أَساءَكَ تَقويضُ الخَليطِ المُبايِنِ

نَعَم وَالنَوى قَطّاعَةَ لِلقَرائِنِ

Your ill-treatment undermines the disparate concoction

Yes, and the purpose shreds the contexts

وَما خِفتُ بَينَ الحَيِّ حَتّى تَذَأَّبَت

نَوىً لَم أَخَل ما كانَ مِنها بِكائِنِ

I was not afraid among the living until it became emaciated

A purpose from which nothing that will happen departs

فَما لِلنَوى لا بارَكَ اللَهُ في النَوى

وَهَمَّ لَنا مشنها كَهَمِّ المُراهِنِ

So what good is the purpose - may God not bless the purpose

And it conspired evil against us like the conspiracies of gamblers

تُفَرِّقُ مِنّا مَن نُحِبُّ اِجتِماعَهُ

وَتَجمَعُ مِنّا بَينَ أَهلَ الظَنائِنِ

It separates those whom we love to gather

And it assembles those in whom we doubt from among us

كَأَنَّ العُيونَ المُرسِلاتِ عَشِيَّةً

شَآبيبَ دَمعِ العَبرَةِ المُتَحاتِنِ

As if the dispatching eyes in the evening

Were the remains of tears of sadness exchanging kisses

عَواسِفَ أَوساطَ الجُفونِ يَسُقنَهُ

بِمُكتَمِنٍ مِن لاعِجِ الحُزنِ واتِنِ

The innards of the eyelids lead it

With hidden agonized grief and thick mourning

مَزائِدُ خَرقاءِ اليَدَينِ مُسيفَةٍ

يُخِبُّ بِها مُستَخلِفٌ غَيرُ آيِنِ

The redundant palm of the hand wipes

With which the successor wipes without insight

رَوى فَوقَها راوٍ عَنيفٌ وَأُقصِيَت

إِلى الحِنوِ مِن ظَهرِ القَعودِ المُداجِنِ

A robust narrator transmitted over it, and it was attributed

To tenderness from the back of chronic sitting

فَأَخلَقَ مِنها كُلَّ بالٍ وَعَيِّنٍ

وَجيفُ الرَوايا بِالمَلا المُتَباطِنِ

So from it every affliction and defect sprang forth

And the carcass of narrations with intrinsic falsehood

بِلىً وَثَأىً أَفضى إِلى كُلِّ كُتبَةٍ

بَدا سَيرُها مِن ظاهِرٍ بَعدَ باطِنِ

Yes, and remoteness which led to every record

Its travel appeared from the exterior after the interior

وَحَتّى أَذاعَت بِالجَوالِقِ وَاِنبَرَت

بِواناتِها عيطُ القِيانِ المَواهِنِ

And until it circulated among the proven and it became excited

With its idiosyncrasies the shrieking of the bendable mavens

وَقامَ المَها يُقفِلنَ كُلَّ مُكَبَّلٍ

كَما رُصَّ أَيقا مُذهَبِ اللَونِ صافِنِ

And the obstacle stood to shackle everything fettered

As the gold bracelets of diverse colors were arranged

قَليلاً تُتَلّي حاجَةً ثُمَّ عولِيَت

عَلى كُلِّ مَعروشِ الحَصيرَينِ بادِنِ

It rarely fulfills a need, then it was relied upon

For every fully spread out prayer mat the close knitter

ظَعائِنُ يَستَحِدثنَ في كُلِّ مَوطِنٍ

رَهيناً وَلا يُحسِنَّ فَكَّ الرَهائِنِ

Carriers of burdens that create something new in every place of abode

And they do not know how to untie pledges

يُقَصِّرُ مَغداهُنَّ كُلَّ مُوَلوِلٍ

عَلَيهِنَّ تَستَبكيهِ أَيدي الكَرائِنِ

Each flexible person diminishes their pillow

As the hands of laden she-camels weep over them

ثَوانِيَ لِلأَعناقِ يَندُبنَ ما خَلا

بِيَومِ اِختِلافٍ مِن مُقيمٍ وَظاعِنِ

For an instant to the necks grieving over a day

Of difference between resident and roaming

فَلَمّا اِدَّرَكناهُنَّ أَبدَينَ لِلهَوى

مَحاسِنَ وِاِستَولَينَ دونَ مَحاسِنِ

So when we overcame them, they surrendered to passion

Beauties and seized without equal beauties

وَأَدَّت إِلَيَّ القَولَ عَنهُنَّ زَولَةٌ

