لِمَنِ الدارُ كَأَنضاءِ الخِلَل

لِمَنِ الدارُ كَأَنضاءِ الخِلَل

عَهدُها مِن حِقَبِ العَيشِ الأُوَل

عَهدُها مِن حِقَبِ العَيشِ الأُوَل

Whose dwelling is this, like worn-out scabbard covers?

For whom is the abode like the white anklets,

Its remembered days belong to life's earliest ages.

Its era is from the spans of the first life,

بِمَغامِيدَ فَأعلى أُسُنٍ

بِمَغامِيدَ فَأعلى أُسُنٍ

فَحُناناتٍ فَأَوقٍ فالجَبَل

فَحُناناتٍ فَأَوقٍ فالجَبَل

At Maghamid, then upper Usun,

With tent pegs, so the highest of traces,

Then Hunanat, then Awq, then al-Jabal;

Then coos, then valleys, then mountains,

فَبِرَعمَينِ فَرَيطاتٍ لَها

فَبِرَعمَينِ فَرَيطاتٍ لَها

وَبِأَعلى حُرَّياتٍ مُتنَقَل

وَبِأَعلى حُرَّياتٍ مُتنَقَل

Then at Ra'mayn, then its Raytat,

Then sprouts, then plains for it,

And in upper Hurriyat, a place to roam.

And the highest sandy tracts that roam,

فَذِهابُ الكَورِ أَمسَى أَهلَهُ

فَذِهابُ الكَورِ أَمسَى أَهلَهُ

كُّلُّ مَوشِيٍّ شَواهُ ذُو رَمَل

كُّلُّ مَوشِيٍّ شَواهُ ذُو رَمَل

And Dhihab al-Kawr's inhabitants are now

So the going of the balls has made its people

Every creature with patterned limbs and a trotting gait.

Every walker whom the sands busied,

دارُ قَومِي قَبلَ أَن يُدرِكَهُم

دارُ قَومِي قَبلَ أَن يُدرِكَهُم

عَنَتُ الدَهرِ وَعَيشٌ ذُو خَبَل

عَنَتُ الدَهرِ وَعَيشٌ ذُو خَبَل

My people's dwelling, before there overtook them

The abode of my people before the vicissitudes of time afflicted them

Time's hardship and a life of ruin.

And a life of disorder,

وَشَمُولٍ قَهوَةٍ باكَرتُها

وَشَمُولٍ قَهوَةٍ باكَرتُها

فِي التَبَاشِيرِ مِنَ الصُّبحِ الأُوَل

فِي التَبَاشِيرِ مِنَ الصُّبحِ الأُوَل

And wine—heady wine—I drank early,

And all-inclusiveness of coffee whose morning

In the first gleams of the earliest dawn.

Was in the early mornings,

باشَرَتهُ جَونَةٌ مَرشومَةٌ

باشَرَتهُ جَونَةٌ مَرشومَةٌ

أَو جَدِيدٌ حَدَثُ القارِ جَحَل

أَو جَدِيدٌ حَدَثُ القارِ جَحَل

A dark, marked jar had contained it,

A she-camel marked it,

Or a new, large jar, freshly lined with pitch.

Or a newborn whose neck skin is coarse,

وَضَعَ الأُسكُوبُ فِيهِ رُقَعاً

وَضَعَ الأُسكُوبُ فِيهِ رُقَعاً

مِثلَ ما يُرقَعُ بالكَيِّ الطَحِل

مِثلَ ما يُرقَعُ بالكَيِّ الطَحِل

The poured wine left patches inside it,

And the pot was placed in it patches

Like the patches cautery leaves on the spleen-sick.

Like what is patched with thick stitched cloth,

فَشَرِبنا غَيرَ شُربٍ واغِلٍ

فَشَرِبنا غَيرَ شُربٍ واغِلٍ

وَعَلَلنا عَلَلاً بَعدَ نَهَل

وَعَلَلنا عَلَلاً بَعدَ نَهَل

So we drank—not as an uninvited drinker drinks—

So we drank a drink free of sediment,

And took a second draught after the first.

And we flavored it with flavoring after it dripped,

وَعَناجِيجَ جِيادٍ نُجُبٍ

وَعَناجِيجَ جِيادٍ نُجُبٍ

نَجلِ فَيّاضٍ وَمِن آلِ سَبَل

نَجلِ فَيّاضٍ وَمِن آلِ سَبَل

And long-necked steeds, fine and nobly bred,

And neighs of noble, purebred steeds

Offspring of Fayyad and of the line of Sabal.

