أنا الفايدة مني صلاتي على النبي — Shibli Al Atrash

أَنا الفايدة مني صَلاتي عَلى النَبي

نَبياً هدى للخير أَهل العَزايم

The good that comes from me is my prayer upon the Prophet,

a prophet who guided people of resolve toward goodness,

نَبياً أَنار الراشدين بِفَضله

من لعلفه قَد خصهم بِالكرايم

a prophet who enlightened the rightly guided through his grace,

who, out of his [unclear], favored them with noble gifts,

بالعدة الأَطهار جملة جَميعهم

تَرى اللي حظي فيهم حَظي بِالغَنايم

with the pure company, every one of them together.

Indeed, whoever found favor with them gained rich spoils.

غَنى ضعيف الحال مِن عظم ما جَرى

وَنيران قَلبي زايدات الضَرايم

A man of humble means sang of the enormity of what befell,

while the fires of my heart blazed ever higher,

عَلى اللي جَرى ياما جَرى في بلادنا

شيء جَرى حير قُلوب العَوالم

over what happened—how much happened in our country!

Something happened that bewildered people's hearts.

كانَت شَرارة نار تطفأ من النَدى

وَما عاد يطفيها وَلا سيل عايم

It was a spark of fire that dew could extinguish,

but now not even a surging flood can put it out.

أَول فتوح الثغل جازَت فهيدة

وَجرى عقبها عركات يابو الهمايم

The first outbreak of [unclear] passed lightly,

and battles followed it, O man of great resolve.

قام الحريري جرد الترك والحذر

وَجميل باشا قايد الجيش حازم

Al-Hariri rose and mustered the Turks and the wary,

with Jamيل Pasha, the resolute commander of the army.

ينوا عَلى خربة طعارا خيامهم

في يُوم أَسود مثل لَيل الظَلاليم

They pitched their tents at the ruins of Ta‘ara,

on a black day, like a night of deepest darkness.

أَجوهم بنو مَعروف من كل جانب

مثل الاسوده طالبين الغَنايم

Banu Ma‘ruf came at them from every side,

like lions seeking spoils.

جَرى يُوم قراصه الَّذي تخبرونه

ياما فقدنا كُل قرم مخاصم

The day at Qarasa occurred, the one you know,

and how many mighty warriors we lost!

من عقبها صارَت غرامة وَاصلحوا

والنار تضرم عندَ هب النَسايم

Afterward a fine was imposed, and they made peace,

yet the fire flared whenever the breezes blew.

من بَعد تسع شهور عدة كَوامل

جَرى بالكرك إِن كُنت داري وَفاهم

After nine months, a full count,

something happened at al-Karak, if you know and understand.

عَلى شان قرعوني خربنا بيوتهم

قالوا سداد الدين يا ناس لازم

For Qar‘uni's sake, we wrecked their houses.

They said, 'People, the debt must be repaid.'

مية وزود اللي قطعنا لروسهم

نَهينا بقرهم والعفش وَالبهايم

A hundred and more were those whose heads we cut off;

we plundered their cattle, belongings, and beasts.

كانَت سَبب إِلى جَيش جرار زروعها

وَشعل خشبها وَالركن والدَعايم

That brought a vast army upon its crops,

and set its timber, corner posts, and supports ablaze.

وَاسس عمار المزرعة في بلادنا

صارَت جرب في جلر بريان سالم

It founded construction at al-Mazra‘a in our country;

it became scabies on skin that had been sound [unclear wording].

عملوا درارق قشلة عسكرية

حَتّى يَخافوا لابسين العَمايم

They built [unclear] as military barracks,

so that those wearing turbans would be afraid.

توهيم حَتّى يحجبوا الدم بَيننا

تَرى إبليس يحرك الشر دايم

A pretense meant to prevent bloodshed between us—

yet Satan is always stirring up evil.

وَبعدين ابن عزام جرد بَيارق

عَلى بصر قبل الظهر وَالرمي قايم

Then Ibn ‘Azzam mustered his banners

against Busr before noon, with firing underway.

صارَت سَبب تعمير قلعة كبيرة

بلكي يشموا العطب أَهل الفَهايم

That caused a great fortress to be built,

perhaps so the discerning would smell destruction.

