من حق ركبك أن يهز النيلا — Ahmad Muharram

مِن حَقِّ رَكبِكَ أَن يَهُزَّ النيلا

وَيَشوقَ عَصرِكَ بَهجَةً وَالجيلا

It is your cavalcade's right to stir the Nile,

and enchant your age and generation with delight.

أَرَضيتَ إِلّا بِالعُيونِ رَكائِباً

وَقَنِعتَ إِلّا بِالقُلوبِ سَبيلا

Have you accepted any mounts but eyes,

or been content with any path but hearts?

حَيَّت وُفودُ النيلِ مِنكَ مُوَقَّراً

يُزري بِأُبَّهَةِ المُلوكِ جَليلا

The Nile's delegations hailed in you a revered man,

a majestic man who puts the splendor of kings to shame.

لَمّا مَشى بَينَ المَواكِبِ لَم يَدَع

لِمُتَوَّجٍ عَرشاً وَلا إِكليلا

When he walked among the processions, he left

no crowned ruler a throne or diadem.

تَمشي الجُموعُ إِلى إِمامِ هُداتِها

وَتَؤُمُّ شَيخَ حُماتِها المَأمولا

The multitudes walk toward the foremost of their guides,

and seek their protectors' elder, in whom they place their hopes.

قُل لِلكِنانَةِ جَدَّ جِدُّكِ فَاِنظُري

أَتَرَينَ إِلّا سَيفَكِ المَسلولا

Tell Kinanah: Your striving has grown earnest; look—

do you see anything but your unsheathed sword?

خوضي الغِمارَ إِلى الفُتوحِ نَرى لَها

غُرَراً تُضيءُ بِها الدُنى وَحُجولا

Plunge into the fray toward victories; we see upon them

forehead-blazes that light the worlds, and white-marked legs.

دَلَفَ الفَوارِسُ في لِوائِكِ حُسَّراً

وَمَضوا رَعيلاً لِلوَغى فَرعيلا

The horsemen advanced beneath your banner, unarmored,

and went to battle, troop after troop.

يَتَقارَعونَ عَلى الشَهادَةِ أَيُّهُم

يُمسي لِطَهَ في الجِنانِ نَزيلا

They vie for martyrdom—which of them

will be Taha's guest in Paradise's gardens by evening?

أَمُعاوِدَ الأَوطانِ بَعدَ فِراقِها

أَنَوَيتَ إِلّا فُرقَةً وَرَحيلا

O you returning to your homeland after parting from it,

have you intended anything but separation and departure?

مازِلتَ مُغتَرِبَ الأَسِنَّةِ وَالظُبى

فَمَتى تُريدُ مِنَ الجِهادِ قُفولا

You still wander abroad with spearheads and sword-edges;

when do you mean to return from the struggle?

بَعُدَ القَرارُ فَسِر بِقَومِكَ هادِياً

وَاِطوِ المَدى ميلاً إِلَيهِ فَميلا

Rest lies far away; journey with your people as their guide,

and traverse the distance toward it, mile after mile.

قَصُرَت مَسافَتُهُ فَما بَرَحَ الأُلى

رَكِبوا الهَوى حَتّى تَباعَدَ طولا

Its distance was short, yet those would not desist

who rode their whims, until it stretched far away.

حَمَلوا الحِمايَةَ فَالبِلادُ مَروعَةٌ

وَالشَعبُ يَنظُرُ نَعشَهُ المَحمولا

They carried the protectorate; the land is terrified,

and the people gaze at their own coffin being borne.

لَو كُنتَ شاهِدَهُم غَداةَ مَشَوا بِها

وَجَوانِبُ الوادي تَموجُ طُبولا

Had you witnessed them the morning they marched with it,

while the valley's sides surged with drums,

أَيقَنتَ أَنَّ مِنَ الشُعوبِ أَجِنَّةً

وَعَلِمتَ أَنَّ مِنَ البِلادِ طُلولا

you would have been certain that some peoples are embryos,

and known that some lands are ruins.

مَن غابَ عَنهُم مِن بَني الدُنيا فَما

عَرَفَ المَسيخَ وَلا رَأى عِزريلا

Whoever among this world's children was absent from them

has never known the Antichrist or seen Azrael.

هُم فَرَّقوا الشَملَ الجَميعَ وَمَزَّقوا

ما أَلَّفَ الصيدُ الأُباةُ فُلولا

They scattered the united company and tore apart

what proud, unbowed lords had joined, into shattered remnants.

