يا طَلَلَ الحَيِّ بِذاتِ الصَمدِ

بِاللَهِ حَدِّث كَيفَ كُنتَ بَعدي

O relic of the beloved at Al-Samad,

By Allah, tell me how you've been after me.

أَوحَشتَ مِن دَعدٍ وَنُؤيِ دَعدِ

بَعدَ زَمانٍ ناعِمٍ وَمَردِ

Did you become desolate, from Da'ad and Naw'?

After a soft, fertile time?

عَهداً لَنا سَقياً لَهُ مِن عَهدِ

إِذ نَحنُ أَخيافٌ بِما نُؤَدّي

An era for us, quenching for it from the pact,

When we are brothers in what we fulfill.

يُخلِفنَ وَعداً وَنَفي بِوَعدِ

فَنَحنُ مِن جَهدِ الهَوى في جَهدِ

It reneges on a promise, and denies with a vow,

So we are exhausted by fervor in exhaustion.

نَلهو إِلى نَورِ الخُزامى الثَعدِ

في زاهِرٍ مِن سَبِطٍ وَجَعدِ

We frolic to the light of Al-Khuzam's thigh,

In a blossoming youth from Saba'a and Ja'd.

ما زالَ مِن حَرجِ الصَبا في رَندِ

يَختالُ في ماءِ النَدى المُنَدّي

He hasn't stopped swaggering youthfully,

Swaggering in the dewy water that flows gently,

حَتّى اِكتَسى مِثلَ عُيونِ البُردِ

رَوضاً بِمَغنى واهِبِ بنِ فِندِ

Until he was clad like the eyes of ice,

In the meadows of Maghna and Wahib bin Find.

أَهدى لَهُ الدَهرُ وَلَم يَستَهدِ

أَفوافَ أَنوارِ الحَداءِ المُجدي

Time gifted it to him and he did not donate,

The outskirts of glimmering honor that donates.

يَلقى الضُحى رَيحانُهُ بِسَجدِ

بُدِّلتُ مِن ذاكَ بُكىً لا يُجدي

It meets the morn with its bowing basil,

I changed from that to endless weeping.

آذَنَ طِلباتُ الصِبى بِصَدِّ

طالَبَني أَمرٌ وَلَيسَ يُجدي

The requests of childhood signaled firmly

A matter summoned me and weeping is no use,

فَهَنَّ لا يَشفينَني بِبَردِ

وَقَد أَراني في الصِبى الأَجَدِّ

So they weakened, they won't heal me with coolness,

And they saw me in severe childhood,

كَالبَدِّ فيهِنَّ لِأَهلِ البَدِّ

هَذا وَبَلّاني مَسيرُ الأَزدِ

Like the badness among the people of badness.

This and the march of Al-Azd notified me,

سِربٌ تَراءى كَنِظامِ العَقدِ

حُلوُ الحَديثِ حَسَنُ التَصَدّي

A caravan that appears like a necklace's string,

Sweet conversation, excellent companion,

واهاً لِأَسماءَ اِبنَةِ الأَشَدِّ

قامَت تَراءى إِذ رَأَتني وَحدي

Woe to the daughter of Al-Ashad!

She stood appearing when she saw me alone,

كَالشَمسِ بَينَ الزِبرِجِ المُنقَدِّ

سُلطانَ مُبيَضِّ عَلى مُسوَدِّ

Like the sun between the igniting embers,

A sultan whitening over blackness,

ضَنَّت بِخَدٍّ وَجَلَت عَن خَدِّ

ثُمَّ اِنثَنَت كَالنَفسِ المُرتَدِّ

Frowning with a cheek, and avoiding with a cheek,

Then she leaned like the panting breath,

وَرُحتُ مِن عِرقِ الهَوى أُصَدّي

يا عَجَباً لِلعاجِزِ المُسَدّي

And I went back dripping with passion's sweat.

What a wonder is the helpless pleader!

حُدِدتُ عَن حَظّي وَلَم أَجَدِّ

ما ضَرَّ أَهلَ النوكِ ضَعفُ الكَدِّ

I missed my fortune and did not attain.

What harmed the people of misery is weakness of struggle,

وافَقَ حَظّاً مَن سَعى بِجَدِّ

قُل لِلزُبَيرِ السائِلي عَن وُلدي

And who strived with diligence attained good fortune.

Say to Az-Zubair who asks about my son:

الحُرُّ يوصى وَالعَصا لِلعَبدِ

وَلَيسَ لِلمُحلِفِ مِثلُ الرَدِّ

The freeman bequeaths while the stick is for the slave.

