ذريني فضرباً بالمهندة البتر — Abn Almqrb Alaaona

ذَريني فَضَرباً بِالمَهَنَّدَةِ البُترِ

وَلا لَومَ مِثلي يا أُمَيمُ عَلى وَترِ

Leave me to strike with the cleaving Indian swords;

blame no man like me, Umaym, for avenging a blood debt.

فَقَد كُنتُ آبى الضَيمَ إِذ لَيسَ ناصرٌ

سِوى عَزمَتي وَالعيسِ وَالمَهمَهِ القَفرِ

For I refused humiliation when I had no helper

but my resolve, the pale camels, and the desolate wilderness.

فَكَيفَ أُقِرُّ اليَومَ ضَيماً وَناصِري

عَديدُ الحَصى ما بَينَ بُصرى إِلى مِصرِ

How, then, can I accept humiliation today, when my supporters

are as numerous as pebbles from Busra to Egypt?

إِذا ما دَعَوتُ اِبنَي نِزارٍ أَجابَني

كَتائِبُ أَنكى في العِدى من يَدِ الدَهرِ

Whenever I summon Nizar's two sons, there answer me

battalions more devastating to enemies than the hand of time.

تَداعى إِلى صَوتِ المُنادي تَداعياً

كَدَفّاعِ مَوجٍ جاءَ في المَدِّ لِلجَزرِ

They rally together to the caller's voice,

like surging waves coming with the flood toward the ebb.

عَلى كُلِّ ذَيّالٍ وَجَرداءَ شطبَةٍ

تَجيء كَسَيلٍ يَلطِمُ الطَلحَ بِالسِدرِ

On every long-tailed stallion and slender, short-coated mare,

they come like a torrent smashing acacias against lote trees.

نِتاجُ عُمَيرٍ وَالضُّبَيبِ وَكامِلٍ

وَذاتِ نُسوعٍ وَالنَعامَةِ وَالخَطرِ

Offspring of Umayr, al-Dubayb, and Kamil,

and Dhat Nusu', al-Na'amah, and al-Khatr.

سَوابِحُ لا تَغدو الرِياحُ غُدُوَّها

لِطَعنٍ وَلا تَسري النُجومُ كَما تَسري

Swimming steeds: the winds cannot match their morning rush

into the spear-fight, nor do stars journey by night as they do.

وَرِثنَ عَنِ الشَيخَينِ بَكرٍ وَتَغلِبٍ

وَعَن عَبدِ قَيسٍ ذي العُلى وَعَن النمرِ

They were inherited from the two patriarchs, Bakr and Taghlib,

and from lofty Abd Qays, and from al-Namir,

وَقَيسٍ أَبي الشُمِّ الطِوالِ وَبَعدَهُ

تَميمٍ وَأَكرِم والِداً بِأَبي عَمرِو

and Qays, father of the proud and tall, and after him

Tamim—how noble a father is Abu Amr!

وَعَن سَيِّدَي آباءِ كُلِّ قَبيلَةٍ

وَأَشرَفِها نَسلاً خُزَيمَةَ وَالنَضرِ

And from the two lords among the forefathers of every tribe,

the noblest in offspring, Khuzaymah and al-Nadr.

وَما الخَيلُ إِلّا نِحلَةٌ مِن إِلَهنا

لَنا لا لِزَيدٍ مِن سِوانا وَلا عَمرِو

Horses are nothing but a gift from our God

to us, not to Zayd of other peoples, nor to Amr.

لَنا أُخرِجَت إِذ أُخرِجَت لا لِغافِقٍ

وَلا بارِقٍ أَو لا مُرادٍ وَلا قَسرِ

For us they were brought forth when brought forth, not for Ghafiq,

nor Bariq, nor yet Murad, nor Qasr.

وَطِئنا بِها جَمعَ العَماليقِ وَطأَةً

أَرَتها نُجومَ القَذفِ تَجري مَعَ الظُهرِ

With them we trampled the Amalekite host with a tread

that made it see shooting stars racing at noon.

