1. The arguments of disputants will suffice you,
Their eloquence gratifies their grateful ones,
١. سَتَكفيكَ أَمثالُ المَجادِلِ جَلَّةٌ
مَهاريسُ يُغني المُعتَفينَ شَكيرُها
2. The bones of corpses, the necks' yoke as though they were
The humps of a hyena, fiery their backs,
٢. عِظامُ الجُثى غُلبُ الرِقابِ كَأَنَّها
أَكاريعُ ظَبيٍ مُدفَآتٌ ظُهورُها
3. A king's gift that embitters not his sword
If an arrow was stingy and its clan missed,
٣. عَطاءُ مَليكٍ ما يُكَدِّرُ سَيبَهُ
إِذا بَخِلَت سَهمٌ وَخابَ عَشيرُها
4. If Tilikh slept, disheveled of head amidst them,
His breaths and sighs guided it to them
٤. إِذا نامَ طِلحٌ أَشعَثُ الرَأسِ وَسطَها
هَداهُ لَها أَنفاسُها وَزَفيرُها
5. She-camels that heard not the howl of a poetess
And were not milked but in the morning, noisy their milking,
٥. عَوازِبُ لَم تَسمَع نُبوحَ مُقامَةٍ
وَلَم تُحتَلَب إِلّا نَهاراً ضَجورُها
6. If she kneeled, the sound of a night compeer hurts her not
And the least filth of parturition was not cut from her,
٦. إِذا بَرَكَت لَم يُؤذِها صَوتُ سامِرٍ
وَلَم تُقصَ عَن أَدنى المَخاضِ قَذورُها
7. And no tender shepherd herded her, and she ceased not
To be the firmest bond for whoever seeks her protection,
٧. وَلَم يَرعَها راعٍ رَبيبٌ وَلَم تَزَل
هِيَ العُروَةُ الوُثقى لِمَن يَستَجيرُها
8. Delightful till the night shaded them
Potent extract of aromatic roots their fodder
٨. طَباهُنَّ حَتّى أَطفَلَ اللَيلُ دونَها
تَفاطيرُ وَسمِيٍّ رَواءٍ جُذورُها
9. They circle a lofty dune fearing it
With forelocks of few docked tails,
٩. يَطُفنَ بِجَونٍ جافِرٍ يَتَّقينَهُ
بِرَوعاتِ أَذنابٍ قَليلٍ كُسورُها
10. Their she-camels spend the night praying around it
The prayer of virgins, remote from it their shelters,
١٠. تَبيتُ أَوابيها عَواكِفَ حَولَهُ
عُكوفَ العَذارى اِبتُزَّ عَنها خُدورُها
11. He called them and they listened closely - from where is his milking?
With a red she-camel outside the enclosure, loud her braying,
١١. دَعاهُنَّ فَاِستَسمَعنَ مِن أَينَ رِزُّهُ
بِسَحماءَ مِن دونِ اللَهاةِ هَديرُها
12. A little skull like the corner of the enclosure, its eyetooth split
And its molars came alive for it and its milk flowed,
١٢. كُمَيتٍ كَرُكنِ البابِ قَد شَقَّ نابُهُ
وَأَحيَت لَهُ مِقلاتُها وَنَزورُها
13. When she saw him her first-borns acted superior
With the modesty of virgins, remote from them their shelters,
١٣. إِذا ما رَأَتهُ اِستَكبَرَت بَكَراتُها
حَياءَ العَذارى بُزَّ عَنها خُدورُها
14. When they met at a rut they got acquainted
At the cistern, few are its males,
١٤. إِذا ما تَلاقَت عَن عِراكٍ تَعارَفَت
عَلى الحَوضِ أَشباهٌ قَليلٌ ذُكورُها
15. And cast lofty, consecutive teats as though they were
From sorrel, thin its husks,
١٥. وَأَلقَت سِباطاً راشِفاتٍ كَأَنَّها
مِنَ السِبتِ أَسماطٌ دِقاقٌ خُصورُها
16. They did not pasture until they cut from their ropes
Sturdy, harvested bonds, raging he who agitated them
١٦. فَلَم تَروَ حَتّى قَطَّعَت مِن حِبالِها
قُوىً مُحصَداتٍ شُدَّ شَزراً مُغيرُها
17. Until the water-drawers complained and destroyed
From the cistern corners, slow its construction
١٧. وَحَتّى تَشَكّى الساقِيانِ وَهَدَّمَت
مِنَ الحَوضِ أَركاناً بَطيئاً جُبورُها
18. They pastured the Suban troops sixty nights
Forbiddenly in them until their months ended
١٨. رَعَت مَدفَعَ السوبانِ سِتّينَ لَيلَةً
حَراماً بِها حَتّى أَحَلَّت شُهورُها