وَكثير خسرنا الحكومة وَسامحت

حَتّى تكف الشر بَين العَوالم

We cost the government dearly, yet it forgave,

to restrain evil among the people.

من بَعدها شدوا بَيارق وَجردوا

عَلى المسمية حَتّى يَجوزوا الغَنايم

Afterward they raised banners and mobilized

against al-Masmiyya, to carry off the spoils.

ساووا عداوة بساير الناس وَالعَرب

عَلى ذمتي هَالشغل ما كان لازم

They made enemies of all the people and the Arabs;

on my honor, this business was unnecessary.

فرحت بَني عثمان شرابة الخَمر

قالوا السلوط لَنا قَرايب لَزايم

The sons of ‘Uthman, drinkers of wine, rejoiced.

They said, 'Al-Sulut are our close, trusted kinsmen,'

حَتّى قَضوا من أَرض الشَريعة مَرادهم

بِقلعة رَفيعة وَبرجها فَوق قايم

until they obtained what they wanted from al-Shari‘a's land:

a lofty fortress with its tower standing high.

من قبلها في براق ابنوا عَميرة

حَتّى الدروز يحققوا الأمر لازم

Before that, they built a structure in Buraq,

so the Druze would recognize that compliance was required.

وَلا كان مِنا شخص يقبل نَصيحة

اللَه عمانا كل العَوالم

Not one of us would accept advice;

God blinded us, every one of us.

من بعدها صارَت عَداوة ببعضنا

مثل الوحوش وَشرنا دُوم دايم

Afterward hostility arose among us,

like wild beasts, our evil ever enduring.

وَلا طايفة إِلا كلت لَحم وَاكتشفت

مِن طايفة وَالشَر قطاب قايم

There was no faction that did not eat flesh and expose

another faction, while evil stood grim-faced.

بقينا عَلى هذا المعدل جَميعنا

ما أَحد منا خالي البال تايم

All of us continued in this same fashion;

not one of us was carefree or resting.

إِلى أَن ظهر نُور الشَريعة الجديدة

يَلعن مُؤسس غرزها وَالدَعايم

Until the light of the new law appeared—

cursed be whoever established its roots and supports!

العامية اللي عموا تابعينها

صارَت خَراب بلادنا وَالرَدايم

The commoners' movement, whose followers went blind,

became our country's destruction and ruins.

صاروا مثل يوطة قويسم بدوره

وَيحالفوا أَهل الحظوظ العَدايم

They became like [unclear] Quwaysim in his turn,

and allied with people whose luck was nonexistent.

يا هول عيني يُوم تنظر جموعهم

خيل وَكُدش والأكثرية بَهايم

What a dreadful sight for my eyes when they see their crowds:

horses and geldings, and mostly beasts.

يَتفننوا بفنون عزك فراقهم

كَلام خايس من وجوه ذَماميم

They display their many arts—your honor lies in leaving them—

rotten talk from contemptible faces.

من غير طوشات البثينة وَلاهثة

جَرى يَوم بعراجي بقا الدَم عايم

Apart from the brawls at al-Buthayna and Lahitha,

on the day at Ba‘raji, blood was awash.

يُوم السويده كان يُوم عرمرم

من الصح إِلى حد اختلاط الظَلايم

The day at al-Suwayda was a mighty day,

from morning until darkness gathered.

وَفزعت بني عمعوم من كل ديرة

مثل الوحوش وَطالبين الرَمايم

Bani ‘Am‘um rallied from every district,

like wild beasts seeking carrion.

وَقر القَرار أَنا ندشر بلادنا

رحلنا خلينا جَميع اللوازم

The decision was settled: we would abandon our country.

We departed, leaving all necessities behind.

لما غمر كل القَرايا فَسادهم

قالوا تَرى ما عاد لينا مُقاوم

When their corruption engulfed every village,

they said, 'See, no one can resist us anymore.'

ظَهر عقبها عسكر عا أَرض السويده

ممدوح باشا قايد الجيش حاكم

Afterward troops appeared on al-Suwayda's land,

with Mamduh Pasha commanding and ruling the army.

وَقال المَشايخ يا ربع رجعوهم

حقن الدما عَلى ذمة الكُل لازم

The sheikhs said, 'Friends, send them back;

everyone is duty-bound to spare blood.'

