خَيرُ ما يَكتُبُهُ ذو مَرقَمٍ
قِصَّةٌ فيها لِقَومٍ تَذكِرَه
The finest tale a scribe might pen,
Is a story holding a lesson for the people.
كانَ في ماضي اللَيالي أُمَّةٌ
خَلَعَ العِزُّ عَلَيها حِبرَه
In nights long past, there lived a nation,
Upon whom Glory draped its finest robes.
يَجِدُ النازِلُ في أَكنافِها
أَوجُهاً ضاحِكَةً مُستَبشِرَه
The traveler descending into its domains found,
Faces beaming with laughter and good cheer.
وَيَسيرُ الطَرفُ مِن أَرباضِها
في مَغانٍ حالِياتٍ نَضِرَه
And the gaze would wander through its outskirts,
Amidst dwellings adorned and verdant.
لَم يَقِس شَعبٌ إِلى أَمجادِها
مَجدَهُ الباذِخَ إِلّا اِستَصغَرَه
No people compared their own glory to hers,
Without deeming their own grandeur small.
هَمُّها في العِلمِ تُعلي شَأنَهُ
بَينَها وَالجَهلِ تَمحو أَثَرَه
Her ambition was to exalt the status of knowledge,
And to erase the very trace of ignorance from her midst.
ما تَغيبُ الشَمسُ إِلّا أَطلَعَت
لِلوَرى مَحمَدَةً أَو مَأثُرَه
The sun never set without rising to reveal,
For all mankind, a praiseworthy deed or noble exploit.
فَتَمَنّى الصُبحُ تَغدو شَمسَهُ
وَتَمَنّى اللَيلُ تَغدو قَمَرَه
The Morning wished she would become its sun,
And the Night wished she would become its moon.
وَمَشى الدَهرُ إِلَيها طائِعاً
فَمَشَت تائِهَةً مُفتَخِرَه
Fate itself walked toward her in obedience,
While she walked on, haughty and proud.
كانَ فيها مَلِكٌ ذي فِطنَةٍ
حازِمٌ يَصفَحُ عِندَ المَقدِرَه
Within her ruled a king of keen insight,
Decisive, yet forgiving when he held the power to punish.
يَعشَقُ الأَمرَ الَّذي تَعشَقُهُ
فَإِذا اِستَنكَرَتهُ اِستَنكَرَه
He loved the very things the nation loved,
And if she denounced a thing, he denounced it too.
بَلَغَت في عَهدِهِ مَرتَبَةً
لَم تَنَلها أُمَّةٌ أَو جَمهَرَه
In his era, she attained a rank,
Unreached by any other nation or multitude.
فَإِذا أَعطَت ضَعيفاً مَوثِقاً
أَشفَقَت أَعدائُهُ أَن تَخفِرَه
If she gave her pledge to the weak,
His enemies feared to violate her protection.
وَإِذا حارَبَها طاغِيَةٌ
كانَتِ الظافِرَةَ المُنتَصِرَه
And if a tyrant waged war against her,
She was ever the triumphant, the victor.
ماتَ عَنها فَآقامَت مَلِكاً
طائِشَ الرَأيِ كَثيرَ الثَرثَرَه
He died and left her, so she crowned a king,
Reckless in judgment, given to much prattle.
حَولَهُ عُصبَةُ سوءٍ كُلَّما
جاءَ إِدّاً أَقبَلَت مُعتَذِرَه
Surrounded by a corrupt clique who, whenever
He committed a calamity, rushed to make excuses.
حَسَّنَت في عَينِهِ آثامَهُ
وَإِلَيهِ نَفسَهُ المُستَكبِرَه
They beautified his sins in his eyes,
And flattered his arrogant soul.
وَتَمادى القَومُ في غَفلَتِهِم
فَتَمادى في المَلاهي المُنكَرَه
The people persisted in their slumber,
So he persisted in depraved amusements.
زَحزَحَ الأُمَّةَ عَن مَركَزِها
وَطَوى رايَتِها المُنتَشِرَه
He dislodged the nation from its foundation,
And furled its once-unfurled banner.
وَرَأَت فيها اللَيالي مَقتَلاً
فَرَمَتها فَأَصابَت مُدبِرَه
Fate saw in her a mortal vulnerability,
And struck her down as she turned to flee.
