According to the Capabilities of Strong-Willed Individuals
- The poet Al-Mutanabbi states:
And you stood firmly, with no doubt of death for a standing man,
As if you were within the eyelids of fate while it rests.
As heroes pass before you, stunned by their defeat,
Your countenance is radiant, and your lips are smiling.
You have exceeded the limits of bravery and wisdom,
To the extent that people say you are an unseen sage.
You embraced their wings over the heart in a clutch,
And the silent hearts beneath them succumb.
With a strike that reaches the foreheads, while victory is yet to come,
And it landed at the battlefields, with victory approaching.
You looked down upon the lesser challenges until you discarded them,
As if the sword were cursing the spear’s existence.
Whoever sought the grand conquest, then surely,
Its keys are those bright and nimble blades.
You strewn them across the hills,
As coins were scattered upon the bride.
The galloping horses march over the heights,
And around the heights, the feasts abound.
The young birds of victory believe you have visited them,
With their mothers, as they are the noble odes.
As you tread the soil, their bellies lead the way,
Much like the lizards move through the fertile lands.
Is there a day when the one with the plumage approaches,
His back leaning on the heels while his face is scorned?
Would you deny the scent of the lion until you taste it,
While the beasts recognize the fragrance of lions?
He was shocked by the news of his son and his son-in-law,
And with the son-in-law, the valiant campaigns remain.
He went off thanking his companions, in his time of need,
All while their ambitions were occupied with the spoils.
Gather the People; For Oppression is Not Endorsed by the Judge
- The poet Al-Find al-Zamani declared:
When evil revealed itself,
It appeared, stark naked.
And there remains nothing but the cruel,
As we retaliated as they did unto us.
We are people who share a lineage with them,
And so we take revenge as they do.
We once fought alongside them,
So today we stand as one.
Is there disobedience for the free one?
When peace was offered,
It was a sign of weakness.
We struck with the ferocity of a lion,
When the lion is enraged.
With a blow that carries blame,
And echoes of devastation.
Some of the people were led to believe,
That wrongdoings bear no consequence.
And calamity has befallen us all,
After wrongdoing, there is a chance for redemption.
As If I Were Descending upon Al-Mualla
- The poet Imru’ al-Qais expressed:
As if I descended upon Al-Mualla,
Upon the peaks of the alabaster, dusted with crops.
The authority of Iraq holds no value here,
Neither does the dominion of Ash-Sham.
Did the significant events of that time scatter
The opportunity of the noble king fading away?
Surely I am recognized, Imru’ al-Qais, son of Hujr,
As the sons of Taym illuminate the darkness.
O Wakeful One, Serve Us Breakfast
- The poet Amr ibn Kulthum shared:
O Abu Hind, do not hasten against us,
Instead, wait a moment while we inform you honestly,
That we shall bring forth the banners bright,
And send them off red, clearly quenched.
We had glorious days; we disobeyed the king,
And our leader, crowned with the royal diadem.
We left the horses resting beside him,
With their reins cast off, and our spirits high.
And we descended the homes of the blessed,
To the Shemats, dispelling our cares.
And the dogs of the neighborhood howled,
While we pruned the ghutadah of our companions.
When shall we move to a tribe at rest,
That they might be friends in battle?
Its meat’s from the eastern Najd,
And its roots belong to our collective descent.
You have settled in hospitable spots,
So please hasten your feasts before you insult us.
We welcomed you in quickly,
Before dawn with a plentiful meal.
We indulge our people and abstain from others,
And we shall bear what burdens they give us.
We shall strike from what the others forsake,
And we’ll trade blows with our swords when deciphered.
With the sharpest arrows, we cleave through,
And we’ll emerge victorious, battling the fiercest heroes.
Have the Poets Left Behind Any Words?
- The poet Antara ibn Shaddad asks:
Praise me for what you know; indeed,
I am generous in my interaction when wronged.
And if I am wronged, then my oppression is brave,
Bittersweet in taste, like the flavor of gall.
Indeed, I have indulged in the essence of wine,
After the heat had ceased in the month where it stayed.
In a yellow glass with billowing petals,
Enclosed in the blooms in the northern lands.
So when I drink, I know I am at risk,
While my honor and dignity remain intact.
And once I am sober, my generosity remains,
As you are aware of my values and my nobility.
And in the cherished land I’ve rendered
My friend a fallen heart in the shock of death.
My hands have hastily delivered him a swift stab,
And I have pierced him through, as bright as any shield.
So ask the steeds, O daughter of Malik,
If you remain unaware of what you do not know.
For I am still mounted, like a swift river,
Where sturdy wrestling takes its toll and leaves a mark.
Sometimes he’s drawn for combat, and sometimes
He seeks refuge with the armor, strong against the harsh.
You will learn from those who witnessed the scene, that I,
Rush towards the fight, holding my integrity intact.
And I am armed, as the warriors despised his resistance,
Neither fleeing in escape nor enduring at rest.
My hand has extended with a swift blow,
With a firm grasp, the edge must rigorously meet.
And I pierced him with the unyielding lance,
For the noble one is not to be compromised upon the lance.
By You, the Satisfied One, and the Noble Relative
- The poet Khalil Mutran mentions:
And to the brilliant scribe is directed
The praise from each and every distinguished master.
A figure not seen in Tripoli besides
Such genius and brilliance unmatched anywhere.
Look how many favors he has gained,
In his artistry of wisdom and the seekers he has.
A poet who strings gems into crowns,
With pearls and dazzling adornments compounded.
Always alert, whenever inspiration calls,
From the heavens of wisdom with a fresh meaning.
O Brother of Resolve, Inform Me of Your Departure from Resolve
- The poet Khalil Mutran continues:
If a soul is cleansed, what pride is there?
Is the boast great? Surely, wealth isn’t more valuable than nothing.
And to attain all hopes without error,
Is good, devoid of the judge’s malice.
Alas, the events befalling the wise,
Conceal the radiance of truth from keen reason.
If one does not have the witness, no sign remains,
And safety from calamities is incomplete without learning.
For perhaps the truth is misjudged when decided,
And the innocent may suffer from wrongful acts.
You have departed to the skies for a judgement, once it clears,
For it may uphold life, potentially shooting arrows of punishment.
You have preferred the field of advocacy over it,
With it allowing ample room for decency and resolve.
This is on the Grounds of Pride and Its Desires
The poet Al-Qadi Al-Fadhil remarks:
This is upon pride based upon its ambitions,
A soul that on its financial plight embraces the precious.
For I have not dismissed the right hand of assistance,
As it drowns in the ocean of its profuse generosity.
A heart burdened by overwhelming burdens,
Is intertwined with much hardship to bear.
So say to the new worries that have come to rest in him,
I give you wisdom, so search for an empty place.
In the store of troubles, there lie keys concealed,
From the silence kept regarding complaints, locked away.
If joy were to see it, it would reject it,
Where worries, were it to glimpse, would claim it as mine.
These are the deeds of time; if I denied their existence,
I would know from them the penalties of my hopes.