نُغالِبُ ثُمَّ تَغلِبُنا اللَيالي
وَكَم يَبقى الرَمِيُّ عَلى النِبالِ
We prevail, then the nights prevail over us,
And how much does the archer remain upon the arrows?
وَنَطمَعُ أَن يَمَلَّ مِنَ التَقاضي
غَريمٌ لَيسَ يَضجَرُ بِالمَطالِ
We aspire that an obstinate litigant may grow weary of litigation,
One who does not grow bored of postponing.
أَتَنظُرُ كَيفَ تَسفَعُ بِالنَواصي
لَيالينا وَتَعثُرُ بِالجِبالِ
Do you see how our nights drag us by the forelocks
And stumble upon the mountains?
يَحُطُّ السَيلُ ذُروَةَ كُلِّ طَودٍ
رُهوناً بِالجَنادِلِ وَالرِمالِ
The torrent brings down the crest of every lofty dune
As collateral for the valleys and sands.
هِيَ الأَيّامُ جائِرَةُ القَضايا
وَمُلحِقَةُ الأَواخِرِ بِالأَوالي
These are the tyrannical days of destinies
And the sequels matched to the beginnings.
يُمَنّينَ الوُرودَ فَإِن دَنَونا
ضَرَبنَ عَلى المَوارِدِ بِالحِبالِ
They drive the flowers away, so if we approach,
They strike the springs with ropes.
نُطَنِّبُ لِلمُقامِ قِبابَ حَيٍّ
وَيَحفِزُنا المَنونُ إِلى الرِحالِ
We furnish dwellings for the stay,
And impending death spurs us on to travel.
وَنَسرَحُ آمِنينَ وَلِلمَنايا
شَباً بَينَ الأَخامِصِ وَالنِعالِ
We roam secure, though death lurks
Among the anklets and sandals.
وَبَينا المَرءُ يَلبَسُها نَعيماً
تَهَجَّرَ ضاحِياً بَعدَ الظِلالِ
And while one dons ease like a garment,
It abandons him, fleeing after the shadows.
نَعى الناعونَ واضِحَةَ المُحَيّا
أَلوفَ البَيتِ ذي العَمَدِ الطِوالِ
Plague laments the thousands in the long-columned house
Of the chaste maidens, the family of Ma`add;
مِنَ البيضِ العَقائِلِ مِن مَعَدٍّ
بَنَينَ قِبابَهُنَّ عَلى الجَلالِ
It laments a herd of white-faced noble ladies
Of refined manners and burnished temples.
نَعَوا ظُبَةً لِأَبيَضَ مَشرَفيٍّ
قَديمِ الطَبعِ عاديِّ الصِقالِ
In it lies the handiwork of al-Qayn's sword
Raised upon the blades.
لِسَيفِ الدَولَةِ العَرَبيِّ فيها
صَنيعُ القَينِ قامَ عَلى النِصالِ
When the stallion sires his progeny,
He guarantees nobility for the foals.
إِذا ما الفَحلُ أَنجَبَ ناتِجاهُ
فَقَد ضَمِنَ النَجابَةَ لِلسِخالِ
The valleys of al-Muzayn were fertile only because
They were irrigated by the flowing waters.
وَما طابَت غَوادي المُزنِ إِلّا
أَطَبنَ وَقائِعَ الماءِ الزُلالِ
Short women in the houses of glory
Have their compatibility with long glory augmented.
قَصايِرُ في بُيوتِ العِزِّ تُنمى
مَناسِبُها إِلى المَجدِ الطَوالِ
Every chaste woman inclines at dusk
To the riverbank of generosity.
وَكُلُّ عَقيلَةٍ لِلجودِ تُمسي
عَطولَ الجيدِ حالِيَةَ الفِعالِ
As if their bedrooms were seashells
Fortified, clasped unto adornments.
كَأَنَّ خُدورَها أَصدافُ يَمٍّ
مُحَصَّنَةٌ ضُمِمنَ عَلى لَآلِ
They excelled in chastity and altogether surpassed
In their place beyond count.
طَهُرنَ نَباهَةً وَبَرَرنَ طَولاً
وَهُنَّ وَراءَ مَعدودِ الحِجالِ
They conquered the beauty of creation until
They left creation oblivious of beauty.
غَلَبنَ عَلى جَمالِ الخُلقِ حَتّى
تَرَكنَ الخَلقَ مَنسيَّ الجَمالِ
Theirs is the lineage of highborn ladies,
Pursued unto the heights in days of strife.
لَها نَسَبُ العِتاقِ مُرَدَّداتٍ
إِلى الغاياتِ أَيّامَ النِضالِ
The pedigree ascribes the mares as noble
If they trace their line to the majestic courser.
تُعَدُّ النوقُ مِن شَرَفٍ فُحولاً
إِذا اِنتَسَبَت إِلى العَودِ الجُلالِ
They were brought down by Death, their bridles handed over
To the halters.
عَمائِرُ مِن رَبيعَةَ أَنزَلَتهُم
أَعالي المَجدِ أَطرافُ العَوالي
Their glory was but a borrowed splendor
Like a loan in the right hand from the left.
هُمُ الرَأسُ الَّذي رَفعَت مَعَدٌّ
قَديماً لا يُطَأطَأُ لِلفَوالي
A people like yours, Time does not bring back,
Nor do nights beget one like your father.
فُحولُ المَجدِ جَعجَعَها المَنايا
وَأَسلَمَها الزِمامُ إِلى العِقالِ
In their tombs lies spilled the drink
Of the rainclouds' udders from the rain-laden sky.
وَلَم يَكُ عِزُّهُم إِلّا اِختِلاساً
كَصَفقٍ بِاليَمينِ عَلى الشِمالِ
Indeed, their graves altogether
Lie atop the summit of glories and grandeur.
كَقَومِكِ لا يُعيدُ الدَهرُ قَوماً
وَمِثلِ أَبيكِ لا تَلِدُ اللَيالي
Water those graves, for in them lie
The water-bearers for the powerless.
أُريقَت في قُبورِهِمُ اللَواتي
بِبَطنِ القاعِ أَذنِبَةُ النَوالِ
With hands that withhold the meadows as honor
And secure from the striking of swords.
لَقَد رُسَّت حَفائِرُهُم جَميعاً
عَلى هامِ المَكارِمِ وَالمَعالي
Thunderclouds wherein is the rumbling of thunder,
The neighing of the courser, the clanging of swords.
سَقى تِلكَ القُبورَ فَإِنَّ فيها
سُقاةَ العاجِزينَ عَنِ البِلالِ
They came galloping like the rush of steeds
On nights of glory, tilting valiantly.
بِأَيدٍ تَحبِسُ الأَورادَ عِزّاً
وَتَأمَنُ مِن مُلاطَمَةِ السِجالِ
The era of their house watered its life
And gave life with ostriches and swords.
غَمائِمُ لِلرُعودِ بِها أَزيزٌ
رُغاءُ العَودِ رازَمَتِ المَتالي
When their women undertake endeavors,
What then is my surmise and yours of the men?
كَحَمحَمَةِ الأَداهِمِ أَقبَلوها
لَيالي الوِردِ مائِلَةَ الجِلالِ
فَسَقّى عَهدَ دارِهِمُ حَياها
وَحَيّا بِالنُعامى وَالشَمالِ
إِذا اِبتَدَرَت نِساؤُهُمُ المَساعي
فَما ظَنّي وَظَنُّكَ بِالرِجالِ
