هَل حَبلُ خَولَةَ بَعدَ الهَجرِ موصولُ
أَم أَنتَ عَنها بَعيدُ الدارِ مَشغولُ
Is Khawla's camel rope still connected after separation,
Or are you, in your distant abode, too preoccupied?
حَلَّت خُوَيلَةُ في دارٍ مُجاوِرَةً
أَهلَ المَدائِنِ فيها الديكُ وَالفيلُ
Khawla has settled in a neighboring house,
Among the roosters and elephants of the city.
يُقارِعونَ رُؤوسَ العُجمِ ضاحِيَةً
مِنهُم فَوارِسُ لا عُزلٌ وَلا ميلُ
They strike the heads of foreigners at dawn,
Among them are horsemen, unflinching and unswerving.
فَخامَرَ القَلبَ مِن تَرجيعِ ذِكرَتِها
رَسٌّ لَطيفٌ وَرَهنٌ مِنكَ مَكبولُ
My heart was stirred by the memory of her,
A subtle, delicate imprint that you have tied.
رَسٌّ كَرَسِّ أَخي الحُمّى إِذا غَبَرَت
يَوماً تَأَوَّبَهُ مِنها عَقابيلُ
A subtle imprint like that of my feverish brother
When the eagles swooped down on him one day.
وَلِلأَحِبَّةِ أَيّامٌ تَذَكَّرُها
وَلِلنَوى قَبلَ يَومِ البَينِ تَأويلُ
For lovers there are days to be remembered
And for intentions before separation there are interpretations.
إِنَّ الَّتي ضَرَبَت بَيتاً مُهاجِرَةً
بِكوفَةِ الجُندِ غالَت وُدَّها غولُ
Indeed, she who pitched a tent and migrated
To the garrison city, her love has gone too far.
فَعَدِّ عَنها وَلا تَشغَلكَ عَن عَمَلٍ
إِنَّ الصَبابَةَ بَعدَ الشَبِّ تَضليلُ
So turn away from her and let no task distract you,
Truly, youthful indulgence after adolescence is misguidance.
بِجَسرَةٍ كَعَلاةِ القَينِ دَوسَرَةٍ
فيها عَلى الأَينِ إِرقالٌ وَتَبغيلُ
With a firm bridge like the tall tree, smooth,
On it hangs lamp and tobacco.
عَنسٍ تُشيرُ بِقِنوانٍ إِذا زُحِرَت
مِن خَصبَةٍ بَقِيَت فيها شَعاليلُ
A she-camel gestures with her tail when startled,
On her remains the traces of rich herbage.
قَرواءَ مَقذوفَةٍ بِالنَحضِ يَشعَفُها
فَرطُ المِراحِ إِذا كَلَّ المَراسيلُ
Parching the channels where torrents flow
When the flood recedes and messengers depart.
وَما يَزالُ لَها شَأوٌ يُوَقِّرُهُ
مُحَرَّفٌ مِن سُيورِ الغَرفِ مَجدولُ
She still commands respect with her posture,
Swaying gently from the roof's edge.
إِذا تَجاهَدَ سَيرُ القَومِ في شَرَكٍ
كَأَنَّهُ شَطَبٌ بِالسَروِ مَرمولُ
When the people strive hard together on a journey
As if tattooed with pine resin.
نَهجٍ تَرى حَولَهُ بَيضَ القَطا قُبَصاً
كَأَنَّهُ بِالأَفاحيصِ الحَواجيلُ
A path where you see partridges surrounding it
As if encircled by little cooking pots.
حَواجِلٌ مُلِئَت زَيتاً مُجَرَّدَةً
لَيسَت عَلَيهِنَّ مِن خوصٍ سَواجيلُ
Pots filled with pure oil, unadorned,
Without palm fronds or threads upon them.
وَقَلَّ ما في أَساقي القَومِ فَاِنجَرَدوا
وَفي الأَداوى بَقِيّاتٌ صَلاصيلُ
And few people have legs for marching, so they limp,
And some medicine remains in the remedies.
وَالعيسُ تُدلَكُ دَلكاً عَن ذَخائِرِها
يُنحَزنَ مِنهُنَّ مَحجونٌ وَمركولُ
The camel-lambs are kneaded to elicit their riches,
From them, the select and the inferior are differentiated.