فَهَوَت عَن عَرشِها مُنعَفِرَه
مِثلَما تَرمي بِسَهمٍ قُبَّرَه
She tumbled from her throne into the dust,
Just as an arrow strikes down a lark.
كانَ فيها شاعِرٌ مُشتَهِرٌ
ذو قَوافٍ بَينَها مُشتَهِرَه
Within her lived a renowned poet,
Whose verses were celebrated in her midst.
كُلَّما هَزَّت يَداهُ وَتَراً
هَزَّ مِن كُلِّ فُؤادٍ وَتَرَه
Whenever his hands plucked a string,
He struck a chord in every heart.
تَعِسُ الحَظ وَهَل أَتعَسُ مِن
شاعِرٍ في أُمَّةٍ موحتَضَرَه
Ill-fated one! And is there anyone more wretched
Than a poet in a dying nation?
يَقرَءُ الناظِرُ في مُقلَتِهِ
ثَورَةً طاهِرَةً مُستَتِرَه
The observer could read in his eyes
A pure, hidden revolution.
ما يَراهُ الناسُ إِلّا واقِفاً
في مَغاني قَومِهِ المُندَثِرَه
People saw him only standing,
Amidst the ruined dwellings of his people.
حائِراً كَالرَيحِ في أَطلالِها
باكِيا وَالسُحُبَ المُنهَمِرَه
Wandering like the wind through the debris,
Weeping along with the pouring rain.
وَهيَ في أَهوائِها لاهِيَةٌ
وَكَذاكَ الأُمَّةُ المُستَهتِرَه
While the nation remained distracted by its whims,
Just like any reckless people.
ما رَأَت مُهجَتُهُ المُنفَطِرَه
لا وَلا أَدمُعُهُ المُنحَدِرَه
She did not see his broken soul,
Nor did she notice his falling tears.
فَشَكاهُ الشِعرُ مِمّا سامَهُ
وَشَكاهُ اللَيلَ مِمّا سَهَرَه
Poetry complained of the burden he placed upon it,
And the night complained of his endless vigils.
ثُمَّ لَمّا عَبِثَ اليَأسُ
مَزَّقَ الطِرس وَشَجَّ المِحبَرَه
Then, when despair finally consumed him,
He tore his parchment and shattered his inkwell.
مَرَّ يَوماً فَرَأى أَشيُخاً
جَلَسوا يَبكونَ عِندَ المَقبَرَه
Passing by one day, he saw old men
Sitting and weeping by the graveyard.
قالَ مالُكُمُ ما خَطبُكُم
أَيُّ كِنزٍ في الثَرى ىَو جَوهَرَه
He asked, "What ails you? What is your trouble?"
"What treasure or jewel lies within this soil?"
وَمَنِ لثاوي الَّذي تَبكونَهُ
قَيصَرٌ أَم تُبَّعٌ أَم عَنتَرَه
"And who is the resident you mourn?"
"Is it Caesar, Tubba', or Antarah?"
قالَ شَيخٌ مِنهُم مُحدَودِبٌ
وَدُموعُ اليَأسِ تَغشى بَصَرَه
A hunched elder among them replied,
With tears of despair clouding his sight:
إِنَّ مَن نَبكيهِ لَو أَبصَرَهُ
قَيصَرٌ أَبصَرَ فيهِ قَيصَرَه
"The one we weep for—if Caesar were to see him,"
"Caesar would recognize in him a fellow Caesar."
كَيفَ يا جاهِلُ لا تَعرِفَهُ
وَحُداةُ العيسِ تَروي خَبَرَه
"How, O ignorant one, do you not know him,"
"When the camel drivers sing tales of his fame?"
هُوَ مَلِكٌ كانَ فينا وَمَضى
فَمَضَت أَيّامِنا المُزدَهِرَه
"He was a king who dwelt among us, then passed away,"
"And with him, our flourishing days departed."
وَلَبِثنا بَعدَهُ في ظُلَمٍ
داجِيَتٍ فَوقَنا مُعتَكِرَه
"Since then, we have lingered in shadows,"
"Under a dark and turbid gloom."
وَالَّذي كانَ بِنا مَعرِفَةً
لِصُروفِ الدَهرِ أَمسى نَكِرَه
"And he who was once known to us,"
"Has become a stranger to the vicissitudes of time."
