خُذوا نَفَثاتٍ مِن جَوى القَلبِ نافِثِ
دَفايِنَ ضَغنٍ قَد رُمينَ بِنابِثِ
Take sips from the burning embers of my heart, poured
From urns of sorrow that were cast by a pourer.
لَقَد كُنَّ مِن قَبلِ البَواحِثِ نُزَّعاً
فَكَيفَ بِهِنَّ اليَومَ بَعدَ البَواحِثِ
They were once plucked out with great effort
How then can they be now after the plucking?
عَذيرِيَ مِن سَيفٍ رَجَوتُ قِراعَهُ
أَعادِيَّ طُرّاً مِن قَديمٍ وَحادِثِ
My excuse from a sword whose clashing I hoped for
Is foes, ancient and recent, taking wing.
فَخانَ يَدي ثُمَّ اِنثَنى بِفَرارِهِ
فَكانَ لِعُنقي اليَومَ أَوّلَ فارِثِ
Then my hand failed me and it recoiled in flight
And so for my neck today became the first heir.
وَمِن جَبَلٍ أَعدَدتُ شُمَّ هِضابِهِ
مَرَدّاً لِأَيدي النائِباتِ الكَوارِثِ
And from a mountain I made its rough passes
A deterrent to the seizing hands of calamities.
فَطَوَّحَ لي مِن حالِقٍ وَأَزَلَّني
زَليلَ المَطايا عَن مُتونِ الأَواعِثِ
It slipped from me through a barber and debased me,
Abject in my saddles, from the backs of camels in rut.
وَمِن مَشرَبٍ أَنبَطتُ يَنبوعَ مائِهِ
بِأَعلى الرَوابي وَالرِياضِ الأَثائِثِ
And from a drinking place I brought out the water of its spring
To the highest hilltops and verdant meadows.
يَضِنَّ عَلَيَّ اليَومَ مِنهُ بِنَهلَةٍ
وَتُبذَلُ دوني لِلنَقا وَالكَثاكِثِ
Today it is miserly towards me even with a mouthful
While it is wasted on the weeds and brambles.
هُوَ الرِزقُ مَقَسوماً وَلَيسَ تَنالُهُ
بِبَردِ التَباطي أَو بِحَرِّ الحَثاحِثِ
Sustenance is preordained and cannot be attained
By the coolness of pace or the heat of haste.
أَعَنتُم عَلى حَربي المَقاديرَ عَنوَةً
وَرِشتُم إِلى قَلبي سِهامَ الحَوادِثِ
You have aided the decrees against me perforce
And aimed into my heart the arrows of events.
وَلَم تَدَعوني وَالزَمانَ فَإِنَّهُ
لَأَكرَمُ فِعلاً مِنكُمُ في الهَنابِثِ
You left me not, nor time, for it is more noble
In action than you in disasters.
كَذاكَ مَنِ اِستَدرى إِلى غَيرِ هَضبَةٍ
وَشَدَّ يَداً بِالمُطمِعاتِ الرَثائِثِ
Whoever seeks help from other than his own people
And ties his hand with the tempting hopes of vultures,
دُعائي ذِئابَ القاعِ خَيرُ مَغَبَّةٍ
إِذاً مِن دُعائي بَعضَكُم لِلمَغاوِثِ
My calling the wolves of the valley is better fortune
Than me calling some of you for help.
فَلَو أَنَّني أَدعو لَؤَيِّ بنَ غالِبٍ
لَقَد أَنجَدوني بِالطِوالِ المَلاوِثِ
If only I called on Banu Ghalib,
They would have saved me with prolonged spear-thrusts.
يَجيشُ بِهِم وادي الظِلامِ كَأَنَّهُم
صُدورُ العَوالي بِالمَلا المَواعِثِ
They surge down the valley of darkness as though they are
The surging waves of seas in constant motion.
هُمُ أَطلَعوني بِالنَجادِ وَأَرزَموا
لِنَصرِيَ إِرزامَ المَطِيّ الرَواعِثِ
They inspired me with resolve and bound for my victory
The firm binding of the trotting camel's saddle.
وَأَرخَوا خِناقي بَعدَما كانَ فَتلُهُ
يُغارُ عَلى عُنُقي بِأَيدٍ عَوابِثِ
And they loosened my noose after it had been tightening
To throttle me with the hands of assailing foes.
