يا مَن رَأى البَرقَ عَلى الأَنعَمِ
يَطوي بِساطَ الغَسَقِ المُظلِمِ
O you who saw the lightning flash on the she-camels,
Folding up the carpet of the dark gloom,
مُحمَرَّةً مِنهُ كِفافُ الدُجى
نَضحَ جِراحِ الفَرَسِ الأَدهَمِ
Reddening from it the palms in the darkness,
Splashing the wounds of the chestnut horse.
قامَ نِساءُ الحَيِّ يَقبَسنَهُ
ناراً مِنَ الإيماضِ لَم تُضرَمِ
The women of the tribe set it aflame,
A fire not sparked from tinder.
تَطاوَلَ المُنجِدُ ضَنّاً بِهِ
وَقَد عَطا لِلبَلَدِ المُتهِمِ
The watchman lingered over it brooding,
Though he had given the alarm to the accused land.
حَتّى رَمى الإِصباحَ في لَيلَةٍ
لَفَّت إِزارَ الرَجُلِ المُحرِمِ
Until dawn cast in a night
That had wrapped the waistcloth on a sacred man.
لا جازَ مَغناهُم بِذاتِ النَقا
قَطرُ الغَوادي وَطِلالُ السُمِي
Their ululation could not be forbidden
The dripping of the valley and the slopes of Sumi.
وَلّوا عَلى قَلبي عَنيفَ الجَوى
يُعاقِبُ القَلبَ وَلَم يُجرِمِ
They turned the fires of passion violently upon my heart
Punishing the heart though it was not guilty.
اللَهَ في طَرفٍ بِكُم دامِعٌ
دامٍ وَقَلبٍ بِكُمُ مُغرَمِ
My Lord, with your glances a weeping
Everlasting, and a heart enamored with you.
لا يَتعَبُ العاذِلُ في حُبِّهِم
قَد ذَهَبَ السَهمُ بِقَلبِ الرَمي
The critic cannot weary in his love for them
The arrow has gone with the heart of the archer.
عَيني مَعَ اليَقظى غَراماً بِهِم
وَعَينُ مَن يَلحى مَعَ النُوَّمِ
My eyes in wakefulness are enamored with them
While the eyes of one who tosses in sleep are closed.
لَولا قِوامُ الدينِ ما اِستَوسَقَت
أَعناقُها في السَنَنِ الأَقوَمِ
Were it not for the order of religion, their necks
Would not have bent to the straightest laws.
وَلا رَأَينا النَجمَ ذا خِفيَةٍ
مِن قارِعِ الحافِرِ وَالمَنسَمِ
Nor would we have seen the dim star
From the striker of hooves and the blinker.
يُغيرُ لِلمَجدِ إِذا غَيرُهُ
أَغارَ لِلسَلَّةِ وَالمَغنَمِ
He changes for glory when it changes.
He was jealous for the dynasty and the booty.
لا يَصحَبُ الأَغمادَ مَن لَم تَزَل
سُيوفُهُ في حُلَلٍ مِن دَمِ
The sheaths are not borne by one whose swords
Have not ceased to be in sheaths of blood.
لِلَّهِ نَعلٌ حُذِيَت في العُلى
أَخمَصَ ذاكَ العارِضِ المُرزَمِ
For God slippers smoothed in the heights
Scuffing the heels of the arrogant tyrant.
يَوَدُّ لَو أَصبَحَ شِسعاً لَها
نِجادُ عُنقِ المَلِكِ الأَعظَمِ
He wishes he could be in the morning saddle-girths
For the stallion of the greatest king.
أَغَرُّ مِن غُرٍّ رَبَوا في العُلى
وَأَفصَحوا بِالكَرَمِ الأَعجَمِ
More impetuous than an impetuous colt raised in the heights
And more eloquent in strange generosity.
بَنَوا عَلى مُضطَرِباتِ القَنا
بِناءَ عِزٍّ غَيرِ مُستَهدِمِ
They built on the turbulence of the spearshaft
A glory's structure that cannot be razed.
