عِمي صباحا بعدَنا واسلمي

يا دار صفراءَ على الأَنعمِ

Farewell in the morning, goodbye

O yellow house on the meadows

واحتلبي المزنَ أفاويقَها

بين سِماكيها إلى المِرزَمِ

Milk her camels among the acacias

Between her fattened and lean ones

مُرضِعةً تفطُمُ أولادها

من الثرى الجم ولم تُفطَمِ

A nursing she-camel weaning her young

On lush soil, though not yet weaned,

حتى ترَيْ واسم رَوضِ الحمى

عليكِ خِصبا أثَرَ المِيسمِ

Until you see the preserve of Al-Hamá

Marked with the fertile traces of the striker

وتخطِري من خلَل الزَّهرِ في ال

مفَوَّفِ المَوْشِيِّ والمُعْلمِ

And smell the flowers’ fragrance wafting through

The lined and perfumed tent walls,

ومُلِّيَتْ أرضُكِ ما تحملُ ال

ريحُ إليها من هدايا السُّمِي

And your land is clad with what the breeze

Brings it in gifts from Mount Sumayr,

دعاء مَن أقنعه البين بع

د العينِ بالآثارِ والمُعلمِ

The prayer of one who found solace after

Losing his love in the vestiges and landmarks.

بكى النوى أمسِ فلم يدَّخرْ

دمعا يفيض اليومَ في الأرسمِ

The saplings wept yesterday, spare

No tears that flow abundantly today into the streams,

خان بكاءُ العين أجفانَه

فناح والنوحُ بكاءُ الفمِ

My eyes betrayed their tears

I moaned, and moaning is the weeping of the mouth,

تكلَّمي إن كنتِ قوّالةً

هيهات أو فاستمعي وافهمي

Speak up if you are eloquent

Alas! Or listen and understand

ومن بليات الهوى أنني

أَستفصح الأخبارَ من معجِمِ

And of the woes of passion: I ask

The lexicon about news it does not contain

أهلُكِ لا أهلكِ إلا الشجا

في الصدر لم يُلفظ ولمْ يُكظَمِ

Your people – may they not perish! – killed me

With sorrows in the heart unuttered and suppressed

بأيّ عيشٍ حادثٍ بدّلوا

من عيشنا في ظلِّك الأقدمِ

With what life – happenstance life –

Did they replace our life in your ancient shade?

وأيّ أرضٍ حمَلَتْ أرضَهم

فلم تَمِدْ خسفا ولم تُظلمِ

What land carried them that did not sink

Or darken, catastrophically, under their weight?

كم خَفَروا ذمةَ مستسلمٍ

واحتقروا قتلَ امرىءٍ مسلمِ

How many pledges did they break to pacified men

And took lightly the murder of a Muslim man,

وأجرمتْ عينٌ فساقوا الضنا

إلى فؤادٍ ليس بالمجرمِ

And the eye is criminal – they pour out their hatred

Into hearts that are no evil-doers!

وليلةٍ بتُّ سهادي بها

لديكِ أحلى من كرى النوّمِ

And nights I spent sleepless therein

Were sweeter to me than the best of slumber,

معتصما من حَرّ وجدي ببر

د الحَلْيِ في جيدٍ وفي معصمِ

Sheltered from heat and overwhelmed by passion

On your sand, by your moat, and your pillar

ندمان غضبان يريني الرضا

ومانع في صورة المنعمِ

Regretful, angry – satisfaction appears to me

And prohibition in the guise of the granter

تلين تحت الدلِّ أعطافُه

وهو إذا استُعطِف لم يرحمِ

Its tent walls bend under the palm branch’s weight

Yet when entreated, it shows no mercy

أمزج كأسي معَه بالبكا

منه ولا أشربُ إلا دمي

I mix my cup with tears because of it

And do not drink anything but my blood

فكيف يشفيني جنى ريقه

ووعدُه الإبدالَ بي مسقمي

How can its spittle heal me

When its promise is but to replace me when I’m sick?

اللهَ لي من زمنٍ مائلٍ

عليّ جَورا كيفَ قلتُ احكمِ

By God, time leans to oppress me -

How could I say: be fair, be equitable!

وصاحبٍ لو نقَل الأرضَ ما

رأى عِقالا ليَ في المغنمِ

By one who, if he moved the earth, would not see

Any equity for me in the spoils!

