تَأَبَّدَت بُرقَةُ الرَوحاءِ فَاللَبَبُ
فَالمُحدِثاتُ بِحَوضى أَهلُها ذَهَبوا
The dawn light perpetually graced Rawħāʾ, so the tents
stood vacant while their dwellers went to my basin.
فَأَصبَحَت رَوضَةُ المَكّاءِ خالِيَةً
فَماخِرُ الفَرعِ فَالغَرّافُ فَالكُثُبُ
The garden of Makkah was left empty.
Its brushwood, its sand-dunes, and its twisted shrubs remained.
فَأَجرَعُ الضَوعِ لا تُرعى مَسارِحُهُ
كُلُّ المَنازِلِ مَبثوثٌ بِها الكَأَبُ
Pastures, untended, their haunts cannot be roamed.
Every dwelling-place strewn with dry herbage.
كَأَنَّها بَعدَ ما جَرَّ العَفاءُ بِها
ذَيلاً مِنَ الصَيفِ لَم يُمدَد لَهُ طُنُبُ
As though, after the spring had dragged its train behind,
no summer tails were left outspread for it.
كانَت مَعايا مِنَ الأَحبابِ فَاِنقَلَبَت
عَن عَهدِها بِهِمُ الأَيّامُ فَاِنقَلَبوا
My companions of loved ones turned from their vows.
With them the days reversed themselves. They turned about.
أَقولُ إِذ وَدَّعوا نَجداً وَساكِنَهُ
وَحالَفوا غُربَةً بِالدارِ فَاِغتَرَبوا
I said, when they bade farewell to Najd and its dwellers,
pledged their troth to exile and went far away:
لا غَروَ إِلّا حَمامٌ في مَساكِنِهِم
تَدعو هَديلاً فَيَستَغري بِهِ الطَرَبُ
"No voice is left save a dove's amongst their dwellings,
who sadly moans, and with her moaning troubles the heart:
سَقياً لِمَن ضَمَّ بَطنُ الخَيفِ إِنَّهُمُ
بانوا بِأَسماءَ تِلكَ الهَمُّ وَالأَرَبُ
water-drawers for him whose belly cleaves to his spine.
They've vanished, gone, those names - care and want."
أَئِنُّ مِنها إِلى الأَدنى إِذا ذُكِرَت
كَما يَئِنُّ إِلى عُوّادِهِ الوَصِبُ
I sigh for them, if they're recalled, as sighs for its tenders
a wounded camel-calf with cut hamstrings.
بِجارَةِ البَيتِ عِمُّ النَفسِ مُحتَضَرٌ
إِذا خَلَوتُ وَماءُ العَينِ يَنسَكِبُ
At my house an uncle of my soul lies dying
when I'm alone, and tears of the eyes spill over.
أَنسى عَزائي وَلا أَنسى تَذَكُّرَها
كَأَنَّني مِن فُؤادي بَعدَها حَرِبُ
I forget my consolation but remember longing
as though, without them, battle raged inside me.
لا تَسقِني الكَأسَ إِن لَم أَبغِ رُؤيَتَها
بِالذاعِرِيَّةِ أَثنيها وَتَنسَلِبُ
Pour me no wine-cup unless I see them
come strapping their mounts, with streaming bridles.
تَطوي الفَلاةَ بِتَبغيلٍ إِذا جَعَلَت
رُؤوسُ أَعلامِها بِالآلِ تَعتَصِبُ
She winds the bare plain with her litter's wrappings
when with its poles she binds the banners round her neck.
كَم دونَ أَسماءَ مِن تيهٍ مُلَمِّعَةٍ
وَمِن صَفاصِفَ مِنها القَهبُ وَالخَرِبُ
How many a ruined camp there is, made brilliant,
amongst which are left only dry herbage and decay!
يَمشي النَعامُ بِها مَثنى وَمُجتَمِعاً
كَأَنَّها عُصَبٌ تَحدو بِها عُصَبُ
Ostriches walk about them in pairs or herds
as though they were a tribe inspirited by their riders.