فَاِنتَهى التاجُ إِلى مُعتَسِفٍ
لَم يَزَل بِالتاجِ حَتّى نَثَّرَه
"The crown passed to a tyrant,"
"Who mishandled the crown until he shattered it."
كُلُّ ما تَصبو إِلَيهِ نَفسُهُ
مُعصَرٌ أَو خَمرَةٌ مُعتَصَرَه
"His soul desires nothing but"
"A young girl or pressed wine."
مُستَهينٌ بَِلَّيالي وَبِنا
مُستَعينٌ بِالطَغامِ الفَجَرَه
"He scorns the turning days and scorns us,"
"While seeking aid from the wicked rabble."
كُلَّما جاءَ إِلَيهِ خائِنٌ
واشِياً قَرَّبَه وَاِستَزوَرَه
"Whenever a traitor comes to him,"
"Bearing slander, he draws him close and welcomes him."
فَإِذا جاءَ إِلَيهِ ناصِحٌ
شَكَّ في نِيَّتِهِ فَاِنتَهَرَه
"But if a sincere advisor approaches,"
"He doubts his motives and rebukes him."
مُستَبِّدٌ باذِلٍ في لَحظَةٍ
ما اِذَّخَرناهُ لَه وَاِذَّخَرَه
"A despot, squandering in a single moment"
"What we and his fathers saved for him."
يَهَبُ المَرء وَما يَملُكُهُ
وَعَلى المَوهوبِ أَن يَستَغفِرَه
"He gives away a man and his property,"
"And the victim must beg for his pardon."
هَزَأَ الشاعِر مِنهُم قائِلاً
بَلَغَ السوسُ أُصولَ الشَجَرَه
The poet mocked them, saying:
"The rot has reached the roots of the tree."
رَحَمَةُ اللَهِ عَلى أَسلافِكُم
إِنَّهُم كانوا تُقاةً بَربَرَه
"God's mercy be upon your ancestors,"
"For they were pious and righteous."
رَحمَةُ اللَهِ عَلَيهِم إِنَّهُم
لَم يَكونوا أُمَّةً مُنشَطِرَه
"God's mercy be upon them, for they"
"Were never a divided nation."
إِنَّ مَن تَبكونَهُ يا سادَتي
كَالَّذي تَشكونَ فيكُم بَطَرَه
"The one you weep for, O my masters,"
"Is just like the one whose insolence you now complain of."
إِنَّما بَأسُ الأُلى قَد سَلَفوا
قَتلَ النَهمَةَ فيه وَالشَرَه
"But the might of those who came before"
"Stifled his greed and gluttony."
فَاِحبُسوا الأَدمُعَ في آماقِكُم
وَاِترُكوا هَذي العِظامَ النَخِرَه
"So hold back the tears in your eyes,"
"And leave these decaying bones be."
لَو فَعَلتُم فِعلَ أَجدادِكُم
ما قَضى الظالِمُ مِنكُم وَطَرَه
"Had you acted as your ancestors did,"
"The tyrant would not have achieved his desire over you."
ما لَكُم تَشكونَ مِن مُحتَكِمٍ
أُضتُمُ أَلسِنَكُم أَن تَشكُرَه
"Why do you complain of a ruler,"
"When you have trained your tongues to thank him?"
وَجَعَلتُم مِنكُم عَسكَرَهُ
وَحَلَفتُم أَن تُطيعوا عَسكَرَه
"You made of yourselves his army,"
"And swore an oath to obey his command."
كَيفَ لا يَبغي وَيَطغى آمِرٌ
يَتَّقي أَشجَعُكُم أَن يَنظُرَه
"How could a ruler not tyrannize and oppress,"
"When the bravest among you fears even to look at him?"
ما اِستَحالَ الهِرُّ لَيثاً إِنَّما
ىُسُدُ الآجامِ صارَت هِرَرَه
"The cat did not turn into a lion; rather,"
"The lions of the jungle have turned into cats."
وَإِذا اللَيثُ وَهَت أَظفارُهُ
أَنشَبَ السِنَّورُ فيهِ ظُفرَه
"And when the lion's claws grow weak,"
"The stray cat sinks its claws into him."
