أصغى إلى البين مغترا فلا جرما — Abu Tammam

أَصغى إِلى البَينِ مُغتَرّاً فَلا جَرَما

أَنَّ النَوى أَسأَرَت في قَلبِهِ لَمَما

He listened to parting, deluded; no wonder

that separation left a touch of madness in his heart.

أَصَمَّني سِرُّهُم أَيّامَ فُرقَتِهِم

هَل كُنتَ تَعرِفُ سِرّاً يورِثُ الصَمَما

Their secret deafened me in the days of their departure.

Did you ever know a secret that begets deafness?

نَأَوا فَظَلَّت لِوَشكِ البَينِ مُقلَتُهُ

تَندى نَجيعاً وَيَندى جِسمُهُ سَقَما

They went far away; at parting's swiftness his eye kept

dripping fresh blood, while his body dripped sickness.

أَظَلَّهُ البَينُ حَتّى إِنَّهُ رَجُلٌ

لَو ماتَ مِن شُغلِهِ بِالبَينِ ما عَلِما

Parting overshadowed him, till he became a man

who would not know if he died, so absorbed in parting.

أَما وَقَد كَتَمَتهُنَّ الخُدورُ ضُحىً

فَأَبعَدَ اللَهُ دَمعاً بَعدَها اِكتَتَما

Ah, now the curtained chambers have hidden them at midmorning,

may God banish any tear that stayed hidden after that.

لَمّا اِستَحَرَّ الوَداعُ المَحضُ وَاِنصَرَمَت

أَواخِرُ الصَبرِ إِلّا كاظِماً وَجِما

When stark farewell blazed fiercely, and there snapped

the last of patience, save for mute suppression of grief,

رَأَيتَ أَحسَنَ مَرئِيٍّ وَأَقبَحَهُ

مُستَجمِعينَ لِيَ التَوديعَ العَنَما

you saw the fairest sight and the foulest

joined for me: farewell and fingers like red ʿanam shoots.

فَكادَ شَوقِيَ يَتلو الدَمعَ مُنسَجِماً

لَو كانَ في الأَرضِ شَوقٌ فاضَ فَاِنسَجَما

My longing almost followed my tears, streaming,

if longing on earth could ever overflow and pour.

صُبَّ الفِراقُ عَلَينا صُبَّ مِن كَثَبٍ

عَلَيهِ اِسحاقُ يَومَ الرَوعِ مُنتَقِما

Parting was poured upon us—may there be poured, at close range,

upon it Ishaq, avenging on the day of terror!

سَيفُ الإِمامِ الَّذي سَمَّتهُ هِمَّتُهُ

لَمّا تَخَرَّمَ أَهلَ الكُفرِ مُختَرِما

The Imam's sword, whom his ambition named,

when he cut down the unbelievers, ‘the Reaper.’

إِنَّ الخَليفَةَ لَمّا صالَ كُنتَ لَهُ

خَليفَةَ المَوتِ فيمَن جارَ أَو ظَلَما

Indeed, when the caliph charged, you were for him

death's deputy against whoever transgressed or oppressed.

قَرَّت بِقُرّانَ عَينُ الدينِ وَاِنشَتَرَت

بِالأَشتَرَينِ عُيونُ الشِركِ فَاِصطُلِما

At Qurran faith's eye was soothed; slit open

at al-Ashtarayn were idolatry's eyes, and it was uprooted.

وَيَومَ خَيزَجَ وَالأَلبابُ طائِرَةٌ

لَو لَم تَكُن ناصِرَ الإِسلامِ ما سَلِما

And on the day of Khayzaj, when wits took flight,

had you not defended Islam, it would not have survived.

أَضحَكتَ مِنهُم ضِباعَ القاعِ ضاحِيَةً

بَعدَ العُبوسِ وَأَبكَيتَ العُيونَ دَما

You made the hyenas of the plain laugh at them in broad daylight,

after their scowling, and made eyes weep blood;

بِكُلِّ صَعبِ الذُرا مِن مُصعَبٍ يَقِظٍ

إِن حَلَّ مُتَّئِداً أَو سارَ مُعتَزِما

with every watchful warrior of Mus'ab, his heights unassailable,

whether he camps unhurried or marches resolute,

بادي المُحَيّا لِأَطرافِ الرِماحِ فَما

يُرى بِغَيرِ الدَمِ المَعبوطِ مُلتَثِما

bare-faced before the spearpoints, never

seen veiled in anything but freshly shed blood,

يُضحى عَلى المَجدِ مَأموناً إِذا اِشتَجَرَت

سُمرُ القَنا وَعَلى الأَرواحِ مُتَّهَما

trusted with glory when there clash

the dusky spears, but suspected where lives are concerned.

