1. أَجَدَّ رَواحُ القَومِ أَم لا تَرَوُّحُ

    نَعَم كُلُّ مَن يُعنى بِجُملٍ مُتَرَّحُ

    Is the people's evening departure in earnest, or is there no departing?

    Yes; everyone who cares for Juml is grief-stricken.

  2. إِذا اِبتَسَمَت أَبدَت غُروباً كَأَنَّها

    عَوارِضُ مُزنٍ تَستَهِلُّ وَتَلمَحُ

    When she smiles, she reveals tooth-tips as though they were

    banks of rainclouds pouring down and flashing.

  3. لَقَد هاجَ هَذا الشَوقُ عَيناً مَريضَةً

    أَجالَت قَذاً ظَلَّت بِهِ العَينُ تَمرَحُ

    This longing has indeed stirred an ailing eye,

    that rolled a mote about and kept streaming because of it,

  4. بِمُقلَةِ أَقنى يَنفِضُ الطَلَّ باكِرٍ

    تَجَلّى الدُجى عَن طَرفِهِ حينَ يُصبِحُ

    like the eye of a curved-nosed gazelle, early astir, shaking off dew,

    from whose gaze darkness clears when morning comes.

  5. وَأَعطَيتُ عَمرواً مِن أُمامَةَ حُكمَهُ

    وَلِلمُشتَري مِنهُ أُمامَةَ أَربَحُ

    And I granted Amr his own terms for Umamah,

    yet Umamah brings greater gain to the one who buys her from him.

  6. صَحا القَلبُ عَن سَلمى وَقَد بَرَّحَت بِهِ

    وَما كانَ يَلقى مِن تُماضِرَ أَبرَحُ

    The heart sobered from Salma, though she had tormented it;

    what it suffered from Tumadir was more grievous.

  7. رَأَيتُ سُلَيمى لا تُبالي الَّذي بِنا

    وَلا عَرَضاً مِن حاجَةٍ لا تُسَرَّحُ

    I found Sulayma indifferent to what ails us,

    nor caring for a hint of a need that goes unfulfilled.

  8. إِذا سايَرَت أَسماءُ يَوماً ظَعائِناً

    فَأَسماءُ مِن تِلكَ الظَعائِنِ أَملَحُ

    When Asma travels one day beside women in their litters,

    Asma is the loveliest of those women.

  9. ظَلَلنَ حَوالَي خِدرِ أَسماءَ وَاِنتَحى

    بِأَسماءَ مَوّارُ المِلاطَينِ أَروَحُ

    They lingered around Asma's curtained litter, while there bore away

    Asma a broad-legged camel with swaying flanks.

  10. تَقولُ سُلَيمى لَيسَ في الصَرمِ راحَةٌ

    بَلى إِنَّ بَعضَ الصَرمِ أَشفى وَأَروَحُ

    Sulayma says there is no comfort in parting.

    On the contrary: some parting brings more healing and relief.

  11. أُحِبُّكِ إِنَّ الحُبَّ داعِيَةُ الهَوى

    وَقَد كادَ ما بَيني وَبَينَكِ يَنزَحُ

    I love you; love is the herald of passion,

    though what lies between me and you has almost drained away.

  12. أَلا تَزجُرينَ القائِلينَ لِيَ الخَنا

    كَما أَنا مَعنِيٌّ وَراءَكِ مُنفِحُ

    Will you not rebuke those who speak obscenities to me,

    as I take pains to defend you in your absence?

  13. أَلِمّا عَلى سَلمى فَلَم أَرَ مِثلَها

    خَليلَ مُصافاةٍ يُزارُ وَيُمدَحُ

    You two, call on Salma; I have never seen her equal,

    a friend of sincere affection, visited and praised.

  14. وَقَد كانَ قَلبي مِن هَواها وَذِكرَةٍ

    ذَكَرنا بِها سَلمى عَلى النَأيِ يَفرَحُ

    And my heart would, through love of her and a remembrance,

    by which we recalled Salma despite the distance, rejoice.

  15. إِذا جِئتُها يَوماً مِنَ الدَهرِ زائِراً

    تَغَيَّرَ مِغيارٌ مِنَ القَومِ أَكلَحُ

    Whenever I come to visit her, on any day,

    a scowling, jealous man among her people grows agitated.

  16. فَلِلَّهِ عَينٌ لا تَزالُ لِذِكرِها

    عَلى كُلِّ حالٍ تَستَهِلُّ وَتَسفَحُ

    How wondrous an eye that, at her mention, never ceases

    in every circumstance to well up and pour out tears.

