ألم تسأل الدار الغداة متى هيا — Al Nabigha Al Jadi

أَلَم تَسأَلِ الدارَ الغَداةَ مَتى هِيا

عَدَدتُ لَها مِنَ السَنينَ ثَمانِيا

Did you not ask the dwelling this morning how long it had been?

I counted eight years for it.

بِوادِي الظِباءِ فَالسَليلِ تَبَدَّلَت

مِنَ الحَيِّ قَطراً لا يُفِيقُ وَسافِيا

At Wadi al-Ziba, then al-Salil, it has exchanged

its people for unceasing rain and windblown dust.

أَرَبَّت عَلَيهِ كُلُّ وَطفَاءَ جَونةٍ

وَأَسحَمَ هَطالٍ يَسُوقُ القَوارِيا

Every dark, thick-fringed cloud has lingered over it,

and a black, downpouring one driving the water-laden clouds.

فَلاَ زَالَ يَسقِيهَا ويَسقِي بِلاَدَهَا

مِنَ المَزنِ رِجافٍ يَسوقُ السَواريا

May it never cease watering the dwelling and its lands,

a thundering rain-cloud driving clouds that travel by night.

يُسَقّي شَرِيرَ البَحرِ جَوداً تَرُدُّهُ

حَلائبُ قُرحٍ ثِمَّ أَصبَحَ غادِيا

It drenches the seashore with lavish rain, driven back by

white-marked milch-cloud herds; then it sets out at dawn.

عَهِدتُ بِها الحَيَّ الجَميعَ كَأَنَّهُم

عِظامُ المُلُوكِ عِزَّةً وَتَبَاهِيا

I once knew the whole tribe there, as though they were

great kings in might and proud rivalry.

لَهُم مَجلِسٌ غُلبُ الرَقابِ مَراجحٌ

قِدارُ الحِفاظِ يَدفَعُونَ الأَعَادِيا

Their council holds thick-necked men of weighty judgment,

mighty guardians of honor who repel enemies.

وَفِتياِن صِدقٍ غيرُ وَخشٍ أُشابَةٍ

مَكاسِيبُ لِلمالِ الطَرِيفِ مَعاطيا

And upright young men, no base, mixed rabble,

earners of newly acquired wealth, generous givers.

إِذا ظَعَنُوا يَوماً سَمِعتَ خِلالَهُم

غِناءً وَتَأييهاً وَنَقراً وَحادِيا

When they set out one day, you heard among them

singing, encouraging cries, tapping, and a camel-singer,

وَرَنَّةَ هَتّافِ العَشِيِّ مُكَبَّلٍ

يُنازِعُهُ الأَوتارَ مَن لَيسَ رَامِيا

and the ringing of a fettered caller at evening.

One who is no archer wrestles with its strings.

يُنازِعُهُ مِثلُ المَهاةِ رَفِيقَةٌ

بِجَسِّ النَدامى تَترُكُ القَلبَ رانِيا

A deft woman like an oryx wrestles with it;

with her touch for the drinking companions, she leaves the heart entranced.

غَدا فَتَيا دَهرٍ فَمَرّا عَلَيهِمُ

نَهارٌ وَلَيلٌ يَلحَقانِ التَواليا

Time's two youths went forth and passed over them—

day and night, overtaking those who came after,

تَوالِيَ مَن غالَت شَعُوبٌ فَأَصبَحَت

كُلُولُهُمُ تَبكي وَتُبكي البَواكِيا

the successors of those whom Death destroyed, until

their dependants wept and made the mourners weep.

تذكّرتُ ذِكرىً مِن أُميمةَ بَعدَما

لَقِيتُ عَناءً مِن أُمَيمَةَ عانِيا

I recalled a memory of Umayma after

I had suffered anguish from Umayma, sorely afflicted.

فَلا هِيَ تَرضى دُونَ أَمرَدَ ناشِئٍ

وَلا أَستَطِيع أَن أَرُدَّ شَبابِيا

She will settle for nothing less than a beardless youth,

and I cannot bring my youth back.

