أَعَرَفتَ رَسمَ الدارِ بالحُبسِ

أَعَرَفتَ رَسمَ الدارِ بالحُبسِ

فأجارِعِ العَلَمَينِ فالطُلسِ

فأجارِعِ العَلَمَينِ فالطُلسِ

Did you recognize the dwelling's trace at al-Hubs,

You recognized the abode’s shape with incarceration

then the sandy flats of al-ʿAlamayn, then al-Tuls?

So blame the two garments, the cloak, and the robe

فوقفتَ تَسألُ هامِداً كالكُحـ

فوقفتَ تَسألُ هامِداً كالكُحـ

ـلِ بَينَ جواثِمٍ حُلسِ

ـلِ بَينَ جواثِمٍ حُلسِ

Then you stood questioning a lifeless trace, like kohl

You stood asking the fallen like the

among crouching, dusky stones,

Whelp between ferocious beasts and sitting assembly

وَمثلما رفعَ القيانُ له

وَمثلما رفعَ القيانُ له

عَضُدَيهِ حَولَ البَيتِ بالفأسِ

عَضُدَيهِ حَولَ البَيتِ بالفأسِ

and like work for which the craftsman lifted

And as the builders lifted for it

both arms, axe in hand, around the dwelling.

Their arms around the house with axes

فأنهَلَّ دَمعُكَ في الرِداءِ وَهَل

فأنهَلَّ دَمعُكَ في الرِداءِ وَهَل

يَبكي الكَبيرُ الأَشمَطُ الرأسِ

يَبكي الكَبيرُ الأَشمَطُ الرأسِ

Then your tears streamed into your cloak—and does

Your tears flooded the cloak, does

a grizzled-headed old man weep?

The elder, grey-haired, white-headed cry?

أَفَلا تَناسَاهُم بِذعَلَبَةٍ

أَفَلا تَناسَاهُم بِذعَلَبَةٍ

حَرفٍ مُسانِدةِ القَرا جَلسِ

حَرفٍ مُسانِدةِ القَرا جَلسِ

Will you not put them from your mind with a fleet she-camel,

Won’t you forget them with chatting

lean and hardy, high-backed and powerfully built,

Of rhyming lines, leaning on carpets sitting

أُجُدٌّ تَجِلُّ عَن الكَلالِ إِذا

أُجُدٌّ تَجِلُّ عَن الكَلالِ إِذا

اكتَنَّ الجَوازيءُ من لظى الشَمسِ

اكتَنَّ الجَوازيءُ من لظى الشَمسِ

strong-limbed and beyond fatigue, when

A lover who turns away from yearning when

the wild antelopes shelter from the sun's blaze?

The cicadas nestle from the scorching sun

وَكأَنَّ رَحلي فَوقَ ذي جُدُدٍ

وَكأَنَّ رَحلي فَوقَ ذي جُدُدٍ

بشَواهُ وَالخَدَّينِ كالنقسِ

بشَواهُ وَالخَدَّينِ كالنقسِ

And my saddle seems set upon a beast with streaks

As if my camel litter were above one with humps

on his legs and cheeks, black as ink,

In its hearing and cheeks like chiseling

لَهقِ السراةِ خَلا المرادُ لَهُ

لَهقِ السراةِ خَلا المرادُ لَهُ

بِصَرايمِ الحسنينِ فالوَعسِ

بِصَرايمِ الحسنينِ فالوَعسِ

bright-white along his back, with the grazing ground all to himself

Except the seekers miss the objective for it

in the sandy tracts of al-Hasanayn, then al-Waʿs.

With the most beautiful noses, so halt

حَتّى إِذا جَنَّ الظَلامُ له

حَتّى إِذا جَنَّ الظَلامُ له

راحَت عليهِ بوابلٍ رجسِ

راحَت عليهِ بوابلٍ رجسِ

Until, when darkness closed about him,

Until when darkness covers it

a cloud came over him with a roaring downpour,

Torrents of filth pour upon it

فأوى إِلى أَرطاةِ مرتَكمِ

فأوى إِلى أَرطاةِ مرتَكمِ

الأَنقادِ من ثأدٍ ومن فرسِ

الأَنقادِ من ثأدٍ ومن فرسِ

he sheltered beneath an arta bush amid heaped-up

It takes refuge in the shabby tents

sand dunes, from damp and biting cold.

