أجد القلب هجرا واجتنابا — Omar Bin Laji Al Timi

أَجَدَّ القَلبُ هَجراً وَاِجتِنابا

لِمَن أَمسى يواصِلُنا خِلابا

The heart has renewed its estrangement and avoidance

of one who now keeps company with us deceitfully.

وَمَن يَدنو لِيُعجِبَنا وَيَنأى

فَقَد جَمَعَ التَدَلُلَ وَالكِذابا

Whoever draws near to please us, then withdraws,

has combined coquetry with lies.

فَكَيفَ قَتَلتِنا يا أُمَّ بَدرٍ

وَلا قَتلٌ عَلَيكِ وَلا حِسابا

How have you slain us, Umm Badr,

with neither execution nor reckoning upon you?

أَلا تَجزينَ مَن أَثنى عَلَيكُم

وَأَحسَنَ حينَ قالَ وَما اِستثابا

Will you not reward someone who praised you

and spoke well, without seeking recompense?

تَصَدَّت بَعدَ شيبِكَ أُمُ بَدرٍ

لِتَطرُدَ عَنكَ حِلمَكَ حينَ ثابا

Umm Badr displayed herself after your hair had grayed,

to drive away your judgment just when it returned.

بِجَيدِ غَزالِ مُقفِرَةٍ وَماحَت

بِعودِ أَراكَةٍ بَرَداً عِذابا

With the neck of a gazelle of the wilderness, she drew forth

with an arak twig sweet hail.

كَأَنَّ سُلافَةً خُلِطَت بِمسكٍ

لِتُعليَها وَكانَ لَها قِطابا

As though choice wine had been mixed with musk

to enhance it, the musk becoming its blend.

تَرى فيها إِذا ما بَيَّتَتها

سَواري الزَوجِ وَالتثمَ الرُّضابا

You find it in her when, by night, she receives

her husband's visits, and he sips her saliva,

لِيَغتَبِقَ الغِلالَةَ مِن نَداها

صَفا فوها لِمُغتَبِقٍ وَطابا

to drink at evening the last moisture of her dew;

her mouth is clear and sweet for an evening drinker.

يَرودُ ذُرى النَسيمِ لَها بِشَوقٍ

أَصابَ القَلبَ فاطَّلعَ الحِجابا

He roams the heights of the breeze toward her with longing

that struck the heart and penetrated its veil.

أَسيلَةُ مَعقِدِ السِمطينِ مِنها

وَغُرثى حَيثُ تَعتَقِدُ الحِقابا

Smooth and slender is the place where her two necklaces meet,

and lean the place where she knots her girdle.

إِذا مالَت رَوادِفُها بِمَتنٍ

كَغُصنِ البانِ فاِضطَربَ اضطِرابا

When her full hips set her back swaying—

like a branch of the ban-tree—it quivers and sways.

تَهادى في الثيابِ كَما تَهادى

حَبابُ الماءِ يَتَّبِعُ الحَبابا

She sways within her clothes as sway

the water's bubbles, one following another.

تَرى الخِلخالَ وَالدملوجَ مِنها

ما أُكرِها نَشبا وَهابا

You see her anklet and her upper-arm bracelet:

whenever forced upon her, they catch and shrink in fear.

أَبَت إِن كُنتَ تَأَمَلُ أُمَّ بَدرٍ

نَوىً قَذَفٌ بِها إِلّا اِغتِرابا

If you hope for Umm Badr, it grants nothing—

that far-flung separation bearing her away—but estrangement.

فَكَيفَ طِلابُها وَحَلَلتَ فَلجاً

وَحَلَّت رَملَ دَومَةَ فالجِنَابا

How can you pursue her, when you have settled at Falj

and she in the sands of Dawma, then al-Jinab?

إِذا ما الشَيءُ لَم يُقدَر عَليهِ

فَلا ذِكرى لِذاكَ وَلا طِلابا

When something cannot be attained,

let there be neither remembrance nor pursuit of it.

أَلا من مُبلِغِ الشُعَراءِ أَنّي

خَصيتُ ابنَ المَراغَةِ حينَ شابا

Who will tell the poets that I

castrated the son of al-Maragha when he had grown gray?

إِذا خُصيَ الحِمارُ كَبا وَطاشَت

قَوائِمُهُ وَكانَ لَهُ تَبابا

When an ass is castrated, it stumbles, and reel

its legs; it brings its ruin.