تُخاضِنُ أَو تَرنو لِقَولِ المُخاضِنِ

And the saying about them was carried to me by a dodder

That debates or aspires to the speech of midwives

وَلَيسَت بِأَدنى غَيرَ أُنسِ حَديثِها

إِلى القَومِ مِن مُصطافِ عَصماءَ هاجِنِ

And it is not of lesser company than the company of her speech

To the people than the elite of highborn women, aroused

لَها كُلَّما ريعَت صَداةٌ وَرَكدَةٌ

بِمُصدانِ أَعلى اِبنَي شَمامِ القَوائِنِ

Whenever it budded, it had prominence and tranquility

With the collision of the upper part of the land of milestones

عَقيلَةُ إِجلٍ تنتمي طَرِفاتُها

إِلى مُؤنِقٍ مِن جَنبَةِ الذَبلِ راهِنِ

A mature she-camel whose edges incline

To withering from the side of the folds of drought

لَها تَفَراتٌ تَحتَها وَقَصارُها

إِلى مَشرَةٍ لَم تُعتَلَق بِالمَحاجِنِ

It has small bells underneath it and its shortness

To the prominence that was not tied with toggles

يُخافِتنَ بَعضَ المَضغِ مِن خَشيَةِ الرَدى

وَيُنصِتنَ لِلسَمعِ اِنتِصاتَ القَناقِنِ

They whisper some of the chewing out of fear of rejection

And listen attentively to the hearing of twigs

يَطُفنَ بِحوزِيِّ المَراتِعِ لَم يُرَع

بِواديهِ مِن قَرعِ القِسِيِّ الكَنائِنِ

They roam around my precincts of pasture that was not grazed

In its valley by striking a solid stick

وَشاخَسَ فاهُ الدَهرُ حَتّى كَأَنَّهُ

مُنَمِّسُ ثيرانِ الكَريصِ الضَوائِنِ

And time made its mouth frown until it was as if

It was kissing the cattle of the dirty, scattered cattle

وَصَحماءَ أَشباهِ الحَزابِيِّ ما يُرى

بِها سارِبٌ غَيرَ القَطا المُتَراطِنِ

And the cheekbones of Shabeer, nothing is seen of them

Unless it is the caracal cat with contiguous stripes

مُخَصَّفَةُ اللَباتِ لَونُ جُلودِها

مِنَ المَحلِ مُسوَدٌّ كَلَونِ المَساخِنِ

The skin on their shoulders which is blackened in color

From (camel's foot) disease like the color of palm fiber

سَباريتَ أَخلاقِ المَوارِدِ يائِسٍ

بِها القَومُ مِن مُستَوضِعاتِ الشَواجِنِ

Water points whose morals have despaired

Through which the tribe despairs of she-water carriers

إِذا اِجتابَها الخِرّيتُ قالَ لِنَفسِهِ

أَتاكَ بِرِجلَي حائِنٍ كُلُّ حائِنِ

When the spicy is presented to it, it says to itself

Every evildoer came to you on two evildoing feet

كَظَهرِ اللأى لَو تُبتَغى رِيَّةٌ بِها

نَهاراً لَأَعيَت في بُطونِ الشَواجِنِ

Like the back of a she-camel, if a place of descent were sought through it

During the day, it would fatigue the bellies of water carriers

أَنَختُ بِها مُستَبطِناً ذا كَريهَةٍ

عَلى عَجَلٍ وَالنَومُ بي غَيرُ رائِنِ

I sniffed it out harboring one detested

In a hurry and sleep does come over one keeping night vigils

بُجاوِيَّةً لَم تَستَدِر حَولَ مَثبِرٍ

وَلَم يَتَخَوَّن دَرَّها ضَبُّ آفِنِ

A she-camel that did not pace around a breeding camel

And a stallion did not invest his treasure in it

كَأَنَّ مُخَوّاها عَلى ثِفِناتِها

مُعَرَّسُ خَمسٍ وَقَّعَت لِلجَناجِنِ

It was as if its desire over its scapulas

Was a five night stand that it contracted for the cranes

وَقَعنَ اِثنَتَين واِثنَتَينِ وَفَردَةً

يُبادِرنَ تَغليساً سِمالَ المَداهِنِ

And two landed pair by pair and one spare

Hastening adulteration towards the left of the copycats

