ما أنصف الطلل العافي بماوانا — Abn Almqrb Alaaona

ما أَنصَفَ الطَلَلُ العافي بِماوانا

لَم نُشجِهِ يَومَ سَلَّمنا وَأَشجانا

The effaced campsite at Mawan has not been fair to us.

We did not grieve it when we greeted it, yet it grieved us.

عُجنا نُحَيّيهِ إِجلالاً وَتَكرِمَةً

مِنّا فَلَم نُبكِهِ شَوقاً وَأَبكانا

We turned aside to greet it, in reverence and honor

on our part; we did not make it weep with longing, yet it made us weep.

وَكُنتُ أَحسبُهُ وَالدَهرُ ذُو غِيَرٍ

لَو لَم نُحَيِّ مَغانِيهِ لَحَيّانا

I had supposed it—though Time is full of changes—

would greet us even if we did not greet its dwellings.

فَلَستُ أَدري لِإِنكارٍ تَخَوَّنَهُ

أَم بِالعُقوقِ عَلى عَمدٍ تَوَخّانا

I do not know whether failure to recognize us overtook it,

or whether it deliberately singled us out for ingratitude.

فَإِن يَكُن ذاكَ إِنكاراً فَلا عَجَبٌ

فَالشَيءُ يُنكِرُهُ ذُو اللُبِّ أَحيانا

If that was failure to recognize us, there is no wonder:

even a man of understanding sometimes fails to recognize a thing.

رَأى عَلى شُعَبِ الأَكوارِ أَزفِلَةً

شِيباً وَيَعهَدُنا بِالأَمسِ شُبّانا

It saw, upon the forks of camel-saddles, a throng

of grayheads, though it remembers us as youths only yesterday.

كُلٌّ مِنَ الضَعفِ قَد أَشفى عَلى هَرَمٍ

وَعِندَهُ أَنَّ حينَ الشَيبِ ما حانا

Each, from weakness, has verged upon decrepitude,

yet to its mind the hour of gray hair has not come.

أَقُولُ وَالدَمعُ قَد بَلَّت بَوادِرُهُ

مِنّا خُدُوداً وَأَذقاناً وَأَردانا

I say, while the first rushes of tears have wetted

our cheeks, our chins, and our sleeves,

وَقَد مُلِئتُ بِما عاينتُهُ عَجَبَاً

ما ضَرَّ سَهمَ الرَزايا لَو تَخَطَّانا

and I am filled with wonder at what I have witnessed:

What harm to calamity's arrow had it passed us by?

ما الذَنبُ لِلرَبعِ في هَذا فَنُلزِمُهُ

عَتباً وَلَكِنَّ هَذا الدَهرَ لا كانا

What fault has the dwelling in this, that we should burden it

with reproach? Rather, this age—may it never have been!

لَو لَم تَحُلَّ بِنادينا زَلازِلُهُ

لَكانَ ذَلِكُمُ الإِنكارُ عِرفانا

Had its earthquakes not descended upon our gathering-place,

that failure to recognize us would have been recognition.

إِيهاً خَلِيلَيَّ مِن ذُهلِ بنِ ثَعلَبَةٍ

مَن لَم يُهِن نَفسَهُ في حَقِّها هانا

Enough, my two friends of Dhuhl ibn Tha'labah!

Whoever will not put himself to hardship for his due is abased.

قُوما فَفي الأَرضِ عَن ذِي إِحنَةٍ سَعَةٌ

وَالحُرُّ يَختارُ أَخداناً وَأَوطانا

Rise, you two: the earth has room away from a spiteful man;

a free man chooses his companions and his homelands.

وَإِنَّني وَاجِدٌ في كُلِّ ناحِيَةٍ

بِالدارِ داراً وَبِالجيرانِ جِيرانا

Indeed, in every region I can find

a home to replace my home, and neighbors to replace my neighbors.

كَم ذا المُقامُ عَلى ذُلٍّ وَمَنقَصَةٍ

وَكَم أُجَرَّعُ كَأسَ الضَيمِ مَلآنا

How long this abiding in humiliation and abasement?

How often must I swallow oppression's brimming cup?