أَحينَ رَأيتَني صرمت شَذاتي

وَجَدَّ الجَريُ واِنتَصَبَ اِنتَصابا

Was it when you saw my skiff break away,

and the race grow earnest and rise to full pitch,

تَعَذَّرَ مِن هِجائيَ فَرطَ حَولٍ

فَقَد ذَهَبَ العِتابُ فَلا عِتابا

that satirizing me proved beyond you for a whole year?

Reproach has passed away; there is no more reproach.

فَأَثبِت لي سَوادِكَ لا تُضَوَّر

فَقَد لاقيتَ مِن ضَرمي ذُبابا

Hold your dark shape steady for me; do not writhe:

you have encountered sparks from my blaze.

وَأَبصِر وَسمَ قِدحِكَ واِبتَغيهِ

لَئيماً لا طِماحَ وَلا اِشتِعابا

Look at the mark upon your arrow-shaft, and seek it

among the base, without soaring or branching claims.

أَتَفخَرُ يا جَريرُ وَأَنتَ عَبدٌ

مِنَ الرَمكيَةِ اِقتَضبَ اِقتِضابا

Do you boast, Jarir, though you are a slave

cut outright from al-Ramkiyya?

فَلا تَفخَر فَإِنَّكَ مِن كُلَيبٍ

وَقارِب إِن وَجَدتَ لَهُ اِقتِرابا

Do not boast, for you belong to Kulayb;

keep within bounds, if you can find a way.

فَإِنَّكَ واِنتِحالَكُم لِهاباً

كَذاتِ الشَيبِ تَنتَحِلُ الشَبابا

You, with your claim to Lihab,

are like a gray-haired woman claiming youth.

وَفيمَ اِبنُ المَراغَةِ مِن لِهابٍ

وَفُرسانِ الَّذينَ علوا لِهابا

What connection has the son of al-Maragha with Lihab

or the horsemen of those who towered over Lihab?

والا تَفتَخِر بِبَني كُلَيبٍ

فَما كانوا الصَريحَ وَلا اللُبابا

And do not boast of Banu Kulayb:

they were neither pure stock nor its choicest part.

وَلا أَصلُ الكُلَيب لَهُ أَرومٌ

وَجَدتَ وَلا فُروعَهُم رِطابا

Nor has Kulayb's root any rooted stock

that you have found, nor are their branches green.

وَآيَةُ ذَلِكَ أَنَّ بَني كُلَيبٍ

بِشَرِّ قَرارة وُجِدَت شِعابا

The proof is that Banu Kulayb

were found in the worst hollow among ravines.

وَلَمّا أَن وَزَنتُ بَني كُلَيبٍ

فَما وزنت مَكارِمُهُم صُؤابا

When I weighed Banu Kulayb,

their noble deeds did not weigh a nit.

فَخَرتَ بِغَيرِهِم وَفَرَرتَ مِنهُم

وَكُنتَ مُناضِلا كَرِهَ النِصابا

You boasted of others and fled from them,

like an archer who disliked his own bow-stock.

تَرى لِلؤُمِ فَوقَ بَني كُلَيبٍ

سَرابيلا وَأقبيَةً صِلابا

You see baseness clothing Banu Kulayb

in shirts and stiff outer robes,

خَوالِدَ لا تَراها الدَهرَ تَبلى

إِذا الأَيامُ أَبلينَ الثيابا

enduring garments you will never see wear out,

though the passing days wear clothes away.

كَسَوتُهُم عَصائِبَ باقياتٍ

يَشدونَ الرؤوسَ بِها اِعتِصابا

I have clothed them in lasting headbands,

which they bind tightly about their heads.

فَألأمُ أَعيُنٍ لِبَني كُلَيبٍ

إِذا وَلَّوا وَأَلأمُهُ رِقابا

The basest eyes belong to Banu Kulayb,

and, when they turn away, the basest necks.

فَلَستَ بِواجِدٍ لِبَني كُلَيبٍ

كُهولا صالِحينَ وَلا شَبابا

You will not find among Banu Kulayb

worthy older men or worthy youths.

أَبانَ اللَهُ لؤمَ بَني كُلَيبٍ

فَسَوّى بَينَ أَعيُنهم كِتابا

God has made Banu Kulayb's baseness plain

and set an inscription between their eyes.

فان زاغَت بِنسبتها كُلَيبٌ

أَبانَ الخَطَ فاِنتَسَب اِنتِسابا

If Kulayb strays in tracing its descent,

the writing makes it plain—so declare your lineage.

زعمتَ ابنَ الأَتانِ وَأَنتَ عَبدٌ

حَقيقٌ أَن تُعَذَّبَ أَو تُهابا

You made your claim, son of a she-ass, though you are a slave

fit to be tormented—or to be feared.

