إِنّا نَعيبُ وَلانُعابُ
وَنُصيبُ مِنكَ وَلا نُصابُ
We find fault, but are not without fault;
We share wrongfully, but are not robbed.
آلُ النَبيِّ وَمَن تَقَل
لَبَ في حُجورِهِمُ الكِتابُ
The family of the Prophet and those who memorized
The Quran reside in their hearts.
خُلِقَت لَهُم سُمرُ القَنا
وَالبيضُ وَالخَيلُ العُرابُ
Dark-lipped maidens and Arabian steeds were created for them,
So, excuse me, for life's days are booty to seize or debt to incur.
فاقَني حَياؤُكَ إِن
نَما الأَيّامُ غُنمٌ أَو نِهابُ
He who tastes the draft of death will never again enjoy a drink.
And you see the clouds hung, while fate and destiny decide between hope and punishment,
مَن لَذَّ وِردَ المَوتِ لا
يَصفو لَهُ أَبَداً شَرابُ
Where the longing one hopes for reward, and the sinner fears retribution.
A people, when time frowns at them, they show patience and respond gracefully,
وَتَطَرَّفي حَيثُ السَما
حُ الغَمرُ وَالحَسَبُ اللُبابُ
And when called upon for help, on horseback they are valiant.
You race down the heights, O sons of ‘Adi; it is as if
في حَيثُ لِلراجي الثَوا
بُ نَدىً وَلِلجاني العِقابُ
Swords in your midst have been sharpened.
You were only crows croaking over decayed remains,
قَومٌ إِذا غَمَزَ الزَما
نُ قُنيَّهُم كَرُموا وَطابوا
Pecking away until the youth were wasted.
And today swords unsheathed spar with you,
وَإِذا دَعَوا وَالخَيلُ في الإِج
فالِ ثابوا أَو أَجابوا
And necks and heads are slashed.
Your blood hides in the darkness of tombs,
أَبَني عَديٍّ إِنَّما
سالَت بِخَيلِكُمُ الشِعابُ
Concealed, like gray hair disguised with henna.
You contended for the darkness of wrong, but the angry lion took hold of it,
وَشَرُفتُمُ بِالطَعنِ وَالدُن
يا ضِرامٌ أَو ضِرابُ
And you learned that dawn shows the substrata, and the night conceals.
There is no peace until the horses' hooves calm,
وَما كُنتُمُ إِلّا البُحو
رَ تَوالَغَت فيها الذِئابُ
And cease their pounding, and hearts find rest.
Till the sun's face shines again, with no stain upon it and no mist,
وَقَرَعتُمُ بِالبيضِ حَت
تى ضاعَ في اللِمَمِ الشَبابُ
Till the hyena reins in the onager, and the old vulture swoops down.
Till liberties are abundant in the houses, and clans restrain their envy,
وَاليَومَ تُستَلُّ السُيو
فُ بِهِ وَتَنسَلُّ الرِقابُ
Till arms with bracelets adorned are entwined by the sand grouse.
Till the meadows and valleys sprout forth from their cloud cover,
كَتَمَت دِماءَكُمُ الظُبى
كَالشَيبِ يَكتُمُهُ الخِضابُ
Whatever the torrents' downpour has demolished, time can't wash away.
Stars of the night concealed by the darkness' mantle,
فَتَنازَعوا شَمَطَ الظَلا
مِ فَخَلفَهُ الأُسدُ الغِضابُ
Now the moon gleams openly in the sky, veil lifted.
Now to their lairs the great birds retreat, and talons sheathe,
وَتَعَلَّموا أَنَّ الصَبا
حَ ضُبارِمٌ وَاللَيلَ غابُ
Return to that chivalry and scarce has perfidy stirred.
Seize those dwellings while protected, those tents while tranquility prevails,
لا صُلحَ حَتّى تَطمَئِن
نَ إِلى مَناسِمِها الرِكابُ
Rush to defend those pastures while between you is only kinship.
As if your days of love and freedom were shimmering lights,
وَيَعودَ وَجهُ الشَمسِ
لا نَقعٌ عَلَيهِ وَلا ضَبابُ
Adorned in necklaces from which pendants sway.
I do not blame nor find fault,
حَتّى تَشَبَّثَ بِالظُبى الأَغ
مادُ وَالجُردُ الرِحابُ
For me, life's path is smooth and wide.
None ever tied me down, desirous or expecting reward.
وَتُمَدَّ أَطنابُ البُيو
تِ وَتُضمِرَ القَومَ القِبابُ
Who can bear the blame of a companion who won't accept advice?
None ever fought time but that it conquers him,
وَتَرَدَّفُ الأَدراعُ مُش
رَجَةً عَلَيهِنَّ العِيابُ
And for every saying there is one who listens, for every call, a response.
Alas! How I long for one who is past, for days gone by!
وَتَرى الرُبى وَالرَوضَ يُن
شَرُ مِن مَطارِفِها السَحابُ
Friendship is scarce when fortunes shine.
