رِدي يا جِيادي وَأذَني بِرَحيلِ
سَتَرعَينَ أَرضَ الحَيِّ بَعدَ قَليلِ
Run my horses, bid me farewell,
You will soon graze the land of Hayy after a little while.
أَلا إِنَّ في قَلبي إِلى المَجدِ طَربَةً
وَعِندَ القَنا يَوماً شِفاءُ غَليلي
Indeed my heart leaps towards glory,
And at al-Qana one day lies the cure for my anguish.
إِذا ما اِتَّخَذتُ اللَيلَ دِرعاً حَصينَةً
فَأَهوِن بِخَطبٍ لِلزَمانِ جَليلِ
If I take the night as an impregnable coat of mail,
The dire straits of time will seem trivial to me.
عَلَيَّ دِماءُ البُدنِ إِن لَم أُثِر بِها
رَعيلاً يَشُقُّ الأَرضَ بَعدَ رَعيلِ
The blood of heroes is upon me, if I do not choose it
As a herd that rends the earth after a herd.
فَآخُذَ حَقّي أَو يَثورَ غُبارُها
مِنَ القاعِ عَن أَرضٍ بِشَرِّ مَقيلِ
So I take my right or its dust rises
From the plain, from a land of abject misery.
وَما حاجَتي إِلّا المَعالي وَقَلَّما
يَضيعُ رَجائي وَالطِعانُ رَسولي
I have no need but for glory, and rarely
Does my hope fail, and the messenger brings blame.
وَإِنّي لَتُرّاكِ البِلادِ إِذا نَبَت
عَلَيَّ وَما ذو نَجدَةٍ بِذَليلِ
Yet the lands attack me when prosperity springs forth,
Though none with might can help the weak.
وَإِنّي مُعيرٌ ساعِدي مَن أَرادَهُ
بِأَبيضَ طاغي الشَفرَتَينِ صَقيلِ
I brandish my arm against whoever wants it
With a shining white sword of polished blades.
إِلى المَجدِ دونَ الرَبعِ رَمَّت عَزائِمي
وَبِالعِزِّ دونَ الغيدِ بانَ نُحولي
My resolves gallop to glory, not to the encampment,
And nobility, not affluence, adorns my character.
أَسومُ الهَوى نَفساً عَزوفاً عَنِ الهَوى
وَقَلباً لِضَيمِ الحُبِّ غَيرَ قَبولِ
I inure my soul to abstain from passion
And a heart that accepts not the woes of love.
وَأَمنَعُ وُدّي الناسَ إِلّا أَقَلَّهُ
لَآمَنَ مِن طاغٍ عَلَيَّ صَؤولُ
I deny most men my friendship, save for a few,
So no tyrant lording over me feels secure.
وَأَعدُوَ مِن عَقلي خَبيئاً أَصونُهُ
وَأَفدي كَثيري مِنهُمُ بِقَليلِ
I conceal in my ribs a secret I protect,
Fearing the day when my worries are proclaimed.
وَأَحطِمَ سِرّي في الضُلوعِ مَخافَةً
أَلَم يَأنِ يَوماً أَن أُذيعَ دَخيلي
My boon companion, when he wishes, inclines his ear
To drink in my worries, heedless of my qualms.
نَديمي عَلى شُربِ الهُمومِ مُهَنَّدٌ
إِذا شاءَ أَصغى الهَمَّ دونَ مَقيلي
I refuse to be humiliated while my reins are in my hand,
And my path is not yet cut off from me.
وَإِنِّيَ آبى أَن أَذُلَّ وَفي يَدي
عِناني وَلَم يُقطَع عَلَيَّ سَبيلي
Any blood on my hands, though it weigh down the people,
Is not heavy to me, however heavy.
وَكُلُّ دَمٍ عِندي إِذا ما حَمَلتُهُ
وَإِن أَثقَلَ الأَقوامَ غَيرُ ثَقيلِ
My path is evident in the watering places,
Unless the youths hide it with their sleeves.
وَإِنَّ طَريقي بِالمَناسِمِ فاضِحي
إِذا لَم تَسِر فيهِ الصَبا بِذُيولِ
How many a beloved who gave me his goblet to drink
While my heart concealed from him was not inclined!
