لِمَن الدَّارُ تَعفََّت بِخِيَم

لِمَن الدَّارُ تَعفََّت بِخِيَم

أَصبَحتَ غَيَّرَها طُولُ القِدَم

أَصبَحتَ غَيَّرَها طُولُ القِدَم

Whose is the dwelling, effaced at Khiyam?

Whose is the dwelling, effaced at Khiyam?

It stands transformed by the long passage of time.

It stands altered by the long passage of time.

ما تَبينُ العَينُ مِن آياتِها

ما تَبينُ العَينُ مِن آياتِها

غَيرَ نُؤيٍ مِثلِ خَطٍّ بِالقَلَم

غَيرَ نُؤيٍ مِثلِ خَطٍّ بِالقَلَم

The eye can discern nothing of its traces

The eye discerns none of its traces

save a trench like a line drawn with a pen,

save a trench, like a line drawn with a pen.

صَالحاً قَد لَفَّهَا فاستَوسَقَت

صَالحاً قَد لَفَّهَا فاستَوسَقَت

لَفَّ بَازِيٍّ حَمَاماً في سَلَم

لَفَّ بَازِيٍّ حَمَاماً في سَلَم

sound and whole, encircling the site in one unbroken ring,

Still sound, it had encircled the dwelling and gathered it in,

as a hawk encircles pigeons among the acacias,

as a hawk gathers doves among acacias.

وثَلاثٍ كَالحمَامَاتِ بها

وثَلاثٍ كَالحمَامَاتِ بها

عِندَ مَجثَاهُنَّ تَوشيمُ الفَحَم

عِندَ مَجثَاهُنَّ تَوشيمُ الفَحَم

and three hearthstones there, like doves,

And three hearthstones, like doves, stand there,

with charcoal's tattoo-marks where they crouched.

at their resting place, charcoal's tattoo-marks.

أَسأَلُ الدَّارَ وقَد حَيَّيتُها

أَسأَلُ الدَّارَ وقَد حَيَّيتُها

عَن حَبيبٍ فإِذا فيها صَمَم

عَن حَبيبٍ فإِذا فيها صَمَم

I question the dwelling, after greeting it,

I question the dwelling, having greeted it,

about my beloved—but find it deaf.

about a loved one—and find it deaf.

ولَعَمرُ الدَّارِ لَو أَنَّ بها

ولَعَمرُ الدَّارِ لَو أَنَّ بها

أَهلَها إذ دَمعُ عَينَيك سَجَم

أَهلَها إذ دَمعُ عَينَيك سَجَم

By the dwelling's life! Had its people been there

By the dwelling's life, had there been within it

when the tears of your eyes streamed down,

its people, when tears streamed from your eyes,

جَزِعاً ما أَعرَضَت عَن بائنٍ

جَزِعاً ما أَعرَضَت عَن بائنٍ

جاءَ يَستَشفي شِفاءً مِن سَقَم

جاءَ يَستَشفي شِفاءً مِن سَقَم

it would not, in your grief, have turned from one parted from his love,

in anguish, it would not have turned away a parted lover,

who came seeking a cure for sickness.

who came seeking healing, a cure for sickness.

ولقَدَ أَغدُو ويَغدُو صٌحبتَي

ولقَدَ أَغدُو ويَغدُو صٌحبتَي

بكُمَيتٍ كعُكَاظيِّ الأُدُم

بكُمَيتٍ كعُكَاظيِّ الأُدُم

Often I set out at dawn, my companions setting out with me,

Indeed, I set out at dawn, and so do my companions,

on a dark-red horse like leather from ʿUkāẓ,

on a dark bay, like leather from Ukaz.

فضلَ الخَيلَ بِعرقٍ صالحٍ

فضلَ الخَيلَ بِعرقٍ صالحٍ

بَينَ يَعبُوبٍ ومِن آلِ سَحَم

بَينَ يَعبُوبٍ ومِن آلِ سَحَم

one that surpassed all horses through noble blood,

He surpassed other horses through a fine bloodline,

bred between Yaʿbūb and the line of Saḥam.

tracing to Ya'bub and the stock of Saham.

