أُعاذِلَ قَومي فَاِعذُلي الآنَ أَو ذَري
فَلَستُ وَإِن أَقصَرتِ عَنّي بِمُقصِرِ
I blamed my people, so blame me now or leave me be,
For even if you fall short with me, I'm no failure.
أُعاذِلَ لا وَاللَهِ ما مِن سَلامَةٍ
وَلَو أَشفَقَت نَفسُ الشَحيحِ المُثَمِّرِ
No, by Allah! There is no peace in pardoning
Even if the miser's soul shows mercy while hoarding wealth.
أَقي العِرضَ بِالمالِ التِلادِ وَأَشتَري
بِهِ الحَمدَ إِنَّ الطالِبَ الحَمدَ مُشتَري
I protect my honor with money, even if blamed, and buy
Praise - for one seeking praise buys praise regardless of cost.
وَكَم مُشتَرٍ مِن مالِهِ حُسنَ صيتِهِ
لِأَيّامِهِ في كُلِّ مَبدىً وَمَحضَرِ
And many bought a good name with their money
For their days, wherever they went and stayed.
أُباهي بِهِ الأَكفاءَ في كُلِّ مَوطِنٍ
وَأَقضي فُروضَ الصالِحينَ وَأَقتَري
With it I impress peers wherever I dwell
And fulfill the duties of the righteous and give charity.
فَإِمّا تَرَيني اليَومَ عِندَكِ سالِماً
فَلَستُ بِأَحيا مِن كِلابٍ وَجَعفَرِ
So either you see me today as safe and sound,
For I'm no coward like dogs and monkeys.
وَلا مِن أَبي جَزءٍ وَجاري حَمومَةٍ
قَتيلِهِما وَالشارِبِ المُتَقَطِّرِ
Nor am I Abu Jaz' and his slave girl Humaymah -
Their killer and the constant wine drinker.
وَلا الأَحوَصَينِ في لَيالٍ تَتابَعا
وَلا صاحِبِ البَرّاضِ غَيرِ المُغَمَّرِ
Nor the two one-eyed men on successive nights,
Nor the owner of al-Burrad unadorned.
وَلا مِن رَبيعِ المُقتِرينَ رُزِئتُهُ
بِذي عَلَقٍ فَاِقنَي حَياءَكِ وَاِصبِري
Nor am I like Rabi' insulted for borrowing
A bucket - spare me your shame and be patient.
وَقَيسِ بنِ جَزءٍ يَومَ نادى صِحابَهُ
فَعاجوا عَلَيهِ مِن سَواهِمُ ضُمَّرِ
Nor Qais ibn Jaz' the day he called his friends
And they came against him from their dwellings.
طَوَتهُ المَنايا فَوقَ جَرداءَ شَطبَةٍ
تَدِفُّ دَفيفَ الرائِحِ المُتَمَطِّرِ
Death took him above the barren hills of Shutbah
Where the blowing winds pour down rain.
فَباتَ وَأَسرى القَومُ آخِرَ لَيلِهِم
وَما كانَ وَقّافاً بِدارِ مُعَصَّرِ
He spent the night while the people slept their last night,
For he did not stay at a pressing house.
وَبِالفورَةِ الحَرّابُ ذو الفَضلِ عامِرٌ
فَنِعمَ ضِياءُ الطارِقِ المُتَنَوِّرِ
And al-Harrab the gallant, Aamir of virtue,
What a bright early morning visitor!
وَنِعمَ مُناخُ الجارِ حَلَّ بِبَيتِهِ
إِذا ما الكَعابُ أَصبَحَت لَم تَسَتَّرِ
And a neighbor settling in his home -
When dogs bark he does not hide.
وَمَن كانَ أَهلَ الجودِ وَالحَزمِ وَالنَدى
عُبَيدَةُ وَالحامي لَدى كُلِّ مَحجَرِ
The people of generosity, resolve and high pursuit
Were Ubaydah and al-Haami wherever sought.
وَسَلمى وَسَلمى أَهلُ جودٍ وَنائِلٍ
مَتى يَدعُ مَولاهُ إِلى النَصرِ يُنصَرِ
And Salma, Salma - people of generosity and attainment!
Whenever his Master called him to victory, he was given victory.
وَبَيتُ طُفَيلٍ بِالجُنَينَةِ ثاوِياً
وَبَيتُ سُهَيلٍ قَد عَلِمتِ بِصَوءَرِ
While the houses of Tufail in al-Junaynah lie empty
And the houses of Suhayl, as you know, in disrepair.
فَلَم أَرَ يَوماً كانَ أَكثَرَ باكِياً
وَحَسناءَ قامَت عَن طِرافٍ مُجَوَّرِ
Never did I see a day with more weeping
And beauties risen from decorated beds.
تَبُلُّ خُموشَ الوَجهِ كُلُّ كَريمَةٍ
عَوانٍ وَبِكرٍ تَحتَ قَرٍّ مُخَدَّرِ
Every noble lady makes the silent face of
Anwan and Bukr under perfume sad.
وَبِالجَرِّ مِن شَرقِيِّ حَرسٍ مُحارِبٌ
شُجاعٌ وَذو عَقدٍ مِنَ القَومِ مُحتَرِ
And a warrior from the east, a protector
Brave, with a necklace, a leader among the people.
