إن طول الحياة غير سعود — Abu Zubaid Al Taie

إِنَّ طولَ الحَياةِ غَيرُ سُعودِ

وَضَلالٌ تَأميلُ نَيلِ الخُلودِ

Long life is no blessing.

Hoping to attain immortality is folly.

عُلَّلَ المَرءُ بِالرَجاءِ وَيُضحى

غَرَضاً لِلمَنونِ نَصبَ العُودِ

A person is soothed with hope, yet becomes

a target for death, set up like a wooden post.

كُلَّ يَومٍ تَرميهِ مِنها بِرَشقٍ

فَمُصيبٌ أَوصافَ غَيرَ بَعيدِ

Each day death shoots a volley at him;

some arrow will strike its mark before long.

مِن حَميمٍ يُنسي الحَياءَ جَليدَ القَو

مِ حَتّى تَراهُ كَالمَبلودِ

The loss of a loved one can make the hardiest

of men forget composure, until he seems stunned.

كُلُّ مَيِّتٍ قَد اِغتَفَرتُ فَلا أَو

جَعُ مِن والِدٍ وِمِن مَولودِ

I have borne the death of everyone else, and do not

grieve so deeply for a father or a child.

غَيرَ أَنَّ اللَجلاج هَدَّ جَناحي

يَومَ فارَقتُهُ بِأَعلى الصَعيدِ

But al-Lajlaj broke my wing

on the day I parted from him on the high ground.

في ضَريحٍ عَلَيهِ عَبءٌ ثَقيلٌ

مِن تُرابٍ وَجَندَلٍ مَنضودِ

He lies in a grave beneath a heavy burden

of earth and piled stones,

عَن يَمينِ الطَريقِ عِندَ صَدىً حَر

أَن يَدعو بِاللَيلِ غَيرَ معودِ

to the right of the road, where an echo seemed

to call at night with an unfamiliar voice.

صادِياً يَستَغيثُ غَيرَ مُغاثٍ

وَلَقَد كانَ عُصرَةَ المَنجودِ

Thirsty, he cries for help and receives none,

though he once came to the aid of those in distress.

رُبَّ مُستَلحِمٍ عَلَيهِ ظِلالُ المَو

تِ لَهفانَ جاهِدٍ مَجهودِ

How many a man, pressed by foes beneath death's

shadow, desperate and exhausted,

خارِجٍ ناجِذاهُ قَد بَرَدَ المَو

تُ عَلى مُصطلاهُ أَيَّ بُرودِ

with his back teeth bared as death cooled

the heat around him so utterly,

غابَ عَنهُ الأَدنى وَقَد وَرَدَت سُ

مرُ العَوالي عَلَيهِ أَيَّ وُرودِ

had no close kin beside him when

the dark spear shafts rushed upon him,

فَدَعا دَعوَةَ المَخنَقِ وَالتَل

بيب مِنهُ في عامِلٍ مَقصودِ

and cried out like a man being strangled, his collar

clenched about him against the spear aimed at him.

ثُمَّ أَنقَذتهُ وَفَرَّجت عَنهُ

بِغَموسٍ أَو ضَربَةِ أُخدودِ

Then you rescued him and relieved him

with a deep thrust or a cleaving blow,

بِحُسامٍ أَو رَزَة مِن نَحيض

ذاتِ رَيبٍ عَلى الشُجاعِ النَجيدِ

with a sharp sword or a powerful stroke

that troubled even a brave warrior.

يَشتَكيها بِقَدِّكَ إِذا باشَرَ المَو

تُ جَديداً وَالمَوتُ شَرّ جَديدِ

He would feel its wound when death

came upon him afresh; death is the worst fresh wound.

فَلَوَت خَيلُهُ عَلَيهِ وَهابوا

لَيثَ غابٍ مُقَنَّعاً في الحَديدِ

His horsemen turned back toward him, afraid

of a forest lion armored in iron.

غَيرَ ما ناكِلٍ يَسيرُ رُوَيداً

سَيرَ لا مُرهَقٍ وَلا مَهدودِ

You did not shrink away; you moved calmly,

neither driven hard nor worn down.

مُستَعِدّاً إِن دَنوا مِنهُ

فَفي صَدرِ مُهرهِ كَالصَديدِ

You stood ready if they approached,

while your young horse's chest seemed blood-red.

شاحِياً بِاللَجمِ يَقصُرُ مِنهُ

عَرِكاً بِالمَضيقِ غَيرَ شرودِ

He strained against the bit and pressed on,

seasoned in tight places and unwilling to flee.

