لمن الديار كأن لم تحلل — Rabia Al Dhabi

لِمَنِ الدِيارُ كَأَنَّ لَم تُحلَل

بِجَنوبِ أَسنُمَةٍ فَقُفِّ العُنصُلِ

Whose are these dwellings, as though never inhabited,

south of Asnumah, then at the rocky rise of al-'Unsul?

دَرَسَت مَعالِمَها فَباقي رَسمَها

خَلَقٌ كَعُنوان الكِتابِ المحولِ

Their landmarks have worn away; their surviving trace

is faded, like the heading of a weathered book.

دارٌ لِسُعدى إِذ سُعادٌ كَأَنَّها

رَشَأٌ غَرير الطَرفِ رَخصُ المفصَلِ

An abode of Su'da, when Su'ad was like

a fawn, innocent-eyed and tender-jointed,

شَماءُ واضِحَةُ العَوارِضِ طِفلَةٌ

كَالبَدرِ مِن خَلَلِ السَحابِ المُنجَلي

high-nosed, bright-toothed, delicate,

like the full moon through gaps in parting clouds.

وَكَأَنَّما ريحُ القُرُنفُل نَشرها

أَو حَنوَةُ خَلطَت خزامي حَومَلِ

Her fragrance seemed the scent of cloves,

or chamomile mingled with the lavender of Hawmal.

تَعتادُهُ بِفُواقِها وَجَرِيَّةٍ

وَتُقيلُهُ بِسَرارِ رَوضٍ مُبقِلِ

A doe of Wajrah visits him at her nursing intervals,

and gives him noon-rest in the heart of a verdant meadow.

وَكَأَنَّ فاها بَعدَ ما طَرَقَ الكَرى

كَأسٌ تُصَفِّقُ بِالرَحيقِ السَلسَلِ

And her mouth, after sleep had visited her, seemed

a cup filled with smooth, pure wine.

لَو أَنَّها عَرَضَت لِأَشمَطَ راهِبٍ

في رَأسِ مُشرِفَةِ الذُرى مُتَبَتِّلِ

If she appeared before a grizzled monk,

an ascetic atop a height of towering peaks,

جَآرُ ساعاتِ النِيامِ لَرَبِّهِ

حَتّى تَخَدَّدَ لَحمُهُ مُستَعمَلِ

crying to his Lord through the hours when others sleep,

until his flesh grew furrowed, worn by exertion,

لَصَبا لِبَهجَتِها وَحُسنِ حَديثِها

وَلَهَمَّ مِن ناقوسِهِ بِتَنَزُّلِ

he would become enamored of her beauty and sweet conversation,

and think of descending, leaving his bell.

بَل إِن تَرى شَمطاءَ تَقرَعُ لمَّتي

وَحَنا قَناتي وَاِرتَقى في مَسحَلي

Yet if you see grayness striking my locks,

and bending my shaft and climbing up my jaw,

وَدَلَفتُ مِن كِبرٍ كَأَنّي خاتِلٌ

قَنَصاً وَمَن يَدبُب لِصَيدٍ يَختِلِ

and I shuffle from old age, as though stalking

quarry—whoever creeps toward game moves stealthily—

فَلَقَد أَرى حُسنَ القَناةِ قُوَيمَها

الكَنَصلِ أَخلَصَهُ جَلاءُ الصَيقَلِ

yet I once knew the shaft in its beauty and straightness,

like a blade purified by the burnisher's polishing,

أَزَمانٌ إِذ أَن وَالحَديدُ إِلى بلى

تَصبى الغَواني مَيعَتي وَتَنَقُّلي

in those days when—indeed, iron too goes to decay—

my youthful vigor and movements captivated lovely women.

وَلَقَد شَهِدتُ الخَيلَ يَومَ طِرادِها

بِسُلَيمِ أَو ظِفَةِ القَوائِمِ هَيكَلِ

And I joined the horses on the day of their pursuit,

on a massive steed with sound cannon bones,

مُتَقاذِفُ شَنجِ النَسا عَبلِ الشَوى

سِباقِ أَندِيَةِ الجِيادِ عَمَيثَلِ

bounding, taut of tendon, stout of limb,

outstripping gatherings of steeds, large and powerful.

