أَلا هَل فُؤادي إِذ صَبا اليَومَ نازِعُ
وَهَل عَيشُنا الماضي الَّذي زالَ رايِعُ
Alas! Does my heart aspire today to what is past and gone?
Does the life we led return which fled away?
وَهَل مِثلُ أَيّامٍ تَسَلَّفنَ بِالحِمى
عَوايِدُ أَو عَيشُ السِتارَينِ راجِعُ
Will days like those we spent in luxury come back to us,
Or the life of tents return again?
كَأَن لَم تُجاوِرنا رَميمٌ وَلَم نَقُم
بِفَيضِ الحِمى إِذ أَنتَ بِالعَيشِ قانِعُ
As though no poverty had been our neighbor, nor had we endured
By grace of luxury when you enjoyed life.
وَبُدِّلتُ بَعدَ القُربِ سُخطاً وَأَصبَحَت
مُضابِعَةً وَاِستَشرَفَتكَ الأَضابِعُ
After intimacy I was changed into displeasure,
And became an embrace, and fingers reached out to you.
وَكُلُّ قَرينٍ ذي قَرينٍ يَوَدَّهُ
سَيُفجِعَهُ يَوماً مِنَ البَينِ فاجِعُ
And every pair of friends will be separated one day
By absence, and will be distressed by parting.
لَعَمري لَقَد هاجَت لَكَ الشَوقَ عَرصَةٌ
بِمَرّانَ تَعفوها الرِياحُ الزَعازِعُ
By my life, passion has stirred tumult in me
With a wind that eats away rocks and uproots trees.
بِها رَسمُ أَطلالٍ وَخَيمٌ خَواشِعٌ
عَلى أَلِهِنَّ الهاتِفاتُ السَواجِعُ
In it are traces of homes in ruins and humble tents
Wherein women wail loudly for their absent ones.
فَظَلتُ وَلَم تَعلَم رَميمُ كَأَنَّني
مُهَمٌّ أَلَثَّتهُ الدُيونُ الخَوالِعُ
And I remained patiently, though Remim did not know
That cares, like debts, were stifling me.
تَذَكَّرَ أَيّامَ الشَبابِ الَّذي مَضى
وَلَمّا تَرُعنا بِالفِراقِ الرَوايِعُ
I remember the days of youth that are gone,
When we enjoyed ourselves and did not fear parting.
بِأَهلي خَليلٌ إِن تَحَمَّلتُ نَحوَهُ
عَصاني وَإِن هاجَرتُهُ فَهوَ جازِعُ
My family is friendly even if I oppose them,
And if I desert them they are compliant.
وَكَيفَ التَعَزّي عَن رَميمَ وَحُبُّها
عَلى النَأيِ وَالهِجرانِ في القَلبِ نافِعُ
How can I find solace from Remim and my love for her,
When distance and estrangement cannot avail?
طَوَيتُ عَلَيهِ فَهوَ في القَلبِ شامَةٌ
شَريكُ المَنايا ضُمِّنَتهُ الأَضالِعُ
I have folded it in my heart where it remains like a defect,
My fellow sufferer, impressed on my ribs.
وَبيضٍ تَهادى في الرِياطِ كَأَنَّها
نِهى لَسلَسٍ طابَت لَهُنَّ المَراتِعُ
And white ostriches in the paddock, as though they are
Brooks diminished, their water flowing gently.
تَخَيَّرنَ مِنّا مَوعِداً بَعدَ رِقبَةٍ
بِأَعفَرَ تَعلوهُ الشُروجُ الدَوافِعُ
They chose a rendezvous with us after interval,
Their blonde hair bound with fillets.
فَجُنَّ هُدُوّاً وَالثِيابُ كَأَنَّها
مِنَ الطَلِّ بَلَّتها الرِهامُ النَواشِعُ
They came in howdahs, their clothes as though
Woven of pearls, adorned with embroideries.
