رَجَونا أَبا الهَيجاءِ إِذ ماتَ حارِثٌ
فَمُذ مَضَيا لَم يَبقَ لِلمَجدِ وارِثُ
We hoped Abu Al-Hayja' would live when Harith died,
But since they both passed away, glory has no heir.
أَلا إِنَّ قَرمَي وائِلٍ لَيلَةَ السُرى
أَقاما وَقَد سارَ المَطيُّ الدَلائِثُ
Indeed, Quraym of Wael spent the night of Al-Surrah
Standing guard, though the running steeds stirred up the dust.
هُما البازِلانِ المُقرَمانِ تَناوَبا
عُرى المَجدِ لَمّا عَجَّ بِالعِبءِ لاهِثُ
They were two gallant heroes who took turns
Bearing the burden of glory when it overwhelmed the toiler.
رَفيقانِ ما باغاهُما العِزَّ صاحِبٌ
نَديمانِ ما ساقاهُما المَجدُ ثالِثُ
Two friends whom glory did not favor with a companion,
Two boon companions whom glory did not take as a third.
حُسامانِ إِن فَتَّشتَ كُلَّ ضَريبَةٍ
فَأَثرُهُما فيها قَديمٌ وَحادِثُ
Two swords - if you searched every battleground,
You would find their traces ancient and recent.
بَقِيَّةُ أَسيافٍ طُبِعنَ مَعَ الرَدى
فَجاءَ وَجاءَت عاثِياتٌ وَعائِثُ
A remnant of blades forged with steel
That came and went while the calamities came roaming.
أَحَقّاً بِأَنَّ المَجدَ هيضَت جُبورُهُ
وَزالَ عَنِ الحَيّ الطَوالُ المَلاوِثُ
They deserved that glory lowered its flag,
And that the tall heroes who craved it withdrew.
وَأَيدٍ عَلى بُسطِ السَماحِ رَقائِقٌ
وَهُنَّ عَلى قَبضِ الرِماحِ شَرائِثُ
Hands so generous when the time of magnanimity came,
Yet firm when gripping spears at the clash of battle.
وَسِربٌ بَنو حَمدانَ كانوا حُماتَه
رَعَت فيهِ ذُؤبانُ اللَيالي العَوائِثُ
A flock whose guardian at night
Were the wolves of long dark nights prowling.
فَأَينَ كُفاةُ القُطرِ في كُلِّ أَزمَةٍ
وَأَينَ المَلاجي مِنهُمُ وَالمَغاوِثُ
Where are the defenders of the country in every crisis,
And where are their aides that bring rescue?
وَأَينَ الجِيادُ المُعجَلاتُ إِلى الوَغى
إِذا غامَ بِالنَقعِ المَلا المُتَواعِثُ
Where are the steeds rushing into the fray
When the highland was flooded by the overrunning hordes?
وَأَينَ الثَنايا المُطلِعاتُ عَنِ الأَذى
إِذا نابَ ضَغّاطٌ مِنَ الأَمرِ كارِثُ
Where are the heights overlooking harm
When a contentious fool stirs up ruin?
إِذا ما دَعا الداعونَ لِلبَأسِ وَالنَدى
فَلا الجودُ مَنزورٌ وَلا الغَوثُ رائِثُ
When the criers call for war and strife,
Generosity is inaccessible and aid is scarce.
يَرُفُّ عَلى ناديهِمُ الحِلمُ وَالحِجا
إِذا ما لَغا لاغٍ مِنَ القَومِ رافِثُ
Forbearance and dignity attend their gatherings
If a prattling blabbermouth babbles among the people.
مِنَ المُطعَمينَ المَجدَ بِالبيضِ وَالقَنا
مِلاءَ المَقاري وَالعَريبُ غَوارِثُ
Those who sustain glory with their bright swords and spears
Fill the dwelling places while the Arabs fill the wastes.
إِذا طَرَحوا عِمّاتِهِم وَضَحَت لَهُم
مَفارِقُ لَم يَعصِب بِها العارَ لائِثُ
When they cast off their cloaks, the path was lit for them,
By noble deeds not bound by the censure of critics.