فَتنامَت أَفحُلٌ نُجبٌ بهِ

فَتنامَت أَفحُلٌ نُجبٌ بهِ

فهوَ كالتِّمثالِ جَيَّاشٌ هَزِم

فهوَ كالتِّمثالِ جَيَّاشٌ هَزِم

In him the blood of noble stallions reached its fullness;

Thus noble sires reached their culmination in him;

statue-like he stands, surging and thunderous.

he is like a statue, surging with vigor, thunderous.

مُستَخفِّينَ بِلاَ أَزوادنا

مُستَخفِّينَ بِلاَ أَزوادنا

ثَقةً بِالُمهرِ مِن غَيرِ عَدَم

ثَقةً بِالُمهرِ مِن غَيرِ عَدَم

We traveled light, without our provisions,

We travel light, without our provisions,

trusting in the colt—not out of want.

trusting the colt, not because of want.

فإِذا العانَةُ في كَهر الضُّحَى

فإِذا العانَةُ في كَهر الضُّحَى

أَحقبُ ذُو لَحم زيَم

أَحقبُ ذُو لَحم زيَم

Then, in the blazing heat of forenoon, there was the herd,

Then behold, a herd of wild asses in the blaze of midmorning:

and a striped wild ass with firm, well-knit flesh,

a white-bellied jack, his flesh in separate masses,

زَهمُ الصُّلبِ ربَاعٌ جانِبٌ

زَهمُ الصُّلبِ ربَاعٌ جانِبٌ

مارِحُ الآخِر مِنهُ قَد نَجم

مارِحُ الآخِر مِنهُ قَد نَجم

thick-backed, four years old and powerfully built;

stout-backed, his second incisors grown, keeping apart,

the rear of him stood spirited, high, and prominent—

frisky, his last tooth already showing.

لا صَغِيرٌ ضارِعٌ ذُو سَقطَةٍ

لا صَغِيرٌ ضارِعٌ ذُو سَقطَةٍ

أو كَبيرٌ كارِبٌ سنَّ الهَرَم

أو كَبيرٌ كارِبٌ سنَّ الهَرَم

neither a puny, weak young beast bearing a defect,

Neither a frail youngling, prone to stumbling,

nor an old one nearing the age of decrepitude.

nor an old beast nearing decrepitude.

فَرآنا وأَتَانَا صَحِلا

فَرآنا وأَتَانَا صَحِلا

أَرِنا يَجشُمُها حَدَّ الأَكَم

أَرِنا يَجشُمُها حَدَّ الأَكَم

He saw us and came toward us, hoarse-voiced,

He saw us and came toward us, hoarse-voiced,

full of vigor, making the herd climb the hilltops' ridge.

excited, forcing her up the hills' ridge.

يُعلِقُ النَّابَينِ في أَكفانِها

يُعلِقُ النَّابَينِ في أَكفانِها

كُلَّما يَلفُظُ إدباراً عَدمَ

كُلَّما يَلفُظُ إدباراً عَدمَ

He set both canine teeth into their hindquarters

He fixes his two fangs in her [hindquarters—uncertain reading],

whenever one fell back, allowing no lagging.

whenever he gives signs of retreat—[the ending is unclear].

وإذا يَركَبُ رَأساً كَُّهُ

وإذا يَركَبُ رَأساً كَُّهُ

زاعِبيٌّ في رُدَينِيٍّ أَصَم

زاعِبيٌّ في رُدَينِيٍّ أَصَم

But when our horse charged headlong, all of him

And when he charges headlong, [he is checked—uncertain reading]

was a Zaʿibī spear on a solid Rudaynian shaft.

by a Za'ibi spearhead in a solid Rudayni shaft.

وأَمَرناهُ به من بَينِها

وأَمَرناهُ به من بَينِها

بَعدَ ما انصاعَ مُصرّاً أَو كَصَم

بَعدَ ما انصاعَ مُصرّاً أَو كَصَم

We drove him at the wild ass from amid the herd,

And we directed it at him, from among the herd,

after it broke away, whether pressing straight on or swerving.

after he darted aside, pressing on or recoiling.

فَهوَ كَالدَّلوِ بِكَفِّ المُستَقي

فَهوَ كَالدَّلوِ بِكَفِّ المُستَقي

خُذِلَت منهُ العَراقي فانجَذَم

خُذِلَت منهُ العَراقي فانجَذَم

Then he was like a bucket in the water-drawer's hand:

Then he is like a bucket in the water-drawer's hand,

its crosspieces failed, and it snapped loose.

whose crossbars give way, so it breaks loose.