ما تَعيفُ اليَومَ في الطَيرِ الرَوَح
مِن غُرابِ البَينِ أَو تَيسٍ بَرَح
What affliction does the soul discern today in the birds;
Is it the separation of the raven or the roaming of the goat?
جالِساً في نَفَرٍ قَد يَئِسوا
مِن مُحيلِ القِدِّ مِن صَحبِ قُزَح
Sitting among a group who have lost hope,
Of the reversal of fate and the return of old companions.
عِندَ ذي مُلكٍ إِذا قيلَ لَهُ
فادِ بِالمالِ تَراخى وَمَزَح
With a king, if asked for wealth, he delays and jokes.
If your Lord relieves us of this distress and makes space,
فَلَئِن رَبُّكَ مِن رَحمَتِهِ
كَشَفَ الضيقَةَ عَنّا وَفَسَح
Or if we are a people destroyed, with no hope left for the living, O my people,
The stirred up days will surely return at nightfall to fill the cups.
أَو لَئِن كُنّا كَقَومٍ هَلَكوا
ما لِحَيٍّ يا لَقَومي مِن فَلَح
We are but a corrupted thing; if Allah reforms it, it will be reformed.
How many people we’ve seen perish,
لَيَعودَن لِمَعَدٍّ عَكرُها
دَلَجُ اللَيلِ وَتَأخاذُ المِنَح
And we’ve seen a man live long with no purpose.
With horizons from which taxes are collected,
إِنَّما نَحنُ كَشَيءٍ فاسِدٍ
فَإِذا أَصلَحَهُ اللَهُ صَلَح
All between Oman and the salt flats.
And Heraclius the day he defeated Dametas
كَم رَأَينا مِن أُناسٍ هَلَكوا
وَرَأَينا المَرءَ عَمراً بِطَلَح
Among the sons of Burjān was superior in battle.
He inherited command from his forefathers
آفِقاً يُجبى إِلَيهِ خَرجُهُ
كُلَّ ما بَينَ عُمانٍ فَمَلَح
And raided them as a young man not yet married.
At dawn they celebrated a horseman
وَهِرَقلاً يَومَ سا آتيدَمى
مِن بَني بُرجانَ في البَأسِ رَجَح
With a thick nose and a wide forehead.
Then they did not flinch but offered
وَرِثَ السُؤدَدَ عَن آبائِهِ
وَغَزا فيهِم غُلاماً ما نَكَح
A charging ram when it engages in butting.
They perished with effective blows
صَبَّحوا فارِسَ في رَأدِ الضُحى
بِطَحونٍ فَخمَةٍ ذاتِ صَبَح
That filled the earth with carcasses and blood.
As if the death they met at dawn
ثُمَّ ما كاؤوا وَلَكِن قَدَّموا
كَبشَ غاراتٍ إِذا لاقى نَطَح
Made the fugitives flee in panic at first light.
Or is it about the covenant? Let me know that
فَتَفانَوا بِضِرابٍ صائِبٍ
مَلَأَ الأَرضَ نَجيعاً فَسَفَح
It is better to free wealth and livestock to graze.
And when one of them bears a burden
مِثلَ ما لاقَوا مِنَ المَوتِ ضُحىً
هَرَبَ الهارِبُ مِنهُم وَاِمتَضَح
His limbs complain and he sighs.
The one with strength carries the weight, so when
أَم عَلى العَهدِ فَعِلمي أَنَّهُ
خَيرُ مَن رَوَّحَ مالاً وَسَرَح
His master ignores him, he is forgiving.
He defends the distressed from
وَإِذا حُمِّلَ عِبئاً بَعضُهُم
فَاِشتَكى الأَوصالَ مِنهُ وَأَنَح
The hands of the people when the criminal offends.
You buy praise at the highest price,
كانَ ذا الطاقَةِ بِالثِقلِ إِذا
ضَنَّ مَولى المَرءِ عَنهُ وَصَفَح
Though to earn praise is the cheapest profit.
Glory captivates me, and I exceed limits,
وَهُوَ الدافِعُ عَن ذي كُربَةٍ
أَيدِيَ القَومِ إِذا الجاني اِجتَرَح
And your fire, it seems, is fueled by kindling.
