سَيَبلُغُ عَنّي غَدوَةَ الريحِ أَنَّها
مَسيرَةُ شَهرٍ لِلرِياحِ الهَواجِمِ
The morning breeze will tell that it is
A month’s journey for the raging winds.
بَني عامِرٍ ما مَن تَأَوَّلَ مِنكُمُ
بِأَن سَوفَ يَنجو مِن تَميمٍ بِحازِمِ
O sons of Aamir, none of you interpreted
That Tameem would be saved by the resolute Hâzim.
وَلَو أَنَّ كَعباً أَو كِلاباً سَأَلتُمُ
عَلى عَهدِهِم قالوا لَكُم قَولَ عالِمِ
Had you asked Ka’b or Kilaab in their time,
Those knowledgeable men would have told you:
لَقالوا لَكُم كانَت هَوازِنُ حِقبَةً
عَلى عَهدِ أَكّالِ المِرارِ القُماقِمِ
“The Hawaazin were for a period
Devourers of the bitter fruits in the wastelands.”
قَطيناً يَرُبّونَ النِحاءَ لِيَفتَدوا
بِهِنَّ بَنيهِم مِن غُوَيٍّ وَسالِمِ
They were nomads who raised camels
To ransom their sons from Ghawy and Saalim.
إِذا النَحيُ لَم تَعجَل بِهِ عامِرِيَّةٌ
فَداها اِبنُها أَو بِنتُها في المَقاسِمِ
When no camel was hastily offered by a tribe of Aamir
Their son or daughter would be sacrificed.
أَظَنَّت كِلابُ اللُؤمِ أَن لَستُ خابِطاً
قَبائِلَ غَيرَ اِبنَي دُخانٍ بِدارِمِ
The dogs of vileness thought I do not engage
Other tribes except the sons of Dukhaan in war.
لَبِئسَ إِذاً حامي الحَقيقَةِ وَالَّذي
يُلاذُ بِهِ في مُعضِلاتِ العَظائِمِ
Evil then is the protector of principles, and the one
Who is resorted to in formidable predicaments!
وَحَتّى الخَناثى مِن قُشَيرٍ تَسُبُّني
وَجَعدَةُ أَشباهُ الإِماءِ الخَوادِمِ
Even the effeminate ones of Qushayr insult me,
As well as the curly-haired female slaves.
وَظَنَّت بَنو العَجلانِ أَن لَستُ ذاكِراً
عِلاطَهُمُ المَعروضَ تَحتَ العَمائِمِ
The sons of ‘Ijlaan thought I do not remember
Their abuse exposed under the turbans.
وَظَنَّت عُقَيلٌ أَنَّني لَستُ ذاكِراً
عَجوزَهُمُ الدَغماءَ أُمَّ التَوائِمِ
And ‘Uqayl thought I do not remember
Their spiteful old woman, mother of the twins.
وَكَم مِن لَئيمٍ قَد رَفَعتُ لَهُ اِسمَهُ
وَأَطعَمتُهُ بِاِسمي وَلَيسَ بِطاعِمِ
How many a villain have I elevated his name
And fed him with my name, while he is no feeder.
