ما أَنصَفَ الطَلَلُ العافي بِماوانا
لَم نُشجِهِ يَومَ سَلَّمنا وَأَشجانا
The deserted encampment was not fair in what it did to us,
We did not bid it farewell when we handed it over in sorrow.
عُجنا نُحَيّيهِ إِجلالاً وَتَكرِمَةً
مِنّا فَلَم نُبكِهِ شَوقاً وَأَبكانا
We came to greet it with reverence and respect,
Yet we did not weep for it out of yearning and sorrow.
وَكُنتُ أَحسبُهُ وَالدَهرُ ذُو غِيَرٍ
لَو لَم نُحَيِّ مَغانِيهِ لَحَيّانا
I thought time would change it,
Had we not bade its melodies farewell, it would have kept us alive.
فَلَستُ أَدري لِإِنكارٍ تَخَوَّنَهُ
أَم بِالعُقوقِ عَلى عَمدٍ تَوَخّانا
Now I know not whether it shunned us out of denial,
Or whether it deliberately betrayed us out of ingratitude.
فَإِن يَكُن ذاكَ إِنكاراً فَلا عَجَبٌ
فَالشَيءُ يُنكِرُهُ ذُو اللُبِّ أَحيانا
If that was out of denial, then no wonder,
For the perceptive person denies things at times.
رَأى عَلى شُعَبِ الأَكوارِ أَزفِلَةً
شِيباً وَيَعهَدُنا بِالأَمسِ شُبّانا
It saw the white hair in the mountain passes as dishonorable,
And it remembers us as youths yesterday.
كُلٌّ مِنَ الضَعفِ قَد أَشفى عَلى هَرَمٍ
وَعِندَهُ أَنَّ حينَ الشَيبِ ما حانا
Everyone is blinded by weakness to old age
And thinks that the time of gray hair has not yet come.
أَقُولُ وَالدَمعُ قَد بَلَّت بَوادِرُهُ
مِنّا خُدُوداً وَأَذقاناً وَأَردانا
I say as the tears well up in my eyes
Flowing down my cheeks, lips, and chin.
وَقَد مُلِئتُ بِما عاينتُهُ عَجَبَاً
ما ضَرَّ سَهمَ الرَزايا لَو تَخَطَّانا
I am filled with wonder at what I have witnessed -
Would that the arrows of calamity had missed us!
ما الذَنبُ لِلرَبعِ في هَذا فَنُلزِمُهُ
عَتباً وَلَكِنَّ هَذا الدَهرَ لا كانا
Why do we blame the encampment for this and accuse it
When it is time that has wronged us?
لَو لَم تَحُلَّ بِنادينا زَلازِلُهُ
لَكانَ ذَلِكُمُ الإِنكارُ عِرفانا
Had its quakes not befallen our dwellings,
That denial on your part would have been an act of grace.
إِيهاً خَلِيلَيَّ مِن ذُهلِ بنِ ثَعلَبَةٍ
مَن لَم يُهِن نَفسَهُ في حَقِّها هانا
Alas dear friend from Tha’labah’s clan!
One who does not humble himself before her is disgraced.
قُوما فَفي الأَرضِ عَن ذِي إِحنَةٍ سَعَةٌ
وَالحُرُّ يَختارُ أَخداناً وَأَوطانا
Arise! The earth is vast for one who dislikes cramped quarters,
And the freeman chooses compatriots and homelands for himself.
وَإِنَّني وَاجِدٌ في كُلِّ ناحِيَةٍ
بِالدارِ داراً وَبِالجيرانِ جِيرانا
I find a home wherever I turn,
A home among homes and neighbors among neighbors.
كَم ذا المُقامُ عَلى ذُلٍّ وَمَنقَصَةٍ
وَكَم أُجَرَّعُ كَأسَ الضَيمِ مَلآنا
How long will I stay in a state of humiliation and deficiency?
How often am I made to swallow the cup of injustice filled up?
يَسُومني الخَسفَ أَقوامٌ أُبوّتهُم
عَبِيدُ آبايَ إِقراراً وَإِذعانا
They treat me with contempt, though their fathers
Were slaves in service and obedience to my forefathers.