وَكَم مِن حَبيبٍ قَد سَقاني قَراقَهُ
وَغالَطتُ عَنهُ القَلبَ غَيرَ مَلولِ
The tattoo between us and him has become effaced
By the dusty strings of the rabāb.
وَقَد نَمنَمَ الوَسميُّ بَيني وَبَينَهُ
وَوالى بِمُغبَرِّ الرَبابِ هَطولِ
Restraining the soul from what it desires
Is harder than driving away the slain.
وَإِنَّ طِرادَ النَفسِ عَمّا تَرومُهُ
أَشَدُّ عَناءً مِن طِرادِ قَتيلِ
My friends both hope and fear
My whims, and some dispute my paucity of reason.
يُرَجّي عُداتي كُلَّ يَومٍ وَيُتَّقى
شَذاتي وَبَعضي في الجِدالِ لَقيلي
It pleases my eye to walk away envied,
For the envious envy none but the noble.
يَقَرُّ بِعَيني أَن أَروحَ مُحَسَّداً
فَما حَسَدَ الحُسّادُ غَيرَ نَبيلِ
Never has my hand clasped in friendship the hand of a traitor,
Nor has my nature been too narrow to host a guest.
وَما صافَحَت يَوماً يَدي يَدَ غادِرٍ
وَلا ضاقَ خُلقي عَن مُقامِ نَزيلِ
The first flaw in a man are flaws in his origins,
And the first treachery of a man is the treachery of a friend.
وَأَوَّلُ لُؤمِ المَرءِ لُؤمُ أُصولِهِ
وَأَوَّلُ غَدرِ المَرءِ غَدرُ خَليلِ
Wretched is he who mounted the steed of weakness,
But the back of resolve does not bend.
عَذولِيَ مَن أَوطا قَرا العَجزِ مَركَباً
وَلَكِنَّ ظَهرَ العَزمِ غَيرُ ذَلولِ
A breeze in life is sweet to one who inhales it,
But what reposing thereafter, and what anguish!
نَسيمٌ مِنَ الدُنيا يَطيبُ لِناشِقٍ
وَأَيُّ أُوامٍ بَعدَهُ وَغَليلِ
Nights pass the youth like the shadow’s passing,
With ease, though their gifts are not copious.
تَفيءُ اللَيالي فَيئَةَ الظِلِّ لِلفَتى
بِنُعمى وَما إِنعامُها بِجَزيلِ
Days have slipped by me until they cast me
Into what I feared from meeting a miser.
تَداعَت لِيَ الأَيّامُ حَتّى رَمَينَني
بِما كُنتُ أَخشى مِن لِقاءِ بَخيلِ
I must wash away dishonor thereafter,
By God, what a dishonor that lasts with no washing!
وَلا بُدَّ لي أَن أَغسِلَ العارَ بَعدَهُ
وَيا رُبَّ عارٍ دامَ غَيرَ غَسيلِ
The youth thinks ascendance is lasting,
And every rise is followed by a fall.
يَظُنُّ الفَتى أَنَّ التَطاوُلَ دائِمٌ
وَكُلَّ صُعودٍ مُعقَبٌ بِنُزولِ
Shall I hope for the edge of a sword, then fear it,
And consent to displease glory by the words of a weakling?
أَأَرجو ذُبابَ السَيفِ ثُمَّ أَخافُهُ
وَأَرضى بِسُخطِ المَجدِ قَولَ عَذولِ
With striking did the son of Moses gain his desire,
And the brood of the sublime attain any goals?
وَبِالضَربِ ما نالَ اِبنُ موسى مُرادَهُ
وَحَلَّ ذُرى العَلياءِ أَيَّ حُلولِ
A man who has set firm, unyielding opinions,
And no view but the right view, clear and direct.
فَتىً سَوَّمَ الآراءَ مُبرَمَةَ القُوى
وَلا رَأيَ إِلّا الرَأيُ غَيرَ سَحيلِ
He learned from his forefathers and their constancy
Upon glory, from lofty spears and onslaughts.
تَعَلَّمَ مِن آبائِهِ وَثَباتِهِم
عَلى المَجدِ مِن عَليا قَناً وَنُصولِ
It would not harm him if every tribe
On the day of battle claimed his blood.