وَمُزجَياتٍ بِأَكوارٍ مُحَمًّلَةٍ
شَوارُهُنَّ خِلالَ القَومِ مَحمولُ
Fully loaded she-camels with their saddle-bags,
Their cargo towering above the people.
تَهدي الرِكابَ سَلوفٌ غَيرُ غافِلَةٍ
إِذا تَوَقَّدَتِ الحِزّانُ وَالميلُ
Guiding the riders are alert, sleepless ones
When passions and desires are kindled.
رَعشاءُ تَنهَضُ بِالذِفرى مُواكِبَةٌ
في مِرفَقَيها عَن الدَفَّينِ تَفتيلُ
Trembling she-camel rising with the packs,
Bells ringing from her shoulders.
عَيهَمَةٌ يُنتَحى في الأَرضِ مَنسِمُها
كَما اِنتَحى في أَديمِ الصَرفِ إِزميلُ
Snub-nosed, her trail visible on the ground,
As if traced on tanned leather.
تَخدي بِهِ قُدُماً طَوراً وَتَرجِعُهُ
فَحَدُّهُ مِن وِلافِ القَبضِ مَفلولُ
She takes a few steps then turns back,
Her limit is the tethering peg's capacity.
تَرى الحَصى مُشفَتِرّاً عَن مَناسِمِها
كَما تُجَلجِلُ بِالوَغلِ الغَرابيلُ
You see the pebbles scattered from her hooves
As necklaces of shells are rattled.
كَأَنَّها يَومَ وِردِ القَومِ خامِسَةً
مُسافِرٌ أَشعَبُ الرَوقَينِ مَكحولُ
As if on the day the people arrived, she is a
Tall, cross-marked traveler, shackled.
مُجتابُ نِصعٍ جَديدٍ فَوقَ نُقبَتِهِ
وَلِلقَوائِمِ مِن خالٍ سَراويلُ
Wearing a new loincloth over his waist-wrap,
And pants of silk fabric as leggings.
مُسَفَّعُ الوَجهِ في أَرساغِهِ خَدَمٌ
وَفَوقَ ذاكَ إِلى الكَعبَينِ تَحجيلُ
His face shaded by his headcloth, servants below it,
And further below, leggings to his ankles.
باكَرَهُ قانِصٌ يَسعى بِأَكلُبِهِ
كَأَنَّهُ مِن صِلاءِ الشَمسِ مَملولُ
A hunter hurries with his dogs at dawn
As if smeared with rays of the rising sun.
يَأوي إِلى سَلفَعٍ شَعثاءَ عارِيَةٍ
في حِجرِها تَولَبٌ كَالقِردِ مَهزولُ
He takes refuge in a disheveled palm-leaf hut
Where an ape-like creature crouches like a fetus.
يُشلي ضَوارِيَ أَشباهاً مُجَوَّعَةً
فَلَيسَ مِنها إِذا أُمكِنَّ تَهليلُ
He dangles meager, starved prey,
Which, when caught, cannot yelp.
يَتبَعنَ أَشعَثَ كَالسِرحانِ مُنصَلِتاً
لَهُ عَلَيهِنَّ قَيدَ الرُمحِ تَمهيلُ
He is followed by the mangy females
On them he inflicts the whip’s discipline.
أَورَدتُهُ القَومَ قَد رانَ النُعاسُ بِهِم
فَقُلتُ إِذ نَهِلوا مِن جَمِّهِ قيلوا
I came upon the people when drowsiness overtook them,
So I said, as they descended from their valley, “Rest
حَدَّ الظَهيرَةِ حَتّى تَرحَلوا أُصُلاً
إِنَّ السِقاءَ لَهُ رَمٌّ وَتَبليلُ
until mid-day then depart renewed,
Surely, the water-skin has some remains and dripping.”
لَمّا وَرَدنا رَفَعنا ظِلَّ أَردِيَةٍ
وَفارَ بِاللَحمِ لِلقَومِ المَراجيلُ
When we arrived, we set up the shade of a porch,
And stew for the people bubbled in pots.