أَرضى وَأَقنَعُ بِالحَظِّ الخَسيسِ وَلَو
أُنصِفتُ كُنتُ لَها بَدءاً وُثنيانا
I am content and satisfied with meager fortune, though had
I been granted my rights, it would have been abundant at the start and end.
وَيَعتَرِيني الأَذى مِن كُلِّ نازِلَةٍ
أَلقى أَوائِلَهُ في الناسِ خمّانا
I am hurt by every misfortune that befalls,
Its vanguard always striking people that dislike me.
يَعُدُّ إِن قالَ صِدقاً مِن مَفاخِرِهِ
كَرّاً وَمرّاً وَمِسحاةً وَفدّانا
If he speaks the truth, he counts it among his merits -
Lies, bitterness, slander, and betrayal.
يا دَهرُ إِن كُنتَ يَقظاناً فَقُم عَجِلاً
أَو ما تَزالُ إِذا نُوديتَ وَسنانا
O time, if you are awake, then hurry up!
Or are you still asleep whenever you are called, slugabed?
فَاِنظُر أُمُوراً وَأَحوالاً مُنَكَّسَةً
ما كُنتُ نائِلَها لَو كُنت يَقظانا
Look at inverted conditions and states -
I would not have attained them had I been awake.
جَدعاً وَعَقراً وَعَثراً يا زَمانُ وَلا
لَعاً لَقَد سُمتَنا جَوراً وَعُدوانا
Destroyed, ravaged, and failed - O fate! Not at all!
You have wronged us severely with tyranny and aggression.
ذَهَبتَ بِالعِزِّ وَاِستَبقَيتَ لِي غِرَراً
صُمّاً عَن الخَيرِ وَالمَعرُوفِ عُميانا
You have taken glory and left me with illusions -
Deaf to good and righteousness, blind.
يَرى الغَنيمَةَ مَن يَرجُو نَوالَهُمُ
أَن لا يَعُودَ إِلى نادِيهِ عُريانا
Those hoping for spoils from them regard it as gain
Not to return naked to their dwellings.
وَجالِبُ المَدحِ يَستَمري أَكُفَّهُمُ
كَحالِبِ التَيسِ يَرجُو مِنهُ أَلبانا
And the flatterer milks their udders to the last drop
Like one milking a goat hoping for some milk.
يَعُدُّ مَمدُوحُهُم إِصغاءَ مَسمَعِهِ
إِلى مُمَدِّحِهِ فَضلاً وَإِحسانا
The flattered one lends his ear to his flatterer
Considering it a favor and act of kindness.
لِعِلمِهِ أَنَّهُ قَد جاءَ مُبتَدِعاً
وَقالَ في حَقِّهِ زُوراً وَبُهتانا
He knows that the flatterer has come up with lies
And said falsely accused him of disgraceful things.
الحَمدُ لِلّهِ لَم أُنزِل بِهِم أَمَلاً
يَوماً فَأَرجِعُ كابي الزَّندِ خَزيانا
Praise be to God I have never placed any hopes in them
And had to return with a shamed sword.
وَلا رَأَيتُهُمُ أَهلاً لِمَكرُمَةٍ
فَأَجتَدي مِنهُمُ مَقتاً وَحِرمانا
Nor have I found them to be deserving of any favor
So that I asked them for something only to be refused and denied.
وَكَيفَ أُنزِلُ آمالي بِمُقرِفَةٍ
مَصّوا أَفاوِيقَ ثَديِ اللُؤمِ وِلدانا
How could I place my hopes in debauched people
Who suck on the teats of villainy in their childhood?
يَرى جَوادُهُم العافي فَتَحسِبُهُ
رَأى هِزَبراً هَريتَ الشَدقِ طيّانا
Their noble steed, when seeing a hyena, mistakes it
For a gallant horse racing with flowing mane.
يُخالُ سائِلهُم مِن صَرِّ أَوجُهِهم
بِالمِلحِ يَعرِكُ آنافاً وَآذانا
Their beggar’s face, contorted with distress,
Scratches their noses and ears as if with salt.
