1. زُوروا أُمامَة طالَ ذا هِجرانا

    وحقيقةٌ هي أن تُزارَ أَوانا

    Visit Umama; this estrangement has lasted long.

    And she deserves to be visited now and then.

  2. كيفَ المزارُ ودونَها متمنّعٌ

    صَعبٌ يَرِنُّ حِمامُه إرنانا

    How can one reach her, with an unassailable barrier before her,

    rugged, its doves calling out resoundingly?

  3. شَمسٌ يفوزُ بنو الحصينش بِجَنبِها

    وتُضيءُ دورُهم لها أحيانا

    A sun: the sons of al-Husaynsh delight in her nearness,

    and through her their houses sometimes glow.

  4. تَبضَع المجاسِدَ عن صفائحَ فِضةٍ

    ذُلقٍ ترى صفحاتِهِنَّ حسانا

    She parts her dyed garments, revealing plates of silver,

    polished, their surfaces beautiful to see.

  5. وترى النَّعيمَ على مفارِقٍ فاحِمٍ

    رَجلٍ تَعُلُّ اصولَه الأدهانا

    You see luxurious care upon the partings of coal-black,

    wavy hair, its roots drinking oil again and again.

  6. فكأنما اشتملَ الضجيعُ بريطَةٍ

    لا بَل تزيدُ وثارةً ولَيانا

    It is as though her bedfellow wrapped himself in a fine sheet—

    no, she surpasses it in softness and suppleness.

  7. وترى لها بشَراً يعودُ خَلوقُه

    بعد الحميمِ خدلّجاً رَيَانا

    You see her skin, its saffron fragrance returning

    after a hot bath, full-fleshed and lush.

  8. وكأنَّ طَعمَ مُدامَةٍ عانِيَّةٍ

    شَمِلَ الرياقَ وخالَطَ الأسنانا

    As though the taste of aged wine from Ana

    pervaded her saliva and mingled with her teeth.

  9. أَبَت الخروجَ من العراق وليتَها

    رَفَعَت لنا بقُطيقطٍ أَظعانا

    She refused to leave Iraq; would that she

    had set her camel-litters on the road to us at Qutayqit.

  10. فَتَحِلُّ حيثُ تقر أعينُنا بها

    ونرى أُمامَةَ تارةً وَتَرانا

    Then she would settle where seeing her delights our eyes,

    and we would see Umama now and then, and she see us.

  11. رَمتِ المقاتلَ من فؤادِك بَعدَما

    كانت جنوبُ تُدِينكَ الأديانا

    She struck the vital places of your heart, after

    Janub had held you in every kind of bondage.

  12. وأرى الغوانيَ إنما هي جِنَّةٌ

    شِبهُ الرَياح

    I see beautiful women as nothing but jinn,

    like the winds.

  13. وإذا دَعَونَك عَمَّهُنَّ فلا تُجب

    فهناك لا تجدُ الصَّفاءَ مكانا

    When they call you their uncle, do not answer;

    there you will find no place for sincere affection.

  14. نَسَبٌ يَزيدُك عِندَهُنّ حقارَةً

    وعلى ذَوَاتش شبابِهنَّ هَوانا

    That kinship increases your lowliness in their eyes,

    and your abasement before those in their youthful prime.

  15. وإذا حَلَفنَ فَهُنَّ أكثرُ واعدٍ

    خُلفاً واكثرُ حالِفٍ أَيمانا

    When they swear, they are, of all promise-makers, the most

    faithless, and of all swearers the most lavish with oaths.

  16. وإذا رَأَينَ من الشَّباب لُدونةً

    فعسى حِبالُك أن تكونَ مِتانا

    But when they see the tenderness of youth,

    perhaps your bonds with them may hold firm.

  17. بَل ليتها سُئِلَت جَنوبُ فلم تَقُل

    كَذِباً عليَّ ولم تُعَمِّ بَيانا

    Rather, would that Janub, when questioned, had not spoken

    falsely against me, nor obscured the truth.

  18. أخبرتِني وَلقد علمت شَمائلي

    أذَرُ الخَنا وأُكارِمُ الأخدانا

    You told me—though you knew my character—

    I shun foul speech and honor my companions.

  19. وتكون فيَّ على العَدوِّ شكاسَةٌ

    وألينُ حينَ أرى أَخاً ليَ لانا

    I have an intractable harshness toward enemies,

    but soften when I see a brother gentle toward me.

