تَبَصَّر خَليلي هَل تَرى مِن ظَعائِنٍ

تَبَصَّر خَليلي هَل تَرى مِن ظَعائِنٍ

سَلَكنَ غُمَيراً دونَهُنَّ غُموضُ

سَلَكنَ غُمَيراً دونَهُنَّ غُموضُ

Look closely, my friend: do you see any women in camel litters,

Look dear one, do you see some gazelles

who took the way through Ghumayr, with low-lying hollows before them?

That walked gloomily, below them vagueness

وَفَوقَ الجِمالِ الناعِجاتِ كَواعِبٌ

وَفَوقَ الجِمالِ الناعِجاتِ كَواعِبٌ

مَخاميصُ أَبكارٌ أَوانِسُ بيضُ

مَخاميصُ أَبكارٌ أَوانِسُ بيضُ

And atop the swift-moving camels are budding-breasted maidens,

And above the beautiful camels maidens

slender-waisted virgins, gracious and fair.

Like virgins, white shirts, pleasant companions

وَبَيتِ عَذارى يَرتَمينَ بِخِدرِهِ

وَبَيتِ عَذارى يَرتَمينَ بِخِدرِهِ

دَخَلتُ وَفيهِ عانِسٌ وَمَريضُ

دَخَلتُ وَفيهِ عانِسٌ وَمَريضُ

And many a house of maidens, throwing at one another in its curtained chamber,

And the house of chaste women who throw with their arms

I entered; inside were a mature unmarried woman and a languid one.

I entered, in it was a flirtatious and sick one

فَأَقرَضتُها وُدّي لِأُجزاهُ إِنَّما

فَأَقرَضتُها وُدّي لِأُجزاهُ إِنَّما

تَدُقُّ أَيادي الصالِحينَ قُروضُ

تَدُقُّ أَيادي الصالِحينَ قُروضُ

So I lent her my affection, to be repaid for it; it is only

So I lent her my love to reward her, for only

loans that press upon the hands of the virtuous.

The hands of the righteous knock borrowings

وَحَنَّت قَلوصي بَعدَ وَهنٍ وَهاجَها

وَحَنَّت قَلوصي بَعدَ وَهنٍ وَهاجَها

مَعَ الشَوقِ يَوماً بِالحِجازِ وَميضُ

مَعَ الشَوقِ يَوماً بِالحِجازِ وَميضُ

And my young she-camel moaned late at night; she was stirred

And my heart longed after weakness and it provoked her

by longing and, one day in the Hijaz, a flash of lightning.

One day in Hejaz with longing and departure

فَقُلتُ لَها لا تَضجَري إِنَّ مَنزِلاً

فَقُلتُ لَها لا تَضجَري إِنَّ مَنزِلاً

نَأَتني بِهِ هِندٌ إِلَيَّ بَغيضُ

نَأَتني بِهِ هِندٌ إِلَيَّ بَغيضُ

So I told her, “Do not fret: a dwelling

So I said to her, "Don't be annoyed, a house

where Hind kept me at a distance is hateful to me.

Will come to me from India, an unwelcome one."

دَنا مِنكِ تَجوابُ الفَلاةِ فَقَلِّصي

دَنا مِنكِ تَجوابُ الفَلاةِ فَقَلِّصي

بِما قَد طَباكِ رِعيَةٌ وَخُفوضُ

بِما قَد طَباكِ رِعيَةٌ وَخُفوضُ

The crossing of the wilderness draws near for you; hasten,

The answers of the wilderness drew near to you, so make less

for grazing and ease have already lured you.”

What the flock and the base have accustomed you to

إِذا جاوَزَت مِنها بِلاداً تَناوَلَت

إِذا جاوَزَت مِنها بِلاداً تَناوَلَت

مَهامِهَ بيداً بَينَهُنَّ عَريضُ

مَهامِهَ بيداً بَينَهُنَّ عَريضُ

Whenever she passed beyond one tract of it, she reached

When it passed through a land, it took

barren wastes, with a broad expanse between them.

The reins in a hand, between them a cupper

وَقَد ماجَتِ الأَنساعُ وَاِستَأخَرَت بِها

وَقَد ماجَتِ الأَنساعُ وَاِستَأخَرَت بِها

مَعَ الغَرزِ أَحناءٌ لَهُنَّ دُحوضُ

مَعَ الغَرزِ أَحناءٌ لَهُنَّ دُحوضُ

The saddle-straps were already swaying, and backward with them shifted

And the she-camels raged and lagged behind with them

the saddle-bows and stirrup, slipping out of place.

Bent, for them saddlebags and howdahs

وَكُنَّ كَأَسرابِ القَطا هاجَ وِردَها

وَكُنَّ كَأَسرابِ القَطا هاجَ وِردَها

مَعَ الصُبحِ في يَومِ الحَرورِ رَميضُ

مَعَ الصُبحِ في يَومِ الحَرورِ رَميضُ

And they were like flocks of sandgrouse, driven to water

And they were like flocks of wild doves provoked and their watering place

at dawn on a scorching day by searing heat.

