غالِ بها فيما تسامُ واشترِطْ

غالِ بها فيما تسامُ واشترِطْ

فلاءَها فضلاً على البيع الشططْ

فلاءَها فضلاً على البيع الشططْ

Ask a high price for her when bids are made, and stipulate

Insist on the best of what is proper and make

her foals as an extra beyond the exorbitant sale-price.

Its surplus a favor over bad bargaining.

واعلم بأنّ الغبنَ حيث نُشطت

واعلم بأنّ الغبنَ حيث نُشطت

رُبُطُها والغُنْمَ حيث تُرتَبَطْ

رُبُطُها والغُنْمَ حيث تُرتَبَطْ

And know that loss lies where

And know that binding happens where cheating thrives,

her tethers are loosened, and gain where she is tethered.

While winning happens where one is bound.

من ضامنات الحاج لو دانيتَها

من ضامنات الحاج لو دانيتَها

بالنجم لم تُلْوَ به ولم تُلطْ

بالنجم لم تُلْوَ به ولم تُلطْ

She is among those that guarantee one's needs: if you matched her

If you had likened the guarantees of the pilgrim

against a star, it could neither hold her back nor bind her.

To a star, it would neither twist nor wind.

ليس على راكبها جنايةٌ

ليس على راكبها جنايةٌ

من عَلَمٍ يُعيي ولا أرض تشطّْ

من عَلَمٍ يُعيي ولا أرض تشطّْ

No harm befalls her rider

No sin on its rider

from a wearisome mountain or a distant stretch of land.

Of a banner that fails, or ground that wanders.

إن لم تكن أنت الذي ينصِبُه

إن لم تكن أنت الذي ينصِبُه

طولُ السرى فهي التي لم تعيَ قطّْ

طولُ السرى فهي التي لم تعيَ قطّْ

If it is not you yourself whom

If you were not the one that

long night travel exhausts, she has never tired at all.

The length of travel appointed,

كأنها تحت الدجى جِنِّيَّةٌ

كأنها تحت الدجى جِنِّيَّةٌ

راكبها في ظهرها نجمٌ هَبَطْ

راكبها في ظهرها نجمٌ هَبَطْ

Beneath the darkness she seems a female jinn;

It is the one that never wavered.

her rider upon her back is a star descended.

As if it were a jinniya under the darkness,

لا تطأ الأرضَ وإن تسهَّلتْ

لا تطأ الأرضَ وإن تسهَّلتْ

لوطأة الدائس إلا ما تخطّْ

لوطأة الدائس إلا ما تخطّْ

She scarcely treads the earth, though it lies smooth

Its rider a star that descended on its back.

beneath the traveler's tread, except to trace a line.

It does not tread the ground even when eased

كأنما أربعُها من خفّةٍ

كأنما أربعُها من خفّةٍ

واحدةٌ في السير حين تختلطْ

واحدةٌ في السير حين تختلطْ

Her four legs seem, from their lightness,

By the tread of one who stomps, except what it steps over.

a single leg in motion when they mingle.

As if its four legs were of such lightness

تجري فتُدمي أُذنَها بيدها

تجري فتُدمي أُذنَها بيدها

كأنها بسنبكيها تشترطْ

كأنها بسنبكيها تشترطْ

She runs, her forefoot drawing blood from her ear,

That they were one in motion when they mingled.

as though she were scarifying herself with her two hooves.

It runs and strikes its ear with its hand,

تنخّل الغالون من آياتها

تنخّل الغالون من آياتها

صفوةَ ما خلَّفَ فيهم وفَرطْ

صفوةَ ما خلَّفَ فيهم وفَرطْ

The high bidders sifted from her qualities

As if stipulating with its braids.

the choicest of what was left among them and what went before.

It sifts the stout from its signs,

لم تتحرَّشْ بشميم أمِّها

لم تتحرَّشْ بشميم أمِّها

هجائن الفُرس ولا غُبْس النَّبَطْ

هجائن الفُرس ولا غُبْس النَّبَطْ

Her mother's native strain was never touched

The elite of what was left by them in loss and gain.

by Persian crossbreds or dusky Nabataean stock.