وَبِعَينَيهِ إِذ يَنوءُ بِأَيدي

هِم وَيَكبو في صائِكٍ كَالفَصيدِ

His eyes watched as he struggled against their

hands and stumbled in clotted blood.

نَظَرَ اللَيثُ هَمَّهُ في فَريسٍ

أَقصَدتُهُ يَدا نَجيدٍ مُعيدِ

He looked like a lion intent on prey

struck down by the hands of a seasoned fighter.

سانَدوهُ إِذا لَم يَرَوهُ

شُدَّ أَجلادُهُ عَلى التَسنيدي

They propped their companion up when they saw

that his strength could no longer hold him upright.

يَئِسوا ثُمَّ غادَروهُ لِطَيرٍ

عُكَّفٍ حَولَهُ عُكوفَ الوُفودِ

They gave up and left him for birds

gathered around him like a crowd of visitors.

وَهُم يَنظُرونَ لَو طَلَبوا الوِت

رَ إِلى واتِرِ شَموسٍ حَقودِ

They looked on; had they sought revenge

against their fierce, vengeful slayer,

لَحمَةٌ لَو دَنَوا لِثَأرِ أَخيهِم

حَسَروا قَد ثَناهُمُ بِعَديدِ

they would have been meat themselves. If they had come to avenge their brother,

they would have been stripped bare; his strength held them back.

يا اِبنَ حَسناءَ شِقَّ نَفسي يا لَج

لاجُ خَلّيتَني لِدَهرٍ شَديدِ

O son of Hasna, other half of my soul, O Laj-

laj, you have left me to a harsh age.

يَبلُغِ الجَهدُ ذا الحَصاةِ مِنَ القَو

مِ وِمَن يُلفَ واهِياً فَهوَ مودي

Hardship reaches even the prudent among

the people, and whoever is found weak is doomed.

كُلَّ عامٍ أُرمى وَيُرمى أَمامي

بِنِبالٍ مِن مُخطِئٍ أَو سَديدِ

Each year I am shot at, while before me others are shot

with arrows, whether poorly aimed or true.

ثُمَّ أَوحَدتَني وَأَخلَلتَ عَرشي

بَعدَ فُقدانِ سَيِّدٍ وَمَسودِ

Then you left me alone and weakened my support,

after the loss of men who led and men who followed:

مِن رِجالٍ كانوا جِبالاً بُحوراً

فَهُمُ اليَومَ صُحبُ آلِ ثَمودِ

men who were mountains and seas,

now companions of the people of Thamud.

خانَ دَهرٌ بِهِم وكانوا هُم أَهلَ

عَظيمِ الفِعالِ وَالتَمجيدِ

Time betrayed them, though they were people

of great deeds and renown.

ما نَعى باحَةَ العِراقِ مِنَ النا

سِ بِجُردٍ تَعدو بِمِثلِ الأُسودِ

What mourned the people of Iraq's broad lands

with lean horses galloping like lions?

كُلَّ عامٍ يَلثِمنَ قَوماً بِكَفِّ الد

دهر حُمقاً وَأَخَذَ حَيُّ حَريدِ

Each year they strike a people under time's hand;

in its folly, a solitary clan is carried off.

جازِعات إِلَيهِمُ خُشَّعُ الأَو

داةِ تُسقى قوتاً ضَياحَ المَديدِ

They hurry toward them, humbled by the open

desert, given thin gruel for sustenance.

مُسنِفاتٌ كَأَنَّهُنَّ قَنا الهِن

د وَنَسّى الوَجيفُ شَغبَ المرودِ

They race ahead like Indian spear shafts;

the swift pace makes them forget the colt's restlessness.

مُستَقيمٍ بِها الهُداةَ إِذا

يَقطَعنَ نَجداً وَصَلنَهُ بِنُجودِ

Their guides hold a straight course when

they cross one highland and join it to the next.

فَأَنا اليَومَ قَرنُ أَعضَبَ منهُم

لا أَرى غَيرَ كائِدٍ وَمَكيدِ

Today I am the counterpart of one of their blunted blades;

I see only plotters and those plotted against.

غَيرَ ما خاضع لِقَومٍ جَناحي

حينَ لاحَ الوُجوهَ سَفعُ الخُدودِ

Yet my wing has not bowed to a people

when dark marks showed upon their cheeks.