وَرداً وَأَشقَرَ لَم يُنهِئهُ طابِخُهُ
ما غَيَّرَ الغَليُ مِنهُ فَهوَ ماكولُ
A cooking pot into which the cook had placed meat, unchanged
Whatever the boiling did to it, it remained edible.
ثُمِّتَ قُمنا إِلى جُردٍ مُسَوَّمَةٍ
أَعرافُهُنَّ لِأَيدينا مَناديلُ
Then we stood up toward trained she-camels,
Their saddle-cloths at our hands as napkins.
ثُمَّ اِرتَحَلنا عَلى عيسٍ مُخَدَّمَةٍ
يُزجي رَواكِعَها مَرنٌ وَتَنعِيلُ
Then we journeyed on sturdy, well-trained camels,
Their kneeling urged on by prodding and coaxing.
يَدلَحنَ بِالماءِ في وُفرٍ مُخَرِّبَةٍ
مِنها حَقائِبُ رُكبانٍ وَمعدولُ
They kneel into the water at a ruinous watering hole,
Near it are the belongings of riders and supplies.
نَرجو فَواضِلَ رَبٍّ سَيبُهُ حَسَنٌ
وَكُلُّ خَيرٍ لَدَيهِ فَهوَ مَقبولُ
We hope for the generous one’s redemption, whose bounty is beautiful,
And all good with him is accepted.
رَبٌّ حَبانا بِأَموالٍ مُخَوَّلَةٍ
وَكُلُّ شَيءٍ حَباهُ اللَهُ تَخويلُ
A Lord who has granted us entrusted wealth,
And everything God has granted is an entrustment.
وَالمَرءُ ساعٍ لِأَمرٍ لَيسَ يُدرِكُهُ
وَالعَيشُ شُحٌّ وَإِشفاقٌ وَتَأميلُ
Yet man strives for what he cannot attain,
And life is stingy, cautious, and planning.
وَعازِبٍ جادَهُ الوَسمِيُّ في صَفَرٍ
تَسري الذِهابُ عَلَيهِ فَهوَ مَوبولُ
An unmarried man whom fate has abandoned in the deadly month,
So loss flows continually upon him, and he is urinated on.
وَلَم تَسَمَّع بِهِ صَوتاً فَيُفزِعَها
أَوابِدُ الرُبدِ وَالعينُ المَطافيلُ
No voice alarmed him in the ruins and vacant dwellings,
Except the howls of hyenas and ogling eyes.
كَأَنَّ أَطفالَ خيطانِ النَعامِ بِهِ
بَهمٌ مُخالِطُهُ الحَفّانُ وَالحولُ
Like the chicks of ostrich threads upon him,
Confusion, insanity, and visions.
أَفزَعتُ مِنهُ وُحوشاً وَهيَ ساكِنَةٌ
كَأَنَّها نَعَمٌ في الصُبحِ مَشلولُ
I was startled by beasts while they were still,
Like cattle at dawn, paralyzed.
بِساهِمِ الوَجهِ كَالسِرحانِ مُنصَلِتٍ
طِرفٍ تَكامَلَ فيهِ الحُسنُ وَالطولُ
With arrows for a face like a mangy camel,
A gaze in which beauty and tallness are complete.
خاظي الطَريقَةِ عُريانٍ قَوائِمُهُ
قَد شَفَّهُ مِن رُكوبِ البَردِ تَذبيلُ
Bare legs, walking the path,
Hardened and chapped by riding the cold.
كَأَنَّ قُرحَتَهُ إِذ قامَ مُعتَدِلاً
شَيبٌ يُلَوَّحُ بِالحِنّاءِ مَغسولُ
As if his wound, when standing upright,
Were white hair, dyed with henna and washed.
إِذا أُبِسَّ بِهِ في الأَلفِ بَرَّزَهُ
عوجٌ مُرَكَّبَةٌ فيها بَراطيلُ
When provoked, he exposes curved teeth
In them are large molars.
يَغلو بِهِنَّ وَيَثني وَهوَ مُقتَدِرٌ
في كَفتِهِنَّ إِذا اِستَرغَبنَ تَعجيلُ
He bounds with them, and they comply, while he is able,
In their palms, when aroused, are youthful impatience.