قَد قَلَّصَت شَفَتاهُ مِن حَفيظَتِهِ

فَخيلَ مِن شِدَّةِ التَعبيسِ مُبتَسِما

His lips had drawn back in his fury,

till his fierce scowl made him seem to smile.

لَم يَطغَ قَومٌ وَإِن كانوا ذَوي رَحِمٍ

إِلّا رَأى السَيفَ أَدنى مِنهُمُ رَحِما

No people rebelled, even if they were his kin,

but he deemed the sword nearer kin than they.

مَشَت قُلوبُ أُناسٍ في صُدورِهِمُ

لَمّا تَراءَوكَ تَمشي نَحوَهُم قُدُما

Men's hearts moved within their breasts

when they saw you marching boldly toward them.

أَمطَرتَهُم عَزَماتٍ لَو رَمَيتَ بِها

يَومَ الكَريهَةِ رُكنَ الدَهر لَاِنهَدَما

You rained resolves upon them; had you hurled them

on battle day at Time's pillar, it would have collapsed.

إِذا هُمُ نَكَصوا كانَت لَهُم عُقُلاً

وَإِن هُمُ جَمَحوا كانَت لَهُم لُجُما

When they drew back, these were hobbles for them;

and when they bolted, these were bridles for them.

حَتّى اِنتَهَكتَ بِحَدِّ السَيفِ أَنفُسَهُم

جَزاءَ ما اِنتَهَكوا مِن قَبلِكَ الحُرَما

Until you violated their lives with the sword's edge,

in requital for the sanctities they had violated before you.

زالَت جِبالُ شَرَورى مِن كَتائِبِهِم

خَوفاً وَما زُلتَ إِقداماً وَلا قَدَما

The mountains of Sharawra moved before their battalions

in fear; you, in your courage, budged not a foot.

لَمّا مَخَضتَ الأَمانِيَّ الَّتي اِحتَلَبوا

عادَت هُموماً وَكانَت قَبلَهُ هِمَما

When you churned the hopes that they had milked,

they turned to sorrows, having once been ambitions.

بَدَّلتَ أَرؤُسَهُم يَومَ الكَريهَةِ مِن

قَنا الظُهورِ قَنا الخَطِّيِّ مُدَّعَما

On battle day you gave their heads, instead of

their backbone shafts, Khatti spear shafts as supports.

مِن كُلِّ ذي لِمَّةٍ غَطَّت ضَفائِرُها

صَدرَ القَناةِ فَقَد كادَت تُرى عَلَما

Each from a long-haired man whose tresses covered

the spear's upper shaft, almost seeming a banner.

راحَ التَنَصُّلُ مَعقوداً بِأَلسُنِهِم

لَمّا غَدا السَيفُ في أَعناقِهِم حَكَما

Excuses lay knotted upon their tongues

when the sword became the judge at their necks.

كانوا عَلى عَهدِ كِسرى في الزَمانِ وَلَن

يَستَشرِيَ الخَطبُ إِلّا كُلَّما قَدُما

They were there in Kisra's age, long ago; and never

does a calamity grow more virulent except as it grows old.

في كُلِّ جَوشَنِ دَهرٍ مِنهُم فِئَةٌ

تُرجى رَحى فِتنَةً قَد أَشجَتِ الأُمَما

In the breastplate of every age is a band of them,

expected to be the millstone of strife that has tormented nations.

حَتّى إِذا أَينَعَت أَثمارُ مُدَّتِهِم

أَرسَلَكَ اللَهُ لِلأَعمارِ مُصطَرِما

Until, when the fruits of their allotted time ripened,

God sent you, a reaper of lifespans.

أَطَعتَ رَبَّكَ فيهِم وَالخَليفَةَ قَد

أَرضَيتَهُ وَشَفَيتَ العُربَ وَالعَجَما

You obeyed your Lord concerning them, and the caliph

you pleased, healing Arabs and non-Arabs alike.

تَرَكتَهُم سِيَراً لَو أَنَّها كُتِبَت

لَم تُبقِ في الأَرضِ قِرطاساً وَلا قَلَما

You left them tales which, were they written,

would leave neither paper nor pen upon the earth.

ثُمَّ اِنصَرَفتَ وَلَم تَلبَث وَقَد لَبِثَت

سَماءُ عَدلِكَ فيهِم تُمطِرُ النِعَما

Then you departed without lingering, while there remained

the sky of your justice over them, raining blessings.