بَكَتهُم صُدورُ المُرهَفاتِ وَبُشِّرَت
هِجانُ المَتالي وَالمَطِيُّ الرَواغِثُ
They were mourned by the breasts of the soft-bodied ladies,
And the smooth-cheeked youths and the steeds were gladdened.
قُرومٌ عَلى ما رَوَّحوا مِن وُسوقِها
وَلا مِنهُمُ الواني وَلا المُتَماكِثُ
Burial mounds from the glory they diffused,
With no wavering or procrastination among them.
يُخَلّى لَهُم مِن كُلِّ وِردٍ جِمامُهُ
إِذا وَرَدوا وَالمُعشِباتُ الأَثائِثُ
Every meadow they entered was vacated for them,
While the withering autumn leaves fluttered around them.
مَشَوا في سُهولِ المَجدِ حيناً وَوَقَّفوا
بِحَيثُ اِبتَدَت أَوعارُهُ وَالأَواعِثُ
They roamed the plains of glory for a while and paused
Where its blemishes and defects began.
إِذا رَكِبوا سالَ اللَديدانِ بِالقَبا
وَحَنَّت مَطاياها المَنايا الرَوائِثُ
When they rode forth, the smooth spearheads began to drip
And their swaying steeds were grieved.
كَأَنَّ الصُقورَ اللامِحاتِ تَلَمَّظَت
إِلى الطُعمِ وَاِنصاعَت لَهُنَّ الأَباغِثُ
It was as if the swooping birds of prey were enraged
At the prey, and the kites submitted to them.
مَضَوا لا الأَيادي مُخدَجاتٌ نَواقِصٌ
وَلا مِرَرُ العَلياءِ مِنهُم رَثائِثُ
They went forth with hands not falling short,
Nor did the blows of the sublime among them fall gently.
وَلا طِوَلُ النَعماءِ فيهِم مُقَلِّصٌ
إِذا عَلِقَتهُ المُعصِماتُ الشَوابِثُ
Nor did the luxury of life make them less resolute
When the elder's arms tenderly embraced them.
خَلَجتُم لِحَسّاسِ بنِ مُرَّةَ طَعنَةً
رَأى الجِدَّ فيها هِجرِسٌ وَهوَ حابِثُ
You stabbed the breast of Hassas ibn Murrah
And the valiant one saw in it shame and disgrace.
وَغادَرتُمُ أَشلاءَ بَكرٍ مُقيمَةً
عَلى العارِ لا تُحثى عَليها النَبائِثُ
You left the members of Bakr tribe scattered about
In dishonor, with no birds of prey circling above them.
وَقَد كانَ دَينٌ في كُلَيبٍ وَفى بِهِ
غَريمٌ مُطَولٌ بِالدُيونِ مُماغِثُ
Kulaib owed a debt that weighed upon him,
A prolonged burden of debts overwhelming the debtor.
وَقائِعُ أَيّامٍ كَأَنَّ إِكامَها
بِجارِ دَمِ الطَعنِ الإِماءُ الطَوامِثُ
Events of days when their drops of blood
Were the handmaidens stirring the cooking pot.
تَعَودونَ عَنها في قَناكُم مَباشِمٌ
وَعِندَ قَنا بَكرٍ إِلَيكُم مَغارِثُ
You return from them with blood dripping from your mouths
While the blood of Bakr's mouth drips back to you.
عَقَدتُم بِها حَبلي إِسارٍ وَمِنَّةٍ
وَخانَهُمُ نَقضُ القُوى وَالنَكائِثُ
You tied them up securely, then the breaking of power and fate
Betrayed them, after vowing and promising.
تَحَلَّلتُمُ مِن نَذرِ طَعنٍ وَغَيرُكُم
كَثيرُ الأَلايا غِبَّ ما قالَ حانِثُ
You broke your vows of vengeance while others unlike you -
Many are the regrets of one who promises then breaches.
