أَأَحزَنَكَ الأُلى ظَعَنوا فَساروا

أَجَل فَالنَومُ بَعدَهُمُ غِرارُ

Did the departure of friends make you sad as they traveled away?

Yes, for sleep after them is but deception.

إِذا لاحَ الصِوارُ ذَكَرتُ نُعمى

وَأَذكُرُها إِذا نَفَحَ الصِوارُ

When the winds blow, I remember my blessings,

And I recall them when the winds waft their fragrance.

كَأَنَّكَ لَم تَزُر غُرَّ الثَنايا

وَلَم تَجمَع هَواكَ بِهِنَّ دارُ

It is as if you had never visited the winding valleys

Or gathered your love in their homes.

عَلى أَزمانَ أَنتَ بِهِنَّ بَلٌّ

وَإِذ أَسماءُ آنِسَةٌ نُوارُ

For some time, you have been calamitous to them

While their names are shining lights.

يُنَفِّسُ غَمَّهُ نَظَرٌ إِلَيها

وَيَقتُلُ داخِلَ الشَوقِ الجِوارُ

A glance at them relieves his sorrow

While yearning in his heart kills him.

ليالِيَ إِذ فِراقُ بَني سَلولٍ

لَدَيهِ وَعِندَهُ حَدَثٌ كِبارُ

During the nights when the people of Salul departed,

He has near him grave news that frighten him,

يُرَوِّعُهُ السَرارُ بِكُلِّ أَمرٍ

مَخافَةَ أَن يَكونَ بِهِ السِرارُ

Fears alarm him about every matter,

Lest there be betrayal in the secret.

كَأَنَّ فُؤادَهُ يَنزى حِذاراً

حِذارَ البَينِ لَو نَفَعَ الحِذارُ

It is as if his heart moves cautiously away

From the separation, even if caution avails not.

تَنادَوا في الغَزالَةِ حينَ راحوا

بِجَدِّ البَينِ حينَ دَنا الغِيارُ

They bid farewell during departure when the jealous drew near

With real separation as they came closer.

كَأَنَّ حُمولَهُم لَقَحاتُ وادٍ

مِنَ الجَبّارِ طابَ بِها الثِمارُ

It is as if their belongings were fruits of a valley

From the Almighty, which the fruits have perfumed.

أَقولُ وَلَيلَتي تَزدادُ طولاً

أَما لِلَّيلِ بَعدَهُمُ نَهارُ

I say while my night grows longer:

Does not the night have a day after them?

جَفَت عَيني عَنِ التَغميضِ حَتّى

كَأَنَّ جُفونَها عَنها قِصارُ

My eyes are tearless from blinking as if

Their lids, from them, are too short.

وَذي شُرَفٍ تَحِنُّ الريحُ فيهِ

حَنينَ النابِ ضَلَّ لَها حُوارُ

The wind moans in the eminent man

With the moaning of she-camels missing their young.

دَخَلتُ مُسارِقاً رَصدَ الأَعادي

عَلى سِتٍّ وَمَدخَلُنا خِطارُ

I entered, spying on the enemy,

While our access is hazardous.

فَلَمّا جِئتُ قُلنَ نَعِمتَ بالاً

خَلا شَجَنٌ وَغُيِّبَ مَن يَغارُ

When I came, they said, “You have met with affliction,”

While there remains sorrow, and the envious are absent.

فَحَدَّثتُ الظِباءَ مُؤَزَّراتٍ

أَلا لِلَّهِ ما مَنَعَ الإِزارُ

So I addressed the gazelles, clothed,

By Allah! What prevents the clothing?

وَمُحتَرِقِ الوَديقَةِ يَومَ نَحسٍ

مِنَ الجَرزاءِ ظَلَّ لَهُ أَوارُ

And the burner on an inauspicious day

While the armor cast a shadow and protected him.

نَحَرتُ هَجيرَهُ بِمُقَيَّلاتٍ

كَأَنَّ حَميمَ قُصَّتِهِنَّ قارُ

I slaughtered his sheep with knives

As if the zeal of their slaughter was热.