وَقَد طالَ عَهدِي بالشّبابِ وَأَهلِهِ

وَلاقَيتُ رَوعاتٍ يُشِبنَ النَواصِيا

It has long been since I knew youth and its people,

and I have faced terrors that turn forelocks gray.

بَدَت فِعلَ ذِي وُدٍّ فَلَمّا تَبِعتُها

توَلَّت وَأَبقَت حاجَتِي في فُؤاديا

She showed a lover's ways, but when I followed her,

she turned away and left my longing within my heart.

وَحَلَّت سَوادَ القَلبِ لا أَنا باغِياً

سِواها وَلا عَن حُبِّها مُتَراخِيا

She lodged in my heart's core; I seek no

one but her, nor do I slacken in my love for her.

وَلَو دامَ مِنها وَصلُها ما قَلَيتُها

ولَكِن كَفى بِالهَجرِ لِلحُبِّ شافِيا

Had her affection endured, I would not have loathed her,

but estrangement is enough to cure love.

وَما رابَها مِن رِيبَةٍ غَيرَ أَنَّها

رَأَت لِمَّتِي شابَت وَشابَ لِداتِيا

No cause for suspicion troubled her, except that she

saw my locks grown gray, and my age-mates gray as well.

تَلُومُ عَلى هُلكِ البَعيرِ ظَعينَتي

وَكُنتُ عَلى لَومِ العَواذِلِ زارِيا

My lady in her howdah blames me for the camel's death,

and I have scorned the reproaches of blaming women.

أَلَم تَعلَمي أَنّي رُزِئتُ مُحارِباً

فَما لَكِ مِنهُ اليَومَ شيءٌ وَلا لِيا

Did you not know that I was bereaved of Muharib?

Today you have nothing of him, nor do I.

وَمِن قَبلِهِ ما قَد رُزِئتُ بِوَحوَحٍ

وَكانَ اِبنَ أُمّي والخَليلَ المُصافِيا

And before him I had already been bereaved of Wahwah,

who was my mother's son and my devoted friend.

فَتىً كَمُلَت أَخلاقُه غَيرَ أَنَّهُ

جَوادٌ فَما يُبقي مِنَ المالِ باقِيا

A young man whose character was perfect, except that he

was generous, leaving none of his wealth remaining.

فَتىً تَمَّ فِيهِ ما يَسُرُّ صَديقَهُ

عَلى أَنَّ فِيهِ ما يَسُوءُ الأَعاديا

A young man complete in all that delights his friend,

though he also possessed what grieves his enemies.

يَقُولُ لِمَن يَلحاهُ في بَذلِ مالِهِ

أَأُنفِقُ أَيّامِي وَأَترُكُ مالِيا

He says to anyone who blames him for giving his wealth:

Shall I spend my days and leave my wealth behind?

يُدِرُّ العُروقَ بالسِنانِ وَيَشتَري

مِنَ الحَمدِ ما يَبقَى وَإِن كانَ غالِيا

He makes veins gush with his spearhead, and buys

praise that endures, even at a high price.

أَشَمُّ طَوِيلُ السَاعِدَينِ سَمَيدَعٌ

إِذا لَم يَرُح لِلمَجدِ أَصبَحَ غادِيا

Aquiline-nosed, long of forearm, a noble lord,

if he does not set out for glory at evening, he goes at dawn.

أُتِيحَت لَهُ وَالغَمُّ يَحتَضِرُ الفَتى

وَمِن حاجَةِ الإِنسانِ ما لَيسَ لاَقِيا

It was destined for him; grief attends the young man,

and among a person's desires are things he will never attain.

كَفَينا بَني كَعبٍ فَلَم نَر عِندَهُم

لِما كانَ إِلاَّ ما جَزى اللَهُ جازِيا

We protected the sons of Ka'b, yet found among them

for what had passed, only what God grants in requital.

