إِذا طَلَعَ النِسرانِ غارَت ظَعائِنٌ
وَكانَ مِراسُ القُرِّ شَرَّ مِراسِ
When the two eagles soared, the lesser birds scattered in fear,
And the summit of the mountain was the most rugged summit.
وَإِن تَبدُ في الصُبحِ الثَرَيّا فَإِنَّها
تُيَمِّمُ بِالتِسيارِ آلَ قَراسِ
And if the Pleiades appear at dawn, they direct
Their orientation towards the Southern Cross.
لَو أَنَّ بَني الدُنِّيا يَدَ الدَهرِ مَشيُهُم
عَلى الزَفِّ لَم أَعدُدهُ غَيرَ هَراسِ
If the turns of fate made people walk
On the brink, I would count none but the bold.
وَما ظَفِرَت أَفراسُ قَومٍ يَحُثُّها
فَوارِسُها في عُنجُدٍ وَقَراسِ
And the steeds of a people driven by their horsemen
Never gained glory in battle and combat.
جُسومٌ ثُمَّ عادَت فَأَصبَحَت
ضُروباً كَزَرعٍ نابِتٍ وَغِراسِ
Bodies lay still, then in the morning they rose
Like crops, sprouting and growing.
وَما تَرَكَت بيضُ الزَمانِ وَسَودُه
كَراسيَّ عِزٍّ كُلُّهُنَّ كَراسِ
The days and nights of time left no thrones
Of glory, all were leveled.
وَلَم يَمنَعوا بِالضَربِ وَالطَعنِ حادِثاً
أَتى دونَ أَدراعٍ لَهُم وَتِراسِ
And with blows and stabs they did not prevent what fate
Brought, without coats of mail or shields to protect them.
تَداعَت بِلَفظِ العُجمِ أَعرابُ مَذحِجٍ
وَأَعرَبَ أَهلا فارِسٍ وَخُراسِ
The nomads of Mudhij spoke in Persian accents
And the Persians spoke in Arabic tongue.
فَإِنَّ لُيوثَ الحَتفِ نالَ اِفتِراسُها
ضَراغِمَ مِن لَيثٍ وَحيِّ فِراسِ
For the bold lions, their tearing apart
Were carcasses, whether lion or noble steed.
فَيا أُمَّ دَفرٍ لا سَلِمتِ غَويَّةً
عَلَيكِ قِراعي دائِباً وَضِراسي
Oh mother of Dafar, may you never be safe from me,
My blows and stabs upon you are ceaseless.
أَتَبغَينَ مِنّي في المَقالِ تَعَصُّباً
وَأَيُّ أَذاةٍ ما عَصَبتِ بِراسي
Do you want bias from me in speech?
What harm that I was loyal in judgement?
تَسيرُ بِنا هَذي اللَيالي كَأَنَّها
سَفائِنُ بَحرٍ ما لَهُنَّ مَراسي
These nights take us as though they were
Ships on a sea with no harbors.