  17. وَما زالَ عَنّي قائِدُ الشَوقِ وَالهَوى

    إِذا جِئتُ حَتّى كادَ يَبدو فَيَفضَحُ

    The goad of yearning and passion never left me

    whenever I came, until it nearly showed itself and exposed me.

  18. أَصونُ الهَوى مِن رَهبَةٍ أَن تَعُزَّها

    عُيونٌ وَأَعداءٌ مِنَ القَومِ كُشَّحُ

    I conceal my passion, fearing she might be overpowered by

    spies and rancorous enemies among her people.

  19. فَما بَرِحَ الوَجدُ الَّذي قَد تَلَبَّسَت

    بِهِ النَفسُ حَتّى كادَ لِلشَوقِ يَذبَحُ

    The passion never ceased, having become entwined

    with the soul, until it almost slew it with longing.

  20. لَشَتّانَ يَومٌ بَينَ سَجفٍ وَكِلَّةٍ

    وَمَرِّ المَطايا تَغتَدي وَتَرَوَّحُ

    How different a day between a hanging curtain and a gauze canopy

    from the passing of riding camels, traveling morning and evening!

  21. أَعائِفَنا ماذا تَعيفُ وَقَد مَضَت

    بَوارِحُ قُدّامَ المَطِيِّ وَسُنَّحُ

    O our augur, what do you foretell, now that there have passed

    leftward-crossing creatures before the camels, and rightward-crossing ones?

  22. نَقيسُ بَقِيّاتِ النِطافِ عَلى الحَصى

    وَهُنَّ عَلى طَيِّ الحَيازيمِ جُنَّحُ

    We measure our scant remaining water by the pebbles,

    while the camels droop forward over their drawn-in chests.

  23. وَيَومٍ مِنَ الجَوزاءِ مُستَوقِدِ الحَصى

    تَكادُ صَياصي العَينِ مِنهُ تَصَيَّحُ

    And a day in al-Jawza's season, setting the pebbles ablaze,

    when the roots of the eyelashes almost crack from its heat,

  24. شَديدِ اللَظى حامي الوَديقَةِ ريحُهُ

    أَشَدُّ أَذىً مِن شَمسِهِ حينَ تَصمَحُ

    fiercely blazing, scorching in midday heat, its wind

    more hurtful than its sun when it blazes fiercely,

  25. بِأَغبَرَ وَهّاجِ السَمومِ تَرى بِهِ

    دُفوفَ المَهارى وَالذَفارى تَنَتَّحُ

    in a dusty waste blazing with scorching wind, where you see

    the flanks of Mahri camels and their napes oozing sweat.

  26. نَصَبتُ لَهُ وَجهي وَعَنساً كَأَنَّها

    مِنَ الجَهدِ وَالإِسآدِ قَرمٌ مُلَوَّحُ

    I set my face against it, with a sturdy she-camel that seemed,

    from strain and night travel, a sun-scorched breeding stallion.

  27. أَلَم تَعلَمي أَنَّ النَدى مِن خَليقَتي

    وَكُلُّ أَريبٍ تاجِرٍ يَتَرَبَّحُ

    Do you not know that generosity is part of my nature,

    and every shrewd merchant seeks a profit?

  28. فَلا تَصرِميني أَن تَرَي رَبَّ هَجمَةٍ

    يُريحُ بِذَمٍّ ما أَراحَ وَيَسرَحُ

    So do not forsake me because you see the owner of a great camel herd

    bringing it home to reproach, whenever he brings it home or sends it to pasture.

  29. يَراها قَليلاً لا تَسُدَّ فُقورَهُ

    عَلى كُلِّ بَثٍّ حاضِرٍ يَتَتَرَّحُ

    He thinks it too little to fill the gaps in his poverty;

    over every trouble at hand, he grieves.

  30. رَأَت صِرمَةً لِلحَنظَلِيِّ كَأَنَّها

    شَظِيُّ القَنا مِنها مُناقٌ وَرُزَّحُ

    She saw a small herd belonging to the Hanzali, as though it were

    splintered spear-shafts, some marrow-fat and others exhausted.

  31. سَيَكفيكَ وَالأَضيافَ إِن نَزَلوا بِنا

    إِذا لَم يَكُن رِسلٌ شِواءٌ مُلَوَّحُ

    You and the guests, should they lodge with us, will have enough—

    if there is no milk, fire-browned roast meat.

  32. وَجامِعَةٍ لا يُجعَلُ السِترُ دونَها

    لِأَضيافِنا وَالفائِزُ المُتَمَنِّحُ

    And a capacious pot, no curtain set before it,

    for our guests and the fortunate seeker of gifts,

  33. رَكودٍ تَسامى بِالمَحالِ كَأَنَّها

    شَموسٌ تَذُبُّ القائِدينَ وَتَضرَحُ

    sitting firmly, yet tossing up backbone joints as though it were

    a restive mare that repels its handlers and kicks out.

