أَقسَمتُ لا أَنسى وَإِن طالَ عَيشُنا
صَنيعَ لُكَيزٍ وَالأَحَلِّ بنِ قُنصُلِ
I swear I will not forget, though our life be long,
The wrong done by Lukayz and Al-Ahlas son of Qunsal.
نَزَلنا بِهِ يَوماً فَساءَ صَباحُنا
فَإِنَّكَ عَمري قَد تَرى أَيَّ مَنزِلِ
One day we lodged with them, and our morning turned foul,
For you may yet see, my life, to what refuge we crawl.
بَكى إِذ رَآنا نازِلينَ بِبابِهِ
وَكَيفَ بُكاءُ ذي القَليلِ المُسَبَّلِ
He wept when he saw us come to his door,
Yet how tears of one with so little and ragged a cloak?
فَلا وَأَبيكَ ما نَزَلنا بِعامِرٍ
وَلا عامِرٍ وَلا الرَئيسِ اِبنِ قَوقَلِ
No, by you and your father, we did not lodge with 'Amir,
Nor 'Amir, nor Rais Ibn Qawqal's abode;
وَلا بِالشُلَيلِ رَبِّ مَروانَ قاعِداً
بِأَحسَنِ عَيشٍ وَالنُفاثِيِّ نَوفَلِ
Not with Shuliyl, Lord Marwan's estate,
Sitting in comfort and plenty untold,
وَلا اِبنِ وَهيبٍ كاسِبِ الحَمدِ وَالعُلا
وَلا ابنِ ضَبيعٍ وَسطَ آلِ المُخَبَّلِ
Not Ibn Wahib, who gathers glory and heights,
Not Ibn Duba'i amidst that proud household,
وَلا اِبنِ حَليسٍ قاعِداً في لِقاحِهِ
وَلا اِبنِ جَرِيٍّ وَسطَ آلِ المُغَفَّلِ
Not with Ibn Halis in his pastures abiding,
Not with Jarir's sons on their fortune enrolled,
وَلا اِبنِ رِياحٍ بِالزُلَيفاتِ دارُهُ
رِياحَ اِبنَ سَعدٍ لارِياحَ اِبنِ مَعقِلِ
Not Ibn Riyah, though bliss to him comes unconfined,
Riyah was Sa'd's - Ma'qil's son Riyah I'd never behold.
أولَئِكَ أَعطى لِلوَلائِدِ خِلفَةً
وَأَدعى إِلى شَحمِ السَديفِ المُرَعبَلِ
Those men offered hospitality, a guest to provide,
And called to the delicacy they drippingly sliced;
وَجَدتُ اِبنَ كُرزٍ تَستَهِلُّ يَمينُهُ
وَيُطلِقُ أَغلالَ الأَسيرِ المُكَبَّلِ
But I found Ibn Kurz, from whom freedom shone bright,
Releasing the fettered captive, removing his plight.
وَلَستُ بِراعي ثَلَّةٍ قامَ وَسطَها
طَويلِ العَصا غُرنَيقِ ضَحلٍ مُرَسِّلِ
I'm no shepherd of flocks with his staff and his pipe,
Bleating his shrill tune through the desolate night,
وَلَستُ بِجُلبِن جُلبِ ريحٍ وَقَرَّةٍ
وَلا بِصَفاً صَلدِ عَنِ الخَيرِ مَعزَلِ
No carrier of winds of plague or malaise,
No healer of ills from which good men take flight,
وَلا خَرِبٍ خَيعابَةٍ ذي غَوائِلٍ
هَيامٍ كَجَفرِ الأَبطَحِ المُتَهَيِّلِ
No fool blundering on with his follies unfurled,
No weakling who cringes when fate shows its might.
وَلا هَلَعٍ لاعٍ إِذا الشَولُ حارَدَت
وَضَنَّت بِباقي دَرِّها المُتَنَزِّلِ
I'm no opulent man who will coast through and feast,
While others sink hungry and gaining no height.
وَلَستُ بِتِرعِيٍّ طَويلٍ عَشائُهُ
يُؤَنِّفُها مُستَأنَفَ النَبتِ مُبهِلِ
No herder of goats, though around me there bleats
A throng should a wedding ask too many invite.
وَلا حَوقَلٍ خَطّارَةٍ حَولَ بَيتِهِ
إِذا العِرسُ آوى بَيتُها كُلَّ خَوتَلِ
Now raiding the cattle, now creaking in load
A mildewy saddle of palm fronds outright
وَيَوماً عَلى أَهلِ المَواشي وَتارَةً
لِأَهلِ رَكيبٍ مِن ثَميلٍ وَسُنبُلِ
Scattering women in tumult, whose rags
Are shabby and worn with no sash gird in sight -
إِذا فَزَّعوا أُمَّ الصَبِيَّينِ نَفَّضوا
عَفارِيَ شُعثاً صافَةً لَم تُرَجَّلِ
Now charging with rabble, now looting in stealth,
Now smiting with cronies till dawn's early light.
