عَينيَّ لا بُدَّ مِن سَكبٍ وَتَهمالِ
عَلى فَضالَةَ جَلِّ الرِزءِ وَالعالي
My eyes must shed copious tears
Upon the loss of the best of men, the most sublime.
جُمّا عَلَيهِ بِماءِ الشَأنِ وَاِحتَفِلا
لَيسَ الفُقودُ وَلا الهَلكى بِأَمثالِ
Pour plentifully upon him the water of glory and celebrate,
For the deceased and the perished are not his equals.
أَمّا حَصانُ فَلَم تُحجَب بِكِلَّتِها
قَد طُفتُ في كُلِّ هَذا الناسِ أَحوالي
As for his steed, its glories cannot be obscured,
I have gone around in the affairs of all these people.
عَلى اِمرِئٍ سوقَةٍ مِمَّن سَمِعتُ بِهِ
أَندى وَأَكمَلَ مِنهُ أَيَّ إِكمالِ
No man of perfect chivalry have I heard of
More brilliant and perfected than he in any perfection.
أَوهَبَ مِنهُ لِذي أَثرٍ وَسابِغَةٍ
وَقَينَةٍ عِندَ شَربٍ ذاتِ أَشكالِ
He granted to the worthy lasting gifts
And a bosom friend at the drinking of beautiful goblets,
وَخارِجِيٍّ يَزُمُّ الأَلفَ مُعتَرِضاً
وَهَونَةٍ ذاتِ شِمراخٍ وَأَحجالِ
An outsider who tightly grasps familiarity
And gentleness with a throat-latch and burdens.
أَبا دُلَيجَةَ مَن يوصى بِأَرمَلَةٍ
أَم مَن لِأَشعَثَ ذي طِمرَينِ طِملالِ
O Abu Dulayja, who can be entrusted with the widow
Or the disheveled, dusty-faced camel herder?
أَم مَن يَكونُ خَطيبَ القَومِ إِن حَفَلوا
لَدى مُلوكٍ أُلي كَيدٍ وَأَقوالِ
Or who can plead the case of the tribe if they gather
Before tyrannical kings of guile and words?
أَم مَن لِقَومٍ أَضاعوا بَعضَ أَمرِهِمِ
بَينَ القُسوطِ وَبَينَ الدينِ دَلدالِ
Or who for a people who lost control over their affairs
Between justice and religion, wandering confused?
خافوا الأَصيلَةَ وَاِعتَلَّت مُلوكُهُمُ
وَحُمِّلوا مِن أَذى غُرمٍ بِأَثقالِ
They feared the noble and their kings were incapacitated
And were laden with the harm of overwhelming burdens.
فَرَّجتَ غَمَّهُمُ وَكُنتَ غَيثَهُمُ
حَتّى اِستَقَرَّت نَواهُم بَعدَ تَزوالِ
You relieved their sorrow and were their lifeblood
Until their intentions settled after vacillation.
أَبا دُلَيجَةَ مَن يَكفي العَشيرَةَ إِذ
أَمسَوا مِنَ الأَمرِ في لَبسٍ وَبَلبالِ
O Abu Dulayja, who can suffice the clan when
They are confused in the matter and mired in turmoil?
أَم مَن لِأَهلِ لَوِيٍّ في مُسَكَّعَةٍ
في أَمرِهِم خالَطوا حَقّاً بِإِبطالِ
Or who for the people of Luway in their fortress
Who mixed right with wrong in their affair?
أَم مَن لِعادِيَةٍ تُردي مُلَملَمَةٍ
كَأَنَّها عارِضٌ مِن هَضبِ أَوعالِ
Or who for 'Adiya in violent disarray
As if she were a pleasure boat made of acacia wood?
لَمّا رَأَوكَ عَلى نَهدٍ مَراكِلُهُ
يَسعى بِبَزِّ كَمِيٍّ غَيرِ مِعزالِ
When they saw you on a she-camel, her saddle shook,
Galloping with an unblemished Camelian steed.
وَفارِسٍ لا يَحُلُّ الحَيُّ عُدوَتَهُ
وَلَّوا سِراعاً وَما هَمّوا بِإِقبالِ
A horseman whose enemies cannot withstand his onslaught,
They fled quickly with no intention to advance.
وَما خَليجٌ مِنَ المَرّوتِ ذو حَدَبٍ
يَرمي الضَريرَ بِخُشبِ الطَلحِ وَالضالِ
No gulf of manliness with swelling dunes
That casts the blind man with palm fronds and wormwood,
يَوماً بِأَجوَدَ مِنهُ حينَ تَسأَلُهُ
وَلا مُغِبٌّ بِتَرجٍ بَينَ أَشبالِ
One day more generous than him when asked,
Nor a shelter between lion cubs more hospitable.
لَيثٌ عَلَيهِ مِنَ البَردِيِّ هِبرِيَةٌ
كَالمَرزَبانِيِّ عَيّالٌ بِآصالِ
A lion over whom is a striped cloak,
Like a Marzabani stallion with strong young.
يَوماً بِأَجرَأَ مِنهُ حَدَّ بادِرَةٍ
عَلى كَمِيٍّ بِمَهوِ الحَدِّ قَصّالِ
One day bolder than him at the first onslaught
Against a Camelian with the slashing sword.
لا زالَ مِسكٌ وَرَيحانٌ لَهُ أَرَجٌ
عَلى صَداكَ بِصافي اللَونِ سَلسالِ
Musk and basil always scent you
With pure, dangling necklaces.
يَسقي صَداكَ وَمُمساهُ وَمُصبَحَهُ
رِفهاً وَرَمسُكَ مَحفوفٌ بِأَظلالِ
It waters your companions at dusk and dawn
With plenty in the shade of the branches.
وَرَّثتَني وُدَّ أَقوامٍ وَخُلَّتَهُم
وَذَكرَةٌ مِنكَ تَغشاني بِإِجلالِ
You have left me the love of peoples and their intimacy
And your memory envelops me with reverence.
فَلَن يَزالَ ثَنائي غَيرَ ما كَذِبٍ
قَولَ اِمرِئٍ غَيرَ ناسيهِ وَلا سالي
So my praise will remain, no lying words,
Of a man who does not forget or neglect.
لَعَمرُ ما قَدَرٍ أَجدى بِمَصرَعِهِ
لَقَد أَخَلَّ بِعَرشي أَيَّ إِخلالِ
By the life of destiny which served its purpose in his death!
It has deserted my throne in every way.
قَد كانَتِ النَفسُ لَو ساموا الفِداءَ بِهِ
إِلَيكَ مُسمِحَةٍ بِالأَهلِ وَالمالِ
If they had ransomed him with their souls,
My own people would have been permitting to wealth and family.
