عفا ميث كلفى بعدنا فالأجاول — Kuthayyir

عَفا مَيثُ كُلفى بَعدَنا فَالأَجاوِلُ

فَأَثمادُ حَسنى فَالبِراقُ القَوابِلُ

The soft ground of Kulfa has faded since we left, and al-Ajawil,

and Hasna's shallow pools, and the facing stony tracts.

كَأَن لَم تَكُن سُعدى بِأَعناءِ غَيقَةٍ

وَلَم تُرَ مِن سُعدى بِهِنَّ مَنازِلُ

As though Su'da had never been in the reaches of Ghayqa,

and no camps of Su'da had been seen there;

وَلَم تَتَرَبَّع بِالسُيرِ وَلَم يَكُن

لَها الصَيفُ خَيماتُ العُذَيبِ الظَلائِلُ

nor had she spent spring at al-Sir, nor had

the shade-giving tents of al-Udhayb been hers in summer.

أَتى الصَبرَ عَن سُعدى هَوىً ذو عَلاقَةٍ

وَوَجدٌ بِسُعدى سارَكَ القَلبَ قاتِلُ

A clinging passion has overcome my patience in separation from Su'da,

and deadly longing for Su'da, clinging to the heart.

تَصُدُّ فَلا ترمى إِذا الشَخصُ فاتَها

وَتَرمي إِذا ما أَمكَنَتها المَقاتِلُ

She turns away and is not shot at when the figure has passed her,

and shoots whenever the vital spots are within her reach.

مَتى أَسلُ عَن سُعدى يَهِجني لِذِكرِها

حَمائِمُ أَو أَطلالُ دارٍ مَواثِلُ

Whenever I forget Su'da, I am stirred to remember her

by doves, or the standing ruins of a dwelling.

أَضَرَّت بِها الأَنواءُ وَالريحُ وَالنَدى

وَغَيَّرَ مَغناها الضُحى وَالأَصائِلُ

Seasonal rains, wind, and dew have ravaged it,

and forenoons and late afternoons have altered its dwelling site.

وَوَاللَهِ ما أَدري وَلَو حُبَّ قُربُها

إِلى النَفسُ ماذا اللَهُ في القُربِ فاعِلُ

And, by God, I do not know, even though her nearness is dear

to my soul, what God will do about that nearness.

فَدَع عَنكَ ما لا تَستَطيعُ طِلابَهُ

وَمَن لَكَ عَنهُ لَو تَفَكَّرتَ شاغِلُ

So put aside what you cannot pursue.

And who, if you reflected, could distract you from it?

إِذا طَيِّبِ الأَثوابِ قَد أُلهِمَ التُقى

هِجانِ البَنينِ يَعتَريهِ المُعاقِلُ

When a man of spotless garments has been inspired with piety,

noble in his sons, visited by those seeking blood-money aid,

وَهوبٌ بِأَعناقِ المئينَ عَطاؤُهُ

غَلوبٌ عَلى الأَمرِ الَّذي هُوَ فاعِلُ

his giving is lavish with camel necks by the hundred;

he prevails over the undertaking he performs.

إِذا قالَ إِنّي فاعِلٌ تَمَّ قَولُهُ

فَأَمضى مَواعيدَ الَّذي هُوَ قائِلُ

When he says, 'I shall do it,' his word is fulfilled,

and he carries out the promises he utters.

أُريدُ أَبا مَروانَ إِنّي رَأَيتُهُ

كَريماً وَتَنميهِ الفُروعُ الأَطاوِلُ

I mean Abu Marwan: I have seen him

generous, and descended from the loftiest branches.

طَويلُ القَميصِ لا يُذَمُّ جَنابهُ

نَبيلٌ إِذا نيطَت عَلَيهِ الحمائِلُ

Long of shirt, his precinct is beyond reproach,

noble when the sword-baldrics are hung upon him.

أَمينٌ مُقِرُّ الصَدرِ يَسبِقُ قَولَهُ

بِفِعلٍ فَيَأبى أَن يُخَيَّبَ آمِلُ

Trustworthy, bringing the heart ease, he precedes his word

with a deed, refusing to let anyone who hopes be disappointed.

وَلا هُوَ مَسبوقٌ بِشَيءٍ أَرادَهُ

وَلا هُوَ مُلهيهِ عَن الحَقِّ باطِلُ

Nor is he forestalled in anything he desires,

nor does falsehood distract him from the truth.

بَنى لَكَ أَشرافَ المعالي وَسورَها

بِناً كُلُّ بُنيانٍ لَها مُتضائِلُ

The heights of glory and their wall were built for you—

a structure beside which every other building dwindles—

أَبٌ لَكَ راضَ المُلكَ حَتّى أَذَلَّهُ

وَحَتّى اِطمَأَنَّت بِالرِجالِ الزَلازِلُ

by a father of yours who tamed kingship until he subdued it,

and until the tremors among men grew still.

وَأَنتَ أَبو شِبلَينِ شاكٍ سِلاحُهُ

خَفِيَّةُ مِنهُ مَألَفٌ فَالغَياطِلُ

And you are the sire of two cubs, keen of weapon;

Khafiyya is his familiar haunt, and the dense thickets.

لَهُ بِجَنوبِ القادِسِيَّةِ فَالشَرى

مَواطِنُ لا يَمشي بِهِنَّ الأَراجِلُ

He has, south of al-Qadisiyya and at al-Shara,

haunts where men do not walk.

يَرى أَنَّ أُحدانَ الرِجالِ غَفيرَةٌ

وَيَقدُمُ وَسطَ الجَمعِ وَالجَمعُ حافِلُ

He counts lone men as a multitude,

and advances into the midst of the host, while the host is thronged.