أَلا أَبلِغ بَني عَوفِ بنِ كَعبِ
وَهَل قَومٌ عَلى خُلُقٍ سَواءُ
Should I convey to the clan of ‘Auf ibn Ka’b
That a people of equal manners are there ever?
عُطارِدَها وَبَهدَلَةَ بنَ عَوفٍ
فَهَل يَشفي صُدورَكُمُ الشِفاءُ
To ‘Uṭāridah and Bahdalah son of ‘Auf—
Can that bring about healing to your breasts?
أَلَم أَكُ نائِياً فَدَعَوتُموني
فَجاءَ بِيَ المَواعِدُ وَالدُعاءُ
Was I not a neighbor, so you drove me out?
Yet appointments came and invitations too.
أَلَم أَكُ جارَكُم فَتَرَكتُموني
لِكَلبي في دِيارِكُمُ عُواءُ
Was I not your neighbor, whom you abandoned
To the howlings of dogs in your quarters?
وَآنَيتُ العَشاءَ إِلى سُهَيلٍ
أَوِ الشِعرى فَطالَ بِيَ العَشاءُ
I brought supper to Suhayl or Sirius
And long was the supper to me that night.
وَلَمّا كُنتُ جارَكُمُ أَبَيتُم
وَشَرُّ مَواطِنِ الحَسَبِ الإِباءُ
When I was your neighbor, you refused.
Ill-repute is the worst of abodes.
وَلَمّا كُنتُ جارَهُمُ حَبَوني
وَفيكُم كانَ لَو شِئتُم حِباءُ
When I was their neighbor, they loved me.
Among you, if you wished, was affection shown.
وَلَمّا أَن مَدَحتُ القَومَ قُلتُم
هَجَوتَ وَما يَحِلُّ لَكَ الهِجاءُ
When I praised that people, you said “he reviles!”
Yet reviling is not sanctioned for you.
أَلَم أَكُ مُحرِماً وَيَكونَ بَيني
وَبَينَكُمُ المَوَدَّةُ وَالإِخاءُ
Was I not one protected, while between us
Lay affection and brotherhood pure?
فَلَم أَشتُم لَكُم حَسَباً وَلَكِن
حَدَوتُ بِحَيثُ يُستَمَعُ الحُداءُ
Yet I cursed you not in lineage, but in fervor—
Wherein listening to malediction is allowed.
فَلا وَأَبيكَ ما ظَلَمَت قُرَيعٌ
بِأَن يَبنوا المَكارِمَ حَيثُ شاؤوا
Nay, Quray‘ did no wrong in daring
To build nobilities wheresoever they would!
فَلا وَأَبيكَ ما ظَلَمَت قُرَيعٌ
وَلا بَرِموا لِذاكَ وَلا أَساؤوا
Nay, Quray‘ perpetrated no wrong.
They built not that for any ill or foul intent.
بِعَثرَةِ جارِهِم أَن يَجبَروها
فَيَغبُرَ حَولَهُ نَعَمٌ وَشاءُ
That a neighbor of theirs stumbled, so they might aid
And restore him: breeds and cattle round him increase.
فَيَبني مَجدَها وَيُقيمَ فيها
وَيُمشي إِن أُريدَ بِهِ المَشاءُ
He builds his glory and settles amidst it,
While if a walk is wanted of him, he can walk!
وَإِنَّ الجارَ مِثلُ الضَيفِ يَغدو
لِوِجهَتِهِ وَإِن طالَ الثَواءُ
For a neighbor is like a guest who comes early
Unto his destination, however long the separation.
وَإِنّي قَد عَلِقتُ بِحَبلِ قَومٍ
أَعانَهُمُ عَلى الحَسَبِ الثَراءُ
And I’ve clung to the rope of a folk helped on
By affluence in repute, annals, and fame.
هُمُ المُتَضَمِّنونَ عَلى المَنايا
بِمالِ الجارِ ذَلِكُمُ الوَفاءُ
They share in deaths by giving of their wealth.
That is true loyalty in them expressed!
هُمُ الآسونَ أُمَّ الرَأسِ لَمّا
تَواكَلَها الأَطِبَّةُ وَالإِساءُ
They give succor when crisis plagues the woman—
The helpless, if forsaken by her guardian.
هُمُ القَومُ الَّذينَ إِذا أَلَمَّت
مِنَ الأَيّامِ مُظلِمَةٌ أَضاؤوا
They're the folk, if times bring darkness o'er some wretch,
Shed light for him till sights can be regained!
هُمُ القَومُ الَّذينَ عَلِمتُموهُم
لَدى الداعي إِذا رُفِعَ اللِواءُ
They're the folk whom you know, if the plea goes up,
And the banners for aid are lifted high.
إِذا نَزَلَ الشِتاءُ بِدارِ قَومٍ
تَجَنَّبَ دارَ بَيتِهِمُ الشِتاءُ
If winter befalls the land of any clan,
Its coldness shuns their abode for sure.
فَأَبقوا لا أَبا لَكُمُ عَلَيهِم
فَإِنَّ مَلامَةَ المَولى شَقاءُ
So omit reproach against them, I do swear—
The Most High's blame is such sore evil!
فَإِنَّ أَباهُمُ الأَدنى أَبوكُم
وَإِنَّ صُدورَهُم لَكُمُ بُراءُ
For their meanest father, yours is the same.
In their breasts lies yours—pure, sacrosanct.
وَإِنَّ سُعاتَهُم لَكُمُ سُعاةٌ
وَإِنَّ نَمائَهُم لَكُمُ نَماءُ
Their periods of ease are also such for you.
Their bounty and plenty: also yours, I vow!