  34. إِذا ما تَرامى الغَليُ في حُجُراتِها

    تَرى الزَورَ في أَرجائِها يَتَطَوَّحُ

    When the boiling surges through its hollows,

    you see the breastbone tumbling about its sides.

  35. أَلَم يُنهَ عَنّي الناسُ أَن لَستُ ظالِماً

    بَرِيّاً وَأَنّي لِلمُتاحينَ مِتيَحُ

    Have people not been told of me that I do not wrong

    an innocent man, and am a challenger to those who challenge me?

  36. فَمِنهُم رَمِيٌّ قَد أُصيبَ فُؤادُهُ

    وَآخَرُ لاقى صَكَّةً فَمُرَنَّحُ

    Among them is a man shot, whose heart has been struck,

    and another who took a blow and was left reeling.

  37. بَني مالِكٍ أَمسى الفَرَزدَقُ جاحِراً

    سُكَيتاً وَبَذَّتهُ خَناذيذُ قُرَّحُ

    Sons of Malik, al-Farazdaq has ended up cowering in his hole,

    the last horse home, outstripped by noble, full-grown stallions.

  38. لَقَد أَحرَزَ الغاياتِ قَبلَ مُجاشِعٍ

    فَوارِسُ غُرٌّ وَاِبنُ شِعرَةَ يَكدَحُ

    The finishing posts were indeed secured ahead of Mujashiʿ

    by illustrious horsemen, while Ibn Shiʿrah labors on.

  39. وَما زالَ فينا سابِقٌ قَد عَلِمتُمُ

    يُقَلِّدُ فِعلَ السابِقينَ وَيَمدَحُ

    There has always been a front-runner among us, as you know,

    who emulates the deeds of earlier front-runners and praises them.

  40. عَلَتكَ أَواذِيٌّ مِنَ البَحرِ فَاِقتَبِض

    بِكَفَّيكَ فَاِنظُر أَيَّ لُجَّيهِ تَقدَحُ

    Surging waves from the sea have risen over you; scoop some up

    with both your hands, and see which of its two deeps you can bail out.

  41. لَقَومِيَ أَوفى ذِمَّةً مِن مُجاشِعٍ

    وَخَيرٌ إِذا شَلَّ السَوامَ المُصَبِّحُ

    My people are indeed more faithful to their pledges than Mujashiʿ,

    and better when a dawn raider drives off the grazing herds.

  42. تَخِفُّ مَوازينُ الخَناثى مُجاشِعٌ

    وَيَثقُلُ ميزاني عَلَيهِم فَيَرجَحُ

    The scales of the effeminates, Mujashiʿ, weigh light,

    while my scale weighs heavily against them and outweighs theirs.

  43. فَخَرتُ بِقَيسٍ وَاِفتَخَرتَ بِتَغلِبٍ

    فَسَوفَ تَرى أَيَّ الفَريقَينِ أَربَحُ

    I boasted of Qays, and you boasted of Taghlib;

    you will soon see which of the two parties fares better.

  44. فَأَمّا النَصارى العابِدونَ صَليبَهُم

    فَخابوا وَأَمّا المُسلِمونَ فَأَفلَحوا

    As for the Christians who worship their cross,

    they failed; as for the Muslims, they succeeded.

  45. أَلَم يَأتِهِم أَنَّ الأُخَيطَلَ قَد هَوى

    وَطَوَّحَ في مَهواةِ قَومٍ تَطَوُّحُ

    Has word not reached them that al-Ukhaytal has fallen,

    and a headlong plunge hurled him into a people's abyss?

  46. تَدارَكَ مَسعاةَ الأُخَيطَلِ لُؤمُهُ

    وَظَهرٌ كَظَهرِ القاسِطيَّةِ أَفطَحُ

    Al-Ukhaytal's baseness overtook his striving for honor,

    and a broad, flat back like a Qasit woman's.

  47. لَنا كُلَّ عامٍ جِزيَةٌ تَتَّقي بِها

    عَلَيكَ وَما تَلقى مِنَ الذُلِّ أَبرَحُ

    We receive tribute every year, with which you protect

    yourself; yet the humiliation you suffer is more grievous.

  48. وَما زالَ مَمنوعاً لِقَيسٍ وَخِندِفٍ

    حِمىً تَتَخَطّاهُ الخَنازيرُ أَفيَحُ

    There has always been guarded for Qays and Khindif

    a broad preserve that the swine pass beyond.