لَو كانَ يَقدَمُ جَيشٌ قَبلَ مَبعَثِهِم

لَكانَ جَيشُكَ قَبلَ البَعثِ قَد قَدِما

If an army could arrive before it was sent,

your army would have arrived before its dispatch.

وَلَّت شَياطينُهُم عَن حَدِّ مَلحَمَةٍ

كانَت نُجومُ القَنا فيها لَهُم رُجُما

Their devils fled from the cutting edge of a battle

in which the spear-stars were missiles against them.

تَرَكتَهُم جَزَراً في يَومِ مَعرَكَةٍ

أَقمَرتَ فيها وَكانَت فيهِم ظُلَما

You left them slaughtered carcasses on a day of battle

in which you shone moon-bright, while for them it was darkness.

قَد بَيَّضَت رَخَمُ الهَيجا جَماجِمَهُم

حَتّى لَقَد تَرَكَتها تُشبِهُ الرَخَما

The vultures of battle whitened their skulls

until they left them looking like marble.

غادَرتَ بِالجَبَلِ الأَهواءَ واحِدَةً

وَالشَملَ مُجتَمِعاً وَالشَعبَ مُلتَئِما

You left the inclinations in al-Jabal as one,

the company united, and the rift healed.

جَدَدتَ غَرسَ المُنى مِنهُم بِذي لَجَبٍ

أَبقى بِهِم مِن أَنابيبِ القَنا أَجَما

You cut down their planted hopes with a clamorous host

that left among them thickets of jointed spear shafts.

لَو كانَ في ساحَةِ الإِسلامِ مِن حَرَمٍ

ثانٍ إِذاً كُنتَ قَد صَيَّرتَهُ حَرَما

If within Islam's realm there were a sanctuary—

a second one—you would have made it inviolate.

تَغدو مَعَ الحَربِ لِلأَرواحِ مُغتَنِماً

فَإِن سُئِلتَ نَوالا رُحتَ مُغتَنَما

You go forth with war, taking lives as spoil;

but when asked for bounty, you return as spoil yourself.

فَالمَجدُ طَوعُكَ ما تَعدوكَ هِمَّتُهُ

أَكُنتَ مُهتَضِماً أَو كُنتَ مُهتَضَما

Glory obeys you; its aspiration does not go beyond you,

whether you oppress or are oppressed.

كَم نَفحَةٍ لَكَ لَم يُحفَظ تَذَمُّمُها

لِصامِتِ المالِ لا إِلّا وَلا ذِمَما

How many a gift of yours showed no scrupulous regard

for lifeless wealth, honoring neither covenant nor pledge.

مَواهِبٌ لَو تَوَلّى عَدَّها هَرِمٌ

لَم يُحصِها هَرِمٌ حَتّى يُرى هَرَما

Gifts which, if Harim undertook their counting,

Harim could not number before he had grown old.

فَخراً بَني مُصعَبٍ فَالمَكرُماتُ بِكُم

عادَت رِعاناً وَكانَت قَبلَكُم أَكَما

Take pride, sons of Mus'ab! Through you noble deeds

became mountain crests, though before you they were hillocks.

نَقولُ إِن قُلتُمُ لا لا مُسَلَّمَةً

لِأَمرِكُم وَنَعَم إِن قُلتُم نَعَما

We say, if you say ‘no,’ ‘no,’ in submission

to your command, and ‘yes’ if you say ‘yes.’

ما مِنكُمُ أَحَدٌ إِلّا وَقَد فُطِمَت

عَنهُ الأَعادي بِسيما المَجدِ مُذ فُطِما

Not one of you but his foes have been weaned

away from him by glory's mark, since he himself was weaned.

أَبو الحُسَينِ ضِياءٌ لامِعٌ وَهُدىً

ما خامَ في مَشهَدٍ يَوماً وَلا سَئِما

Abu al-Husayn is a gleaming radiance and guidance;

he never flinched in any encounter, nor ever wearied.

إِذا أَتى بَلَداً أَجلَت خَلائِقُهُ

عَن أَهلِهِ الأَنكَدَينِ الخَوفَ وَالعَدَما

Whenever he enters a land, his character drives

from its people the two banes, fear and poverty.

مَن يَسأَلِ اللَهَ أَن يُبقي سَراتَكُمُ

فَإِنَّما سالَهُ أَن يُبقِيَ الكَرَما

Whoever asks God to preserve your nobles

has only asked Him to preserve generosity.

قَد قُلتُ لِلناسِ إِذ قاموا بِشُكرِكُمُ

الآنَ أَحسَنتُمُ أَن تَحرُسوا النِعَما

I said to the people, when they rose to thank you:

‘Now you have done well to safeguard blessings.’