هَذي الرِماحُ عِصِيُّ الضالِ وَالسَلَمِ
لَولا مُطاعَنَهُ الآراءِ وَالهِمَمِ
These spears are the staves of the lost and peacemakers too,
Were it not for their piercing of opinions and resolves.
إِنَّ الذَوابِلَ وَالأَقلامَ أَرشِيَةٌ
إِلى العُلى لِمُلوكِ العُربِ وَالعَجَمِ
Indeed the pens and swords are gifts,
To the kings of Arabs and non-Arabs alike.
لَيسَ السُيوفُ عَنِ الأَقلامِ مُغنِيَةً
الفَريُ لِلسَيفِ وَالتَقديرِ لِلقَلَمِ
Swords cannot make pens redundant,
Battle is for the sword, destiny for the pen.
كَالكَوكَبِ اِنتَشَرَت مِنهُ ذَوائِبُهُ
وَموقِدُ النارِ يُذكيها عَلى أَضَمِ
Like a star whose tails have spread,
With the fire's hearth heating it to a glow.
أَو كَالشُجاعِ تَمَطّى بَعدَ هَجعَتِهِ
يُرخي لِساناً كَغَربِ اللَهذَمِ الخَذِمِ
Or like a brave lion after slumber,
Lolling a tongue like an old wineskin's nozzle.
غُرّانِ ما اِجتَمَعا إِلّا لِمُنصَلِتٍ
عَلى الحَوادِثِ صَبّارٍ عَلى الأَلَمِ
Two neighing stallions only gathered for an arena,
Patient with events, tolerant of pain.
لِهاشِمٍ غُرَرٌ تُلقى لِسائِلِها
طَلاعَةٌ مِن ثَنايا البَأسِ وَالكَرَمِ
For Hashim there are treasures offered to questioners,
Nobility glimpsed in the folds of valor and generosity.
وَخُضخِضَ السَجلُ في قَعرِ القَليبِ فَلَم
يَنزَح لَهُ غَيرُ مَكتومٍ مِنَ الوَذَمِ
And the register murmured in the heart's depth but no
Concealed shame oozed out except what was blamed.
وَأَصبَحَ البَرقُ يُخفي حُرَّ صَفحَتِهِ
عَنِ المَرابِعِ أَو يَبَرا مِنَ الدِيَمِ
And dawn's lightning hid the burning of its page
From the watchmen's eyes or gushed out blood.
وَأَجدَبَ القَومُ وَاِضطُرَّت أَكُفُّهُمُ
وَإِن تَطَهَّرنَ مِن إِثمٍ إِلى الزَلَمِ
And the tribe grew lean, their palms were forced
To beg, though cleansed of any sin or stumble.
وَقَلَّ عِندَ كِرامِ الحَيِّ نائِلُهُم
حَتّى جَلا يَومَ نَحرٍ مَنزِلَ البَرَمِ
And seeking bounty from the living's honorees became rare
Until the day of slaughter arrived, abode of annihilation.
وَكُلُّ سائِمَةٍ باتَت تُمَسِّحُها
كَفُّ المُسيمِ غَدَت لَحماً عَلى وَضَمِ
Every embracive she-camel, a palm caressed her
Becoming in the morning a hand touching cooked meat and bone.
وَصَوَّحَ النَبتُ حَتّى كادَ مِن سَغَبٍ
فيهِم يُصَوِّحُ نَبتُ الهامِ وَاللَمَمِ
Vegetation cried out until from leanness
Their prickly vegetation cried out resolve and determination.
كانوا السَحائِبَ تَرمي مِن كَنائِنِها
مَقاتِلَ المَحلِ كَالمُثعَنجِرِ الرَذِمِ
They were clouds whose burdens
Pelted fighters like a furious, pounding catapult.
أَرغَت مَعَدٌّ وَأَثغى مَن يُناضِلُها
وَمَن يُقايِسُ بَينَ الشاءِ وَالنَعَمِ
When the stomachs rumbled and who could match their bellow?
Who can compare sheep and goats?
دُنيا تَرَشَّفُ عَيشي وَهيَ كالحَةٌ
غَضبى وَأَبسِمُ فيها بادِيَ الكَظَمِ
A world smiling at my life yet bitter as bile -
I frown at it, smiling with hidden sorrow.
كَالخَمرِ يَعبِسُ حاسيها عَلى مِقَةٍ
وَالكَأسُ تَجلو عَليهِ ثَغرَ مُبتَسِمِ
Like wine - the taster sullen over dregs
Yet the cup makes its rim beam a smile.
