أرى بدرا فصار به هلالا — Alluah

أرى بدراً فصار به هلالا

نحيلاً بعد ما نظر الكمالا

He was shown a full moon, and through it became a crescent,

Slender after beholding perfection.

وراقته الأكلة منجداتٍ

فغار سلوة وشكا الكلالا

And the eaters [unclear in context] charmed him, bound for the uplands,

So he went to the lowlands for solace and complained of weariness.

وحين رأى الجمال مطوحات

وقد أورعن في الكلل الجمالا

And when he saw the camels driven far away,

With beauty kept secluded within the curtains,

بكى أسفا وغودر في ديار

خلال منالال يحكي الخلالا

He wept in sorrow and was left behind in dwellings,

Amid [unclear text], resembling a toothpick.

رمى اللَه الغواني ما رمتني

وجنبني وجنبها الملالا

May God strike the fair women with what she struck me with,

And spare me, and spare her, weariness.

فقد غاردنني بيدي هواها

تقلبني يميناً أو شمالا

For they have left me in the hands of love for her,

Turning me to the right or the left.

وحسبي اللَه من زفرات وجد

غداة البين تورثني السعالا

And God suffices me against the sighs of longing,

Which, on the morning of parting, leave me coughing.

وفي أحداج آل بني هلال

سرى قمرا وأشمس لي هلالا

And in the howdahs of the clan of Banu Hilal,

He traveled by night as a moon, and shone sun-bright for me as a crescent.

بدا بدراً وأدبر حقف رمل

وغصنا ماس ثم رنا غزالا

He appeared as a full moon and turned away like a curved sand dune,

And swayed as a branch, then gazed as a gazelle.

وأقبل يوم جد البين يذري

سموط الدر مع دمع تلالا

And he approached when parting became imminent, scattering

Strands of pearls along with glittering tears.

وخاض الحي للتوديع حتى

كأن مطيهم شكت الرحالا

And he passed through the encampment to bid farewell, until

Their mounts seemed to complain of their saddles.

فرامق طرفه طرفي اختلاسا

ولاصق خده خدي اغتيالا

Then his gaze met mine furtively,

And his cheek pressed against mine by stealth.

وسال الدر منثورا نفيسا

على الخدين ينهمل انهمالا

And precious pearls flowed, scattered,

Down both cheeks, pouring and pouring.

وقال وقد أجر المرط تيها

وأبدى لي من الغنج الدلالا

And he said, trailing his mantle in pride,

And showing me his coy, coquettish charm:

ستلقاني إذا نزوى استقرت

أو اشتملت على المجد اشتمالا

“You will meet me when Nizwa has settled,

Or fully embraced glory,

وأصبح أهلها رجلاً فريدا

وإن كثروا على العدد الرمالا

And its people have become one single man,

Though their numbers exceed the sands.”

ألا من مبلغ عن ارتجالا

نصيحات لدى نزوى رجالا

Ah, who will convey on my behalf, extemporaneously,

Words of counsel to men in Nizwa?

بان الناس ما اجتمعوا رجالا

ونسناسا إذا افترقوا حثالا

That people are men so long as they are united,

And apes—mere dregs—when they fall apart.

وان النبل إلا النصل منه

ولكن يسعد الريش النصالا

And arrows are nothing but their heads,

Yet the feathers aid the arrowheads.

وأنتم قر علمتم ما علمتم

وخضتم في الوغى بحراً سجالا

And you have indeed learned what you have learned,

And in battle plunged into a sea of alternating fortunes.

ولولا جمعكم للشمل قدما

لما رمتم على حرب سعالا

And had you not united your ranks long ago,

You would not have attempted even a cough in war.

فكيف بغضكم طرفاً كليلا

عن الأعدا وقد جاءت رجالا

How, then, can you lower a weary gaze

Away from the enemies, who have come as men,

تشن عليكم الغارات شنا

وتلتمس السهولة والجبالا

Launching relentless raids against you,

And seeking out the plains and mountains?

وما برح العدا فيكم ومنكم

يجيدون النجائش والمقالا

And enemies, among you and from your own ranks, keep

Excelling at incitement and speech.

تشهوا للمظالم والمخازي

كمثل تهيمة شهت الرجالا

They craved oppression and infamy,

Like Tuhayma, who craved men.

فحاشاكم ومن يهوى هواكم

تطيعون السفاسف والرذالا

Far be it from you, and whoever loves what you love,

To obey trifles and base men.

ألية صادق بسرى المطايا

وقد طلحت ومنها الدمع سالا

I swear a truthful man’s oath by the mounts’ night journeys,

When they were exhausted and tears flowed from them.

جفا وجوى أضر بها ونص

وإرقال وإيغال توالى

Harshness and inward pain afflicted them, and hard driving

And swift trotting and pressing farther followed in succession.

تذرعت البهيم بأذرعيها

وأجلى وشكها الصبح الكلالا

They measured out the dark night with their forelegs,

And at dawn their swiftness dispelled weariness.

وخاصت أعين منها وخاضت

وزالت أنسع منها وذالا

And some of their eyes sank, and they waded on,

And girth straps slipped from them and trailed loose.

وقد حملت على الأكوار نجبا

إلى الحرمين ترتقل ارتقالا

And they had carried noble riders upon the saddles,

Toward the two sanctuaries, trotting swiftly.

فطافت ثم صلت ثم راحت

إلى عرفات تسأل أن تقالا

Then they circumambulated, then prayed, then set out

To Arafat, asking to be pardoned.

وبالجرد الجياد مسومات

قبيبات الأياطل كالسعالي

And by the sleek, noble, marked steeds,

Slender-flanked, like she-ghouls,

على صهواتها أسد ترامت

بهم يوم الوغى تعطو القلالا

Lions upon their backs, they bounded

With them on battle day, reaching toward the summits:

لئن لم تفكروا فيما عناكم

وان تدعوا النزال ولا نزالا

If you do not consider what concerns you,

And if you abandon combat, with no combat at all,

لتدهمكم جيوش للأعادي

يضيق بها الفضا حكت الرمالا

Enemy armies will surely overwhelm you.

The open expanse grows cramped with them; they resemble the sands.

وتسقيكم كؤوسا في كؤوس

حراما شربها صارت حلالا

And they will make you drink cup after cup,

Once forbidden to drink, now made lawful.

مضت عنكم أوائلكم وسنت

لكم سننا عفيفات جلالا

Your forebears have departed from you and laid down

For you chaste, noble ways.

حموا عنكم بأسياف وسمر

وآراء تركن الشم آلا

They protected you with swords and brown-shafted spears,

And counsels that left lofty peaks a mirage.

فعاشوا عيشة وهم كرام

وماتوا بعد ما وصلوا الحبالا

So they lived their lives as noble men,

And died after joining the cords together.

وأنتم بعدهم كونوا نساء

خديرات وإن شئتم رجالا

And you, after them—be women,

Secluded—or, if you wish, men.

فإما أججوا للحرب نارا

وإما أهبوا للسد مالا

So either kindle a fire for war,

Or provide money for defense.

ومن يرض المعيشة في هوان

فلم يسمع لمن بالعز قالا

And whoever accepts life in humiliation

Has not listened to one who speaks of honor.