Of white descent and of the lineage of meadows,

قُصِرَ الصَنعُ عَلَيها دائِماً

قُصِرَ الصَنعُ عَلَيها دائِماً

فَإِذَا الصَاهِلُ مِنهُنَّ صَهَل

فَإِذَا الصَاهِلُ مِنهُنَّ صَهَل

Constant care was devoted to them;

Work was poured upon it constantly

And whenever one of them neighed,

So when the late afternoons came, it echoed,

جاوَبَتهُ حُصُنٌ مُمسَكَةٌ

جاوَبَتهُ حُصُنٌ مُمسَكَةٌ

أَرِناتٌ لَم يُلَوِّحها الهَمَل

أَرِناتٌ لَم يُلَوِّحها الهَمَل

Stabled stallions answered him,

Answering were citadels firmly constructed

Spirited, never wasted by neglect,

Purebreds that the extinct wild cows did not drive out,

مِثلَ عَزفِ الجِنِّ في صَلصَلَةٍ

مِثلَ عَزفِ الجِنِّ في صَلصَلَةٍ

لَيسَ فِي الأَصواتِ مِنهُنَّ صَحَل

لَيسَ فِي الأَصواتِ مِنهُنَّ صَحَل

Like the jinn's music in ringing notes;

Like the music of jinn in the tinkling

There was no hoarseness in their voices.

Of sounds among which there is no discordance,

فَجَرى مِن مِنخَرَيهِ زَبَدٌ

فَجَرى مِن مِنخَرَيهِ زَبَدٌ

مِثلَ ما أَثمَرَ حُمّاضُ الجَبَل

مِثلَ ما أَثمَرَ حُمّاضُ الجَبَل

Then foam ran from his nostrils,

So from its nostrils foam ran

Like the fruit borne by mountain sorrel.

Like what the acid plants on a mountain produced,

فَعَرَفنا هِزَّةً تأخُذُهُ

فَعَرَفنا هِزَّةً تأخُذُهُ

فَقَرَّناهُ بِرَضراضٍ رِفَل

فَقَرَّناهُ بِرَضراضٍ رِفَل

We recognized a tremor seizing him,

And we knew a tremor that seized it

So we matched him against a massive, long-tailed beast,

So we matched it to a pony fine of build

أَيَّدِ الكاهِلِ جَلدٍ بازِلٍ

أَيَّدِ الكاهِلِ جَلدٍ بازِلٍ

أَخلَفَ البازِلَ عاماً أَو بَزَل

أَخلَفَ البازِلَ عاماً أَو بَزَل

Strong in the withers, tough and mature,

The wither of smooth skin succeeded

A year beyond cutting his fangs, or newly fanged.

After the smooth-skinned one a year or became smooth

فظَنَنّا أَنَّهُ غالِبُهُ

فظَنَنّا أَنَّهُ غالِبُهُ

فَزَجَرناهُ بِيَهياهٍ وَهَل

فَزَجَرناهُ بِيَهياهٍ وَهَل

We thought he would beat him,

And we thought that it had overcome it

So we urged him on with 'Yah-yah!' and 'Hal!'

So we startled it with oohs and haas,

رُفِعَ السوطُ وَلَم يُضرَب بِه

رُفِعَ السوطُ وَلَم يُضرَب بِه

فَأَرَنَّ الوَقعُ مِنهُ وَاحتَفَل

فَأَرَنَّ الوَقعُ مِنهُ وَاحتَفَل

The whip was raised, but no blow was struck with it;

The whip was raised but was not struck with it

Then his footfalls rang, and he gave his utmost,

Yet the impact of it showed and clamored,

كَلِياً مِن حِسِّ ما قَد مَسَّهُ

كَلِياً مِن حِسِّ ما قَد مَسَّهُ

وَأَفانِينِ فُؤادٍ مُحتَمَل

وَأَفانِينِ فُؤادٍ مُحتَمَل

Wary from feeling what had touched him,

Sufficing from the sense of what had touched it

And from the varied stirrings of an agitated heart.

And the insides of a heart that endured,

فَاستَوَت لِهزِمَتا خَدّيمِها

فَاستَوَت لِهزِمَتا خَدّيمِها

وَجَرَى الشَفُّ سَواءً فاعتَدَل

وَجَرَى الشَفُّ سَواءً فاعتَدَل

The two muscles of its cheeks came level,

So its servant’s cheeks leveled out equally

And the lead ran evenly, becoming balanced.

