يا مدلجي ليلهم أقيموا

فقد تراءَت لنا الرسومُ

O travelers through their night, halt!

For the traces have come into view before us.

عُوجوا على مَعهد مُحيل

كأنَّ آثارَه وشُومُ

Turn aside to a timeworn dwelling,

whose traces seem like tattoos,

أو رَيطة ضّمنت طرازاً

أخلقها فأَّمحى السَّمومُ

or a fine cloth bearing an embroidered design,

worn thin and effaced by the scorching wind,

أو مثلُ خطّ اليهودِ أبلى

آياتهِ الوابلُ السّجومُ

or like the Jews’ script, worn away—

its characters—by the pouring rain.

لمَ يبق فيها هنالكَ إلا

مستوقَدٌ دارس مقيمُ

Nothing remained there within it except

a faded hearth, still in place,

وأورقٌ حائلٌ سحيق

وأشعثٌ مُفرد حَطيمُ

and an ash-gray remnant, altered and crumbled,

and a weather-beaten remnant, solitary and broken,

وحد حوض وحوض جدٍ

يستهيمونه الهديمُ

and a basin’s rim, and a new basin,

they drive him to distraction—the ruined one [wording unclear].

فظلت فيهِ بحالٍ سوءٍ

كأنني مُدنَف سليمُ

So I stayed there in a wretched state,

as though I were gravely ill and snake-bitten,

أو شارب قهوةً سُلافاً

مشمولةً عهدها قديمُ

or a drinker of wine from its first pure flow,

cooled by the north wind, long aged.

أسائل الدَّار ما دهاها

تجاهلاً إذا أنا عليمُ

I ask the dwelling what has befallen it,

feigning ignorance, though I know.

دار لخرعوبةِ أناةٍ

رَودٍ لها منطق رخيمُ

A dwelling of a supple, unhurried maiden,

gentle, with soft and mellow speech.

قيامُها إذ تقوم مثنى

وخصرها لاصق هضيمُ

Her posture, when she rises, is bent,

and her waist is drawn in and slender.

تكاد في الخِدْرِ إذ تأتَّى

يُقعدها ردفُها الفَعيمُ

Within her chamber, when she moves, she is almost

forced to sit by her ample hips.

تخال مَهما رنت فرير

وإن تصدَّت حسبتَ ريمُ

Whenever she gazes, you take her for a fawn;

and when she faces you, you think her a white gazelle,

من أدم يبرين أو رماح

قد راعها قانص مُليمُ

from the tawny herds of Yabrin or Rumah,

that a blameworthy hunter has frightened.

لها محيّا كبرق غيمٍ

تمزَّقت دونه الغيومُ

Her face is like lightning from a cloud,

before which the clouds have torn apart.

وفاحم كالغُدافِ جثل

مسحنكك أسحم بهيمُ

And her hair is coal-black, thick as a raven’s plumage,

deep black, jet-black, dark without a lighter fleck.

والأنف منها كذي غرارٍ

مهنَّدٍ حدُّه هدومُ

And her nose is like a keen-edged

Indian-forged blade, whose edge lays waste.

تَفترُّ عن أشنبٍ شتيتٍ

كأنه لؤلؤ نظيمُ

Her smile reveals bright, delicately spaced teeth,

as though they were pearls strung in order,

أو أقْحوان على كثيبٍ

باكرهُ العارضُ الرَّهومُ

or chamomile upon a sand dune,

visited at dawn by a gently drizzling cloud.

ما ظبية من ظبا نعاج

مذعورةٌ راعها نئيمُ

No doe among the gazelles of Ni‘aj,

frightened and startled by a roar,

ترنو لساجي العيون طفل

كأنه دملج فصيمُ

gazing at a tranquil-eyed young one,

like a split armlet,

يوماً بأبهى ولا يساجى

منها ولا خشفها الوسيمُ

is ever lovelier, or can rival

her—nor can its handsome fawn.

خرعوبة طَفلة شَموع

مَلولة ماطل ظلومُ

A supple, tender, playful maiden,

easily bored, withholding, unjust.

لو كلمت ناسكاً خشوعاً

يكاد عشقاً بها يهيمُ

If she spoke to a deeply humble ascetic,

he would almost go mad with love for her.

قد أقطع البيد مشمَعلاً

تزفُّ بي عرمس خذومُ

Indeed, I cross the deserts, hastening onward;

a sturdy, swift she-camel carries me at speed,

وجناءٌ ملءُ الحزام حرف

يهون ايغالها الرَّسيمُ

thick-cheeked, filling her girth, tough and lean;

her brisk trot makes her far journey easy.

أنا ابن أعلى الملوكِ مجداً

ومن له ذلتِ القُرومُ

I am the son of the highest of kings in glory,

and of him before whom mighty chiefs bowed.

أنا ابن أندى الملوكِ كفَّاً

جوداً إذا خفَّتِ الغُيومُ

I am the son of the most open-handed of kings,

in generosity, when the clouds grow scant.

أنا المكنىَّ أبو عليّ

إذا توارى الفتى الكريمُ

I am the one known as Abu ‘Ali,

when the noble youth hides away,

وأبرزت خيفةَ المنايا

في الحيّ عن سوقها الحريمُ

and, in fear of death, the women bare

their shins within the camp.

عزمي كسيفي وجود كفّي

يحسده الوابل السَّجومُ

My resolve is like my sword, and my hand’s bounty

is envied by the heavy, pouring rain.

لأتركنَّ الملوكَ صَرعى

طير المنايا بها يحومُ

I will surely leave the kings fallen dead,

with death’s birds circling around them.

لآخذنَّ الحصونَ قَسْراً

بفيلقٍ خَطبُه جسيمُ

I will surely seize the fortresses by force,

with an army whose menace is immense.

لأُروينَّ السيوفَ جمعاً

في موقفٍ هَوله عظيمُ

I will surely slake the thirst of all the swords,

in an encounter of tremendous terror.

لأركبنْ مَتنَ كلِّ صعبٍ

ينسجُّ عن عطفه الحميمُ

I will surely ride the back of every unruly mount,

with hot sweat streaming from its flank.

سأرهج الأرضَ بالسَّرايا

رهجاً لها يبرق الحليمُ

I shall raise dust across the earth with raiding squadrons,

such dust that even the level-headed man is dazed.

مهلاً عتاةَ الملوكِ مهلاً

فإنني بالوفا زعيمُ

Hold, rebellious kings—hold!

For I guarantee to keep my word.

ومحتدي والعُلى وبأسي

وعُنصري الظاهر القديمُ

By my lineage, my high honor, and my prowess,

and my illustrious, ancient stock,

أعددت للحرب أعوجياً

يُبرق من مَتنهِ الأديمُ

I have readied an A‘waji steed for war,

whose hide gleams along its back.

كأنه لقوةٌ طَلوبٌ

فتخا الجناحين إذ تحومُ

As though it were a hunting female eagle,

with supple wings as it circles;

كأنه كوكبٌ مثار

أثاره ماردٌ رجيمُ

as though it were a star set in motion,

roused by a rebellious, accursed demon.

وفي يدي مُرهَفٌ خشيب

كالملحِ في حدّهِ فلومُ

And in my hand is a keen, unpolished blade,

like salt, with notches along its edge,

مما يريق الدَّماءَ ضرباً

بهِ لكي تخضع الخُصومُ

one of those that shed blood with blows

struck with it, so that adversaries submit.

والله درعي من الرَّزَايا

ومعقلي وهو بي رحيمُ

And God is my armor against calamities,

and my stronghold; He is merciful to me.