أَنا بِاللَيالي وَالحَوادِهِ أُخبَرُ
سَفَرٌ يَجِدُّ بِنا وَجِسرٌ يُعبَرُ
By nights and valleys news to me conveyed,
Of journey soon, and bridge to cross o'er glade.
واجَهتَ قُبَّرَةً فَخِفتَ تَطَيُّراً
ما كُلُّ مَيتٍ لا أَبا لَكَ يُقبَرُ
You faced a tomb and feared what dead may bode,
Not every buried soul, a harm will goad.
مِن أَحسَنِ الأَحداثِ وَضعُكَ غابِراً
في التُربِ يَأكُلُهُ تُرابٌ أَغبَرُ
To rest subdued is best for frail façade,
Where dusty earth all vanity pervade.
ما أَجهَلَ الأُمَمَ الَّذينَ عَرَفتُهُم
وَلَعَلَّ سالِفَهُم أَضَلُّ وَأَتبَرُ
How ignorant I found the tribes that met,
Though past lore fail, and new solutions fret.
يَدعونَ في جُمَعاتِهِم بِسَفاهَةٍ
لِأَميرِهِم فَيَكادُ يَبكي المِنبَرُ
Inane they hail their lord in gatherings,
His dais nears tear under praises spread.
جِئنا عَلى كُرهٍ وَنَرحَلُ رُغَّماً
وَلَعَلَّنا ما بَينَ ذَلِكَ نُجبَرُ
We're come perforce and leave with soured mood,
'Twixt this and that, we may find understood.
ما قيلَ في عِظَمِ المَليكِ وَعِزِّهِ
فَاللَهُ أَعظَمُ في القِياسِ وَأَكبَرُ
All said of king and glory's height,
God's greater still in wisdom and might.
وَكَأَنَّما رُؤياكَ رُؤيا نائِمٍ
بِالعَكسِ في عُقبى الزَمانِ تُعَبَّرُ
Your vision's but a dream seen sleeping,
Interpreted reverse in time far sweeping.
فَإِذا بَكَيتَ بِها فَتِلكَ مَسَرَّةٌ
وَإِذا ضَحِكتَ فَذاكَ عَينٌ تَعبُرُ
If it draws tears, a joy you're reaping,
If laughter, an eye relief from weeping.
سُرَّ الفَتى مِن جَهلِهِ بِزَمانِهِ
وَهوَ الأَسيرُ لِيَومِ قَتلٍ يُصبَرُ
Man's bliss is ignorance of his age,
A pawn to slay, with patience for cage.
لَعِبَت بِهِ أَيّامُهُ فَكَأَنَّهُ
حَرفٌ يُلَيَّنُ في الكَلامِ وَيُنبَرُ
His days all played with him a game,
Moulded word softened without shame.
عَجَزَ الأَطِبَّةُ عَن جُروحِ نَوائِبٍ
لَيسَت بِغَيرِ قَضاءِ رَبِّكَ تُسبَرُ
No remedies for wounds of fate applied,
Except the writ of Lord, may they subside.
وَالمَينُ أَغلَبُ في المَعاشِرِ كَم أَخٍ
لِلدَفرِ وَهوَ إِذا يُسَمّى العَنبَرُ
In life, the cursed oft most espied,
While the noble mocked, his glory denied.
شَرُفَ اللَئيمُ وَكَم شَريفٍ رَأسُهُ
هَدَرٌ يُقَطُّ كَما يُقَطُّ المِزبَرُ
Many a villain risen, many a chief
Fallen, his head now as garbage grief.
سَل أُمَّ غَيلانَ الصَموتَ عَنِ اِبنِها
وَبَناتِ أَوبَرَ ما أَبوها أَوبَرُ
Ask silent Ghaylan of her son,
And daughters of Obar, what he has done.
وَالشَرُّ يَجلِبُهُ العَلاءُ وَكَم شَكا
نَبَأً عَلِيٌّ ما شَكاهُ قَنبَرُ
Evil, nobles draw, and how many cried,
Not what Qanbar endured, did Ali confide.