And the spit flowed evenly and moderated,

فَتآيا بِطَرِيرٍ مُرهَفٍ

فَتآيا بِطَرِيرٍ مُرهَفٍ

جُفرَةَ المَحزِمِ مِنهُ فَسَعَل

جُفرَةَ المَحزِمِ مِنهُ فَسَعَل

Then he aimed with a sharp, finely honed point

So it twittered with a croaking modulated,

At the belly beneath its girth, and it coughed.

The horse blanket around its waist so it could jump away,

عَسَلانَ الذِئبِ أمسى قارِباً

عَسَلانَ الذِئبِ أمسى قارِباً

بَرَدَ اللّيلُ عَلَيه فَنَسَل

بَرَدَ اللّيلُ عَلَيه فَنَسَل

With the lope of a wolf seeking water at dusk,

The night cooled upon it so it slipped down,

The night chilled him, so he sped along.

Kharit, dark browed, Van Dyke brown, white stockinged,

خارِطٌ أَحقَبُ فِلُو ضامِرٌ

خارِطٌ أَحقَبُ فِلُو ضامِرٌ

أَبلَقُ الحَقوَينِ مَشطُوبُ الكَفَل

أَبلَقُ الحَقوَينِ مَشطُوبُ الكَفَل

A fleet, white-flanked, lean colt,

Crooked legged, the fetlocks shaved,

Piebald at the flanks, with a striped rump.

So the camel caravan descended until its emptiness

فَأَدَلَّ العَيرُ حَتّى خِلتَهُ

فَأَدَلَّ العَيرُ حَتّى خِلتَهُ

قَفَصَ الأَمرانِ يَعدُو فِي شَكَل

قَفَصَ الأَمرانِ يَعدُو فِي شَكَل

The wild ass grew so bold that I imagined him

The two footed rabbit runs in a lope

With his two leg-sinews cramped, running in hobbles.

My companions said when they saw it approaching,

قالَ صَحبي إِذ رَأَوهُ مُقبِلاً

قالَ صَحبي إِذ رَأَوهُ مُقبِلاً

ما تَراهُ شَأنُهُ قُلتُ أَدَل

ما تَراهُ شَأنُهُ قُلتُ أَدَل

My companions said, when they saw him approaching,

“What do you reckon its condition is?” I said it approaches,

'What do you think his state is?' I said, 'He has grown bold.'

Would that all of Qais had cut it off

لَيتَ قَيساً كُلَّها قَد قَطَعَت

لَيتَ قَيساً كُلَّها قَد قَطَعَت

مُسحُلاناً فَحَصِيدا فَتُبَل

مُسحُلاناً فَحَصِيدا فَتُبَل

Would that all Qays had crossed

Into waterless tracts, then barren lands, then salty flats,

Musḥulān, then Ḥaṣīd, then Tubal,

The mounts, then the highest pregnant she-camel

فَالأَشافِيَّ فَأَعلى حامِرٍ

فَالأَشافِيَّ فَأَعلى حامِرٍ

فَلِوَى الخُرِّ فَأَطرافَ الرَجَل

فَلِوَى الخُرِّ فَأَطرافَ الرَجَل

Then al-Ashafi, then upper Hamir,

Then the twists of passing and the legs’ edges

Then Liwa al-Khurr, then the outskirts of al-Rajal,

Making Syria an oven for them

جَاعِلِينَ الشّامَ حَمّاً لَهُمُ

جَاعِلِينَ الشّامَ حَمّاً لَهُمُ

وَلَئِن هَمُّوا لَنِعمَ المُنتَقَل

وَلَئِن هَمُّوا لَنِعمَ المُنتَقَل

Making al-Sham their destination;

And if they intend to, excellent is the place transferred

And if they resolved, what a fine place to move to!

His death a reward and his life an enrichment

مَوتُهُ أَجرٌ وَمَحياهُ غِنىً

مَوتُهُ أَجرٌ وَمَحياهُ غِنىً

وَإِليِه عَن أَذاةٍ مُعتَزَل

وَإِليِه عَن أَذاةٍ مُعتَزَل

Death there is reward, and life there is wealth,

And to Him secluded from harm retreated

And it is a refuge from harm.

My neighbor asked me about my slave girl

سَأَلتَنِي جارَتي عَن أَمتي

سَأَلتَنِي جارَتي عَن أَمتي

وَإِذا ما عَيَّ ذُو اللُّبَِ سَأَل

وَإِذا ما عَيَّ ذُو اللُّبَِ سَأَل

My neighbor asked me about my people,

And should the owner of dissolvement ask about

And whenever a man of sense is baffled, he asks.