وَلَكِن هي زَواجِرُ مُقرفاتٌ

رَعينَ كِناسَهُ وَزَجَرنَ هابا

But these are rebukes exposing base birth;

they watched his lair and drove him off with 'Hab!'

وَردَّ عَلَيكَ حُكمُكَ مُغرَباتٌ

سَوابِقُ ما اِستَطَعتَ لَها جَوابا

Extraordinary verses have turned your own verdict against you,

racing ahead, beyond your power to answer.

هم آباؤُهُم مَنَعوكَ قِدما

وَفَكَوّا مِن عَشيرَتِكِ الرِقابا

Their fathers were the ones who protected you long ago

and freed the necks of your clansmen.

بَنو السَعدَينِ تَغضبُ لي وَتَلقى

غُدانَةَ وَالحَرامَ لَكُم غِضابا

Banu al-Sa'dayn grow angry for me, while you find

Ghudana and al-Haram angry on your behalf.

وَإِنَّ الناصِرينَ أَعَزُّ نَصرا

وَأَكرَمَهُ اذا اِنتَسَبوا اِنتِسابا

My supporters are mightier in support

and nobler when they recount their descent,

بِذي لَجَبٍ مِنَ الفَرعَينِ سَعدٍ

وَدُفّاعِ الرِبابِ سَما وَشابا

with a clamorous host from the two branches, Sa'd

and the defenders of al-Ribab, rising and mingling.

لَهُم عيصٌ أَلَفُّ لَهُ فُروعٌ

سَمَت صُعُدا فَجاوَزتِ السَحابا

Theirs is a tangled grove with branches

that rose on high and passed beyond the clouds.

وَنَحنُ غَداةَ تَتبَعُنا تَميمٌ

وَردنا بِالمُعقبَّةِ الكُلابا

On the morning when Tamim followed us,

we came with al-Mu'aqqiba to al-Kulab.

سَمونا لِلعُلى حَتّى رَفَعنا

بِتَيمٍ وَالمُعقبةِ العُقابا

We rose toward glory until we raised,

with Taym and al-Mu'aqqiba, the Eagle banner.

وَبالدَجنيَّتَينِ لَقيتَ ذُهلاً

وَعمروٌ جَدّعتَكَ عَلى إِرابا

At al-Dajniyyatayn you encountered Dhuhl,

and Amr mutilated you at Irab.

فَخرتَ ابنَ الأَتانِ بِذاتِ كَهفٍ

وَغَيرُكَ أَنزَلَ المُلكَ المُصابا

You boasted, son of a she-ass, of Dhat Kahf,

though another brought the stricken kingdom low.

تُعَيِّرُنا ابنَ ذاتِ القُنبِ تيما

سَتَعلَمُ مَن يَكونُ لَهُ غِضابا

You taunt us for Taym, son of the sheath-bearing female;

you will learn who grows angry on its behalf.

فَهلا قُنبَ أَمِكَ كُنتَ تَحمي

وَلَم تَغضَب لِبَيتٍ أَن يُعابا

Why did you not protect your mother's penis-sheath

and grow angry when your household was disparaged?

أَلَم تَسأَل حَراماً ما فَعَلنا

بِسَجحَةَ إِذ غَزَوتَ بِها الرِبابا

Have you not asked Haram what we did

to Sajha when you led her against al-Ribab?

وَجَيشٌ حَولَ سَجحَةَ مِن حَرامٍ

غَزا فَغَزَت نَقيبَتُهُ وَخابا

An army of Haram around Sajha

went raiding, but its fortune turned against it, and it failed.

فَلَمّا أَن لَقوا مِنّا لِيوثا

تُشَبِّهُها المُعَبَّدةَ الجِرابا

When they encountered lions from among us,

you would liken them to tar-coated, mangy camels.

عَلَوناهُم بِبضٍ مُرهَفاتٍ

نَقُطُّ بِها الجَماجِمَ وَالرِقابا

We overbore them with keen white blades,

cutting through skulls and necks.

قَليلاً ثُمَّ أُسَلِمَهُم رَئيسٌ

تَرى في الجَيدِ مُحملَهُ سِخابا

A little while, then a leader abandoned them,

whose sword-belt at the neck looked like a bead-necklace.

إِذا سَجَدَت توليهِم هَريقاً

كَما نَجلَ البَياطِرَةُ الإِهابا

When she prostrates, she presents them with a gaping opening,

like a hide slit open by veterinarians.

