لِمَن دِمَنٌ بِذي سَلَمٍ وَضالِ
بَلينَ وَكَيفَ بِالدِمَنِ البَوالي
For whom are tears shed at the abode of peace and right guidance?
Nay! How can tears avail amidst adversities?
وَقَفتُ بِهِنَّ لا أُصغي لِداعٍ
وَلا أَرجو جَواباً عَن سُؤالي
I stood by them, heeding not the call of any summoner,
Nor hoping for an answer to my question.
أَيا دارَ الأُلى دَرَجَت عَلَيها
حَوايا المُزنِ وَالحِجَجُ الخَوالي
O home of those I love! Over which the tracks of separation
And the caravans of trial and affliction passed!
فَأَيُّ حَياً بِأَرضِكِ لِلغَوادي
وَأَيُّ بِلىً بِرَبعِكِ لِلَّيالي
Which living creature inhabited your valleys,
And which worn garment clad your nights?
وَبَينَ ذَوائِبِ العُقَداتِ ظَبيٌ
قَصيرُ الخَطوِ في المِرطِ المُذالِ
Amid the twisting plaits a young gazelle,
Short of step, weak-pawed, and submissive.
رَبيبٌ إِن أُريغَ إِلى حَديثٍ
نَوارٌ إِن أُريدَ إِلى وِصالِ
A fawn, that if urged to talk, complains;
If invited to union, is slow to respond.
فَهَل لِيَ وَالمَطامِعُ مُردِياتٌ
دُنوٌّ مِن لَمى ذاكَ الغَزالِ
Can I then hope to draw near that gazelle
With her does and followers?
لَقَد سَلَبَت ظِباءُ الدارِ لُبّي
أَلا ما لِلظِباءِ بِها وَما لي
The wild cows of the abode have robbed me of my mind!
Alas, what have the wild cows to do with it, or I with it?
تُنَغِّصُني بِأَيّامِ التَلاقي
مُعاجَلَتي بِأَيّامِ الزِيالِ
They torment me with the days of rendezvous,
And hasten me with the days of departure.
تَحَيَّفَني الصُدودُ وَكُنتُ دَهراً
أُرَوَّعُ بِالصُدودِ فَلا أُبالي
Rejections have left me confounded, though once
I was untroubled by rejections.
وَكَيفَ أُفيقُ لا جَسَدي بِناءٍ
عَنِ البَلوى وَلا قَلبي بِسالي
How can I be roused from heedlessness when my body is not erect
From affliction, nor is my heart tranquil?
يُرَنِّحُني إِلَيكَ الشَوقُ حَتّى
أَميلُ مِنَ اليَمينِ إِلى الشِمالِ
Yearning draws me to you until
I incline from right to left like one drunk with wine,
كَما مالَ المُعاقِرُ عاوَدَتهُ
حُمَيّا الكَأسِ حالاً بَعدَ حالِ
Cup after cup, moment after moment.
Your memory gives me delight
وَيَأخُذُني لِذِكرُكُمُ اِرتِياحٌ
كَما نَشَطَ الأَسيرُ مِنَ العِقالِ
As the loosening of fetters delights a prisoner.
The easiest matter I meet with is a care
وَأَيسَرُ ما أُلاقي أَنَّ هَمّاً
يُغَصِّصُني بِذا الماءِ الزُلالِ
That disorders me with its pure, limpid water,
Were it not for longing, I would not be so distracted,
فَلَولا الشَوقُ ما كَثُرَ اِلتِفاتي
وَلا زُمَّت إِلى طَلَلٍ جِمالي
Nor would my camel direct itself to a deserted encampment.
Yet I do not openly declare it, and then, were I to declare it,
وَإِنّي لا أُوامِقُ ثُمَّ إِنّي
إِذا وامَقتُ يَوماً لا أُقالي
I would not refrain from trying again.
I am the son of the branch at the top of the lofty Nizâr,
أَنا اِبنُ الفَرعِ مِن أَعلى نِزارٍ
وَمَن يَزِنُ الأَسافِلَ بِالأَعالي
Who would weigh the lowly against the sublime?
Curb for me every refractory opponent,
نَماني كُلُّ مُمتَعِضٍ أَبيٍّ
جَرى طَلَقَ الجَموحِ إِلى المَعالي
Who allowed his obstinacy to roam freely to realms of honor.
They were a people who ruled over the necks of the ignoble,
مِنَ القَومِ الأُلى مَلَكوا رِقابَ ال
أَواخِرِ وَاِختَلوا قِمَمَ الأَوالي
And climbed the summits of glory.
When they unrolled their writs they dragged the train
إِذا بَسَطوا الخُطا سَحَبوا رِقاقَ ال
بُرودِ عَلى الرِقاقِ مِنَ النِعالِ
Of their garments over men's necks.
If the houses of glory are portioned out, theirs is
وَإِن قُسِمَت بُيوتُ المَجدِ حازوا
فِناءَ البَيتِ ذي العَمَدِ الطِوالِ
The courtyard with pillars reaching to the sky.
Rougher than lions when contentious in argument,
وَإِنَّهُمُ لَأَعنَفُ بِالمَذاكي
مُحاضَرَةً وَأَقرَعُ بِالعَوالي
Yet gentler than the eggs of ostriches if pleased.
Spending hands oppress them,
أَفَظُّ مِنَ الأُسودِ فَإِن أَنالوا
رَأَيتَ أَرَقَّ مِن بيضِ الحِجالِ
Though they have burdened the necks of men.
O sons of my uncle! Hardship from calamity has befallen my right side,
يَخِفُّ عَلَيهِمُ بَذلُ الأَيادي
وَقَد أَثقَلنَ أَعناقَ الرِجالِ
While none comes to my aid on the left.
