أَيدي الحَوادِثِ في الأَيّامِ وَالأُمَمِ
أَمضى مِنَ الذَكَرِ الصَمصامَةِ الخَذِمِ
The hands of fate in days and nations
Are more cutting than a sharp piercing sword
فَلا يَظُنَّنَّ مَن طالَت سَلامَتُهُ
أَنَّ المَقادِيرَ أَعطَتهُ عُرى السَلمِ
So let not him whose safety has been prolonged
Think that the decrees have given him the reins of peace
كُلٌّ بِما تُحدِثُ الأَيّامُ مُرتَهَنٌ
وَكُلُّ غايَةِ مَوجُودٍ إِلى عَدَمِ
All are mortgaged to what the days bring about
And the end of everything existing is to perish
مَن سَرَّهُ الدَهرُ صِرفاً سَوفَ تَمزُجُهُ
لَهُ تَصارِيفُهُ مِن صَفوَةِ النِقَمِ
Whom fortune has made happy, its reversals will embroil him
It has vicissitudes for him from the elite of afflictions
فَلا تَغُرَّنَّكَ الدُنيا وَزِينَتُها
وَلَو حَبَتكَ بِحُمرِ الخَيلِ وَالنَعَمِ
So let not the world and its ornaments deceive you
Even if it loved you with the red of horses and bounties
فَما اللَذاذَةُ في عَيشٍ وَغايَتُهُ
مَوتٌ يُؤَدِّيكَ مِن قَصرٍ إِلى رُجَمِ
For what is the pleasure in a life whose end
Is death that takes you from a palace to a tomb
يا غافِلاً لَعِبَ الظَنُّ الكَذُوبُ بِهِ
خَفِ العَواقِبَ وَاِحذَر زَلَّةَ القَدَمِ
O heedless one whom false fancy has played with
Fear the consequences and beware of stumbling
وَاِنظُر إِلى حَسَنٍ في حُسنِ صُورَتِهِ
جاءَت إِلَيهِ صُروفُ الدَهرِ مِن أُمَمِ
And look at the handsome one in the beauty of his form
The turns of fate from nations have come to him
لَم يَحمِهِ صارِمٌ قَد كانَ يَخضِبُهُ
يَومَ النِزالِ مِنَ الأَعناقِ وَالقِمَمِ
Neither did a flashing sword that stained him
The day of battle protect him from necks and summits
وَلا جَوادٌ أَقَبُّ الظَهرِ مُنجَرِدٌ
يَهوي بِهِ كَهُوِيِّ الأَجدَلِ القَطِمِ
Nor a wide-backed steed diving down
Like a diver, cutting, protect him
وَلا الغَطارِفُ مِن بَكرٍ وَإِخوَتِها
مِن تَغلِب الغُلبِ أَهلِ البَأسِ وَالكَرَمِ
Nor the virgins of Bakr and her sisters
With whom Bakr boasted, people of courage and nobility
كانُوا يُفَدُّونَهُ بِالخَيلِ مُسرَجَةً
وَالمالِ وَالآلِ وَالأَولادِ وَالحَشَمِ
They used to ransom him with groomed horses
And wealth, family, children and in-laws
إِيهاً بَني وائِلٍ قَد ماتَ لَيثُكُمُ
فَاِبكُوا عَلَيهِ بِدَمعٍ وَاكِفٍ وَدَمِ
Alas! O Bani Wa’il, your lion has died
So weep for him with ample flowing tears and blood
قَد كانَ إِن نَزَلَت دَهياءُ مُظلِمَةٌ
وَخامَ عَنها حُماةُ القَومِ لَم يَخِمِ
He used to be, if an afflicting darkness befell
And the tribe’s protectors despaired, he did not worry
وَإِن نَبا زَمَنٌ أَو عَضَّ ناجِذُهُ
أَعطي العُفاةَ بِلا مَنٍّ وَلا سَأَمِ
And if a time grew hard or bit with its fetus
He would give the destitute without reluctance or boredom
مَضى وَلَم يَدرِ ما سُكرُ الشَبابِ وَلا
أَمالَهُ الغَيُّ عَن رُشدٍ إِلى أَثَمِ
He has gone and did not know the intoxication of youth or