طَرَدناهُم مِنَ الأَوداةِ حَتّى

حَملناهُم عَلى نَقوى حِدابا

We drove them from the valleys until

we forced them onto the ridges of Naqwa.

نَكرُّ الخَيلَ عابِسَةً عَلَيهِم

نُقَحِّمُها بِنا رُتَباً صِعابا

We wheel our scowling horses against them,

plunging with them over difficult ledges.

فَذَلِكَ يَومَ لَم تَمنَع كُلَيبٌ

عَوانا في البُيوتِ وَلا كعابا

That was a day when Kulayb could not protect

either mature women in their homes or budding maidens.

جَزَزنا يَومَ ذَلِكَ مِن كُلَيبٍ

نُواصيَ لا نُريدُ لَها ثَوبا

That day we sheared from Kulayb

forelocks for which we sought no recompense.

أَسَجحَةُ يا جَريرُ لَكُم أَحَلَّت

نِكاحَ المَيتِ قَد لَقيَ الحِسابا

Was it Sajha, Jarir, who permitted you

intercourse with a dead person already brought to judgment?

فَلا تابَ الإِلَهُ عَلى جَريرٍ

إِذا عَبدٌ مِنَ السوءاتِ تابا

May God never forgive Jarir

when a servant repents of shameful deeds.

تُعانِقُ أُمَّ حَزرَةَ وَهي نَعشٌ

تُكَشِّفُ عَن جِنازَتها الثيابا

You embrace Umm Hazra, now upon a bier,

stripping the clothes from her corpse.

تَرَكتُكَ حاقِراً إِن كُنتَ تَبكي

عَلى الأَمواتِ تَلتَمِسُ الضِرابا

I left you contemptible, if you weep

over the dead while seeking intercourse.

أَنَختُ بِكُلِّ مَبرَكَةٍ جَريرا

فشابَ وَمِثلُ مبركِهِ أَشابا

I made Jarir kneel at every kneeling-place;

he grew gray, and such a place would turn a man gray.

يَنوحُ عَلى حِداب أَبو جَريرٍ

وَعمروٌ جَدّعتَكَ عَلى حِدابا

Abu Jarir wails over Hidab,

and Amr mutilated you at Hidab.

وَلَم تَكُ لَو قَتَلتَ أَباكَ نيكا

لِتَمنَعَ زُبدَ أَيسَرَ أَن يُذابا

Even if you had fucked your father to death, you would not

have kept Aysar's butter from being melted.

فَما شَهِدَ الكُلَيبُ غَداةَ جَمعٍ

وَلا فُقِدَ الكُلَيبُ غَداةَ غابا

Kulayb was not present on the morning of the gathering,

nor was Kulayb missed when it was absent.

وَما كُنتَ المُصيبَ غداةَ جانٍ

بِذي أَنفٍ فَتَدَّعيَ المُصابا

You were not the one who struck on the morning of Jan

at Dhu Anf, that you might claim the victim.

وَأَلهَتكَ الأَتانُ فَما شَهِدتُم

عِتاقَ الخَيلِ تَستَلِبُ النِهابا

The she-ass distracted you, so you did not witness

the thoroughbred horses seizing plunder.

وَما شَهِدوا مُحيرَةَ إِذ مَلأَنا

فروجَ الأَرضِ فُرساناً وَغابا

They did not witness Muhayra, when we filled

the earth's gaps with horsemen and thickets of spears,

وَلا نَقلانَهُنَ بِذاتِ غِسلٍ

وَبِالعَيكَينِ يَحوينَ النِهابا

nor the horses' swift coursing at Dhat Ghisl

and at al-Aykayn, gathering plunder.

صَبحناهُم كَتائِبَ معلَماتٍ

نَكرُ الطَعنَ فيهِم وَالضِرابا

We attacked them at dawn with marked battalions,

renewing thrusts and blows against them.

وَما شَهِدَت نِساءُ بَني حَريصٍ

غُداةَ جَدودَ فُرسانا غِضابا

The women of Banu Haris did not witness

angry horsemen on the morning of Jadud.

سَبَقنا بِالعُلى وَبَنو كُلَيبٍ

تُبادِرُ مَنزِلَ الرَكبِ الغُرابا

We took the lead in glory, while Banu Kulayb

race the raven to the riders' campsite.

إِناؤُكَ مَيلَغٌ وَأَبوكَ كَلبٌ

فَلَستَ بِغالِبٍ أَحَدا سِبابا

Your bowl is a dog's drinking vessel, and your father a dog;

you will defeat nobody in trading insults.

