قم فاشدد العيس للترحال معتزماً — Abn Almqrb Alaaona

قُمُ فَاِشدُدِ العِيسَ لِلتِرحالِ مُعتَزِماً

وَاِرمِ الفِجاجَ بِها فَالخَطبُ قَد فَقِما

Rise, saddle the pale camels for departure, resolute,

and drive them through the mountain passes: the crisis has grown grave.

وَلا تَلَفَّت إِلى أَهلٍ وَلا وَطَنٍ

فَالحرُّ يَرحَلُ عَن دارِ الأَذى كَرَما

Do not look back toward family or homeland,

for a free man leaves the abode of injury out of nobility.

كَم رِحلَةٍ وَهَبَت عِزّاً تَدينُ لَهُ

شُوسُ الرِجالِ وَكَم قَد أَورَثَت نِعَما

How many a journey has bestowed honor before which

proud men bow, and how many blessings it has brought!

وَكَم إِقامَةِ مَغرُورٍ لَهُ جَلَبَت

حَتفاً وَساقَت إِلى ساحاتِهِ النِقَما

How often a deluded man's remaining has brought him

death, and driven calamities into his courtyards!

وَاِسمَع وَلا تُلغِ ما أَنشَأتُ مِن حِكَمٍ

فَذُو الحِجا لَم يَزَل يَستَنبِطُ الحِكَما

Listen, and do not dismiss the wisdom I have composed,

for the discerning man never ceases drawing out wisdom.

لَم يَبكِ مَن رَمِدَت عَيناهُ أَو سُبِلَت

جفناهُ إِلّا لِخَوفٍ مِن حُدوثِ عَمى

One whose eyes are inflamed, or whose

eyelids are veiled, weeps only from fear of blindness.

إِنَّ المَنِيَّةَ فَاِعلَم عِندَ ذِي حَسَبٍ

وَلا الدَنِيَّةَ هانَ الأَمرُ أَو عَظُما

Know that, for a man of noble lineage, death is preferable—

never disgrace, whether the matter be slight or grave.

مَن سالَمَ الناسَ لَم تَسلَم مَقاتِلُهُ

مِنهُم وَمَن عاثَ فيهِم بِالأَذى سَلِما

He who makes peace with people finds his vital parts unprotected

from them, while he who ravages them with harm goes unharmed.

لا يَقبَلُ الضَيمَ إلّا عاجِزٌ ضَرِعٌ

إِذا رَأى الشَرَّ تَغلي قِدرُهُ وَجَما

Only a powerless, submissive man accepts oppression;

when he sees evil's cauldron boiling, he falls silent.

وَذُو النَباهَةِ لا يَرضى بِمَنقَصَةٍ

لَو لَم يَجِد غَيرَ أَطرافِ القَنا عِصَما

A man of distinction will not accept degradation,

even if he finds no protection but the points of spears.

وَذُو الدَناءَةِ لَو مَزَّقتَ جِلدَتَهُ

بِشَفرَةِ الضَيمِ لَم يَحسِس لَها أَلَما

But a base man, even if you tore his skin

with oppression's blade, would feel no pain from it.

وَمَن رَأَى الضَيمَ عاراً لَم تَمُرَّ بِهِ

شَرارَةٌ مِنهُ إلّا خالَها أُطُما

Whoever regards oppression as disgrace encounters

no spark of it without imagining a raging blaze.

وَكُلُّ مَجدٍ إِذا لَم يُبن مَحتِدُهُ

بِاليَأسِ نَقَّرَهُ الأَعداءُ فَاِنهَدَما

Every glory whose foundation is not built

on renunciation is pecked apart by enemies until it falls.

لا يَضبطُ الأَمرَ مَن في عُودِهِ خَوَرٌ

لَيسَ البُغاثُ يُساوي أَجدَلاً قَطِما

One whose timber is weak cannot govern affairs;

a feeble bird is no equal to a ravenous falcon.

وَلِلبُيوتِ سِطاعاتٌ تَقُومُ بِها

لا خِروَعاً جُعِلَت يَوماً وَلا عَنَما

Houses have pillars by which they stand;

these were never made of castor stalks or ʿanam shrubs.

ما كُلُّ ساعٍ إِلى العَلياءِ يُدرِكُها

مَن حَكّمَ السَيفَ في أَعدائِهِ حَكَما

Not everyone striving for greatness attains it;

he who appoints the sword judge over his enemies rules.

مَن أَرعَفَ السَيفَ مِن هامِ العِدى غَضَباً

لِلمَجدِ حُقَّ لَهُ أَن يُرعِفَ القَلَما

Whoever makes the sword bleed from enemies' heads in anger

for glory deserves to make the pen bleed.

لا تَطلُبِ الرَأيَ إِلّا مِن أَخي ثِقَةٍ

لا يُصدِرُ القَومَ مَن لا يُورِدُ العَلَما

Seek counsel only from a trustworthy man;

one who cannot reach the landmark cannot lead the people back.