أَطافَ بِها طِملٌ حَريصٌ فَلَم يَجِد

بِها فَيرَ مُلقى الواسِطِ المُتَبايِنِ

A greedy fox went around it but did not find through it

A gap suitable for the intermediary who distinguishes

وَمَوضِعِ مَشكوكَينِ أَلقَتهُما مَعاً

كَوَطأَةِ ظَبيِ القُلِّ بَينَ الجَعاثِنِ

And it cast two places of doubt together

Like the step of a deer doe between the two small ditches

وَمَخفِقِ ذي زِرَّينِ في الأَرضِ مَتنُهُ

وَبِالكَفِّ مَثناهُ لَطيفِ الأَسائِنِ

And the fluttering of a hand that busied itself with its fingers

Over a ground that sufficed it so it lost the water of purifiers

خَفِيٍّ كَمُجتازِ الشُجاعِ وَذُبَّلٍ

ثَلاثٍ كَحَبّاتِ الكَباثِ القَرائِنِ

And support of a man's chest desperately

In a hurry from a fearful one, not safe

وَضَبثَةَ كَفٍّ باشَرَت بِبَنانِها

صَعيداً كَفاها فَقدَ ماءِ المُصافِنِ

And the place of two knees and a prostration

Through which he took refuge through the right side of the Shatterer

وَمُعتَمَدٍ مِن صَدرٍ رِجلٍ مُحالَةٍ

عَلى عَجَلٍ مِن خائِفٍ غَيرَ آمِنِ

Contracting, its pair flew with it

To a ladder in the proximity of curved prominences

وَمَوضِعِ مَثنى رُكبَتَينِ وسَجدَةٍ

تَوَخّى بِها رُكنَ الحَطيمِ المُيامِنِ

She whose two front teeth straighten out her canine tooth

From the most cunning apart from the evident betrayal

مُقَلِّصَةٍ طارَت قَرينَتُها بِها

إِلى سُلَّمٍ في دَفِّ عَوجاءَ ذاقِنِ

She contends her legs with her hands with pebbles

With frightened hissing that plunges through horseshoes

سُوَيقِيَّةِ النابَينِ تَعدِلُ ضَبعَها

بِأَفتَلَ عَن سَعدانَةِ الزَورِ بائِنِ

Secrecy enveloped it until he whose three wrapped

To the two canyon branches of the people of prominences

تُناضِلُ رِجلاها يَدَيها مِنَ الحَصى

بِمُصعَنفِرٍ يَهوي خِلالَ الفَراسِنِ

It pursues a mirage with a staff as if it were

Hunted down by the cattle of neighboring cattle

طَواها السُرى حَتّى اِنطَوى ذو ثَلاثِها

إِلى أَبهَرَي دِرماءَ شَعبِ السَناسِنِ

It became square and the two lame helped descend

After it cleared away from the places of hidden things

تُطارِدُ بِالقِيِّ السَرابَ كَما قَلا

طَريدَتَهُ ثَورُ الصَريمِ المُؤارِنِ

So when it turned away its leg from the twist of bend

To gravel winter grounds of left barren areas

تَرَبَّعَ وَعسَ الأَخرَمَينِ وَأَربَلَت

لَهُ بَعدَما صافَت جِواءُ المَكامِنِ

And the abundance of dusk sheltered it, litter of radiance

And sprawling branches between two broken prominences

فَلَمّا شَتا ساقَتهُ مِن طُرَّةِ اللَوى

إِلى الرَملِ صِنَّبرُ شَمالٍ وَداجِنِ

So it spent the night suffering throughout a busy night

And rushing down the peak the differences of helpers

وَآواهُ جِنحَ اللَيلِ ذَروُ أَلاءَةٍ

وَأَرطاةُ حِقفٍ بَينَ كِسرَي سَنائِنِ

Like the circumambulation of one fulfilling a duty between confusion

And the stillness of blackened from ritual purification

فَباتَ يُقاسي لَيلَ أَنقَدَ دائِباً

وَيَحدُرُ بِالحِقفِ اِختِلافَ العُجاهِنِ

The predators of fasting enveloped it

Upon a sheep on the peak of the high sand dune

كَطَوفِ مُتَلّي حَجَّةٍ بَينَ غَبغَبٍ

وَقَرَّةَ مُسوَدٍّ مِنَ النَسكِ قاتِنِ

To the origin of sprawling branches overlooking a cloud

Over the plateau from elation or from Tuwazin