وَلَولا تَلاقينا بِها حَيّ جُرهُمٍ

لآبَت بِأَيدٍ لا تَشُقُّ وَلا تَفري

Had we not confronted the clan of Jurhum with them,

it would have returned with might neither cleft nor rent.

بِنَفسي وَما لي مِن نِزارٍ عِصابَةً

حِسانُ وُجوهٍ طَيِّبُو عُقَدِ الأُزرِ

My life and all I own for a band of Nizar,

handsome of face, pure at the knots of their waist-wraps.

جَلَوا بِصِفاحِ البيضِ هَمّي وَبَرَّدُوا

حَرارَةَ غَيظي بِالمُثقَّفَةِ السُمرِ

They dispelled my grief with the broad blades of bright swords, and cooled

the heat of my anger with straightened tawny spears,

لَياليَ قادُوا الخَيلَ قَوداً أَصارَها

وَما الخَواطي كَاليَعاسيبِ في الضُمرِ

on nights when they led the horses on marches that made them

—and what long-striding mounts!—lean as dragonflies,

بِرَأيٍ سَديدِ الرَأيِ أَلوى مُعَوَّد

بِجَرِّ الخَميسِ الضَخمِ وَالعَسكَرِ المَجرِ

under the counsel of a sound-minded, unyielding man, accustomed

to leading a mighty host and a vast army.

هُمامٌ تَعَدّى الأَربَعينَ فَجازَها

بِعَشرِ سِنينٍ أَو قَريبٍ مِن العَشرِ

A high-hearted man who passed forty and exceeded it

by ten years, or close to ten.

فَأَصبَحَ لا شَيخاً يُخافُ اِنبِهارُهُ

وَلا حَدَثاً تِلعابَةً غائِبَ الفِكرِ

So he is neither an old man whose failing breath is feared,

nor a thoughtless youngster forever at play.

أَخو عَزمَةٍ كَالنارِ وَقداً وَهِمَّةٍ

تَرى النَجمَ أَدنى مِن ذِراعٍ وَمِن شِبرِ

He has a resolve blazing like fire, and an ambition

that sees the star nearer than a cubit, nearer than a handspan.

بَدَت في مُحيّاهُ أَماراتُ مَجدِهِ

صَبيّاً وَيَبدو العِتقُ في صَفحَةِ المُهرِ

The signs of his glory appeared upon his face

while still a child; noble breeding shows in a colt's cheek.

سَما لِلعُلى طِفلاً وَبَرَّزَ يافِعاً

وَسُمّي وَلَمّا يَثَّغِر أَوحَدَ العَصرِ

He rose toward glory as a child and excelled as a youth,

and before his adult teeth emerged was called the age's unrivaled one.

وَلَفَّ السَرايا بِالسَرايا وَقادَها

لِعَشرٍ وَرَدَّ الدُهمَ مِنهُنَّ كالشُقرِ

He mingled squadrons with squadrons and led them

at ten, bringing their black steeds back like chestnut ones.

فَلِلّهِ بَكرٌ ما شَظى حَدُّ نابِهِ

وَفاقَ قُروماً بِالشَقاشِقِ وَالخَطرِ

God be praised for a young camel whose fang-tip had not splintered,

yet who surpassed mature stallions in throat-sacs and proud tail-swishing.

جَرى وَجَرى الساعونَ شَأواً إِلى العُلى

فَفاتَ بِأَدنى خَطوهِ مُلهَب الحُضرِ

He ran, and the strivers ran a race toward glory,

but with his slightest stride he outstripped a blazing galloper.

سَليلُ المُلوكِ الصِّيدِ وَالسادَةِ الأُلى

بَنَوا مَجدَهُم فَوقَ السِماكينِ وَالنَسرِ

Scion of proud kings and of the lords who

built their glory above the two Simak stars and al-Nasr.

