يا دَهرُ قَدكَ وَقَلَّما يُغني قَدي
وَأَراكَ عِشرَ الظِمءِ مُرَّ المَورِدِ
O time past, your flowing is of little use,
And I see you are bitter like saline water.
وَلَقَد أُحيطَ بِنا وَلَم نَكُ صورَةً
بِكَ وَاِستُعِدَّ لَنا وَلَمّا نولَدِ
We are surrounded, though we had no picture,
Of you, and you had prepared for us before we were born.
يا دَهرُ أَيَّةُ زَهرَةٍ لِلمَجدِ لَم
تُجفِف وَأَيَّةُ أَيكَةٍ لَم تَخضُدِ
O time, which flower of glory doesn’t fade?
Which kingdom doesn’t decline?
أَترَعتَ لِلعَنقاءِ في أَشعافِها
كَأساً تَدَفَّقُ بِالذُعافِ الأَسوَدِ
Did you let the she-camel drink in her meadows
A cup overflowing with black bile?
قَد كانَ قَرمٌ كَاِسمِهِ قَرماً وَما
وَلَدَت نِساءُ بَني أَبيهِ كَأَحمَدِ
Qaram was rough like his name,
And Ahmad’s father didn’t beget women like him.
نَجما هُدىً هَذاكَ نَجمُ الجَديِ إِن
حارَ الدَليلُ وَذاكَ نَجمُ الفَرقَدِ
Two guiding stars - the star of lineage when
The guide gets lost, and the star of the belt.
هَذا سِنانٌ زاغِبِيٌّ في الوَغى
وَكَأَنَّما هَذا ذُبابُ مُهَنَّدِ
This is a Zaghbibi zebra roaring in battle,
As if it is the buzzing of stirred-up flies.
وَجَبينُ هَذا كَالشِهابِ جَلا الدُجى
عَنهُ وَهَذا كَالشِهابِ الموقَدِ
This one’s forehead gleams through the darkness like a meteor,
While that one is like a blazing meteor.
وَلَنِعمَ دِرعا الحَيِّ في يَومَيهِما
كانا وَنِعمَ الذُخرِ كانا لِلغَدِ
Excellent is the shield for the living on their two days -
They were excellent provisions for tomorrow!
لَم يَشهَدا نَجوى وَلا حَشّا لَظى
حَربٍ تُسَعَّرُ بِالقَنا المتَقَصِّدِ
They witnessed no secret conversation or fierce war
Fueled by straight spears.
إِلّا رَأَينا ذا عَلى تِلكَ الرَحا
قُطباً وَذا مِصباحَ ذاكَ المَشهَدِ
But we saw one as the pole on the horizon,
And one as the lamp of that scene.
رُزِئَت بَنو عَمرِو بنِ عامِرٍ الذُرى
بِهِما وَصَوَّحَ نَبتُ واديها النَدي
Banu ‘Amr ibn ‘Amir were scorned
For them both, and its valley’s vegetation cheered up.
وَكَذا المَنايا ما يَطَأنَ بِمَيسَمٍ
إِلّا عَلى أَعناقِ أَهلِ السُؤدَدِ
That’s how death is - it doesn’t settle for a fixed time
Except on the necks of ignoble people.
وَلَئِن أُصيبوا إِنَّ تِلكَ لَغَيضَةً
لَم تَخلُ مِن لَيثٍ هُنالِكَ مُلبِدِ
And if they are struck, that is a wound
From which no brave lion there emerges.
مادامَ ذاكَ المَعدِنُ الزاكي الثَرى
في جِزعِنا لَم نَلتَفِت لِلعَسجَدِ
As long as that fertile source of honor
Remains in our innermost hearts, we don’t care about ruin.
تِلكَ المَصائِبُ مُشوِياتٌ كُلُّها
إِلّا مُصيبَةَ حَجوَةَ بنِ مُحَمَّدِ
Those are minor troubles, all of them,
Except the loss of Hajwah daughter of Muhammad.
وَلَقَد أَصابَ غَليلُها مَن لَم يُصِب
وَلَصُيِّرَت فَقداً لِمَن لَم يَفقِدِ
Her illness indeed afflicted those not afflicted,
And her loss was truly felt by those who didn't lose.
طامِن حَشاكَ أَبا الحُبابِ فَإِنَّها
نُوَبٌ تَروحُ عَلى الأَنامِ وَتَغتَدي
Console her father Abu Al-Hubab, for these
Are sins that circulate among people and become rampant.
فَلَقَد أَفاقَ مُتَمِّمٌ عَن مالِكٍ
وَسَلا لَبيدٌ قَبلَهُ عَن أَربَدِ
Mutammim has succeeded Malik,
And Labid preceded him after Arbad.
فَلَئِن صَبَرتَ لَأَنتَ كَوكَبُ مَعشَرٍ
صَبَروا وَإِن تَجزَع فَغَيرُ مُفَنَّدِ
So if you are patient, you will be like the celestial body
Of a group who were patient. But if you despair, you will waver.
هَذي المَعونَةُ بِاللِسانِ وَلَو أَرى
عَينَ الحِمامِ لَقَد أَعَنتُكَ بِاليَدِ
This is consolation with the tongue - if only
My eye could aid you with action!