الجِدُّ لا يَقتَضي إِسماعَ مُلهِيَةٍ
وَالهَزلُ يَكمُنُ في الأَوتارِ وَالنَغَمِ
Earnestness needs no entertaining song,
Jest lurks in melody and tune.
وَما اِبنُ غيلٍ تُذيعُ المَوتَ طَلعَتُهُ
إِذا تَطَلَّعَ غَضباناً مِنَ الأَجَمِ
Ibn Ghil's rising star doesn't broadcast his death
When wrathfully he gazes from the horizon.
يَجلو دُجى شِدقِه عَن صُبحِ عاصِلَةٍ
مَطرورَةٍ كَشَبا المَطرورَةِ الخُذُمِ
Dawn's darkness flees from his smiling dawn
Smooth as a polished sword's pummel.
يَوماً بِأَقدَمَ مِنّي في مُلَملَمَةٍ
شَعواءَ تُعرَفُ بِالعِقبانِ وَالرَخَمِ
One day I'll be taken in a swirling melee,
Barren and well-known for ravens and ruins.
وَاليَومَ قَطَّعَ قَرعُ البيضِ حَبوَتَهُ
عَنِ العَجاجِ وَخَيلُ اللَهِ في الحَرَمِ
And today the smashing of lances and neighing of steeds
Announced war, as Allah's horses approached sanctity.
إِذا العَوالي عَلى أَشداقِها هَجَمَت
أَعدى اللَمى بِالدَمِ الجاري عَلى الرَثمَ
When the superior ones attacked their mouths
The blades shed blood flowing over spear shafts.
وَالطَعنُ يَنتَجِعُ الأَجسادَ أَنفُسَها
وَالضَربُ يَبخَلُ بِالبُقيا عَلى القِمَمِ
Stabbing takes souls straight from bodies
While slashing denies even scraps to the peaks.
وَرُبَّ لَيلٍ كَأَنَّ النارَ مُقلَتُهُ
وَالكَلبَ يَسمَعُهُ النائي عَنِ الصَمَمِ
Oh, how many nights whose coals were like fire
With even the distant deaf hearing the dog.
سَهِرتُهُ وَالأَماني تَرتَقي فِكَري
حَتّى تَطَلَّعَ مِن هَمّي إِلى هِمَمي
Sleepless, hopes ascending my thoughts
Until from my worry emerged my aspirations.
أُراقِبُ الضَيفَ أَن يَرعى مَطيَّتَهُ
وَبَينَنا مَنكِبٌ عالٍ مِنَ الظُلَمِ
I watch the guest pasturing his mare
While between us looms a towering darkness.
أَوحى الظَلامُ إِلى الإِصباحِ أَنَّ فَتىً
أَسرى وَما خَدَعَتهُ لَذَّةُ الحُلُمُ
The gloom whispered to dawn that a gallant
Had traveled, not fooled by dreams' delight.
عَلى جُمالِيَةٍ توفي الزَمامَ خُطاً
تَكادُ تَسبُقُهُ مِن خِفَّةِ القَدَمِ
Atop a beautiful steed whose bridle proceeded in a line
Nearly outstripping it in lightness of step.
خَرّاجَةِ الصَدرِ إِن صاحَ المُهيبُ بِها
عَلى الوَجى مِن صُدورِ الأَينُقِ الرُسُمِ
My chest's stirrup - if the fearsome one shouts to it
Over earnest souls in bodies most handsome.
حَرفٍ تَبوَّعُ بي في كُلِّ مَجهَلَةٍ
كَأَنَّني راكِبٌ مِنها عَلى عَلَمِ
A letter followed me in every unknown
As if I rode it like a flag.
تُلقي الأَجِنَّةَ قَتلى في مَسالِكِها
دَياتُها في رِقابِ القَصدِ وَالأَمَمِ
It throws the cowardly dead in its paths
With the true aims as ransom for their souls.
مَتى تَنَسَّمُ مَسَّ السَوطِ جِلدَتُها
زافَت كَمازافَ عُنقُ المُصعَبِ القَطِمِ
Whenever its side feels the whip's touch
It bounds like a gazelle freed of its tether.
تُطغي الخِطامَ إِذا ما البَرُّ صافَحَهُ
تَيّارُ بَحرٍ بِأَيدي العيسِ مُلتَطِمِ
Reining it in when righteousness meets
A turbulent sea in strong hands churning.