It was not roughed up by the scent of its mother,

لها من العُربِ ضمورٌ ناسبٌ

لها من العُربِ ضمورٌ ناسبٌ

يغنَى به عن الوسوم من عَلَطْ

يغنَى به عن الوسوم من عَلَطْ

She has the Arabs' lean build, declaring her lineage,

The crossbreeds of horses or sneers of camels.

enough to dispense with identifying brands upon the neck.

It has from the Arabs a fitting leanness

جرداء لولا سَعَفٌ منتشرٌ

جرداء لولا سَعَفٌ منتشرٌ

من عُرفها قلت عسيبٌ مخترَطْ

من عُرفها قلت عسيبٌ مخترَطْ

Sleek: but for the fronds spread out

That suffices without branding with hot iron.

from her mane, you would call her a stripped palm-stalk.

Bare, were it not for widespread forelock

بمحزَمٍ كما طويتَ بُردةً

بمحزَمٍ كما طويتَ بُردةً

ومَلجَم كما نشرتَ عن سَفَطْ

ومَلجَم كما نشرتَ عن سَفَطْ

With a girth like a mantle you have folded,

You would say a smooth braided rope.

and a muzzle like one you have unfolded from a coffer.

With a noseband as if you folded a cloak

هي التي رحتَ بها مغتبطاً

هي التي رحتَ بها مغتبطاً

وقد لحقتَ بعد خمسٍ بالغُبُطْ

وقد لحقتَ بعد خمسٍ بالغُبُطْ

She is the one on whom you rode away delighted,

And reins as if you spread out a carpet.

having overtaken the litters after five days.

It is the one you rode happily upon,

وبتَّ جارَ الحيِّ ترعَى معَهم

وبتَّ جارَ الحيِّ ترعَى معَهم

على نوى المرعَى ومصدوع الخُطَطْ

على نوى المرعَى ومصدوع الخُطَطْ

You spent the night beside the tribe, sharing their pasture,

And reached after five the ultimate happiness.

despite the pasture's remoteness and their scattered camps.

And it passed the night with the neighbors grazing

وناظراتٍ من فروج الرَّقم مذ

وناظراتٍ من فروج الرَّقم مذ

سُنّت عليهنّ السجوفُ لَم تُمَطْ

سُنّت عليهنّ السجوفُ لَم تُمَطْ

And women peering through gaps in patterned hangings, since

At the plants of the pasture and split mountains.

curtains were draped over them and never drawn aside.

And gazelles from the meadows of sand, since

بيضاتِ كِنٍّ مُلُسٍ لو خطِّيت

بيضاتِ كِنٍّ مُلُسٍ لو خطِّيت

ما بينهنّ وصمةٌ لم تَتَّخطّْ

ما بينهنّ وصمةٌ لم تَتَّخطّْ

Smooth, sheltered eggs: were a blemish made to step

Bashfulness was accustomed upon them, unwiped.

into the space between them, it would never cross.

Whites of gentle, polished hides - if you marked

لم يُبتذَلْنَ أوجهاً وأيدياً

لم يُبتذَلْنَ أوجهاً وأيدياً

في وهَج النارِ ولا مخضِ الأقِطْ

في وهَج النارِ ولا مخضِ الأقِطْ

Their faces and hands have never been worn by toil

Among them, no stigma would be marked.

in the blaze of fire or the churning of curds.

Their faces and hands were not made common

وادي الغضا يرقدن حوليه الضحى

وادي الغضا يرقدن حوليه الضحى

لطيمةُ السَّفْر اليمانين تُحَطّْ

لطيمةُ السَّفْر اليمانين تُحَطّْ

Wadi al-Ghada: on either side they sleep at forenoon,

In the fervor of fire or hot embers.

while the Yemeni travelers' perfume caravan is unloaded.

The valley of Ghada, they sleep around it in the morning,

كأن روضاً تتهاداه الصَّبا

كأن روضاً تتهاداه الصَّبا

هبّاتُهنَّ يتنازعنّ الشُّرُطْ

هبّاتُهنَّ يتنازعنّ الشُّرُطْ

It is as though a meadow, gently swayed by the east wind,

The kind of journey, the Yemeni, wrapped.

were their wafts, vying with one another for the prizes.