The oath-taker has no equal retribution,

فَاِرضَ بِنَصفٍ وَأَزِح في القَصدِ

النَصفُ يَكفيكَ مِنَ التَعَدّي

So be content with half and be moderate in purpose.

Half is enough for you without transgression,

وَصاحِبٍ كَالدُمَّلِ المُمِدِّ

أَرقُبُ مِنهُ مِثلَ يَومِ الوِردِ

And a friend like the perpetual flow.

I watch for the likes of him like the day of roses,

حَمَلَتهُ في رُقعَةٍ مِن جِلدي

صَبراً وَتَنزيهاً لِما يُؤَدّي

Carrying it in a parchment scroll from my skin,

With patience and asceticism for what leads

حَتّى اِنطَوى غَيرَ فَقيدِ الفَقدِ

وَما دَرى ما رَغبَتي مِن زُهدي

Until the unlike was embraced except the loss of loss.

And he doesn't know what my inclination was in my asceticism,

وَطامِسِ السَمتِ جُموحِ الوِردِ

خالٍ لِأَصواتِ الصدى المُصَدّي

And the silence of composure, the passionate lover.

A land you see whose ruins are like monkeys,

أَرضاً تَرى حِرباءَها كَالقِردِ

يَميدُ في رَأدِ الضُحى المُمتَدِّ

Swaying in the meadow of dawn that stretches,

For the sand grouse in their cooing that echoes,

لِلقورِ في رَقراقِها تَرَدّي

زَوراءَ تُخفي عَجَباً وَتُبدي

The gazelles hide wonder and show,

With shining coats like the shining white,

مِن لامِعاتٍ كَالسَعالي البَدِّ

تَلمَعُ قُدّامي وَطوراً بَعدي

Gleaming ahead of me and behind me,

As if the tips of their thickets bow down.

كَأَنَّ قُصوى أُكمِها تُسَدّي

لا بَل تُصَلّي تارَةً وَتَردي

No! But they bow down sometimes and run.

They slumber in their flourishing place of slumber,

تَرقَدُّ في رَيعانِها المُرقَدِّ

وَعاصِفٍ مِن آلِها المُشتَدِّ

With a storm from their kin that rages,

I startled them with Al-'Ayham the audacious,

صَدَعتُها بِالعَيهَمِ العَلَندِ

يَلقى الضُحى بِمَنسِمِ مُكِدِّ

Who meets morn with a scowling frown,

And a watching, beholding, tender glance,

وَنَظَرٍ راعٍ وَهادٍ نَهدِ

وَهامَةٍ مَلمومَةٍ كَالصَلدِ

And an owl-like attitude like solid stone.

I spurred him so he outpaced freely without resistance,

جَشَمتُهُ أَفضى وَشيحَ الجِلدِ

طَيَّ السَخاوِيِّ بِغَيرِ نِدِّ

He continued sometimes trotting and sometimes galloping

In the belly of a camel, and on a solid back,

ما زالَ يَشدو تارَةً وَيَخدي

في بَطنِ عَيثٍ وَظَهرٍ صَلدِ

Smooth that cannot be guided,

Until he ended like an old palm trunk,

أَملَسُ لا يُهدى بِهِ مُهَدِّ

حَتّى اِنتَهى مِثلَ صَليفِ القِدِّ

So he cracked under a glorious rider,

Returning water and wealth like water of torrents,

فَاِنصَدَعَت عَن راكِبٍ مُجِدِّ

وَرّادِ أَمواهٍ كَماءِ السِخدِ

And a vanishing one who hid for the town's hidden,

A banner that meets with long adversity,

وَغارِبٍ أَخفى لِخافي البَلدِ

رَيّانَ يَلقى مَعَ طولِ الشَدِّ

Sobbing its call that is mended,

In it the twigs of acacia are kindled,

مُكَعبَراً نَداءَه المُثَدّي

فيهِ لِصيرانِ الفَلا تَغَدّي

It was not fed by abundance or number,

Except by water of presses, hand presses,

لَم يُغذَ بِالفَيضِ وَلا بِالعِدِّ

إِلّا بِماءِ المُعصِراتِ الهُدِّ

With changing crowns in its advance.

