however alert
ذا المَجدُ يا فاصِداً أعراقَهُ جَذِلا ً
أنْ يَشرَبَ النَّاسُ منها عَلقَماً عَذِبا !
This glory, pouring its veins stingily
So people drink from it fresh sweet water!
ذا المَجْدُ يا مُطعِماً مِن لحْم ِصِبْيَتِهِ
جُوعَ الجياعِ وَهُم أشجى الوَرى سَغَبا !
This glory, feeding the hungry from the flesh of its youth
While they are the most ardent of creatures, famished!
تَجِفُّ كلُّ بحارِالأرض ِغَيْرَ دَمٍ
وَهَبْتَ لِلنَّاس ِيَبقى دافِئاً رَطِبا
Every sea of the earth dries up except blood
You granted people that remains warm and wet
وَخَيْرُهُ ، وأُحَيْلاهُ ، وألصَقُهُ
بالرُّوحِ والفِكرِ، والخَفَّاقِ ما وَجَبا
And its goodness, and quintessence, and essence
To the soul, mind and the throbbing heart
أنَّا ، إذا لُحْتَ ، أومأنا بِألفِ يَدٍ
مُنَبِّهينَ بِها أفراخَنا الزُّغُبا !
We, whenever you hinted, gestured with a thousand hands
Alerting with it our chicks still featherless!
أولاءِ أهلُكَ يا حادي مَواكِبِهِم
كم أُجْهِدُوا فحَدَوتَ المَوكِبَ التَّعِبا
O people of your family, O leader of their processions
How much they struggled, so you led the weary procession
تَرمي بِه ِالوَعْرَ لا يَلوي أعِنَّتَهُ
وَتَزحَمُ المَوتَ لا يَثني لَهُ رُكَبا
You hurl it into rough terrain, its determination unchanged
And brave death, no knee bent to it
وأينَ تَلقى عَظيماً قالَ قافيَةً
فَقادَ في كلِّ بَيْتٍ جَحْفَلاً لَجِبا !
And where do you find a great one who uttered
A final verse, so he led in every house a stupid mob!
يا خالَ عَوفٍ وأكْرِمْ بالتي وَهَبَتْ
مُخَلَّدَ الشِّعرِ أنقى دُرَّةٍ وُهِبا
O uncle of Auf, and honor with the one who gave
What immortalized poetry the purest pearl and gift
سَلْ عَن أُهَيْلِكَ هَل غَصَّتْ مَحافِلُهُم
وَلَم تَكُ القَلبَ مِمَّا قيلَ أو كُتِبا
Ask about your family, did their assemblies narrow
And the heart was not from what was said or written?
هَل ارتَقى مِنبَراً لِلشِّعرِ مُلهَمُهُم
إلاّ وَكُنتَ خَيالاً دونَهُ انتَصَبا
Did their inspired poet ascend a pulpit for poetry
Except you were a specter erected below it?
حَتَّى لَتَنفَتِحَ الأجفانُ مُثقَلَةً
وَيُنصِتَ السَّمْعُ لا نَبْعاً وَلا غَرَبا
Until the heavy eyelids open
And the hearing listens, not to a spring or a raven
لَقَد قَرَعْتَ نَواقيساً مُدَوِّيَةً
تَرَكتَ كلَّ قَريض ٍبَعدَها لَغَبا !
You have struck resounding bells
Leaving after them every composer absent!
قالوا اغتَرَبْتَ ، ألا فُضَّتْ مَقاوِلُهُم
متى رأيْتَ الأديبَ الفَرْدَ مُغتَرِبا ؟
They said you became estranged, do not their words reveal
When did you see the unique writer estranged?
متى سَيَفهَمُ هذا الخَلْقُ أنَّ لَنا
في كلِّ آهِلَةٍ مِن شِعرِنا نَسَبا
When will this people understand that for us
In every populated part of our poetry there is lineage
لَقَد رَحَلتَ عَزيزاً إذ تَرَكتَ لَنا
شقى غَريبَينِ فينا الفِكرَ والأدَبا !
You traveled dear when you left for us
The agony of the stranger mind and literature!
سَل ِالعراقَ الذي غَنَّيتَ ، ما وُصِبا
وَما تَحَدَّى، وما استَعدى، وما غَضِبا
Ask Iraq, which you sang for, what was poured
And what was challenged, and what was defied, and what angered
ألَم يَكُنْ مِنهُ أفواهٌ مُمَزَّ قَةٌ
تَمُجُّ والدَّمَ بَيْتا ًمِنكَ مُلتَهِبا ؟!
Were there not from it mouths torn
Swelling, and the blood inflaming a house of yours?!
تاللهِ ما بارَكَتْ شَمسٌ مَرابِعَهُ
وَلا تَدَ لَّى بِه ِغَيمٌ ، وَلا سَكَبا
By Allah, no sun blessed its expanse
No cloud shaded it, no rain watered it
إلاّ سَمِعنا سَلاماً مِنكَ تُرسِلُهُ
عَبْرَ البُحورِ ، وَتَرجيعاً لَهُ طَرِبا !
Except we heard a greeting from you send it
Across the seas, and a yearning response for it!