وَلا يُعَدُّ كَريماً مَن مَواهِبُهُ

تُمسي وَتُصبِحُ في أَعدائِهِ دِيما

Nor is a man considered generous whose gifts

fall morning and evening upon his enemies like steady rain.

وَالبُخلُ خَيرٌ مِنَ الإِحسانِ في نَفَرٍ

أَبَرُّهُم بِكَ مَن أَغرى وَمَن شَتَما

Stinginess is better than kindness toward people

whose kindest member incites others against you or insults you.

وَواضِعُ الجُودِ في أَعداءِ نِعمَتِهِ

كَمُودِعِ الذِئبِ في بَرِّيَّةٍ غَنَما

He who places generosity among enemies of his bounty

is like one entrusting sheep to a wolf in the wilderness.

مَنِ اِستَخَفَّ بِأَربابِ العُلى سَفَهاً

وَسامَها الخَسفَ أَدمى كَفَّهُ نَدَما

Whoever foolishly belittles the masters of greatness

and subjects it to abasement bloodies his hand with regret.

أَلا فَسَل عَن كُلَيبٍ كَيفَ جَدَّلَهُ

جَسّاسُ هَل كانَ إِلّا أَن حَمى فَرَمى

Ask about Kulayb: how did Jassas

strike him down? Was it not that he claimed a preserve and shot?

وَلا يعزُّ الفَتى إِلّا بِأُسرَتِهِ

لَو كانَ في البَأسِ عَمراً وَالنَدى هَرِما

A young man gains might only through his clan,

even were he Amr in battle and Harim in generosity.

لا تَرضَ بِالهُونِ في خِلٍّ تُعاشِرُهُ

فَلَن تَرى غَيرَ جارِ الذُلِّ مُهتَضَما

Do not accept abasement in a friend you associate with;

you will see none oppressed but the neighbor of humiliation.

وَأَخسَرُ الناسِ سَعياً رَبُّ مَملَكَةٍ

أَطاعَ في أَمرِهِ النِسوانَ وَالخَدَما

The most fruitless of men in endeavor is a ruler

who obeys women and servants in his affairs.

وَقائِلٍ قالَ لي إِذ راقَهُ أَدَبي

وَالمَرءُ قَد رُبَّما أَخطَا وَما عَلِما

Someone said to me, pleased with my eloquence—

a man may sometimes err without knowing—

وَذاكَ بَعدَ سُؤالٍ مِنهُ عَن خَبَري

وَالصِدقُ مِن شيمتي لَو أَورَثَ البَكَما

after he had asked about my circumstances;

truthfulness is my nature, even if it brings muteness:

هَلّا اِمتَدَحتَ رِجالاً بِالعِراقِ لَهُم

مالٌ رُكامٌ وَجُودٌ يَطرُدُ العَدَما

“Why not praise men in Iraq who possess

heaped-up wealth and generosity that drives poverty away?”

فَجاشَتِ النَفسُ غَبناً بَعدَ أَن شَرِقَت

عَينايَ بِالدَمعِ حَتّى فاضَ وَاِنسَجَما

My soul surged with anguish after

my eyes filled with tears until they overflowed and streamed.

فَقُلتُ كَلّا وَهَل مِثلي يَليقُ بِهِ

مَدحُ الرِجالِ فَكَم جُرحٍ قَدِ اِلتَأَما

I said, “No! Is it fitting for one like me

to praise men? How many wounds have healed!

إِنّي عَلى حادِثاتِ الدَهرِ ذُو جَلَدٍ

تَجلُو الحَوادِثُ مِنّي صارِماً خَذِما

I possess endurance against the calamities of time;

adversities polish in me a keen, cutting sword.

وَلَستُ أَوَّلَ ذِي مَجدٍ لَهُ ظَلَمَت

صُرُوفُ أَيّامِهِ العَوصاءُ فَاِنظَلَما

I am not the first man of glory whom

the harsh turns of his days have wronged, leaving him oppressed.

يَأبي لِيَ الشَرَفُ العاليُّ مَنصِبهُ

أَن أَورِدَ النَفسَ حِرصاً مَورِداً وَخِما

My honor, exalted in station, forbids me

to lead my soul, through greed, to a perilous watering place.

أَنا اِبنُ أَركانِ بَيتِ المَجدِ لا كَذِباً

وَالنازِلينَ ذُرى العَلياءِ وَالقِمَما

I am truly the son of the pillars of glory's house,

and of those who dwell on greatness's heights and summits.

قَومي هُمُ القَومُ في بَأسٍ وَفي كَرَمٍ

إِنِ اِدَّعى غَيرُهُم ما فيهِمُ وَهِما

My people are the people of valor and generosity;

if others claim their qualities, they are deluded.

في الجاهِلِيَّةِ سُدنا كُلَّ ذي شَرَفٍ

بِالمَأثُراتِ وَسُدنا العُربَ وَالعَجَما

In the age before Islam, we surpassed every noble man

through illustrious deeds, and ruled Arabs and non-Arabs.

