إليكَ تَنَاهى كلُّ فَخْرٍ وسُؤدَدٍ
فأبْلِ اللّيالي والأنامَ وجَدِّدِ
All pride and glory lead to you,
So spend the nights and days renewing your glory.
لجَدّكَ كان المَجْدُ ثمّ حَوَيْتُه
ولابْنِكَ يُبْنَى منه أشرَفُ مَقْعدِ
Glory was yours, then you embraced it,
And your son builds from it the most noble seat.
ثلاثةُ أيّامٍ هيَ الدّهرُ كلّه
وما هُنّ غيرَ الأمسِ واليومِ والغَدِ
Three days, no more, make up this life,
No more than yesterday, today and tomorrow.
وما البَدرُ إلاّ واحِدٌ غيرَ أنّه
يَغِيبُ ويأتي بالضّياءِ المُجَدِّدِ
The full moon is but one, though it
Disappears to give renewed radiance.
فلا تَحْسِبِ الأقْمارَ خَلْقاً كثيرةً
فجُمْلتُها مِن نَيّرٍ مُتَرَدِّدِ
Think not the moons are many in number,
In truth, just one moon rising again.
وللحَسَنِ الحُسْنى وإن جاد غيرُه
فذلكَ جُودٌ ليس بالمُتَعَمَّدِ
Goodness deserves the finest praise, though others are generous,
That's just natural bounty, not calculated giving.
له الجَوْهَرُ السّاري يُؤمِّمُ شخصَه
يَجوبُ إليه مَحْتِداً بَعْدَ مَحْتِدِ
The essence flows through him, sweetening his being,
Seeking him ardently after seeking.
ولو كتَموا أنسابَهُمْ لَعَزَتْهُمُو
وُجُوهٌ وفِعلٌ شاهِدٌ كلَّ مَشهَدِ
Had they concealed their lineage, their faces would still reveal them,
Actions and deeds bear witness in every gathering.
وقدْ يُجْتَدى فضْلُ الغَمامِ وإنّما
من البحرِ فيما يزعمُ الناسُ يَجتدي
Though bounty comes from the clouds, in truth it springs
From the sea - or so people claim.
ويَهْدي الدليلُ القوْمَ والليلُ مُظلِمٌ
ولكنّه بالنّجمِ يَهْدي ويَهْتَدي
The guide leads the tribe though dark is the night,
He finds direction by the stars that guide.
فيا أحلمَ السّاداتِ من غيرِ ذِلّةٍ
ويا أجْوَدَ الأجْوادِ من غيرِ مَوْعِدِ
O most patient lord without submissiveness,
O most generous giver making no appointments.
وَطِئْتَ صروفَ الدهرِ وطْأةَ ثائرٍ
فأتْلَفْتَ منها نَفْسَ ما لم تُصَفِّدِ
You endured fate's caprice like a raging camel,
And so tamed it though it wasn't shackled.
وعَلّمْتَهُ منكَ التّأنّي فانْثَنى
إذا رامَ أمراً رامَه بتأيُّدِ
You taught it patience so it would bend
When attempting anything you support.
وأثْقَلْتَه مِن أنْعُمٍ وعَوَارِفٍ
فسَارَ بها سيرَ البَطِيءِ المُقيّدِ
You burdened it with favors and kindnesses
So it walks the gait of one fettered.
ودانتْ لكَ الأيامُ بالرّغمِ وانْضَوَتْ
إليك الليالي فارْمِ مَن شئتَ تُقْصِدِ
Days and nights submitted to you, so take
Whichever you wish and attain your goal,
بسَبْعِ إماءٍ من زَعاوَةَ زُوّجَتْ
من الرَومِ في نَعْماكَ سبْعةَ أعْبُدِ
With seven slave girls of Zawāwah married
To seven Romans enjoying your bounty.
ولولاكَ لم تُسْلَمْ أفامِيّةُ الرّدى
وقد أبصَرَتْ مِن مِثْلِها مصرَعَ الرّدي
Without you, treacherous Aphamia would not be safe,
Since she saw others like her meet their demise.
