أَمِن آلِ قَيلَةَ بِالدَخولِ رُسومُ

أَمِن آلِ قَيلَةَ بِالدَخولِ رُسومُ

وَبِحَومَلٍ طَلَلٌ يَلوحُ قَديمُ

وَبِحَومَلٍ طَلَلٌ يَلوحُ قَديمُ

Are these the traces of Qutayla’s people at al-Dakhul,

Are these traces at al-Dakhul of Qayla’s people,

and at Hawmal an ancient encampment looming into view?

and at Hawmal an ancient ruin still showing?

لَعِبَ الرِياحُ بِرَسمِهِ فَأَجَدَّهُ

لَعِبَ الرِياحُ بِرَسمِهِ فَأَجَدَّهُ

جونٌ عَواكِفُ في الرَمادِ جُثومُ

جونٌ عَواكِفُ في الرَمادِ جُثومُ

The winds played over its outlines and made them new again:

The winds played with its outline, then it was renewed by

dark stones lingering in the ashes, crouched there,

dark hearthstones, lingering in the ashes, crouched low.

سُفعُ الخُدودِ كَأَنَّهُنَّ وَقَد مَضَت

سُفعُ الخُدودِ كَأَنَّهُنَّ وَقَد مَضَت

حِجَجٌ عَوائِدُ بَينَهُنَّ سَقيمُ

حِجَجٌ عَوائِدُ بَينَهُنَّ سَقيمُ

dusky-cheeked, as though—after long years had passed—

Soot-dark of cheek, as though, after the passing of

they were women visiting a sick man in their midst.

years, they were women visiting a sick man among them.

أَجوازُ داوِيَةٍ خِلالَ دِمائِها

أَجوازُ داوِيَةٍ خِلالَ دِمائِها

جُدَدٌ صَحاصِحُ بَينَهُنَّ هُزومُ

جُدَدٌ صَحاصِحُ بَينَهُنَّ هُزومُ

The heartlands of a resounding waste, amid its blood-red veins,

In the heartlands of a vast desert, amid its blood,

are bare, level tracks, with clefts between them.

lie strips of level plain, with hollows between them.

وَلَقَد أَرَدتُ الصَبرَ عَنكِ فَعاقَني

وَلَقَد أَرَدتُ الصَبرَ عَنكِ فَعاقَني

عَلَقٌ بِقَلبي مِن هَواكِ قَديمُ

عَلَقٌ بِقَلبي مِن هَواكِ قَديمُ

I truly meant to school myself to patience away from you, but I was held back

And indeed I tried to endure without you, but was hindered

by an old attachment to your love within my heart.

by an old attachment in my heart, born of love for you.

كَذِبَ العَواذِلُ بَل أَرَدنَ خِيانَتي

كَذِبَ العَواذِلُ بَل أَرَدنَ خِيانَتي

وَبَدَت روائِعُ لِمَّتي وَقُتومُ

وَبَدَت روائِعُ لِمَّتي وَقُتومُ

The reproaching women lied; no, they meant to betray me,

The women who reproach me lied; rather, they meant to betray me.

and startling white hairs showed amid the deep black of my locks.

And startling gray strands appeared in my locks, alongside dark ones.

وَلَقَد شَهِدتُ الخَيلَ يَحمِلُ شِكَّتي

وَلَقَد شَهِدتُ الخَيلَ يَحمِلُ شِكَّتي

مُتَلَمِّظٌ خَذِمُ العِنانِ بَهيمُ

مُتَلَمِّظٌ خَذِمُ العِنانِ بَهيمُ

And I have joined the cavalry, my full battle gear borne

And indeed I joined the horsemen, my battle gear carried by

by a coal-black horse, lip-smacking and fierce upon the rein,

a lip-licking steed, swift under the rein, solid-colored.

عَتَدُ القِيادِ كَأَنَّهُ مُتَحَجِّرٌ

عَتَدُ القِيادِ كَأَنَّهُ مُتَحَجِّرٌ

حَرِبٌ يُشاهِدُ رَهطَهُ مَظلومُ

حَرِبٌ يُشاهِدُ رَهطَهُ مَظلومُ

powerful under the rein, as though he were entrenched among rocks—

Stout under the lead, as though he were a man seeking refuge,

an embattled man, wronged, watching his own clan.

plundered and wronged, watching his kinsmen.

باقي الذَماءِ إِذا مَلَكتَ مُنافِلٌ

باقي الذَماءِ إِذا مَلَكتَ مُنافِلٌ

وَإِذا جَمَعتَ بِهِ أَجَشٌّ هَزيمُ

وَإِذا جَمَعتَ بِهِ أَجَشٌّ هَزيمُ

His vital spark endures; once mastered, he gives more than is asked,

With enduring vigor, when you rein him in, he vies to excel;

and when you gather him beneath you, his thunder is deep and hoarse.

and when you drive him at full speed, he is deep-voiced and thunderous,

عَومَ المُعيدِ إِلى الرَجا قَذَفَت بِهِ

عَومَ المُعيدِ إِلى الرَجا قَذَفَت بِهِ

في اللُجَّ داوِيَةُ المَكانِ جَمومُ

في اللُجَّ داوِيَةُ المَكانِ جَمومُ

His gallop is the swimming of a man turning back toward shore, whom

swimming like one returning to the bank, cast

a surging, far-resounding wave has hurled into the deep.

into the deep by an ever-brimming flood, roaring where it flows.