جَرى بَينَنا مِنهُم رَسيسٌ يَزيدُنا
سَقاماً إِذا ما اِستَيقَنَتهُ المَسامِعُ
Some of their party passed by us, increasing
Our sickness, when heard by pricked-up ears.
قَليلاً وَكانَ اللَيلُ في ذاكَ ساعَةً
فَقُمنَ وَمَعروفٌ مِنَ الصُبحِ صادِعُ
Before long it was night then, an hour
When dawn gleamed and it was time to depart.
وَأَدبَرنَ مِن وَجهٍ بِمِثلِ الَّذي بِنا
فَسالَت عَلى آثارِهِنَّ المَدامِعُ
They left from a side, as we did,
And tears flowed along their tracks.
يُزَجّينَ بِكراً يَنهَزُ الرَيطُ مَشيَها
كَما مارَ ثُعبانُ الفَضا المُتَدافِعُ
At dawn, the caravan moves briskly as though
A gliding serpent in the desert storming on.
تُبادِرُ عَينَيها بِكُحلٍ كَأَنَّهُ
جُمانٌ هَوى مِن سِلكِهِ مُتَتابِعُ
Their eyes hasten to line themselves with kohl that seems
To be a train fallen from its wire in succession.
وَقُمنا إِلى خَوصٍ كَأَنَّ عُيونَها
قِلاتٌ تَراخى مائُها فَهوَ واضِعُ
And we stood up toward the Khoz trees which appeared
As though their springs had slackened and diminished.
فَوَلَّت بِنا تَغشى الخَبارَ مُلِحَّةً
مَعاً حولُها وَاللاقِحاتُ المَلامِعُ
So they inclined toward us, covering the ruins,
Together around them, shining brilliantly.
وَإِنّي لَصَرّامٌ وَلَم يُخلِقِ الهَوى
جَميلٌ فِراقي حينَ تَبدو الشَرايِعُ
And I am strong, though love does not create
A beauty in parting when the ways are desolate.
وَإِنّي لَأَستَبقي إِذا العُسرُ مَسَّني
بَشاشَةَ نَفسي حينَ تُبلى المَنافِعُ
And I maintain my happy temper when hardship strikes me,
Though profit is worn out by time.
وَأَعفي عَن قَومي وَلَو شِئتُ نَوَّلوا
إِذا ماتَشَكّى المُلحِفُ المُتَضارِعُ
I turn away from my people, though if I wished they would be guided,
When the supplicant groans and pleads.
مَخافَةَ أَن أَقلى إِذا شِئتُ سائِلاً
وَتُرجِعَني نَحوَ الرِجالِ المَطامِعُ
Fearing that I will be abased if I beg
And people will make me again one of the greedy.
فَأَسمَعَ مِنّا أَو أُشَرِّفَ مُنعِماً
وَكُلُّ مُصادي نِعمَةٍ مُتَواضِعُ
So I hear from them or receive a favor and am grateful,
Since every receiver of bounty should be humble.
وَأُعرِضُ عَن أَشياءَ لَو شِئتُ نِلتُها
حَياءً إِذا ماكانَ فيها مَقاذِعُ
And I refrain from things which, if I wanted, I could obtain
Out of shame, if there is meanness in them.
وَلا أَدفَعُ اِبنَ العَمِّ يَمشي عَلى شَفا
وَلَو بَلَغَتني مِن أَذاهُ الجَنادِعُ
I do not cast off the son of my uncle walking on the edge
Even if his hurts reach me constantly.
وَلَكِن أُواسيهِ وَأَنسى ذُنوبَهُ
لِتُرجِعَهُ يَوماً إِلَيَّ الرَواجِعُ
But I console him and forget his sins
So he may return repentant one day.
وَأُفرِشُهُ مالي وَأَحفَظُ عَيبَهُ
لِيَسمَعَ إِنّي لاأُجازِهِ سامِعُ
I furnish him with my money and conceal his vice
So he may hear I do not reproach him.