تَشُبُّ بِالمَندَلِ نيرانُهُم
لِطارِقِ اللَيلِ وَلَم يُظلِمِ
Their fires are kindled by the flint
For the night visitor, and it did not wrong.
لا يُدفَعُ الأَضيافُ مِنهُم إِلى
مَمنونِ زادٍ وَقِرىً مُعتِمِ
Guests are not turned away among them to
A host of supplies and darkened settlements.
قَلَّت عُيونُ الناسِ عَن نَيلِهِم
فَعَوَّذوا مِن أَعيُنِ الأَنجُمِ
People's eyes turned away from attaining them
So they took precautions against the eyes of the stars.
أَساوِدٌ تُنتِجُها في العُلى
أُسدٌ إِلى أَمثالِها تَنتَمي
Lionesses whom a lion sires in the heights
To the likes of them it lays claim.
فَيَخرُجُ الأَرقَمُ مِن ضَيغَمٍ
وَيَخرُجُ الضَيغَمُ مِن أَرقَمِ
Thus the white comes out from Dhaygham
And Dhaygham comes out from the white.
سُمِّيَتِ الغَبراءُ في عَهدِهِم
حَمراءَ مِن طولِ قُطارِ الدَمِ
It was named Red Land in their time
From the length of the train of blood.
تَحمَرُّ مِنها كُلُّ مُخضَرَّةٍ
كَأَنَّ لا نَبتَ سِوى العَندَمِ
Every green thing from it turns red
As if there were no vegetation but chamomile.
كُلُّ فَتىً يَفضَحُ أَطواقَهُ
وَجهٌ مُضيءُ الجيدِ وَالمَلطَمِ
Every young man whose temples are bared
A face radiant, smooth-cheeked and harelipped.
لِلبِشرِ في ديباجِهِ لامِعٌ
طِرازُ عَصبِ اليَمَنِ المُعلَمِ
Dazzling to humans in his brocade is a figure
Like the embroidery of striped Yemeni cloth.
قَومٌ رِباطُ الخَيلِ في دورِهِم
كَالبُهمِ في غامِدَ أَو يَقدُمِ
A people whose tethering of horses in their abodes
Is like dogs' in sheaths or charging forth.
مِن كُلِّ مَحبوكِ القَرا مِحصَفٌ
أُمِرَّ فَتلُ الرَسَنِ المُبرَمِ
From every interwoven coat of mail a swordblade
Well-honed, cutting the joints of mail, as if
كَأَنَّهُ يَنظُرُ مُستَوجِساً
رُبَيئَةً قامَ عَلى مَخرِمِ
It looks on the watch for a mange-racked camel
Standing on scarred ground.
مَتى أَراها كَذِئابِ الغَضا
تُحَرِّضُ الهائِبَ بِالمُقدَمِ
When will I see them like predatory wolves
Inciting the terrified with attack?
أَعِنَّةُ الفُرسانِ أَعرافُها
عَجلى عَنِ المُسرَجِ وَالمُلجَمِ
The she-camels of the horsemen, their hilltops
Fleet, not stabled or hobbled.
مِن فارِسٍ يَحمِلُ أُسدَ الشَرى
لِمُلتَقى يَومِ رَدىً أَيوَمِ
From a knight bearing the lions of battle
To the place of encounter, dreadful the days.
تَرمي جِبالُ الثَلجِ مِن قَدحِها
نارَ الوَغى بِالشَرَرِ المُضرَمِ
Their icy mountains cast from their goblets
The fire of turmoil with flaming sparks.
أَرعَنُ قَد كَدَّرَ ماءَ الحَيا
في مُزنِهِ بِالرَهَجِ الأَقتَمِ
A rooster who has muddied the water of life
In his vessels with the darkest spleen.