حُروبٌ مِنَ الأَقدارِ طاحَ عِراكُها
بِحَربٍ وَلَم يَسلَم عَليهُنَّ حارِثُ
Wars decreed by fate - their struggle
Befell a war in which even the cautious did not escape.
وَكانَ سِناناً أوجَرَ الخَطبَ حَدَّهُ
وَكانَ يَداً أُدري بِها مَن أُلاوِثُ
Sinan's tongue inflicted wounds that were incurable,
And his hand knew well those it washed with blood.
بِأَخلاقِ أَبّاءٍ يَعودُ بِها الأَذى
وَعوراً عَلى الأَعداءِ وَهيَ دَمائِثُ
With the morals of forefathers, harm recoils upon the harmful,
A disability upon the enemies - and it rends them violently.
أَقولُ لِناعيهِ إِلى المَجدِ وَالعُلى
رَمى فاكَ مَسمومُ الغِرارَينِ فارِثُ
I say to the one who laments his death and high station -
The deceived shooter died while the archer inherited.
كَأَنَّ سَوادَ القَلبِ طارَ بِلُبِّهِ
إِلى الطَودِ أَقنى يَنفُضُ الطَلَّ ضابِثُ
It was as if the darkness in his heart flew off
To the hills, where the twisting serpent sheds its old skin.
وَرُزءٌ رَمى بَينَ القُلوبِ شَواظَهُ
أَجيجُ المَصالي أَسعَرَتها المَحارِثُ
He flung among the hearts coal that kindled their passion,
The burning coal made more blaze by the ploughmen.
بِرُغمِيَ تُمسي نازِلاً فارَ هِجرَةٍ
وَأَنتَ المُصافي وَالقَريبُ المُنافِثُ
I insist you spend the night traveling afar,
Though you are gentle and cling to close friendship.
وَأَن لا أُجافي التُربَ عَنكَ بِراحَةٍ
وَلَو نازَعَتنيها الرَقاقُ الفَوارِثُ
I cannot brush the dust off you with ease
Even if the hovering calamities snatch you away.
وَإِن تَشتَمِل أَرضٌ عَليكَ فَإِنَّما
عَلى ماءِ عَينِ النَقا وَالكَثاكِثُ
If the earth covers you, it will cover
The water of the pure spring and heavy rain.
سَقى النَضَدَ النَجدِيَّ مَلقى ضَرائِحٍ
بِها مِنكُمُ المُستَصرَخونَ الغَوايِثُ
It quenched the thirst of Najd's upland meeting the remains
Of those who cried for help from among you.
فَسَيّانِ فيها مِن وَقارٍ وَمَن عُلىً
عِظامُكُمُ وَالراسِياتُ اللَوابِثُ
In it two selves of dignity and loftiness
Are your bones and those firmly anchored.
وَلا بَرِحَت تُندي عُقودَ صَعيدِها
نُفاثَةُ ما جادَ الغَمامُ النَوافِثُ
And it never ceased being bound by the knots of its soil
To the outpourings the rains abundantly outpoured.
لَها خَدَشاتٌ بِالمَوامي كَأَنَّها
عَلى لَقَمِ البَيداءِ أَيدٍ عَوابِثُ
It has etchings by tombs as if they were
The work of hands rending the white plain.
صُبابَةُ عِزٍّ عَبَّ في مائِها الرَدى
وَعادَ إِلَيها وَهوَ ظَمآنُ غارِثُ
The manliness of glory overflowed in its waters
And returned to it, parched with thirst.
وَأَفنانُ دَوحاتٍ مِنَ المَجدِ أُشرِعَت
مَشاظي الرَدى ما بَينَها وَالمَشاعِثُ
The heights of glory's sand dunes billowed,
With nothing between them and the neighboring dunes.
وَما كُنتُ أَخشى الدَهرَ إِلّا عَلَيهِمُ
فَهانَ الرَزايا بَعدَهُم وَالحَوادِثُ
I feared nothing but them in the days of old,
Calamities lost their bitterness after them.
