1. By my life, Umayma has surely noticed my ascent,
Yet my visits to her are few.
١. لَعَمري لَقَد راعَت أُمَيمَةَ طَلعَتي
وَإِنَّ ثَوائي عِندَها لَقَليلُ
2. She says, “I see him, after Urwa, distracted in play,”
That is an insult, if she but knew my worth.
٢. تَقولُ أَراهُ بَعدَ عُروَةَ لاهِياً
وَذلِكَ رُزءٌ لَو عَلِمتِ جَليلُ
3. Do not think I have forgotten his promise,
But my patience, O Umayma, is beautiful.
٣. وَلا تَحسَبي أَنّي تَناسَيتُ عَهدَهُ
وَلكِنَّ صَبري يا أُمَيمَ جَميلُ
4. Do you not know that before us parted
Dear friends - Malik, Safwan and Aqil?
٤. أَلَم تَعلَمي أَن قَد تَفَرَّقَ قَبلَنا
خَليلا صَفاءٍ مالِكٌ وَعَقيلُ
5. Patience refused that it should cease to stir me
A night lodging for us, while others rest.
٥. أَبى الصَبرَ أَنّي لا يَزالُ يَهيجُني
مَبيتٌ لَنا فيما خَلا وَمَقيلُ
6. When dawn lights I glimpse at first,
Sorrow returns, weighing heavy on me.
٦. وَأَنّي إِذا ما الصُبحُ آنَستُ ضَوءَهُ
يُعاوِدُني قِطعٌ عَلَيَّ ثَقيلُ
7. I see time does not stay with its renewals,
New moons succeeding those gone by.
٧. أَرى الدَهرَ لا يَبقى عَلى حَدَثانِهِ
أَقَبُّ تُباريهِ جَدائِدُ حولُ
8. The son of Uqba turned stubborn, but his darkness dissipated,
Wilfullness, fury and spite left in him.
٨. أَبَنَّ عِقاقاً ثُمَّ يَرمَحنَ ظَلمَهُ
إِباءً وَفيهِ صَولَةٌ وَذَميلُ
9. He remained above the lofty dunes as though
From the cave, fear, confusion and trial.
٩. يَظَلُّ عَلى البَرزِ اليَفاعِ كَأَنَّهُ
مِنَ الغارِ وَالخَوفِ المُحِمِّ وَبيلُ
10. A day lingered as if its shadows
Were flames from the burning sparks lasting long.
١٠. وَظَلَّ لَها يَومٌ كَأَنَّ أُوارَهُ
ذَكا النارِ مِن فَيحِ الفُروغِ طَويلُ
11. When he saw the sun, it was as if
A sheep skin in the rays, wrinkled.
١١. فَلَمّا رَأَينَ الشَمسَ صارَت كَأَنَّها
فُوَيقَ البَضيعِ في الشُعاعِ خَميلُ
12. It roused her, and the she-camel grunted as if
When kneaded, the sour milk flows.
١٢. فَهَيَّجَها وَاِنشامَ نَقعاً كَأَنَّهُ
إِذا لَفَّها ثُمَّ اِستَمَرَّ سَحيلُ
13. Returning, he had approached her usual watering place,
The well rope its pulley creaking.
١٣. مُنيباً وَقَد أَمسى تَقَدَّمَ وِردَها
أُقَيدِرُ مَحموزُ القِطاعِ نَذيلُ
14. As she drew near, after hearing the soft sound
Of her anklet within her skirt as she walked gracefully.
١٤. فَلَمّا دَنَت بَعدَ اِستِماعٍ رَهَفنَهُ
بِنَقبِ الحِجابِ وَقعُهُنَّ رَجيلُ
15. They startled her with their hands on the back
Of a he-camel, fierce, with a thick neck.
١٥. يُفَجّينَ بِالأَيدي عَلى ظَهرِ آجِنٍ
لَهُ عَرمَضٌ مُستَأسِدٌ وَنَجيلُ
16. When he saw no escape, and it drew him
To death, a devoted, firm guardian.
١٦. فَلَمّا رَأى أَن لا نَجاءَ وَضَمَّهُ
إِلى المَوتِ لِصبٌ حافِظٌ وَقَفيلُ
17. He was the closest, so his heart was emptied
Of arrows, split open, the leather quiver.
١٧. وَكانَ هُوَ الأَدنى فَخَلَّ فُؤادَهُ
مِنَ النَبلِ مَفتوقُ الغِرارِ بَجيلُ
18. As if the wild ass, when it bolted away,
Left behind the remnant of its tail.
١٨. كَأَنَّ النَضِيَّ بَعدَ ما طاشَ مارِقاً
وَراءَ يَدَيهِ بِالخَلاءِ طَميلُ
19. Not straightening its legs, its shadow still as if
It climbed the sandy hills slowly.
١٩. وَلا أَمعَرُ الساقَينِ ظَلَّ كَأَنَّهُ
عَلى مُحزَئِلّاتِ الإِكامِ نَصيلُ
20. It saw a rabbit, beyond it the deceitful mirage
Of a hyena, distant, soon to disappear.
٢٠. رَأى أَرنَباً مِن دونِها غَولُ أَشرُجٍ
بَعيدٌ عَلَيهِنَّ السَرابُ يَزولُ
21. So it folded its wings, and beyond what it saw,
A wilderness, beasts fleeter and swifter.
٢١. فَضَمَّ جَناحَيهِ وَمِن دونِ ما يَرى
بِلادٌ وُحوشٌ أَمرُعٌ وَمُحولُ
22. The vanguards among them in the barren land as if
They were insolent, above the soil, despised.
٢٢. تُوائِلُ مِنهُ بِالضَراءِ كَأَنَّها
سَفاةٌ لَها فَوقَ التُرابِ زَليلُ
23. Success in its endeavor brought it close to what it saw,
While farther off, a nomad, pausing and moving on.
٢٣. يُقَرِّبُهُ النَهضُ النَجيحُ لِما يَرى
وَمِنهُ بُدُوٌّ مَرَّةً وَمُثولُ
24. Then it swooped down from the air, and its heart wavered,
Hunting the hearts of doves, destructive.
٢٤. فَأَهوى لَها في الجَوِّ فَاِختَلَّ قَلبَها
صَيودٌ لِحَبّاتِ القُلوبِ قَتولُ