She asked me about people who perished

سَأَلَتني عَن أُنَاسٍ هَلَكُوا

سَأَلَتني عَن أُنَاسٍ هَلَكُوا

شَرِبَ الدَهرُ عَليهِم وَأَكَل

شَرِبَ الدَهرُ عَليهِم وَأَكَل

She asked me about people who had perished;

Time drank away at them and ate

Time had drunk and eaten over them.

They reached rule but when they reached

بَلَغُوا المُلكَ فَلَمّا بَلَغُوا

بَلَغُوا المُلكَ فَلَمّا بَلَغُوا

بِخِسارٍ وانتَهى ذاكَ الأَجَل

بِخِسارٍ وانتَهى ذاكَ الأَجَل

They attained kingship; then, once they attained it,

With loss and that lifespan ended

Came ruin, and that allotted term ended.

And time placed a curse upon them

وَضَعَ الدَهرُ عَلَيهِم بَركَةً

وَضَعَ الدَهرُ عَلَيهِم بَركَةً

فَأُبِيدُوا لم يُغادِر غَيرَ فَل

فَأُبِيدُوا لم يُغادِر غَيرَ فَل

Time laid its breast upon them,

So they were annihilated, none left but few

And they were destroyed; it left only a routed remnant.

And it showed me confusion in the wake of them

وَأُراِني طَرِباً في إِثرِهِم

وَأُراِني طَرِباً في إِثرِهِم

طَرَبَ الواِلهِ أَو كالمُختَبل

طَرَبَ الواِلهِ أَو كالمُختَبل

And I find myself distraught in their wake,

The confusion of the distraught or the deranged

Distraught as one bereft, or like one deranged.

I chide the people but do not chide them

أَنشُدُ الناسَ وَلا أُنشِدُهُم

أَنشُدُ الناسَ وَلا أُنشِدُهُم

إِنّما يَنشُدُ مَن كانَ أَضَل

إِنّما يَنشُدُ مَن كانَ أَضَل

I ask people after what is lost; I do not recite to them;

Indeed, only one astray chides

Only one who has lost something asks after it.

If only I knew when what passed passed

لَيتَ شِعرِي إِذ قَضى ما قَد مَضى

لَيتَ شِعرِي إِذ قَضى ما قَد مَضى

وَتَجَلّى الأَمرُ لِلّهِ الأَجَل

وَتَجَلّى الأَمرُ لِلّهِ الأَجَل

Would I knew, now that what has passed is over,

And the matter clarified for God, the Timeless

And the matter stands revealed to God, the Most Majestic,

What are we supposed to think of people who killed

ما يُظَنَّنَّ بِناسٍ قَتَلُوا

ما يُظَنَّنَّ بِناسٍ قَتَلُوا

أَهلَ صِفِّينَ وَأَصحابَ الجَمَل

أَهلَ صِفِّينَ وَأَصحابَ الجَمَل

What must be thought of people who killed

The people of Siffin and the Camel’s companions

The people of Siffin and the companions of the Camel,

And the son of Affan, pious, Muslim

وَاِبنَ عَفّانَ حَنيفاً مُسلِماً

وَاِبنَ عَفّانَ حَنيفاً مُسلِماً

وَلُحُومَ البُدنِ لَمّا تُنتَقَل

وَلُحُومَ البُدنِ لَمّا تُنتَقَل

And Ibn Affan, upright in faith, a Muslim,

And the flesh of corpses when bodies are transferred

And the flesh of sacrificial camels, not yet carried away?

Where do they sleep when they wrong

أَيَنامُونَ إِذا ما ظَلَمُوا

أَيَنامُونَ إِذا ما ظَلَمُوا

أَم يَبِتُونَ بِخَوفٍ وَوَجَل

أَم يَبِتُونَ بِخَوفٍ وَوَجَل

Do they sleep when they have done wrong,

Or do they sleep in fear and panic

Or spend the night in fear and dread?

And they have a mark when you discern them

وَلَهُم سِيما إِذا تُبصِرُهُم

وَلَهُم سِيما إِذا تُبصِرُهُم

بَيَّنَت رِيبَةَ مَن كانَ سَأَل

بَيَّنَت رِيبَةَ مَن كانَ سَأَل

They bear a mark which, when you see them,

Clarifying the suspicion of one who asked

Makes clear what any questioner had doubted.