كَأَنَّ قُلوبَهُنَّ بِكُلِّ شَخصٍ

مُنَفَّرَةٌ وَلَيسَ بِها نِفارُ

It is as if their hearts are averse to every person;

Antipathetic, while having no aversion.

خَواضِعُ في البُرى أَفنى ذُراها

رَواحُ عَشِيَّةٍ ثُمَّ اِبتِكارُ

Submissive in the lands, I wasted their plenty,

The spirits of an evening, then invention the next morning.

صَبَرنَ عَلى السَمومِ وَكُلِّ خَرقٍ

بِهِ جَبَلٌ وَلَيسَ بِهِ أَمارُ

They were patient with poisons and every ragged thing

With a mountain, while having no sign.

كَأَنَّ عُيونَهُنَّ قُلاتُ قُفٍّ

مُخَلَّفَةُ الأَطايِطِ أَو نِقارُ

It is as if their eyes are little sheepskins,

Left over, or perhaps hedgehogs.

وَأَحمَقَ فاحِشٍ يَجري حَثيثاً

وَقَد زَخَرَت غَوارِبُهُ الغِزارُ

And a vulgar fool travels hurriedly

While his many sins overflow.

أَمِنتُ مَضَرَّةَ الفَحشاءِ إِنّي

أَرى قَبَساً تُشَبُّ وَلا تُضارُ

I am secure from the harm of vulgarity; I see

An ember growing without being extinguished.

لَقَد عَلِمَ القَبائِلُ غَيرَ فَخرٍ

عَلى أَحَدٍ وَإِن كانَ اِفتِخارُ

The tribes have known, apart from boasting,

About anyone, even if it is a boast.

بِأَنّا العاصِمونَ إِذا اِشتَجَرنا

وَأَنّا الحازِمونَ إِذا اِستَشاروا

That we are protectors when we quarrel

And we are decisive when they consult.

ضَمِنّا بَيعَةَ الخُلَفاءِ فينا

فَنَحنُ لَها مِنَ الخُلَفاءِ جارُ

We guaranteed the oath of allegiance of the caliphs among us

So we are, for them, from the caliphs, neighbors.

بِحَيٍّ مِن بَني عَجلانَ شوسٍ

يَسيرُ المَوتُ حَيثُ يُقالُ ساروا

With the life of the people of Banu ‘Aylan Shaws,

Death travels wherever it is said they traveled.

إِذا زَخَرَت لَنا مُضَرٌ وَسارَت

رَبيعَةُ ثُمَّتَ اِجتَمَعَت نِزارُ

When Mudar was populous and Rabi’a traveled

Then Nizari gathered together.

أَقامَ الغابِرونَ عَلى هَوانا

وَإِن رَغِمَت أُنوفُهُمُ وَساروا

Those who returned scorned our disgrace

Even if their noses were crammed in it forcefully as they traveled.

تَبَغَّ جِوارَنا إِن خِفتَ أَزّاً

نُجيرُ الخائِفينَ وَلا نُجارُ

Seek our neighborliness if you fear harm,

We protect those in fear and do not fail them.

لَنا بَطحاءُ مَكَّةَ وَالمُصَلّى

وَما حازَ المُحَصَّبُ وَالجِمارُ

Ours are the plains of Mecca and its mosque,

And whatever the gathering-place and the garbage dumps attained.

وَساقِيَةُ الحَجيجِ إِذا تَوافَوا

وَمُبتَدَرُ المواقِفِ وَالنِفارُ

And the drinking place of the pilgrims when they gather

And the head start places of departure.

وَميراثُ النَبِيِّ وَصاحِبَيهِ

تِلاداً لا يُباعُ وَلا يُعارُ

And the inheritance of the Prophet and his two companions

A birthright that is not sold or borrowed.

وَأَلواحُ السَريرِ وَمَن تَنَمّى

عَلى أَلواحِهِ تِلكَ الخِيارُ

And the tablets of the throne and those

Upon whose tablets are the virtuous.

كَأَنَّ الناسَ حينَ نَغيبُ عَنهُم

نَباتُ الأَرضِ أَخلَفَها القِطارُ

It is as if when we are absent from the people,

The vegetation of the earth was succeeded by ruin.

