سَرَتْ وجِنْحُ اللّيلِ غِرْبيبُ
سِرْبٌ منَ البيضِ رَعابيبُ
The wings of night and its darkness crept,
A flock of whiteness, their raiment pleats swept,
يَعْثُرْنَ في ذَيْلِ الدُّجى إذْ ضَفا
لَها عليْهِنَّ جَلابيبُ
Stumbling in the train of gloom when it bends low,
Over them their outer garments flow.
وكلُّ سِرٍّ رُمْنَ كِتْمانَهُ
نَمَّ بهِ الحَلْيُ أوِ الطّيبُ
And every secret its concealment kept,
Be it scent or bejeweled anklets that leapt,
طَرَقْنَنا والرَّكْبُ غِيدُ الطُّلى
تَخْدي بِنا العِيسُ المَطاريبُ
We walked while the caravan, girt with down,
Were scared by the howl of the whining hound,
ونحنُ بالجَرْعاءِ منْ عالِجٍ
حَيْثُ تُطيلُ الحَنّةَ النّيبُ
While we in the stony tract stayed our steps,
Where the departure of loved ones weeps,
فقُلْنَ إذ أبْصَرْنَني باسِماً
حينَ زَوى الأوْجُهَ تَقْطيبُ
So they said when discerning me by name
As faces were shrouded in sorrow and shame:
أيَّ هُمامٍ منكَ قَد رَشَّحَتْ
للمَجْدِ آباءٌ مَناجيبُ
"What aspiration to glory possessed,
Fathers, your sires, conversant with glory's bequest?
فدَأبُهُ والصّبرُ منْ خِيمِهِ
سُرًى يُعَنّيهِ وتأويبُ
His perseverance and patience kept pace
In his tent, aided by wisdom and grace,
يَجوبُ بِيداً غيرَ مَقروعةٍ
للسّيْرِ فيهِنَّ الظّنابيبُ
He roams with a hand whose might none reproves,
To walk among them the jealous proves.
فليتَ شِعْري هل أزورُ الحِمى
أمْ هَلْ يَروعُ الثُّلّةَ الذّيبُ
I wonder, shall I visit the preserve,
Or will the pack be scared by the swelling curve?"
والشّمسُ أخْبى الليلُ أنوارَها
والكَوْكبُ الأزهَرُ مَشْبوبُ
The sun has hidden the lights of night,
And the bright planet is clouded from sight,
في غِلْمَةٍ مُرْدٍ تَمطّى بهِمْ
إِلى الوَغى جُرْدٌ سَراحيبُ
In a rebel darkness they wind and ride
To the fray, marked girths their courses guide.
خَيْلٌ عِرابٌ فوْقَ أثْباجِها
في حَومَةِ الحَرْبِ أعاريبُ
Of every smooth-polished long-bladed lance
That bends in the onslaught, but holds its balance,
مِنْ كُلِّ مَلْبونٍ سَليمِ الشّظى
حابي القُصَيْرى فيهِ تَحْنيبُ
He wrests the rein of the winds, though slight,
By slackening them, or hastening their flight.
يُكِلُّ وَفْدَ الريحِ إن هَزّ منْ
عِطْفَيْهِ إرْخاءٌ وتَقْريبُ
Each day the foe with clanging arms contrives,
His drinking bowls with blood imbued derives.
وكلَّ يومٍ منْ قِراعِ العِدا
لَبانُهُ بالدّمِ مَخْضوبُ
He charges wildly, dreaded for rending chain,
Ruin and harm from his onset restrain.
يَعْدو بمَرْهوبِ الشَّذا يُتَّقى
بهِ الرّدى والبأسُ مَرْهوبُ
Among youths who drag the train of their spears,
Where the dangling queue of long hair appears,
في فِتيَةٍ تَسْحَبُ سُمْرَ القَنا
بحَيثُ ذَيلُ النّقعِ مَسْحوبُ
Religion extends its glory through their worth,
Exalted exploits the noblest bring forth.
مَدَّ قِوامُ الدّينِ أبْواعَهُمْ
إِلى العُلا والعِزُّ مَطْلوبُ
A splendid scion by his sire's repute bred,
To their lineage sublime the noble deed.
أرْوَعُ يَنْميهِ أبٌ ماجِدٌ
إلَيْهِما السّؤْدَدُ مَنسوبُ
Though young the boy, yet ripe of age is he,
Elders round him for wisdom see.
مُقْتَبِلُ السِّنِّ عَقيدُ النُّهى
تَقْصُرُ عنْ غايَتِهِ الشّيبِ
Rule no weakling's burden upholds
Whom trials have not refined and made bold,
والمُلْكُ لا يحْمِلُ أعْباءَهُ
مَنْ لمْ تُهذِّبْهُ التّجاريبُ
Whose youth fierce afflictions have put to proof,
Corrected, admonished, yet kind aloof.
واحْتَوَشَتْهُ نُوَبٌ للفَتى
فيهِنَّ تَصْعيدٌ تَصويبُ
No shower of generosity his ear distains,
In his munificence, no rebuke arraigns.
غَمْرُ الندىً لم يحتَضِنْ سَمْعَهُ
في جُودِهِ عَذْلٌ وتأنيبُ
Of gentle airs, his doors are pathways trod,
With greeting he welcomes each visitor's nod.
مُوَطَّأُ الأكْنافِ أبوابُهُ
لهُنَّ بالزّائِرِ تَرْحيبُ
Neither slighted suppliant nor stranger finds
Any roughness in him, or ungenerous minds.