لا يَغفَلُ القَلبُ عَن لَيلى وَقَد غَفَلَت
عَمّا يُلاقي شَجٍ بِالحُبِّ مُغتَرِبُ
My heart forgets not Laylā though she's forgotten
what bitter yearning meets the lover far from home.
في كُلِّ يَومٍ لَهُ هَمٌّ يُطالِبُهُ
عِندَ المُلوكِ فَلا يُزري بِهِ الطَلَبُ
Each day it has a care that asks fulfilment
from kings - but no request of it takes any heed.
يا سُعدَ إِنّي عَداني عَن زِيارَتِكُم
تَقاذُفُ الهَمِّ وَالمَهرِيَّةُ النُجُبُ
Sa'd, my affairs have kept me from visiting you,
jostled by brooding cares and stringing rhymes.
في كُلِّ هَنّاقَةِ الأَضواءِ موحِشَةٍ
يَستَركِضُ الآلَ في مَجهولِها الحَدَبُ
In every shining pool of rainwater
a stallion churns unknown depths with his hooves.
كَأَنَّ في جانِبَيها مِن تَغَوُّلِها
بَيضاءُ تَحسِرُ أَحياناً وَتَنتَقِبُ
On either side of it, because of its windings,
are whites that periodically veil and unveil.
جَرداءُ حَرّاءُ مَخشِيٌّ مَتالِفُها
جَشَّمتُها العيسَ وَالحِرباءُ مُنتَصِبُ
Its smooth parts are nude, seared, and flinty.
The tamarisk and the wormwood branch upon it stand erect.
عَشراً وَعَشراً إِلى عِشرينَ يَرقَبُها
ظَهرٌ وَيَخفِضُها في بَطنِهِ صَبَبُ
Ten after ten, up to twenty, the eye awaits.
A back one moment sinks and the next upheaves.
لَم يَبقَ مِنها عَلى التَأويبِ ضائِعَةً
وَرِحلَةِ اللَيلِ إِلّا الآلُ وَالعَصَبُ
Of it only the tent-pegs and gear of night's travel remain
when it is folded, and the smooth stones and tent-ropes.
وَرّادَةٌ كُلَّ طامِي الجَمِّ عَرمَضُهُ
في ظِلِّ عِقبانِهِ مُستَأسِدٌ نَشِبُ
A she-goat bleats every time she bears twins.
Under the shade of his armpit her mate lies stretched at ease.
وَسَبعَةٌ مِن بَني البَطّالِ قَيِّمُهُم
رِداؤُهُ اليَومَ فَوقَ الرِجلِ يَضطَرِبُ
And seven sons of cowherds who tend it.
Today their only clothes are those that flap round their legs.
جَلَّيتُ عَن عَينِهِ بِالشِعرِ أُنشِدُهُ
حَتّى اِستَجابَ بِها وَالصُبحُ مُقتَرِبُ
I made it hear some verses that I recited
till it responded, as daylight drew nearer.
قالَ النُعَيمِيُّ لَمّا زاحَ باطِلُهُ
وَاِفتَضَّ خاتَمَ ما يَجني بِهِ التَعَبُ
When the Nūʿaymī's false coin was rejected
and he bit the seal of his counterfeit wares,
ما أَنتَ إِن لَم تَكُن أَيماً فَقَد عَجِبَت
مِنكَ الرِفاقُ وَلي في فِعلِكِ العَجَبُ
I said: "You're amazing, even if you're no augur.
Your friends are filled with wonder at your deed."
تَهفو إِلى الصَيدِ إِن مَرَّت سَوانِحُهُ
بِساقِطِ الريشِ لَم يُخلِف لَهُ الزَغَبُ
He hankers greedily for the chase if herons with trailing plumes
alight, though no booty's left that he can hunt.