So a rainy winter blew sharply

فَتَمَطّى زَمخَريٌّ وارِمٌ

فَتَمَطّى زَمخَريٌّ وارِمٌ

مِن ربِيعٍ كُلَّما خَفَّ هَطَل

مِن ربِيعٍ كُلَّما خَفَّ هَطَل

Then a towering, swollen mass stretched forth,

From a Rabi` whenever it lightened, it rained heavily

From spring; whenever it lightened, it poured.

It prevented betrayal so I did not intend it

مَنَعَ الغَدرَ فَلَم أَهُمم بِهِ

مَنَعَ الغَدرَ فَلَم أَهُمم بِهِ

وَأَخُو الغَدرِ إِذا هَمَّ فَعَل

وَأَخُو الغَدرِ إِذا هَمَّ فَعَل

What checked treachery, so I never contemplated it—

And the brother of betrayal, when he intended, did

And the treacherous man acts once he resolves—

Fear of God and that I am a man

خَشيَةُ اللَهِ وَأَنّي رَجُلٌ

خَشيَةُ اللَهِ وَأَنّي رَجُلٌ

إِنَّما ذِكري كَنارٍ بِقَبَل

إِنَّما ذِكري كَنارٍ بِقَبَل

Was fear of God, and that I am a man

Whose mention is only like a blazing fire

Whose renown is like a fire upon a height.

They plot my murder among themselves

يَتَواصونَ بِقَتلي بَينَهُم

يَتَواصونَ بِقَتلي بَينَهُم

مُقبِلي نَحويَ أَطرافَ الأَسل

مُقبِلي نَحويَ أَطرافَ الأَسل

Among themselves, they urge one another to kill me,

Approaching me, the edges of the swords

Turning toward me the points of their spears.

If you see my worry has busied me

إِن تَري هَمّيَ أَمسى شاغِلي

إِن تَري هَمّيَ أَمسى شاغِلي

وَإِذا ما نُوجِيَ الهَمُّ شَغَل

وَإِذا ما نُوجِيَ الهَمُّ شَغَل

If you see my grief now occupying me,

And when worry busies, it occupies

And whenever one communes with grief, it engrosses one.

Like the swaying gait of a pregnant she-camel

مِثلُ هِيمانِ العَذَارى بَطنُهُ

مِثلُ هِيمانِ العَذَارى بَطنُهُ

يَلهَزُ الروضَ بِنُقعاِن النَفَل

يَلهَزُ الروضَ بِنُقعاِن النَفَل

Its belly is like maidens' girdles;

It jostles the meadow with its dangling teats

It noses the meadow in clover-filled hollows.

The ocean fish did not contend with me over a muzzle

لَم يُقَايِظني عَلى كاظِمَةٍ

لَم يُقَايِظني عَلى كاظِمَةٍ

سَمَكُ البَحرِ وحَولِيُّ الدَقَل

سَمَكُ البَحرِ وحَولِيُّ الدَقَل

I did not pass the summer at Kazima with

Nor the Nile fish nor the moray eel

Sea fish and year-old, low-grade dates.

When they are the best of a living clan of Suqah

إِذ هُمُ مِن خَيرِ حَيِّ سُوقَةً

إِذ هُمُ مِن خَيرِ حَيِّ سُوقَةً

وَطِىءَ الأَرضَ بِسَهلٍ أَو جَبَل

وَطِىءَ الأَرضَ بِسَهلٍ أَو جَبَل

For they were of the finest tribe of common folk

And tread the land, be it plain or mountain,

That trod the earth, on plain or mountain,

For a stranger who stands among them asking

لِغَرِيبٍ قَامَ فِيهِم سائِلاً

لِغَرِيبٍ قَامَ فِيهِم سائِلاً

وَلِجارٍ جُنُبٍ جاءَ فَحَل

وَلِجارٍ جُنُبٍ جاءَ فَحَل

For a stranger who stood among them asking,

And a neighbor who comes seeking lodging

And for a neighbor from afar who came and settled.

They rush humbly to the one calling them

يَستَخِفُّونَ إِلى الداعي بِهِم

يَستَخِفُّونَ إِلى الداعي بِهِم

وَإِلى الضيفِ إِذا الضيفُ نَزَل

وَإِلى الضيفِ إِذا الضيفُ نَزَل

They hasten to whoever calls for them,

And to the guest when the guest descends

And to the guest, whenever a guest alights.