هَوجاءُ ما اِلتَفَتَت يَوماً عَلى أَلَمٍ
مِنَ السِياطِ وَلا حَنَّت إِلى قَرَمِ
Impetuous when did it ever turn
To pain from whips or care for wounds?
إِذا جَذَبتُ لِذِكرِ السَيرِ مِقوَدَها
كَأَنَّما جَذَبَتها سَورَةُ اللَمَمِ
When I pull the lead to recall the ride
It's as if the oaths themselves tugged it insistently.
ما يَطلُبُ الدَهرُ وَالأَيامُ مِن رَجُلٍ
يَعوذُ بِالحَمدِ إِشفاقاً عَلى النِعَمِ
What do fate and days demand of a man
Who seeks refuge in praise, to protect the blessings?
إِذا اِقتَضَتهُ الأَماني بَعضَ مَوعِدِهِ
غَطّى بِسَترِ العَطايا عَورَةَ العَدَمِ
When hopes require him to fulfill some promise
He veils the lack with the cloak of gifts.
مَن مَدَّ مِعصَمَهُ مُستَعصِماً بِيَدي
عَصَمتُهُ بِإِخاءٍ غَيرِ مُنجَذِمِ
If I exposed the unseen's veil, the glances
Of every doubtful gazer would be shamed.
وَمَن أُشَيِّعهُ يَأمَن مِن لَوائِمِهِ
وَلَو رَموهُ بِجَرّاحٍ مِنَ الكَلِمِ
It's enough that my slanderer, I was patient with him
So he sought excuse and was shy of sanctity.
وَلَو هَتَكتُ حِجابَ الغَيبِ لَاِفتَضَحَت
أَجفانُ كُلِّ مُريبِ اللَحظِ مُتَّهَمِ
My probity is chaste - if another's libertine ways
His garment's stitches would be blamed.
كَفى الَّذي سَبَّني أَنّي صَبَرتُ لَهُ
فَاِستَنصَرَ العُذرَ وَاِستَحيا مِنَ الحُرَمِ
I am Zuheir - who is there for me in your time
With some of what was accomplished by two white-haired hands?
بُردي عَفيفٌ إِذا غَيري لِفَجرَتِهِ
كانَت مَناسِجُ بُردَيهِ عَلى التُهَمِ
If an enemy disobeyed me, he feared my hand's blow
And his honor is safe from the emigrants of my mouth.
أَنا زُهَيرٌ فَمَن لي في زَمانِكَ ذا
بِبَعضِ ما اِقتَرَفَت عَنهُ يَدا هَرِمِ
I made my hearing forbidden to wicked words
So what shamelessness approaches sanctity?
إِذا العَدوُّ عَصاني خافَ حَدَّ يَدي
وَعِرضُهُ آمِنٌ مِن هاجِراتِ فَمي
My nose almost folds away in humility
Donning arrogance's robe.
جَعَلتُ سَمعي عَلى قَولِ الخَنا حَرَماً
فَأَيُّ فاحِشَةٍ تَدنو إِلى حَرَمِ
My grandfather the Prophet, and my mother his daughter,
My father his successor, my ancestors the best of nations.
يَكادُ أَنفي إِذا ما اِستافَ مَرتَبَةً
مِنَ التَواضُعِ يَنضو خُلعَةَ الشَمَمِ
For our aims every dancing impetuous she-camel writhes,
Pounding the rock and stone of the desert.
جَدّي النَبيُّ وَأُمّي بِنتُهُ وَأَبي
وَصِيُّهُ وَجُدودي خيرَةُ الأُمَمِ
With each disheveled one mending his shirt's tatters, when
He persevered the best of attributes were diminished.
لَقَصدِنا تَتَمَطّى كُلَّ راقِصَةٍ
هَوجاءَ تَخبِطُ هامَ الصَخرِ وَالرَجَمِ
For us is the abode and Allah's house his lodging,
Fixed in glory, towering, supported.
بِكُلُّ أَشعَثَ مُنقَدُّ القَميصِ إِذا
جَدَّ النَجاءُ بِهِ عَن أَطيَبِ الشِيَمِ
And my birthplace - pure of garments, you would think me born
In that sanctum, that inviolable precinct.
لَنا المَقامُ وَبَيتُ اللَهِ حُجرَتُهُ
في المَجدِ ثابِتَةُ الأَطنابِ وَالدُعُمِ
وَمَولِدي طاهِرُ الأَثوابِ تَحسَبُني
وُلِدتُ في حِجرِ ذاكَ الحِجرِ وَالحَرَمِ