وَصارَ كُلُّ مَعَدّيٍّ لَنا تَبَعاً

يَرعى بِأَسيافِنا الوَسمِيَّ حِيثُ هَمى

Every descendant of Maadd became our follower,

grazing autumn-rain pasture under our swords wherever rain fell.

حُطنا نِزاراً وَذُدنا عَن مَحارِمِها

وَلَم نَدَع لِمُناوي عزِّها حَرَما

We guarded Nizar and defended its sacred possessions;

we left no sanctuary for any foe of its glory.

حَتّى أَتى اللَهُ بِالإِسلامِ وَاِفتَتَحَت

كُلَّ البِلادِ وَأَضحَت لِلأَنامِ سَما

Until God brought Islam, and it conquered

all lands and became a sky above mankind.

وَفَضلُ آخِرنا عَن فَضلِ أَوَّلِنا

يُغني ولَكِنَّ بَحراً هاجَ فاِلتَطَما

The merit of our later men makes our earliest men's merit

needless to recount; yet a sea surged, its waves crashing.

شِدنا مِن المَجدِ بَيتاً لا تُقاسُ بِهِ

ذاتُ العِمادِ وَلَكِن لَم نَكُن إِرَما

We raised a house of glory that cannot be matched by

the city of pillars; yet we were not Iram.

سَلِ القَرامِطَ مَن شَظّى جَماجِمَهُم

فَلقاً وَغادَرَهُم بَعدَ العُلا خَدَما

Ask the Qarmatians who shattered their skulls

into fragments and left them servants after eminence,

مِن بَعدِ أَن جَلَّ بِالبَحرَينِ شَأنُهُمُ

وَأَرجَفُوا الشامَ بِالغاراتِ وَالحَرَما

after their power had grown great in Bahrain

and they had terrorized Syria and the Sacred Precinct with raids.

وَلَم تَزَل خَيلُهُم تَغشى سَنابِكُها

أَرضَ العِراقِ وَتَغشى تارَةً أَدَما

Their horses' hooves continually swept over

the land of Iraq, and sometimes over Adam.

وَحَرَّقُوا عَبدَ قَيسٍ في مَنازِلها

وَصَيَّروا الغُرَّ مِن ساداتِها حُمَما

They burned Abd Qays in its dwellings

and turned its illustrious leaders into charcoal.

وَأَبطَلوا الصَلواتِ الخَمس وَاِنتَهَكُوا

شَهرَ الصِيامِ وَنَصُّوا مِنهُمُ صَنَما

They abolished the five prayers and violated

the month of fasting, erecting an idol from among themselves.

وَما بَنَوا مَسجِداً لِلّهِ نَعرِفُهُ

بَل كُلُّ ما أَدرَكُوهُ قائِماً هُدِما

They built no mosque for God that we know;

rather, every one they found standing was demolished.

حَتّى حَمَينا عَلى الإِسلامِ وَاِنتَدَبَت

مِنّا فَوارِسُ تَجلُو الكربَ وَالظُلما

Until we rose in defense of Islam, and riders

from among us volunteered, dispelling distress and darkness.

وَطالَبَتنا بَنُو الأَعمامِ عادَتَنا

فَلَم تَجِد بَكَماً فينا وَلا صَمَما

Our cousins called upon us for our customary deeds

and found neither muteness nor deafness among us.

وَقَلَّدُوا الأَمرَ مِنّا ماجِداً نَجداً

يَشفي وَيَكفي إِذا ما حادِثٌ دَهَما

They entrusted command to a noble, valiant man from us,

who heals and suffices when a calamity descends.

ماضي العَزيمَةِ مَيمُونٌ نَقيبَتُهُ

أَعلا نِزارٍ إِلى غاياتِها هِمَما

Resolute in purpose, auspicious in disposition,

highest in Nizar in aspiration toward its utmost goals.

فَصارَ يَتبَعُهُ غُرٌّ غَطارِفَةٌ

لَو زاحَمَت سَدَّ ذي القَرنَينِ لاِنثَلَما

Illustrious, noble warriors came to follow him;

had they pressed against Dhul-Qarnayn's wall, it would have cracked.

إِذا اِدَّعَوا يالَ إِبراهيمَ ظَلَّ لَهُم

يَومٌ يُشَيِّبُ مِن هامِ العِدى اللِّمَما

When they cried, “O house of Ibrahim!” there arose for them

a day that turned the locks on enemies' heads gray.

حَتّى أَناخَ بِبابِ الحِصنِ يَصحَبُهُ

عَزمٌ يَهُدُّ الجِبالَ الشُمَّ وَالأَكَما

Until he halted at the fortress gate, accompanied by

resolve that demolished lofty mountains and hills.

فَشَنَّها غارَةً شَعواءَ ناشِئَةً

كَسى بِها العُمَّ مِن حيطانِها قَتَما

He launched a fierce, sweeping raid, rising

to clothe its towering walls in dust.