يَسُومني الخَسفَ أَقوامٌ أُبوّتهُم

عَبِيدُ آبايَ إِقراراً وَإِذعانا

People impose abasement upon me whose forefathers

were my fathers' slaves, by confession and submission.

أَرضى وَأَقنَعُ بِالحَظِّ الخَسيسِ وَلَو

أُنصِفتُ كُنتُ لَها بَدءاً وُثنيانا

I accept and am content with a paltry share; yet if

I were given justice, I would rank first and second in it.

وَيَعتَرِيني الأَذى مِن كُلِّ نازِلَةٍ

أَلقى أَوائِلَهُ في الناسِ خمّانا

Harm assails me from every newly settled band,

whose forebears I find among the human rabble.

يَعُدُّ إِن قالَ صِدقاً مِن مَفاخِرِهِ

كَرّاً وَمرّاً وَمِسحاةً وَفدّانا

If he speaks the truth, he counts among his glories

a palm-climbing rope, a spade, a hoe, and a plow-team.

يا دَهرُ إِن كُنتَ يَقظاناً فَقُم عَجِلاً

أَو ما تَزالُ إِذا نُوديتَ وَسنانا

O Time, if you are awake, rise quickly!

Or do you remain drowsy whenever you are called?

فَاِنظُر أُمُوراً وَأَحوالاً مُنَكَّسَةً

ما كُنتُ نائِلَها لَو كُنت يَقظانا

Look at affairs and conditions turned upside down,

which I would not have suffered had you been awake.

جَدعاً وَعَقراً وَعَثراً يا زَمانُ وَلا

لَعاً لَقَد سُمتَنا جَوراً وَعُدوانا

Nose-cutting, hamstringing, and a fall, O Time—and no

recovery! You have inflicted injustice and aggression upon us.

ذَهَبتَ بِالعِزِّ وَاِستَبقَيتَ لِي غِرَراً

صُمّاً عَن الخَيرِ وَالمَعرُوفِ عُميانا

You have carried off honor and left me fools,

deaf to goodness and blind to kindness.

يَرى الغَنيمَةَ مَن يَرجُو نَوالَهُمُ

أَن لا يَعُودَ إِلى نادِيهِ عُريانا

Whoever hopes for their bounty counts it a gain

not to return naked to his own gathering-place.

وَجالِبُ المَدحِ يَستَمري أَكُفَّهُمُ

كَحالِبِ التَيسِ يَرجُو مِنهُ أَلبانا

The man who brings praise to milk their palms

is like one milking a he-goat, hoping for milk from it.

يَعُدُّ مَمدُوحُهُم إِصغاءَ مَسمَعِهِ

إِلى مُمَدِّحِهِ فَضلاً وَإِحسانا

The man praised among them counts his attentive listening

to his panegyrist as a favor and a kindness,

لِعِلمِهِ أَنَّهُ قَد جاءَ مُبتَدِعاً

وَقالَ في حَقِّهِ زُوراً وَبُهتانا

knowing the man has come inventing

and has spoken falsehood and fabrication about him.

الحَمدُ لِلّهِ لَم أُنزِل بِهِم أَمَلاً

يَوماً فَأَرجِعُ كابي الزَّندِ خَزيانا

Praise be to God: I never lodged a hope with them

on any day, only to return with a failing fire-stick, disgraced.

وَلا رَأَيتُهُمُ أَهلاً لِمَكرُمَةٍ

فَأَجتَدي مِنهُمُ مَقتاً وَحِرمانا

Nor did I deem them capable of a noble deed,

only to beg from them loathing and deprivation.

وَكَيفَ أُنزِلُ آمالي بِمُقرِفَةٍ

مَصّوا أَفاوِيقَ ثَديِ اللُؤمِ وِلدانا

How could I lodge my hopes with baseborn men

who, as infants, sucked successive draughts from baseness's breast?

يَرى جَوادُهُم العافي فَتَحسِبُهُ

رَأى هِزَبراً هَريتَ الشَدقِ طيّانا

Their generous man sees a suppliant, and you would think he

had seen a ravenous lion with a gaping maw.

يُخالُ سائِلهُم مِن صَرِّ أَوجُهِهم

بِالمِلحِ يَعرِكُ آنافاً وَآذانا

From their scowling faces, their petitioner seems

to be rubbing their noses and ears with salt.