Or as they said, "He is ill." But if
تَشتَري الحَمدَ بِأَغلى بَيعِهِ
وَاِشتِراءُ الحَمدِ أَدنى لِلرَبَح
The sickness leaves him and he recovers,
He will surely return the stirred up days
تَبتَني المَجدَ وَتَجتازُ النُهى
وَتُرى نارُكَ مِن ناءٍ طَرَح
At nightfall to fill the cups.
Like days we recognize
أَو كَما قالوا سَقيمٌ فَلَئِن
نَفَضَ الأَسقامَ عَنهُ وَاِستَصَح
When every scoundrel barked at the people.
He is first into battle when
لَيُعيدَن لِمَعَدٍّ عِكرَها
دَلَجَ اللَيلِ وَإِكفاءَ المِنَح
The moment of grit comes, and the canines show.
What fire of battle did he not ignite
مِثلَ أَيّامٍ لَهُ نَعرِفُها
هَرَّ كَلبُ الناسِ فيها وَنَبَح
With ample fuel, so it blazed and sparked?
I surely steadied my rope, supported
وَلَهُ المُقدَمُ في الحَربِ إِذا
ساعَةُ الشِدقِ عَنِ النابِ كَلَح
By the noble when calamities converged.
It cuts through the saddlecloth when it bolts
أَيُّ نارِ الحَربِ لا أَوقَدَها
حَطَباً جَزلاً فَأَورى وَقَدَح
With a start, bolt, rear and leap.
It makes the earth tremble, a glowing ember,
وَلَقَد أَجذِمُ حَبلي عامِداً
بِعَفَرناةٍ إِذا الآلُ مَصَح
So if it meets a boulder, it strikes and crashes.
The blow of its hooves
تَقطَعُ الخَرقَ إِذا ما هَجَّرَت
بِهِبابٍ وَإِرانٍ وَمَرَح
With a ringing sound, a voice most excellent.
A gallop you’d think when it pulls up
وَتُوَلّي الأَرضَ خُفّاً مُجمَراً
فَإِذا ما صادَفَ المَروَ رَضَح
Was the gush of blood from a slaughtered beast.
Like aromatic musk whose scent,
فَثَداهُ رَيَمانُ خُفِّها
ذا رَنينٍ صَحِلَ الصَوتِ أَبَح
When poured by the cupbearer, intoxicates.
From a tavern in an alley
وَشَمولٍ تَحسِبُ العَينُ إِذا
صُفَّقَت وَردَتَها نَورَ الذُبَح
Snug and sultry, with vivacity,
With depth. It cares not on its day
مِثلُ ذَكيِ المِسكِ ذاكٍ ريحُها
صَبَّها الساقي إِذا قيلَ تَوَح
When ladled from it into cups.
When the wind churns its surface
مِن زِقاقِ التَجرِ في باطِيَةٍ
جَونَةٍ حارِيَّةٍ ذاتِ رَوَح
The foam atop subsides and clears.
When you jostle it and it hits
ذاتِ غَورٍ ما تُبالي يَومَها
غَرَفَ الإِبريقِ مِنها وَالقَدَح
The sides, it churns within and swirls.
It crashes with ornamented glassware
وَإِذا ما الراحُ فيها أَزبَدَت
أَفَلَ الإِزبادُ فيها وَاِمتَصَح
While the drippings drain off.
When it foams, we raise our vessels—
وَإِذا مَكّوكُها صادَمَهُ
جانِباهُ كَرَّ فيها فَسَبَح
The necks flowed freely as it poured.
We guide its torrent on course
فَتَرامَت بِزُجاجٍ مُعمَلٍ
يُخلِفُ النازِحُ مِنها ما نَزَح
As it flows from the wind at our behest.
You’d think the vessel propped
وَإِذا غاضَت رَفَعنا زِقَّنا
طُلُقَ الأَوداجِ فيها فَاِنسَفَح
Against it was an Abyssinian asleep on his stomach.
I’ve arrived at its regrets in the morning
وَنُسيحُ سَيَلانَ صَوبِهِ
وَهوَ تَسياحٌ مِنَ الراحِ مِسَح
And in the morning it has arrived full of cheer.
