Poems
- أبت آيات حبى أن تبيناMy love tokens refused to tell us
- أتى دونها ذب الرياد كأنهThe restless, roaming wild bull came before her, as though he were
- أثم غدوت بعد ذاك تلومنيWas it there that, after that, you began blaming me?
- أحار بن عبد للدموع البوادرO Ahar, son of Abd, the tears come rushing forth.
- إذا ابتدر الناس المكارم بذهمWhen people race toward noble deeds, they are outstripped
- إذا أقبل المال السوام وغيرهWhen wealth comes—grazing livestock and other riches—
- أرى إبلي تكالأ راعياهاI see my camels, their two herdsmen keeping watch in turn,
- أعائر بات يمري العين أم ودقIs it a mote that drew tears from the eye all night, or blood-red spots,
- أعند الله للبرق اليمانيIs there with God a reward for the Yemeni lightning,
- أفي أثر الأظعان عينك تلمحDoes your eye peer along the trail of the departing caravans?
- أكلنا الشوى حتى إذا لم نجد شوىWe ate the lesser livestock until, when we could find no more,
- ألا اسلمي اليوم ذات الطوق والعاجAh, fare well today, wearer of necklace and ivory,
- ألا أيها الربع الخلاء مشاربهO lonely ruins with vanished revellers,
- ألا قبح الله الحطيئة إنهLo, may God disgrace al-Ḥuṭayʾah, for he
- ألا يا اسلمي حييت أخت بني بكرAh, be safe—greetings to you, sister of Banu Bakr—
- ألباغي الحرب يسعى نحوها ترعاThe seeker of war hastens toward it impetuously,
- ألم تدر ما قال الظباء السوانحDid you not know what the auspiciously crossing gazelles said?
- ألم تسأل بعارمة الدياراHave you not questioned the dwellings at Arimah
- ألم يسأل الركب الديار العوافياDid the riders not question the effaced dwellings
- إلى الله أشكو أنني كنت نائماTo God I complain that I was asleep,
- إلى ظعن كالدوم فيها تزايلTo gazelles with graceful swaying gaits
- أمن آل وسنى آخر الليل زائرIs there a visitor from Wasna's people late at night,
- إن ابن مغراء عبد ليس نائلناIndeed, Ibn Maghrāʾ is a slave who will not match us
- إن السماء وإن الريح شاهدةIndeed, the sky and the wind bear witness,
- إن على أهوى لألأم حاضرIndeed, at Ahwā is the basest settled clan,
- إنا وجدنا العيس خيرا بقيةWe have found the pale camels better in staying power
- إني أتاني كلام ما غضبت لهIndeed, words reached me that did not anger me,
- إني امرؤ لم أزل وذاك من اللهIndeed, I am a man who has always—and that is from
- إني حلفت يمينا غير كاذبةI have sworn an oath that is not false,
- إني نذير التي ألقت منيئتهاI am a warner to the woman who laid her hide for tanning
- إني وإن كان ابن عمي كاشحاI, though my cousin bears me malice,
- أو هيبان نجيب نام عن غنمOr a timid, noble man who slept heedless of his sheep,
- بان الأحبة بالعهد الذي عهدواEnglish translation unavailable
- بدا يوم رحنا عامدين لأرضهاThere appeared, the day we set out bound for her land,
- بها جيف الحسرى فأما عظامهاThere lie the carcasses of exhausted camels; as for their bones,
- بويزل عام لا قلوص مملةA she-camel one year into full maturity—not a wearied young one,
- تبصر خليلي هل ترى من ظعائنLook closely, my friend: do you see any women in howdahs
- تذكر هذا القلب هند بني سعدThis heart remembered Hind of Banu Sa'd.
- تريك بياض لبتها ووجهاShe shows you the whiteness of her upper chest, and a face
- تعاملني بغير وفاء وعدYou treat me without keeping a promise
- تقول ابنتي لما رأت بعد مائناMy daughter said, when she saw how far away our water was
- تلألأت الثريا فاستنارتThe stars glittered and were illuminated
- تهانفت واستبكاك رسم المنازلYou laughed faintly, and the traces of the dwellings made you weep
- حي الديار ديار أم بشيرSalute the dwellings, the dwellings of Umm Bashir,
- رأيت الجحش جحش بني كليبI saw the young ass, the young ass of Banu Kulayb,
- سالا عن الجود والمعروف أين هماThey both asked about generosity and kindness: “Where are they?”
- سما لك من أسماء هم مؤرقA sorrow over Asma has risen in you, robbing you of sleep.
- صبا صبوة بل لج وهو لجوجHe yielded to youthful passion—nay, persisted, obstinate as he is.
- صدقت معية نفسه فترحلاMuʿayya’s soul told him the truth, and he departed.
- صغيرهم وكلهم سواءTheir youngest and all of them are alike.
- صلب العصا بضربة دماهاHard of staff, he bloodied her with a blow.
- ضربا فلا تسمع إلا غمغمهStrike, so you hear nothing but a muffled rumble;
- ضعيف العصا بادي العروق ترى لهGentle with his staff, his veins showing, you see that he has
- طاف الخيال بأصحابي وقد هجدواThe phantom visited my companions after they had fallen asleep,
- طال العشاء ونحن بالهضبThe evening dragged on while we were at al-Haḍb,
- ظعنت وودعت الخليط اليمانياI departed and bade the Yemeni companion farewell—
- عاد الهموم وما يدري الخلي بهاWorries returned, though the carefree know nothing of them.