I will requite your disavowal with forbearance,
بَني عَمّي وَعَزَّ عَلى يَميني
مِنَ الضَرّاءِ ما لَقِيَت شِمالي
If thoughts of disavowal creep into your minds.
Show me who can take my place amongst you!
أَعودُ عَلى عُقوقِكُمُ بِحِلمي
إِذا خَطَرَ العُقوقُ لَكُم بِبالِ
Show me who can speak my words!
Who will protect the inviolable from enemies?
أَروني مَن يَقومُ لَكُم مَقامي
أَروني مَن يَقولُ لَكُم مَقالي
Who will cure the incurable sickness?
He will defend you on the day of death
وَمَن يَحمي الحَريمَ مِنَ الأَعادي
وَمَن يَشفي مِنَ الداءِ العُضالِ
And charge the foe on the day of battle.
I will attain the same by staying far from you -
يُشايِحُ دونَكُم يَومَ المَنايا
وَيَرمي عَنكُمُ يَومَ النِضالِ
No ropes can achieve what separation achieves.
He who cannot live amicably should be straightened
سَأَبلُغُ بِالقِلى وَالبُعدِ عَنكُم
مَبالِغَ لَيسَ تُبلَغُ بِالأَلالِ
With retaliation and repayment in kind.
And I reckon that my triumph will benefit me
فَمَن لا يَستَقيمُ عَلى التَصافي
جَديرٌ أَن يُقَوَّمَ بِالتَقالي
If to be harmed by others entails ignoring them.
I plot after my standards were raised high,
وَأَحسَبُ أَن سَيَنفَعُني اِنتِصاري
إِذا ما عادَ بِالضَرَرِ اِحتِمالي
And my mountains fixed firmly in their positions,
And glory tightened its tent-pegs for me
أَكَيداً بَعدَ أَن رُفِعَت مَناري
وَأَرسَت في مَقاعِدِها جِبالي
And extended its ropes on all sides,
And your eminence was completed in me, after a deficiency,
وَشَدَّ المَجدُ أَطنابي إِلَيهِ
وَمَدَّ عَلى جَوانِبِهِ حِبالي
As the perfection of the full moon after its crescent phase.
Nor do I excel my people by any artifice,
وَتَمَّ عَلاؤُكُم بي بَعدَ نَقصٍ
تَمامَ الحَضرَميَّةِ بِالقِبالِ
As a pod excels others with no trickery.
If I attained the glories of my father it was
وَما فَضلي عَلى قَومي بِخافٍ
كَما فَضلِ القَريعِ عَلى الإِفالِ
The spark that came from that kindling.
For whom is the rain except for the valleys?
وَإِنّي إِن لَحِقتُ أَبي جَلالاً
فَهَذي النارُ مِن ذاكَ الذُبالِ
And for whom is the light except for the crescent moon?
I guard my words from men, and am open-handed with men in my wealth.
وَأَينَ القَطرُ إِلّا لِلغَوادي
وَأَينَ النورُ إِلّا لِلهِلالِ
Many biting arrows have wounded my heart more sharply than spears.
I showed patience, and did not counter the speaker with words,
أَصونُ عَنِ الرِجالِ فُضولَ قَولي
وَأَبذُلُ لِلرِجالِ فَضولَ مالي
So my only answer to him who spoke was action.
Some have competed with me for the heights;
وَرُبَّ قَوارِصٍ نَكَتَت جَناني
أَشَدُّ عَلَيَّ مِن صَردِ النِبالِ
Little did they know that they are all mine!
If I gained the stars in their loftiness,
صَبَرتُ لَها وَلَم أَردُد مَقالاً
فَكانَ جَزاءَ قائِلِها فِعالي
I have still preserved some of my possessions.
I swear by that parcel of fallen walls,
وَجاذَبَني عَلى العَلياءِ قَومٌ
وَما عَلِموا بِأَنَّ جَميعَها لي
The crevices of dormice and sand rat,
Whose buildings are humbled, whose pillars have crumbled,
لَئِن نِلتُ الكَواكِبَ في عُلاها
لَقَد أَبقَيتُ فَضلاً مِن مَنالي
Assaulted by the passage of caravans,
Facing the Sacred House (in Mecca), exposed
حَلَفتُ بِها كَراكِعَةِ الحَنايا
خَوابِطَ لِلجَنادِلِ وَالرِمالِ
To the pouring of lawful bloodshed.
So let this night destine for me one
مُهَدَّمَةَ العَرائِكِ مِن وَجاها
تُعاضُ مِنَ الغَوارِبِ بِالرِحالِ
Disheveled, dust laden, enveloped in darkness,
Light of belongings, whom his career preoccupies,
إِلى البَلَدِ الحَرامِ مُعَرَّضاتٍ
لِإِجراءِ الطُلى بِدَمٍ حَلالِ
Keeping him from thoughts of decline and decay,
And aspiring to the heights, until he surpasses
لِيَعتَسِفَنَّ هَذا اللَيلَ مِنّي
أُشَيعِثُ عابُ لِمَّتِهِ الغَوالي
The reach of any other aspirant.
And if I do not stand in these heights,
خَفيفُ الحاذِ يَشغَلُهُ سُراهُ
زَماناً أَن يُفَكِّرَ في الهُزالِ
Then ravens will lament over my grave at evening...
وَمُمتَرِقٍ إِلى العَلياءِ حَتّى
يُجاوِزُ مَدَّ غايَةِ كُلِّ عالِ
فَإِن أَنا لَم أَقُم فيها فَقامَت
عَلى قَبري النَوادِبُ بِالمَآلِ