With a singing girl, whenever she’s told
تَحسِبُ الزِقَّ لَدَيها مُسنَداً
حَبَشِيّاً نامَ عَمداً فَاِنبَطَح
“Listen and sing,” she sang with a clear sound.
She folds her wrist against the frets
وَلَقَد أَغدو عَلى نَدمانِها
وَغَدا عِندي عَلَيها وَاِصطَبَح
Joining voice to strings in a resonating tone.
In their youth like lamps in the dusk
وَمُغَنٍّ كُلَّما قيلَ لَهُ
أَسمَعِ الشَربَ فَغَنّى فَصَدَح
Fortune and joy are manifest among them.
Merriment sways in their gathering
وَثَنى الكَفَّ عَلى ذي عَتَبٍ
يَصِلُ الصَوتَ بِذي زيرٍ أَبَح
Whenever some scoundrel barks at the people.
They are not stingy with wealth, and since
في شَبابٍ كَمَصابيحِ الدُجى
ظاهِرُ النِعمَةِ فيهِم وَالفَرَح
They were not hardened by life, they mingle freely.
You see them taking pleasure in the drink, all of them,
رُجُحُ الأَحلامِ في مَجلِسِهِم
كُلَّما كَلبٌ مِنَ الناسِ نَبَح
As if the advice of the preachers profited them.
Between one faint from passion whose cheek
لا يَشِحّونَ عَلى المالِ وَما
عُوُّدوا في الحَيِّ تَصرارا اللِقَح
And one impotent of leg without splint.
And buxom bodies, soft
فَتَرى الشَربَ نَشاوى كُلَّهُم
مِثلَ ما مُدَّت نِصاحاتُ الرُبَح
Delicate from indulgence, not made firm.
Like statues clad in robes
بَينَ مَغلوبٍ تَليلٍ خَدُّهُ
وَخَذولِ الرِجلِ مِن غَيرِ كَسَح
Not covering the bellies of the emaciated.
They burst from necklaces when
وَشَغاميمَ جِسامٍ بُدَّنٍ
ناعِماتٍ مِن هَوانٍ لَم تُلَح
The afflicted rise gaunt and stumbling.
That was an era for people now gone,
كَالتَماثيلِ عَلَيها حُلَلٌ
ما يُوارينَ بُطونَ المُكتَشَح
And for these people an era has emerged.
I show favor to those I opposed,
قَد تَفَتَّقنَ مِنَ الغُسنِ إِذا
قامَ ذو الضُرِّ هُزالاً وَرَزَح
All that severs the ties of rancor.
I severed his gaze openly
ذاكَ دَهرٌ لِأُناسٍ قَد مَضَوا
وَلِهَذا الناسِ دَهرٌ قَد سَنَح
With a slap unlike any blow or punch,
From an overpowering tyrant whose branding
وَلَقَد أَمنَحُ مَن عادَيتُهُ
كُلَّ ما يَحسِمُ مِن داءِ الكَشَح
Reminds the offender of his crimes.
You see my enemies around me, humbled,
وَقَطَعتُ ناظِرَيهِ ظاهِراً
لا يَكونُ مِثلَ لَطمٍ وَكَمَح
With necks bowed like camels for slaughter.
The villain built his house upon them
ذا جُبارٍ مُنضِجاً ميسَمُهُ
يُذكِرُ الجارِمَ ما كانَ اِجتَرَح
And corruption spread among them.
They are black dwarves whose endeavor
وَتَرى الأَعداءَ حَولي شُزُّراً
خاضِعي الأَعناقِ أَمثالَ الوَذَح
Is like pebbles with sparks from flint.
The lowliest strikes their faces
قَد بَنى اللُؤمُ عَلَيهِم بَيتَهُ
وَفَشا فيهِم مَعَ اللُؤمِ القَلَح
And cares not which eye is blinded.
فَهُمُ سودٌ قِصارٌ سَعيُهُم
كَالخُصى أَشعَلَ فيهِنَّ المَذَح
يَضرِبُ الأَدنى إِلَيهِم وَجهَهُ
لا يُبالي أَيَّ عَينَيهِ كَفَح
