بَني عامِرٍ ما العِزُّ إِلّا لِقادِرٍ
عَلى السَيفِ لا تَخطو إِلَيهِ المَظالِمُ
O clan of Amer, glory belongs only to the mighty,
To those who wield the sword, not to the unjust.
ضَجيعُ الهُوَينا يَغلِبُ الخَصمُ رَأيَهُ
وَأَكبَرُ سُلطانِ الرِجالِ الخَصائِمُ
The passionate lover conquers his rival's will,
And conflict makes men the greatest rulers.
أَرى إِبِلَ العَوّامِ تُحدى عَلى الطَوى
وَتَأكُلُ حَوذانَ الطَريقِ المَناسِمُ
I see the camels of the commoners challenging on the hills,
Eating the shrubs along the roadsides.
وَتَظمى عَلى الإِغذاذِ أَشداقُ خَيلِهِ
وَتَشرَبُ مِن أَفواهِهِنَّ الشَكائِمُ
Their horses' mouths pant with thirst,
Drinking from their mouths the bitter drafts.
يُحاوِلُ أَمراً يَرمُقُ المَوتَ دونَهُ
لَقَد زَلَّ عَنهُ ما تَرومُ المَراوِمُ
He attempts a deed that brings him nigh to death,
He has slipped far from what the virtuous intend.
أَقامَ يَرى شَمَّ النَسيمِ غَنيمَةً
وَلا بُدَّ يَوماً أَن تُرَدَّ الغَنائِمُ
He took the scent of the breeze as spoils of war,
Though the takings of war will surely be returned one day.
وَتُعجِبُهُ غُرُّ البُروقِ يَشيمُها
سِراعاً إِذا مَرَّت عَليها الغَمائِمُ
And he loves the rumble of lightning that he senses
Rushing forth when the clouds pass over it.
أُمَسِّحُ عِرنَينِ الظَلامِ بِعَرعَرٍ
وَمِن دونِهِ خَدٌّ مِنَ اللَيلِ ساهِمُ
I wipe the dark's eyelids with a soft touch,
And beyond it lurks a blackness from the night's assault.
وَلي بَينَ أَخفافِ المَراسيلِ حاجَةٌ
سَتُصحِبُ وَالأَيّامُ بيضٌ نَواعِمُ
I have a need amongst the soft steps of the messengers -
The days will bring gentle, pleasing maidens.
تُحارِبُني في كُلِّ شَرقٍ وَمَغرِبٍ
وَأَكبَرُ ظَنّي أَنَّها لا تُسالِمُ
They attack me in every east and west,
But I expect they will not make peace.
أَقولُ إِذا سالَت مَعَ اللَيلِ رِفقَةٌ
تَقاذَفَها حَتّى الصَباحِ المَخارِمُ
I say, when a company passes by night,
It eludes me until the combative dawn.
دَعي جَنَباتِ الوادِيَينِ فَدونَها
أَشَمُّ طَويلُ الساعِدَينِ ضُبارِمُ
Leave the valley's sides - beyond them
I smell the long-armed apes, wild and unruly.
إِذا هَمَّ لَم تَقعُد بِهِ عَزَماتُهُ
وَإِن ثارَ لا تَعيا عَلَيهِ المَطاعِمُ
When he is determined, his resolves do not fail him,
And if he rages, the food does not turn against him.
كَأَنَّ عَلى شَدقَيهِ ثَغراً وَراءَهُ
ذَوابِلُ مِن أَنيابِهِ وَصَوارِمُ
As if behind his cheeks, a gaping maw,
With tusk-like projections from his fangs and incisors.
فَما جَذَبَ الأَقرانُ مِنهُ فَريسَةً
وَلا عادَ يَوماً أَنفُهُ وَهوَ راغِمُ
Never has an equal seized prey from him,
Nor has his nose returned while he was forced to submit.
يَرى راكِبَ الظَلماءِ في مُستَقَرِّهِ
وَتَستَنُّ مِنهُ في العَرينِ الغَماغِمُ
He sees the rider of darkness in his lair,
And from him the cave dragons recoil in their dens.
نَمُرُّ وَراءَ اللَيلِ نَكتُمُهُ السُرى
وَقَد فَضَحَتنا بِالبُغامِ الرَواسِمُ
We sneak behind the night, keeping our secrets,
Though the floodwaters have exposed us at dawn.
لَهُ كُلَّ يَومٍ غارَةٌ في عَدُوِّهِ
تُشارِكُهُ فيها النُسورُ القَشاعِمُ
Each day he raids his enemies,
And the fierce eagles join him in the foray.
كَأَنَّ المَنايا إِن تَوَسَّدَ باعَهُ
تَيَقَّظُ في أَنيابِهِ وَهوَ نائِمُ
As if death itself, should it approach,
Would wake to his fangs while he yet slumbers.
وَما اللَيثُ إِلّا مَن يَدُلُّ بِنَفسِهِ
وَيَمضي إِذا ما بادَهَتهُ العَظائِمُ
The lion is none but he who risks himself,
And proceeds when the greatest perils confront him.
وَما كُلُّ لَيثٍ يَغنَمُ القَومُ زادَهُ
إِذا خَفَقَت تَحتَ الظَلامِ الضَراغِمُ
Not every lion profits his clan if they take his provisions,
When the flags flutter in the darkness.