  20. ورقيقةِ الحُجُراتِ باديةِ القَذى

    كدَمِ الغزالِ صَبِحتُها نَدمانا

    Many a fine wine, delicate at its edges, its motes plain to see,

    red as gazelle's blood, I served to boon companions at dawn.

  21. وإذا تُعانِيني الهمومُ قريتُها

    سُرُحَ اليَدينِ تُخالسُ الخَطَرانا

    When cares beset me, I entertain them with

    a free-striding camel, stealing ahead with a swinging gait:

  22. حَرجاً كانَّ من الكُحيل صَبابةً

    نضَحت مغابنها بها نَضَحانا

    lean, as though a trickle of black tar

    oozed in droplets from the folds of her skin.

  23. تَصِلُ المَخِيلَةَ بالذراعةِ بعدما

    جعل الجنادِبُ تَركبُ العِيدانا

    She joins a proud gait to long-reaching strides, after

    locusts have begun climbing the stalks,

  24. وجرى السَّراب على الإكام كانَّه

    نسجُ الولائِدِ بينها الكَتّانا

    and mirage flows over the hillocks as though it were

    servant girls weaving linen among them.

  25. وكأنّ نمرُقتي فويقَ مولَّعٍ

    يَرعى الدَّكادِكَ من جَنوبِ قَطانا

    My saddle-cushion seems set just above a dappled wild bull

    grazing the flat hillocks south of Qatan,

  26. بعوازِبِ القَفَراتِ بين شقيقةٍ

    وكثيبِها يتنظّرُ الحَدَثانا

    in the remotest wastes, between a sandy hollow

    and its dune, watchfully awaiting fate's turns.

  27. لَهَقٌ سَقَته من المحرم ليلةً

    هَتَلَت عليه بديمةٍ هَتَلانا

    White, he was watered by a night of Muharram,

    which poured steady, streaming rain upon him.

  28. فثنى اكارِعَه وباتَ تجُمُّه

    رِهَمٌ تسيلُ تِلاعُه إمعانا

    He folded his legs and spent the night drenched by

    gentle showers, his gullies streaming far and wide.

  29. أَرِقاً تضاحكُهُ البروقُ براجفِ

    كسنى الحريقِ ولامعٍ لَمَعانا

    Sleepless, he had lightning smiling at him with quivering flashes

    like firelight, and gleams flashing bright.

  30. فغدا صبيحَةَ صَوبها متوجّساً

    شَئزَ القيام يُقَضِّبُ الأغصانا

    At morning, after its downpour, he went forth apprehensive,

    restless on his feet, cropping branches.

  31. بحضيضِ رابِيةٍ يَهزُّ مُذلّقاً

    صَلباً يكونُ له الطِلالُ دِهانا

    At the foot of a knoll he shook a sharpened horn,

    hard, with dew for its polish.

  32. فترى الحُبابَ كأنما عبثت به

    تقفيَّتانِ تُنَظّمانِ جُمانا

    You see the water-beads, as though they were handled by

    two women, apparently of Thaqif, stringing pearls.

  33. فَليَيَنما هو غافِلٌ إذ راعَهُ

    يَحمون أرسَلَهُم بنو ذَكوانا

    Then, while he was heedless, he was suddenly startled by

    dark hunters sent by the sons of Dhakwan.

  34. مَعَهُم ضوارٍ مِن سَلوقَ كأنها

    حُصنٌ تجول تُجرِّرُ الأَرسانا

    With them were fierce hounds from Saluq, as though

    they were stallions wheeling, trailing their halters.

  35. فطلبنَهُ شَأواً تخالُ غبارَهُ

    وغبارَهُنَّ إذا التَهَبنَ دُخانا

    They chased him a stretch; you would think his dust

    and theirs, as they blazed along, was smoke.

  36. وَهلاً مخافَتُهنَّ ثُمَّتَ رَدَّه

    ذِكرُ القتالِ وحينَ آخَرُ حانا

    Fear of them alarmed him; then he was turned back by

    the thought of battle, and another doom whose hour had come.

  37. فسما وقامَ يذودُهُنَّ بِمُرهَفٍ

    صَلبِ القناةِ كأنّ فيها سِنانا

    He reared and stood, driving them off with a sharpened horn,

    its shaft rigid, as though fitted with a spearhead.

  38. فإذا خَنَسنَ مضى على مُضوائِهِ

    وإذا لَحِقنَ به أصَابَ طِعانا

    When they drew back, he kept to his course;

    when they caught him, he delivered thrusts.

