هَب لِلدِيارِ بَقِيَّةَ الجَلَدِ
وَدَعِ الدُموعَ وَباعِثَ الكَمَدِ
Grant the abodes some fortitude
And cease the tears and grief's advocate
وَاِذهَب بِنَفسِكَ أَن يُقالَ سَلا
وَصَفا لِداعي العَذلِ وَالفَنَدِ
Go forth yourself, it's said with ease
A remedy for the blamer and the critic
أَتَصُدُّ عَن طَلَلٍ رَعَيتَ بِهِ
ما شِئتَ مِن هَيفٍ وَمِن غَيدِ
Do you shy from a ruin you once grazed
As you wished of gazelle and song?
طَوَتِ اللَيالي مِن مَعارِفِهِ
ما كانَ مِن عَلَمٍ وَمِن نَضَدِ
Nights have erased its landmarks
Be they flags or pillars raised
أَمسى الهَوى فيهِ بِلا أَثَرٍ
وَجَرى البِلى فيهِ بِلا أَمَدِ
Passion in it left no trace
And decay no period stayed
وَلَقَد عَهِدتُ رُباهُ جامِعَةً
بَينَ الظِباءِ الغيدِ وَالأُسُدِ
I knew it once, where gathered
The deer, wolf and lion's shade
أَيّامَ مَن فَتَكَ الغَرامُ بِهِ
يَمشي بِلا عَقلٍ وَلا قَوَدِ
Days when passion's power seized
Sense and guidance were waylaid
إِنَّ الأُلى بَعَثوا بَبَينِهِمُ
ما زَوَّدوا في القُربِ لِلبَعَدِ
The loved ones sent their goodbyes
No provision made for days ahead
ما ضَرَّهُم وَالبَينُ يَحفِزُهُم
لَو عَلَّلونا بِاِنتِظارِ غَدِ
Unhindered by the parting, prodded
As if waiting for morn's tread
وَجَدوا وَما جادوا وَمُحتَقِبٍ
لِلَّومِ مِن أَثَري وَلَم يَجِدِ
They came and went, I gained no more
Than their tracks, finding naught instead
لَيتَ الَّذي عَلِقَ الرَجاءُ بِهِ
إِذ لَم يَجُد لِلصَبِّ لَم يَجُدِ
Would he on whom hope was placed
Finding no patience, have hoped or pled?
وَلَقَد رَأَيتُهُم وَحَيُّهُمُ
مُتَقَعقِعُ الأَطنابِ وَالعَمدِ
I saw them, their forms aroused
With trailing gowns and braids
فَكَأَنَّما أَقنى بَراثِنِهِ
يَنشَبنَ بَينَ القَلبِ وَالكَبِدِ
As though its ribs had pierced
Heart and inner organs' bed
وَغَريرَةٍ خَلفَ السُجوفِ لَها
نَسَبٌ إِلى أومانَةِ العُقدِ
A thrilling voice beyond the litter
Of lineage true and virtue's thread
خَرَجَت خُروجَ الريمِ عاطِلَةً
وَلِجيدِها حَليٌ مِنَ الجَيدِ
Emerging like the Oryx, aimless
Adorned with necklace on its head
تُجري الأَراكَ عَلى مُفَلَّجَةٍ
يَجرينَ مِن شَهدٍ عَلى بَرَدِ
She trots, drunk on pure honey
Flowing on ice amid the mead
عَنّي إِلَيكَ فَلَستِ مِن أَربي
ما أَنتِ مِن غَيِّي وَمِن رَشدي
You're done with me, I wish you well
I'm not of your mischief or your stead
قَضَتِ اللَيالي مِنكَ مَأرَبَتي
وَنَفَضتُ مِن عَلَقِ الغَرامِ يَدي
Nights have sapped my fervor
I've let go of passion's twist and thread
وَحَدا النُهى وَالشَيبُ راحِلَتي
وَعَلى اِستِقاماتي عَلى الجَدَدِ
Modesty and grey hairs trot my steed
On virtues' path so long misled
فَاليَومَ أَتَّبِعُ الزِمامَ وَهَل
يُغني إِبايَ اليَومَ أَو صَيدي
Today I hold the reins, but will
My wrists or hunt avail me now?
لا تَقرِ ياضَيفَ الهُمومِ قِرىً
إِلّا قِرى العَيرانَةِ الأُجُدِ
Don't settle, O guest of sorrows
Save settling amidst the barren spread
وَاِنهَض فَإِن لَم تَحظَ في بَلَدٍ
بِالرِزقِ فَاِقطَعهُ إِلى بَلَدِ
Rise up! If your land denies you
Provision, seek another stead!
وَاِبغِ العُلى أَبداً فَكَم طَلَبٍ
قَد باتَ مِن نَيلٍ عَلى صَدَدِ
Seek heights always! Many nights
Have passed with lofty aims unfed
إِمّا يُقالُ سَعى فَأَحرَزَها
أَو أَن يُقالَ مَضى وَلَم يَعُدِ
Either "He strove and grasped it whole"
Or "He left and never turned his head"
قَولا لِهَذا الدَهرِ مَعتَبَةً
أَسرَفتَ بي يادَهرُ فَاِقتَصِدِ
Say to fate who overspent me
"You overreached, so hold your tread!"
كَم لَوعَةٍ تُهدى إِلى كَبِدي
وَعَظيمَةٍ تُلقى عَلى كَتَدي
What anguish sinks into my core
What marvels my shoulders spread
وَعَجائِبٍ ما كُنَّ في فِكَري
وَغَرائِبٍ ما دُرنَ في خَلَدي
Strange wonders beyond my thoughts
Miracles my mind never read!
