إِساءَةُ دَهرٍ بَرَّحَت بي نَوائِبُه
وَخَطبُ زَمانٍ بِالمَلامِ أُخاطِبُه
The vicissitudes of fate have afflicted me with their calamities,
And the affairs of time address me with blame.
عَفاءً عَلى وادي نَريزَ فَإِنَّهُ
تَسيلُ بِغَيرِ المَكرُماتِ مَذانِبُه
Grant me respite by the valley of Nariz, for it
Flows without generosity, its sides avoiding me.
دُفِعنا وَبُردُ الشَمسِ أَصفَرُ فاقِعٌ
إِلى جِذمِ بابٍ ما يُبَجَّلُ حاجِبُه
We were dismissed while the yellow sun was waning,
To the threshold of a door whose guardian is not venerable.
وَما كانَ مُرٌّ بِالجَوادِ فَيُبتَغى
قِراهُ وَلا بِالغَمرِ تُرجى مَواهِبُه
Bitterness is not sought from the generous, nor
Are its gifts hoped for from the intoxicated.
تَكَرَّهَ لِلتَسليمِ حَتّى حَسِبتُهُ
يَلوكُ اِسمَهُ مِن حَنظَلٍ هُوَ هائِبُه
He disdained to bid farewell, until I thought
He was chewing his name which his confusion made him forget.
وَرامَ اِعتِذاراً ثُمَّ غَصَّ بِريقِهِ
وَظَنَّ كَنِيُّ الكَلبِ أَنّى أُكالِبُه
He attempted an excuse, then choked on his saliva,
And the mongrel thought that I would bark at him.
فَأَدرَجتُهُ صَفحاً وَكُنتُ إِذا أَتى
لَئيمُ أُناسٍ سَوءَةً لا أُعاتِبُه
So I dismissed him gently, and whenever
A scoundrel of evil people came to me with wickedness, I would not reproach him.
إِذا الجَبَلُ الطائِيُّ ذَلَّت سَراتُهُ
وَلانَت لِطُرّاقِ العَدُوِّ جَوانِبُه
When the towering mountain is humbled and its peaks
Soften for the spying enemy’s horseman.
تَناهَبُهُ أَودٌ وَهَمدانُ بَعدَما
أَراهُ وَأَهلُ المَشرِقَينِ مَناهِبُه
Clan and tribe plunder it after I saw it
And the people of the two horizons plucking its fruits.
وَما ذاكَ إِلّا أَنَّ فُرسانَهُ اِلتَقَوا
عَلى مُنصَلٍ تُكدى عَلَيهِم مَضارِبُه
That is only because its horsemen have agreed
On a common purpose, though its blows distress them,
يَحُفّونَ مَحفوفَ القِصاصِ تَغولُهُ
مَآكِلُهُ عَن أَكلِهِم وَمُشارِبُه
Defending in unison the one to be avenged while
His food and drink distract them not from eating and drinking,
إِذا اِنقَطَعَ البَمُّ اِستُخِفَّ وَإِن يُقَل
أُغيرَ عَلى السَرحِ اِطمَأَنَّت جَوانِبُه
When the supplies are cut off it is taken lightly but if they are few
Its sides feel secure and tranquil upon the meadow.
أَخو نَشَواتٍ تَنجَلي نَومَهُ الضُحى
يَدَ الدَهرِ عَنهُ وَهوَ سودٌ تَرائِبُه
A brother of pleasure whose slumber the forenoon dispels,
While the hand of fate leaves him be, and his sorrows are black.
لَهُ شُغُلٌ في جانِبَيهِ كِلَيهِما
إِذا اعتادَهُ أَحبابُهُ وَحَبائِبُه
He is busy on both his sides, whichever
His loved ones and darlings befriend.
مَطِيَّةُ أَعيارٍ كَأَنَّ لِغَيرِهِ
إِذا حَمَلَ الفَحلَ الثَقيلَ مَناكِبُه
A mare of noble breed, as if for another
Were the heavy stallion’s mounts upon its shoulders.
أَبا خالِدٍ لا يَجزِكَ اللَهُ صالِحاً
فَما كُنتَ إِلّا التَيسَ أَخفَقَ حالِبُه
Abu Khalid, may God not make you prosperous,
For you were but the billy goat with the dangling udder.