يَومٌ يَوَدُّ القِرنُ لَو أَنَّهُ
يَزيدُ في الرُمحِ مِنَ المِعصَمِ
A day the spearpoint wishes it were
Additional on the spearshaft from the wrist.
كَم قُلَّةٍ مُمتَنِعٍ طَودُها
إِلّا عَلى ذي الجُدَدِ الأَعصَمِ
How few impregnable fortresses whose height
Can be scaled only with the most tenacious ladder.
قَد أَمسَتِ الخَيلُ ضُيوفاً بِها
لِلوَعِلِ العاقِلِ وَالقَشعَمِ
The horses have come to them as guests
To the knowing camel-herd and old fox.
ثَلَمَّتَها كَيداً وَكَم شابَكَت
أَيدي المَقاديرِ وَلَم تُثلَمِ
Plots have undermined them, though hands plotted
And were not paralyzed.
يُخالُ باقي رَوقِ أَطوادِها
باقِيَ أَنيابِ فَمِ الأَهتَمِ
What remains of their camel-herds' vigor
Remains of the jaws of the devourer.
قَد يَنفُذُ الحِلمُ عَلى غَرزَةٍ
بِمُحفِظاتِ الغادِرِ المُجرِمِ
Judgement fails with the drawn-out bleeding
And the abundant flow from the streaming wound.
وَطولُ نَزفِ النَغبِ يَفنى بِهِ
غَمرُ جُمامِ الغَدِقِ المُفعَمِ
He went to the time of decision, and perhaps
He made the turmoil clear and the booty for the one who withdraws.
أَقدَمَ لِلحَينِ وَيا رُبَّما
أَجلى الوَغى وَالغُنمُ لِلمُحجِمِ
The heel of the spear surrenders belated
And the feet plant themselves boldly.
يَسلَمُ كَعبُ الرُمحِ مُستَأخِراً
وَيوقِعُ الإِقدامُ بِاللَهذَمِ
It was not boldness, but only
The haste of the camels upon Dhaygham.
ما كانَ إِقداماً وَلَكِنَّهُ
تَسَرُّعُ العَيرِ عَلى الضَيغَمِ
He turned away and behind him came the prattling
Of one awake to the babbling of tongues in the night.
وَلّى وَقَد أَردَفَ هَدّارَةً
يَقظى عَلى اللَيلِ لَغوطَ الفَمِ
Trust no more, after the vigor of youth fades,
How many a hurler with the maimed elbow!
لا يُؤمَنَن بَعدَ كَلالِ الشَبا
كَم صائِلٍ بِالساعِدِ الأَجذَمِ
The eagle itself may perish, though in its plumage
Is the aid of glory running with the arrows.
قَد يَهلِكُ النَسرُ وَفي ريشِهِ
عَونُ الرَدى الجاري مَعَ الأَسهُمِ
Wealth bears fruit, but wealth refuses
Except from the fading and the palm with few clusters.
يُثَمِّرُ المالَ وَيَأبى الغِنى
إِلّا مِنَ الذابِلِ وَالمِخذَمِ
Dhaygham does not hoard from his food
What ants hoard from their nourishment.
لا يَدخَرُ الضَيغَمُ مِن قوتِهِ
ما يَدخَرُ النَملُ مِنَ المَطعَمِ
Do not consult others regarding her diseased state
The sickness has reached the tendons.
لا تَستَشِر غَيرَكَ في كَيِّها
قَد بَلَغَ الداءُ إِلى المَيسَمِ
Seek the heights with your sword and take
For you have filled up with pain.
وَاِخطُب عَلى سَيفِكَ بِكرَ العُلى
فَقَد تَمَلَّأتَ مِنَ الأَيِّمِ
Your sword is victory, so be resolute with it.
Your breastplate is fortune, so be reconciled to it.
حُسامُكَ النَصرُ فَصَمِّم بِهِ
وَدِرعُكَ الإِقبالُ فَاِستَلئِمِ
Nothing improves people for their lords
Except the whiteness of the sword and the coins.