On a hot day was visited, a small river

وَفِتيانِ صِدقٍ قَد ثَنَيتُ عَلَيهِمُ

وَفِتيانِ صِدقٍ قَد ثَنَيتُ عَلَيهِمُ

رِدائي وَفي شَمسِ النَهارِ دُحوضُ

رِدائي وَفي شَمسِ النَهارِ دُحوضُ

And many true-hearted young men I have wrapped

And boys of truth, for whom I spread

in my cloak, while the day's sun moved past its zenith.

My gown, and in the sun's heat howdahs

أَلَستُ أَشُقُّ القَولَ يَقذِفُ غَربُهُ

أَلَستُ أَشُقُّ القَولَ يَقذِفُ غَربُهُ

قَصائِدَ مِنها آبِنٌ وَهَضيضُ

قَصائِدَ مِنها آبِنٌ وَهَضيضُ

Do I not cleave speech, its keen edge casting forth

Am I not the most eloquent, whose west casts

poems, some reproaching and some crushing?

Poems from it, some durable, some ephemeral?

أُغِصُّ إِذاً شَغبَ الأَلَدِّ بِريقِهِ

أُغِصُّ إِذاً شَغبَ الأَلَدِّ بِريقِهِ

فَيَنطِقُ بَعدي وَالكَلامُ خَفيضُ

فَيَنطِقُ بَعدي وَالكَلامُ خَفيضُ

Then I choke the obstinate man's wrangling in his own saliva,

I shut up then the mischief of spittle with its saliva

so he speaks after me, his speech subdued.

So it speaks after me, and speech is subdued

وَكَم مِن أَخي خَصمٍ تَرَكتُ وَما بِهِ

وَكَم مِن أَخي خَصمٍ تَرَكتُ وَما بِهِ

إِذا قُلتُ في أَيِّ الكَلامِ نُحوضُ

إِذا قُلتُ في أَيِّ الكَلامِ نُحوضُ

And how many a contentious fellow have I left without

And how many disputing brothers did I leave, and he had

strength, when I spoke, to rise to any kind of speech!

No argument when I said, "In which words craft?"

فَوَلَّيتُ ذا مَجدٍ وَأُعطيتُ مِسحَلاً

فَوَلَّيتُ ذا مَجدٍ وَأُعطيتُ مِسحَلاً

حُساماً بِهِ شَغبُ الأَلَدِّ نُهوضُ

حُساماً بِهِ شَغبُ الأَلَدِّ نُهوضُ

So I turned away, possessed of glory, and was given a rasp,

So I turned away from glory and gave a smooth-speared one

a keen blade, by which the obstinate man's wrangling is stirred.

A sword with which the mischief of spittle rose up

قَطَعتُ بِهِ مِنكَ الحَوامِلَ فَاِنبَرَت

قَطَعتُ بِهِ مِنكَ الحَوامِلَ فَاِنبَرَت

فَما بِكَ مِن بَعدِ الهِجاءِ نُهوضُ

فَما بِكَ مِن بَعدِ الهِجاءِ نُهوضُ

With it I severed your supports, and they were pared away;

I cut from you the pregnant she-camels with it, so they sprang up

so after the satire you have no power to rise.

Then you had after insult no rising up

صَقَعتُكَ بِالغُرِّ الأَوابِدِ صَقعَةً

صَقَعتُكَ بِالغُرِّ الأَوابِدِ صَقعَةً

خَضَعتَ لَها فَالقَلبُ مِنكَ جَريضُ

خَضَعتَ لَها فَالقَلبُ مِنكَ جَريضُ

I struck you a blow with brilliant, enduring verses,

I clad you in the permanent shame, a cladding

you bowed to it, and your heart is choked with grief.

To which you submitted, and the heart from you is timid

صَليتُم بِلَيثٍ ما يُرامُ عَرينُهُ

صَليتُم بِلَيثٍ ما يُرامُ عَرينُهُ

أَبي أَشبُلٍ بَعدَ العِراكِ عَضوضِ

أَبي أَشبُلٍ بَعدَ العِراكِ عَضوضِ

You have faced a lion whose lair none can assail,

You prayed to a lion whose den is not coveted

a father of cubs, fierce of bite after battle.

My father Ashbal, after the fighting, a biter

إِذا ما بَدا ظَلَّت لَهُ الأُسدُ عُكَّفاً

إِذا ما بَدا ظَلَّت لَهُ الأُسدُ عُكَّفاً

فَهُنَّ حِذارَ المَوتِ مِنهُ رُبوضُ

فَهُنَّ حِذارَ المَوتِ مِنهُ رُبوضُ

Whenever he appears, the lions stay gathered before him,

When he appeared, the lions shaded him obsequiously

so they crouch in fear of death from him.

So they are cautious of death from him, terrified

تَرى بَينَ مَوقوصٍ تَغَطمَطَ في الرَدى

تَرى بَينَ مَوقوصٍ تَغَطمَطَ في الرَدى

وَذي رَغبَةٍ يَرجو الحَياةَ نَحيضُ

وَذي رَغبَةٍ يَرجو الحَياةَ نَحيضُ

You see them divided between one with a broken neck, sunk in death,

You see among cowardly Meowas he wallowed in the ashes

and one full of longing, hoping for life, wasted away.

And one who desires life, hoping for survival