وَلَكِن مِنكَ مَن تَركَ السَبايا

تُعارِضُ بِالمَلمَّعةِ الرِكابا

Yet among you is one who left the captive women

keeping pace with the camels on the shimmering plain.

فَوارِسُ مِن بَني جُشَمِ بِن بَكرٍ

هُم أَغتَصَبوا بَناتِكُم اِغتِصابا

Horsemen of Banu Jusham ibn Bakr—

they raped your daughters by force.

وَفُرسانُ الهُذيلِ هُم اِستَباحوا

فروجَ بَناتِكُم بابا فَبابا

The horsemen of al-Hudhayl violated

your daughters' private parts, opening after opening.

وَقَد كانَت نِساءُ بَني كُلَيبٍ

لِفيشَلَ مِن تَخَلَّسَها عِيابا

The women of Banu Kulayb had become

bags for the penis of whoever snatched them.

إِذا اِبتَلَعَت مَناطِقَها وَطارَت

مَناطِقُها إِذا انتَعَلَت جِنابا

When she swallows her girdles, and they fly—

her girdles—when she takes a flank for footwear.

يَفِرُّ مِنَ الأَذانِ أَبو جَريرٍ

فَإِنَّ نَهيقَ الحِمارُ لَهُ اِستِجابا

Abu Jarir flees the call to prayer,

yet answers the braying of a donkey.

يُطارِدُ أُتنَهُ بِذَواتِ غِسلٍ

يُهيجُ وَداقُهُنَّ لَهُ هِبابا

He chases his she-asses at Dhawat Ghisl;

their heat arouses lust in him.

تُوَلِّيهِ الأَتانُ إِذا عَلاها

سَنابِكَ مِن حَوافِرِها صِلابا

When he mounts her, the she-ass turns toward him

the hard tips of her hooves.

إِذا قَمصت عَضَضتَ بِكاذ تَيها

وَإِن رَمِحت فَإِنَّكَ لَن تَهابا

When she bucks, you bite the flesh of her thighs;

if she kicks, you will not be afraid.

وَفي كُلِّ القَبائِلِ مِن كُلَيبٍ

كَسَرنَ ثَنيَّةً وَهَتمنَ نابا

In every tribe there are men of Kulayb

whose incisors they have broken and whose canines they have shattered,

لِعادتها الَّتي كانَت كُلَيبٌ

تُذيلُ بِمِثلِها الأُتُنَ الصِعابا

because of that habit with which Kulayb

used to humble unruly she-asses.

لَعَلَّكَ يا بنَ ذاتِ النِكثِ تَرجو

مُغالَبَتي وَلَم تَرثِ الغِلابا

Perhaps, son of the woman with unravelled yarn, you hope

to defeat me, though you inherited no victory.

وَأَنتَ أَذَلُ خَلقِ الله نَفسا

وَقَومُكَ أَكثَرُ الثَقَلينِ عابا

You are the most abject soul in God's creation,

and your people the most flawed of humankind and jinn.

فَلَولا النِكثُ تُنسِجُهُ كُلَيبٌ

أَلا تَبّا لِنَكثِكُم تَبابا

Were it not for the unravelled yarn Kulayb weaves—

utter ruin upon your unravelled yarn!

تَعَقَّبتُ الكَليبَ وَرَنَّحَتها

ضَواحي السَبِّ تَلتَهِبُ اِلتِهابا

I pursued Kulayb; it reeled beneath

blatant insults blazing fiercely,

بِأَعَورَ مِن بَني العَوراءَ نِكثٍ

رَمى غَرَضَ النِضالِ فَما أَصابا

through a one-eyed weakling from Banu al-Awra,

who shot at the archery target and missed.

دَعا النَزوانَ يا جَحشَي كُلَيبٍ

وَذوقا إِذا قَرَنتُكُما الجِنابا

Leave off mounting, you two foals of Kulayb,

and taste the tether when I yoke you together.

قَرَنتُكُما بِأَلوى مُستَمِر

يَعِزُّ عَلى معالجهِ الجِذابا

I have yoked you both to a stubborn, unyielding one,

hard to pull away for whoever grapples with him.

إِذا عَلِقَ المَقارِنَ دَقَّ مِنهُ

مِنَ العُنُقِ المُقَدَّمِ أَو أَنابا

When he catches a yoke-mate, he crushes

the forepart of his neck, unless he submits.

مِضَمٌّ يَلحَقُ التالينَ ضَمّا

وَيَشتَعِبُ المُعقَّبةَ اِشتِعابا

A gatherer, he draws the followers close

and gathers in the rear guard completely.