لَولا أَكَفكِفُهُ لَكادَ إِذا جَرى

مِنهُ الغَريمُ يَدُقُّ فَأَسَ المَسحَلِ

Had I not restrained him, he would almost, when

froth streamed from him, crush the bit's mouthpiece.

وَإِذا جَرى مِنهُ الحَميمُ رَأَيتَهُ

يَهوي بِفارِسِهِ هَوِيَّ الأَجدَلِ

And when hot sweat flowed from him, you saw him

swoop with his rider like a falcon.

وَإِذا تُعَلَّل بِالسِياطِ جِيادُنا

أَعطاكَ نائِلُهُ وَلَم يَتَعَلَّلِ

And when our steeds are urged on with whips,

he gives you all he can give and makes no excuse.

فَدعوا نَزالِ فَكُنتَ أَوَّلَ نازِلٍ

وَعَلامَ أَركَبُهُ إِذا لَم أَنزِلِ

They cried, 'Dismount!' and you were first to dismount;

and why do I ride him if I do not dismount?

وَلَقَد جَمَعتُ المالَ مِن جَمعِ امرئ

وَرَفعتُ نَفسي عن لَئيمِ المَأكَلِ

And I amassed wealth in a man's fashion,

and raised myself above a base livelihood.

دَخَلتُ أَبنِيَةَ المُلوكِ عَلَيهِم

وَلشَرُ قَولِ المَرءِ ما لَم يَفعَلِ

I entered the buildings of kings in their presence;

a man's worst speech is what he has not done.

وَشَهَدتُ مَعرَكَةَ الفُيولِ وَحَولَها

أَبناءُ فارِسَ بيضُهُم كَالأَعبَلِ

And I witnessed the battle of the elephants; around them

were the sons of Persia, their helmets like pale rock,

مُتَسَربِلي حَلَقِ الحَديدِ كَأَنَّهُم

جُرب مُقارِفَةُ عَنِيَّةَ مُهمَلِ

clad in rings of iron, as though they were

mangy camels smeared with the salve of untended beasts.

يَجُّرونَ نَشّاباً سَريعاً مَرهُ

فيهِ جَرائِدَ مَن تخالط تَقتُلِ

They draw arrows, swift in their flight,

with slender shafts: whoever they strike, they kill.

فَحَبست مُحتَبِساً سَيالاً صابِراً

نَفسي رَجاءُ ثَوابٍ رَب مِفصَلِ

So I restrained—holding firm, impetuous yet patient—

myself, hoping for reward from a Lord who judges.

وَلَرَبِّ ذي حَنَقٍ عَلَيَّ كَأَنَّما

تَغلي عَداوَةَ صَدرِهِ كَالمرجَلِ

And many a man raging against me, as though

the hatred in his breast boiled like a cauldron,

أَوجيتُهُ عَنّي فَأَبصَرَ قَصدَهُ

وَكَوَيتَهُ فَوقَ النَواظِرِ مَن عَلِ

I drove away from me, and he saw his proper course;

and you branded him above the eyes, from on high.

وَأَخي مُحافِطَة عَصى عَذّالَهُ

وَأَطاعَ لِذَّتَهُ مُعَمٍّ مخوَلِ

And a brother loyal in companionship, who defied his reprovers

and obeyed his pleasure, with noble kin on either side,

هَشٍّ يَراح إلى النَدى نَبهتُهُ

وَالصُبحُ ساطِعُ لَونِهِ لَم يَنجَلِ

cheerful and eager for generosity—I awakened him

before dawn's spreading brightness had fully cleared.

فَأَتَيتُ حانوتاً بِهِ فَصَبَّحتُهُ

مِن عانِقٍ بِمَزاجِها لَم تَقتُلِ

I came with him to a tavern and gave him a morning drink

from 'Aniq, not subdued by its admixture:

صَهباءَ صافِيَةَ القَذى أَغلى بِها

يَسِرٌ كَريمُ الخيمِ غَيرَ مُبَخَّلِ

a tawny wine, clear of dregs, dearly bought by

a gambler of noble nature, never deemed miserly.

وَمُعَرِّس عَرض الرِداء عَرستهِ

مِن بَعدِ آخرَ مِثلِهِ في المَنزِلِ

And many a broad-cloaked wayfarer I lodged,

after another like him in the same lodging.