كَأَنَّما نَغمَةُ المُمتاحِ سَيبُهُمُ

سَهمٌ أَحَنَّ بِهِ كَبداءَ مِرنانا

As though the voice of one seeking their bounty

were an arrow making a broad-bellied, resonant bow moan.

جُودُ الكَريمِ لمن أَصفي مَوَدَّتَهُ

بَدءاً وَعَوداً وَإِسراراً وَإِعلانا

The noble man's bounty goes to one he loves sincerely,

at first and again, in private and in public.

وَجُودُ كُلِّ لَئيمِ الطَبعِ يُمطِرُهُ

أَهلَ العَداوَةِ أَو مَن كانَ عَجّانا

But every man base by nature showers his bounty

on enemies, or whoever clamors loudly.

يا أَيُّها الراكِبُ المُزجي لِطيَّتِهِ

وَجناءَ مَوّارَةِ الضَبعَينِ مِذعانا

O rider driving toward his destination

a sturdy she-camel, swinging her upper forelegs, obedient,

أَبلِغ عَلى النَأيِ قَومي حَيثُ ما نَزَلُوا

بَرّاً وَبَحراً وَأَجبالاً وَغِيضانا

carry word, despite the distance, to my people wherever they have settled:

on land or sea, in mountains or in thickets.

وَقُل لَهُم عَن لِساني غَيرَ مُتَّئِبٍ

قَولاً تُبَيِّنُهُ لِلقَومِ تِبيانا

And say to them in my name, without shame,

words you make perfectly clear to the people:

كَم ذا التَغافُلُ عَمّا قَد مُنِيتُ بِهِ

وَكَم أَهُزُّكُمُ مَثنى وَوُحدانا

How long this heedlessness of what I have suffered?

How often must I rouse you, in pairs and singly?

أَتَقنَعُونَ بِأَن أَطوي رَجاءَكُمُ

يَأساً وَأَن أَتَرَجّى الحَيَّ قَحطانا

Are you content that I should fold away my hope in you

in despair, and pin my hopes on the tribe of Qahtan?

وَأَن أُفارِقَكُم حَرّانَ قَد بَرَدَت

بِيَ المُعادُونَ أَحقاداً وَأَضغانا

And that I should leave you burning with anguish, while

my enemies have cooled their rancor and grudges at my expense?

لا وَفَّقَ اللَهُ في بَدوٍ وَلا حَضَرٍ

أَعَقَّنا لِمَواليهِ وَأَجفانا

May God grant no success, in desert or town,

to whichever of us is most disloyal and coldest to his kinsmen.

وَلا رَعى في رَعاياهُ الَّتي حُفِظَت

أَبَرَّنا بِمُعادِيهِ وَأَحفانا

Nor may He safeguard, among the charges He has kept safe,

whichever of us is kindest and most solicitous to his enemy.

يا لَيتَ شِعرِيَ إِن زُمَّت رَكائِبُنا

وَقُطِّعَت مِن قُرى البَحرَينِ أَقوَانا

Would that I knew: if our riding-camels were bridled

and our ties with the villages of Bahrayn were severed,

وَأَصبَحَت قَد أَناخَت في ذُرى مَلِكٍ

مِن حِميَرٍ أَو بَقايا الحَيِّ كَهلانا

and they came to kneel in the lofty precincts of a king

of Himyar, or the remnants of the tribe of Kahlan,

وَجاءَتِ القَومُ أَفواجاً لِتَسأَلَني

فَصادَفُوا مَنطِقي لِلفَضلِ عُنوانا

and the people came in bands to question me,

finding my speech a sign of excellence—

فَإِن أُجَمجِم وَأُخفي عَنهُمُ خَبري

حَمِيَّةً جَلَبَت هَوناً وَنُقصانا

if I mumble and conceal my story from them,

out of pride, I bring humiliation and loss.

وَإِن أَقُل كُنتُ ذا مالٍ فَمَزَّقَهُ

صَرفٌ مِنَ الدَهرِ ما يَنفَكُّ يَلحانا

And if I say: I had wealth, but it was scattered

by a turn of Time that never ceases to harry us,

يُقالُ لي كُلُّ تَفريقٍ لَهُ سَبَبٌ

يَجري فَأورِد عَلَينا الأَمرَ وَالشانا

I will be told: Every scattering has a cause

at work; recount the matter and circumstances to us.