كَأَنَّما نَغمَةُ المُمتاحِ سَيبُهُمُ
سَهمٌ أَحَنَّ بِهِ كَبداءَ مِرنانا
The sound of their whip is like an arrow
Piercing deep into the stomach of a fat bellied camel.
جُودُ الكَريمِ لمن أَصفي مَوَدَّتَهُ
بَدءاً وَعَوداً وَإِسراراً وَإِعلانا
The generosity of the noble one is for those whose love
He has chosen, openly and in secret, time and again.
وَجُودُ كُلِّ لَئيمِ الطَبعِ يُمطِرُهُ
أَهلَ العَداوَةِ أَو مَن كانَ عَجّانا
Every vile person’s generosity rains down
Upon his enemies or those disinclined toward him.
يا أَيُّها الراكِبُ المُزجي لِطيَّتِهِ
وَجناءَ مَوّارَةِ الضَبعَينِ مِذعانا
O rider who spurs on his mare!
Tyrannical beast roaming the wilderness!
أَبلِغ عَلى النَأيِ قَومي حَيثُ ما نَزَلُوا
بَرّاً وَبَحراً وَأَجبالاً وَغِيضانا
Carry my greetings, wherever they have camped,
On land or sea or in mountains and valleys.
وَقُل لَهُم عَن لِساني غَيرَ مُتَّئِبٍ
قَولاً تُبَيِّنُهُ لِلقَومِ تِبيانا
And say to them in clear eloquent words,
Without anguish on my tongue, what will elucidate things for the people.
كَم ذا التَغافُلُ عَمّا قَد مُنِيتُ بِهِ
وَكَم أَهُزُّكُمُ مَثنى وَوُحدانا
How long will you neglect what has befallen me
And how often will I rock you back and forth, one by one and together?
أَتَقنَعُونَ بِأَن أَطوي رَجاءَكُمُ
يَأساً وَأَن أَتَرَجّى الحَيَّ قَحطانا
Will you be content for me to lose hope in you
And seek the living while in desolation?
وَأَن أُفارِقَكُم حَرّانَ قَد بَرَدَت
بِيَ المُعادُونَ أَحقاداً وَأَضغانا
And for me to leave you, with enmity on my part, now cold,
As my enemies have harbored hatred and loathing toward me?
لا وَفَّقَ اللَهُ في بَدوٍ وَلا حَضَرٍ
أَعَقَّنا لِمَواليهِ وَأَجفانا
May God neither favor us in the desert or town,
Nor care for us among those under His protection.
وَلا رَعى في رَعاياهُ الَّتي حُفِظَت
أَبَرَّنا بِمُعادِيهِ وَأَحفانا
Nor distinguish between us and our enemies in His kingdom -
Those He has kept safe from us and those He has saved from our grasp.
يا لَيتَ شِعرِيَ إِن زُمَّت رَكائِبُنا
وَقُطِّعَت مِن قُرى البَحرَينِ أَقوَانا
I wish I knew if our ships were equipped
And our anchors weighed from the coasts of Bahrain.
وَأَصبَحَت قَد أَناخَت في ذُرى مَلِكٍ
مِن حِميَرٍ أَو بَقايا الحَيِّ كَهلانا
The next morning, they were anchored on the shores of a king
From Himyar, or the Kahlan old men that remained.
وَجاءَتِ القَومُ أَفواجاً لِتَسأَلَني
فَصادَفُوا مَنطِقي لِلفَضلِ عُنوانا
The tribes would come in batches to ask about me,
Only to find my eloquence a mark of nobility.
فَإِن أُجَمجِم وَأُخفي عَنهُمُ خَبري
حَمِيَّةً جَلَبَت هَوناً وَنُقصانا
If I remain silent and withhold the news from them
Out of tribal zeal, it will bring me dishonor and diminishment.
وَإِن أَقُل كُنتُ ذا مالٍ فَمَزَّقَهُ
صَرفٌ مِنَ الدَهرِ ما يَنفَكُّ يَلحانا
If I say I had wealth that fate did away with
In relentless victories that will not be stemmed.