إِلى ذروَةِ البَيتِ العُيونِيِّ يَنتَمي

وَهَل يَنتَمي الدِينارُ إِلّا إِلى التِبرِ

His lineage reaches the summit of the Uyuni house;

and does the dinar trace its origin to anything but raw gold?

وَأَخوالُهُ أَدنى عُقَيلٍ إِلى العُلى

بُيُوتاً وَأَقصاها مِنَ اللُؤمِ وَالغَدرِ

His maternal uncles are Uqayl's nearest to glory

in the standing of their houses, and farthest from baseness and treachery.

ذَوُو المُحكَماتِ السُردِ وَالبيضِ وَالقَنا

وَأَهلُ الجِيادِ الشُقرِ وَالنِّعَمِ الحُمرِ

Possessors of well-knit mail, bright swords, and lances,

and owners of chestnut steeds and red camels.

وَإِنَّ عَلِيّاً للَّذي بِفَخارِهِ

يُطالُ وَيُستَعلى عَلى كُلِّ ذِي فَخرِ

Indeed, Ali is the one through whose glory

one towers and rises above every man with cause for pride.

أَعَزُّ الوَرى جاراً وَأَوسَعُها حِمىً

وَأَشبَهُها بِاللَيثِ وَالبَحرِ وَالبَدرِ

The mightiest of mankind in protecting neighbors, widest in sanctuary,

and the most like a lion, the sea, and the full moon.

مَتى تَدعُهُ تَدعُ اِمرَءاً غَيرَ زُمَّلٍ

وَلا وَكِلٍ في النائِباتِ وَلا غَمرِ

Whenever you summon him, you summon a man who is no coward,

nor reliant on others in calamities, nor inexperienced.

وَلا رافِعٍ بِالخَطبِ رَأساً وَإِنَّهُ

لَتُرفَعُ مِن جَرّائِهِ طُرَرُ الأُزرِ

Nor one to raise his head at calamity; yet indeed

because of him the hems of waist-wraps are raised.

لَهُ هَيبَةٌ مِلءُ الصُدورِ فَلو رَنا

إِلى المَوتِ مُزوَرّاً لَماتَ مِنَ الذُعرِ

He inspires an awe that fills men's breasts; were he to gaze

at Death askance, Death would die of terror.

وَلو قالَ لِلأَفلاكِ في سَيرِها قِفي

لَباتَت رُكوداً لا تَدورُ وَلا تَجري

If he told the heavenly spheres in their course, 'Stand still,'

they would remain motionless all night, neither turning nor coursing.

فَتىً لَو لِلَيثِ الغابِ بَأسٌ كَبَأسِهِ

لَأَغناهُ عَن نابٍ حَديدٍ وَعَن ظُفرِ

A man—if the forest lion had might like his,

it would need neither a sharp fang nor a claw.

وَلَو أَنَّ لِلعَضبِ اليَمانيِّ جَوهَراً

كَعَزمَتِهِ لَم يَنبُ عَن قُلَلِ الصَخرِ

And if the keen Yemeni sword had a temper

like his resolve, it would not glance off rocky peaks.

وَلَو أَنَّ لِلأَنواءِ جُوداً كَجُودِهِ

لَما اِنتقَلَ الإِرباعُ يَوماً إِلى العِشرِ

And if the rain-stars had generosity like his,

watering every fourth day would never give way to every tenth.

عَلا في النَّدى أَوساً وَفي الزُهدِ وَالتُقى

أُوَيساً وَفي الحِلمِ اِبنَ قَيسٍ أَبا بَحرِ

In generosity he surpassed Aws, and in asceticism and piety

Uways; and in forbearance, Ibn Qays, Abu Bahr.

وَأَبغَضُ شَيءٍ عِندَهُ لا وَإِنَّهُ

لِيَهوى نَعم لَو أَنَّ فيها ثَوى العُمرِ

The thing he hates most is 'no'; and indeed

he loves 'yes,' even if his life lay buried within it.