شِهابُ حُروبٍ لا تَزالُ جِيادُهُ
عَصائِبَ رَهواً كَالقَطا المُتَبَكِّرِ
A flame of wars - his steeds never stop
Charging the enemies at dawn like lions.
وَصاحِبُ مَلحوبٍ فُجِعنا بِيَومِهِ
وَعِندَ الرِداعِ بَيتُ آخَرَ كَوثَرِ
And the companion of Malhub - his day aggrieved us,
While at al-Rida' another house like abundant rain.
أولَئِكَ فَاِبكي لا أَبا لَكِ وَاِندُبي
أَبا حازِمٍ في كُلِّ يَومٍ مُذَكَّرِ
Those - weep for them and lament,
Abu Hazim every day you are remembered!
فَشَيَّعَهُم حَمدٌ وَزانَت قُبورَهُم
سَرارَةُ رَيحانٍ بِقاعٍ مُنَوِّرِ
Praise escorted them and their graves were fragrant
With the scent of basil in an illuminated resting place.
وَشُمطَ بَني ماءِ السَماءِ وَمُردَهُم
فَهَل بَعدَهُم مِن خالِدٍ أَو مُعَمَّرِ
The family of water from the sky and their knights
Are gone - is there anyone left immortal and long-lived?
وَمَن فادَ مِن إِخوانِهِم وَبَنيهِم
كُهولٌ وَشُبّانٌ كَجِنَّةِ عَبقَرِ
And those of their brothers and sons who followed them -
Elders and youths - like the gardens of Paradise.
مَضَوا سَلَفاً قَصدُ السَبيلِ عَلَيهِمِ
بَهِيٌّ مِنَ السُلّافِ لَيسَ بِحَيدَرِ
They passed on, travelers on the path ahead of them
Radiant, not gloomy, like those gone before.
فَكائِن رَأَيتُ مِن بَهاءٍ وَمَنظَرٍ
وَمِفتَحِ قَيدٍ لِلأَسيرِ المُكَفَّرِ
Whenever I saw splendor and a spectacular view
And freeing a prisoner in shackles a mercy...
وَكائِن رَأَيتُ مِن مُلوكٍ وَسوقَةٍ
وَراحِلَةٍ شُدَّت بِرَحلٍ مُحَبَّرِ
Whenever I saw kings, servants, and a camel litter
Tied with embroidered saddles and fringes...
وَأَفنى بَناتُ الدَهرِ أَربابَ ناعِطٍ
بِمُستَمَعٍ دونَ السَماءِ وَمَنظَرِ
The days destroyed the masters of splendor
Without pause beneath the heavens and the view.
وَبِالحارِثِ الحَرّابِ فَجَّعنَ قَومَهُ
وَلَو هاجَهُم جاءوا بِنَصرٍ مُؤَزَّرِ
And al-Harith the warrior on the day he roused his people -
Had he rallied them they would have come armored.
وَأَهلَكنَ يَوماً رَبَّ كِندَةَ وَاِبنَهُ
وَرُبَّ مَعَدٍّ بَينَ خَبتٍ وَعَرعَرِ
He destroyed the Lord of Kinda and his son in a day
And the Lord of Ma'add between Khabt and Ar'ar.
وَأَعوَصنَ بِالدومِيِّ مِن رَأسِ حِصنِهِ
وَأَنزَلنَ بِالأَسبابِ رَبَّ المُشَقَّرِ
He blinded the one-eyed man from his mountain fortress
And brought down the Lord of al-Muhaqqaq with siege engines.
وَأَخلَفنَ قُسّاً لَيتَني وَلَوَ أَنَّني
وَأَعيا عَلى لُقمانَ حُكمُ التَدَبُّرِ
He left behind only Quss, if only I had been
Endowed with Luqman's wisdom and reflection!
فَإِن تَسأَلينا فيمَ نَحنُ فَإِنَّنا
عَصافيرُ مِن هَذا الأَنامِ المُسَحَّرِ
If you ask who we are, we are just
Birds of these enchanted people.
عَبيدٌ لِحَيِّ حِميَرٍ إِن تَمَلَّكوا
وَتَظلِمُنا عُمّالُ كِسرى وَقَيصَرِ
Slaves of donkeys if they rule us
And the workers of Chosroes and Caesar oppress us.
وَنَحنُ وَهُم مُلكٌ لِحِميَرَ عَنوَةً
وَما إِن لَنا مِن سادَةٍ غَيرَ حِميَرِ
We and they are property of donkeys by force
For we have no masters but donkeys!
تَبابِعَةٌ سَبعونَ مِن قَبلِ تُبَّعٍ
تَوَلّوا جَميعاً أَزهَراً بَعدَ أَزهَرِ
Seventy elders from Tubba
Who all ruled rose gardens one after another.
نَحُلُّ بِلاداً كُلُّها حُلَّ قَبلَنا
وَنَرجو الفَلاحَ بَعدَ عادٍ وَحِميَرِ
We settle every land, all settled before us,
And hope for success after Aad and donkeys!
وَإِنّا وَإِخواناً لَنا قَد تَتابَعوا
لَكَالمُغتَدي وَالرائِحِ المُتَهَجِّرِ
We and our brethren who passed on
Are like the aggressor and the wandering wind.
هَلِ النَفسُ إِلّا مُتعَةٌ مُستَعارَةٌ
تُعارُ فَتَأتي رَبَّها فَرطَ أَشهُرِ
Is not the soul merely borrowed pleasure
Lent and then returning to its Lord in months?