ردوا الجَواب الكُل بَعد المشاورة

ما عاد النا شخص مِنهم يلايم

After consultation, they all answered:

'No man among them is any longer on our side.'

يُوم الخَميس الصبح جر العراضي

إِلى شَرقي وَلغا جودل الجَيش زاحم

On Thursday morning, he drew out the columns

east of Walgha, the army's columns pressing forward.

يُوم ان وطي إِلى وعرة الشقروية

قالوا الدروز اليُوم خبط العَمايم

When he descended into al-Shaqrawiyya's rough terrain,

the Druze said, 'Today, strike the turbans!'

وَتواصلوا الجَمعين في حومة الوَغى

صارَت ضيبي وَاختلطها كَتايم

The two hosts met in the thick of battle;

it became a mist mingled with choking clouds.

بزر الفرنجي كَالبَرد من مزونها

وَدَوي المَدافع كَالرُعود الرَوازم

The Frankish shot fell like hail from its rain clouds,

and the cannons roared like rumbling thunder.

من غير طولة شرح راحَت كَسيرة

كم خفرة تَبكي دُموعاً سَواجم

To cut a long tale short, it departed defeated.

How many modest maidens wept flowing tears!

وَتَرابعت من بَعد هذا وَكنكنت

وَكل من لبد عَلى قشتو صار نايم

After this it settled down and grew quiet,

and everyone lay low among his belongings and went to sleep.

قلنا خلصنا نَحمد اللَه خالقي

عيشة هَنية وَالسَعد دُوم دايم

We said, 'We are delivered; we praise God, my Creator:

a pleasant life, with happiness ever enduring.'

ما طولت صاروا يساووا حُزوبه

وَيَفيقوا من كان هاجع وَنايم

Before long they began forming factions,

and waking those who had been resting and asleep.

وَيتفننوا بفنون يخرب بُيوتهم

وَيتطلبوا طَلبات نجسي ذَمايم

They practiced their tricks—may their houses be ruined—

and made filthy, contemptible demands.

ول طَلب قالوا رباع المَشايخ

وَالشيخ كُلو اليُوم ما عاد لازم

Their first demand, they said, was the sheikhs' estates,

'And no sheikh is needed anymore today.

لا يش كثر شيوخ نحنا كفاية

وَنسدر العايل بضرب الصَوارم

Why so many sheikhs? We are enough,

and we repel the aggressor with blows of keen swords.'

وَثاني طَلب قالوا القصر هاي حقنا

وَشيوخنا صاروا بحال العَدايم

Their second demand: 'These palaces are ours,'

and our sheikhs became as though they were nothing.

ثالث طلب قالوا المَطاميع كُلَها

وَالشيخ هذا كان جبار ظالم

Their third demand, they said, was all the coveted holdings,

'And this sheikh was a tyrant and oppressor.'

وَجَرى الهرش وَالحرش يا ناس بَينَهُم

في كُل جهة الشَر قطاب قايم

Bickering and strife arose among them, people;

in every direction evil stood grim-faced.

سنو سنن عفني قَبيحة خَبيثة

وَمَشوا عَلى دَرب البطل وَالظَلايم

They laid down rotten, ugly, wicked customs

and followed the path of falsehood and oppression.

مِنهُم يقول فُلان هذا دَخيلي

وَقع واِحتَمى بِالدار عِندَ الحَرايم

One of them says, 'This man is under my protection;

he fell and sought shelter in the house among the women.'

وَمِنهُم يَقول فلان هذا قَصيري

هذا دَخل ما ضن عَنهُ مهازم

Another says, 'This man is my protected neighbor;

he sought refuge; no retreats were withheld from him [unclear wording].'

وَعَلى المَطامع كبروا أَبواب دورهم

وَغَدا الحصيني موضع الذئب قايم

Out of greed, they enlarged the doors of their houses,

and the fox came to stand in the wolf's place.

تَركوا الفِلاحة وَاشتروا خيل للغزو

لا يش حرث الأَرض ما بو غَنايم

They abandoned farming and bought horses for raiding:

'Why plow the land? There are no spoils in it.'