  39. حَرِجاً وكَرَّكرورَ صاحبِ نَجدَةٍ

    خَزِيَ الحرائرَ أن يكونَ جبانا

    Hard-pressed, he wheeled like a man of valor

    ashamed before freeborn women to be a coward.

  40. ويكون حَدُّ سِنانه لأشدِّها

    قَرَماً وأكثرِها له غَشيانا

    His spearpoint was for whichever was fiercest

    in craving flesh, and most persistent in attacking him.

  41. فَحَسَرنَ غيرَ مخدّشاتِ أديمه

    وغداً يروحُ ترَوُّحاً عَجلانا

    They fell back exhausted, without scratching his hide,

    and off he went, striding hurriedly away.

  42. أبَني زُهيرِ لامرىءٍ ذي عِزّةٍ

    يتنفسُ الصُعَداءَ حينَ يرانا

    O sons of Zuhayr, even a man of might

    heaves a deep sigh when he sees us.

  43. وحَسَبتِنا نَزَعُ الكتيبةَ غُدوَةً

    فيغيّفون ونرجِعُ السَّرَعانا

    You reckoned us dislodging the battalion at dawn;

    they veer aside, and we drive the vanguard back.

  44. وَنحِلُّ كُلَّ حِمىً نُخبَّرُ أنَّهُ

    مَنَح البروقَ وما يُحَلُّ حِمانا

    We enter every guarded pasture we are told

    has received lightning's rain; none enters our preserve.

  45. وإذا تَسَعسَعَت الحروبُ فمالكٌ

    منها المطاعِنُ والأشدُّ سنانا

    When wars begin to wane, Malik

    is their tireless spear-fighter, strongest in the thrust.

  46. ونُطيع آمِرَنا ونجعلُ أمرَنا

    لذوي جَلادتِنا وحَزمِ قِوانا

    We obey our commander and entrust our affairs

    to men of our fortitude and steadfast strength.

  47. وَكَلت فقلت لها النَّجاءَ تناولي

    بي حاجَتي وتنكَّبي هَمدانا

    She flagged, and I told her: Hasten; carry

    me to my goal, and turn aside from Hamdan.

  48. وعليكِ اسماءَ بنَ خارجةَ الذي

    عَلِمَ الفِعالَ وعَلَّمَ الفِتيانا

    Make for Asma ibn Kharija, who

    knew noble deeds and taught young men.

  49. فستعلمينَ أصادِقٌ روّادُهُ

    عنه وأيُّ فتىً فتى غَطَفانا

    You will learn whether his visitors speak truly

    of him, and what a man Ghatafan's champion is.

  50. قَرماً إذا ابتدرَ الرجالُ عظيمةً

    بَدَرَت إليه يمينُهُ الأَيمانا

    A chief: when men race toward a momentous deed,

    his right hand outstrips other hands toward it.

  51. فاخترتَ أسماءَ الجوادَ فلم تَخِب

    يَدُ راغِبٍ عَلِقَت أبا حَسَّانا

    You chose generous Asma; no disappointment met

    the hand of a seeker that clung to Abu Hassan.

  52. نِعمَ الفتى عَمِلَت اليه مَطيّتي

    لا نَشتكي جَهدَ السِفارِ كِلانا

    Excellent the man toward whom my mount labored!

    Neither of us complains of the hardship of travel.

  53. إنَّ الأبوَّةَ والدانِ تراهما

    مُتقابلَينِ قَسَامياً وهِجانا

    Indeed, there are two kinds of father: you see them

    alike in handsome looks and pure descent.

  54. فأبٌ يكونُ إِلى القيامة مَجدُهُ

    وأبٌ يكونُ على بَنيهِ ضمانا

    One father's glory lasts until the Resurrection;

    another becomes a burden upon his sons.

  55. وَترى الرِفقاَ يوجِّهونَ رِكَابهم

    نحو العريضِ مَنادِحاً وخُوانا

    You see traveling companions directing their riding camels

    toward one whose grounds and dining table are ample.

  56. يَلِجونَ من ابوابِ دَارَةِ ماجدٍ

    لَيست تَهِرُّ كلابُه الضيفانا

    They enter through the gates of a noble man's enclosure;

    his dogs do not growl at guests.

  57. وتراه يَفخَرُ أَن تَحِلَّ بيوتُه

    بمحلة الزمنِ القصير عينانا

    You see him proud to have his tents pitched

    in the infirm man's quarter, his reach so short.

  58. غَطَفان سيِّدُهم أبوك وخيرُهم

    ولدوك حين تذكروا الإحسانا

    Ghatafan—your father is their lord and their finest;

    they begot you when they called generosity to mind.