فَإِن أَقُل سَيِّدا قَومي هُما سَبَبٌ

لِذاكَ لَم أَرَ هَذا القَولَ إِحسانا

If I say: The two chiefs of my people are the cause

of that, I cannot deem such words well spoken.

هَذا لَعَمري أَطاعَ الكاشِحينَ وَلَم

يَعطِف وَأَصغى إِلى الواشينَ إِذعانا

This one, by my life, obeyed my secret enemies and did not

show compassion, but listened submissively to slanderers.

وَمَنَّ بَعدَ ذَهابِ المالِ عَن عَرَضٍ

يفَتِّرُ النَفسَ كَي نَدعُوهُ مَنّانا

After my wealth was gone, he conferred a casual favor,

dispiriting the soul, so we might call him a benefactor.

وَجِئتُ هَذا أُرَجّي عِندَهُ أَمَلاً

نَزراً فَصادَفتُ إِعراضاً وَحِرمانا

I came to this other one, hoping for some prospect with him,

however small, but met with aversion and denial.

وَفي مَوَدَّتِهِ لاقَيتُ كُلَّ أَذىً

وَاِجتيحَ وَفرِيَ بُغضاً لِي وَشَنآنا

In friendship with him I encountered every harm,

and my abundance was swept away through hatred and loathing for me.

وَكُلُّ ذِي غُصَّةٍ بِالماءِ يَدفَعُها

فَكَيفَ يَصنَعُ مَن بِالماءِ غَصّانا

Anyone with a choking mouthful washes it down with water;

but what can one do when it is water that chokes him?

وَما عَلى مَن يَقُولُ الصِدقَ مِن حَرَجٍ

وَلَيسَ تَلزَمُهُ ذَنباً وَلا ذانا

There is no blame upon one who speaks the truth,

nor does it fasten guilt or disgrace upon him.

لا عَزَّ قَومٌ يَعيشُ الكَلبُ ذا بغَرٍ

ما بِينَهُم وَيَمُوتُ اللَيثُ عَطشانا

May no people prosper where a dog lives with unquenchable thirst

in their midst, while the lion dies thirsty.

وَقائِلٍ عَدِّ عَن نَظمِ القَريضِ فَقَد

أَسمَعتَ مِن قَبلُ لَو نَبَّهتَ يَقظانا

And someone says: Turn away from composing verse; already

you have made yourself heard before—had you but roused someone awake.

المَجدُ أَمسى دَفيناً بِالعذارِ فَقُم

كَيما تُقيمَ لَهُ نَوحاً وَإِرنانا

Glory now lies buried at al-'Idhar; rise,

to raise lamentation and loud wailing for him.

فَلَيسَ بَعدَ عِمادِ الدِينِ مِن مَلِكٍ

تَخُطُّ فيهِ رُواةُ الشِعرِ دِيوانا

After 'Imad al-Din there is no king

about whom the transmitters of poetry may write a collection.

يا ثُكلَ أُمِّ العِدى وَالمَكرُماتِ أَما

لَو يَنطِقُ الدَهرُ عَزّاها وَعَزّانا

O bereavement of the mother of foes and noble deeds! Indeed,

if Time could speak, it would console her and console us.

فَقُلتُ لَم نَرَ فيهِ مِن خِلالِ عُلاً

إِلّا وَنَحنُ نَراها في اِبنِهِ الآنا

I said: We saw in him no trait of greatness

that we do not now see in his son:

حَزمٌ وَعَزمٌ وَبَأسٌ صادِقٌ وَنَدىً

غَمرٌ وَحِلمٌ وَعَقلٌ فاقَ لُقمانا

prudence, resolve, true valor, and bounty

overflowing; forbearance, and a mind surpassing Luqman's.

يا فَضلُ دَعوةَ ذِي قُربى دَعاكَ وَقَد

أَحَسَّ لِلضَيمِ في أَحشاهُ نِيرانا

O Fadl, hear the call of a kinsman who has called to you, having

felt fires of oppression within his breast.

