ومَن يَكُ أرعاه الحمى اخواتُهُ

ومَن يَكُ أرعاه الحمى اخواتُهُ

فمالي من أختٍ عَوانٍ ولا بِكرِ

فمالي من أختٍ عَوانٍ ولا بِكرِ

Whoever has had his sisters win him grazing in the preserve—

He who his tribe abandoned when fever's flame

I have no sister, married or maiden.

Became his mate, no sister have I, bond or free,

تعادى السنونَ عن جراجبَ جلةٍ

تعادى السنونَ عن جراجبَ جلةٍ

مهاريسَ ليست من دياتٍ ولا مَهرِ

مهاريسَ ليست من دياتٍ ولا مَهرِ

Lean years retreat before bulky, full-grown camels,

Who for his sake will tend the mounting years

huge, voracious beasts, won neither as blood-money nor bride-price.

That o'er my hoary brow their burdens heap,

تناصي ضريبَ الحَمصِ ليلةَ غَبِّها

تناصي ضريبَ الحَمصِ ليلةَ غَبِّها

نصاءَ بني سَعدٍ على سَمَلِ العَذرِ

نصاءَ بني سَعدٍ على سَمَلِ العَذرِ

They tussle over frost-withered chickpea growth on their alternate-watering night,

Or in the night of absence soothe my needs

as the sons of Sa'd tussle over the last water of al-'Adhr.

Like kinswomen of Sa'd's high-minded seed.

اذا احتَطَبَته نِيبُها قذَفت به

اذا احتَطَبَته نِيبُها قذَفت به

بلاعِيمُ أكراشٍ كأوتيةِ الغَفرِ

بلاعِيمُ أكراشٍ كأوتيةِ الغَفرِ

When their aged she-camels gather it like firewood, it is cast down

Whene'er she deemed her honor tarnished, she

by gullets into paunches like young-ibex skin bags.

With sticks of burning teak would pound and beat.

وما ضرَّها إن لم تكن رَعِتِ الحمى

وما ضرَّها إن لم تكن رَعِتِ الحمى

ولم تطلب الخيرَ الملاوِذَ من بشرِ

ولم تطلب الخيرَ الملاوِذَ من بشرِ

It does them no harm if they have not grazed the preserve,

Though fever smoke not in her hearth, she will not stoop

nor sought Bishr's bounty through appeals for protection.

To seek her weal from other folk or treat

جِبالٌ اذا صافَت هضابٌ اذا شتت

جِبالٌ اذا صافَت هضابٌ اذا شتت

وفي القيظِ يعطفَن المياهَ على العَشرِ

وفي القيظِ يعطفَن المياهَ على العَشرِ

Mountains when they summer, hills when they winter;

With lofty mountains whose high heads are hills,

in summer's fierce heat they revisit water at ten-day intervals.

And in the heat low wisps of water greet.

مياهُ سوىً يحملَنها قبلَ العِرى

مياهُ سوىً يحملَنها قبلَ العِرى

دليف الروايا بالمثممةِ الخُضرِ

دليف الروايا بالمثممةِ الخُضرِ

Suwa's waters they carry before the waterskins are slung,

Waters of level plain whose torrents flow

plodding like water-camels with green, grass-plugged skins.

Before the loom, cloaked in its mantle green.

بناتُ عِلَندى المنكبينِ كأنَّما

بناتُ عِلَندى المنكبينِ كأنَّما

تُزِيِّنُهُ الإخصابُ بالمَغَرِ الحُمرِ

تُزِيِّنُهُ الإخصابُ بالمَغَرِ الحُمرِ

Daughters of a massive-shouldered sire, as though

The daughters of 'Ilandea march erect

rich grazing adorns him with red ochre.

As though the wet-nurse honoured him with red

اذا رفع الراعي الهُراوةَ فوقَه

اذا رفع الراعي الهُراوةَ فوقَه

تخمَّطَ انكارَ العزيزِ من القَهرِ

تخمَّطَ انكارَ العزيزِ من القَهرِ

When the herdsman raises the cudgel above him,

And yellow robes. Yet, when the herdsman dared

he bristles with the proud one's defiance of subjugation.

To lift his crook above them, how they sped!

يُعضُ عليها الحاسدونَ بنانَهم

يُعضُ عليها الحاسدونَ بنانَهم

وليس بأيديهم غنايَ ولا فَقرِي

وليس بأيديهم غنايَ ولا فَقرِي

The envious bite their fingertips over them,

The envious gnash their teeth at them, but fail

yet neither my wealth nor my poverty lies in their hands.

To hurt them, having neither wealth nor need.

طوالُ القِرى لا يلعنُ الضيفَ اهلُها

طوالُ القِرى لا يلعنُ الضيفَ اهلُها

اذا هو ارغى وَسطَها بَعدمضا يَسري

اذا هو ارغى وَسطَها بَعدمضا يَسري

Long-backed camels, whose owners do not curse a guest

Men do not curse the hospitable camp

when he makes his camel bellow among them after traveling by night.

Where the guest halted for a night and fed.

اذا لم يَكُن فيها حلوبٌ تكشَّفَت

اذا لم يَكُن فيها حلوبٌ تكشَّفَت

عن السَّيفِ مَصقولاً وأبيضَ كالبَدرِ

عن السَّيفِ مَصقولاً وأبيضَ كالبَدرِ

If there is no milch-camel among them, they lay bare

But if no welcome greeted him, they bared

a sword, polished and white as the full moon.

The sword that glittered dazzling bright and keen.

وما اتقي السَّاقَ التي تتقى بها

وما اتقي السَّاقَ التي تتقى بها

اذا ما تعادى الراتِكاتُ من العَقرِ

اذا ما تعادى الراتِكاتُ من العَقرِ

Nor do I fear the hardship that one wards off with them,

I fear no leg that can be made to flee

when the trotting camels race away from hamstringing.

When the mares charging scatter the array.

ويكفيك ألاَّ يَرحلَ الضيفُ لائماً

ويكفيك ألاَّ يَرحلَ الضيفُ لائماً

كراديسُ من نابٍ تغامسُ في القدرِ

كراديسُ من نابٍ تغامسُ في القدرِ

And to keep the guest from leaving reproachfully, you need only

Enough, if when the guest departs he bears

large joints from an aged she-camel, plunged into the pot.

No complaint, like one who's drained the pot away.