لامَت مَلامَةَ مُشفِقٍ مُتَعَتِّبِ
وَسَطَت سَطِيَّةَ ناصِحٍ لَم يَكذِبِ
A blame of a caring one, not lying,
And the advice of an honest adviser.
وَاِستَشفَعَت بِدُموعِها وَدُموعُها
لُسُنٌ مَتى تَصِفُ الكَآبَةَ تُسهِبِ
Her tears interceded with her tears,
When can tongues describe depression in detail?
وَلِحُزنِها بِصَميمِ قَلبي مَوقِعٌ
ذاكٍ عَلى جَمرِ الغَضا المُتَلَهِّبِ
And her sadness has a place in the heart of my heart,
That is on the embers of blazing coal.
غَيداءُ عاجَلَها الزَمانُ بِنَكثِهِ
وَبِرَيبِهِ المُتَصَرِّفِ المُتَقَلِّبِ
Ghaidaa', time was quick to break its promise,
And with its fickle, changing betrayal.
فَاِبتَزَّها حُسنَ العَزاءِ وَصادَفَت
مِنها الخُطوبُ غَريرَةً لَم تُنكَبِ
So it took away the beauty of consolation and she found
Misfortunes that did not overturn.
قالَت أَراكَ بِسُرِّ مَن را ثاوِياً
في مَرتَعٍ جَشِبٍ وَعَيشٍ مُنصِبِ
She said, I see you in distress
In barren pasture and meager living.
في حَيثُ لا يُلفي الشَريفُ مُناسِباً
يَحنو عَلَيهِ بِرَأفَةٍ وَتَحَدُّبِ
Where the noble cannot find a match,
Who would pity him and take care of him.
فَاِعمِد لِظِلٍّ مِن نِزارَ فَإِنَّهُم
أَهلُ اللُهى أَو جانِبٍ مِن يَعرُبِ
So take refuge in a shadow of the people of Nizar, for they
Are people of glory or a side of Araba.
وَاِنهَض لِأَيَّةِ بَلدَةٍ حَلّوا بِها
في الأَرضِ إِن قَرُبَت وَإِن لَم تَقرُبِ
And get up to whichever country they resided in
On earth, whether near or far.
فَهُنالِكَ الحَسَبُ الصَميمُ وَحَيثُ لا
يُغريكَ مِن نَسَبٍ قَريبِ المَطلَبِ
For there lies noble lineage, where
Pure ancestry with high demands does not tempt you.
قُلتُ اِربَعي في سُرِّ مَن را سَيِّدٌ
كَرُمَت ضَرائِبُهُ عَظيمُ المَنصِبِ
I said: Live in the care of one whose
High office ennobled his great position!
بَحرٌ مَتى تَقِفُ الظِماءُ بِمَورِدٍ
مِنهُ يَطيبُ لَهُم جَداهُ وَيَعذُبِ
A sea that when the thirsty come to drink
Its freshness is good for them and sweet.
خِضرُ بنُ أَحمَدَ طَودُ عِزٍّ شامِخٌ
راسٍ دَعائِمُهُ أَمينُ المَنكِبِ
Green son of Ahmad, a towering glory,
Faithful in his responsibility at the side of the road!
كَهفٌ إِذا اِستَذرى العُفاةُ بِظِلِّهِ
لَجَأوا إِلى كَنَفٍ رَحيبٍ مُخصِبِ
A cave that when weak ones seek its shade
They come to a kind, fertile refuge.
إِن تَمسِ عَبدُ القَيسِ عَنّي قَد نَأَت
وَالأَزدُ بَينَ تَشَتُّتٍ وَتَشَعُّبِ
If the slave of Qais spoke ill of me while
Azd is between division and divergence,
فَقَدِ اِعتَصَمتُ بِمَوئِلٍ مِن وائِلٍ
وَغَلَبتُ أَحداثَ الزَمانِ بِتَغلِبِ
Then I have held to the shelters of Wael
And overcome the events of time by triumph.
بِاِبنِ المُوَرَّثِ مِن رَبيعَةَ مَجدَها
وَاِبنِ المُؤَثَّلِ كُلَّ عِزٍّ أَغلَبِ
By the son of Murrth is the glory of Rabee'ah
And the son of Mu'aththal every great conquest.