فأَقبَلَت وَرِجالُ الأَزدِ تَقدُمُها

كَالأُسدِ قَد جَعَلَت سُمرَ القَنا أَجَما

It advanced, with the men of Azd leading it,

like lions making thickets of brown spear shafts.

فَصادَفَت كُلَّ لَيثٍ لَو يُحِسُّ بِهِ

لَيثٌ بِعَثَّرَ أَو خَفّانَ ما زَحَما

It encountered lions whom, if a lion sensed them

at Aththar or Khaffan, it would not challenge.

فَكَم صَرِيعٍ هَوى عَفصاً بِشِكَّتِهِ

مِنهُم وَآخَرَ وَلّى الدُبرَ مُنهَزِما

How many of them fell dead on the spot in their armor,

while another turned his back and fled defeated!

وَنَثرَةٍ أَخفَرَ الهِندِيُّ ذِمَّتَها

إِنَّ السُيُوفَ المَواضي تَخفِرُ الذِمما

How many a mailcoat's pledge an Indian blade betrayed!

Sharp swords indeed betray pledges of protection.

فَاِستَنجَدَت عامِراً مِن بَأسِها فَأَتَت

مُغِذَّةً لا تَرى في سَيرِها يَتَما

It sought Amir's aid against that might, and Amir came

hurrying, with no slackness apparent in its march.

ذُكُورُ خَيلِهِمُ أَلفٌ مُصَتَّمَةٌ

وَرَجلُهُم يُفعِمُ الوَادِيَّ إِذ زَحَما

Their cavalry's stallions were a full thousand;

their infantry filled the valley when it surged.

وَجَمعُنا في مِئينٍ أَربَعٍ حَضَرَت

عَدّاً وَلَكِنَّها أَعلا الوَرى قَدَما

Our force consisted of four hundred present

by count, yet foremost among mankind in valor.

وَلَم نَزَل نَرِدُ الهَيجاءَ يَقدُمُنا

ماضٍ على الهَولِ وَرّادٌ إِذا عَزَما

We continued entering battle, led by

a resolute man who plunges into terrors when determined:

أَبُو عَلِيٍّ وَفَضلُ ذُو النَدى وَأَبُو

مُسَيَّبٍ وَهُما تَحتَ العَجاجِ هُما

Abu Ali, generous Fadl, and Abu

Musayyab—and beneath battle dust the two were themselves.

وَمِسعَرُ الحَربِ مَسعُودٌ إِذا خَمَدَت

وَماجِدٌ وَاِبنُ فَضلٍ خَيرُها شِيما

And Masud, kindler of war whenever it died down,

and Majid and Ibn Fadl, the best of them in character.

هُمُ بَنُوهُ فَلا ميلٌ وَلا عُزُلٌ

وَلا تَرى فيهمُ وَهناً وَلا سَأَما

They are his sons: neither wavering nor unarmed;

you see in them neither weakness nor weariness.

كُلٌّ يُعَدُّ بِأَلفٍ لا يَضيقُ بِها

ذَرعاً وَيُوسِعُها طَعناً إِذا أَضِما

Each counts for a thousand, never daunted

by them, and lavishes spear thrusts upon them when enraged.

وَمالِكٌ حينَ تَدعُوهُ وَأَيُّ فَتى

حَربٍ إِذا ما اِلتَقى الزَحفانِ فَاِصطَدَما

And Malik, when you call him—what a warrior

when the two advancing armies meet and collide!

وَمِن بَني الشَيخِ عَبدِ اللَهِ كُلُّ فَتىً

يُخالُ في الرَوعِ فَحلَ الشَولِ مُغتَلِما

Among the sons of Shaykh Abd Allah is every young man

who seems, in terror, a rutting bull among dry she-camels.

يُنمى لِفَضلٍ وَصبّارٍ وَإِخوَتِهِ

بَني عَلِيٍّ كِعامِ الخَطبِ إِذ هَجَما

He traces his lineage to Fadl, Sabbar, and his brothers,

the sons of Ali, the muzzle of calamity when it attacks.

وَلَم تَكُن وُلدُ غَسّانٍ إِذا حَمِيَت

لَوافِحُ الحَربِ أَنكاساً وَلا قُرُما

Ghassan's descendants, when heated

by war's scorching blasts, were neither cowards nor gluttons.

تِلكُم بَناتُ العُلا لا قَولُ مُنتَحِلٍ

كُنّا وَكانَ وَلا باعاً وَلا قَدَما

Those are the offspring of greatness, not a pretender's words:

‘We were, he was’—without reach or standing.

سَقَوا صُدُورَ القَنا عَلّا وَقد نَهِلَت

وَأَكرَهُوا المازِنَ الخَطِّيَّ فَاِنحَطَما

They gave the spearheads a second draught after their first,

and forced the stout Khatt spears until they shattered.

وَفَلَّلَ البِيضَ في الهاماتِ ضَربُهُمُ

مِن بَعدِ أَن أَنهَلُوها في المَكَرِّ دَما

Their blows notched bright swords against heads

after they had first watered them with blood in the charge.