وَإِنَّ سَنائَهُم لَكُمُ سَناءٌ
وَإِنَّ وَفائَهُم لَكُمُ وَفاءُ
Their now waning moon, for you is waning.
Their loyalty: yours too, bequeathed avowed!
وَإِنَّ بَلائَهُم ما قَد عَلِمتُم
عَلى الأَيّامِ إِن نَفَعَ البَلاءُ
You know well their tests—if tests can profit—
Meted out over days, the destined plow!
وَثَغرٍ لا يُقامُ بِهِ كَفَوكُم
وَلَم يَكُ دونَهُم فيكُم كِفاءُ
And many a weakness of yours they have mended
Beyond which among you there was no aid found!
بِجُمهورٍ يَحارُ الطَرفُ فيهِ
يَظَلُّ مُعَضِّلاً مِنهُ الفَضاءُ
With a throng so confusing to sight that the eyes
Still peer to where sky meets vacant horizon!
وَلَمّا أَن دَعَوتُ لَهُ بَغيضاً
أَتاني حينَ أَسمَعَهُ الدُعاءُ
And when I invoked, for one I hated “ill,”
He came to me when my prayer was heard.
فَضَلتَ بِخَصلَتَينِ عَلى رِجالٍ
وَرِثتَهُما كَما وُرِثَ الوَلاءُ
You surpassed men in two traits you inherited
As loyalty itself is bequeathed allowed.
فَجُدتَ بِنائِلٍ سَبِطٍ جَزيلٍ
تُخالِطُهُ الحَفيظَةُ وَالحَياءُ
You blazed with an ardor, a flood not restrained—
Deft mixing of propriety and temerity.
فَأَمضى مِن سِنانٍ أَثرَبيٍّ
طَعَنتَ بِهِ إِذا كُرِهَ المَضاءُ
So too a lance of the keenest iron shine
You thrust, when thrusting cannot be foregone!
إِذا بَهَشَت يَداهُ إِلى كَمِيٍّ
فَلَيسَ لَهُ وَإِن زُجِرَ اِنتِهاءُ
When his hands aggress toward a well-clad neck,
Checked by none, though chastised oft before.
وَقَد قالَت أُمامَةُ هَل تَعَزّى
فَقُلتُ أُمامَ قَد غُلِبَ العَزاءُ
Ummāmah said “Can you be consoled?” I said
“Ummāmah, consolation here is overthrown!”
إِذا ما العَينُ فاضَ الدَمعُ مِنها
أَقولُ بِها قَذىً وَهُوَ البُكاءُ
If tears should burst forth from these eyes of mine
I say they're a speck—though in fact they're crying!
إِذا ما المَرءُ باتَ عَلَيهِ وَكفٌ
مِنَ الحِدثانِ لَيسَ لَهُ كِفاءُ
I swear your habit stays not, if one night falls
With events that match it there are none.
لَعَمرُكَ ما رَأَيتُ المَرءَ تَبقى
طَريقَتُهُ وَإِن طالَ البَقاءُ
I've never seen a person whose ways remain
The same, however long his life's prolongation.
عَلى رَيبِ المَنونِ تَداوَلَتهُ
فَأَفنَتهُ وَلَيسَ لَها فَناءُ
Death hand-to-handed wrestled him about,
Vanquishing him—and death has no destruction!
إِذا ذَهَبَ الشَبابُ فَبانَ مِنهُ
فَلَيسَ لِما مَضى مِنهُ لِقاءُ
When youth departs and something of it yet shows
There is no tryst between it and return.
يَصَبُّ إِلى الحَياةِ وَيَشتَهيها
وَفي طولِ الحَياةِ لَهُ عَناءُ
He yearns for life and covets it, while in
A lengthened lifespan for him is agony!
فَمِنها أَن يُقادَ بِهِ بَعيرٌ
ذَلولٌ حينَ تَهتَرِشُ الضِراءُ
Of it: that a docile camel by him is led
When senility brings hardship, not affluence.
وَمِنها أَن يَنوءَ عَلى يَدَيهِ
وَيَنهَضَ في تَراقيهِ اِنحِناءُ
And of it: he rests his weight upon both hands
And rises in his rising wearily bent.
وَيَأخُذُهُ الهِداجُ إِذا هَداهُ
وَليدُ الحَيِّ في يَدِهِ الرِداءُ
Decrepitude seizes him if it but leads
As a newborn weakly clings to his cloak.
وَيَنظُرُ حَولَهُ فَيَرى بَنيهِ
حِواءً مِن وَرائِهِمِ حِواءُ
He looks around to see his sons—poor shelters—
While shelter from them is what he sees behind!
وَيَحلِفُ حَلفَةً لِبَني بَنيهِ
لَأَمسَوا مُعطِشينَ وَهُم رِواءُ
He swears an oath to the sons of his sons
That they'll lie down thirsting—and they water-replete!
وَيَأمُرُ بِالجِمالِ فَلا تُعَشّى
إِذا أَمسى وَإِن قَرُبَ العَشاءُ
He orders the camels' loading, though night has come.
And nightfall is no matter to him at all.
إِذا كانَ الشِتاءُ فَأَدفِؤوني
فَإِنَّ الشَيخَ يَهدِمُهُ الشِتاءُ
When winter comes “give warmth!” he cries aloud—
An elder wrecked entirely by the cold!
وَأَمّا حينَ يَذهَبُ كُلُّ قَرٍّ
فَسِربالٌ خَفيفٌ أَو رِداءُ
But when all utility has gone from him
A light robe or cloak is his need instead.
تَقولُ لَهُ الظَعينَةُ أَغنِ عَنّي
بَعيرَكَ حينَ لَيسَ بِهِ غَناءُ
The pregnant she-camel says “Please spare me, sir,
Your camel!” though no song is left in her.