As if a garden roamed by the morning breeze,

طرقْتَهُنّ والدجى لم ينفتقْ

طرقْتَهُنّ والدجى لم ينفتقْ

وسبحة الجوزاء لما تنخرطْ

وسبحة الجوزاء لما تنخرطْ

You visited them by night, before the darkness split,

Their stirrings competing over condition.

before Orion's string of beads had scattered.

You came upon them and the night had not parted,

أنشد قلبي عندهنَّ ضلّةً

أنشد قلبي عندهنَّ ضلّةً

نشدك بالقاع بعيراً منتشِطْ

نشدك بالقاع بعيراً منتشِطْ

I seek my heart among them as something lost,

Nor had the bracelet of Aldebaran slipped.

as you seek an untethered camel on the plain.

My heart recited by them a misguidance,

وبينهنَّ ظبيةٌ شارفةٌ

وبينهنَّ ظبيةٌ شارفةٌ

لم تتعرَّف عندَها قبلي اللُّقَطْ

لم تتعرَّف عندَها قبلي اللُّقَطْ

And among them is a mature gazelle,

I implore you by the settlements, a groomed camel.

with whom no lost thing had been claimed before me.

And among them a doe, almost mature,

ضاعف درعيها وقد تجرّدتْ

ضاعف درعيها وقد تجرّدتْ

مرجَّلٌ أسحمُ ذيَّالٌ قَطَطْ

مرجَّلٌ أسحمُ ذيَّالٌ قَطَطْ

Doubling her two shifts, though she had stripped,

Which did not recognize me before as a foundling.

was combed, jet-black hair, trailing in tight curls.

It doubled its coat when it was exposed,

وَحْفٌ إذا ما غرّبت فيه يداً

وَحْفٌ إذا ما غرّبت فيه يداً

فارقةٍ أدردَ أسنانَ المُشُطْ

فارقةٍ أدردَ أسنانَ المُشُطْ

Thick: whenever you plunge deep into it the hand

A gray smooth-tailed hyena.

of a woman parting it, it knocks the teeth from the comb.

When I inserted a hand like a crescent moon

صدّ بها معرِضةً أن قرأتْ

صدّ بها معرِضةً أن قرأتْ

خطّاً من الشيب بفودَيَّ وَخَطْ

خطّاً من الشيب بفودَيَّ وَخَطْ

What drove her away, turning aside, was that she read

Into its mouth, it ground the teeth of a comb.

a streak of gray that had speckled my two temples.

It drove me away while turning aside

من منصفي من عَنتٍ في طرفها

من منصفي من عَنتٍ في طرفها

يزحمُ هُدَّاب الرداءِ بالشَّمَطْ

يزحمُ هُدَّاب الرداءِ بالشَّمَطْ

Who will give me justice against the cruelty in her glance,

When it read a line of gray hair on my temple and cheek.

which crowds my cloak's fringes with grizzled hair?

It said you grew old and singing turned sullen,

قالت كبِرتَ والغنى معبِّسٌ

قالت كبِرتَ والغنى معبِّسٌ

لابد ما لم تُحتضَرْ فتُعتَبَطْ

لابد ما لم تُحتضَرْ فتُعتَبَطْ

She said, 'You have grown old'—and affluence makes one scowl.

You must be gathered, or else be tied down.

One must, unless death comes and takes one in one's prime.

The cups of the changing of fate crept up on me

دبّت أفانينُ صروفِ الدهر لي

دبّت أفانينُ صروفِ الدهر لي

أساودا فناهشتني ورُقُطْ

أساودا فناهشتني ورُقُطْ

Fate's many shifting turns crept toward me

Evil-omened, and they tore me and pulverized me.

as black snakes—and spotted ones—and bit me.

And bags pulled me in by the gray hair

ونجّذتني حقَبٌ عُلوقها

ونجّذتني حقَبٌ عُلوقها

بالشيب وهي لم تجمّلني فُرُطْ

بالشيب وهي لم تجمّلني فُرُطْ

Years taught me hard lessons, fastening themselves

And they did not adorn me while in their prime.

upon me through gray hair, and passed without beautifying me.