إِن كُنتَ أَصبَحتَ صَقراً لا جَناحَ لَهُ
فَقَد تُهانُ بِكَ الكَروانُ وَالخَرَبُ
If you have become a falcon without wings,
then carts and ruins bring you only shame.
لِلَّهِ دَرُّكَ لَم تَسمو بِقادِمَةٍ
أَو يُنصِفُ الدَهرُ مَن يَلوي فَيَعتَقِبُ
God curse you! You never mounted a fine riding-camel.
Does Time ever favour one who twists and turns?
إِلى سُلَيمانَ راحَت تَغتَدي حِزَقاً
وَالخَيرُ مُتَّبَعٌ وَالشَرُّ مُجتَنَبُ
To Solomon it came to plunder. Plunder avoided,
right conduct followed - that is the difference.
تَزورُهُ مِن ذَوي الأَحسابِ آوِنَةً
وَخَيرُ مَن زُرتَ سُلطانٌ لَهُ حَسَبُ
It visits him for a moment, that man of reckoning,
the best of those you visited, a sultan of lineage.
أَغَرُّ أَبلَجُ تَكفينا مَشاهِدُهُ
في القاعِدينَ وَفي الهَيجا إِذا رَكِبوا
Dazzling white, rain-washed, it will suffice us
among those sitting and among the riders when they mount.
أَمسى سُلَيمانُ مَرؤوماً نُطيفُ بِهِ
كَما تُطيفُ بِبَيتِ القِبلَةِ العَرَبُ
Solomon has been blessed with it as his familiar;
as pilgrims bless the Holy House, so Arabs bless it.
تَرى عَلَيهِ جَلالاً مِن أُبُوَّتِهِ
وَنُصرَةً مِن يَدٍ تَندى وَتُنتَهَبُ
On it you see a majesty born of his fatherhood
and aid from a hand that gives and takes at will.
يَبدو لَكَ الخَيرُ فيهِ حينَ تُبصِرُهُ
كَما بَدا في ثَنايا الكاعِبِ الشَنَبُ
Goodness appears in it when you look upon it,
As moisture appeared in the twisted fibres of the loofah-sponge.
في هامَةٍ مِن قُرَيشٍ يُحدِقونَ بِها
تُجبى وَيُجبى إِلَيها المِسكُ وَالذَهَبُ
In a swarm of Quraysh who gaze at it
pure musk and gold are brought to it and taken from it.
عالى سُلَيمانُ في عَلياءَ مُشرِفَةٍ
سَيفٌ وَرُمحٌ وَآباءٌ لَهُ نُجُبُ
High is Solomon in an exalted and lofty dwelling.
Swords and spears and noble fathers has he.
يا نِعمَ مَن كانَ مِنهُم في مَحَلَّتِهِ
وَكانَ يَشرَبُ بِالماءِ الَّذي شَرِبوا
Happy he who had rank among them and his station,
and used to drink the water that they drank!
كانوا وَلا دينَ إِلّا السَيفُ مُلكُهُمُ
راسٍ وَأَيّامُهُم عادِيَّةٌ غُلُبُ
They whose only religion was the sword - their rule
was might, and their days overcoming days.
تَطولُ أَعمارُ قَومٍ في أَكُفِّهِمُ
حيناً وَتَقصُرُ أَحياناً إِذا غَضِبوا
The lives of a people will at times in their grasp
be lengthened, at others shortened when they show anger.
العاقِدينَ المَنايا في مُسَوَّمَةٍ
تُزجى أَوائِلُها الاِيجافُ وَالخَبَبُ
They who knot up the fates in a covenant
whose first fruits are barrenness and decay.
بيضٌ حِدادٌ وَأَشرافٌ زَبانِيَةٌ
يَغدو عَلى مَن يُعادي الوَيلُ وَالحَرَبُ
Whites like mourners and chiefs fluttering,
on whom descend ill-fortune and war's woes.