بَزُّوا ثَمانينَ دِرعاً مِن سُراتِهِمُ

في حَملَةٍ تَرَكَت هاماتِهِم رِمَما

They stripped eighty coats of armor from their chiefs

in a charge that left their heads lifeless remains.

وَكَم لَنا مِثلُها لَم تُبقِ باقِيَةً

إِلّا الزَعانِفَ وَالأَطفالَ وَالحَرَما

How many such deeds we have, leaving no survivors

except the rabble, children, and women!

فَسَلَّمَ الأَمرَ أَهلُ الأَمرِ وَاِنتَزَحُوا

عَن سَورَةِ المُلكِ لا زُهداً وَلا كَرَما

Those holding command surrendered it and withdrew

from the might of kingship, neither from detachment nor generosity.

وَأَصبَحَت آلُ عَبدِ القَيسِ قَد ثَلَجَت

صُدُورُها فَتَرى المَوتُورَ مُبتَسِما

The house of Abd al-Qays found its

hearts cooled, so that you saw the bereaved smiling.

ثُمَّ اِنتَحَينا لِعَوفٍ بَعدَما وَرِمَت

أُنُوفُها فَفَشَشنا ذَلِكَ الوَرَما

Then we turned against Awf after its

noses had swollen, and we deflated that swelling.

دُسناهُمُ دَوسَةً مِرِّيَّةً جَمَعَت

أَشلاهُمُ وَضِباعَ الجَوِّ وَالرَخَما

We trampled them with a fierce trampling that brought together

their limbs, the wilderness's hyenas, and vultures.

لَم يَنجُ غَيرُ رَئيسِ القَومِ تَحمِلُهُ

خَيفانَةٌ كَظَليمٍ رِيعَ تَحتَ سَما

None escaped but the people's chief, borne by

a swift mare like an ostrich startled beneath the sky.

ثُمَّ اِنثَنَينا بِجُردِ الخَيلِ نَجنِبُها

نَقائِذاً وَأَفَأنا السَبيَ وَالنَعَما

Then we returned, leading sleek horses alongside us

as rescued prizes, and took captives and livestock as spoils.

وَسَل بِقارُونَ هَل فازَت كَتائِبُهُ

لَمّا أَتَتنا وَهَل كُنّا لَهُم غُنَما

Ask about Qarun: did his battalions succeed

when they came upon us? Were we easy booty for them?

وَالشَرسَكِيَّة إِذ جاءَت تُطالِبُنا

دَمَ النُفوسِ وَفينا تقسِمُ القِسَما

And the Sharsakiyya, when it came demanding

our lives' blood and dividing us into shares—

بَيتانِ عِندَهُما كانَت رَعِيَّتُنا

عَوناً عَلَينا ضَلالاً مِنهُمُ وَعَمى

two houses beside whom our subjects stood

as helpers against us, out of delusion and blindness.

فَفَرَّجَ اللَهُ وَالبِيضُ الحِدادُ لَنا

وَعِزَّةٌ لَم تَكُن يَوماً لِمَن غَشَما

God brought us relief, with our sharp, bright swords

and a might never possessed by an oppressor.

وَأَصبَحَت حاسِدُونا في قَبائِلِنا

لَحماً أَقامَ لَهُ جَزّارُهُ وَضَما

Our enviers among our tribes became

meat for which its butcher had set out a chopping block.

لَكِن عَفَونا وَكانَ العَفوُ عادَتَنا

وَلَم نُؤاخِذ أَخا جُرمٍ بِما اِجتَرَما

But we pardoned; pardon was our custom,

and we did not punish the offender for his offense.

وَلَم يُنَجِّ اِبنَ عَيّاشٍ بِمُهجَتِهِ

يَمٌّ إِذا ما يَراهُ الناظِرُ اِرتَسَما

Ibn Ayyash's life was not saved by

a sea whose sight makes the onlooker invoke protection.

أَتى مُغِيراً فَوافَى جَوَّ ناظِرَةٍ

فَعايَنَ المَوتَ مِنّا دُونَ ما زَعَما

He came raiding and reached the plain of Nazira;

he beheld death from us, not what he had claimed.

فَراحَ يَطرُدُ طَردَ الوَحشِ لَيسَ يَرى

حَبلَ السَلامَةِ إِلّا السَوطَ وَالقَدَما

He sped away as wild beasts do, seeing

no cord of safety but the whip and the foot.

فَاِنصاعَ نَحوَ أَوالٍ يَبتَغي عِصَماً

إِذ لَم يَجِد في نَواحي الخَطِّ مَعتَصما

He turned toward Awal, seeking protection,

finding no refuge in the districts of al-Khatt.

فَأَقحَمَ البَحرَ مِنّا خَلفَهُ مَلِكٌ

مازالَ مُذ كانَ لِلأَهوالِ مُقتَحما

A king from among us plunged into the sea behind him,

one who, since he existed, had always plunged into terrors.