وَما ضَرَّهُ لَو كانَ كُلُّ قَبيلَةٍ
تُطالِبُهُ يَومَ الوَغى بِدُخولِ
The enemies know not to drive him back
Except with a choking roar and howl.
وَقَد عَلِمَ الأَعداءُ أَن لا يَرُدَّهُم
بِغَيرِ زَفيرٍ خانِقٍ وَعَويلِ
When dire straits befall his household,
And the neck of reason inclines in every direction.
إِذا طَرَقَ الخَطبُ البَهيمُ عِيالَهُ
وَقَد مالَ عُنقُ الرَأيِ كُلَّ مَميلِ
The resolve of an obstinate tyrant in his view,
And the mind of a man who did not seek counsel.
عَزيمَةُ لاوٍ مُستَبِدٍّ بِرَأيِهِ
وَعَقلُ اِمرِىءٍ لَم يَستَعِن بِعُقولِ
A deceiver dragging the train of his guiles,
And giving much without being asked.
جَرورٌ عَلى مَرِّ الخَدائِعِ ذَيلَهُ
وَأَعظَمُ ما يُعطي بِغَيرِ سُؤولِ
How many a defiant foe ambitious against him
Has time made vile through long nights!
وَيا رُبَّ طاغٍ مِن أَعاديهِ طامِحٍ
أَذالَ اللَيالي مِنهُ أَيَّ مُذيلِ
He gave free rein to security until it shaded him
With the dust of a towering pillar and cavalry.
أَطالَ عِنانَ الأَمنِ حَتّى أَظَلَّهُ
بِأَغبَرَ طامٍ مِن قَناً وَخُيولِ
How many a womb has carried him while he raged,
Then he turned back to kindness, with no delay.
وَكَم رَحِمٍ أَطَّت بِهِ وَهوَ مُغضَبٌ
فَعادَ إِلى الإِحسانِ غَيرَ مَطولِ
When enemies are far from his tyrannies,
They cannot feel safe from one who arrives and reaches them.
إِذا بَعُدَ الأَعداءُ عَن سَطَواتِهِ
فَلا يَأمَنوا مِن بالِغٍ وَوَصولِ
It is as if I see them in the morning, woken up
By a bay stallion, of excellent stock.
كَأَنّي بِها بَزلاءَ قَد صَبَّحَتهُمُ
سَميطَ الذُنابى غَيرَ ذاتِ حُجولِ
A reminder that does not shock the people with a blow,
Except that it removes blood and a slain man.
مُذَكَّرَةٍ لا تَصدِمُ القَومَ صَدمَةً
فَتُقلِعَ إِلّا عَن دَمٍ وَقَتيلِ
A warning to you from his plotting, his heart indeed
Is resolute over secrets, not prone to blame.
نَذارِ لَكُم مِن كَيدِهِ إِنَّ قَلبَهُ
ضَمومٌ عَلى الأَسرارِ غَيرُ مُذيلِ
And a commotion that twists the hands of its steeds,
And what clamor there is of tumult and neighing!
وَرَجراجَةٍ تَلتَفُّ أَيدي جِيادِها
وَأَيُّ ضَجاجٍ مِن وَغىً وَصَهيلِ
A cavalry that floats over the hilltops as if
Their pavilions are the necks of howling wolves.
وَجُردٍ تَمَطّى في الأَعِنَّةِ شُزَّبِ
كَأَنَّ حَواميها رِقابُ وُعولِ
Lean horses whose lengthened emaciation is as if
Their ribs were the branches of a drooping plant.
ضَوامِرَ مِن طولِ الوَجيفِ كَأَنَّها
ذَوائِبُ نَبتٍ طامَنَت لِذُبولِ
They surge in vales where the hillocks are no refuge,
And neither lofty nor rocky ground can withstand them.
تَدافَعنَ في شَعواءَ لا الطَودُ عِندَها
بِعالٍ وَلا جُلدُ الرُبى بِحَمولِ
They pastured the thorns of spears as if
Tomorrow they would pasture in a wide plain.
رَعَينَ بِها شولَ الرِماحِ كَأَنَّها
غَداةَ الوَغى في بارِضٍ وَجَليلِ
How often they penetrated the darkness of night with youths
Who see the defects of night like level ground!