وَيَومَ النُّخَيلِ إِذ أَتَينا نِساءَكم

حَواسِرَ يَركُضنَ الجِمالَ المَذاكِيا

And on the day of al-Nukhayl, when we came upon your women,

bareheaded, urging full-grown camels to run,

وَيَومٍ شَدِيدٍ غَيرِ ذِي مُتَنَفَّسٍ

أَصَمَّ عَلى مَن كانَ يُحسَبُ راقِيا

and on a fierce day offering no breathing space,

deaf to anyone thought able to ward it off with spells,

كَأَنَّ زَفِيرَ القَومِ مِن خَوفِ شَرِّهِ

وَقَد بَلَغَت مِنهُ النُفُوسُ التَراقِيا

the people's gasping for fear of its evil seemed—

when their souls had reached their collarbones because of it—

زَفِيرُ مُتَمٍّ بالمُشَيَّأِ طَرَّقَت

بِكاهِلِهِ فَلا يَرِيمُ المَلاقِيا

the gasping of a full-term she-camel laboring with a misshapen calf,

stalled at its withers, unable to leave the birth passage.

سَنُورِثُكُم إِنَّ التُراثَ إِليكُمُ

حبِيبٌ قُراراتِ النَجا فَالمغالِيا

We shall bequeath to you—for inheritance to you

is dear—the basins of al-Naja, then al-Maghali,

وَماءً مِنَ الأَفلاجِ مُرّاً وغُدَّةً

وَذِئباً إِذا ما جَنَّهُ الليلُ عادِيا

and bitter water from al-Aflaj, and a glandular swelling,

and a wolf that, when night conceals it, prowls in attack,

وَأَطواءَنا مِن بَطنِ أَكمَةَ إِنَّكُم

جَشِمتُم إِلى أَربابِهِنَّ الدَواهِيا

and our wells in the hollow of Akma: you

have borne the terrors of reaching their masters.

وَلَو أَنَّ قَومي لَم تَخُنّي جُدُودُهُم

وَأَحلامُهُم أَصبَحتُ للفَتقِ آسِيا

Had my people's fortunes not betrayed me,

nor their judgment, I would have become a healer of the breach.

وَلكنَّ قَومي أَصبَحُوا مِثلَ خَيبَرٍ

بِها داؤُها وَلاَ تَضُرُّ الأَعادِيا

But my people have become like Khaybar:

its sickness stays within it and does no harm to enemies.

فَلاَ تَنتَهِي أَضغانُ قَومي بَينَهُم

وَسَوآتُهُم حَتّى يَصِيرُوا مَواليا

So my people's grudges among themselves will not cease,

nor their shameful deeds, until they become clients—

مَوالِيَ حِلفٍ لا مَوالِي قَرابَةٍ

وَلكِن قَطِيناً يَسأَلُونَ الأَتاوِيا

clients through pact, not clients through kinship,

but resident dependants asking for payments.

فَلَم أَجِدِ الإِخوانَ إِلاَّ صَحابَةً

وَلَم أَجِدِ الأَهلِينَ إِلاَّ مَثاوِيا

I found brothers to be nothing but companions,

and kinsfolk nothing but fellow lodgers.

وَكانَت قُشَيرٌٌ شامِتاً بِصَديقِها

وآخَرَ مَزرِيّاً عَلَيهِا وَزارِيا

Qushayr gloated over its friend's misfortune,

and another, despised by it and disparaging it.

وَلكِن أَخُو العَلياءِ والجُودِ مالِكٌ

أَقَامَ عَلى عَهدِ النَوى وَالتَصافِيا

But Malik, a brother of high honor and generosity,

kept faith through separation and mutual goodwill.

فَأَصبَحَتِ الثَيرانُ غَرقَى وَأَصبَحَت

نِساءُ تَمِيمٍ يَلتَقِطنَ الصَياصِيا

The bulls lay drowned by morning, and by morning

the women of Tamim were gathering their horns.

لَهُ نَضَدٌ بِالَغورِ غَورِ تِهامَةٍ

يُجاوِبُ بِالرَعشاءِ جَوناً يمانِيا

It has piled-up clouds in the lowland, the lowland of Tihama,

answering a dark Yemeni cloud at al-Ra'sha.