- عافي الرقاق منهب مبوحEffacing the hard ground, swift and wide-striding,
- عجبت من السارين والريح قرةI marveled at those traveling by night, while the wind was bitterly cold,
- عفت بعدنا أجراع بكر فتولبAfter we left, the sandy flats of Bikr and Tawlab were effaced,
- على الدار بالرمانتين تعوجToward the dwelling at al-Rummanatayn turn
- عوجوا المطي علي ذا الأكوارTurn the saddle-bearing camels toward me,
- عويت عواء الكلب لما لقيتناYou howled a dog's howl when you met us
- فإن ألائم الأحياء حيFor the basest of the tribes is a tribe
- فإن كنت لا أدري الظباء فإننيFor if I do not outwit the gazelles, then indeed I
- فإن كنت يا ابن السمط سالمت دونناSo if you, son of al-Simt, have made peace without us,
- فتى يشتري حسن الثناء بمالهA youth who buys fine praise with his wealth,
- فسيري واشربي ببنات قينSo journey on, and drink at Banāt Qayn;
- فلا يكونن موعودا وأيت بهSo let no promise you have pledged become
- فلثمت فاها آخذا بقرونهاThen I kissed her mouth, holding onto her braids,
- فليتك حال البحر دونك كلهSo, would that the whole sea separated me from you
- فما برحت سجواء حتى كأنماAnd she remained gentle-paced, until it was as though
- قالت سليمى أتنوي اليوم أم تغلSulayma said, “Will you stay today, or press onward?”
- قبيلة من قيس كبة ساقهاA paltry little tribe of Qays Kubbah, driven
- قليلا ثم قام إلى المطاياA little while—then toward the riding camels rose
- كأن بلادهن سماء ليلAs though their lands were a night sky,
- كأن على أعرافه ولجامهAs though upon its mane and its bridle
- كأن لها برحل القوم بواAs though she had a stuffed calfskin among the people's baggage,
- كأنها حين فاض الماء واحتفلتAs though, when the water overflowed and she gathered speed,
- كريم يغض الطرف فضل حيائهNoble, he lowers his gaze out of great modesty;
- كم من أب لي يا جرير كأنهMany a forefather of mine, O Jarir, is like
- لا ينبح الكلب فيها غير واحدةThe dog there gives no more than a single bark,
- لتهجع واستبقيتها ثم قلصتSo that she might sleep, I spared her; then she sped on
- ما بال دفك بالفراش مذيلاWhy is your flank sprawled upon the bedding?
- ما لقي البيض من الحرقوصWhat the fair-skinned women have suffered from the ḥurqūṣ, that biting insect!
- ماذا ذكرتم من قلوص عقرتهاWhat have you said of a young she-camel I slaughtered
- من كل أشمط مذبوح بلحيتهFrom every grizzled man, slaughtered by his beard,
- من كل بذاء في البردين يشغلهاFrom every foul-mouthed woman in two cloaks, kept occupied
- نظارة حين تعلو الشمس راكبهاWatching her rider intently when the sun climbs high,
- هممت الغداة همة أن تراجعاThis morning you formed the resolve to return
- هو الطرف لم تحشش مطي بمثلهHe is the thoroughbred; no riding camels have been roused by his like,
- وحديثها كالقطر يسمعهAnd her speech is like rain heard by
- وخلقته حتى إذا تم واستوىAnd I smoothed it until it was complete and straight,
- وداع بلحن الكلب يدعو ودونهAnd a caller cries in a dog's voice, screened by
- وديت ابن راعي الإبل إذ حان يومهYou mourned the son of the camel herder when his day came,
- ورد الكري به بعور سيوفةThe hired carrier brought him to Buʿūr of Suyūfah,
- وريشي منكم وهواي فيكمAnd my plumage comes from you, and my love is for you,
- وفي ناتق كان اصطلام سراتهمAnd at Nātiq came the annihilation of their chiefs,
- وكأن نمرقتي فويق مولعAnd it is as though my saddle cushion were just above a mottled wild bull,
- ولا تهيبني الموماة أركبهاNor does the vast desert daunt me as I ride across it,
- وللسر حالات فمنه جماعةA secret has its states: in one, it is shared by a group;
- ولم أر معقورا به وسط معشرAnd never have I seen one brought low amid a company,
- وما مزنة جادت فأسبل ودقهاNo raincloud that poured generously, its rain streaming down
- ومن يك باديا ويكن أخاهAnd whoever is a nomad and is his brother—
- ونحن تركنا بالفعالي طعنةAnd we left in al-Faʿālī a spear wound,
- ويبتذل النفس المصونة نفسهAnd he freely spends his guarded self—his very own—
- ويدني ذراعيه إذا ما تبادراAnd he draws his two forelimbs close when they race one another,
- يا أهل ما بال هذا الليل في صفرO my people, what ails this night in Safar?
- يا صاحبي دنا الأصيل فسيراO my two companions, late afternoon has drawn near, so journey on.
- يا عجبا للدهر شتى طرائقهOh, how strange is Time, so various its ways!
- يا ليت أني وسبيعا في الغنمOh, would that Subayʿ and I were among the sheep,
- يا من توعدني جهلا بكثرتهO one who ignorantly threatened me with his numbers,
- يبتن سجودا من نهيت مصدرThey spend the night prostrate at the roar of one broad of chest,
- يجرر سربالا عليه كأنهHe trails a robe about him, as though he were
- يسنها آبل ما إن يجزئهاA skilled camel-herder tends them, not making them subsist on forage without water
- يمسي ضجيع خريدة ومضاجعيHe spends the evening beside a maiden, while my bedfellow
No poems found.