أَنتَ الَّذي تَرَكَ الأَعداءَ هَيبَتُهُ

كُلٌّ يُجَمجِمُ ما يَلقاهُ حَيرانا

You are the one whose dread has left the enemies

each muttering in bewilderment over what befalls him.

يَأبى لَكَ المَجدُ وَالطَبعُ الكَريمُ بِأَن

تُدعى عَلى المالِ لِلأَحداثِ خَزّانا

Your glory and your noble nature forbid

that you be called a hoarder of wealth for calamities.

يا مَن يَرى بَذلَهُ الأَموال فائدةً

تَبقى لَهُ وَيَرى الإِمساكَ خُسرانا

O you who deem the wealth you give away a profit

that remains to you, and deem withholding a loss,

وَأَنتَ للدَوحَةُ اللّاتي أَرُومَتُها

طابَت فَمَدَّت عَلى الأَغصانِ أَغصانا

you are indeed the great tree whose rootstock

is good, so it extends bough upon bough.

وَفِي يَدَيكَ سَحابُ الجُودِ تُمطِرُها

عَلى الخَلائِقِ أَوراقاً وَعِقيانا

In your two hands are clouds of generosity, which you rain

upon all creatures as silver and pure gold.

أُعِيذُ مَجدَكَ أَن أَشقى وَتَعرِفُني

نُيُوبُ دَهرٍ تَرُدُّ القَرمَ حُلّانا

I seek protection for your glory lest I suffer and be known

to the fangs of an age that reduces a mighty camel to a kid.

نَماكَ لِلمَجدِ آباءٌ بِهِم شَرُفَت

رَبِيعَةُ الغُرُّ عَدناناً وَقَحطانا

Fathers raised you toward glory, through whom

illustrious Rabi'ah surpassed 'Adnan and Qahtan in honor.

قَومٌ هُمُ ثَأَرُوا حُجراً وَهُم أَسَرُوا

عَمراً وَهُم قَهَرُوا ذا التاج صُهبانا

A people who avenged Hujr, and who captured

'Amr, and vanquished Suhban, wearer of the crown.

وَهُم أَباحُوا حِمى كِسرى وَهُم قَتَلُوا

هامُرزَ وَاِستَنزَلُوا الأُسوارَ مَهرانا

They laid open Kisra's protected domain, and killed

Hamurz, and brought down the cavalry commander Mihran.

كانُوا جِبالاً لِنَجدٍ تَستَقِرُّ بِها

عَن الزَلازِلِ إِن ماجَت وَأَركانا

They were mountains for Najd, by which it stood firm,

against earthquakes when it heaved, and they were its pillars.

حَتّى إِذا اِرتَحَلُوا عَن جَوِّها اِضطَرَبَت

وَبُدِّلَت مِنهُمُ خَسفاً وَخِذلانا

Until, when they departed from its expanse, it trembled,

and in their place received abasement and abandonment.

وَأَصبَحَت بِقُرى البَحرَينِ خَيلُهُمُ

تَجُرُّ لِلعِزِّ أَشطاناً وَأَرسانا

Their horses came to dwell in the villages of Bahrayn,

dragging the long ropes and reins of honor.

لَولا نُزولهُمُ في جَوِّها لَرَأَت

رَبِيعَةٌ هَرَباً كَيشاً وَمَكرانا

Had they not settled in its expanse,

Rabi'ah would have seen Kish and Makran in flight.

لَكِنَّهُم أَثبَتُوا آساسَها وَنَفَوا

عَنها حَمِيَّ بنَ عَيمانٍ وَحَدّانا

But they secured its foundations and drove away

from it Hamiyy ibn 'Ayman and Haddan,

كَما نَفَت قَبلَ ذا قَسراً أَوائِلُهُم

عَنها إِياداً وَحُلواناً وَجِيلانا

as their forefathers had earlier driven by force

from it Iyad, Hulwan, and Jilan.

فَهاكَها يا عِمادَ الدِينِ حاوِيَةً

دُرّاً وَمِسكاً وَياقُوتاً وَمَرجانا

Take it, then, O 'Imad al-Din, laden with

pearls, musk, rubies, and coral.