فَحازَ مُلكَ أَوالٍ بَعدَ ما تَرَكَ ال

عَكرُوتَ بِالسَيفِ لِلبَوغاءِ مُلتَزِما

He seized Awal's kingdom after leaving al-

Akrut bound to the dust by the sword.

فَصارَ مُلكُ اِبنِ عَيّاشٍ وَمُلكُ أَبي ال

بَهلُولِ مَع مُلكِنا عِقداً لَنا نُظِما

Then Ibn Ayyash's realm and Abu al-

Bahlul's realm joined ours, a necklace strung for us.

مَن ذا يُقاسُ بِعَبدِ اللَهِ يَومَ وَغىً

في بَأسِهِ أَو يُباري جُودهُ كَرَما

Who can compare with Abd Allah on a day of battle

in his valor, or rival his bounty in generosity?

مِنّا الَّذي جادَ بِالنَفسِ الخَطيرَةِ في

عِزِّ العَشيرَةِ حَتّى اِستَرحَلَ العَجَما

Among us is he who gave his precious life for

his clan's honor until he drove the non-Arabs away.

مِنّا الَّذي قامَ سُلطانُ العِراقِ لَهُ

جَلالَةً وَالمَدى وَالبُعدُ بَينَهُما

Among us is he for whom Iraq's sultan stood

in reverence, though vast distance lay between them.

مِنّا الَّذي حازَ مِن ثاجٍ إِلى قَطَرٍ

وَصَيَّرَ الرَملَ مِن مالِ العَدُوِّ حِمى

Among us is he who possessed the lands from Thaj to Qatar

and made the sands a preserve barred to the enemy's herds.

مِنّا الَّذي حينَ عَدَّ الأَلفَ خازِنُهُ

لِضَيفِهِ قالَ ضاعِفها أَرى أَمَما

Among us is he whose treasurer, counting out a thousand

for his guest, heard him say, ‘Double it; I find it little.’

مِنّا الَّذي مِن نَداهُ ماتَ عامِلُهُ

غَمّاً وَأَصبَحَ في الأَمواتِ مُختَرَما

Among us is he whose generosity caused his steward to die

of grief, becoming one whom death had carried off.

مِنّا الَّذي جادَ إِيثاراً بِما مَلَكَت

كَفّاهُ لا يَدَ يَجزِيها وَلا رَحِما

Among us is he who selflessly gave what

his hands possessed, repaying neither a favor nor kinship.

مِنّا الَّذي أَنهَبَ اِصطَبلاتِهِ كَرَماً

وَهيَ الجِيادُ اللَواتي فاتَتِ القِيَما

Among us is he who generously threw open his stables to plunder,

holding thoroughbreds whose worth exceeded all prices.

وَكانَ إِن سارَ فَالعِقيانُ تَتبَعُهُ

لِسائِلٍ رُدَّ أَو مُستَرفِدٍ حُرِما

Whenever he traveled, pure gold followed him

for a petitioner turned away or a seeker denied aid.

مِنّا الَّذي فَضَّ أَموالَ الخَزائِنِ في

غَوثِ الرَعِيَّةِ لا قَرضاً وَلا سَلَما

Among us is he who distributed the treasuries' wealth in

relief of his subjects, not as loans or advance purchases.

وَأَهمَلَ الدَخلَ ذاكَ العامَ فَاِنتَعَشَت

بِهِ الرَعِيَّة حَتّى جازَتِ القُحَما

He waived the revenue that year, and

his subjects revived through it until they passed the ordeals.

مِنّا الَّذي جَعَلَ الأَقطاعَ مِن كَرَمٍ

إِرثاً تَوَزَّعُهُ الوُرّاثُ مُقتَسَما

Among us is he who generously made land grants

an inheritance shared out among the heirs.

وَجادَ في بَعضِ يَومٍ وَهوَ مُرتَفِقٌ

بِأَربَعينَ جَواداً تَعلُكَ اللُجُما

Within part of a day, while reclining, he bestowed

forty noble horses champing their bridles.

وَمُطعِم الطَيرِ عامَ المَحلِ فَاِسمُ بِهِ

مِنّا إِذا صَرَّ خِلفُ الغَيثِ فَاِنصَرَما

And the feeder of birds in the year of drought—exalt him—

is one of us, when rain's teat is bound and runs dry.

مِنّا الَّذي أَنفَقَ الأَموالَ عَن عَرضٍ

حَتّى رَأَى شِعبَ شَملِ العِزِّ مُلتَئِما

Among us is he who spent wealth in defense of honor

until he saw the divided ranks of glory reunited:

مِلءَ المُسُوكِ قَناطيراً مُقَنطَرَةً

ما خافَ في جَمعِها حُوباً وَلا أَثَما

skins filled with heaped-up riches by the hundredweight,

with no fear of guilt or sin in gathering them.

مِنّا المُسَوَّرُ تَعظيماً وَوالِدُهُ

كَذاكَ كانَ فَنَحنُ السادَةُ العُظَما

Among us is the man honored with bracelets, and his father

was likewise; we are the great lords.