Crowned with yellow among the roses,

مُختَلِفَ التيجانِ في التَنَدّي

كُلِّلَ بِالأَصفَرِ بَينَ الوَردِ

And with pure morning glory that glows,

And the carnation infused with the fawn's color,

وَبِالبَنَفسِ المُشرِقِ الرِخوَدِّ

وَالجَونِ مَشبوباً بِلَونِ الفَهدِ

Bundled on its chest like a golden dinar,

Of red blossoms that do not blacken,

موفٍ عَلى حَوذانِهِ كَالنَقدِ

مِن زاهِرٍ أَحمَرَ لَم يَسوَدِّ

That goes forth like the dawn's going in the advance,

Bursting forth like the eyes of locusts,

يَغدو كَغادي الشَرقِ في التَغَدّي

مُنبَلِقاً مِثلَ عُيونِ الجُردِ

The sun wanders in it, the one with flames,

When its flies rouse with defiance.

تَحارُ فيهِ الشَمسُ ذاتُ الوَقدِ

إِذا حَدا ذُبابُهُ المُحَدّي

It rivaled the starlings like the prepared,

I bid it good morning in the shade of a lofty cliff,

عارَضَهُ المُكّاءُ كَالمُستَعدي

صَبَّحتُهُ في ظِلِّ مُزنٍ سَمدِ

Early before the hyenas' going,

With a barren, very barren she-camel or a young one,

غُدَيَّةً قَبلَ غُدُوِّ السُبدِ

بِعاقِرٍ جَدّاءَ أَو أَجَدِّ

Seeking the distinction of the plump hyenas,

But do you see the gleam of the singular beloved,

يَطلُبُ شَأوَ اليَعمُلاتِ الجُدِّ

بَل هَل تَرى لَمعَ الحُبَيِّ الفَردِ

Faithful from the eye with the star of fortune?

A wind sings with it and a wind makes it tender,

وافي مِنَ العَينِ بِنَجمِ السَعدِ

تَحدو بِهِ ريحٌ وَريحٌ تَهدي

As if the wailing of grieving women,

Were in a courtyard gleaming with the Furand,

كَأَنَّ أَنواحُ النِساءِ الجُدِّ

في عَرصَةٍ يَلمَعنَ بِالفِرَندِ

It topped the valley and highest Najd,

The ostrich struts in it like the heavy necked.

قَد طَبَّقَ الغَورَ وَأَعلى نَجدِ

يَستَنُّ فيهِ كَالنَعامِ الرُبدِ

When its teeth shine, the undiverted splits,

It lights up the left side after the slumber,

إِذا سَناهُ اِنشَقَّ غَيرَ المُكدي

أَضاءَ لِلشامَةِ بَعدَ الرَقدِ

Carnation pink like mountains of Kurd,

Bursting clouds, defeat of thunder,

جونَ الرُبى مِثلَ جِبالِ الكُردِ

مُنبَعِقِ القَصفِ هَزيمِ الرَعدِ

I said to it when it dug in the pact

And submerged the valley and others.

قُلتُ لَهُ حينَ حَفا في العَهدِ

وَغَرَّقَ الوَهدَ وَغَيرَ الوَهدِ

With paths like the gentle, pure honey:

Surrender and you are greeted Abu Al-Milaad!

بِسَبَلٍ مِثلِ زُلالِ الشَهدِ

اِسلَم وَحُيِّيتَ أَبا المِلَدِّ

You are the harvest of the lote-tree and death of the enemy,

Crowned by forefathers, tremendous backup,

أَنتَ جَنى العودِ وَمَوتُ الرِئدِ

مُتَوَّجُ الآباءِ ضَخمُ الرِفدِ

Key to the door of sealed youth,

What a blessed shrine of the confessor and pilgrim!

مِفتاحُ بابِ الحَدَثِ المُنسَدِّ

نِعمَ مَزارُ المُعتَفي وَالوَفدِ

And you are for the soldiers and others.

Shared sustenance and patron of the clubs,

وَأَنتَ لِلجُندِ وَغَيرِ الجُندِ

مُشتَرَكُ النَيلِ وَرِيُّ الزَندِ

You precede whoever rivals you before ferocity,

With forbearance, kindness, and skillful cleverness.

