لا تَقتَضي الدَينَ إِلّا بِالقَنا الذُبُلِ
وَلا تُحَكِّم سِوى الأَسيافِ في القُلَلِ
Do not seek repayment of debts except with the slender spear,
And judge none but with swords on the hills.
وَلا تُجاوِر لِئاماً ذَلَّ جارُهُمُ
وَخَلِّهِم في عِراصِ الدارِ وَاِرتَحِلِ
Do not dwell near base men whose neighbors they trouble,
But leave them in desolate abodes and depart.
وَلا تَفِرَّ إِذا ما خُضتُ مَعرَكَةً
فَما يَزيدُ فِرارُ المَرءِ في الأَجَلِ
Do not flee when plunged into the fray -
For flight avails not a man his allotted span.
يا عَبلَ أَنتِ سَوادُ القَلبِ فَاِحتَكِمي
في مُهجَتي وَاِعدِلي يا غايَةَ الأَمَلِ
O Ablaq, you are the darkness of my heart, so judge
My affections, and be equitable, O culmination of hope!
وَإِن تَرَحَّلتِ عَن عَبسٍ فَلا تَقِفي
في دارِ ذُلٍّ وَلا تُصغي إِلى العَذَلِ
And if you travel from frowning 'Abs, then do not stop
In a house of disgrace, nor heed the censurers.
لِأَنَّ أَرضَهُمُ مِن بَعدِ رِحلَتِنا
تَبقى بِلا فارِسٍ يُدعى وَلا بَطَلِ
For after our departure, their land
Will remain without a horseman called or hero known.
سَلي فَزارَةَ عَن فِعلي وَقَد نَفَرَت
في جَحفَلٍ حافِلٍ كَالعارِضِ الهَطِلِ
Ask Fazarah about my deeds, for she broke away
In a large and violent army like pouring rain.
تَهُزُّ سُمرَ القَنا حِقداً عَلَيَّ وَقَد
رَأَت لَهيبَ حُسامي ساطِعَ الشُعَلِ
Her dusky spears quiver with hate against me when
She saw the flames of my swords gleaming with fire.
يُخبِركِ بَدرُ بنُ عَمروٍ أَنَّني بَطَلٌ
أَلقى الجُيوشَ بِقَلبٍ قُدَّ مِن جَبَلِ
Badr bin 'Amr will tell you that I am a hero
Who casts armies with a heart hewn from a mountain.
قاتَلتُ فُرسانَهُم حَتّى مَضوا فِرَقاً
وَالطَعنُ في إِثرِهِم أَمضى مِنَ الأَجَلِ
I fought their horsemen until they scattered in rout
And the thrusting of spears was more lethal than fate.
وَعادَ بي فَرَسي يَمشي فَتُعثِرُهُ
جَماجِمٌ نُثِرَت بِالبيضِ وَالأَسَلِ
And my horse returned walking, stumbling
Over skulls strewn white and broken.
وَقَد أَسَرتُ سَراةَ القَومِ مُقتَدِراً
وَعُدتُ مِن فَرَحي كَالشارِبِ الثَمِلِ
I have captured the elite of the tribe triumphantly
And returned drunk with joy like one made mellow with wine.
يا بَينُ رَوَّعتَ قَلبي بِالفِراقِ وَما
أَبكي لِفُرقَةِ أَصحابٍ وَلا طَلَلِ
O my son, you have saddened my heart with parting, though I do not
Weep for the loss of friends or dwellings.
بَل مِن فِراقِ الَّتي في جَفنِها سَقَمٌ
قَد زادَني عِلَلاً مِنهُ عَلى عِلَلي
Rather, from parting with her whose eyes hold sickness
Which has increased my maladies beyond my illnesses.
أُمسي عَلى وَجَلٍ خَوفَ الفِراقِ كَما
تُمسي الأَعادِيُّ مِن سَيفي عَلى وَجَلِ
I spend my evenings apprehensive of parting, as
My enemies spend theirs fearful of my sword.
مَن لي بِرَدِّ الصِبا وَاللَهوِ وَالغَزَلِ
هَيهاتَ ما فاتَ مِن أَيّامِكَ الأُوَلِ
Alas! Gone are those first days of youth, playing, and love.
Who will restore to me the beer, flirting, and antelope?
طَوى الجَديدانِ ما قَد كُنتُ أَنشُرُهُ
وَأَنكَرَتني ذَواتُ الأَعيُنِ النُجُلِ
Gray hairs have folded what I used to unfurl
And the big-eyed gazelles no longer recognize me.
وَما ثَنى الدَهرُ عَزمي عَن مُهاجَمَةٍ
وَخَوضِ مَعمَعَةٍ في السَهلِ وَالجَبَلِ
Nor has time bent my resolve from attacking
And plunging into the fray on plain or hill,
في الخَيلِ وَالخافِقاتِ السودِ لي شُغلٌ
لَيسَ الصَبابَةُ وَالصَهباءُ مِن شُغلي
With horses and fluttering black standards - my passion
Is not wantonness and riding, but warriors' arts.
لَقَد ثَناني النُهى عَنها وَأَدَّبَني
فَلَستُ أَبكي عَلى رَسمٍ وَلا طَلَلِ
Good advice has restrained me from these and reproved me,
So I do not weep for a vestige or an encampment.
سَلوا جَوادِيَ عَنّي يَومَ يَحمِلُني
هَل فاتَني بَطَلٌ أَو حُلتُ عَن بَطَلِ
Ask my steed about me the day it carries me forth -
Have I lost my courage or turned from a hero?
وَكَم جُيوشٍ لَقَد فَرَّقتُها فِرَقاً
وَعارِضُ الحَتفِ مِثلُ العارِضِ الهَطِلِ
How many armies have I scattered in disarray,
With horsemen likes raindrops pouring forth!
وَمَوكِبٍ خُضتُ أَعلاهُ وَأَسفَلَهُ
بِالضَربِ وَالطَعنِ بَينَ البيضِ وَالأَسَلِ
What procession have I plunged into, attacking its van
And rear with thrust and stab amid white and dapple-gray?
ماذا أُريدُ بِقَومٍ يَهدُرونَ دَمي
أَلَستُ أَولاهُمُ بِالقَولِ وَالعَمَلِ
Why should I care for men who shed my blood
When I am the first to strike them with word and deed?
لا يَشرَبُ الخَمرَ إِلّا مَن لَهُ ذِمَمٌ
وَلا يَبيتُ لَهُ جارٌ عَلى وَجَلِ
None drinks wine but he who is held in contempt,
And none dwells without a fearful neighbor.