فَأَصبَحَ بِالقِمرى يَجُرُّ عَفاءَهُ

بَهِيماً كَلَونِ الليلِ أَسوَدَ داجِيا

By morning at al-Qimra it dragged its trailing fringe,

uniform in hue, night-colored, black and deeply dark.

فَلَمّا دَنا للخرجِ خرجِ عُنَيزَةٍ

وَذِي بَقَرٍ أَلقى بِهِنَّ المَراسيا

When it drew near al-Kharj, the Kharj of Unayza,

and Dhu Baqar, it dropped its anchors there.

لَها بَعدَ إِسنادِ الكَلِيمِ وهَدئِهِ

وَرَنّةِ مَن يَبكي إِذَا كانَ باكيا

After the wounded one's rising cry and his hush, it has,

and the lament of a weeper when he weeps,

هَدِيرٌ هَدِيرَ الثورِ يَنفُضُ رَأسَهُ

يَذُبُّ بِرَوقَيهِ الكِلابَ الصَوارِيا

a roar like the roar of a bull shaking its head,

warding off the attacking dogs with its two horns.

وَمِثلُ الدُمى شُمُّ العَرانِينِ ساكِنٌ

بِهِنَّ الحَياءُ لا يُشِعنَ التَّقافِيا

And women like statues, with proud noses, in whom

modesty dwells; they spread no backbiting.

أَلا أَبلِغا عَوفاً وَصاحِبَ رَحلِهِ

ومَن يَغوِ لا يَعدَم عَلى الغيِّ لا حيا

Now, you two, tell Awf and his saddle-companion:

Whoever strays will not lack someone to rebuke his error.

فَأَيّتُمَا عَينِ بَكَت إِن هَلَكتُما

فَلا رَقَأَت حَتّى تَمُوتَ كَما هيا

Whichever eye weeps if you two perish,

may its tears never cease until it dies, still weeping.

وَما شَكِسُ الأَنيابِ شَثنٌ بَنانُهُ

مِنَ الأُسدِ يَحمي مِن تِهامَة وادِيا

Nor is any savage-fanged, thick-pawed beast

among lions, guarding a valley in Tihama,

إِذَا ما رَأى قِرناً مَدِلاًّ هَوى لَهث

جَرِيئاً عَلى الأَقرانِ أَغضَفَ ضارِيا

which, seeing a self-assured rival, lunges at it panting,

bold against rivals, shaggy and savage,

فَلَيسَ بِمَسبَوقٍ بَشَيءِ أَرادَهُ

وَلَيسَ بِمَغلُوبٍ وَلَيسَ مُفادِيا

never outstripped in anything it seeks,

never vanquished, never paying ransom,

بِأَعظَمَ مِنهُ في الرِجالِ مَهابَةً

وَآَخَرَ مَعدُوّاً عَلَيهِ وَعادِيا

greater in the awe it inspires among men than he,

and another, whether assailed or assailing.

فَلاَ يُبعِدَنكَ اللَهُ إِن كانَ حادِثٌ

أَصابَكَ عَنّا نازِحَ الدارِ نائِيا

May God not cast you away, if some misfortune

befell you far from us, your dwelling remote and distant.

وَلكِن جَزاكَ اللَهُ حَيَّاً وَهالِكاً

عَلى كُلِّ حالٍ خيرَ ما كانَ جازيا

But may God reward you, living and dead,

in every state, with the best He ever gives in recompense.

فَلَم يَبقَ مِن تِلكَ الديارِ وَأَهلِها

سُرَى الليلِ والأَيّامِ إِلاَّ مَغانيا

So nothing remained of those dwellings and their people,

through the journeying of night and days, except deserted dwelling-sites.

إِذا أَتَيا حَيّاً كِراماً بِغِبطَةٍ

أَناخا بِهِم حَتّى يُلاقُوا الدَواهِيا

When the two come upon a noble tribe in prosperity,

they camp among them until the people encounter calamities.