لا فَارِسَ الْيَوْمَ يَحْمِي السَّرْحَ بِالْوَادِي
طَاحَ الرَّدَى بِشِهَابِ الْحَرْبِ وَالنَّادِي
No knight today defends the plain,
The best have fallen, glory wanes.
مَاتَ الَّذِي تَرْهَبُ الأَقْرَانُ صَوْلَتَهُ
وَيَتَّقِي بَأْسَهُ الضِّرْغَامَةُ الْعَادِي
He at whose might peers quaked is gone,
No more the foe his wrath shall face.
هَانَتْ لِمَيْتَتِهِ الدُّنْيَا وَزَهَّدَنَا
فَرْطُ الأَسَى بَعْدَهُ فِي الْمَاءِ والزَّادِ
Since he has died, worldly wares are vain,
Grief drowns us like a flooding rain.
هَلْ لِلْمَكارِمِ مَنْ يُحْيِي مَنَاسِكَهَا
أَمْ لِلضَّلالَةِ بَعْدَ الْيَوْمِ مِنْ هَادِي
Who will revive dead chivalry?
Or guide us rightly when astray?
جَفَّ النَّدَى وانْقَضَى عُمْرُ الْجَدَا وَسَرَى
حُكْمُ الرَّدَى بَيْنَ أَرْواحٍ وَأَجْسَادِ
Dew dried, our prime is past, and time
Rules o’er both body and soul’s clime.
فَلْتَمْرَحِ الْخَيْلُ لَهْوَاً فِي مَقَاوِدِهَا
وَلْتَصْدَإِ الْبِيضُ مُلْقَاةً بِأَغْمَادِ
Let steeds in stalls neglected neigh,
And razors rust in sheaths all day.
مَضَى وَخَلَّفَنِي فِي سِنِّ سَابِعَةٍ
لا يَرْهَبُ الْخَصْمُ إِبْرَاقِي وإِرْعَادِي
He left me, still a tender boy
Who had not learned to roar and fight.
إِذَا تَلَفَّتُّ لَمْ أَلْمَحْ أَخَا ثِقَةٍ
يَأْوِي إِلَيَّ ولا يَسْعَى لإِنْجَادِي
No trusted friend or brother kind
Is there, my needs to ease or find.
فَالْعَيْنُ لَيْسَ لَهَا مِنْ دَمْعِهَا وَزَرٌ
والْقَلْبُ لَيْسَ لَهُ مِنْ حُزْنِهِ فَادِي
My eyes can weep till sight shall fail,
No comfort for my heart’s dark vale.
فَإِنْ أَكُنْ عِشْتُ فَرْدَاً بَيْنَ آصِرَتِي
فَهَا أَنَا الْيَوْمَ فَرْدٌ بَيْنَ أَنْدَادِي
Always alone, no equals near,
Now solitary without peer.
بَلَغْتُ مِنْ فَضْلِ رَبِّي مَا غَنِيتُ بِهِ
عَنْ كُلِّ قَارٍ مِنَ الأَمْلاكِ أَوْ بَادِي
God’s grace has been enough for me,
All else compared is poverty.
فَمَا مَدَدْتُ يَدِي إِلَّا لِمَنْحِ يَدٍ
ولا سَعَتْ قَدَمي إِلَّا لإِسْعَادِ
I stretch my hand out but to give,
Step forth but unfortunate to save.
تَبِعْتُ نَهْجَ أَبِي فَضْلاً وَمَحْمِيَةً
حَتَّى بَرَعْتُ وَكَانَ الْفَضْلُ لِلْبَادِي
I followed in my father’s way,
Excelled him at the close of day.
أَبِي وَمَنْ كَأَبِي فِي الْحَيِّ نَعْلَمُهُ
أَوْفَى وَأَكْرَمُ في وَعْدٍ وَإِيعادِ
My sire, and whoso was as he,
Most faithful to each promise made,
مُهَذَّبُ النَّفْسِ غَرَّاءٌ شَمائِلُهُ
بَعِيدُ شَأْوِ الْعُلا طَلاعُ أَنْجَادِ
Of gentle soul and noble mien,
From lowly wiles and envy clean.
قَدْ كَانَ لِي وَزَراً آوِي إِلَيْهِ إِذَا
غَاضَ الْمَعِينُ وَجَفَّ الزَّرْعُ بِالْوَادِي
For me a pillar of support
When arid grew the field and court.
لا يَسْتَبِدُّ بِرَأْيٍ قَبْلَ تَبْصِرَةٍ
وَلا يَهُمُّ بِأَمْرٍ قَبْلَ إِعْدَادِ
No judgment made he rashly then,
Nor moved till the path was clear again.
تَرَاهُ ذَا أُهْبَةٍ فِي كُلِّ نَائِبَةٍ
كَاللَّيْثِ مُرْتَقِباً صَيْداً بِمِرْصَادِ
In threat’ning test, as lions may,
For prey unwearied night and day.