تَرى حِلمَهُم تَحتَ الظُبى غَيرَ طائِشٍ
وَخَطوَهُمُ بَينَ القَنا غَيرَ رائِثِ
You see their patience beneath the burdens flawless
And their pace between the spears unfailing,
فَلا الحِلمُ بِالنائي إِذا مادَعَوتَهُ
وَلا العَزمُ بِالواني وَلا المُتَماكِثِ
No patience in one who is called from afar,
No resolve in one who is weak, or one who lingers.
وَكُلُّ فَتىً إِن آدَ ثِقلُ مُلِمَّةٍ
تَوَرَّكَ حِنوَي عِبئِها غَيرَ لاهِثِ
And every blooded knight - if the touch of disaster weighs heavy -
Will leave its burden be, untroubled by it.
ضَنينٌ بِوَدّي لا يَزالُ بِوَجهِهِ
كَلامُ العِدى عَنّي وَنَفثُ النَوافِثِ
A hatred of my tribe, unceasing in its enmity,
The words of foes about me and the spittle of the spitting.
شِعارِيَ مِن دونِ الشِعارِ وَتارَةً
قَريبِيَ مِن دونِ القَريبِ المُنافِثِ
My friends are other than friends, and my near kin
Other than near kin, intimate and familiar.
تَعَمَّمتُموها سَوأَةً جاهِلِيَّةً
لَقَد فازَ مَن أَمسى بِها غَيرَ لائِثِ
You pronounced it an ignorance of pagan days
Blessed is he who does not end it unceasing!
فَجُرّوا ذُيولَ العارِ ثُمَّ تَضاءَلوا
تَضاؤُلَ أَطهارِ الإِماءِ الطَوامِثِ
So drag along the tails of disgrace and then dwindle
To the dwindling of the pure maid’s breaches.
تَقَطَّعَتِ الأَطماعُ فيكُم وَلَم يَدَع
لَكُم أَمَلاً لُؤمُ الطِباعِ الحَوابِثِ
Hopes in you are cut off and no hope remains
In the vile natures of those who bring harm.
وَأَصبَحتُمُ أَطلالَ دارٍ بِقَفرَةٍ
تَرى الرَكبَ مُجتازاً بِها غَيرَ لابِثِ
You have become like the ruins of an abode in desolation
Which travelers pass by, not staying.
وَكَيفَ أُرَجّيكُم لِدَفعِ مَغارِمٍ
وَقَد خابَ راجيكُم لِدَفعِ مَعارِثِ
And how can I expect you to ward off troubles
When expecting you to ward off ruin has failed?
قَعوا وِقعَةَ الساري فَقَد طالَ حَثُّكُم
إِلى العارِ أَعناقَ المَطِيِّ الدَلائِثِ
Fall like the fallen saddle, for your driving
Necks of the pacing camel to disgrace has lasted long.
فَحَتّى مَتى أُخفي التِراتِ وَأَنتُم
تُثيرونَ عَن مَدفونِها بِالمَباحِثِ
So until when will I hide grievances while you
Rouse what is buried in them with investigations?
وَكَم أَدمُلُ الأَضغانَ بَيني وَبَينَكُم
وَأُغضي عَلى نَقضِ القُوى وَالنَكائِثِ
How many resentments do I internalize between me and you
And disregard the breaking of ties and estrangements?
إِذا رُمتُ مِن سَوآتِكُم سَدَّ هُوَّةٍ
تَشاغَلتُمُ عَن غَيرِها بِالنَبائِثِ
When I fling aside one of your disgraces to block a gap
You become occupied with other issues.
رَأَيتُ الصُقورَ الغُلبَ خُمصى مِنَ الطَوى
وَما مَطعَمُ الدُنيا لِغَيرِ الأَباغِثِ
I have seen the hawks humbled, withdrawn from the nest,
And the world is not a feeding ground save for the greedy.
فَلا حَظَّ في اِستِنزالِ رِزقٍ مُحَلَّقٍ
وَلا نَفعَ في حَثِّ الحُظوظِ الرَوائِثِ
No fortune in obtaining suspended, airborne provision,
No use in urging on the penetrating hopes.
تَرَكتُ صُدوعاً بَينَنا لِاِنشِعابِها
وَلَم أَتَجَشَّم لَمَّ تِلكَ المَشاغِثِ
I have left crevices between us to split them open
And do not suffer the pain of those grievances.
فَزيدوا فَإِنّي بَعدَها غَيرُ ناقِصٍ
وَجِدّوا فَإِنّي بَعدَها غَيرُ عابِثِ
Increase them, for I will still have no lack after them,
And renew them, for I will still have no game after them.