فأنْقَذْتَ منها مَعقِلاً هَضَبَاتُه
تَلَفّعُ من نسْجِ السّحابِ وترْتَدي
You saved a fortress, its summits
Wearing garments of cloud and sheathed in them.
وحِيداً بثغْرِ المسْلِمينَ كأنّهُ
بفِيهِ مُبَقَّى من نَواجِذِ أدْرَدِ
Alone on the Muslim border, as though
Its mouth holds back the talons of screaming vultures,
بأخضَرَ مثلِ البحرِ ليس اخضرارُه
من الماء لكنْ من حديدٍ مُسَرَّدِ
Green as the sea, yet its greenness
Not from water but steel bared.
كأنّ الأنُوقَ الخُرْسَ فوقَ غُبارِهِ
طَوالِعُ شَيبٍ في مَفَارِقِ أسوَدِ
As if the black, silent camels atop its dust
Were rising grey hairs amidst deep blackness.
وليس قَضيبُ الهِندِ إلاّ كنابِتٍ
من القَضْبِ في كفّ الهِدانِ المُعرِّدِ
Indian cane is but scribbling
Of cane in the hands of one with sleeves rolled up.
متى أنا في رَكْبٍ يؤمّونَ مَنْزِلاً
تَوَحّدَ من شخْصِ الشريفِ بأوْحَدِ
When will I be in a caravan, stopping somewhere
Your noble figure unifies with most sublime?
على شَدْقمِيّاتٍ كأنّ حُداتَها
إذا عَرّسَ الرّكْبانُ شُرّابُ مُرقِدِ
On elegant camels, as though their litter's poles
When erected by riders are the bed'ssupports.
تُلاحِظُ أعلامَ الفَلا بنَواظِرٍ
كُحِلْنَ من الليلِ التّمامِ بإثْمدِ
Watching standards of departure with gazes
Lined with the night's kohl when it's complete.
وقد أذهبتْ أخفافَها الأرضُ والوَجَى
دماً وتَرَدّى فِضّةً كلُّ مُزْبِدِ
Their hooves made the land and expanse bloody,
Raining down silver coins, all scattered about.
يُخَلْنَ سَماماً في السماءِ إذا بدَتْ
لهنّ على أيْنٍ سَماوَةُ مُورِدِ
In the sky they appeared like textured garments,
If they showed a blemish, you'd snatch at it by hand.
تظُنّ به ذَوْبَ اللُّجَينِ فإنْ بدَتْ
له الشمس أجرَتْ فوقَه ذَوْبَ عسجدِ
You'd think them folds of woven cloth, but if
The sun shone on them it ran gold embroidery atop.
تَبيتُ النّجومُ الزُّهرُ في حُجُراتهِ
شوارعَ مثل اللّؤلُؤِ المُتَبَدِّدِ
Within its rooms the stars spend the night
Like scattered pearls down each and every alley.
فأطْمَعْنَ في أشباحِهِنّ سواقِطاً
على الماء حتى كِدْنَ يُلقَطْنَ باليَدِ
Gazelles hoped to reach their shadows on the water,
Nearly grasping them in hand, so close they descended.
فمَدّتْ إلى مثْلِ السّماءِ رقابَها
وعَبّتْ قليلاً بينَ نَسْرٍ وفَرْقَدِ
Their necks reached the sky itself, swaying just a little
Between eagles and alighted ducks.
وذُكّرْنَ من نَيْلِ الشّريفِ مَوارِداً
فما نِلْنَ منه غيرَ شِرْبٍ مُصَرَّدِ
They were reminded of plentiful watering places
From your noble line, but got just a sip.
ولاحتْ لها نارٌ يُشَبّ وَقودُها
لأضْيافِهِ في كلّ غَوْرٍ وفَدْفَدِ
For guests fires ignited in every valley and trail,
Their fuel provided by your hospitality.
بخَرْقٍ يُطيلُ الجُنحُ فيه سُجودَه
وللأرضِ زِيّ الراهِبِ المُتَعَبِّدِ
With a cleft where the wings bow down long in worship
As the devout priest bows down to the earth.
