لِمَن دارٌ وَرَبعٌ قَد تَعَفّى
بِنَهرِ الكَرخِ مَهجورُ النَواحِ
For whom is a house and an abode that has become desolate
By the Tigris River, the wailing deserted dwellings,
إِذا ما القَطرُ حَلّاهُ تَلاقَت
عَلى أَطلالِهِ هوجُ الرِياحِ
Whenever the rain moistens it, the violent winds
Converge upon its ruins.
مَحاهُ كُلُّ هَطّالٍ مُلِحٍّ
بِوَبلٍ مِثلِ أَفواهِ اللِقاحِ
It was erased by every strong, salty downpour
With an outpour like the mouths of lichen.
فَباتَ بِلَيلِ باكِيَةٍ ثَكولٍ
ضَريرَ النَجمِ مُتَّهَمَ الصَباحِ
It spent the night crying, mournfully sleepless,
While the morning star was accused of blindness.
وَأَسفَرَ بَعدَ ذَلِكَ عَن سَماءٍ
كَأَنَّ نُجومَها حَدَقُ المِلاحِ
After that, it revealed a sky
As if its stars were salt crystals.
سَقى أَرضاً تَحِلُّ بِها سُلَيمى
وَلا سَقى العَواذِلَ وَاللَواحِ
It watered a land where Suleima camped,
But did not water the maidens or the signboards.
مُهَفهَفَةٌ لَها نَظَرٌ مَريضٌ
وَأَحشاءٌ تَضيعُ مِنَ الوِشاحِ
It is delirious, with a sickly gaze
And entrails scattered by the wrap.
وَفِتيانٍ كَهَمِّكَ مِن أُناسٍ
خِفافٍ في الهُدُوِّ وَفي الرَواحِ
And youths, resolute as you are,
Lightweight, whether settled or traveling.
بَعَثتُهُمُ عَلى سَفَرٍ مَهيبٍ
فَما ضَرَبوا عَلَيهِم بِالقِداحِ
I sent them on a dreadful journey
And they did not bother to draw lots for it.
وَلَكِن قَرَّبوا قُلُصاً حِثاثاً
عَواصِفَ قَد حُنينَ مِنَ المِراحِ
But they presented worn-out, pathetic steeds
Whose manes were mussed by the winds.
وَكُلُّ مُرَوَّعِ الحَرَكاتِ ناجٍ
بِأَربَعَةٍ تَطيرُ بِهِ نِصاحِ
And every startled, frightened one found safety
In a carriage flown by four eagles.
كَأَنّا عِندَ نَهضَتِهِ رَفَعنا
خِباءً فَوقَ أَطرافِ الرِماحِ
It was as if, when they set out, we raised
A canopy atop the spearheads.
وَقادوا كُلَّ سَلهَبَةٍ سَبوحٍ
كَأَنَّ أَديمَها شَرِقٌ بِراحِ
And they led every smoothly galloping cavalry
As if their leather was illuminated by the wind.
تُخَلِّفُ في وُجوهِ الأَرضِ رَسماً
كَأُفحوصِ القَطا أَو كَالأَداحي
Leaving an impression on the earth’s face
Like the tracks of wild cats or grouse.
فَكابَدنا السُرى حَتّى رَأَينا
غُرابَ اللَيلِ مَقصوصَ الجَناحِ
We endured the night journey until we saw
The black birds of night with clipped wings.
وَقَد لاحَت لِساريها الثُرَيّا
كَأَنَّ نُجومَها نَورُ الأَقاحِ
And the Pleiades appeared with their leader
As if their stars were the light of fires.
وَأَعداءٍ دَلَفتُ لَهُم بِجَمعٍ
سَريعِ الخَطوِ في يَومِ الصِياحِ
And enemies whose army I confronted
With foot soldiers quick on the day of clamor.
وَكُنّا مَعشَراً خُلِقوا كِراماً
نَرى بَذلَ النُفوسِ مِنَ السَماحِ
We were a band created noble
Who saw generosity as a mark of honor.
دَعونا ظالِمينَ فَما ثُكِلنا
وَجِئنا فَاِقتَرَعنا بِالصِفاحِ
We left the wrongdoers be, and were not cowardly,
And came to draw lots fairly.
وَغادَيناهُمُ بِالخَيلِ شُعثاً
نُثيرُ النَقعَ بِالبَلَدِ المَراحِ
And we stormed them on disheveled steeds
Stirring up the sand in the desolate land.
وَبيضٍ تَأكُلُ الأَعمارَ أَكلاً
وَتَسقي الجانِبَينِ مِنَ الجِماحِ
And white horses that ravaged lives
And quenched both flanks’ thirst in battle.
وَفُرسانٍ يَرونَ القَتلَ غُنماً
فَما لَهُمُ لَدَيهِ مِن بَراحِ
And horsemen who saw killing as profit,
So they felt no remorse for it.
رَأونا آخِذينَ بِكُلِّ فَجٍّ
بِمُشعَلَةٍ تُوَقَّدُ بِالرِماحِ
We saw them taking hold of every rugged terrain
With a torch lit by spears.
فَعادوا بِالغَرارَةِ أَسلَمَتهُم
جَرائِرُهُم إِلى الحَينِ المُتاحِ
So they retreated, their crimes made them submit
To our blades at the opportune time.
قَرَينا بَغيَهُم طَعناً وَجيعاً
وَضَرباً مِثلَ أَفواهِ اللِقاحِ
We fulfilled their treachery, stabbing and mangling,
And striking like the mouths of lichen.
نُهَنّي الرَحلَ بِالخَيلِ المَذاكي
وَعُزّابَ الفَرائِسِ بِالنِكاحِ
We blessed travels with the gift of horses
And bachelors with marriage.
وَآخى النارَ وَالنيرانَ مَوتى
مُشَهَّرَةٌ تُبَشِّرُ بِالنَجاحِ
And fire made kin with flames, the dead
Brandished, heralding victory.
وَلا أَخشى إِذا أُعطيتُ جُهدي
وَأَحذُرُ أَن أَكونَ مِنَ الشِحاحِ
I do not fear if I exert all my effort,
But I am wary of being stingy.
وَأَفرَدَني مِنَ الإِخوانِ عِلمي
بِهِم فَبَقيتُ مَهجورَ النَواحِ
My knowledge distinguished me from the brothers,
So I remained with the wailing deserted dwellings.
عَمَرتُ مَنازِلي مِنهُم زَماناً
فَما أَدنى الفَسادَ مِنَ الصَلاحِ
I inhabited my dwellings with them for a time,
But how slight is purity next to corruption!
إِذا ما قَلَّ مالي قَلَّ مَدحي
وَإِن أَثرَيتُ عادوا في اِمتِداحي
When my wealth was little, my praise was little,
And if I grew rich, they returned praising me.
وَكَم ذَمٍّ لَهُم في جَنبِ مَدحٍ
وَجِدٍّ بَينَ أَثناءِ المُزاحِ
How much blame is matched by praise
And fun mixed with seriousness!