فلا القِرى نَزْرٌ ولا المُجْتَلى
جَهْمٌ ولا النّائِلُ مَحْسوبُ
His nature resembles the flower-filled plain.
The meadow's adorned and in blossom's reign.
كالزَّهَرِ المَطْلولِ أخْلاقُهُ
والرّوْضُ مَشْمولٌ ومَجْنوبُ
He is a rain-bursting cloud, thus springs thrive
On the downpour of blessings that keep alive.
وهْوَ غَمامٌ خَضِلٌ فالحيا
مُنْتَظَرٌ منهُ ومَرْقوبُ
His glory rebuilds what destruction laid low,
Glory inherited and glory won now.
شيّدَ ما أثّلَ منْ مَجْدِهِ
والمَجْدُ مَوْروثٌ ومَكْسوبُ
Gifts that oblige him men's wants to relieve,
The needy from him seek and solace receive.
بِنائِلٍ يُمْتارُ منهُ الغِنى
لهُ على العافي شَآبيبُ
A purpose whereby what he sought he attained,
The sword's edged assistance his triumph ordained.
وعَزمَةٍ نالَ بها ما ابْتَغى
منَ العِدا والسّيْفُ مَقْروبُ
No censuring censures the revel he gave,
No carping carps the winepots songs that he crave.
والسُّمْرُ لمْ تَكْلَفْ بلَبّاتِهِمْ
راعِفَةً منها الأنابيبُ
Yet what adversities fell have I seen!
But the sword, not injustice, my succor has been.
هذا وكَمْ مِنْ غَمْرَةٍ خاضَها
فيها نَقيعُ السُّمِّ مَشْروبُ
Estranged me from home did my wanderings wild,
The home of my childhood, beloved from a child.
للأسَلِ اللُّدْنِ بأرْجائِها
والخَيْلُ أُخْدودٌ وأُلْهوبُ
My name over countries and regions now rings,
Unmarred by the exile my wandering brings.
واللهُ يُعْلي رايَةً نَصْرُها
برأيِهِ الثّاقِبِ مَعْصوبُ
To live in your shadow is sweetness of life,
Like the scent of pure honey drawn fresh from the hive.
فحِلْمُ مَنْ ساوَرَهُ عازِبٌ
ولُبُّ مَنْ عاداهُ مَسْلوبُ
No throbbing of heart is for home that I feel,
No tear down my cheek sorrow causes to steal.
والجهلُ يُغريهِ على غِيّهِ
بهِ وقِرْنُ الدّهْرِ مَغلوبُ
How can one complain of the turns of the years,
Whose name on the days and the ages appears?
ألقى مَقاليدَ الوَرى عَنْوَةً
إليهِ تَرْهيبٌ وتَرْغيبُ
For you would one forfeit his fortune entire,
And honor, when plundered and prey to the fire.
يَفرُشُهُمْ عَدْلاً وأمْناً فَلا
يُحَسُّ مَظْلومٌ ومَرْعوبُ
The tenth of his property he does not hoard,
His liberality's fame is broadcast abroad.
يا مَنْ عَلَيْهِ أمَلي حائِمٌ
ومَنْ إليهِ الحَمْدُ مَجْلوبُ
He vilifies none, apprehensive of sin,
His praise scorns the falsehood smug liars toss in.
يَفديكَ مَنْ شَدَّ على مالِهِ
وِكاءَهُ والعِرْضُ مَنهوبُ
Vulgar mouths at the wealthy their ribaldry spit,
The miser's malign, the stingy they flit.
لهُ عِشارٌ ليسَ تُدْمى لَها
في نَدْوَةِ الحَيِّ عَواقيبُ
Why treat me with scorn, O my days, and defile
When the sword, not dishonor, is lightning my trial?
يُطْنِبُ هاجِيهِ ولا يتّقي
إثْماً وفي تَقْريظِهِ حُوبُ
Ye sundered me out from my country, my woe,
The home of my birth that I yearn for, I know.
فهَجْوُهُ صِدْقٌ وفي مَدْحِهِ
تَكْبو بمُطْريهِ الأكاذيبُ
My name over regions and countries resounds,
Nor roaming estranged me from well-trodden grounds.
والسَّبُّ يَلْتَفُّ بِذي ثَرْوَةٍ
يَشِحُّ والباخِلُ مَسْبوبُ
To live in your shadow is sweetness of life,
Like the scent of pure honey drawn fresh from the hive.
فَما لأيّامي تهَضّمْنَني
والسّيْفُ دونَ الضّيمِ مَرْكوبُ
No throbbing of heart is for home that I feel,
No tear down my cheek sorrow causes to steal.
غرَّبْنَني عن وطَني ضَلّةً
والوطَنُ المألوفُ مَحْبوبُ
How can one complain of the turns of the years,
Whose name on the days and the ages appears?
وطبَّقَ الآفاقَ ذِكْري فلَمْ
يُخْمِلْهُ إجْلاءٌ وتَغْريبُ
والعيشُ في ظِلِّكَ حُلْوُ الجَنى
كأنّهُ بالأرْيِ مَقْطوبُ
فلا فؤادي للنّوى خافِقٌ
وَجْداً ولا دَمْعيَ مَسْكوبُ
وكيفَ يَشْكو الدّهْرَ مَنْ شِعْرُهُ
على جَبينِ الدّهْرِ مَكْتوبُ