فَيَوماً بِغُزّاءٍ وَيَوماً بِسُريَةٍ
وَيَوماً بِخَشخاشٍ مِنَ الرَجلِ هَيضَلِ
As long as I live, while submission's my creed,
I'll be found with the rogue, the wretch of no height,
مَتى تَبغِني مادُمتُ حَيّاً مُسَلَّماً
تَجِدنِ مَعَ المُستَرعِلِ المُتَعَبهِلِ
I'm no shirker of fate, but I temper its blow
With wine, and I roam where the youthful ignite,
وَلَستُ بِمِفراحٍ إِذا الدَهرُ سَرَّني
وَلا جازِعٌ مِن صَرفِهِ المُتَحَوِّلِ
I embrace the tavern where faces shine bright,
I befriend the dissolutes' giddy delight.
وَلَكِنَّني أَروي مِنَ الخَمرِ هامَتي
وَأَنضو المَلا بِالشاحِبِ المُتَشَلشِلِ
Oh tell ye Sa'd ibn Layth, and Jundu' be told:
Enjoy honest gain, ill-got profit is blight!
وَأَحتَضِرُ النادي وَوَجهِيَ مُسفِرٌ
وَأَضرِبُ عِطفَ الأَبلَخِ المُتَخَيِّلِ
When war turns its blade, then turn thy face too
For in war'sSurely judgment shall come to the light
أَلا أَبلِغا سَعدَ اِبنَ لَيثٍ وَجُندُعا
وَكَلباً أَنيبوا المَنَّ غَيرَ المُكَدَّلِ
Climb down Marqabah, mother of 'Umar, degraded!
Perched there as a crone, bent and withered in sight!
إِذا الحَربُ أَولَتكَ الكَليبَ فَوَلِّها
كَلَيبَكَ وَاعلَم أَنَّها سَوفَ تَنجَلي
I rose there myself, from a slumber like death,
With slippers I'd tossed to be shod as my rite.
وَمَرقَبَةٍ يا أُمَّ عَمرٍ طِمِرَّةٍ
مُذَبذَبَةٍ فَوقَ المَراقِبِ عَيطَلِ
Through a valley I passed, like the thirsting camel's grasp,
The wolf howled within it, that craven of night.
نَهَضتُ إِلَيها مِن جُثومٍ كَأَنَّها
عَجوزٌ عَلَيها هِدمِلٌ ذاتُ خَيعَلِ
On they came, with the wind that shook them in fright -
Who dares the dark's secrets shall tremble outright!
وَنَعلٍ كَأَشلاءِ السُمانى نَبَذتُها
إِلى صاحِبٍ حافٍ وَقُلتُ لَهُ اِنعَلِ
I said, as their wailing to me came in waves,
"Thabit, if ever you wish to be kept from the blight
وَقِربَةِ أَقوامٍ جَعَلتُ عِصامَها
عَلى كاهِلٍ مِنّي ذَلولٍ مُرَحَّلِ
Of want, grasp not at all things in sight.
Who ploughs my field and yours will reap sorrow's requite.
وَوادٍ كَجَوفِ العَيرِ قَفرٍ قَطَعتُهُ
بِهِ الذِئبُ يَعوي كَالخَليعِ المُعَيَّلِ
People shun honest men and grab at delight,
After we entered where their dogs stay in fright.
تَعَدّى بِزَيزاتٍ تَعِجُّ مِنَ القوا
وَمَن يَكُ يَبغي طُرقَةَ اللَيلِ يُرمِلِ
I tossed them a worn-out old shoe in the gloom,
In exchange for some fresh ones, to save from the bight."
فَقُلتُ لَهُم لَمّا عَوى أَنَّ ثابِتاً
قَليلُ الغِنى إِن كُنتَ لَمّا تَمَوَّلِ
So he bolted away, his neck shaking loose,
Like a shepherd who's thriving, elated with height.
كِلانا إِذا ما نالَ شَيئاً أَفاتَهُ
وَمَن يَحتَرِث حِرثي وَحَرثَكَ يُهزَلِ
كِلانا طَوى كَشحاً عَنِ الحَيِّ بَعدَما
دَخَلنا عَلى كِلابِهِم كُلَّ مَدخَلِ
طَرَحتُ لَهُ نَعلاً مِنَ السَبتِ طَلَّةً
خِلافَ نَداً مِن آخِرِ اللَيلِ مُخضِلِ
فَوَلّى بِها جَذلانَ يَنفُضُ رَأسَهُ
كَصاحِبِ غُنمٍ ظافِرٍ بِالتَمَوُّلِ