صار عَلى الجيرة يَغاروا وَيَكسبوا

لِأَجل تايزكوا الحَرام بِمآثم

They began raiding their neighbors and taking booty,

to purify unlawful gains through sins.

وَاهل القَرايا استحلوا أَموالَها

قالون هَذي كُلَها فَرض لازم

The villagers deemed its wealth lawful to take;

they said, 'All of this is a binding levy.

نحنا معانى في أَوامد مسجلة

فيها ابن عُثمان ماضي وَخاتم

We have support in recorded orders [unclear wording],

signed and sealed by Ibn ‘Uthman.'

وَعطل الأَمر وَالنَهي في أَمر ديننا

شُيوخ الطَريقة حَرَموا بِالحَرايم

Command and prohibition in our religion were suspended.

The sheikhs of the path solemnly forbade

إِنَّهُم ما يَتعاطوا أَوامر بلادنا

ما زالَ أَمر الدين مالوا دَعايم

their involvement in governing our country.

Religious authority still had no supports.

فَلنت وَلا لَها وَرَبث يضبها

وَكدش الجَلب لَما تَقف للسَوايم

It ran loose, with no tether to restrain it,

and the drove's geldings, when they stand among grazing beasts [unclear wording].

وَضاع الجَبل عَن دُون كُل الطَوايف

صُرنا معاره يا وُجوه اللزايم

The Mountain was lost, unlike all the other communities;

we became a disgrace, O faces of trusted men.

قال المثل من دُور حَوا وَآرم

فَتمعقلوا يا هل العُقول الفَهايم

The proverb has been spoken since Eve and Aram's time:

so use your reason, you people of discerning minds.

إذ راد رَب العَرش يَهفي قَبيلة

مَشَت عَلى دُروب البطل الظَلايم

When the Lord of the Throne wishes to bring a tribe low,

it follows the paths of falsehood and oppression.

أَما الَّذي غَطى السَوالف جَميعها

البيك الجَديد اللي دَعانا هَشايم

But what overshadowed all those stories

was the new bey, who called us mere stubble.

قام الفَتى زاعور عقب المحالفة

ربط دَرب شقره باختلاط الظَلايم

The young man Za‘ur rose after the alliance

and blocked Shaqra's road as darkness gathered.

وَفي قفل لِأَهل كحيل عالدَرب مارق

تعارضوه أَهل الوُجوه الذَمايم

A caravan belonging to Kahil's people was passing along the road;

those with contemptible faces intercepted it.

قَتلت فرس زاعور عِندَ المَعرَكة

وَزاعور قوص شَخص مِنهُم عَفارم

Za‘ur's mare was killed in the battle,

and Za‘ur shot one of them—bravo!

لاجل السَبب في قفل لأهل صَلخَد

طَحان عَلى حَسب السَوادي القدايم

Because of this, there was a caravan belonging to Salkhad,

going to mill grain according to the old customs.

وَقفلا إِلى نَجران طحان أَيضاً

رَجعوا قفولتنا سَرايع هَزايم

A caravan from Najran was also going to mill grain;

they sent our caravans back, fleeing in swift defeat.

أَتى قفل صَلخَد عَلى كَحيل بدربه

أَثرات أَهل كَحيل الهَم غَرايم

Salkhad's caravan came upon Kahil along its route.

It turned out that Kahil's people had enemies.

بِالحال أَهل كَحيل ساووا شماطه

وَاثنين خلوهم بحال العَدايم

Immediately Kahil's people started a brawl,

and left two of them as good as dead.

وَصل قفل نَجران إِلى عند داعل

هُناك اشتغل ضَرب القَنا وَالصَوارم

Najran's caravan reached Da‘il;

there the striking of spears and keen swords began.

فَزعت أَهل صَلخَد عَلى كحيل بالعَجَل

مِن غير ذَبح الزُلم راحَت عَدايم

Salkhad's people rushed against Kahil,

and, apart from the slaughter of the men, it was reduced to nothing.

قاموا أَهل نَجران فَزعوا وَفَزعوا

مِن حَد وَلغا إِلى بيار الحَمايم

Najran's people rose, rallying and calling for aid,

from the edge of Walgha to the wells of al-Hama’im.

قر الجَميع اللَه يخيب شويرهم

كَبسوا الحراك وَطالع النَحس حا

All agreed—may God thwart their counsel—

and raided al-Hirak, with ill fortune rising [unclear ending].