أَيُصاحُ بي عَن كُلِّ صافِيَةٍ
طَرداً إِلى الأَقذاءِ وَالثَمَدِ
Shall I call out from my pure spring
Cast out to the salty bed?
وَأُسامُ في أَكلاءِ مَوبِئَةٍ
مُحتَشُّها دونَ السَوامِ رَدي
Shall I thirst in a diseased land
Lower than the beasts, searching for my bread?
هَل نافِعي وَالجَدُّ في صَبَبٍ
مَرّي مَعَ الآمالِ في صُعُدِ
Does my kinship help while fate toys
With my hopes on mountain's crest?
أَمسى عَلَيَّ مَعَ الزَمانِ أَخٌ
قَد كُنتُ آمُلُ يَومَهُ لِغَدِ
Time has turned against me
When once I hoped it brought me rest
مَن كانَ أَحنى عِندَ نائِبَةٍ
مِن والِدي وَأَبَرَّ مِن وَلَدي
None were kinder in my plight
Than my father, my sons, blood and best
لَم يُثمِرِ الظَنُّ الجَميلُ بِهِ
فَقَدي مِنَ الظَنِّ الجَميلِ قَدي
Good faith in them bore no fruit
I've lost faith in all the rest
لَو كانَ ما بَيني وَبَينَكُمُ
بَيني وَبَينَ الذِئبِ وَالأَسَدِ
Had it been between us as between
Myself and the wolf or lion's zest
لَأَوَيتُ مِن هَذا إِلى حَرَمٍ
وَلَجَأتُ مِن هَذا عَلى عَضُدِ
I'd have fled from this to sanctuary
And from this to a shoulder's nest
وَلَأَصبَحا في الرَوعِ مِن عَدَدي
كَرَماً وَفي اللَأواءِ مِن عُدَدي
I'd have been few in number
And few in might, always the less
وَلَمانَعا عَنّي إِذا جَعَلَت
نُوَبُ الزَمانِ تَهيضُ مِن جَلَدي
Shielding me when times' injustices
Stir and my skin cannot find rest
أَو كانَ ما قَدَّمتُ مِن مِقَةٍ
سَبَباً إِلى البَغضاءِ لَم يَزِدِ
Had my gift been cause for hatred
It would not have stood the test
بَل لَو قَذَفتُ بِمَدحَتي لَكُمُ
في البَحرِ ذي الأَمواجِ وَالزَبَدِ
Rather had I tossed my praise of you
Into the deep tumultuous sea's breast
لَرَمى إِلَيَّ أَشَفَّ جَوهَرَةٍ
وَسَقى بِأَعذَبِ مائِهِ بَلَدي
It would have cast up to me the finest pearl
And given my home the sweetest drink, the best
كَم مِن مَطالِبَ قَد عَقَدتُ بِها
طَمَعي فَحَلَّ مَرائِرَ العُقدِ
How many hopes I've harbored
Only to unwrap the knots depressed
وَأَعادَني مِنها عَلى أَسَفٍ
وَأَباتَني فيها عَلى ضَمدِ
As it sent me back in sorrow
And refused me in hardship dressed
الفِعلُ مَهزَأةٌ لِكُلِّ فَمٍ
وَالعِرضُ مِنديلٌ لِكُلِّ يَدِ
Words are mocked by every mouth
And lineage smeared by every hand
فَليَثبُتَنَّ الآنَ إِن ثَبُتَت
قَدَمٌ عَلى جَمرٍ لِمُعتَمِدِ
Now let feet stand firm if they can
On embers, solid, unsuppressed
وَلَيَصبِرَنَّ لِوَقعِ صاعِقَتي
وَيوَطَّنَنَّ حَشاً عَلى الزُؤُدِ
Let them bear my lightning strike
And settle well the desert's test
فَلتَدخُلَنَّ عَلَيهِ قُبَّتَهُ
وَلّاجَةً تَخفى عَلى الرَصَدِ
May disaster befall and uncover
His canopy, evading watch and rest
وَهَواجِمٍ يَدفَعنَ كُلَّ يَدٍ
وَنَوافِذٍ يَهزَأنَ بِالزَرَدِ
With ferocity to check each hand
And openings mocking coat of mail and vest
كَالبيضِ لا يُصقَلنَ عَن طَبعٍ
وَالسُمرِ لا يُغمَزنَ عَن أَوَدِ
White as eggs, unchanged by nature
Dark as soot, markings never stressed
حَتّى يَذوقَ لِحَدِّ أَنصُلِها
طَعناً وَلا طَعنَ القَنا القَصَدِ
Till by its sharp blades he tastes
Stabs unlike the well-aimed lancer's thrust
وَمَتى يُوَقِّع فَلَّ مِقنَبِها
لَم أُخلِها أَبَداً مِنَ المَدَدِ
And when it deals its deadly blow
I'll aid without pause or rest
أَخطَأتُ في طَلَبي وَأَخطَأَ في
يَأسي وَرَدَّ يَدي بِغَيرِ يَدِ
My wanting went astray, and hope in him
Misguided, empty-handed left me limp, depressed
فَلَأَجعَلَنَّ عُقوبَتي أَبَداً
أَن لا أَمُدَّ يَداً إِلى أَحَدِ
So I swear no hand will I extend
To another, that is the best
فَتَكونَ أَوَّلَ زَلَّةٍ سَبَقَت
مِنّي وَآخِرَها إِلى الأَبَدِ
First mistake I made, and last forevermore
To the end of time, til I'm laid to rest.