Of the submissive, of fatigue and horse

فَأَكَبَّ مُجتَنِحاً يُحَفِّرُها

فَأَكَبَّ مُجتَنِحاً يُحَفِّرُها

بظلوفهِ عَن ذي ثَرى يَبسِ

بظلوفهِ عَن ذي ثَرى يَبسِ

Then he bent low, leaning aside, digging beneath it

It heavily inclines digging them

with his hooves to uncover a patch of dry earth,

With its shadow above dry soil

حَتّى أَضاءَ الصُبحُ وأنحَسَرَت

حَتّى أَضاءَ الصُبحُ وأنحَسَرَت

عنه غَمايَةُ مظلمِ دَمسِ

عنه غَمايَةُ مظلمِ دَمسِ

until dawn shone and there lifted

Until dawn illuminated and dissipated

from him the veil of deep, pitch-black darkness.

From it the darkness of gloomy concealment

وَغَدا كأَنَّ بِقَلبِهِ وَهلاً

وَغَدا كأَنَّ بِقَلبِهِ وَهلاً

من نَبأةٍ راعَتهُ بالأَمسِ

من نَبأةٍ راعَتهُ بالأَمسِ

And he set out as though his heart held a fright

And it rose as if in its heart an

from a faint sound that had startled him yesterday.

Announcement startled it last night

فأَحسّ من كَثَبٍ أَخا قَنَصٍ

فأَحسّ من كَثَبٍ أَخا قَنَصٍ

خَلَقَ الثيابِ مُحالِفَ البؤسِ

خَلَقَ الثيابِ مُحالِفَ البؤسِ

Then close at hand he sensed a hunter,

It felt a cunning brother of hunting

in threadbare clothes, a companion of misery,

Who created clothes, allied with misery

ذا وَفضَةٍ يَسعى بِضاريةٍ

ذا وَفضَةٍ يَسعى بِضاريةٍ

مثلِ القِداح كوالحٍ غُبسِ

مثلِ القِداح كوالحٍ غُبسِ

bearing a quiver, hastening with hunting hounds

With silver money he walks hastily

like arrow shafts, teeth bared, dusty-gray.

Like a slim bottle, of sullen appearance

حَتّى إِذا لَحِقَت أَوائِلُها

حَتّى إِذا لَحِقَت أَوائِلُها

أَو كدنَ عرقوبَيهِ بالنَهسِ

أَو كدنَ عرقوبَيهِ بالنَهسِ

Until, when their foremost caught up with him,

Until when its vanguards

or nearly bit into his hocks,

Or its ankles tired from panting

بَلَغَت حَفيظَتُه فكَرَّ كَما

بَلَغَت حَفيظَتُه فكَرَّ كَما

كَرّض الحميُّ الأنفِ ذو البأسِ

كَرّض الحميُّ الأنفِ ذو البأسِ

his fury reached its height, and he charged back as

It reached its limit, so it turned back as

a proud man of valor charges.

The zealous turns up the nose, owner of might

فقصَرنَ مُزدَهَف وَذو رَمَقٍ

فقصَرنَ مُزدَهَف وَذو رَمَقٍ

مُتحامِلاً بحُشاشَةِ النَفسِ

مُتحامِلاً بحُشاشَةِ النَفسِ

So they stopped short: one felled, another barely alive,

So we slowed, frail and with some strength

struggling onward on the last flicker of life.

Bearing with the breath’s exhaustion

واِنصاعَ عَرضيّاً كأَنَّ بهِ

واِنصاعَ عَرضيّاً كأَنَّ بهِ

لَمماً من الخُيَلاءِ وَالفُجسِ

لَمماً من الخُيَلاءِ وَالفُجسِ

And he sped away sideways, as though gripped by

And it yielded sideways as if in it

a touch of madness from pride and swagger.

