وَلَستُ بِناسٍ فَضلَ مَروانَ ما دَعَت
حَمامَةُ أَيكٍ في الحَمامِ الهَواتِفِ
I am not one who prefers Marwan when
The cooing dove in the baths calls to her loved ones.
وَكانَ لِمَن رَدَّ الحَياةَ وَنَفسُهُ
عَلَيها بَواكٍ بِالعُيونِ الذَوارِفِ
And he who brought back life and himself
To weep for it with flowing eyes.
وَما أَحَدٌ مُعطىً عَطاءً كَنَفسِهِ
إِذا نَشِبَت مَكظومَةٌ بِالخَوائِفِ
None gives a gift like his own soul
When terrors close in.
حُتوفُ المَنايا قَد أَطَفنَ بِنَفسِهِ
وَأَشلاءِ مَحبوسٍ عَلى المَوتِ واقِفِ
Death has extinguished itself with his soul,
And a prisoner's limbs stand halted before death,
وَما زالَ فيكُم آلَ مَروانُ مُنعِمٌ
عَلَيَّ بِنُعمى بادِئٍ ثُمَّ عاطِفِ
Still the Marwanid house lavishes bounty upon me
At first, then redoubles.
فَإِن أَكُ مَحبوساً بِغَيرِ جَريرَةٍ
فَقَد أَخَذوني آمِناً غَيرَ خائِفِ
If I am imprisoned though innocent
They seized me in confidence, unafraid.
وَما سَجَنوني غَيرَ أَنّي اِبنُ غالِبٍ
وَأَنّي مِنَ الأَثرَينِ غَيرِ الزَعانِفِ
They imprisoned me only because I am Ghālib's son,
Because I am of the clashing ones, not the quailing,
وَأَنّي الَّذي كانَت تَعُدُّ لِثَغرِها
تَميمٌ لِأَبياتِ العَدُوِّ المَقاذِفِ
Because I am he whose mouth they used to reckon,
Against their enemies' vituperations,
وَكَم مِن عَدُوٍّ دونَهُم قَد فَرَستُهُ
إِلى المَوتِ لَم يَسطَع إِلى السُمِّ رائِفِ
And many's the foe, less than they, I have sent
To death, unable to attain the heights of valor.
وَكُنتُ مَتى تَعلَق حِبالي قَرينَةً
إِذا عَلِقَت أَقرانَها بِالسَوالِفِ
Whenever my ropes were coupled to another's,
Coupled to its match by twining,
مَدَدتُ عَلابِيَّ القَرينِ وَزِدتَهُ
عَلى المَدِّ جَذباً لِلقَرينِ المُخالِفِ
I would surge ahead, outpacing that mate,
Pulling taut against the resisting partner.
وَإِنّي لِأَعداءِ الخَنادِفِ مِدرَهٌ
بِذَحلٍ غَنِيٍّ بِالنَوائِبِ كالِفِ
To the foes of the perfidious I am a club
Rich in strokes of calamity, binding fast.
لِجامُ شَجىً بَينَ اللَهاتَينِ مَن يَقَع
لَهُ في فَمٍ يَركَب سَبيلَ المَتالِفِ
Between these two encampments goes a cup of anguish—
An agony for him who falls into conforming.
وَإِن غِبتُ كانوا بَينَ راوٍ وَمُحتَبٍ
وَبَينَ مُعيبٍ قَلبُهُ بِالشَنائِفِ
Though absent, they were amid backbiting narrators
And spiteful hearts busied with imprecations,
وَبِالأَمسِ ما قَد حاذَروا وَقعَ صَولَتي
فَصَيَّفَ عَنها كُلُّ باغٍ وَقاذِفِ
Only yesterday they guarded against my attack—
From it recoiled every censurer and detractor.
وَقَد عَلِمَ المَقرونُ بي أَنَّ رَأسَهُ
سَيَذهَبُ أَو يُرمى بِهِ في النَفانِفِ
My companion in chains knows well that his head
Will perish or be flung into the fires.
