1. لِلَيلى بِأَعلى ذي مَعارِكَ مَنزِلُ

    خَلاءٌ تَنادى أَهلُهُ فَتَحَمَّلوا

    Layla has a dwelling in the uplands of Dhu Ma'arik,

    deserted: its people called to one another and departed.

  2. تَبَدَّلَ حالاً بَعدَ حالٍ عَهِدتُهُ

    تَناوَحَ جِنّانٌ بِهِنَّ وَخُبَّلُ

    It changed from one condition to another since I knew it;

    jinn and evil spirits wailed to one another there.

  3. عَلى العُمرِ وَاِصطادَت فُؤاداً كَأَنَّهُ

    أَبو غَلِقٍ في لَيلَتَينِ مُؤَجَّلُ

    By life! She ensnared a heart as though it were

    the owner of a pledged stake, allowed two nights' grace.

  4. أَلَم تَرَيا إِذ جِئتُما أَنَّ لَحمَها

    بِهِ طَعمُ شَريٍ لَم يُهَذَّب وَحَنظَلُ

    Did you two not see, when you came, that her flesh

    has the taste of untreated bitter shary and colocynth?

  5. وَما أَنا مِمَّن يَستَنيحُ بِشَجوِهِ

    يُمَدُّ لَهُ غَربا جَزورٍ وَجَدوَلُ

    I am not one who seeks pity through his grief,

    for whom two camel-hide buckets and a stream are set flowing.

  6. وَلَمّا رَأَيتُ العُدمَ قَيَّدَ نائِلي

    وَأَملَقَ ما عِندي خُطوبٌ تَنَبَّلُ

    And when I saw that poverty had fettered my giving,

    and mounting calamities had exhausted what I possessed,

  7. فَقَرَّبتُ حُرجوجاً وَمَجَّدتُ مَعشَراً

    تَخَيَّرتُهُم فيما أَطوفُ وَأَسأَلُ

    I made ready a tall, lean she-camel and extolled a people

    whom I chose amid my wandering and asking:

  8. بَني مالِكٍ أَعني بِسَعدِ بنِ مالِكٍ

    أَعُمُّ بِخَيرٍ صالِحٍ وَأُخَلِّلُ

    the sons of Malik—I mean Sa'd ibn Malik—

    I embrace all with worthy praise, and single some out.

  9. إِذا أَبرَزَ الرَوعُ الكَعابَ فَإِنَّهُم

    مَصادٌ لِمَن يَأوي إِلَيهِم وَمَعقِلُ

    When terror drives the full-breasted maiden into the open, they are

    a lofty refuge and stronghold for whoever shelters with them.

  10. وَأَنتَ الَّذي أَوفَيتَ فَاليَومَ بَعدَهُ

    أَغَرُّ مُمَسٌّ بِاليَدَينِ مُحَجَّلُ

    You are the one who gave in full; the day thereafter

    is white-blazed, white on both forelegs, and white-socked.

  11. تَخَيَّرتُ أَمراً ذا سَواعِدَ إِنَّهُ

    أَعَفُّ وَأَدنى لِلرَشادِ وَأَجمَلُ

    I chose a course with supporting arms, for it is

    more honorable, closer to right guidance, and fairer.

  12. وَذا شُطُباتٍ قَدَّهُ اِبنُ مُجَدَّعٍ

    لَهُ رَونَقٌ ذِرِّيُّهُ يَتَأَكَّلُ

    And a grooved sword, fashioned by Ibn Mujadda',

    with a gleaming sheen, its fine-grained pattern flashing.

  13. وَأَخرَجَ مِنهُ القَينَ أَثراً كَأَنَّهُ

    مَدَبٌّ دَباً سودٍ سَرى وَهوَ مُسهِلُ

    The smith brought out a pattern in it, as though it were

    the track of black locust nymphs traveling by night across a plain.

  14. وَبَيضاءَ زَغفٍ نَثلَةٍ سُلَمِيَّةٍ

    لَها رَفرَفٌ فَوقَ الأَنامِلِ مُرسَلُ

    And a white, fine-linked, ample Sulami mail-coat,

    with a loose skirt hanging down above the toes.