تَسبِقُ مَن جاراكَ قَبلَ الشَدِّ

بِالحِلمِ وَالجودِ وَضَربِ الكَردِ

You haven't ceased being well-known to the chaste,

The delusion that clads the robes of glory,

ما زِلتَ مَعروفاً مَعَ الأَرَدِّ

أَغَرَّ لَبّاساً ثِيابَ المَجدِ

I had none but love for you,

Then praise like the scent of roses,

ما كانَ مِنّي لَكَ غَيرُ الوُدِّ

ثُمَّ ثَناءٌ مِثلُ ريحِ الوَردِ

I wove it in prose with expertise,

So wear my composition without tyranny,

نَسَجتُهُ في المُحكَماتِ النَدِّ

فَاِلبَس طِرازي غَيرَ مُستَبَدِّ

By Allah your days are in Preparation,

Then Qahtan's sons, then slaves,

لِلَّهِ أَيّامُكَ في مَعَدِّ

ثُمَّ بَني قَحطانَ ثُمَّ عَبدِ

A day at Dhi Subay'a during the war,

And in it you entrusted the land of India,

يَوماً بِذي صُبيَةَ عِندَ الحَدِّ

وَعِندَهُ اِستَودَعتَ أَرضَ الهِندِ

With approximators, distanciators, and shields,

When the youth is tested with them, they do not fail,

بِالمُقرِباتِ المُبعِداتِ الجُردِ

إِذا الفَتى أَكدى بِها لَم تُكدِ

They unite matters and affairs you lead,

And the wise son when he came to you confused,

تُلحِمُ أَمراً وَأُموراً تُسدي

وَاِبنُ حَكيمٍ إِذ أَتاكَ يَردي

In the inverted successive count,

He went with a limit and attacked with a limit,

في العَدَدِ المُعلَنكِسِ الأَعَدِّ

راحَ بِحَدٍّ وَغَدا بِحَدِّ

Inciting rejection like pelting pebbles,

Inciting Al-Lawadhie's thickets of bending,

يَحفِزُ دَفّاعاً كَطَردِ الصَردِ

حَفزَ اللاواذِيِّ عُبابَ المَدِّ

As if he is from the deep forests,

Among the resting, extended, guided army,

كَأَنَّهُ مِن غُلَواءِ الجُردِ

في العَسكَرِ المُسلَنطِحِ المُقوَدِّ

Deaf who does not hear the voice of thunder,

You defeated him with your preparedness,

أَصَمُّ لا يَسمَعُ صَوتَ الرَعدِ

حَبَيتَهُ بِحَتفِهِ المُعَدِّ

After sincere stabs and skinning,

So he collapsed like a leaning mountain,

بَعدَ طِعانٍ صادِقٍ وَجَلدِ

فَاِنهَدَّ مِثلَ الجَبَلِ المُنهَدِّ

And it cracked open from a most vicious lion,

And from tigers around it and lions,

وَاِنفَرَجَت عَن أَسَدٍ أَلَدِّ

وَعَن نُمورٍ حَولَهُ وَأُسدِ

Overthrown like the overthrown beetles,

Away! And do not inherit from them from afar!

صَرعى كَصَرعى الخَندَريسِ المُردِ

بُعداً وَلا تَرثِ لَهُم مِن بُعدِ

Each person is hostage to what he leads to,

And many a crowned noble honored,

كُلَّ اِمرِئٍ رَهنٌ بِما يُؤَدّي

وَرُبَّ ذي تاجٍ كَريمِ المَجدِ

Like the family of Kisra and the family of Burd,

Fell short, deviating from the path of righteousness,

كَآلِ كِسرى وَكَآلِ بُردِ

أَنكَبَ جافٍ عَن طَريقِ الرُشدِ

So you detached him from his money and children.

O daughter of the most eloquent of Bani Urnud!

فَصَلتَهُ عَن مالِهِ وَالوُلدِ

يا بِنتَ أَفصى مِن بَني العُرُندِ

Tell Abd Al-Qais if you do not find

Do not rejoice in the most severe adversity,

قولي لِعَبدِ القَيسِ إِن لَم تُجدِ

لا تَفرَحي بِالجَلَبِ الأَشَدِّ

So wait for the aftermath after the affliction.

It is equal, one who invades and one in the grave,

فَاِنتَظِري عُقبَةَ بَعدَ الوَخدِ

سِيّانَ مَن يَغزو وَمَن في اللَحدِ

Time has come to you with a matter, so comply,

With the aftermath of the troublemaker, then the glorious,

قَد جاءَكِ الدَهرُ بِأَمرٍ إِدِّ

بِعُقبَةَ المِشغَبِ ثُمَّ المُجدي

He waves his sharpest sword,

Among a horde like the advancing darkness,

يَهُزُّ أَعلى سَيفِهِ الأَحَدِّ

في جَحفَلٍ كَالعارِضِ المُسوَدِّ

Splitting the back of the solid, barren land,

With the standards in the incised sarad,

يَشُقُّ مَتنَ الصَحصَحانِ الجَردِ

بِالعَلَمَينِ في الحَديدِ السَردِ

And all the roaring squadrons of slaughter,

In his armor, and death above the armor,

وَكُلِّ جَيّاشِ العَشايا نَهدِ

في لِبدِهِ وَالمَوتُ فَوقَ اللِبدِ