And how much I hit and then cast amiss,

وكم أصبتُ ثم أرمي غلطاً

وكم أصبتُ ثم أرمي غلطاً

فدلّني على الإصاباتِ الغَلطْ

فدلّني على الإصاباتِ الغَلطْ

How often I hit the mark, then shot astray;

So guide me to the hits from the misses!

error then showed me the way to true aim.

And a friend whose wound I failed to probe

وصاحبٍ كالجُرح أعيا سَبُرهُ

وصاحبٍ كالجُرح أعيا سَبُرهُ

وجلَّ عن ضبط العِصابِ والقُمُطْ

وجلَّ عن ضبط العِصابِ والقُمُطْ

And a companion like a wound whose probing baffled,

And refrained from binding dressing and pad.

too great to be contained by bandages and swathings.

I carried him not complaining of his weight

حملتُه لا أتشكَّى ثِقلَه

حملتُه لا أتشكَّى ثِقلَه

كي لا تقولوا طَرِفٌ أو مشترِطْ

كي لا تقولوا طَرِفٌ أو مشترِطْ

I bore him without complaining of his weight,

Lest you say, biased or stipulating.

lest you call me fickle or one who sets conditions.

And like gravel, a rhyme I made rugged,

وكالشجا قافيةٌ أسغتُها

وكالشجا قافيةٌ أسغتُها

لو عارضت حنجرةَ البازِلِ أطّْ

لو عارضت حنجرةَ البازِلِ أطّْ

And a verse, like a bone lodged in the throat, I forced down;

If it faced the throat of one hoarse, it would rasp.

had it struck a full-grown camel's throat, it would have groaned.

I make it hear, requesting approval from it,

أُسمِعها مستدعياً منه الرضى

أُسمِعها مستدعياً منه الرضى

أصمَّ لا يسمع إلا ما سخَطْ

أصمَّ لا يسمع إلا ما سخَطْ

I make him hear it, seeking his approval—

Deaf, it hears only what angers it.

a deaf man who hears nothing but what displeases him.

It eats my praise and reproach together,

يأكل مدحي وعتابي سُحُتاً

يأكل مدحي وعتابي سُحُتاً

حلواً ومرّاً ماضغاً ومسترِطْ

حلواً ومرّاً ماضغاً ومسترِطْ

He devours my praise and reproach as ill-gotten food,

Sweet and bitter, chewing and drawing out.

sweet and bitter, chewing and gulping.

It eats it in humiliation, obligated to it,

يأكله بالذلّ ممنوناً به

يأكله بالذلّ ممنوناً به

فلا يبالي ساقطٌ كيف لَقطْ

فلا يبالي ساقطٌ كيف لَقطْ

He consumes it abjectly, indebted for the favor;

So it does not care, fallen one, how it was picked up!

a base man cares nothing how he scavenges.

If only the clan of Abd al-Rahim would remain

ليت بني عبد الرحيم ليتهم

ليت بني عبد الرحيم ليتهم

يبقون لي من عَرَض الدنيا فقطْ

يبقون لي من عَرَض الدنيا فقطْ

Would that the sons of Abd al-Rahim—would that they

For me from the honor of life, even a little.

alone remained to me of this world's passing goods.

Bestowers of their land’s fruits

الواهبين طُعمةً أرضَهُمُ

الواهبين طُعمةً أرضَهُمُ

ما أخصب العامُ عليهم أو قَحَطْ

ما أخصب العامُ عليهم أو قَحَطْ

Those who grant their land as sustenance,

Whether the year was fertile upon them or arid.

whether the year brings them abundance or drought;

And preventers only of their neighbor’s nose,

والمانعين أَنَفاً جارَهُمُ

والمانعين أَنَفاً جارَهُمُ

لم يلتصق بنسبٍ ولم يُنَطْ

لم يلتصق بنسبٍ ولم يُنَطْ

and who, out of proud honor, defend their neighbor,

Neither adhering to lineage, nor libertines.

though connected to them by no kinship or bond.

Finding refuge among them, while prohibited sanctuary,

يحاط فيهم وهو ممنوع الحمى

يحاط فيهم وهو ممنوع الحمى

إذا تسمّى باسمهم لو لم يُحَطْ

إذا تسمّى باسمهم لو لم يُحَطْ

He is guarded among them, his sanctuary defended,

If he attributed himself to their name, even if not attributed.

merely by claiming their name, even without a guard.