  49. إِذا أَخَذَت قَيسٌ عَلَيكَ وَخِندِفٌ

    بِأَقطارِها لَم تَدرِ مِن أَينَ تَسرَحُ

    When Qays and Khindif close in on you

    from its borders, you will not know which way to escape.

  50. لَقَد سُلَّ أَسيافُ الهُذَيلِ عَلَيكُمُ

    رِقاقَ النَواحي لَيسَ فيهِنَّ مُصفَحُ

    Al-Hudhayl's swords have indeed been drawn against you,

    thin-edged, with not a blunt blade among them.

  51. وَخاضَت حُجولُ الوِردِ بِالمَرجِ مِنكُمُ

    دِماءً وَأَفواهُ الخَنازيرِ كُلَّحُ

    And the white-socked legs of chestnut horses at al-Marj waded through your

    blood, while the swine's mouths bared their teeth.

  52. لَقيتُم بِأَيدي عامِرٍ مَشرَفِيَّةً

    تَعَضُّ بِهامِ الدارِعينَ وَتَجرَحُ

    You met Mashrafi swords in the hands of Amir,

    biting into the heads of armored men and wounding them.

  53. بِمُعتَرَكٍ تَهوي لِوَقعِ ظُباتِها

    خَذاريفُ هامٍ أَو مَعاصِمُ تُطرَحُ

    On a battlefield where, at the stroke of their edges, there fall

    spinning skull-fragments, or wrists are flung away.

  54. سَما لَكُمُ الجَحّافُ بِالخَيلِ عَنوَةً

    وَأَنتَ بِشَطِّ الزابِيَينِ تَنَوَّحُ

    Al-Jahhaf advanced against you with horsemen in force,

    while you wailed on the bank of the two Zabs.

  55. عَلَيهِم مُفاضاتُ الحَديدِ كَأَنَّها

    أَضا يَومَ دَجنٍ في أَجاليدَ ضَحضَحُ

    They wore ample coats of iron, as though they were

    shallow pools amid hard ground on a cloudy day.

  56. وَظَلَّ لَكُم يَومٌ بِسِنجارَ فاضِحٌ

    وَيَومٌ بِأَعطانِ الرَحوبَينِ أَفضَحُ

    A day at Sinjar remained a disgrace to you,

    and a day at the watering grounds of al-Rahubayn was more disgraceful.

  57. وَضَيَّعتُمُ بِالبِشرِ عَوراتِ نِسوَةٍ

    تَكَشَّفَ عَنهُنَّ العَباءُ المُسَيَّحُ

    And at al-Bishr you left women's nakedness unprotected,

    their striped cloaks slipping away from them.

  58. بِذَلِكَ أَحمَينا البِلادَ عَلَيكُمُ

    فَما لَكَ في حافاتِها مُتَزَحزَحُ

    Through that we made the lands forbidden to you,

    so you have no room to move along their borders.

  59. أَبا مالِكٍ مالَت بِرَأسِكَ نَشوَةٌ

    وَعَرَّدتَ إِذ كَبشُ الكَتيبَةِ أَملَحُ

    Abu Malik, drunkenness tilted your head,

    and you fled when the battalion's ram was gray-flecked.

  60. إِذا ما رَأَيتَ الليثَ مِن تَغلِبِيَّةٍ

    فَقُبِّحَ ذاكَ الليثُ وَالمُتَوَشَّحُ

    When you see a lion from a Taghlibi woman,

    then ill-favored be that lion and the sash-wearer!

  61. تَرى مَحجِراً مِنها إِذا ما تَنَقَّبَت

    قَبيحاً وَما تَحتَ النِقابَينِ أَقبَحُ

    You see an eye-socket of hers, when she veils her face,

    ugly, and what lies beneath the two veils is uglier.

  62. وَلَم تَمسَحِ البَيتَ العَتيقَ أَكُفُّها

    وَلَكِن بِقُربانِ الصَليبِ تَمَسَّحُ

    Her hands have never touched the Ancient House,

    but she seeks blessing by touching the offering of the cross.

  63. يَقِئنَ صُباباتٍ مِنَ الخَمرِ فَوقَها

    صَهيرُ خَنازيرِ السَوادِ المُمَلَّحُ

    They vomit remnants of wine, overlaid with

    salted, rendered fat from the swine of al-Sawad.

  64. فَما لَكَ في نَجدٍ حَصاةٌ تَعُدُّها

    وَما لَكَ في غَورَي تِهامَةَ أَبطَحُ

    So in Najd you have not a pebble to count,

    nor a pebbly plain in either lowland of Tihamah.