What hopes caprice made him deviate from reason to sin
وَلا تَخَطّى بُيُوتَ الحَيِّ مُبتَجِحاً
جَذلانَ يَخطُرُ مُختالاً عَلى قَدَمِ
Nor would he strut in the precincts of the Quarter swaggering
A frisky, prancing stallion stepping proudly
وَلَم يَكُن هَمُّهُ شُربَ المُدامِ وَلا
شَدُوَ المَزاهيرِ بِالأَوتارِ وَالنَغَمِ
And his concern was not drinking wine or
Plucking the strings of lutes with tunes
لَكِنَّ هِمَّتَهُ مالٌ يُقَسِّمُهُ
عَلى العُفاةِ وَإِقدامٌ عَلى البُهُمِ
Rather, his ambition was wealth he would distribute
To the destitute and daring against calamities
وَلَم يَزَل صائِماً طَوعاً لِخالِقِهِ
وَبِالدُجى قائِماً في حِندِسِ الظُلَمِ
And he would not cease fasting voluntarily for his Creator
And standing vigil in the darkness of night
فَيا أَبا جَعفَرٍ لا زِلتَ في دَعَةٍ
لا تَجزَعَن فَقَضاهُ غَيرُ مُتَّهَمِ
So O Abu Ja’far, you have continually been in a state
Of calm; do not agonize for his fate is not blamed
وَيا أَبا حَسَنٍ صَبراً فَكُلُّ فَتىً
مُفارِقٌ وَحَياةُ المَرءِ كَالحلُمِ
And O Abu Hassan, patience, for every youth
Will depart, and a person's life is like a dream
وَالمَوتُ كُلُّ اِمرِئٍ لا بُدَّ ذائِقُهُ
تَقاصَرَ العُمرُ أَو أَدّى إِلى الهرَمِ
And death, every person will inevitably taste it
Whether lifespan shortened or led to old age
أَينَ المُلوكُ وَأردافُ المُلوكِ وَمَن
سادَ القبائِلَ مِن عادٍ وَمِن إرَمِ
Where are the kings and the followers of kings and who
Ruled over the tribes, the ‘Aad and the Iram?
وَأَينَ طَسمٌ وَأَولادُ التَبابِعِ مِن
أَولادِ حِميَرَ وَالساداتُ مِن عَمَمِ
And where are Tasm and the sons of lizards from
The sons of donkeys and the masters from insects?
وَأَينَ آلُ مُضاضٍ في قَبائِلِها
مِن جُرهُمٍ ساكِني بَحبوحَةِ الحَرمِ
And where are the clan of Mudhadh among their tribes
From Jurhum dwelling luxuriously in the sanctuary?
أَفناهُمُ وَأَدارَ الكَأسَ مُترَعَةً
في وائِلٍ فَسَقاها غَيرَ مُحتَشِمِ
It made them perish and passed around the overflowing cup
In Waa’il and made them drink what they did not deserve
أَردى اِبنَ مُرَّةَ هَمّاماً وَكانَ لَهُ
عَقدُ الرِئاسَةِ عَن آبائِهِ القِدَمِ
It felled the son of Murrah fallen in battles and he had
The leadership from his ancient fathers
وَمانِعَ الجارِ جَسّاساً أُتيحَ لَهُ
سَهمُ المَنونِ عَلى عَمدٍ فَلَم يَرُمِ
And he who warded harm, fate enabled it
To reach him, deliberately, not missing
وَالحَوفَزانَ الَّذي كانَت تَنُوءُ بِهِ
بَكرٌ سَقاهُ بِكاساتٍ مِنَ النِقَمِ
And Al-Hawfazaan whom Bakr used to boast of
Fate made him drink from cups of afflictions
وَفارِسَ العَرَبِ العَرباءِ إِن ذُكِرَت
بسطامَ مَدَّ إِلَيهِ كَفَّ مُختَرِمِ
And the horseman of purebred Arabs, if
Bastam were mentioned, it would stretch to him a withered palm
فَاِبتَزَّهُ مُلكَهُ غَصباً وَأَنزَلَهُ
فَوقَ التُرابِ عَفيرَ الخَدِّ والقَسِمِ