لَو كُنتَ مِن ظُلَلِ الغَمامِ بِمَنزِلٍ

لَرَأَيتَ حِزباً أَو لَقيتَ قَبيلا

Even had you dwelt among canopies of cloud,

you would have seen a faction or encountered a clan.

ضَرَبوا الأُبُوَّةَ بِالبَنينِ وَقَطَّعوا

ما كانَ مِن أَرحامِهِم مَوصولا

They pitted fatherhood against sons and severed

the ties of kinship that had bound them.

الشَرُّ يَعصِفُ وَالعَدُوُّ بِغَبطَةٍ

وَالنيلُ يَهتِفُ بِالقُرى لِتَزولا

Evil rages, and the enemy rejoices,

while the Nile calls upon the villages to vanish.

وَمُدَجَّجينَ رَمى الدُعاةُ سَوادَهُم

فَمَضوا سِهاماً لِلعِدى وَنُصولا

And armored men—the agitators hurled their masses forth,

so they sped as arrows and blade-points for the enemy.

طَلَبوا بَني أَعمامِهِم فَكَأَنَّما

طَلَبوا تِراتٍ عندَهم وَذُحولا

They pursued their cousins, as though

seeking vengeance from them for old wrongs and blood-feuds.

قُومٌ شَفوا غَيظَ العِدى وَسِياسَةٌ

لَم تُبقِ مِنهُم مَأرِباً أَو سولا

A people who sated the enemy's rage, and a policy

that left none of their aims or wishes unfulfilled.

أَخَذوا عَلى النيلِ السَبيلَ وَصادَفوا

شَعباً يَميلُ مَعَ الرِياحِ ذَلولا

They barred the Nile's way and encountered

a submissive people swaying with the winds.

حَمَلوا إِلَيهِ الغولَ في اِستِقلالِهِم

فَسَلِ المَواكِبَ كَيفَ زَفّوا الغولا

They brought him the ghoul in their independence;

so ask the processions how they led the ghoul in bridal pomp.

تَفَتَرُّ عَن أَنيابِها وَكَأَنَّما

أَمسَت عُيونُ بَني الكِنانَةِ حولا

She grins, exposing her fangs, as though

the eyes of Kinanah's sons had become cross-eyed.

لَولا المَدارِهُ يَدفَعونَ بَلاءَها

لَرَأَيتَ حُكمَ جُناتِها مَقبولا

Were it not for the champions warding off her scourge,

you would have seen the rule of her perpetrators accepted.

اذكُر لَنا القَومَ الغُزاةَ وَحَيِّهِ

شَعباً أَبَرَّ عَلى الشُعوبِ نَبيلا

Recall for us the warrior people, and salute them,

a noble people who surpassed all peoples.

عَدَتِ الذِئابُ فَهَبَّ مِن غَفَواتِهِ

يَبتَزُّ لِبدَتَهُ وَيَحمي الغيلا

The wolves attacked; he sprang from his slumbers,

tearing off his mane and defending the thicket.

لَم يَستَنِم لِلغاصِبينَ وَلم يُرِد

يَوماً عَلى حُكمِ الجُفاةِ نُزولا

He never trusted the usurpers, nor desired

for a single day to submit to the rule of the cruel.

وَإِذا اِستَبَدَّ الغاصِبونَ بِأُمَّةٍ

مُسِخَت وَبُدِّلَ خَلقُها تَبديلا

And when usurpers tyrannize over a nation,

it is disfigured, and its form utterly altered.

ما اِنفَكَّتِ الأَشلاءُ نَهبَ سُيوفِهِ

حَتّى تَدارَكَ شِلوَهُ المَأكولا

The torn limbs remained prey to his swords,

until he recovered his own devoured limb.

فَزِعَت خُطوبُ الدَهرِ مِن سَطَواتِهِ

وَاِرتَدَّ صَرفُ الحادِثاتِ مَهولا

Time's calamities recoiled in fear from his assaults,

and the reversals of events retreated, struck with dread.

وَرَأَت شُعوبُ الأَرضِ مِن نَهضاتِهِ

مِلءَ العُقولِ الواعِياتِ ذُهولا

The peoples of the earth saw in his resurgences

astonishment enough to fill discerning minds.