ولو نَشَدَتْ نَعْشاً هناكَ بَناتُه
لماتتْ ولم تَسْمَعْ لَه صَوْتَ مُنشِدِ
If his daughters raised a bier therein
They would die without hearing a chanter.
وتكْتُمُ فيهِ العاصِفاتُ نُفُوسَها
فلو عَصَفَتْ بالنّبْتِ لم يَتَأوّدِ
Tempests hide their winds in its midst,
Had they blown on plants, none would stand straight.
ولم يَثْبُتِ القُطْبانِ فيهِ تحَيّراً
وما تلكَ إلاّ وقْفَةٌ عنْ تَبَلّدِ
The two poles have not settled in confusion,
That was but a pause before decay.
فَمَرّتْ إذا غنّى الرّديفُ وقد وَنَتْ
بذِكْراهُ زَفّتْ كالنّعامِ المُطَرَّدِ
They passed as the chorus sang, driven on
Like ostriches chased away.
يُحاذِرْنَ وَطْءَ البِيدِ حتى كأنّما
يَطَأنَ برأسِ الحَزْنِ هامةَ أصْيَدِ
They avoid trampling seedlings as though
Stepping with the head of grief on hunted prey.
ويَنْفُرْنَ في الظّلْماءِ عن كلّ جدوَلٍ
نِفَارَ جَبَانٍ عن حُسامٍ مُجَرَّدِ
After darkness they startle away from every stream,
Like a coward fleeing a drawn sword.
تَطَاوَلَ عهْدُ الوارِدينَ بمائِهِ
وعُطّلَ حتى صارَ كالصّارم الصّدي
Long has it been since those who came for its water,
Neglected until like a severed limb.
إلى بَرَدَى حتى تظَلّ كأنّها
وقد كَرَعَتْ فيه لَواثِمُ مِبْرَدِ
To such barrenness that it seems
Sins of the swollen bellied drunk its fill.
أرى المجدَ سيفاً والقَريضَ نِجادَه
ولولا نِجادُ السّيْفِ لم يُتَقَلّدِ
I see glory as a sword and poetry its sheath,
Without the sheath, a sword is never worn.
وخيرُ حِمالاتِ السيوفِ حِمالَةٌ
تَحَلّتْ بأبْكارِ الثّناءِ المُخَلَّدِ
Best for bearing swords are sheaths
Adorned with the finest preserved verse.
وأعْرَضَ مِن دونِ اللّقاءِ قَبائِلٌ
يَعُلّونَ خِرْصانَ الوَشيجِ المُقَصَّدِ
Yet tribes avert their faces before meeting,
Seeking imperfect, patch-worked leather.
غُواةٌ إذا النّكباءُ حَفّتْ بيوتَهْم
أقاموا لها الفُرْسانَ في كلّ مَرْصَدِ
Rebels, when disaster befalls their homes,
Appoint horsemen for it at every watchtower.
يُطيعونَ أمراً من غَوِيّ كأنّه
على الدهرِ سُلطانٌ يجُورُ ويَعتدي
Obeying the command of a rebel as though
He holds sway over fate, wronging and trespassing.
إذا نَفَرَتْ من رَعْدِ غيثٍ سَوامُه
سعَى نحْوَهُ بالمَشْرَفيّ المُهَنّدِ
When thunder rumbles, alarming his herd,
He runs to it with his umbrella inclined.
وقد علمَتْ هذي البسيطةُ أنّها
تُراثُكَ فلْتَشْرُفْ بذاك وتزْدَدِ
This plain now knows it's your heritage
So let it glory in that and grow forever.
وإن شئتَ فازْعُمْ أنّ مَن فوقَ ظَهرِها
عبيدُكَ واستَشْهِدْ إِلَهَكَ يَشْهَدِ
If you wish, claim that those upon its back
Are your servants - and call your God as witness.
وذِكْرُكَ يُذْكي الشوْق في كلّ خاطِرٍ
ولو أنّه في قَلْبِ صَمّاء جَلْمَدِ
Thoughts of you rekindle longing in every soul,
Even if locked in the heart of a deaf mute.
