أَبى الحُزنَ أَن أَسلى بَنِيَّ وَسَورَةٌ
أَراها إِذا الأَيدي تَلاقَت غِضابُها
Sorrow refused solace for my sons though
a wall I saw rage when hands clasped hers,
وَما اِبنايَ إِلّا مِثلُ مَن قَد أَصابَهُ
حِبالُ المَنايا مَرُّها وَاِشتِعابُها
My sons were same as those fate had struck
with death's ropes-slowly she took them.
ثَوى اِبنايَ في بَيتي مُقامٌ كِلاهُما
أَخِلَّتُهُ عَنّي بَطيءٌ ذَهابُها
My sons lodged in my home, both their stays
emptied me, slowly they went their ways.
وَمَحفورَةٍ لا ماءَ فيها مَهيبَةٍ
يُغَطّى بِأَعوادِ المَنِيَّةِ نابُها
In graves dug, empty of water, dreadful,
with woodDeath hides his fangs.
أَناخَ إِلَيها اِبنايَ ضَيفَي مَقامَةٍ
إِلى عُصبَةٍ ما تُستَعارُ ثِيابُها
To them my sons came, guests briefly housed
among a horde whose clothes aren't lent.
فَلَم أَرَ حَيّاً قَد أَتى دونَ نَفسِهِ
مِنَ الأَرضِ جولاً هُوَّةٍ وَتُرابُها
No living soul have I seen come below
to earth-a pit whose dust absorbed his woe
مِنَ الناسِ إِلّا أَنَّ نَفسي تَعَلَّقَت
إِلى أَجَلٍ حَتّى يَجيءَ مُصابُها
Except my soul has focused till the day
appointed comes that ends its stay.
وَكانوا هُمُ المالَ الَّذي لا أَبيعُهُ
وَدِرعي إِذا ما الحَربُ هَرَّت كِلابُها
For they were wealth that I do not sell
and armor when war lets loose her hell.
وَكَم قاتِلٍ لِلجوعِ قَد كانَ مِنهُمُ
وَمِن حَيَّةٍ قَد كانَ سُمّاً لُعابُها
How many they killed when hunger called
and snakes whose poison tips appalled.
إِذا ذُكِرَت أَسمائُهُم أَو دُعوا بِها
تَكادُ حَيازيمي تَفَرّى صِلابُها
When named, or called, my chest's bones crack
and my ribs start-such fierce attack!
وَكُنتُ بِهِم كَاللَيثِ في خيسِ غابَةٍ
أَبى ضارِعاتٍ كانَ يُرجى نُشابُها
For them, a lion in wild gorge I'd been,
no plea made me defer their need, keen.
وَكُنتُ وَإِشرافي عَلَيهِم وَما أَرى
لِنَفسِيَ إِذ هُم في فُؤادي لُبابُها
I and my rule o'er them-I see no trace
of self when in my heart they've place,
كَراكِزِ أَرماحٍ تُجَزِّعنَ بَعدَما
أُقيمَت حَوانيها وَسُنَّت حِرابُها
Like spear shafts, though the tribes attack,
their forts secure, their blades no lack.
إِذا ذَكَرَت عَيني الَّذينَ هُمُ لَها
قَذىً هيجَ مِنها لِلبُكاءِ اِنسِكابُها
When my eyes see those who fill their sight,
tears pour that mourn that woeful plight.
بَني الأَرضِ قَد كانوا بَنِيَّ فَعَزَّني
عَلَيهِم لِئاجالِ المَنايا كِتابُها
Sons of earth! My sons made me glad.
Now destiny makes me infinitely sad.
وَلَولا الَّذي لِلأَرضِ ما ذَهَبَت بِهِم
وَلَمّا تَفَلَّل بِالسُيوفِ حِرابُها
But for whom earth has taken them away
and swords ripped open war's array,
وَكائِن أَصابَت مُؤمِناً مِن مُصيبَةٍ
عَلى اللَهِ عُقباها وَمِنهُ ثَوابُها
Whatever strikes the faithful down
rewards shall come, those blows we crown.
هَجَرنا بُيوتاً أَن تُزارَ وَأَهلُها
عَزيزٌ عَلَينا يا نَوارُ اِجتِنابُها
Homes we shunned could be robbed, and yet
those folk still precious whom we'd not met.
وَداعٍ عَلَيَّ اللَهُ لَو مِتُّ قَد رَأى
بِدَعوَتِهِ ما يَتَّقي لَو يُجابُها
May God bless me! If I had died before
this happened, wishes bring them back no more.
وَمِن مُتَمَنٍّ أَن أَموتَ وَقَد بَنَت
حَياتي لَهُ شُمّاً عِظاماً قِبابُها
My hope-to die with life that built for them
fragrant tombs with rising domes o'er them.
سَيُبلِغُ عَنّي الأَخطَلَينِ اِبنَ غالِبٍ
وَأَخطَلَ بَكرٍ حينَ عَبَّ عُبابُها
Two poets will tell Ibn Ghalib for me
and Akhtal Bekr when night falls balefully
أَخي وَخَليلي التَغلِبِيَّ وَدونَهُ
سَخاويُّ تَنضى في الفَيافي رِكابُها
Brother, dear friend from Taghlib, and beyond
Sakhawee-at dawn their mounts wander on.
وَخُنسٌ تَسوقُ السَخلَ كُلَّ عَشِيَّةٍ
بِداوِيَّةٍ غَبراءَ دُرمٍ حِدابُها
And Khunays leading camels at evening pass
to Daweeya, dust colored, steep their mass.
فَلا تَحسِبا أَنّي تَضَعضَعَ جانِبي
وَلاءَنَّ نارَ الحَربِ يَخبو شِهابُها
Think not events have shaken my arm, nor flame
quenched which war will stir again the same.
بَقيتُ وَأَبقَت مِن قَناتي مَصابَتي
عَشَوزَنَةً زَوراءَ صُمّاً كِعابُها
Still remains in me of Qanat's line the strike
proud she goat, deaf, whose blows she will not like.
عَلى حَدَثٍ لَو أَنَّ سَلمى أَصابَها
بِمِثلِ بَنِيَّ اِرفَضَّ مِنها هِضابُها
At news that Salma underwent such as took
my sons, mountains themselves would shudder and rebuke.
وَما زِلتُ أَرمي الحَربَ حَتّى تَرَكتُها
كَسيرَ الجَناحِ ما تَدِفَّ عُقابُها
Still I wage war until I leave it behind
like feathers molting that eagles won't find.
إِذا ما اِمتَراها الحالِبونَ عَصَبتُها
عَلى الجَمرِ حَتّى ما يَدِرُّ عِصابُها
When enemies try to milk it I twist tight
its teats until they get no sip however they might,
وَأَقعَت عَلى الأَذنابِ كُلُّ قَبيلَةٍ
عَلى مَضَضٍ مِنّي وَذَلَّت رِقابُها
And I fall on their necks so every clan will go
cowed by me, heads bowed down very low.
أَخٌ لَكُما إِن عَضَّ بِالحَربِ أَصبَحَت
ذَلولاً وَإِن عَضَّت بِهِ فُلَّ نابُها
You are brothers when war bites you bare its teeth,
and when you bite its fangs fall underneath!