أَلَم يَبلُغ أَبا العَبّاسِ أَنّا

وَتَرناهُ وَلَيسَ بِهِ اِتّئارُ

Did it not reach Abu Al ‘Abbas that we

Abandoned him while being unperturbed?

غَداةَ تَصَبَّرَت كَلبٌ عَلَينا

وَلَيسَ لَها عَلى المَوتِ اِصطِبارُ

The morning a dog barked at us

While it has no patience for death.

لَنا يَومُ البِقاعُ عَلى دِمَشقٍ

وَعَينِ الجَرِّ صَولَتُنا نِجارُ

For us is the day of Biqa against Damascus

And our brewing cauldrons of war bubbled.

عَلى اليَومَينِ ظَلَّ عَلى يَمانٍ

وَكَلبٍ مِن أَسِنَّتِنا الحِجارُ

For two days a shadow remained over Yemen

And a dog, from our tongues, the rocks.

وَقَد راحَت تُرَوِّحُنا المَنايا

لِمَخذولٍ وَأَحرَزَهُ الفِرارُ

And the deaths have come relieving us

Of one defeated who has opted for flight.

وَأَهوَينا العَصا بِحِمارِ قَيسٍ

لِإِسماعيلَ فَاِتَّسَمَ الحِمارُ

And we rendered useless the armor of Yazid

While their jewelry could not be borrowed.

وَقَد طافَت بِأَضبَعِ آلِ كَلبٍ

كَتائِبُنا فَصارَ بِحَيثُ صاروا

And we destroyed the church of the son of Bukayya, the Christians,

So it was neither visited nor inhabited.

وَأَيُّ عَدُوِّنا نَأتيهِ إِلّا

تَهِمُّ بِحَربِهِ لا نُستَطارُ

And after them, the two sons of Mus'ad

While the steeds of their religion were cave hermits.

وَعَطَّلنا بَجيلَةَ مِن يَزيدٍ

وَكانَ حُلِيُّهُم لا يُستَعارُ

And Hims when the people of Hims changed

And were treacherous, treachery befell them.

وَدَمَّرنا اِبنَ باكِيَةِ النَصارى

فَأَصبَحَ لا يَزورُ وَلا يُزارُ

We killed Al-Saksaki without a victim

And is there any excuse for killing a dog?

وَأَودى بَعدَهُم بِاِبنَي مَصادٍ

فَوارِسُ دينُ قُومِهُمُ المُغارُ

And the steeds of Qais tangled in Tadmur

So Tadmur had devastation among them.

وَحِمصاً حينَ بَدَّلَ أَهلُ حِمصٍ

وَنالوا الغَدرَ نالَهُمُ البَوارُ

And the captives of Thabit and the groups of Kalb

Set out with their doves while we sought reprisal.

قَتَلنا السَكسَكِيَّ بِلا قَتيلٍ

وَهَل مِن مَقتَلِ الكَلبِ اِعتِذارُ

So a group of them departed while a group remained

Upon testicles that have no virility.

وَقَد عَرِكَت بِتَدمُرَ خَيلُ قَيسٍ

فَكانَ لِتَدمُرٍ فيها دَمارُ

They saw us and the doves together so they fled

As predators flee from the terrifying lions.

وَأُسرَةُ ثابِتٍ وَجُموعُ كَلبٍ

سَرى بِحِمامِهِم مِنّا اِعتِكارُ

We roamed the praiseworthy and glorious deeds

While we also in celebrations are merchants.

فَراحَ فَريقُهُم وَغدا فَريقٌ

عَلى خَصّاءَ لَيسَ لَها عِدارُ

When our leadership turns against a people,

They call out for departure or turn away.

رَأونا وَالحِمامَ مَعاً فَأجلَوا

كَما أَجلَت عَنِ الأُسدِ الوِبارُ

With Kalb, dog-herders away from the border of Qais

And with the Yemeni, where did decline run its course?

تَجَرنا في المَحامِدِ وَالمَعالي

وَنَحنُ كَذاكَ في الهَيجا تِجارُ

And we did not meet them except our chests

Repelling them while they were hot in war.