فَباتَت أَهاضيبُ السُمِيِّ تَلُفُّهُ

عَلى نَعِجٍ في ذِروَةِ الرَملِ ضائِنِ

Clarifying and rising over signs behind

Which bleating answers after the hidden

إِلى أَصلِ أَرطاةٍ يَشيمُ سَحابَةً

عَلى الهَضبِ مِن حَيرانَ أَو مِن تُوازِنِ

So when it became morning, the sweeping of a sand hill was sought for it

For two horse mounts, the least recently in contact with beasts

يَبينُ وَيَستَعلي ظَواهِرَ خِلفَةً

لَها مِن سَناً يَنعَقُّ بَعدَ بَطائِنِ

And with washing unless he wipes a residue

Over his head from the extract of a soiled loincloth

فَلَمّا غَدا اِستَذرى لَهُ سِمطُ رَملَةٍ

لِحَولَينِ أَدنى عَهدِهِ بِالدَواهِنِ

A brother of a hunter plunging as if his abdomen

And his legs are a ladder between two entwined ropes

وَبَالغِسلِ إِلّا أَن يُميرَ عُصارَةً

عَلى رَأسِهِ مِن فَضِّ أَليَسَ حائِنِ

He distributes with coins everything downy

Of foods - game not set aside for princely fare

أَخو قَنَصٍ يَهوي كَأَنَّ سَراتَهُ

وَرِجلَيهِ سَلمٌ بَينَ حَبلَي مُشاطِنِ

Repeating the path of footsteps, varying the youth,

Thorny grip of palm, curvature of toes

يُوَزِّعُ بِالأَمراسِ كُلَّ عَمَلَّسٍ

مِنَ المُطَعَماتِ الصَيدَ غَيرِ الشَواحِنِ

And decrepit old when resolved like a pierced arc

Running through the solidity of the bow, burning

مُعيدِ قَمَطرِ الرِجلِ مُختَلِفِ الشَبا

شَرَنبَثِ شَوكِ الكَفِّ شَثنِ البَراثِنِ

Aiding him in hunting which her main concern

Is to rush through woods of scattered poultry

يَمُرُّ إِذا حُلَّ مَرَّ مُقَزَّعٍ

عَتيقٍ حَداهُ أَبهَرُ القَوسِ جارِنِ

So he sent her racing and named her as if

She were prey-hunting gusts of wind challenging nobles

تُؤازِرُهُ صِيٌّ عَلى الصَيدِ هَمُّها

تَفارُطُ أَحراجِ الضِراءِ الدَواجِنِ

And he turned away like a star of stoning after counting them

Entertaining while the delegation of delegates was most intense

فَأَرسَلَها رَهواً وَسَمّى كَأَنَّها

يَعاسيبُ ريحٍ عارِضاتُ الجَواشِنِ

Angrily biased, then spitefulness went into him

Over stinginess from one who wards off, not weak

وَوَلّى كَنَجمِ الرَجمِ بَعدَ عِدادِهِ

يُضيفُ وَأَشفى النَفرِ نَفرُ المُعايِنِ

Brandishing a weapon that tire did not make it lose its edge

Through which he verifies from it the gloom of hidden things

مَلاً بائِصاً ثُمَّ اِعتَرَتهُ حَمِيَّةٌ

عَلى تُشحَةٍ مِن ذائِدٍ غَيرَ واهِنِ

With every sly trick, it fires them consecutively

Like the stabbing of a skilled horseman awakening soldiers

يَهُزُّ سِلاحاً لَم يَرِثهُ كَلالَةً

يَشُكُّ بِهِ مِنها غُموضَ المَغابِنِ

They turned aside with the deviation of despair and there ripped open

Classes from people totally resisting

يُساقِطُها تَترى بِكُلِّ خَميلَةٍ

كَطَعنِ البَيطَرِ الثَقفِ رَهصَ الكَوادِنِ

So he became downcast, marked by shadows that surpass

As hands stretched out in different directions on roads

عَدَلنَ عُدولَ اليَأسِ وَاِفتَجَّ يَبتَلي

أَفانينَ مِن أُهلوبِ شَدٍّ مُماتِنِ

And he throws the sediment of two gallons with his spit

Twisting branches like the tent of hunters

فَأَصبَحَ مَحبوراً تَخُطُّ ظُلوفُهُ

كَما اِختَلَفَت بِالطَرقِ أَيدي الكَواهِنِ

I am the son of the wrongfully treated family of Malik

And Malik's lineage was the generous mines

وَيُلقي نَقا الحِنّاءَتَينِ بِرَوقِهِ