وَكَم خاضَ تَأمورَ الظَلامِ بِفِتيَةٍ
يَرَونَ وُعورَ اللَيلِ مِثلَ سُهولِ
Behind them the tubes of spears stalk
Like lions accompanied by the thickets of a forest.
تَنوشُ أَنابيبُ الرِماحِ وَراءَهُم
كَأُسدٍ تُماشيها جَوانِبُ غيلِ
Swords of refusal in hands refusing humiliation,
And every tall man with a sword in the grip of one tall.
سُيوفُ إِباءٍ في أَكُفٍّ أَبيَّةٍ
وَكُلُّ طَويلٍ في يَمينِ طَويلِ
They overwhelm opinions before their armies,
And the white of the gazelles is an overwhelming white.
تُغامِرُ بِالآراءِ قَبلَ جُيوشِهِ
وَبيضُ الظُبى بيضٌ بِغَيرِ فُلولِ
If the invading army plunders behind it,
Its plunder in war is nothing but pillage.
فَإِن غَنِمَ الجَيشُ المُغيرُ وَراءَهُ
فَما غُنمُهُ في الحَربِ غَيرَ غُلولِ
God has granted you this feast greeting you,
Like the return of glory, heralding its arrival.
لَكَ اللَهُ هَذا العيدُ يَحدو طَليعَةً
كَغائِبِ عِزٍّ مُؤذِنٍ بِقُفولِ
Even if our feast had no more than that it
Points to prosperity – what a pointer!
وَلَو لَم يَكُن في عيدِنا غَيرَ أَنَّهُ
دَليلٌ عَلى السَراءِ أَيُّ دَليلِ
It struggled against days only hoping
For a day pleasing to the eye from you.
وَما زاحَمَ الأَيّامَ إِلّا تَطَلُّعاً
إِلَيكَ بِيَومٍ في العُيونِ جَميلِ
And spread a heaven filled with your supreme deeds,
A heaven of auspicious stars, not declining.
وَمَدَّ سَماءً مِن عَلائِكَ مِلؤُها
نُجومٌ مِنَ الإِقبالِ غَيرُ أُفولِ
So you attained what time attained of fortune and joy,
For many eras arrived with none to host them.
فَنَل ما أَنالَ الدَهرُ سَعداً وَغِبطَةً
فَرُبَّ زَمانٍ حَلَّ غَيرِ مُنيلِ
You remained as nights robbed, and what man remains demanding something
Once it passes with no guarantor?
بَقيتَ اللَيالي ما سَلَبنَ وَهَل فَتىً
يُطالِبُ أَمراً إِن مَضى بِكَفيلِ
You remained and destroyed the enemies, for it
Is the cure of anguish hidden in the ribs.
بَقيتَ وَأَفنَيتَ الأَعادي فَإِنَّهُ
شِفاءُ جَوىً بَينَ الضُلوعِ دَخيلِ
It lessened the offering of an enemy with a lump in the throat,
The plunging of calamity into my family and tribe.
وَهَوَّنَ تَقديمَ العَدوِّ بِغُصَّةٍ
وُلوجُ الرَدى في أُسرَتي وَقَبيلي
If death goes to my enemy, I have consolation
When fate takes away a friend.
وَلي في عَدوّي إِن مَشى المَوتُ نَحوَهُ
عَزاءٌ إِذا أَودى الرَدى بِخَليلِ
Yet no death has eluded me
If it came to one I love to eradicate.
عَلى أَنَّهُ ما أَخطَأَتني مَنيَّةٌ
إِذا هِيَ غالَت مَن أَوَدُّ بُغولِ
I intend that never shall a poem cease
To summarize, one day, my death and worries.
وَلي غَرَضٌ أَن لا تَزالَ قَصيدَةٌ
تُجَمجِمُ يَوماً عَن مُنايَ وَسولي
Speech like the arrangement of pearls, not chaotic,
And words like the boss of a shield, unmatched.
كَلامٌ كَنَظمِ الدُرِّ غَيرُ مُناهَبٍ
وَقَولٌ كَصَدرِ العَضبِ غَيرُ مَقولِ
I am no innovator beyond this, above it,
Nor the like of it, in conciseness or prolixity.
وَلَستُ بِداعٍ بَعدَ هَذِهِ فَوقَها
وَلا مِثلَها مِن موجِزٍ وَمُطيلِ
