عَفا مِن آلِ فاطِمَةَ الدُخولُ
فَحِزّانُ الصَريمَةِ فَالهُجولُ
The dwellings of Umm 'Amr are desolate,
Their mirage wanders aimlessly within.
مَنازِلُ أَقفَرَت مِن أُمِّ عَمرٍ
يَظَلُّ سَرابُها فيها يَجولُ
If only the butterfly and the gazelle came,
The sand hills would seem to speak to you.
شَآمِيَةُ المَحَلِّ وَقَد أَراها
تَعومُ لَها بِذي خِيَمٍ حُمولُ
Of the ancient covenant they once honored,
Their limbs now at variance, no longer pliant.
وَلَو تَأتي الفَراشَةَ وَالحُبَيّا
إِذاً كادَت تُكَلِّمُكَ الطُلولُ
Convey from me to the Banu Shayban:
No intimacy remains between us now.
عَنِ العَهدِ القَديمِ وَما عَفاها
بَوارِحُ يَختَلِفنَ وَلا سُيولُ
You were once my brothers but abandoned me
When those stalwarts took their risks.
أَلا أَبلِغ بَني شَيبانَ عَنّي
فَما بَيني وَبَينَكُمُ ذُخولُ
The Banu 'Allat entrusted me to you
While Malik and Yazid committed wrongs.
وَكُنتُم إِخوَتي فَخَذَلتُموني
غَداةَ تَخاطَرَت تِلكَ الفُحولُ
Wael and Qarie both perished,
As if the land behind them were made barren.
تَواكَلَني بَنو العَلّاتِ مِنكُم
وَغالَت مالِكاً وَيَزيدَ غولُ
If Sedous withholds her two dirhams,
The wind still blows favourably.
قَريعا وائِلٍ هَلَكا جَميعاً
كَأَنَّ الأَرضَ بَعدَهُما مُحولُ
Whenever war's steeds come, it harms me not
What the Asadi poet says or sings.
فَإِن تَمنَع سَدوسٌ دِرهَمَيها
فَإِنَّ الريحَ طَيِّبَةٌ قَبولُ
A mounted band of Bakr's Jusham
Whose torrents crack their prominent shoulders.
مَتى آتِ الأَراقِمَ لا يَضِرني
نَبيبُ الأَسعَدِيِّ وَما يَقولُ
The Banu Umayya have clothed me
In shades of prestige that do not decline.
رَوابٍ مِن بَني جُشَمَ بنِ بَكرٍ
تَصَدَّعُ عَن مَناكِبِها السُيولُ
Abu Marwan Bishr took it on
With a merit that seeks no favour or change.
وَإِنَّ بَني أُمَيَّةَ أَلبَسوني
ظِلالَ كَرامَةٍ ما إِن تَزولُ
And Shuhba of forgiveness met us,
Her broken remnants a refuge for fugitives,
تَوَلّاها أَبو مَروانَ بِشرٌ
بِفَضلٍ لا يُمَنُّ وَلا يَحولُ
Apportioned as if its defenders
Passed between them a circulated cup.
وَشَهباءِ المَغافِرِ قارَعَتنا
مُلَملَمَةٍ يَلوذُ بِها الفُلولُ
A stagnation scarcely relieved for us,
Its ardour undiminished, unrestrained.
مُسَوَّمَةٍ كَأَنَّ مُحافِظيها
تُصَدَّعُ بَينَهُم كَأسٌ شَمولُ
So it was repelled, by God's permission,
By the honesty of our elders and youth.
رَكودٍ لَم تَكَد عَنّا رَحاها
وَلا مَرحى حُمَيّاها يَزولُ
And the battle of Mashrafiya was locked
In iron, the tinkling behind its ring.
فَدافَعَها بِإِذنِ اللَهِ عَنّا
شَبابُ الصِدقِ مِنّا وَالكُهولُ
A strait so narrow, if the elephant rose there,
The noble steeds and foot-soldiers would tremble.
وَوَقعُ المَشرَفِيَّةِ في حَديدٍ
لَهُنَّ وَراءَ حَلقَتِهِ صَليلُ
I have confined myself within it against my spirit’s wish,
And none can withstand it but a few.
وَضَنكٍ لَو يَقومُ الفيلُ فيهِ
لَأُرعِدَتِ الفَرائِصُ وَالخَصيلُ
حَبَستُ بِهِ عَلى المَكروهِ نَفسي
وَلَيسَ يَقومُهُ إِلّا قَليلُ