إِذا دارَت عَلى قَومٍ رَحانا

تَنادَوا بِالجَلاءِ أَوِ اِستَداروا

And the days of Al-Kufah we have verily left

Their supporter while he has no victory.

بِكَلبٍ كَلَّةٌ عَن حَدِّ قَيسٍ

وَباليَمَنيِّ أَينَ جَرى عِثارُ

When they advanced with a large army

We blew into their large army so they flew away.

وَما نَلقاهُمُ إِلّا صَدَرنا

بِرِيٍّ مِنهُمُ وَهُمُ حِرارُ

Spoils of our steeds until we reined them in

While they have no saddle-girths.

وَأَيّامَ الكُوَيفَةِ قَد تَرَكنا

نَصيرَهُمُ وَلَيسَ بِهِ اِنتِصارُ

It finished off Muqabbir and ground Zayd

And the one wrapped attained the cloak.

إِذا ما أَقبَلوا بِسَوادِ جَمعٍ

نَفَخنا في سَوادِهِمُ فَطاروا

And we advanced upon Al-Musabbih in Sharid

With gutted fish, snarling.

طَرائِدَ خَيلِنا حَتّى كَفَفنا

هَوادِيَها وَليَسَ بِها اِزوِرارُ

So when they pledged allegiance and made peace with us

And authority returned among us and the leadership,

أَصَبنَ مُكَبَّراً وَطَحَنَّ زَيداً

وَأَحرَزَ مَن تَحاطانَ الإِزارُ

We lifted the sword from Kalb the son of Kalb

And from Qahtan, they are insignificant.

وَأَقبَلنا المُسبِّحَ في شَريدٍ

بِخايِفَةٍ حَذائِنُها اِبتِدارُ

So we relieved the bright-faced from us

And from Marwan, so the dust settled.

فَلَمّا بايَعوا وَتَنَصَّفونا

وَعادَ الأَمرُ فينا وَالإِمارُ

With a piercing strike wherein the sword is ruined

And an assault wherein the sparks fly.

رَفَعنا السَيفَ عَن كَلبِ بِنِ كَلبٍ

وَعَن قَحطانَ إِنَّهُمُ صَغارُ

With every sharpened and angry blade

Of hardened steel mixed with greenness.

فَرَجنا ساطِعَ الغَمَراتِ عَنّا

وَعَن مَروانَ فَاِنفَرَجَ الغُبارُ

It is as if when offerings of goat meat were distributed among them the next day,

The cooking-pots bubbled with it.

بِطَعنٍ يَهلِكُ المِسبارُ فيهِ

وَتَضرابٍ يَطيرُ لَهُ الشَرارُ

What does the enemy think the next day of the war of Qais

If its afflictions upon the people were borrowed?

بِكُلِّ مُثَقَّفٍ وَبِكُلِّ عَضبٍ

مِنَ القَلعِيِّ خالَطَهُ اِخضِرارُ

For us is a fire in the east of glorious deeds

Blazing, and in the west, a fire.

كَأَنَّهُمُ غَداةَ شَرَعنَ فيهِم

هَدايا العَنزِ هاجَ بِها القُدارُ

We ambush Kalb’s flock in the night

And harvest them when dispersal occurs.

فَما ظَنَّ الغَداةَ بِحَربِ قَيسٍ

لَوَعرَتِها عَلى الناسِ اِستَعاروا

It is as if you have seen the women of Kalb

Being sold while not a one has a breastplate.

لَنا نارٌ بِشَرقِيِّ المَعالي

مُضَرَّمَةٌ وَبالغَربِيِّ نارُ

We have a scorching fire in the east of glorious deeds

And a blazing one in the west.

نُبَيِّتُ في الجَماعَةِ سَرحَ كَلبٍ

وَنَحصُدُهُم إِذا حَدَثَ اِنتِشارُ

We ambush the flock of Kalb in the night

And reap them when scattering occurs.

كَأَنَّكَ قَد رَأَيتَ نِساءَ كَلبٍ

تُباعُ وَما لِواحِدَةٍ صِدارُ

It is as if you've seen the women of Kalb

Being sold, while not one has a chest-piece.