يُقالُ لي كُلُّ تَفريقٍ لَهُ سَبَبٌ
يَجري فَأورِد عَلَينا الأَمرَ وَالشانا
It will be said: Every separation has a cause -
Tell us the details. What is the issue?
فَإِن أَقُل سَيِّدا قَومي هُما سَبَبٌ
لِذاكَ لَم أَرَ هَذا القَولَ إِحسانا
If I say: The chieftains of my tribe are the cause for this.
I did not see this statement as gracious.
هَذا لَعَمري أَطاعَ الكاشِحينَ وَلَم
يَعطِف وَأَصغى إِلى الواشينَ إِذعانا
By God! He obeyed those who were brazen.
He did not side with or listen to the malicious.
وَمَنَّ بَعدَ ذَهابِ المالِ عَن عَرَضٍ
يفَتِّرُ النَفسَ كَي نَدعُوهُ مَنّانا
After wealth departs, how can one call him generous
When deprivation has emaciated his soul?
وَجِئتُ هَذا أُرَجّي عِندَهُ أَمَلاً
نَزراً فَصادَفتُ إِعراضاً وَحِرمانا
I came to him hopeful for some slight support
Only to meet with refusal and denial.
وَفي مَوَدَّتِهِ لاقَيتُ كُلَّ أَذىً
وَاِجتيحَ وَفرِيَ بُغضاً لِي وَشَنآنا
In his love I found injury and hatred
As he turned away loathing me intensely.
وَكُلُّ ذِي غُصَّةٍ بِالماءِ يَدفَعُها
فَكَيفَ يَصنَعُ مَن بِالماءِ غَصّانا
One who has heartburn douses it with water.
What will one whose heartburn is from water do?
وَما عَلى مَن يَقُولُ الصِدقَ مِن حَرَجٍ
وَلَيسَ تَلزَمُهُ ذَنباً وَلا ذانا
There is no blame upon one who speaks the truth,
No sin or crime that necessitates it.
لا عَزَّ قَومٌ يَعيشُ الكَلبُ ذا بغَرٍ
ما بِينَهُم وَيَمُوتُ اللَيثُ عَطشانا
A people will not prevail among whom a hungry dog lives
While the mighty lion dies of thirst.
وَقائِلٍ عَدِّ عَن نَظمِ القَريضِ فَقَد
أَسمَعتَ مِن قَبلُ لَو نَبَّهتَ يَقظانا
As for one who says desist from rhymed prose, know that
You have heard this before - had you paid heed, you would have awoken.
المَجدُ أَمسى دَفيناً بِالعذارِ فَقُم
كَيما تُقيمَ لَهُ نَوحاً وَإِرنانا
Glory has become buried in the tombs. Arise
To resurrect and to cry and mourn for it!
فَلَيسَ بَعدَ عِمادِ الدِينِ مِن مَلِكٍ
تَخُطُّ فيهِ رُواةُ الشِعرِ دِيوانا
After the pillar of the faith, there is no king
In whom the poets inscribe their poetry collections.
يا ثُكلَ أُمِّ العِدى وَالمَكرُماتِ أَما
لَو يَنطِقُ الدَهرُ عَزّاها وَعَزّانا
Woe to you, mother of enmity and favors! Would that
Time could call on you for condolences and help!
فَقُلتُ لَم نَرَ فيهِ مِن خِلالِ عُلاً
إِلّا وَنَحنُ نَراها في اِبنِهِ الآنا
I said: We have not seen among its misdeeds, at any time,
What we now see in its son.
حَزمٌ وَعَزمٌ وَبَأسٌ صادِقٌ وَنَدىً
غَمرٌ وَحِلمٌ وَعَقلٌ فاقَ لُقمانا
Resoluteness, determination, true might, protection,
Perfect qualities of patience, wisdom exceeding that of Luqman!
يا فَضلُ دَعوةَ ذِي قُربى دَعاكَ وَقَد
أَحَسَّ لِلضَيمِ في أَحشاهُ نِيرانا
O excellence! The prayer of a close relative calls you as he feels
The burning of injustice in his heart’s core.