كانَ عَنّي يَرُدُّ دَوؤُكَ بَعدَ ال

لهِ شَغبَ المُستَصعَبِ المِرّيدِ

After God, your strength used to ward off from me

the fury of the most stubborn rebel.

مَن يُرِدني بِسَيِّءٍ كُنتَ مِنهُ

كَالشَجا بَينَ حَلقِهِ وَالوَريدِ

Whoever intended me harm found you

like a choking thorn lodged between his throat and neck vein.

أَسدٌ غَيرُ حَيدَرٍ وَمُلثٍّ

يُطلِعُ الخصمَ عَنوَةً في كَؤودِ

A lion, no mere timid beast, armed and ready,

who forced an enemy up a difficult ascent.

وَخَطيب إِذا تَمَعَّرَت الأَو

جُهُ يَوماً في مَأقِطٍ مَشهودِ

An orator, too, when faces tightened

one day in a public gathering;

وَمَطيرُ اليَدَينِ بِالخَيرِ لِلحَمدِ إِذا

ضَنَّ كُلُّ جِبسٍ صَلودِ

lavish with both hands in pursuit of praise

when every dull miser held back.

أَصلتيّ تَسمو العُيونُ إِلَيهِ

مُستَنيرٌ كَالبَدرِ عامَ العُهودِ

A man of noble stock to whom eyes rose,

bright as the full moon through passing years;

مُعمِلِ القِدرِ نابِهُ النار بِاللَي

ل إِذا هَمَّ بَعضُهُم بِخُمودِ

one who kept the cooking pot busy and the fire conspicuous

at night when others let theirs die.

يَعتَلي الدَهرُ إِذ عَلا عاجِزُ القو

مِ وَيُنَمّي لِلمُستَتِمِّ الحَميدِ

Time raises one man when a helpless man rises among

the people, and adds honor to one who seeks its full measure.

وَإِذا القَومُ كانَ زادُهُم اللَح

م قَصيداً مِنهُ وَغَيرَ قَصيدِ

When meat was the people's provision,

some sought him out for it and others came unbidden.

وَسماً بِالمَطِيِّ وَالذُبُلِ الصُم

م لِعَمياءَ في مَفارِطِ بيدِ

He marked a way with riding beasts and stout, slender spears

across a trackless reach in the vast desert.

مُستَحِنُّ بِها الرِياحُ فَما

يَجتابها بِالظَلامِ غَيرُ هَجودِ

Winds moan through it, and

only one awake at night crosses it in darkness.

وَتَخالُ العَزيف فيها غَناءً

لِلنَدامى مِن شارِبٍ مَشهودِ

You might take its eerie sounds for singing

among drinking companions at a well-attended feast.

قالَ سيروا إِنَّ السُرى نُهزَةُ الأَك

ياسِ وَالغَزوَ لَيسَ بِالتَمهيدِ

He said, 'Travel on: night travel is the wise man's chance;

a raid does not wait for leisurely preparation.'

وَإِذا ما اللَبونُ سافَت رَمادَ الن

نارِ قَصراً بِالسَملَقِ الأَمليدِ

And when the milch camel sniffed the fire's ashes

beside the dwelling in the vast, empty waste,

بَدَّلَ الغَزوَ أَوجُهَ القَومِ سوداً

وَلَقَد أَبدَأوا وَلَسنَ بِسودِ

the raid turned the people's faces dark,

though they had set out without darkened faces.

ناطَ أَمرُ الضِعافِ وَاِجتَعَلَ اللَي

لُ كَحَبلِ العادِيَّةِ المَمدودِ

He took charge of the weak and made the night

like a long, outstretched rope of attack,

في ثِيابٍ عِمادُهُنَّ رِماحٌ

عِندَ جُردٍ تَسمو سُمُوَّ الصيدِ

among garments propped up by spears

beside lean horses rising proudly.

كَالبَلايا رُؤوسُها في الوَلايا

مانِحاتِ السَموم حَرَّ الخُدودِ

Like aged camels, their heads rest against their coverings,

while the hot wind scorches their cheeks.

إِن تَفُتنِي فَلَم أَطِب عَنكَ نَفساً

غَيرَ أَنّي أُمَنى بِدَهرٍ كَنودِ

If I lose you, my heart has found no peace without you,

though I am tested by an ungrateful age.

كُلُّ عامٍ كَأَنَّهُ طالِبٌ ذَحلاً

إِلَينا كَالثائِرِ المُستَفيدِ

Each year seems to seek blood vengeance

against us, like an avenger intent on settling his claim.