So his rule was usurped by force and dethroned,
Throwing him to the ground, his cheek and tradition violated
وَعافرَ الفِيلِ يَومَ القادِسِيَّةِ قَد
سَقاهُ كاسَ الرَدى صِرفاً بِغَيرِ فَمِ
And he encountered the elephants on the Day of Qadisiyyah, then
Destiny made him drink the cup of returning by coercion forcefully
وَقَد أَذاقَ شَبيباً في شَبيبَتِهِ
كَأسَ الحُتُوفِ بِلا سَيفٍ وَلا سَقَمِ
And caused Shabeeb in his prime youth
To taste the cup of variegated swords without sword or sickness
والمَزيَدِيِّينَ غالَتهُم غَوائِلُهُ
وَاِجتَاحَهُم مُزبِدٌ مِن سَيلِهِ العَرِمِ
And their swelling deluged the Muzainah
And an unleashed torrent from its copious valley flooded them
وَلَم تَدع هانِئاً وَهوَ الَّذي اِنتَصَفَت
بِهِ الأَعارِيبُ وَاِستَولَت عَلى العَجَمِ
And it did not spare Haani’ who was
The one the nomads took vengeance through and prevailed over the non-Arabs
وَالحارِثَ بنَ عُبادٍ غالَهُ وَسَطا
بِجَحدَرٍ فارِسِ التَحلاقِ لِلَّمَمِ
And Al-Haarith ibn ‘Ubaad, Sacat
Felled him, the horseman slitting necks with swords
وَالحارِثَ بنَ سَدُوسٍ لَم يَهَب عَدَداً
فِيهِم بَنُوهُ وَلَمّا يَكتَرِث بِهِمِ
And Al-Haarith ibn Sadaus, his sons did not
Ransom him and did not bother themselves for him
وَالجعدَ مَسلَمَةً لَم يَحمِهِ فَدَنٌ
بَناهُ والِدُهُ إذ كانَ ذا هِمَمِ
And Al-Ja’da did not save Maslamah
His father had built which had enclosures
وَهَوذَةَ بنَ عَلِيٍّ حَطَّ مُنتَزِعاً
عَن رَأسِهِ التاجَ عَمداً غَيرَ مُحتَشِمِ
And Hawtha ibn ‘Ali, he dethroned violently
Tearing the crown off his head deliberately without dignity
وَشيخَ عِجلٍ أَبا مَعدانَ عاجَلَهُ
مِنهُ الحِمامُ فَلَم يُطلَب لَهُ بِدَمِ
And the Shaykh of ‘Ijl did not give Abu Ma’dan
Any respite, so no blood money was asked for him from them
وَفارِسَ العَرَبِ العَربا وَسَيِّدَها
أَعني كُلَيباً قَريعَ العُربِ وَالعَجَمِ
And the horseman of Arabs and their chief
I mean Kulayb, butcher of Arabs and non-Arabs
لَم يَحمِهِ عَدَدٌ مَجرٌ وَلا دَفَعَت
عَنهُ المَنِيَّةَ إِذ جاءَت بنُو جُشَمِ
Numbers did not protect him, nor
Did the death blow that came from Bani Jusham repel
وَلَم يَكُن لِعَدِيٍّ بَعدَهُ عِصَمٌ
مِنهُ وَكانَ عَدِيٌّ أَيَّ مُعتَصِمِ
And ‘Adi had no protection after him
Who was ‘Adi? Which protector?
وَآلَ كُلثُومَ ساداتِ الأَراقِمِ لَم
يَترُك لَهُم مِن حِمى حامٍ ولا حَرَمِ
And the family of Kulthum, chiefs of yard-long arrows
It did not spare any protection or sanctuary for them
أُولَئِكَ الغُرُّ مِن ساداتِ قَومِكُما
أَهلُ النُهى وَاللُهى وَالعَهدِ وَالذِّمَمِ
Those are the noble ones from the chiefs of your two tribes
The people of forbearance, ardency, covenant and protection
وَهَذِهِ شِيَمُ الدُنيا وَعادَتُها
فِيمَن مَضى أَو بَقى مِن سائِرِ الأُمَمِ
And such are the traits of the world and its habit
Regarding those who passed and all the rest of nations