وَحَسبُكَ مِن جَهلٍ وَسورِ صَنيعَةٍ
مُعاداةَ ذي القُربى وَإِن قيلَ قاطِعُ
It is enough foolishness and evil habit
To oppose a close relative, even if called a breaker.
فَأَسلِم عَناكَ الأَهلَ تَسلَم صُدورُهُم
وَلا بُدَّ يَوماً أَن يَروعَكَ رايِعُ
So leave your family safely and their hearts will be safe,
Though one day something will frighten you.
فَتَبلوهُ ما سَلَّفتَ حَتّى يَرُدَّهُ
إِلَيكَ الجَوازي وافِراً وَالصَنايِعُ
You will experience what you have stored up until
Fates send it back to you fully.
فَإِن تُبلِ عَفواً يُعفَ عَنكَ وَإِن تَكُن
تُقارِعُ بِالأُخرى تُصِبكَ القَوارِعُ
If you pardon, you will be pardoned, but if you
Oppose with the like, misfortunes will strike you.
وَلا تَبتَدِع حَرباً تُطيقُ اِجتِنابَها
فَيَلحَمَكَ الناسَ الحُروبُ البَدايِعُ
Do not initiate a war you can avoid,
Else war unforeseen will afflict you.
لَعَمري لِنِعمَ الحَيُّ إِن كُنتَ مادِحاً
هُمُ الأَزدُ إِنَّ القَولَ بِالصِدقِ شايِعُ
By my life - the best life - if you praise,
It is the Azd; truly the word of truth spreads.
كِرامٌ مَساعيهِم جِسامٌ سَماعُهُم
إِذا أَلغَتِ الناسُ الأُمورُ الشَرايِعُ
Noble their efforts, majestic their renown,
When people forsake noble ways.
لَنا الغُرَفُ العُليا مِنَ المَجدِ وَالعُلى
ظَفِرنا بِها وَالناسُ بَعدُ تَوابِعُ
To us belong the highest chambers of glory and sublimity.
We attained them while others follow.
لَنا جَبَلا عِزٍّ قَديمٌ بَناهُما
تَليعانِ لا يَألوهُما مَن يُتالِعُ
To us belong two mountains of ancient glory
Radiant, which no climber can ascend.
فَكَم وافِدٍ مِنا شَريفٌ مَقامَهُ
وَكَم حافِظٍ لِلقِرنِ وَالقِرنُ وادِعُ
So many of noble place have come from us
And so many preservers of generations past.
وَمِن مُطعِمٍ يَومَ الصَبا غَيرَ جامِدٍ
إِذا شَصَّ عَن أَبنائِهِنَّ المَراضِعُ
From us are feeders in days of youth, not niggardly
When infants cried to be suckled.
يُشَرِّفُ أَقواماً سِوانا ثِيابُنا
وَتَبقى لَهُم أَن يَلبَسوها سَمايِعُ
Our clothes ennoble groups like us then they
Remain for them to wear afterwards.
إِذا نَحنُ ذارَعنا إِلى المَجدِ وَالعُلى
قَبيلاً فَما يَسطيعُنا مَن يُذارِعُ
When we strive for glory and nobility
As a tribe, then none can rival us.
وَمِنّا بَنو ماءِ السَماءِ وَمُنذِرٌ
وَجَفنَةُ مِنّا وَالقُرومُ النَزايِعُ
From us are the Bani Ma as-Sama, and Munzir,
And Jafnah, and the Qurum who attack constantly,
قَبائِلُ مِن غَسّانَ تَسمو بِعامِرٍ
إِذا اِنتَسَبَت وَالأُزدُ بَعدُ الجَوامِعُ
Tribes of Ghassan ascribing themselves to ‘Amir
While the Azd are those of perfect pedigree.
أَدانَ لَنا النُعمانُ قَيساً وَخِندَقاً
أَدانَ وَلَم يَمنَع رَبيعَةَ مانِعُ
An-Nu‘man made Qais and Khandaq subjects,
He did so, none prevented Rabi‘ah.