قومي الأُلى صَحِبوا الصَوافِنَ فِتيَةً

وَقَضوا لُباناتِ السُيوفِ كُهولا

My people, who rode the poised steeds as youths

and fulfilled the swords' desires as mature men,

مَثَلُ الحَياةِ لِكُلِّ شَعبٍ باسِلٍ

لا يَستَكينُ وَلا يُريدُ نُكولا

are life's example for every valiant people

that will not submit or choose retreat.

صَلّى الإِلَهُ عَلى المَيامينِ الأُلى

نَصَروا النَبِيَّ وَأَيَّدوا التَنزيلا

May God bless the blessed ones who

supported the Prophet and upheld the Revelation.

أَدِرِ الحَديثَ وَرَوِّ مِن أَنبائِهِم

شَعباً يَزيدُ عَلى الزَمانِ غَليلا

Let the tale flow, and quench with their tidings

a people whose thirst grows with time.

بَيِّن لَهُ مَعنى الثَباتِ فَلَيسَ مِن

خُلُقِ المُجاهِدِ أَن يَكونَ مُلولا

Explain to it the meaning of steadfastness; it is not

in a fighter's nature to be easily wearied.

وَإِذا نَظَرتَ إِلى المَمالِكِ لَم تَجِد

مِثلَ الثَباتِ عَلى الحَياةِ دَليلا

And when you look at kingdoms, you will not find

a sign of life to match steadfastness.

وَلَقَد رَأَيتَ الناهِضينَ فَهَل تَرى

إِلّا خَلائِقَ سَمحَةٍ وَعُقولا

You have indeed seen those who rise; do you see

anything but generous characters and minds?

إِنّا لَنَذكُرُ لِلكِنانَةِ حَقَّها

وَنَرى الكَثيرَ مِنَ الوَفاءِ قَليلا

We surely acknowledge Kinanah's rightful claim,

and deem even abundant loyalty too little.

نَأبى الكَرى حَتّى نَقومَ بِنَصرِها

وَنَرُدَّ غاصِبَ حَقِّها مَخذولا

We refuse sleep until we rise to champion her

and send the usurper of her rights back defeated.

عَهدٌ رَعى وَرَقَ الشَبيبَةِ وَاِنتَحى

ظِلَّ المَشيبِ فَطابَ مِنهُ مَقيلا

A pledge that tended youth's foliage and sought

the shade of gray hair, finding it a sweet noonday resting-place.

لَسنا كَمَن جَهِلَ الحَياةَ رِوايَةً

تُعيي العُقولَ مَناظِراً وَفُصولا

We are not like one who mistakes life for a play

whose scenes and acts bewilder the mind.

صُوَرٌ يَروعُكَ عَدُّها وَمَلاعِبٌ

تُلقي عَلَيكَ مِنَ الرِياءِ سُدولا

Images whose number appalls you, and playhouses

that cast curtains of hypocrisy over you.

إِنّي أَعوذُ بِمَنصِبي وَمُروءَتي

مِن أَن أَكونَ الشاعِرَ الضَلِّيلا

I take refuge in my station and my honor

lest I become the wayward poet.

لِلحُرِّ أَخلاقٌ تَميلُ بِنَفسِهِ

عَن أَن يُغَيِّر عَهدَهُ وَيَحولا

The free man has virtues that turn his soul

away from changing his pledge or turning aside.

هِيَ صِبغَةُ الباري وَلَستَ تَرى لِما

صَبَغَ الَّذي بَرَأَ النُفوسَ نُصولا

It is the Creator's dye; you will not see, in what

the Maker of souls has dyed, any fading.

وَلَقَد رَأَيتُ الفاضِلينَ وَما بَنَوا

لِلغابِرينَ مِنَ القُرونِ الأُولى

I have indeed seen the virtuous and what they built

for the departed of the earliest centuries.

فَعَلِمتُ أَنَّ مِنَ الرِجالِ ذَخائِراً

وَعَلِمتُ أَنَّ مِنَ الرِجالِ فُضولا

Then I knew that some men are treasures,

and knew that some men are mere surplus.

وَرَأَيتُ بَعضَ القَولِ دينَ هِدايَةٍ

يَأتي بِهِ الرَجُلُ الحَكيمُ رَسولا

I saw some speech to be a faith of guidance,

which the wise man brings as a messenger.

لَيسَ القَريضُ عَلى النُبوغِ بِنافِعٍ

حَتّى يَكونَ لِذي النُهى إِنجيلا

Verse, for all its brilliance, is of no use

until it becomes a gospel for the discerning.