دُيونٌ مِنَ الأَضغانِ إِن أَبقَ أُجزِكُم
بِهِنَّ وَإِن أَعطَب يَرِثهُنَّ وارِثي
Debts of resentment - if I remain silent I will repay you for them
And if I am infirm they will be inherited by my heirs.
وَإِن أَنسَ يَوماً ذَمَّكُم يُمسِ فِعلُكُم
عَلى الذَمِّ عِندي مِن أَشَدِّ البَواعِثِ
If I forget a day blaming you, your actions
Remind me, for with me blaming is the strongest motivation.
وَإِن أُبطِ يُسرِع بي إِلى ما يَسوؤُكُم
لَواعِجُ أَضغانٍ إِلَيكُم حَثائِثِ
If I am eased, what irks you will be quickened in me -
Stirrings of resentment towards you, fervent.
نَحَلتُ إِذا ما فيكُمُ مِن مَعائِبٍ
وَنازَعتُكُم طُعماتِ تِلكَ الخَبائِثِ
Whenever any disgrace is in you I overlook it
And dispute with you the tastes of those shameful things.
لَئِن أَنا لَم أُعلِق بِأَعراضِ قَومِكُم
بَراثِنَ أَظفارِ القَريضِ الضَوابِثِ
If I have not fastened to the honor of your people
The nails of the burning claws of the twisting scorpion
فَوَاللَهِ لا أَقلَعنَ إِلّا دَوامِياً
أَلِيَةَ بَرٍّ لا أَلِيَّةَ حانِثِ
By God, I will not refrain save unceasingly
An incapacity to do good, not to do evil.
لِكَي تَعلَموا غِبَّ العَداوَةِ بَينَنا
وَيَعرُكَكُم كَيدُ المَطولِ المُماغِثِ
So that you may know the estrangement between us fully
And your guile as drawn-out as possible may irk you.
سَلامٌ عَلى الآمالِ فيكُم وَلا سَقى
مَعاهِدَها جَودُ القُطارِ الدَثائِثِ
Peace be upon hopes in you - though the downpour
Of abundant rain has not watered their covenant!
لَعَلَّمتُموني اليَأسَ مِن كُلِّ مَطمَعٍ
وَعَوَّدتُموني الصَبرَ في كُلِّ حادِثِ
You have taught me despair of every ambition
And inured me to patience in every affliction.
وَعَرَّفتُموني كَيفَ أَلتَمِسُ الجَدا
إِلى غَيرِ أَيدي الأَلأَمينَ الشُرابِثِ
You have shown me how I might seek redemption
From hands other than those of the unjust tormenting.
تُذَلّلُكُم لُقيايَ بِاليَأسِ مِنكُمُ
وَلَم أَتَذَلّل للمِطالِ المُلابِثِ
My despair of you makes me humble before you
When I have not humbled myself to prolonged demands.
فَشُكراً لِمَن لَم يَجعَلِ الرِزقَ عِندَكُم
فَلا رَيَّ ظَمآنٍ وَلا شِبعَ غارِثِ
So thanks to Him who did not place provision with you,
Else no drink for a thirsty soul, no food for a deprived one.
لَئِن ساءَكُم مِنّي حُزونُ خَلائِقي
فَقَد طالَ ما لَم أَنتَفِع بِالدَمائِثِ
If my morose nature has saddened you
Then long has it been useless to me in disasters.
خُذوها كَأَطواقِ الحَمامِ فَإِنَّها
سَتَبقى بَقاءَ الراسِياتِ اللَوابِثِ
Take them like the neck-rings of a dove, for they will remain
Remaining like milestones on the traveled roads.
قَوافِيَ يَقطُرنَ النَجيعَ كَأَنَّما
طُبِعنَ عَلى طَبعِ الرِقاقِ الفَوارِثِ
Verses that drip grief, as though
Cast in the mold of parchment steeped in tears.
إِذا ما مَطَلناهُنَّ بُقيا عَليكُمُ
خَرَجنَ خُروجَ الخالِعينَ النَواكِثِ
If we draw them out lengthily they will remain yours
Going out like one who discards and casts off.
فَآلَيتُ لا أُعطي اللِئامَ مَقادَةً
وَلَو تَحتَ ضَغّاطٍ مِنَ الأَمرِ كارِثِ
So I have resolved I will not indulge the lowly
Even if forced under consuming pressures.
ذُنوبي إِنِ اِستَمطَرتُ مِن غَيرِ ماطِرٍ
وَأَنّي طَلَبتُ الغَيثَ مِن غَيرِ غائِثِ
My sins, if I seek rain without a rain-giver at hand
And I sought rain with no aid at hand.