فَقَدنا شَباب بيومها عَنترية

تَشيعوا فيهم ضباع الهَدايم

That day we lost youths as valiant as ‘Antar;

the hyenas of the ruins feasted on them [unclear wording].

حَرَقوا الحراك وَهَدموا لجدارها

بقا دخنا صاعد إِلى الجَو قايم

They burned al-Hirak and demolished its walls;

its smoke rose and hung in the air.

وَحَرَقوا قَرايا غَيرَها في جِوارها

تثلم عَلى أَهل الحُظوظ العَدايم

They burned other villages around it,

dealing wounds to people with no luck.

نَزلت حَريم أَهل العَبيطة وَشَكبت

بِالشام شَقوا جُيوبهم للثايم

The women of al-‘Abita went down and wept;

in Damascus they tore their collars over the wrongs [unclear wording].

وَتَشاوروا أَهل المَجالس جَميعهم

وَتَآمروا عَلَينا جَميع العَوالم

All the people of the councils consulted,

and everyone conspired against us.

وَقر القَرار بزعمهم قَرض جنسنا

وَنَشَروا إِمارات الحَرب وَالعَلايم

Their decision was settled, as they claimed: to eradicate our people.

They displayed the signs and signals of war.

صالَت بَني عُثمان وَالشام وَالعرب

سركس وَكردوغج جتنا تصادم

The sons of ‘Uthman, Damascus, and the Arabs charged;

Circassians, Kurds, and Ghuj came to clash with us.

جَروا عراضي تدهك الرَمل وَالحَصى

مثل الجَراد اللي عَلى الزَرع سَوايم

They drew out columns trampling sand and pebbles,

like locusts grazing upon the crops.

وَخيم عَلى شمسكين ستين لَيلة

وَاتى لقراصا وَابني الخَوايم

He camped at Shamskin for sixty nights,

then came to Qarasa and erected the tents.

أَول هِلال الشَهر صارَت مُناوَشة

وَجَرى الحَرب بِاللَيل عُقب الظَلايم

On the month's first day, skirmishing began,

and war raged at night after darkness fell.

ثاني هِلال الشَهر عركة مهولة

حَرَقوا القَرايا وَهَدموها هَدايم

On the month's second day, a dreadful battle:

they burned the villages and demolished them into ruins.

ثالث هلال الشَهر شالوا مشرق

كَالجيج لا جانا من الشَرق صايم

On the month's third day, they marched eastward,

like a dust cloud coming at us from the east [unclear final word].

وَنَزل عا أَرض المزرعة في بلادنا

وَقَد علقت نار البلا وَالسَمايم

He descended upon al-Mazra‘a's land in our country,

and calamity's fire and scorching winds had flared.

جَرى يُوم بالأَيام ما صار مثله

وَلا ولفوا عَنهُ الجُدود القَدايم

A day occurred unlike any other day,

nor did the ancestors of old tell of its like.

مِن الصُبح حَتّى غابَت الشَمس بِالسَما

وَالليل كُله الحَرب عَالساق قايم

From morning until the sun vanished from the sky,

and all night, battle stood at full height.

ياما فَقدنا كُل قرم صَميدع

ناحَت عَلَيهِ البيض زُرق الوَشايم

How many mighty, noble warriors we lost!

Fair women with blue tattoos wailed over each one.

يا حيف عَلى أَهل الصَفا وَالمَكارم

يَغدوا فراط الحرص مِن غير لازم

Alas for the people of purity and generosity,

that they should become greed's victims for no good reason!

مِن المزرعة خيم بِأَرض السويده

وَرحرح مثل غيم حدته النَسايم

From al-Mazra‘a, he camped on al-Suwayda's land

and spread out like clouds driven by the breezes.

وَطاع الجبل مِن بَعد ما كان عاصي

شال الحمول وفوق مِنها الظَلايم

The Mountain submitted after having rebelled;

it bore the burdens, with oppression piled upon them.

أَول طَلَب قالوا علف لِلمَواشي

شَعير وَتبن شندي مَع الصُبح لازم

The first demand, they said, was fodder for the livestock:

'Barley and straw—right away, required at dawn.