وَلَقَد أَصَبت مِنَ المَعيشَةِ لينَها

وَأَصابَني مِنهُ الزَمانُ بِكَلكَلِ

And I have tasted the ease of life,

and through it time struck me with its breast.

وَمَطِيَّةٍ مَلَتَ الظَلام بَعَثتُهُ

يَشكو الكَلالَ إِلَيَّ دامي الأَظلَلِ

And many a mount I roused as darkness gathered,

complaining to me of exhaustion, his sole-pads bleeding.

أَودَ السُرى بِقتالِهِ وَمراحِهِ

شَهراً نَواحِيَ مُستَتِبٍّ مَعمَلِ

Night travel had worn down his body and spirit

for a month, through stretches of a straight, much-traveled

نَهجٍ كَأَن حَرثُ النَبيطِ عُلوبُهُ

ضاحي الموارِدِ كَالحَصيرِ المُرمَلِ

road, its scars like the Nabataeans' ploughing,

its bare approaches to water like a woven mat.

أَخلَصتُهُ صُنعاً فَآضَ مُحَملِجاً

كَالتَيسِ في أُمعوزِهِ المُتَرَبَّلِ

I restored him with care, and he became sleek and rounded,

like a fattened he-goat among his goats.

فَإِذا وَذاكَ كَأَنَّهُ ما لَم يَكُن

إِلّا تَذَكّرهُ لِمَن لَم يَجهَلِ

And behold, all that is like something that never was,

save its remembrance for one who is not ignorant.

وَلَقَد أَتَت مائَة عَلَيّ أَعَدها

حَولاً فَحَولا إِن بَلاها مبتلِ

And a hundred have passed over me; I count them

year after year, if a reckoner tests their span.

فِإِذا الشَبابُ كَمبذلٍ أَنضَيتهُ

وَالدَهرُ يبلي كُل ّجدة مبذلِ

Then youth is like a workaday garment I have worn out,

and time wears away the freshness of every garment in use.

هَلّا سَأَلتَ وَخَيرُ قَومٍ عندَهُم

وَشفاءُ غَيِّكَ خائِراً أَن تَسأَلِ

Why not ask? A people's excellence is found among them,

and asking cures your error when you falter.

هَل نُكرِمُ الأَضيافَ إِن نَزَلوا بِنا

وَنَسودُ بِالمَعروفِ غَيرَ تَنَحُّلِ

Do we honor guests when they lodge with us,

and lead through good deeds, without false pretension,

وَنَحلَ بِالثَغرِ المَخوفِ عَدوّهُ

وَنَرُدُّ خالَ العارِضِ المُتَهَلِّلِ

and dwell on the frontier whose enemy is feared,

and seek the rain-promise of the flashing cloud,

وَنُعينُ غارِمَنا وَنَمنَعُ جارَنا

وَنَزينُ مَولى ذِكرِنا في المَحفَلِ

and help our debtor and defend our neighbor,

and grace our ally with our name in the assembly?

وَإِذا اِمرؤُ مِنّا جَنى فَكَأَنَّهُ

مِمّا يَخافُ عَلى مَناكِبِ يَذبُلِ

And if a man of ours commits a wrong, he is as though,

safe from what he fears, upon the shoulders of Yadhbul.

وَمَتى يَقِم عِندَ اِجتِماعِ عَشيرَةٍ

خُطَباؤُنا بَينَ العَشيرَةِ يَفصِلِ

And whenever they rise at a gathering of a clan,

our orators settle matters among that clan.

وَيَرى العَدُوَّ دُروءاً صَعبَةً

عِندَ النَجومِ مَنيعَةِ المُتَأَوِّلِ

And the enemy sees stubborn bulwarks,

up among the stars, beyond a schemer's reach.

وَإِذا الحَمالَة أَثقَلَت حَمّالَها

فَعَلى سَوائِمِنا ثَقيلِ المَحمَلِ

And when an assumed blood-debt burdens its bearer,

its heavy load falls upon our grazing herds.

وَيَحِقُّ في أَموالِنا لِحَليفِنا

حَقاً يَبوءُ بِهِ وَإِن لَم يَسأَلِ

And our ally has, in our wealth,

a rightful share he takes away, even without asking.