يَريشُ وَيَبري عِزَّةً وَسَماحَةً

وَلا خَير فيمَن لا يَريشُ وَلا يَبري

He feathers and whittles arrows, with might and generosity;

there is no good in one who neither feathers nor whittles.

أَبى غَيرَ عِزَّ النَفسِ وَالعَدلِ وَالتُقى

وَرَأبِ الثَأى وَالحِلمِ وَالنائِلِ الغَمرِ

He refused all but self-respect, justice, and piety,

mending breaches, forbearance, and overflowing bounty.

وَلَمّا تَولّى المُلكَ باءَ مُشَمِّراً

بِأَعبائِهِ مِن غَيرِ لَهثٍ وَلا بُهرِ

When he assumed kingship, he shouldered, sleeves rolled up,

its burdens without panting or breathlessness.

وَعَفَّ فَلم يَمدُد إِلى مُسلِمٍ يَداً

بِسُوءٍ وَلا باتَت لَهُ عَقرَبٌ تَسري

He was upright, never stretching a hand toward a Muslim

in harm, nor did a scorpion of his ever creep by night.

وَلا باتَ جُنحَ اللَيلِ يَشكُوهُ شابِحٌ

إِلى اللَّهِ مَقتورٌ عَليهِ وَلا مُثرِ

Nor did an outstretched supplicant complain of him in night's gloom

to God, whether straitened in means or wealthy.

فَيا أَيُّها الساعي لِيُدرِكَ مَجدَهُ

رُوَيدَكَ فَاِنظُر مَن عَلى إِثرِهِ تَجري

O you who strive to attain his glory,

slow down, then look in whose tracks you run.

فَلَيسَ بِعارٍ أَن شَآكَ مُطَهَّمٌ

أَغَرُّ جَموحٌ لا يُنَهنَهُ بِالزَجرِ

It is no disgrace if a splendidly formed steed outstrips you,

white-blazed and headstrong, unrestrained by shouted commands.

فَما ضاقَ عَنهُ الوُسعُ غَيرُ مُطالِبٍ

بِهِ المَرءُ في أَكنافِ بَرٍّ وَلا بَحرِ

For what lies beyond one's capacity is not demanded

of anyone in the reaches of land or sea.

فَدَع عَنكَ ما أَعيَا المُلوكَ طِلابُهُ

وَقِف عَنهُ وَاِطلُب ما تُطيقُ مِن الأَمرِ

So leave aside what has exhausted kings in its pursuit;

stop short of it, and seek undertakings within your power.

وَخَلِّ أَثيراتِ المَعالي لِسَيِّدٍ

هُمامٍ كَنَصلِ الهُندُوانِيِّ ذي الأَثرِ

Leave the choicest heights of glory to a lord,

valiant as the blade of a patterned Indian sword.

فَلا مَلِكٌ إِلّا عَلِيُّ بنُ ماجِدٍ

جَميلُ المُحَيّا وَالإِنابَةِ وَالذِكرِ

For there is no king but Ali ibn Majid,

fair in face, devotion, and renown.

إِلَيكَ أَبا المَنصورِ عَقدُ جَواهِرٍ

قَلَمَّسُها صَدري وَغَوّاصُها فِكري

To you, Abu al-Mansur, a necklace of jewels:

their vast sea is my breast, their diver my thought.

نَفِستُ بِها عَمَّن سِواكَ وَسُقتُها

إِلَيكَ لِعِلمي أَنَّها أَنفَسُ الذُخرِ

I prized them too highly for anyone but you, and brought them

to you, knowing they are the most precious treasure.

وَعَدَّيتُها عَن رِقِّ لُؤمٍ مُوَكَّرٍ

قَليلِ اِكتِراثٍ بِالمَحامِدِ وَالأَجرِ

I diverted them from a slave to entrenched baseness,

who cares little for praiseworthy deeds or reward.

يَروحُ وَيَغدُو مِثلَ غَيمٍ تَرى لَهُ

صَواعِقَ يَحرقنَ البِلادَ بِلا قَطرِ

He goes at dusk and dawn, like a cloud in which you see

lightning bolts burning the land without a drop of rain.