مِنّا الَّذي كُلَّ يَومٍ فَوقَ دارَتِهِ

داعٍ يُنادي إِلَيهِ الجائِعَ الضَرِما

Among us is he above whose dwelling every day

a caller summons to him those burning with hunger.

مِنّا الَّذي لَم يَدَع ناراً بِساحَتِهِ

تذكى سِوى نارِهِ لِلضّيفِ إِن قَدِما

Among us is he who allowed no fire in his courtyard

to blaze except his own for the guest who arrived.

وَصاحِبُ البَيتِ مِنّا حِينَ تَنسِبُهُ

لَو لَم نَجِد غَيرَهُ سُدنا بِهِ الأمَما

The master of the house is one of us, when you trace his lineage;

had we none but him, through him we would surpass the nations.

مِنّا الَّذي عامَ حَربِ النائِليِّ حَلا

يَومَ السُبَيعِ وَيَومَ الخائِسِ الغُمَما

Among us is he who, in the year of al-Na'ili's war, dispelled

the dark clouds on the day of al-Subay and the day of al-Khais.

مِنّا الَّذي مَنَعَ الأَعداءَ هَيبَتهُ

حَربَ البِلادِ فَما شَدّوا لَهُ حُزُما

Among us is he whose awe prevented enemies

from warring against the land: they girded no belts against him.

وَماتَ يَطلُبُ يَوماً يَستَلِذُّ بِهِ

يُطَبِّقُ الأَرضَ نَقعاً وَالحَضيضَ دَما

He died seeking a day in which he would delight,

covering the earth with dust and the lowlands with blood.

مِنّا الَّذي ضُرِبَت حُمرُ القِبابِ لَهُ

بِالمَشهَدَينِ وَأَعطى الأَمنَ وَاِنتَقَما

Among us is he for whom red pavilions were pitched

at the two shrines, who granted safety and took vengeance.

لَولا عِياذُ بَني الجَرّاحِ مِنهُ بِهِ

لَصاحَبَت دَهمَشاً أَو أُلحِقَت دَرِما

Had Banu al-Jarrah not sought refuge from him in him,

they would have joined Dahmash or been made to follow Daram.

مِنّا الَّذي أصحَبَ المُجتازَ مِن حَلَبٍ

إِلى العِراقِ إِلى نَجدٍ إِلى أَدَما

Among us is he who escorted the traveler from Aleppo

to Iraq, to Najd, and to Adam.

مِنّا الَّذي كُلَّ عامٍ بِالعِراقِ لَهُ

رَسمٌ سَنِيٌّ إِلى أَن ضُمِّنَ الرُجَما

Among us is he who each year in Iraq received

a generous stipend, until he was enclosed by grave-stones.

مِنّا الَّذي رَكَزَ الرُمحَينِ ضاحِيَةً

وَجَوّزَ العَرَبَ العَرباءَ بَينَهُما

Among us is he who planted two lances in the open

and made the true-born Arabs pass between them,

حَتّى اِحتَوى ما اِصطَفاهُ مِن عَقائِلَها

غَصباً وَهانَ عَلَيهِ رَغمُ مَن رَغِما

until he seized their choicest possessions

by force, caring little for the humiliation of those humiliated.

وَيَومَ سُترَةَ منّا كانَ صاحِبُهُ

لاقَت بِهِ شامَةٌ وَالحاشِكُ الرَقِما

The champion of the day of Sutra was one of us;

Shama and al-Hashik met calamity at his hands.

أَلفَينِ غادَرَ مِنهُم مَع ثَمانِ مئىٍ

صَرعى فَكَم مُرضَعٍ مِن بَعدها يَتُما

He left two thousand of them, with eight hundred more,

slain—how many sucklings afterward became orphans!

مِنّا أَبُو يُوسُفٍ وَالمُرتَجى حَسَنٌ

وَاِبنُ الإِمارَةِ وَالبَيتِ المُنيفِ هُما

Among us are Abu Yusuf and Hasan, in whom hope is placed;

both are heirs to princely rule and the lofty house.

وَيُوسُفٌ وَأَبُو شُكرٍ وَإِخوَتُهُ

حَليُ العُلا وَكِعامُ الدَهرِ إِن عَزَما

And Yusuf, Abu Shukr, and his brothers:

the adornment of greatness, and fate's muzzle when it presses on.

مِنّا الَّذي أَبطَلَ الماشُوشَ فَاِنقَطَعَت

آثارُهُ وَاِنمَحى في الناسِ وَاِنطَسَما

Among us is he who abolished al-Mashush, so that

its traces ceased and it vanished among people, wholly effaced.

مِنّا الأَميرُ أَبو فَضلٍ مَتى اِختَصَمَت

بَنُو الوَغى كانَ في أَرواحِها الحَكَما

Among us is Emir Abu Fadl: whenever

the sons of battle disputed, he judged their very souls.