Rancor from arrogance and vileness

فلَرُبَّ فتيانٍ صَبَحتُهمُ

فلَرُبَّ فتيانٍ صَبَحتُهمُ

من عاتِقٍ صَهباء في الخِرسِ

من عاتِقٍ صَهباء في الخِرسِ

For many a band of young men I have served a morning draught

For many youths whom their morning

of aged, tawny wine kept in the jar,

Drew out of an unsettled stupor

عانيَّةٍ تُصبي الحليمَ إِذا

عانيَّةٍ تُصبي الحليمَ إِذا

دارَت أَكُفّ القَومِ بالكأسِ

دارَت أَكُفّ القَومِ بالكأسِ

wine of ʿAna that beguiles the sober-minded, when

Difficulties that drive the forbearing mad when

the men's hands pass the cup around.

The people's palms rotate with the cup

وَمُناجِدٍ بَطَلٍ دَبَبتُ لَهُ

وَمُناجِدٍ بَطَلٍ دَبَبتُ لَهُ

تَحتَ الغُبارِ بطَعنَةٍ خَلسِ

تَحتَ الغُبارِ بطَعنَةٍ خَلسِ

And many a valiant champion I have crept toward

And the slain hero I crept for

beneath the dust, with a stealthy spear-thrust,

Under dust with a treacherous stab

جَيّاشَةٍ تَرمي إِذا سُبِرَت

جَيّاشَةٍ تَرمي إِذا سُبِرَت

بِسبارِها المَسمورِ كالقَلسِ

بِسبارِها المَسمورِ كالقَلسِ

a gushing wound that spews blood when probed

Agitation that casts with its

with its iron-tipped probe, as if vomiting.

Poisoned arrows when provoked like embers

وَكَواعبٍ هيفٍ مُخَصَّرَةِ ال

وَكَواعبٍ هيفٍ مُخَصَّرَةِ ال

أَبدانِ من بيضٍ ومن لُعسِ

أَبدانِ من بيضٍ ومن لُعسِ

And budding-breasted maidens, slim-waisted, slender of

And beautiful, slender damsels

body, some fair-skinned and some dark-lipped,

Of white bodies and smooth skin

حورٍ نَواعِمِ قَد لَهَوتُ بها

حورٍ نَواعِمِ قَد لَهَوتُ بها

وَشَفَيتُ من لذاتِها نَفسي

وَشَفَيتُ من لذاتِها نَفسي

dark-eyed and tender—I have dallied with them

Houries, delicate, I have toyed with them

and healed my soul with their delights.

And sipped pleasure from their bliss

وَجَسيمِ هَمٍّ قَد رحَلتُ له

وَجَسيمِ هَمٍّ قَد رحَلتُ له

حَتّى تؤوبَ بليَّةً عنسي

حَتّى تؤوبَ بليَّةً عنسي

And many a weighty care I have journeyed to meet,

And a tremendous care I traveled for

until my hardy she-camel returned utterly wasted.

Until repenting my plight’s misery

فَفَرجتُ هَمّي بالعَزيمَةِ إِنَّ

فَفَرجتُ هَمّي بالعَزيمَةِ إِنَّ

العَزمَ يَفرُجُ غُمَّةَ اللَبسِ

العَزمَ يَفرُجُ غُمَّةَ اللَبسِ

So I dispelled my care through determination; indeed,

So I relieved my care with resolve, verily

resolve dispels the gloom of confusion.

Resolve relieves the confusion of chronic woe

وَلَقيتُ من ثَكَلٍ وَمغبَطَةٍ

وَلَقيتُ من ثَكَلٍ وَمغبَطَةٍ

وَالدَهرُ من طَلقٍ ومن نَحسِ

وَالدَهرُ من طَلقٍ ومن نَحسِ

And I have known bereavement and enviable fortune;

And I faced loss and good fortune

and time brings both fair fortune and ill luck.

With time in flux and misfortune