أَقولُ لِلمُشتَكي دَهراً أَضَرَّ بِهِ
فيهِ اِبتِذالٌ وَفي أَنيابِهِ شُعَبُ
I say to him complaining of Time's injuries:
"In it there's frustration. Between its fangs are clefts."
لا جارَ إِلّا سُلَيمانٌ وَأُسرَتُهُ
مِنَ العَدُوِّ وَمِن دَهرٍ بِهِ نَكَبُ
No neighbors but Solomon and his household
can save from an enemy and from a time of blows."
إِذا لَقيتَ أَبا أَيّوبَ في قَعَدٍ
أَو غازِياً فَوقَهُ الراياتُ تَضطَرِبُ
When you meet Abū Ayyūb in an assembly
or campaigning with waving banners overhead,
لاقَيتَ دُفّاعَ بَحرٍ لا يُضَعضِعُهُ
لِلمُشرِعينَ عَلى أَرجائِهِ شُرُبُ
you meet a sea's tide no launching of hosts
can shake, with those who launch on its coasts.
فَاِشرَب هَنيئاً وَذَيِّل في صَنائِعِهِ
وَاِنعَم فَإِنَّ قُعودَ الناعِمِ اللَعِبُ
So drink at ease, follow his lead in all things,
for the repose of the noble is play.
الهاشِمِيُّ اِبنُ داودٍ تَدارَكَنا
وَما لَنا عِندَهُ نُعمى وَلا نَسَبُ
Al-Hāshimī, son of Dāwūd, has succored us.
From him we look for no bounty or lineage.
أَحيا لَنا العَيشَ حَتّى اِهتَزَّ ناضِرُهُ
وَجارَنا فَاِنجَلَت عَنّا بِهِ الكُرَبُ
He revived life for us until its freshness shook
and he drove troubles far away from us.
لَيثٌ لَدى الحَربِ يُذكيها وَيُخمِدُها
وَلا تَرى مِثلَ ما يُعطي وَما يَهَبُ
A lion in war who rouses it and quiets it,
and the like of his giving and granting is not seen.
صَعباً مِراراً وَتاراتٍ نُوافِقُهُ
سَهلاً عَلَيهِ رِواقُ المُلكِ وَاللَجِبُ
Harsh and bitter - and daunting when we meet him -
smooth and easy the road to rulers and court.
رَكّابُ هَولٍ وَأَعوادٍ لِمَملَكَةٍ
ضَرّابُ أَسبابِ هَمٍّ حينَ يَلتَهِبُ
Horsemen of fear and lofty pillars of a kingdom,
striking the causes of grief when it blazes up.
ساقي الحَجيجِ أَبوهُ الخَيرُ قَد عَلِمَت
عُليا قُرَيشٍ لَهُ الغاياتُ وَالقَصَبُ
The pilgrims' cupbearer - good his father -
Quraysh knew well: to him belong the highest aims.
وافى حُنَيناً بِأَسيافٍ وَمُقرَبَةٍ
شُعثِ النَواصي بَراها القَودُ وَالخَبَبُ
He brought Ḥunain swords and polished blades,
the forelocks' dishevelment bared by cruelty and force.
يُعطي العِدى عَن رَسولِ اللَهِ مُهجَتَهُ
حَتّى اِرتَدى زَينَها وَالسَيفُ مُختَضِبُ
He shields God's Messenger from harm with his blood
till its ornament clothes him and the sword is bloodied.
وَكانَ داودُ طَوداً يُستَظَلُّ بِهِ
وَفي عَلِيٍّ لِأَعداءِ الهُدى هَرَبُ
Dāwūd was a buttress to take shelter by.
In ʿAlī is terror for enemies of right guidance.
وَالفَضلُ عِندَ اِبنِ عَبّاسٍ تُعَدُّ لَهُ
في دَعوَةِ الدينِ آثارٌ وَمُحتَسَبُ
With Ibn ʿAbbās bounty is accounted:
for him marks are chalked in religion's path.