يا واهِبَ الشِّعرِ مِن عَينَيهِ ضَوءَهُما
وَمِن جِراحٍ يُعانيها دَماً سَرِبا
O granter of poetry from their eyes its light
And from wounds he suffers blood pouring
وَمِن مَصائِرِ أطفالٍ تُطالِبُهُ
عُيونُهُم دونَ أن يُدني لَهُم طَلَبا
And from the destinies of children who
Their eyes ask from him without nearing a request
يُقَلِّبُونَ على شَعواءَ يُطعِمُها
مِن لَحْم ِ جَنْبَيهِ تِلكَ الأوجُهَ النُّجُبا
They turn upon embers they feed
From the flesh of his flanks, those fine faces
مُؤمِّلا ًأنْ تَهيضَ الرِّيحُ جَذوَتَها
فَتَستَحيلَ لِخيْرٍ دائِم ٍ سَبَبا
Hoping the wind would ignite its sparks
To turn for lasting goodness a cause
آمَنتُ أنَّكَ أنقى الحاطِبينَ يَداً
أنْ رُحْتَ طَوعاً لِنارٍ هِجْتَها حَطَبا !
I believed you were the purest kindlers by hand
When you willfully left for a fire you gathered wood!
يا خالَ عوفٍ وَقَد أضرَيْتَ جَذوَتَها
واحَسْرَتا ، إنْ أحِدْ عنها ، وَواحَرَبا !
O uncle of Auf, you have provoked its flame
Alas, if it dims, and alas if it dies out!
نارٌ نَذَرنا لها الأضلاعَ مُضطَرَباً
حتى تَضَرَّتْ على أفراخِنا لَهَبا
A fire we devoted our ribs to, perturbed
Until its flames hugged our chicks
وَلم يَزَلْ نَحوَها يَسعى بِنا خَبَباً
رَغمَ الأذى كَونُها أُمَّاً لَنا وأبا !
And we continued struggling toward it feverishly
Despite the harm of it being a mother and father to us!
يا خالَ عوفٍ وَلم نَفزَعْ لِقافيَةٍ
مِمَّا نُعانيهِ ، سُلواناً ولا هَرَبا
O uncle of Auf, have we panicked for a final verse
From what we suffer, either sluggish or fleeing?
وَيْلُمِّ كَفِّيَ مِن حَرفٍ أُسَطِّرُهُ
فَلا أرى بَعضَ عُمري فوقَهُ صُلِبا !
Woe to my hand that I orchestrate a letter
And I do not see some of my life above it erected!
فَإنْ تَمَزَّقتُ عن آهٍ يُغالِبُها
صَبْري، فكُنْ عاذِرَ الصَّبْرالذي غُلِبا !
So if I tear from a sigh that defeats
My patience, then pardon the patience that was defeated!
يا خالَ عوفٍ ،أأوراقٌ مُبَعثَرَةٌ
هذي القلوبُ نأتْ عن بَعضِها عُصَبا ؟
O uncle of Auf, are scattered papers
These hearts we diverge from each other nerves?
تَعَرَّت الدَّوحَةُ المِعطاءُ مُعْوِلَةً
وأذبَلَ الخُلْفُ ذاكَ المَرْتَعَ الأشِبا
The fertile oasis uncovered, ravaged
And the progeny of that pasture withered
وَقَطَّعَ الشَّكُّ أسباباً نَلوذ ُ بِها
في عاصِفٍ لم يَدَعْ مِن خَيمَةٍ طُنُبا
And doubt cut the means we take refuge in
In a storm that left no tent peg remaining
يا خالَ عَوفٍ وأشجى ما يُؤرِّقُنا
أنَّ المَصائبَ تُذ ْكي بَينَنا الرِّيَبا
O uncle of Auf, and most disturbing what troubles us
Is calamities among us arouse suspicion
في كُلِّ يَومٍ لَنا جُرحٌ نُفَتِّقُهُ
لِنَلعَقَ الدَّمَ يُوري الحِقْدَ ما شَخَبا
Every day we have a wound we open
To lick the blood that shows enmity however faded
قَد يُسفَحُ الدَّمُ ، جُذ َّتْ كَفُّ سافِحِهِ
لكنْ أمَضُّ مِنَ السَّفَّاح ِ مَنْ شَرِبا !
Blood may pour, calloused the hand of its pourer
But more potent than the killer is who drank!
أمسَتْ ظَلاماً قلوبٌ كانَ يَعمُرُها
مِن المَحَبَّة ِ نُورٌ ، لا أقولُ خَبا
Hearts that were inhabited by the light of affection
Became darkness, I do not say ashes
لكنْ أرى زَمهَريرَالحِقْدِ يَصفَعُهُ
وَلا أرى شا جِباً مِن بَينِنا شَجَبا
But I see the slap of hatred, no eyebrows
Between us frowning at it
يا خالَ عَوفٍ أقِلْني إنْ عَثَرتُ فَقَد
يَنبُوالصَّقيلُ وَإنْ لم يَنْبُ مَن ضَرَبا !
O uncle of Auf, support me if I stumble, for
The smooth may become radiant even if not struck!
أورَيْتَ أنتَ زِنادي فاحتَرَقتُ بِهِ
عشرينَ عاماً صَبوراً، شامِخاً ،شَحِبا
You showed me your flint so I burned with it
Twenty years, patient, towering, pale
وإنَّني مِنكَ فَرْخُ النَّسْرِ يَحمِلُهُ
على جَناحَيْهِ جَبَّارَينِ إن تَعِبا
And I am your eaglet the vulture carries
On its two mighty wings if weary