هاتوا حطب هاتوا فَحم لِلعَساكر

بُرغل وَآت وَياغ جامد وَعايم

Bring firewood! Bring charcoal for the soldiers!

Bulgur, meat, and fat, solid and liquid.'

ستين لَيلة وَالمَطالب قايمة

كُلونا مثل خطو السنين الهَشايم

For sixty nights the demands continued;

they devoured us like the tread of ruinous years.

ثاني طَلَب قالوا البَواريد حقنا

صُرنا بِلا شبهة مثال الحَرايم

Their second demand: 'The rifles are ours.'

Without doubt, we became like the women.

داروا قَرايانا بِلا عوز كُلَها

وَربقوا كبار القُوم ربق الغَنايم

They toured all our villages without need

and bound the elders as captured spoils are bound.

وَلما حقلنا في السويده جَميعنا

عَالشام كتونا حقارا ذَمايم

Once they had gathered us all in al-Suwayda,

they cast us toward Damascus, despised and disgraced.

وَلما وَصَلنا الحبس بالذل وَالشَقا

بَقا الدَم مِن كُل المَحابيس عايم

When we reached the prison in humiliation and misery,

blood from all the prisoners flowed freely.

وَما طولوا حَتّى لَفوا سرطوننا

وَشبانكم للعسكرية تَلايم

Before long, they brought our [unclear],

'And your young men in batches for military service.'

وَالبَعض في أَزمير وَمِنهُم برودس

لَما شتتونا في بُحور الظَلايم

Some in Izmir, and some in Rhodes,

when they scattered us through seas of darkness.

مِن بضعدها صارَت عَلى الناس ثقله

طَلَبوا مَوال مِن السنين القَدايم

Afterward a heavy burden fell upon the people:

they demanded money from years long past.

عدوا الحَلال وَطوبوا الأَرض كُلَها

وَصُرنا مثل أَهل الفَجر لِلظَلايم

They counted the livestock and registered all the land;

we became like evildoers, prey to oppression.

صار الحَواله يَسحَب الجيد مننا

وَيقشطونا مثل قَشط السَوايم

The collector began taking our best,

and they stripped us as grazing beasts are skinned.

يَقلوا اللحم بِالسَمن وَالجاج مثله

مِن غير هَذا فحشهم بِالكَلايم

They fried meat in clarified butter, and chicken likewise;

besides all this, their obscenity in speech.

سركس وَكرد وترك علبة محوجة

لا ما دَعوا حُوران لِلحَشر نايم

Circassians, Kurds, and Turks—a mixed boxful:

no, they did not leave Hauran sleeping till Judgment Day.

يا رَب إِن كان الهُدى في صحايفك

يا بار يا حاكم عَلى كُل حاكم

Lord, if guidance is in Your scrolls,

O Beneficent One, O Ruler over every ruler,

بحرمة نبي شَرف الأَرض وَالسَما

وَالأَربَع الأَقطاب أَهل العَزايم

by the sanctity of a prophet who honored earth and heaven,

and the four spiritual poles, people of resolve,

وَبرجال الحَسَكة الثَلاثة سيادنا

بِالعدة الأَطهار أَهل الكَرايم

and by the three men of al-Hasaka, our masters,

by the pure company, people of noble gifts,

بجاه الدعاة الراشدين جَميعهم

بِجاه الشَفيع اللي بحطين نايم

by the standing of all the rightly guided preachers,

by the standing of the intercessor who sleeps at Hittin,

تدمر دِيار اللي سَعوا في خَرابنا

وَتلحق عَلى عجيانهم وَالحَرايم

destroy the homes of those who worked for our ruin,

and overtake their children and women.

يا عالماً بالغيب تسمع شكيتي

لِأَنك بنجوة نية العَبد عالم

O Knower of the unseen, hear my complaint,

for You know the servant's secret intention.

وَتفكنا من ديرة الترك وَالخَزر

أِهل الجحود الملحدين الذَمايم

Deliver us from the land of the Turks and the Khazars,

people of denial, the contemptible unbelievers.

وَاختم كَلامي بالصفي وَصحبه

يَشفع لَنا من حرها وَالسَمايم

I end my words with the Chosen One and his companions;

may he intercede for us against its heat and scorching winds.