يَقسِم بالوافي وبالبخس في ال

ناس وعندي خيبةُ المَقسَمِ

He swears by the Faithful and swears falsely among

People, and failure attends his oaths

ولو رعى الحقَّ وإنصافَه

ما فاز بالقِدْح سِوى أسهمي

If he would tend to fairness and justice

None would win the prize but my arrows

للدهر عندي ولأبنائه

بعد اجتماعي وثبةُ الأرقمِ

The days and their sons have against me

After we come together, the leap of the deaf adder,

ووقفةٌ لا يبلغ الجُرح ما

يبلُغ مُفضِي قولِها المؤلمِ

And such a stand - wounds do not attain

What its painful speech achieves, so injurious,

تغادر الغدرَ قتيلا على

غَربِ حسام الكلِمِ المخذمِ

It abandons treachery’s victim in the dying breath

Of the Indian sword’s destructive assault;

وتُصبح الأعراضُ من بعدها

مفضوحة في موسمٍ موسمِ

And after it, men’s honour is

Exposed, in a repeated season

لكنّ بيتا من بيوت العلا

بعدُ مشيدُ المجدِ لم يُهدَمِ

But Ulayyah’s houses, built to last, glory’s bastion,

Will not be demolished for eras to come;

تضمُّني حوَطةُ أبنائه

ضمَّ وِفاض النَّبْل للأسهمِ

Into their arms, the clan gathers me

As the bubbles’ boil embraces the arrowheads

كأنّ أيديهم على خَلَّتي

عصائبُ الجَبْرِ على الأعظُمِ

As if their hands were tourniquets binding

My wounds – suffering’s balm for the gravest illness

بيتٌ بنَى أيوبُ أركانَه ال

عُليا بناءَ الموثِق المحكِمِ

A house Ayyub established, raising its pillars

With confidence, solidity, strength and durability

وتمَّ من أبنائه بعدَه

بالمسندِ الضابطِ والمدعِمِ

Then, in time, rebuilt even firmer

By his descendants, made steady and augmented

رحِّلْ إليهم كلَّ خَرَّاجةٍ

من مَخرِمٍ غُفلٍ إلى مَخرِمِ

Divert all war spoils there

From every undefended breach to breach

تدوس باليمنى شمالا كما

قارن زندُ القادحِ الأجذمِ

Tread with your right foot the left flank

Like the spark that strikes out from Indian steel

لا يخلُقُ الليل لألحاظها

وحشةَ عين العاكر المعتمِ

Absence does not create desolation in their nights

Nor make the comradeless stranger anxious in the dark

إذا احتذت أرجلُها بالحصا

خدَّمها الإسآدُ بالعَندَمِ

When their feet pace the courtyard

Carpets serve them with perfumedATR

إلى عميد الرؤساءِ انبرتْ

تُلاحِكُ الغارِبَ بالمِنسَمِ

Against the leader of chieftains it steps forth

To confront fading twilight with a melodious tune

إلى فتىً يُسفِر عن بشره ال

أبيضِ وجهُ الزمنِ الأقتمِ

To a hero whose shining face reveals

The gloomy face of time at its dimmest

أبلج يُستعدَى بإقباله

على هجوم القدرِ الأشأمِ

Dazzling white, the good omen of his arrival

Repels the attack of the most sinister fate

وتفتح الصفقةُ في كفِّه

رِتاجَ باب الأمل المبهمِ

Opening its hand as if to clap joyfully

The door of obscured hopes springs wide

يُفقره الجودُ وفيه الغنى

والجودُ قدما ثروةُ المعدمِ

Impoverished by generosity while rich within

Generosity being steps enriching the destitute

وينزل العسرُ بمستصغِرٍ

لديه والشكرُ بمستعظِمِ

And hardship but visits the contemptuous

While gratitude suits the appreciative

يمدُّ كفًّا في الندى سَبطة

بعضّة النادم لم تُكلَمِ

A handful spills in the valley, ample

As the basin of the remorseful, left unpraised

لو قُرنتْ بالبحر لم تحتشِمْ

أو مُسِحتْ بالنجم لم يُظلِمِ

If compared with the sea, it would not feel ashamed

Or, aligned with a star, it would not diminish it

للرشفِ واللثم مكانٌ بها

ينبو عن الدينار والدرهمِ

In it, glory and the veil have a place

Away from dinar and dirham - they flourish!

أرضَى الإمامين وفاءٌ له

وذمّة بالغدر لم تُذمَمِ

Two Imams pleased with faithfulness

When betrayal’s liability was never assayed

وذب عن ملكهما صارم

من رأيه بالعجز لم يُثلَمِ

And a sword protecting their kingdom

Whose view could not be flawed by inability

آزرَهُ أو عزَّ مستبصراً

في الحق لم يرتب ولم يوهمِ

Supporting him, honouring his insight

Into truth steadfastly, no doubt, no greyscale

تعصِمه العفّة والعزُّ أن

تأخذَه لائمةُ اللوَّمِ

Honour and might protect him from

The blame of critics assailing fault

لا حرَّمَ الحِلَّ ولا استعذبت

شهوتُه يوما جنى محَرَمِ

No forbidden fruit tempts him

Nor does desire sweeten to him a day of denial

ولا اقتفى إثر رجالٍ مضَوا

عيابُهم ملأَى من المأثَمِ

Nor does he pursue men who have passed

Their shame filled volumes of misdeeds

حتى إذا نيطت به لُوطِفت

جروحُها بالعاصِب الملحِمِ

Until strung to face allegations

His wounds were bound by a sheltering ally

قالوا له لما رأَوه لها

خذ دَستَها العالي فقلْ واحكُمِ

They said to him, seeing his loyalty to her

Take her hand on high! Judge and decide!

