ألا أيها المثري المزجى — عدي بن زيد

أَلاَ أَيُّهَا المثري المزَجَّى

أَلَم تَسمَع بِخَطبِ الأَوَّلينَا

O wealthy man, borne along in ease!

Have you not heard of the calamity of those of old?

دَعَا بِالبقَّةَ الأُمَراءَ يَوماً

جَذِيَمةُ عَصَر يَنجُوهُم ثُبينا

One day at al-Baqqah, he summoned the princes—

Jadhīmah, when he conferred with them in groups.

فلَم يَرَ غَيرَ ما أئتَمَرُوا سِواهُ

وشَدَّ لِرَحلِهِ السّفر الوضينا

He saw no alternative to what they had agreed upon,

And the travelers tightened the girth for his saddle.

فَطَاوَعَ أَمرَهُم وعَصَى قَصيراً

وكانَ يَقولُ لَو تَبَعَ اليَقينا

So he obeyed their counsel and disobeyed Qaṣīr,

And he would say: if only he had followed what was certain

لخُطبَتِهِ الَّتي غَدَرَت وخانَت

وهُنَّ ذَواتُ غائِلَةٍ لُحينا

Concerning his intended bride, who betrayed and broke faith!

And they harbor deadly guile—may they be cursed!

وَدَسَّت في صَحيفَتها إلَيه

ليَملكَ بِضعَها ولأَن تَدينا

And she insinuated in her letter to him

That he might possess her in marriage, and she submit to him.

فأَردَتهُ ورَغبُ النَّفسِ يُردي

ويُبدي لِلفَتَى الَحينَ المُبينا

So she brought him to ruin; the soul's greed brings ruin,

And shows a man his unmistakable doom.

وخَبَّرتِ العَصَا الأَنباءَ عَنهُ

وَلم أرَ مِثلَ فارِسِها هَجينا

And al-ʿAṣā brought tidings of him,

And I have never seen a baseborn man like her rider.

فَفَاجَأَهَا وقَد جَمَعَت جُموعاً

عَلَى أَبوابِ حِصنٍ مُصلتينا

Then he came suddenly upon her, when she had mustered hosts

At the gates of a fortress, with swords drawn.

وقَدَّمَتِ الأَديمَ لِراهِشَيِه

وأَلفَى قَولَها كَذِباً ومَينا

And she laid out the hide for the veins of his forearms,

And he found her words lies and falsehood.

ومِن حَذَرِ الُملاَوِمِ والمَخازي

وهُنَّ الُمندِياتُ لِمنَ مُنينا

And for fear of reproaches and disgraces—

And they bring shame upon those they befall—

أَطَفَّ لأَنِفِهِ الُموسَى قَصيرٌ

لِيَجدَعَهُ وكانَ بهِ ضَنينا

Qaṣīr brought the razor close to his nose

To cut it off, though he had cherished it.

فَأَهواهُ لِمَارنِه فَأَضحَى

طِلاَبَ الوِترِ مَجدُوعاً مَشينا

Then he brought it down upon his nose-tip, and became,

In pursuit of vengeance, noseless and disfigured.

وصَادَفَت امرأً لَم تَخشَ منهُ

غَوائَلهُ وما أَمنَت أَمينا

And she encountered a man, never fearing

His deadly wiles; her trusted man was not trustworthy.

فلَمَّا ارتَدَّ منهُ ارتَدَّ صُلباً

يَجُرُّ المالَ والصَّدرَ الضَّغينا

Then, when he returned from him, he returned firm of purpose,

Dragging wealth along, and a breast full of rancor.

أَتَتهَا العِيسُ تَحِملُ ما دَهَاهَا

وقِنعٌ في المُسُوحِ الدَّارِعينا

The pale camels came to her, bearing what brought her ruin,

And he concealed the armored men in haircloth.

ودَسَّ لَهَا عَلَى الأَنقَاءِ عَمراً

بِشِكَّتِه وما خَشِيَت كَمينا

And he secretly sent ʿAmr against her over the sand-dunes,

In his battle gear; she feared no ambush.

فَجَلَّلَها قَديمَ الأَثرِ عَضباً

يَصِلُّ بهِ الَحواجِبَ والَجبينا

Then he struck her with a keen blade bearing ancient marks,

Making it ring against her brows and forehead.

فأَضحَت مشن خَزائِنِها كأَن لَم

تَكُن زَبَّاءُ حامِلَةً جَنينا

Then, [apparently from] her treasuries, she became as though

Zabbāʾ had never carried a child in her womb.

وأَبرَزَها الَحوادِثُ والَمنايا

وأَيُّ مُعَمِّرٍ لا يَبتَلينا

And calamities and death laid her bare;

And what long-lived man do they not put to the test?

إذا أَمهَلنَ ذا جَدٍّ عَظيمٍ

عَطَفنَ لَهُ وَلو في طَيِّ حِينا

If they give respite to one of mighty fortune,

They turn upon him again, even in the folds of time.

أَلَم تَرَ أنَّ ريبَ الدَّهِر يَعلُو

أَخَا النَّجَداتِ والحِصنَ الَحصينا

Have you not seen that Time's calamities overcome

The man of valor and the well-fortified stronghold?

ولَم أَجِدِ الفَتَى يَلهُو بَشيءٍ

ولَو أَثرَى ولَو وَلَدَ البَنيا

And I have not found a man taking delight in anything,

Even if he grew wealthy, and even if he begot sons.