  15. وَأَشبَرَنيهِ الهالِكِيُّ كَأَنَّهُ

    غَديرٌ جَرَت في مَتنِهِ الريحُ سَلسَلُ

    The Haliki smith gave it to me, as though it were

    a clear pool across whose surface the wind had run.

  16. مَعي مارِنٌ لَدنٌ يُخَلّي طَريقَهُ

    سِنانٌ كَنِبراسِ النِهامِيِّ مِنجَلُ

    With me is a pliant, supple shaft, whose path is cleared

    by a broad spearhead, like the Nihami monk's lamp.

  17. تَقاكَ بِكَعبٍ واحِدٍ وَتَلَذُّهُ

    يَداكَ إِذا ما هُزَّ بِالكَفِّ يَعسِلُ

    It faces you with a single joint, and is a delight to

    your hands; whenever shaken in the palm, it quivers.

  18. وَصَفراءَ مِن نَبعٍ كَأَنَّ نَذيرَها

    إِذا لَم تُخَفِّضهُ عَنِ الوَحشِ أَفكَلُ

    And a yellow nab'-wood bow, whose warning twang seems,

    when you do not hush it from the game, a trembling fit.

  19. تَعَلَّمَها في غيلِها وَهيَ حَظوَةٌ

    بِوادٍ بِهِ نَبعٌ طِوالٌ وَحِثيَلُ

    He identified it in its thicket while it was a slender shoot,

    in a valley with tall nab' trees and low hithyal shrubs,

  20. وَبانٌ وَظَيّانٌ وَرَنفٌ وَشَوحَطٌ

    أَلُفُّ أَثيثٌ ناعِمٌ مُتَغَيِّلُ

    and ban, zayyan, ranf, and shawhat trees,

    interwoven, thick-grown, tender, and forming a thicket.

  21. فَمَظَّعَها حَولَينِ ماءَ لِحائِها

    تُعالى عَلى ظَهرِ العَريشِ وَتُنزَلُ

    So he seasoned it for two years with its bark's sap,

    raised onto the shelter's roof and lowered again.

  22. فَمَلَّكَ بِاللَيطِ الَّذي تَحتَ قِشرِها

    كَغِرقيءِ بَيضٍ كَنَّهُ القَيضُ مِن عَلُ

    Then he worked the bast beneath its outer bark,

    like an egg's inner membrane, sheltered from above by its shell.

  23. وَأَزعَجَهُ أَن قيلَ شَتّانَ ما تَرى

    إِلَيكَ وَعودٌ مِن سَراءٍ مُعَطَّلُ

    He was stirred to hear: How far apart are what you see

    before you and an unused stave of sara' wood!

  24. ثَلاثَةُ أَبرادٍ جِيادٍ وَجُرجَةٌ

    وَأَدكَنُ مِن أَريِ الدَبورِ مُعَسَّلُ

    Three fine striped cloaks and a leather bag,

    and a dark skin filled with the west wind's honey.

  25. فَجِئتُ بِبَيعي مولِياً لا أَزيدُهُ

    عَلَيهِ بِها حَتّى يَؤوبَ المُنَخَّلُ

    So I came away with my purchase, giving him no more

    for it beyond that, until al-Munakhkhal returns.

  26. وَذاكَ سِلاحي قَد رَضيتُ كَمالَهُ

    فَيَصدُفُ عَنّي ذو الجُناحِ المُعَبَّلُ

    That is my armament; I am content with its completeness,

    so the winged, broad-headed shaft turns aside from me.

  27. يَدُبُّ إِلَيهِ خاتِياً يَدَّري لَهُ

    لِيَفقُرَهُ في رَميِهِ وَهوَ يُرسِلُ

    He creeps toward it, stealthily, lying in wait for it,

    to pierce its spine with his shot as he lets fly.

  28. رَأَيتُ بُرَيداً يَزدَريني بِعَينِهِ

    تَأَمَّل رُوَيداً إِنَّني مَن تَأَمَّلُ

    I saw Burayd regarding me with a scornful eye;

    look closely, take your time: I am the one you behold.

  29. وَإِنَّكُما يا اِبنَي جَنابٍ وُجِدتُما

    كَمَن دَبَّ يَستَخفي وَفي الحَلقِ جَلجَلُ

    And you two, O sons of Janab, were found to be

    like one creeping to hide himself, with a bell at his throat.