حَلَّت كُبَيشَةُ بَطنَ ذاتِ رُؤامِ
وَعَفَت مَنازِلُها بِجَوِّ بَرامِ
The ruins passed through the belly of a scattered hill,
And its dwellings faded away in the wind of time.
أَقوَت مَعالِمُها وَغَيَّرَ رَسمَها
هوجُ الرِياحِ وَحِقبَةُ الأَيّامِ
Its landmarks weakened and its shape was altered,
By the gales of winds and eras gone by.
حَتّى أَذَعنَ بِهِ وَكُلُّ مُجَلجِلٍ
حَرِقِ البَوارِقِ دائِمِ الإِرزامِ
Until it surrendered to that, as did every towering peak,
To the burning bolts continuously striking.
دارٌ بِها عينُ النِعاجِ رَواتِعاً
تَعدو مَسارِبَها مَعَ الأَرآمِ
A house in which the eyes of the sheep roamed,
Running through its corridors with the deer.
وَلَقَد تَحُلُّ بِهِ كَأَنَّ مُجاجَها
ثَغبٌ يُصَفَّقُ صَفوُهُ بِمُدامِ
Truly it glimmers in it as if its commotion,
Is a stream whose top violently bubbles.
يا ذا المُخَوِّفَنا بِمَقتَلِ شَيخِهِ
حُجرٍ تَمَنِّيَ صاحِبِ الأَحلامِ
O you who frightened us with the murder of its sheikh,
A rock who wished for the companion of dreams.
لا تَبكِنا سَفَهاً وَلا ساداتِنا
وَاِجعَل بُكاءَكَ لِاِبنِ أُمِّ قَطامِ
Do not make us cry foolishly, nor for our masters,
But let your crying be for the son of Mother Qatam.
حُجرٍ غَداةَ تَعاوَرَتهُ رِماحُنا
بِالقاعِ بَينَ صَفاصِفٍ وَإِكامِ
A rock on the morrow whose spears skirmished over it
In the plain between ranks and pressing crowds.
حَتّى خَطَرنَ بِهِ وَهُنَّ شَوارِعٌ
مِن بَينِ مُقتَصِدٍ وَآخَرَ دامِ
Until they paraded him while the streets wavered,
From between a moderate one and another who lasted.
وَالخَيلُ عاكِفَةٌ عَلَيهِ كَأَنَّها
سُحُقُ النَخيلِ نَأَت عَنِ الجُرّامِ
While the horses hovered over it as if they,
Were the rings of palm trees brought down from the tyrant.
مُتَبارِياتٍ في الأَعِنَّةِ قُطَّباً
يَحمِلنَ كُلَّ مُنازِلٍ قَمقامِ
Racing with the hanging banners, carrying every position,
A vanguard against the cunning whose fog his armor hides.
سَلَفاً لِأَرعَنَ ما يَخِفُّ ضَبابُهُ
مُتَقَنِّسٍ بادي الحَديدِ لُهامِ
In it is the iron and in it is every protected one,
A spring and every literary work and sword.
فيهِ الحَديدُ وَفيهِ كُلُّ مَصونَةٍ
نَبعٍ وَكُلُّ مُثَقَّفٍ وَحُسامِ
And verily we killed them - and how many a lord
Whose horses and zeal hovered over him.
وَلَقَد قَتَلنَهُمُ وَكَم مِن سَيِّدٍ
عَكَفَت عَلَيهِ خُيولُنا وَهُمامِ
When the polished blades bite our throats,
They melt and toss, then the best outcome.
إِنّا إِذا عَضَّ الثِقافُ قَناتَنا
حالَت وَرامَت ثُمَّ خَيرَ مَرامِ
We protect our truth and prevent our neighbor,
And we wrap around the widows of the orphans.
نَحمي حَقيقَتَنا وَنَمنَعُ جارَنا
وَنَلُفُّ بَينَ أَرامِلِ الأَيتامِ
And we march to war as support if it appears,
Until we wrap its forearms with forearms.
وَنَسيرُ لِلحَربِ العَوانِ إِذا بَدَت
حَتّى نَلُفَّ ضِرامَها بِضِرامِ
When you saw the armies of Kindah withdraw,
From us while Kindah is other than the essence of glory.
لَمّا رَأَيتَ جُموعَ كِندَةَ أَحجَمَت
عَنّا وَكِندَةُ غَيرُ جِدِّ كِرامِ
You claimed you would come as a caesar,
So you will be destroyed while you are a Shamite.
أَزَعَمتَ أَنَّكَ سَوفَ تَأتي قَيصَراً
فَلَتَهلِكَنَّ إِذاً وَأَنتَ شَآمي
We refuse to be led by all the people,
Until we lead them without a halter.
نَأبى عَلى الناسِ المَقادَةَ كُلِّهِم
حَتّى نَقودَهُمُ بِغَيرِ زِمامِ