تَصَدَّرَ مِن شُؤمِ الزَمانِ وَإِنَّهُ

لَأَخفى مِن البُعصوصِ في نَقرَةِ الظَهرِ

Through the age's ill fortune he took the foremost place, though

he is more obscure than the tailbone in the hollow of the back.

فَصارَ مَعَ الجُهّالِ صَدراً وَإِنَّهُ

لَمِن خُبُثِ الأَعجازِ عِندَ ذَوي الخُبرِ

He became a leader among the ignorant, though

to those who know, he is among the filthy hindquarters.

مَضى زَمَنٌ وَالهُرطُمانُ طَعامُهُ

وَبيّوتُ ما يَبتاعُ بِالطِّينِ وِالسِّدرِ

There was a time when his food was grass-peas,

and stale leftovers he bought with clay and lote leaves.

تُشَرَّفُ نَعلي عَن قيامٍ بِبابِهِ

وَتُكرَمُ عَن مَشيٍ بِساحاتِهِ الغُبرِ

My sandal is too noble to stand at his door,

and too honored to walk in his dusty courtyards.

وَلَولاكَ بِالأَحساءِ لَم تُحدَ نَحوها

قَلوصِي وَلَم يَصهل بِجَرعائِها مُهري

But for you in al-Ahsa, toward it would never have been driven

my young she-camel, nor would my colt have neighed on its sandy ground.

فَما أَنا مِمَّن يَجهَلُ الناسُ فَضلَهُ

فَيَرضى بِحَظٍّ واشِلٍ بِالعُلى مُزرِ

For I am not one whose worth people fail to know,

and who therefore accepts a scant share that debases high rank.

وَإِنّي لَصَوّانٌ لِمَدحي وَإِن نَبا

بِيَ الدَهرُ وَاِجتاحَت نَوائِبُهُ وَفرِي

I jealously guard my praise, even if I am spurned

by time, and its calamities sweep away my wealth.

وَلَكِنَّكَ المَلكُ الَّذي مِن سَمائِهِ

نُجومي الَّتي تُصمي وَمِن شَمسِهِ بَدري

But you are the king from whose sky come

my stars that strike to kill, and from whose sun comes my full moon.

وَمِن لَحمِهِ لَحمي وَمِن دَمِهِ دَمي

وَمِن عَظمِهِ عَظمي وَمِن شَعرِهِ شَعري

From his flesh comes my flesh, from his blood my blood,

and from his bone my bone, from his hair my hair.

وَآباؤُكَ الغُرُّ الكِرامُ أُبُوَّتي

وَبَحرُكَ مِن تَيّارِ آذِيِّهِ بَحري

Your illustrious, noble fathers are my own forefathers,

and my sea comes from the surge of your sea's billows.

فَداكَ مِنَ الأَسواءِ كُلُّ مُعَلهَجٍ

مِنَ القَومِ لَم يَعبَأ بِعُرفٍ وَلا نُكرِ

May every uncouth mongrel be your ransom from harm,

among the people, heedless of right or wrong.

وَجُزتَ المَدى في خَفضِ عَيشٍ وَدَولَةٍ

مُؤَيَّدَةٍ بِالأَمنِ وَالأَمرِ وَالنَصرِ

May you pass beyond the utmost span in ease of life and a reign

upheld by security, authority, and victory.

تَحوطُ نِزاراً حَيثُ كانَت وَلا خَلا

جَنابُكَ مِن شُكرٍ وَبابُكَ مِن ذِكرِ

You guard Nizar wherever it is; may there never be lacking

gratitude in your precinct or remembrance at your door.

وَعاشَ اِمرُؤٌ ناواكَ ما عاشَ خائِفاً

يَروحُ وَيَغدو بِالمَذَلَّةِ وَالصُغرِ

May the man who opposes you live in fear for as long as he lives,

going forth at dusk and dawn in humiliation and abasement.