ما قابَلَ الأَلفَ إِلَّا وَاِنثَنَت هَرَباً

كَأَنَّها الوَحشُ لاقَت ضَيغَماً قَرِما

He never faced a thousand without their turning in flight,

like wild beasts encountering a ravenous lion.

منّا الأَميرُ حَوارِيٌّ وَوالِدُهُ

فَاِذكُرهُما فَلَقد طابا وَقَد كَرُما

Among us are Emir Hawari and his father;

remember them: they were good and noble.

وَفي سُليمٍ لَنا عِزٌّ وَمُفتخَرٌ

وَمُفلِحٌ وَهُما لِلّهِ دَرُّهُما

In Sulaym we have might and cause for pride,

and in Muflih—what excellent men those two are!

وَفي أَمِيرٍ وَسُلطانٍ لَنا شَرَفٌ

نَسمو بِهِ وَاِبنُ بَدرِ اللَيثُ بَعدَهُما

In Amir and Sultan we have honor

by which we rise, and after them Ibn Badr, the lion.

مِنّا أَبو فاضِلٍ وَاللَوذَعيُّ أَبُو

مَذكُورٍ القرمُ فَلنَفخَر بِمثلِهِما

Among us are Abu Fadil and the discerning Abu

Madhkur, the chieftain: let us boast of men like those two.

وَما حُسَينٌ وَبَدرٌ إِن ذَكَرتُهُما

إِلّا هُمامانِ فاقَ الناسَ مَجدُهُما

Husayn and Badr, when I mention them, are nothing

but two heroes whose glory surpassed all people.

مِنّا الَّذي حَطَّ زُهداً عَن رَعِيَّتهِ

كُلَّ المُكُوسِ فَأَضحى الجَورُ مُنحَسِما

Among us is he who, renouncing gain, lifted from his subjects

all tolls, so that oppression was cut off.

وَكَم لَنا مِن بَني البَيعِيِّ مِن بَطَلٍ

إِذا رَأى مِن عَدُوٍّ هامَةً صَدَما

How many a champion we have from Banu al-Bay'i,

who strikes when he sees an enemy's head!

مِنّا الثَلاثَةُ وَالفردُ الَّذينَ لَقُوا

كَتائِباً كَأبي السَيّالِ حِينَ طَما

Among us are the three and the single man who faced

battalions like Abu al-Sayyal when it floods,

تَدعُو عَجِيبَةَ أَحياناً وَآوِنَةً

أُمُّ العَجرَّشِ وَالحَجّافِ بَينَهُما

calling at times ‘Ajiba,’ and at other times

‘Umm al-Ajarrash,’ with al-Hajjaf between them.

يَومَ الجُرَيعاءِ ما خامُوا وَما جَبُنوا

بَل كُلُّهُم يَصطَلي نِيرانَها قَدَما

On the day of al-Juray'a they neither faltered nor feared;

rather, each boldly endured its fires.

مِنّا الرِجالُ الثَمانُونَ الَّذينَ هُمُ

يَومَ القَطيعَةِ أَوفى مَعشَرٍ ذِمَما

Among us are the eighty men who were,

on the day of al-Qati'a, the company most faithful to pledges.

لاقُوا ثَلاثَةَ آلافٍ وَما جَبُنُوا

عَنهُم وَلا اِستَشعَرُوا خَوفاً وَلا بَرَما

They faced three thousand and did not shrink

from them, nor feel fear or distress.

فَطاعَنُوهُم إِلى أَن عافَ طَعنَهُمُ

مَن كانَ يَحسِبُهُم غُنماً إِذا قَدما

They fought them with spears until their thrusts sickened

those who had thought them easy booty when advancing.

أَفعالُ آبائِهِم يَومَ الرُكَينِ وَمَن

يُشبِه أَبَاهُ فَلا وَاللَهِ ما ظَلَما

These were their fathers' deeds on the day of al-Rukayn; whoever

resembles his father has done no wrong, by God.

إِذ طَيَّرَ التَلَّ يَومَ القَصرِ كَرُّهُمُ

عَلى الأَعاجِمِ حَتّى بادَ بَينَهُما

Their charge sent al-Tall fleeing on the day of al-Qasr,

against the non-Arabs, until he perished between the two.

نَحنُ الثِمالُ فَمَن يَكفُر بِنِعمَتِنا

كُنّا المُثَمَّلَ يُدني الحَتفَ وَالسَقَما

We are succor; whoever denies our beneficence

finds us a poisoned draught bringing death and sickness.

أَبياتُنا لِذَوي الآمالِ مُنتَجَعٌ

إِذا الزَمانُ يُرى كَالعِيرِ أَو عَرَما

Our houses are a resort for those with hopes

when time seems like a wild ass or turns fierce.

وَما عَدَدتُ عَشيراً مِن مَناقِبِنا

وَمَن يَعُدُّ ثرَى يَبرِينَ مُرتَكِما

I have not counted a tenth of our virtues;

who can count the piled sands of Yabrin?