تَناويطَ أَولاجٍ كَخَيمِ الصَيادِنِ

Possessors of the foremost remarkable deeds and divinity

In olden times and matches for warring enemies

أَنا اِبنُ أُباةِ الضَيمِ مِن آلِ مالِكٍ

وَإِن مالِكٌ كانَت كِرامَ المَعادِنِ

And the people of attacks which in the days of Tubba`

Were upon each possessor of isolated and tempting wealth

ذَوي المَأثُراتِ الأوَّلِيّاتِ وَاللُهى

قَديماً وَأَكفاءَ العَدُوِّ المُزابِنِ

And they unlocked them every hateful day

As the generous poured forth and the cisterns protected

وَأَهلِ الأَتى اللاتي عَلى عَهدِ تُبَّعٍ

عَلى كُلِّ ذي مالٍ عَزيبٍ وَعاهِنِ

And their stabbing the enemies vainly while one who does not stab

Is obedient and the pitiless stabs the gut

وَأَفلَجَهُم في كُلِّ يَومِ كَريهَةٍ

كِرامُ الفُحولِ وَاِعتِيامُ الحَواصِنِ

They who prevented Nu'man on the day of Ru'yah

From water during a star in scorching heat that ripped open

وَطَعنُهُم الأَعداءَ شَزراً وَإِنَّما

يُسامُ وَيَقني الخَسفَ مَن لَم يُطاعِنِ

And they left Mas'ud, the bottom of the throne, crouching

Collapsing under the square weight of the carrier

هُمُ مَنَعوا النُعمانَ يَومَ رُؤَيَّةٍ

مِنَ الماءِ في نَجمٍ مِنَ القَيظِ حاتِنِ

And their lot gained when the earth was crossed with lots

Over its extent and spacious crossings

وَهُم تَرَكوا مَسعودَ نُشبَةَ مُسنَداً

يَنوءُ بِخَطّارٍ مِنَ الخَطِّ مارِنِ

The tribe of Malik, my tribe whose glory

For those who mixed with them was no match

وَهُم فازَ لَمّا خُطَّتِ الأَرضُ سَهمُهُم

عَلى المُستَوي مِنها وَرَحبِ المَعاطِنِ

The family of war whose tribal zeal ignites their fire

When zeal brings together those with hidden enmities

بَنو مالِكٍ قَومي اللِيانُ عُروضُهُم

لِمَن خالَطوا إِلّا لِغَيرِ المُلايِنِ

If it is said that they have cooled off during vendettas

Upon the fangs unlike the acts of the hostile obedient one

بَنو الحَربِ تُذكي شِدَّةُ العَصبِ نارَهُم

إِذا العَصبُ دانى بَينَ أَهلِ الضَغائِنِ

And what people matched those of their enemy

In my time - that of the two-horned one - unless we matched?

إِذا قيلَ بِالغَمّاءِ قَد بَرَدوا حَموا

عَلى الضَرسِ لا فِعلَ السَؤومِ المُداهِنِ

Is glory other than hemlocks, the staff, the passions

And mending rifts and patience during ordeals?

وَأَيُّ أُناسٍ وازَنوا مِن عَدُوِّهِم

عَلى عَهدي ذي القَرنَينِ ما لَم نُوازِنِ

And good people whom matureness has congratulated

And our bounty has passed through them during days

هَلِ المَجدُ إِلّا السُؤدَد العَود وَاللُها

وَرَأبُ الثَأى وَالصَبرُ عِندَ المواطِنِ

It softened, and the course of life through it relaxed

And were it not for our heights, none would stand but the subservient

وَحَيٍّ كِرامٍ قَد هَنَأنا جَرَبَّةٍ

وَمَرَّت لَهُم نَعماؤُنا بِالأَيامِنِ

And I am not pleased with that which others are pleased

Nor displaying complaints in some places

تَلَيَّنَ وَاِستَرخَت خُطورُ الحَيا بِهِ

وَلَولا عَوالينا نَشا غَيرَ لائِنِ

And I do not recognize favors upon me, and they did not exist

And I recognize the separation of intricate speech

وَما أَنا بِالراضي بِما غَيرُهُ الرِضا

وَلا المُظهِرِ الشَكوى بِبَعضِ الأَماكِنِ

وَلا أَعرِفُ النُعمى عَلَيَّ وَلَم تَكُن

وَأَعرِفُ فَصلَ المَنطِقِ المُتَغابِنِ