حنت قلوصي وهنا بعد هدأتها — Abdullah Al Asadi

حَنَّت قَلوصيَ وَهناً بَعدَ هَدأَتِها

فَهَيَّجَت مُغرَماً صَبّاً عَلى الطَرَبِ

My young she-camel moaned late at night after her rest,

So she roused a lovestruck, yearning man to rapture.

حَنَّت إِلى خير من حُثَّ المَطيُّ لَهُ

كالبَدرِ بَينَ أَبي سُفيانَ وَالعُتبِ

She yearned for the best man toward whom riding camels were urged,

Like the full moon between Abu Sufyan and al-'Utb.

تَذَكَّرَت بِقُرى البَلقاءِ نائِلَهُ

لَقَد تَذَكَّرتُه مِن نازِح عَزَبِ

In the villages of al-Balqa she recalled his bounty;

Indeed, I remembered him from a distant, remote place.

وَاللَهِ ما كانَ بي لَولا زِيارَتُهُ

وَأَن أُلاقي أَبا حَسّانَ مِن أَرَبِ

By God, were it not for visiting him,

And meeting Abu Hassan, I would have had no desire.

حَنَّت لِترجعَني خَلفي فَقُلتُ لَها

هَذا أَمامِكِ فالقَيهِ فَتى العَرَبِ

She moaned to turn me back the way I had come, so I said to her:

Here he is before you—meet him, the youth of the Arabs.

لا يَحسَبُ الشَرَّ جاراً لا يُفارِقُهُ

وَلا يُعاقِبُ عِندَ الحِلمِ بالغَضَبِ

He does not regard evil as a neighbor that never leaves him,

Nor does he punish in anger when forbearance is called for.

مِن خَيرِ بَيتٍ عَلِمناهُ وَأَكرَمهِ

كانَت دِماؤُهمُ تَشفي مِن الكَلَبِ

From the best and noblest family we have known,

Their blood used to cure rabies.