Lords of glory, and if you measured by them

سادات مجدٍ وإذا قستَ بهم

سادات مجدٍ وإذا قستَ بهم

سيّدَهم باعدَ فضلاً وشحَطْ

سيّدَهم باعدَ فضلاً وشحَطْ

Masters of glory; and if you compared with them

You would make their lord exceed in superior virtue.

their chief, his excellence would far outstrip them.

Al-Husayn came and took their ideals as model,

جاء الحسينُ فاحتذى مثالَهم

جاء الحسينُ فاحتذى مثالَهم

ثُمَّتَ زاد جائزاً تلك النُّقَطْ

ثُمَّتَ زاد جائزاً تلك النُّقَطْ

Al-Husayn came and followed their example,

Then excelled, making those spots more.

then added more, passing beyond those marks.

He disdains that you raise him through inheritance,

يشمخ أن ترفعَه وراثةً

يشمخ أن ترفعَه وراثةً

علياءُ لم يَرفَعْ لها ولم يَحُطّْ

علياءُ لم يَرفَعْ لها ولم يَحُطّْ

He scorns being raised by inheritance

The loftiness that did not raise him nor debase him.

to a height for which he has neither lifted nor laid down.

Like a lion, no morsel is sweet to him

كالليث لا تحلو له مضغةُ ما

كالليث لا تحلو له مضغةُ ما

لم يفتلِذْ بكفّه ويعتبِطْ

لم يفتلِذْ بكفّه ويعتبِطْ

Like a lion, no morsel tastes sweet to him

Unless he seizes it in his palm and gathers it.

unless he has torn it off with his paw and slain the beast in its prime.

He extends to the pinnacle of glory a hand

مدّ إلى ناصية المجد يداً

مدّ إلى ناصية المجد يداً

ينقبض المزنُ مكانَ تنبسِطْ

ينقبض المزنُ مكانَ تنبسِطْ

He stretched a hand toward glory's forelock;

That the horizons recede from where it extends.

rainclouds draw back wherever it opens.

Your right hand, if you hasten it

تُفدَى بيسرى لك إن أعجلتَها

تُفدَى بيسرى لك إن أعجلتَها

بالجود يُمنَى كلِّ روَّاغٍ مُلِطّْ

بالجود يُمنَى كلِّ روَّاغٍ مُلِطّْ

Your left hand, if you hasten it

With generosity, redeems the right hand of every grasping destitute.

to giving, ransoms every evasive withholder's right.

He gives to one requesting and is stingy to one abundant,

يعطِي مقلاًّ ويَضنُّ مكثِراً

يعطِي مقلاًّ ويَضنُّ مكثِراً

وإنما أحسنتَ ظناً وقَنطْ

وإنما أحسنتَ ظناً وقَنطْ

He gives when poor, but hoards when rich;

For you thought well, and he despaired.

you hold good expectations, while he despairs.

The hand of the stingy is but depravity,

وما يد البخيل إلا سوأةٌ

وما يد البخيل إلا سوأةٌ

متى بدت بارزةً فقل تَغَطّْ

متى بدت بارزةً فقل تَغَطّْ

The miser's hand is nothing but a shameful exposure:

Whenever it appears prominent, say it is covered!

whenever it appears bare, say, 'Cover yourself!'

And one who denied your right, you did not burden him

ومنكرٍ حقَّك لم تعلقْ به

ومنكرٍ حقَّك لم تعلقْ به

من الوفاء شيمةٌ ولم تُلَطْ

من الوفاء شيمةٌ ولم تُلَطْ

And a denier of your due, to whom there never clung

With loyalty or adorn him.

a trait of loyalty, nor ever adhered:

You loaned to him - if the servant were to thank a hand,

أسلفتَه لو شكر العبد يداً

أسلفتَه لو شكر العبد يداً

غطَّى عليها بالجحود وغَمطْ

غطَّى عليها بالجحود وغَمطْ

you advanced him a favor—if only the slave had thanked you—

He would cover it with ingratitude and erase it!

which he covered with denial and belittled.