فأنتَ في الميراثِ في قُعدُدٍ

منها بحقٍّ عنه لم تُزحَمِ

For the inheritance, you have a right by number

To it, undeniably, without any shoving

حملَتها ثِقلا وأُكرِمتَ في ال

صبر فلم تَعْيَ ولم تسأمِ

You carried its burden and were honored by patience

Did not complain or grow bored

مقامُ عزٍّ لك مَن رامه

تحرُّشا فرَّ من الضيغَمِ

A post of glory is yours if you desire it

Let intruders flee frightfully from aggression!

وساوسٌ حدَّثَ جِنِّيُّها

قوما ولم يَرقِ ولم يعزِمِ

Whispering demons prattled to the vulgar

But did not rouse or determine him

وربّ صعبٍ جاهِلٍ حلمُهُ

لم يعرف الصدر ولم يحلُمِ

How often is an ignorant fool endured!

His forbearance unknown and unlearned

وطامِعٍ شَمَّ رياحَ المنى

في جوّها بالأجدع الأرغمِ

One who sniffs at the cup of hope

In its draft sees but the blindly roaming comet

يجاذب الأقدارَ من دونها

بِمسحَلِ التدبيرِ لم يُبرَمِ

Contesting with fate but through it

No contract can be struck or pact concluded

وعمر أيامك فيها وإن

أَدْواه عمرُ الجَذَعِ الأزلمِ

And live out your days therein even if

Its term seems but the lifetime of the unrooted sapling

وأرقَبُ الناسِ لما لا يرَى

في الليل باغِي عثرةِ الأنجمِ

I guard men from what cannot be seen

In the night, watching for the stumble of stars

ياحافظَ المجد بحفظي ويا

معُظِمَه في أنّه معظِمي

O You who preserve glory by preserving me!

And magnify it - You magnify me!

ومُعْلِقاً كفِّيَ ملمومةً

في العهد لم تُنكَثْ ولم تُفصَمِ

Suspending my afflicted hand

True to the covenant, unsevered and unbroken

غرستَ من ودِّك حلوَ الجني

وربَّ غرسٍ ليس بالمُطعِمِ

You planted sweet fruit from your affection

While many trees do not bear fruit

وخاس قومٌ بجديد الهوى

وأنت راعٍ للهوى الأقدمِ

Some people shame ancestry with new passion

While you tend passion of long standing

وإنما يقال لي دونهم

تَمَسُّكي بالأكرم الأكرمِ

And I alone am told, apart from them

Hold tight to the most generous of all the noble!

فاسمعْ أُكايْلك جزاءً بها

غنيمةً جاءتك من مَغرَمِ

So hear the reward I owe you through them

I gained it as spoils from one deathly sick:

سيّارةً في الأرض لم تَغتَرِضْ

عَنْساً إلى سير ولم تَحْزِمِ

A beast roaming the land fearlessly

Neither pack-laden nor hobbled

نافقةً في موسِمٍ مُكسَدٍ

ناطقةً في زمنٍ مفحَمِ

A hypocrite in lean times

A chatterer in an era of sealed lips

تُنسَى الليالي وهي مذكورةٌ

ويهرَمُ الدهر ولم تهرَمِ

Forgotten are nights though celebrated

While time grows old but she does not age

عزَّةُ ذاتِ البعلِ فيها وإن

أعطتك ليناً ذِلَّة الأيِّمِ

The pride of one veiled, though she gives

You deference, is the lowliness of the weak

نسيبة إمّا إلى هاشِم ال

قريضِ أو مخزومِهِ تنتمي

A noblewoman descended from Hashim

Or his nephew – her lineage climbs to the heights

ما ضرَّها والعُرْب أبياتها

آباؤها منّي الأب الأعجمي

Her people’s ignorance of her lineage distresses her not

My ancestry is the non-Arabic father

فاشرح لها صدراً ومَهرِجْ مع ال

أنعَمِ من عيشك فالأنعمِ

So delight her, relax, and take pleasure with her

From the joy of your life – and joyfulness!

ملتقطا سمعُك من جوهر ال

كلام ما أنثره من فمي

Let your hearing glean from my words

The essence I scattered from my mouth