كَم مِن أَبٍ لَكَ ذي مَناقِبَ جَمَّةٍ
حامٍ وَجَدٍّ ذي مَكارِمَ مُنجِبِ
How many a father of outstanding traits do you have
Esteemed, who brings forth noble descent!
وَعُلاً تَقاصَرَتِ المَساعي دونَهُ
فَسَمَت بِذِكرِكُمُ سُمُوَّ الكَوكَبِ
And heights that efforts fell short of
So your mention reached to the stars' sublimity!
وَإِذا الكُماةُ تَكافَحَت في مَعرَكٍ
وَتَنازَعَت كَأسَ الرَدى مِن مَشرَبِ
And when warriors struggle in battle
And compete for the cup of destruction and perdition,
فَلَكُم مَواقِفُ في الوَغى مَشهورَةٌ
بِوِراثَةٍ عَن كُلِّ لَيثٍ مِحرَبِ
For you there are well known positions in the fray
By inheritance from every ferocious warrior
ياخِضرُ أَنتَ مُسَوَّدٌ في سادَةٍ
مِن كُلِّ مُحتَضَرِ الرُواقِ مُحَجَّبِ
O Green! You are clad among the nobility
From every noble house, veiled
قَد سُدتَ في حالِ الحَداثَةِ يافِعاً
وَلَبِستَ أُبَّهَةَ الجَليلِ الأَشيَبِ
You assumed leadership as a youth
And wore the turban of the venerable elder!
وَأَرَتكَ أَعقابَ الأُمورِ رَوِيَّةً
مِن حازِمٍ ماضي العَزيمِ مُجَرِّبِ
And the consequences of events made you seasoned
From the resolute, proven, experienced one!
فَلَأَنتَ أَرهَفُ حينَ تُدهِمُ خُطَّةً
مِن مُرهَفٍ شَهَرَتهُ كَفُّكَ مِقضَبِ
So you are more discerning when you plan a strategy
Than the most astute one, known for his broken wrist!
وَلَأَنتَ أَنفَحُ بِالنَوافِلِ وَالنَدى
مِن واكِفٍ مُسحَنفِرٍ مُتَصَبِّبِ
And you are more high-minded with supererogation and dew
Than one who stands to pray and is focused!
وَلَأَنتَ أَمنَعُ مِن كُلَيبٍ جانِباً
لِلمُستَجيرِ المُرهَقِ المُتَرَقِّبِ
And you are more inaccessible than Kulayb from the side
Of the exhausted refugee, watchfully waiting!
وَكَأَنَّ وَجهَكَ حينَ تُسأَلُ مُشرَبٌ
مِن حُسنِهِ ماءَ الحُسامِ المُذهَبِ
And it is as if - when asked for drink - your face
Were the beauty of polished Indian swords!
خُذها إِلَيكَ وَسيلَةً مِن راغِبٍ
مُتَقَرِّبٍ مُتَوَصِّلٍ مُتَسَبِّبِ
Take them to you as a means from one desiring
To gain nearness, connecting and causing.
جاءَتكَ في طيبِ التَحِيَّةِ تُجتَنى
مِن مَنبِتٍ أَنِقٍ وَرَوضٍ مُعشِبِ
They came to you with greetings to be picked
From a delicate garden and grassy meadow.
أَوفى بِها كَالعِقدِ فُصِّلُ نَظمُهُ
بِالدُرِّ إِلّا أَنَّهُ لَم يُثقَبِ
Tie this - like a necklace - arrange the verses with pearls
Except they have not been pierced!
هَذا وَلِيُّكَ مُستَجيراً عائِذاً
بِذَراكَ مِن زَمَنٍ حَديدِ المِخلَبِ
This is your loyal friend seeking refuge
In your sanctuary from a harsh, clawed time.
قَد شامَ بَرقاً مِن نَداكَ أَحَبَّهُ
إِذ كانَ بَرقُ يَدَيكَ لَيسَ بِخُلَّبِ
A flash from your help has reached him
For the flash of your hands is unfailing.
