لِمَن الدَّارُ تَعفََّت بِخِيَم
أَصبَحتَ غَيَّرَها طُولُ القِدَم
For whom has this abode become desolate with tents?
Its long occupation has changed it.
ما تَبينُ العَينُ مِن آياتِها
غَيرَ نُؤيٍ مِثلِ خَطٍّ بِالقَلَم
The eye sees of its traces naught
But lines like writing with a pen.
صَالحاً قَد لَفَّهَا فاستَوسَقَت
لَفَّ بَازِيٍّ حَمَاماً في سَلَم
Salah wrapped it up and became its tenant,
A Bazite built a nest in its staircase.
وثَلاثٍ كَالحمَامَاتِ بها
عِندَ مَجثَاهُنَّ تَوشيمُ الفَحَم
And three like doves in it,
At their sleeping-place the kindling of embers.
أَسأَلُ الدَّارَ وقَد حَيَّيتُها
عَن حَبيبٍ فإِذا فيها صَمَم
I asked the abode, for I had greeted it,
About a beloved, but it was deafly silent.
ولَعَمرُ الدَّارِ لَو أَنَّ بها
أَهلَها إذ دَمعُ عَينَيك سَجَم
By the life of the abode! Were its people in it
When the tears from your eyes poured down!
جَزِعاً ما أَعرَضَت عَن بائنٍ
جاءَ يَستَشفي شِفاءً مِن سَقَم
Grieving, it would not have turned away from one
Who came seeking a cure from sickness.
ولقَدَ أَغدُو ويَغدُو صٌحبتَي
بكُمَيتٍ كعُكَاظيِّ الأُدُم
Often I and my companions go early
To an abode like Ukaz’s leather.
فضلَ الخَيلَ بِعرقٍ صالحٍ
بَينَ يَعبُوبٍ ومِن آلِ سَحَم
The horses outdid each other with a brisk gallop
Between Ya'bub and the clan of Sahm.
فَتنامَت أَفحُلٌ نُجبٌ بهِ
فهوَ كالتِّمثالِ جَيَّاشٌ هَزِم
Among them a stallion of noble stock slept
He was like a firmly rooted firmly planted statue.
مُستَخفِّينَ بِلاَ أَزوادنا
ثَقةً بِالُمهرِ مِن غَيرِ عَدَم
Trusting in their speed without supplies,
Relying on their excellence without lack.
فإِذا العانَةُ في كَهر الضُّحَى
أَحقبُ ذُو لَحم زيَم
But when the forenoon was in its hottest
A small-headed Kahrab with prominent flesh.
زَهمُ الصُّلبِ ربَاعٌ جانِبٌ
مارِحُ الآخِر مِنهُ قَد نَجم
His flanks sturdy, a ready runner
From which the hindmost of them could not escape.
لا صَغِيرٌ ضارِعٌ ذُو سَقطَةٍ
أو كَبيرٌ كارِبٌ سنَّ الهَرَم
No small weak foal with falling stride
Nor old heavy slow-paced pack-horse.
فَرآنا وأَتَانَا صَحِلا
أَرِنا يَجشُمُها حَدَّ الأَكَم
He saw us and came to us directly
Showing his incisors to the utmost.
يُعلِقُ النَّابَينِ في أَكفانِها
كُلَّما يَلفُظُ إدباراً عَدمَ
He clashed his tusks against their shoulders
Whenever he turned back breathless.
وإذا يَركَبُ رَأساً كَُّهُ
زاعِبيٌّ في رُدَينِيٍّ أَصَم
And when he attacked the head of one of them
A Za'ibite against a Rudainite blind of eye.
وأَمَرناهُ به من بَينِها
بَعدَ ما انصاعَ مُصرّاً أَو كَصَم
And we ordered him at him from among them
After he had complied, bending his neck or silent.
فَهوَ كَالدَّلوِ بِكَفِّ المُستَقي
خُذِلَت منهُ العَراقي فانجَذَم
He was like the bucket in the drawer of the waterer.
The bowls slipped from it and were smashed to pieces.