وَقَد غَدَوتُ وَقَرنُ الشَمسِ مُنفَتِقٌ
وَدونَهُ مِن سَوادِ اللَيلِ تَجليلُ
I wandered at dawn, when the sun’s halo cracked
And below it, of the night’s darkness, some remains.
إِذ أَشرَفَ الديكُ يَدعو بَعضَ أُسرَتِهِ
لَدى الصَباحِ وَهُم قَومٌ مَعازيلُ
When the rooster calls, inviting some of his flock
At daybreak, though they are an accursed folk.
إِلى التِجارِ فَأَعداني بِلِذَّتِهِ
رِخوُ الإِزارِ كَصَدرِ السَيفِ مَشمولُ
To wakefulness, so he roused me with his tune
Loincloth loose like the sword’s bare blade.
خِرقٌ يَجِدُّ إِذا ما الأَمرُ جَدَّ بِهِ
مُخالِطُ اللَهوِ وَاللَذّاتِ ضِلّيلُ
A tear which, when matters get serious, widens,
Associating with frivolity and pleasures, lost.
حَتّى اِتَّكَأنا عَلى فُرشٍ يُزَيِّنُها
مِن جَيِّدِ الرَقمِ أَزواجٌ تَهاويلُ
Until we reclined on furnishings adorned
With fine embroidery, pairs of ornaments.
فيها الدَجاجُ وَفيها الأُسدُ مُخدِرَةً
مِن كُلِّ شَيءٍ يُرى فيها تَماثيلُ
On it are chickens, on it lions, subdued,
Of everything seen on it, statues.
في كَعبَةٍ شادَها بانٍ وَزَيَّنَها
فيها ذُبالٌ يُضيءُ اللَيلَ مَفتولُ
In a chamber built by Banu and adorned,
In it, lamps illuminate the night, ignited.
لَنا أَصيصٌ كَجِذمِ الحَوضِ هَدَّمَهُ
وَطءُ العِراكِ لَدَيهِ الزِقُّ مَغلولُ
We have a vessel like the basin of a pool— destruction
Has shattered it—beside it, the jug is stuffed.
وَالكوبُ أَزهَرُ مَعصوبٌ بِقُلَّتِهِ
فَوقَ السِياعِ مِنَ الرَيحانِ إِكليلُ
The cup’s blossoming, squeezed at its mouth,
Above the drinker’s head is a wreath of basil.
مُبَرَّدٌ بِمِزاجِ الماءِ بَينَهُما
حُبٌّ كَجَوزِ حِمارِ الوَحشِ مَبزولُ
Cooled with the water’s proportion between them
Is love like the kernels of wild donkeys, peeled.
وَالكوبُ مَلآنُ طافٍ فَوقَهُ زَبَدٌ
وَطابَقُ الكَبشِ في السَفّودِ مَخلولُ
The cup brims over, foam atop it,
And yogurt from goat’s milk, blended.
يَسعى بِهِ مِنصَفٌ عَجلانُ مُنتَطِقٌ
فَوقَ الخِوانِ وَفي الصاعِ التَوابيلُ
With it runs a fair server, speaking eloquently
Above the trays, and in the bowl, spices.
ثُمَّ اِصطَبَحتُ كُمَيتاً قَرقَفاً أُنُفاً
مِن طَيِّبِ الراحِ وَاللَذّاتُ تَعليلُ
Then I woke up with a pounding headache, stuffy nose
The scents and pleasures are justification.
صِرفاً مِزاجاً وَأَحياناً يُعَلِّلُنا
شِعرٌ كَمُذهَبَةِ السَمّانِ مَحمولُ
Passing time, and sometimes poetry justifies us,
Like gilded prose, carried.
تُذري حَواشِيَهُ جَيداءُ آنِسَةٌ
في صَوتِها لِسَماعِ الشَربِ تَرتيلُ
Its edges surrounded by charming, friendly ones
In their voices for hearing drink, chanting.
تَغدو عَلَينا تُلَهّينا وَنُصفِدُها
تُلقى البُرودُ عَلَيها وَالسَرابيلُ
Coming to us, entertaining us, and we unleash them,
Garments and trousers tossed over them.