Yet when hardship comes, friends mass around you,
ما كانَ فَضَّضَهُ فَضي
ضُ الطَلِّ أَذهَبَهُ الذِهابُ
While adversity disperses even brothers bound by lineage.
We suckled milk from the same breasts,
كانَت نُجومُ اللَيلِ يَك
تُمُها مِنَ النَقعِ الغَيابُ
Yet sweet water cannot bring us together.
A lonely one picks up loose threads when clothes tear and fall apart.
فَالآنَ أَصحَرَ في السَما
ءِ البَدرُ وَاِنكَشَفَ النِقابُ
To him flock partridges, hares, and grazing cattle.
He scarcely can bear his belongings, only wolves and hyenas do.
وَعَلَت إِلى أَوكارِها العِق
بانُ وَاِنحَطَّ العُقابُ
He cups his hands imploringly so that tears may flow.
A barefoot pauper collects crumbs when food falls.
عودوا إِلى ذاكَ الغَدي
رِ وَقَلَّ ما غَدَرَ الرُبابُ
To him incline the aged and the young lambs.
As if the mantle over his hut at night were a shooting star.
وَتَغَنَّموا تِلكَ المَنا
زِلَ وَهيَ آمِنَةٌ رِغابُ
Who do I have, O Fate, but days that elicit fury?
A friend escorts even when matters intensify and speech becomes charged.
وَتَدارَكوا ذَودَ المَسا
رِحِ وَهيَ بَينَكُمُ سِقابُ
He gives himself for you while war makes shields rattle.
And a brother from whom affection has been deprived, though our lineage is common.
وَكَأَنَّ أَيّامَ الهَوى
فيكُم نَشاوى أَو طِرابُ
A disputatious man unlike a neighbor who won't compromise his honor,
Who finds even a distant home hospitable, though the distance spans far.
مُتَمَنطِقاتٌ بِالحُلّي
وَفي قَلائِدِها المَلابُ
The borders of his abode crumble from the brush of mirage.
None bears his gear but prey and desolate ruins.
إِنّي عَلى لينِ النَقي
بَةِ لا أُعابُ وَلا أُحابُ
He is awoken by the clamor of specters or phantom visitors in the night.
A person who is not made anxious by blame or censure,
ما شُدَّ لي يَوماً عَلى
ذُلٍّ وَلا طَمَعٍ حِقابُ
Great is his affliction. He reaps from his neighbors until insulted.
My lot in days is to remain while youths visit me.
مَن لي بِغُرَّةِ صاحِبٍ
لا يَستَطيلُ عَلَيهِ عابُ
ما حارَبَ الأَيّامَ إِل
لا كانَ لي وَلَهُ الغِلابُ
وَلِكُلِّ قَولٍ سامِعٌ
وَلِكُلِّ داعِيَةٍ جَوابُ
هَيهاتَ أَطلُبُ ما يَطو
لُ بِهِ بِعادٌ وَاِقتِرابُ
قَلَّ الصِحابُ فَإِن ظَفِر
تَ بِنِعمَةٍ كَثُرَ الصِحابُ
مَن لي بِهِ سَمحاً إِذا
صَفِرَت مِنَ القَومِ الوِطابُ
غَيرانَ دونَ الجارِ لا
يَطوي عَزايِمَهُ الحِجابُ
يَستَعذِبُ المَوماةَ مَنزِلَةً
وَإِن بَعُدَ الإِيابُ
رَقَّت حَواشي بَيتِهِ
مِمّا يُلاطِمُها السَرابُ
لا يَستَقِلُّ بِرَحلِهِ
إِلّا الذَوائِبُ وَالهِضابُ
تَهفو بِكَفَّيهِ الصَوا
رِمُ أَو تَسيلُ بِها الكِعابُ
جَذلانُ يَلتَقِطُ النَسي
مَ إِذا تَساقَطَتِ الثِيابُ
يُنمى إِلَيهِ الشيحُ وَال
حَوذانُ وَالإِبِلُ الجِرابُ
وَكَأَنَّ غُرَّتَهُ وَراءَ لِ
ثامِ لَيلَتِهِ شِهابُ
مَن لي بِهِ يا دَهرُ وَالأَي
يامُ كالِحَةٌ غِضابُ
إِنَّ الصَديقَ مُشَيَّعٌ
إِن جَلَّ خَطبٌ أَو خِطابُ
وَيَجودُ عَنكَ بِنَفسِهِ
وَالحَربُ تَقرَعُها الحِرابُ
وَأَخٍ حُرِمتُ الوِدَّ مِن
هُ وَبَينَنا نَسَبٌ قَرابُ
نازَعتُهُ ثَديَ الرَضاعِ
وَما يَلَذُّ لَنا الشَرابُ
يا سَعدُ أَعظَمُ مِحنَةً
مَن لا يُرَوِّعُهُ العِتابُ
يَجني عَلى جيرانِهِ
حَتّى يُعاقِبَهُ السِبابُ
حَسبي مِنَ الأَيّامِ أَن
أَبقى وَيُسعِدُني الطِلابُ