لا يُصلِحُ الناسَ لِأَربابِهِم
غَيرُ بَياضِ السَيفِ وَالدِرهَمِ
O you who clothe me in delights that have flowered
Again and again, and been greatest,
يا مُلبِسي النُعمى الَّتي أَورَقَت
عودي مِراراً وَكَسَت أَعظُمي
You who originate me from a lofty ancestry
That plucks at the trunk of the unbreakable palm tree,
وَمُطلِعي في رَأسِ عادِيَّةٍ
تَخسَأُ طَرفَ الجَذَعِ الأَزلَمِ
Divesting me of the heights is like clothing them,
While the booty, for one infatuated, is like the infatuated.
نَزعُ العُلى عَنّي كَإِلباسِها
وَالغُنمُ بِالبَذلَةِ كَالمَغرَمِ
I disdain it, and by it, once,
Both are the same to me from the favors.
أَكرَمُ عَنها وَبِها مَرَّةً
كِلاهُما عِندي مِنَ الأَنعُمِ
How can one sleep underneath it
While fate is restless, the palms unquiet?
وَكَيفَ نَومُ المَرءِ مِن تَحتِهِ
دونَ الكَرى مُضطَرَبُ الأَرقَمِ
Between the straps of his slipper, a thorn—
If he presses his step on it, it wounds my blood.
بَينَ خِصافَي نَعلِهِ شَوكَةٌ
إِن شَدَّدَ الوَطءَ عَلَيها دَمي
By it control my honor and free
My neck, and the honor of the free is for the benefactor.
فَاِملِك بِها رِقّي وَحَرِّر بِها
عُنقي وَرِقُّ الحُرِّ لِلمُنعِمِ
Impel by it whatever of life remains for me
The purity of my heart and the clarity of my mouth.
وَحُز بِها ما بَقِيَ العُمرُ لي
صَفاءَ قَلبي وَصَفايا فَمي
Your rescuing from it, O rescuer of mankind,
For the burden has grown heavy on the old man.
غَوثُكَ مِنها يا غِياثَ الوَرى
قَد ثَقُلَ العِبءُ عَلى المَهرَمِ
Protect by it my honor and my face together
As you protected them in ages past.
صونوا بِها عِرضي وَوَجهي مَعاً
صونَهُما في الزَمَنِ الأَقدَمِ
Suppose not that in my daring
I held back until my resolve was too narrow for me.
لا تَحسَبوا أَنّي عَلى جُرأَتي
أَحجَمتُ حَتّى ضاقَ لي مَقدَمي
My column has never bent in another's hand a day,
Nor has shame overwhelmed my dictionary.
ما لانَ عودي في يَدَي غَيرِها
يَوماً وَلا خارَ عَلى مَعجَمِ
Graciously grant that a man may say
The aspirations of glory have not been realized.
عَطفاً عَلَينا أَن يَقولَ اِمرُؤٌ
إِنَّ عَلوقَ المَجدِ لَم تَرأَمِ
The taste of the gallant is deceived by sweetness
And perhaps declines into gumminess.
يُخدَعُ بِالشَهدِ مَذاقُ الفَتى
وَرُبَّما آلَ إِلى العَلقَمِ
Mighty matters have I called out from whose heaviness
I summoned the towering, sublimely-aspiring hero.
عَظيمَةٌ نادَيتُ مِن ثِقلِها
بِالبازِلِ الناهِضِ بِالمُعظَمِ
Your habits of generosity—the like of them—
Time has made slippery thereby, so be generous!
عاداتُ إِحسانِكَ أَمثالُها
قَد لَؤُمَ الدَهرُ بِها فَاِكرِمِ
Rule by it, join by it, pardon by it, grant by it, avenge by it,
Flee by it, blood-spill by it, rise up by it, spring by it, make safe by it.
وَطُل وَصُل وَاِعفُ وَهَب وَاِنتَقِم
وَاِبقَ وَدُم وَاِعلُ وَثِب وَاِسلَمِ