If you wished after the error of days in his

لو شئتَ بعد غلطةِ الأيّام في ار

لو شئتَ بعد غلطةِ الأيّام في ار

تقائه جازيته لمّا سقَطْ

تقائه جازيته لمّا سقَطْ

If you wished, after the days' mistake in his ris-

Abstention, you could repay him when he fell.

ing, you could have repaid him when he fell.

Deception deluded you about him when

غرَّر إذ خاطرك الجهلُ به

غرَّر إذ خاطرك الجهلُ به

ما كلّ من أبصر عشواءَ خَبَطْ

ما كلّ من أبصر عشواءَ خَبَطْ

He risked himself when ignorance used him to challenge you;

Not everyone who beholds confusion gropes!

not everyone who sees a blind she-camel strikes blindly.

You were nothing but a settled mountain, and he

ما كنتَ إلا جبلاً أرسَى ولا

ما كنتَ إلا جبلاً أرسَى ولا

كان سوى سهمٍ من الشرّ مَرَطْ

كان سوى سهمٍ من الشرّ مَرَطْ

You were nothing but a firmly rooted mountain, nor

Was none but an arrow of evil flung.

was he more than a featherless arrow of malice.

Listen! For the reports of glory are not preferred

اِسمعْ فما تُؤثَر أخبارُ العلا

اِسمعْ فما تُؤثَر أخبارُ العلا

إلا شذوذاً وهي عنك تنضبِطْ

إلا شذوذاً وهي عنك تنضبِطْ

Listen: accounts of lofty deeds are transmitted

Except rarely, while they about you are precise.

only sporadically, while yours are reliably recorded.

Am I in describing you anything but a conveyor

هل أنا في وصفك إلا ناقلٌ

هل أنا في وصفك إلا ناقلٌ

تُملي سجاياك عليَّ وأخُطّْ

تُملي سجاياك عليَّ وأخُطّْ

Am I, in describing you, anything but a transmitter?

Dictating your traits to me while I inscribe?

Your virtues dictate to me, and I write.

Familiars - were it not for you I would not be with them -

أوانساً لولاك ما كنتُ بها

أوانساً لولاك ما كنتُ بها

ما فَارقتْ حشمتَها بمغتبِطْ

ما فَارقتْ حشمتَها بمغتبِطْ

Gracious maidens—were it not for you, I would not

Their restraint did not part with a attached bit.

delight in them when they cast off their modest reserve.

Every scout that did not part from a battalion

كلّ نَوارٍ لم يفارق نزقةً

كلّ نَوارٍ لم يفارق نزقةً

أخمصُها النعلَ وجنباها النَّمَطْ

أخمصُها النعلَ وجنباها النَّمَطْ

Each a chaste maiden: never in wantonness has

Whose toe is a shoe and whose side a brand.

her instep left her sandal, nor her sides their patterned coverlet.

How many a neck, while it has a collar,

كم عُنقٍ وهي لها طوقٌ وكم

كم عُنقٍ وهي لها طوقٌ وكم

من أذنٍ تُصغي لها وهي قُرُطْ

من أذنٍ تُصغي لها وهي قُرُطْ

How many a neck she adorns as a collar, and how many

And how many ears listen while they are earrings!

an ear listens to her, while she is its earring!

I tame it, not wearing myself out, and

أروضها لا نصبي ضاع ولا

أروضها لا نصبي ضاع ولا

أجريَ فيها عند نعماك حَبِطْ

أجريَ فيها عند نعماك حَبِطْ

I school them: neither has my labor been lost, nor

None of my reward by your blessing fails or is lost.

has my reward for them come to nothing amid your bounty.

Every day Qasim divides the beauty with it,

في كلّ يوم قاسمُ الحسن به

في كلّ يوم قاسمُ الحسن به

أقسط في غيري وفي شعري قَسَطْ

أقسط في غيري وفي شعري قَسَطْ

Each day, through him, the apportioner of beauty

More fairly to others and to my poetry he apportions.

is just to others, but unjust to my poetry.

Be like the apathetic before you, but he

كنَّ كسالَى قبلكم لكنّه

كنَّ كسالَى قبلكم لكنّه

ما نشِط الإحسان للشعر نَشِطْ

ما نشِط الإحسان للشعر نَشِطْ

They were languid before you; yet it

When goodness was energetic to poetry, became energetic.

stirs whenever generosity stirs on poetry's behalf.