1. Has Umaymah knocked after some calm,
My brother's journey, the youth's shirts?
١. أَلاَ طَرَقَت أُمَيمَةُ بَعدض هَدءٍ
أخا سَفرٍ شَباريقَ القَميصِ
2. And from where did you find the path,
While the lion's land is under you and the thieves?
٢. ومِن أَنَّى اهتَدَيتِ إِلى طَريدٍ
وَأرضُ الأُسدِ دونَكِ واللُّصُوصِ
3. He took the reins firmly in his right hand,
Like the brave, wide-clawed lioness.
٣. تَوَسَّدَ فى اليَمِينِ زِمَامَ حَرفٍ
كَنازِ اللَّحمش اَيِّدَةِ الفُصُوصِ
4. With little pride except his two straps,
Pure, whose edge remains sharp.
٤. قَلِيلُ البَزِّ إِلاّ رَيطَتَيهِ
وصافٍ حَدُّهُ باقى الخُلوصِ
5. He loaded the belongings and saddled the camel,
And alighted at the watering place of soft sand.
٥. وَأخلاَقَ الشَّليلِ وَجِلبَ رَحلٍ
وَحَطَّ المَيسِ مِن نِسع بَرِيصِ
6. She was not with a lantern for departure,
Nor hasty in her speech, excited.
٦. وما كانت بِمِدلاجِ خَروج
وَلاَ عَجلى بمَنطِقها هَبوصِ
7. She was not with dry cheeks,
Nor yellow clothes, nor bent down.
٧. وما كانت بجَافِيَةِ السَّجايا
وَلاَ صِفرِ الثِّيَابِ وَلا نَحُوصِ
8. But not with dry cheeks that she heats,
Heavy walking, having a thick veil.
٨. ولكن غَيرُ جَافيةٍ فَتُقلى
ثقالُ المَشىِ ذَاتُ حَشاً خَميصِ
9. Afflicted, refined, heavy,
Smiling with cheeks not dried out.
٩. مُبَتَّلَةٌ مُنَعّمَةٌ ثَقالٌ
تَبَسَّمُ عَن أَشانِبَ غَيرِ قِيصِ
10. She has the doe's neck and blinks,
And erect growth, inclined curvature.
١٠. لَها جِيدُ الغَزالِ وَمُقلتاهُ
وعالِى النَّبتِ مَيّالُ العُقُوصِ
11. As if her skin is strained honey,
With pure water in an aromatic bowl.
١١. كأنَّ رُضابَها عَسَلٌ مُصَفًّى
بماءِ نَقًا بساريَةٍ عَرُوصِ
12. Ask about me when the goal seems far,
And the braids are pinned with the headband.
١٢. سَلِى عَنّى إِذَا هَابَ المُرَجَّى
وأُوزِغَتِ الخَصَائلُ بالفَرِيصِ
13. She walks when she comes to her neighbors,
With the gait of sticky mud.
١٣. وَتَمشِى حينَ تَأتِى جارتَيها
تَأَوَّدُ مِشيَةَ الوَحِلِ الوَهِيصِ
14. No glimpse of Umaymah that I obeyed,
Or a questioner about her, insisting.
١٤. وَلاَحٍ فى أُمَيمَةَ لَم أُطِعهُ
بِها أو سائلٍ عَنها مُلِيصِ
15. When I say, ask about her love,
A seeker of medicine heals, greedy.
١٥. إذا ما قُلتُ أَسلُو عَن هَواها
تَدَاوىَ مُبتغِى طِبٍّ حَرِيصِ
16. She refused but to return you from her love,
A cure that goes straight for her, twisting.
١٦. أَبَت إِلا تَعُودُكَ مِن هَواها
دَوَاعِ يَستَقيمُ لها عَويِصى
17. Did you not ask about my friends who,
Are with low living and adversity?
١٧. أَلَم تَساَل عَنَ أصحابى الذى هُم
لَدى خَفضِ المَعِيشَةِ والشُّخُوصِ
18. And when I befriend the youths with patience,
On the grazing place of relatives, stingy.
١٨. وحينَ أُصاحبُ الفِتيانَ صَبراً
عَلَى مَطوِيّةِ الأَقرَابِ خُوصِ
19. I did not begrudge my guest and neighbor
With the expensive that I offer or the cheap.
١٩. ولَم أَبخَل عَلَى ضَيفى وجارى
بِغالِى ما أُفيدُ ولا الرَّخِيصِ
20. With that my grandparents advised me,
So I heed their covenant and the elder is commanding.
٢٠. بذلك كانَ أَوصانى جُدُودِى
فأَرعَى عَهدَهُم والجَدُّ مُوصِى
21. And a people whom we carried, enemies,
On a hump, whose peaks are dry.
٢١. وَقَومٍ قَد حَمَلناهُم أُعَادٍ
عَلَى حُدبٍ شَناشِنُهَا قَمُوصِ
22. With an enmity as if the white in it,
Burns or the lightning of a bride flashes.
٢٢. بِعاديةٍ كأَنَّ البِيضَ فيها
تَلهَّبُ أَو سَنا بَرقٍ عَروصِ