قُل لِلمُباهي سُلَيماناً وَأُسرَتَهُ
هَيهاتَ لَيسَ كَعودِ النَبعَةِ الغَرَبُ
Say to the boaster of Solomon and his household:
"Bah! A sapling of the valley is not like Lebanon."
رَشِّح أَباكَ لِأُخرى مِن صَنائِعِهِ
وَاِعرِف لِقَومٍ بِرَأسٍ دونَهُ أَشَبُ
Present your father for another of his offices.
Recognize a folk whose heads are lower than his.
أَبناءُ أَملاكِ مَن صَلّى لِقِبلَتِنا
فَكُلُّهُم مَلِكٌ بِالتاجِ مُعتَصِبُ
Sons of kings who prayed facing our qibla -
all are kings whose crowned heads the turban clasps;
دَمُ النَبِيِّ مَشوبٌ في دِمائِهِمُ
كَما يُخالِطُ ماءَ المُزنَةِ الضَرَبُ
in whose blood the Prophet's blood is mingled
as fresh water mingles with the Pleiades.
لَو مُلِّكَ الشَمسَ قَومٌ قَبلَهُم مَلَكوا
شَمسَ النَهارِ وَبَدرَ اللَيلِ لا كَذِبُ
Had a people been given kingship before them, they would rule
the sun of daytime and the full moon of nightfall - no lie!
أَعطاهُمُ اللَهُ ما لَم يُعطِ غَيرَهُمُ
فَهُم مُلوكٌ لِأَعداءِ النُهى رُكَبُ
God gave them what He gave none other;
so over foes of religion they are kings on horseback.
لا يَحدَبونَ عَلى مالٍ بِمَبخَلَةٍ
إِذا اللِئامُ عَلى أَموالِهِم حَدَبوا
They do not look askance at wealth out of meanness
when the lowly look to their wealth with longing.
لَولا فُضولُ سُلَيمانٍ وَنائِلُهُ
لَم يَدرِ طالِبُ عُرفٍ أَينَ يَنشَعِبُ
But for Solomon's immoderation and his portion
no seeker of bounty would know which pass to climb.
يَنتابُهُ الأَقرَبُ الساعي بِذِمَّتِهِ
إِذا الزَمانُ كَبا وَالخابِطُ الجُنُبُ
In his debt is the nearest kin, begging his favor,
when times worsen and the threadbare turns shameless.
كَم مِن يَتيمٍ ضَعيفِ الطَرفِ لَيسَ لَهُ
إِلّا تَناوُلُ كَفَّي ذي الغِنى أَشَبُ
How many a helpless orphan with downcast eyes
has none but the palms of the wealthy to fill!
آخى لَهُ عَروُهُ الأَثرى فَنالَ بِهِ
رَواحَ آخَرَ مَعقودٍ لَهُ سَبَبُ
His naked arm has adopted him, and so he has attained
the pasturage of another time knotted for him.
بِنائِلٍ سَبِطٍ لا مَنَّ يُردِفُهُ
إِذا مَعاشِرُ مَنّوا الفَضلَ وَاِحتَسَبوا
An ample portion undiminshed by meanness
when the virtuous have granted bounty and acted righteously!
يا اِبنَ الأَكارِمِ آباءً وَمَأثَرَةً
مِنكَ الوَفاءُ وَمِنكَ النائِلُ الرَغَبُ
O best of the generous, in fathers and in pride,
loyalty is yours, and yours is the seeker's portion!
في الحَيِّ لي دَردَقٌ شُعثٌ شَقيتُ بِهِم
لا يَكسِبونَ وَما عِندي لَهُم نَشَبُ
Though I live on in abject clothes and misery,
with sons who bring no profit and have no food but roots -
عَزَّ المَضاعُ عَلَيهِم بَعدَ وَجبَتِهِم
فَما تَرى في أُناسٍ عَيشُهُم وَجَبُ
to them, after their allotted shares, sustenance
is hard, for you never see men whose living's roots!"