أَنتَ الَّذي تَرَكَ الأَعداءَ هَيبَتُهُ
كُلٌّ يُجَمجِمُ ما يَلقاهُ حَيرانا
You are the one whose awe left enemies
Silent, confused by anything you undertook.
يَأبى لَكَ المَجدُ وَالطَبعُ الكَريمُ بِأَن
تُدعى عَلى المالِ لِلأَحداثِ خَزّانا
Glory and noble nature prevent you from
Being called on for the youths’ entertainment.
يا مَن يَرى بَذلَهُ الأَموال فائدةً
تَبقى لَهُ وَيَرى الإِمساكَ خُسرانا
O you who sees spending wealth as everlasting gains
And withholding it as clear loss!
وَأَنتَ للدَوحَةُ اللّاتي أَرُومَتُها
طابَت فَمَدَّت عَلى الأَغصانِ أَغصانا
You are a towering palm tree I longed for,
Its branches extending over branches.
وَفِي يَدَيكَ سَحابُ الجُودِ تُمطِرُها
عَلى الخَلائِقِ أَوراقاً وَعِقيانا
In your hands lies the rain clouds of generosity
That pours leaves and twigs on people.
أُعِيذُ مَجدَكَ أَن أَشقى وَتَعرِفُني
نُيُوبُ دَهرٍ تَرُدُّ القَرمَ حُلّانا
I seek refuge for your glory should I be distraught
And you would recognize me by the changing fortunes of time.
نَماكَ لِلمَجدِ آباءٌ بِهِم شَرُفَت
رَبِيعَةُ الغُرُّ عَدناناً وَقَحطانا
You were born for glory - fathers that dignified
The Abyssinians and Persians and Qahtanite Arabs through ancestry.
قَومٌ هُمُ ثَأَرُوا حُجراً وَهُم أَسَرُوا
عَمراً وَهُم قَهَرُوا ذا التاج صُهبانا
A people who avenged the trench, captured
Umar, conquered Dhu al-Taj, struck down Sapor
وَهُم أَباحُوا حِمى كِسرى وَهُم قَتَلُوا
هامُرزَ وَاِستَنزَلُوا الأُسوارَ مَهرانا
And made Kisra's sanctuary violable. They killed
Bahman and plundered Mahran's citadels.
كانُوا جِبالاً لِنَجدٍ تَستَقِرُّ بِها
عَن الزَلازِلِ إِن ماجَت وَأَركانا
They were mountains for Najd, stabilizing it
Against tremors, should it quiver and shake.
حَتّى إِذا اِرتَحَلُوا عَن جَوِّها اِضطَرَبَت
وَبُدِّلَت مِنهُمُ خَسفاً وَخِذلانا
So when they traveled from its terrain, it was shaken,
Transformed by their absence into quaking and defeat.
وَأَصبَحَت بِقُرى البَحرَينِ خَيلُهُمُ
تَجُرُّ لِلعِزِّ أَشطاناً وَأَرسانا
Their steeds in Bahrain's settlements
Trailed banners and knightly steeds.
لَولا نُزولهُمُ في جَوِّها لَرَأَت
رَبِيعَةٌ هَرَباً كَيشاً وَمَكرانا
Had they not descended on its terrain, it would have seen
Rabi'ah flee like wretched Kays and Makhzum.
لَكِنَّهُم أَثبَتُوا آساسَها وَنَفَوا
عَنها حَمِيَّ بنَ عَيمانٍ وَحَدّانا
But they strengthened its foundations and averted from it
Humayy bin 'Abd Shams and the guardians.
كَما نَفَت قَبلَ ذا قَسراً أَوائِلُهُم
عَنها إِياداً وَحُلواناً وَجِيلانا
Just as their predecessors had averted coercive powers:
Iyad, Hulwan, Ghassan, and Jilan.
فَهاكَها يا عِمادَ الدِينِ حاوِيَةً
دُرّاً وَمِسكاً وَياقُوتاً وَمَرجانا
Pearls, musk, rubies and coral!
