خَرَجتُ مِنَ المِصرِ الحَوارِيِّ أَهلُهُ

بِلا نُدبَةٍ فيها اِحتِسابٌ وَلا جُعلِ

I left Egypt, whose people had no lamentations,

With neither calculations nor payments,

إِلى جَيشِ أَهلِ الشامِ أُغزيتُ كارِهاً

سَفاهاً بِلا سَيفٍ حَديدٍ وَلا نَبلِ

To the army of the people of Damascus I was forced unwillingly,

Foolishly, without a sword of steel or arrows,

وَلَكِن بِتُرسٍ لَيسَ فيها حَمالَةٌ

وَرُمحٍ ضَعيفِ الزُجِّ مُنصَدِعِ النَصلِ

But with a shield that had no strap,

And a weak, splitting-tipped spear.

حَباني بِها ظُلمُ القُباعِ وَلَم أَجِد

سِوى أَمرِهِ وَالسَيرِ شَيئاً مِنَ الفِعلِ

I was wronged by it, and found nothing

Besides his command and travel worthy of action.

فَأَزمَعتُ أَمري ثُمَّ أَصبَحتُ غازِياً

وَسَلَّمتُ تَسليمَ الغُزاةِ عَلى أَهلي

So I made up my mind, and in the morning became a raider,

And bade farewell like the raiders to my family,

وَقُلتُ لَعَلّي أَن أَرى ثَمَّ راكِباً

عَلى فَرَسٍ أَو ذا مَتاعٍ عَلى بَغلِ

Saying perhaps I would then see myself riding

A horse or with goods on a mule.

جَوادي حِمارٌ كانَ حيناً بِظَهرِهِ

إِكافٌ وَإِشناقُ المَزادَةِ وَالحَبلِ

My steed was a donkey which once had on its back

Baskets and waterskins and ropes.

وَقَد خانَ عَينَيهِ بَياضٌ وَخانَهُ

قَوائِمُ سَوءٍ حينَ يُزجَرُ في الوَحلِ

Its eyes failed it with whiteness, and its

Bad legs failed it when driven into mud.

إِذا ما اِنتَحى في الماءِ وَالوَحلِ لَم تَرِم

قَوائِمُهُ حَتّى يُؤَخَّرَ بِالحَملِ

When it splashed into water and mud, its

Legs did not toss until it lagged behind with the load.

أُنادي الرِفاقَ بارَكَ اللَهُ فيكُمُ

رُوَيدَكُمُ حَتّى أَجوزَ إِلى السَهلِ

I called to my friends, God bless you,

Go slowly until I get through to the plain.

فَسِرنا إِلى قِنّينَ يَوماً وَلَيلَةً

كَأَنّا بَغايا ما يَسِرنَ إِلى بَعلِ

So we traveled to Qinnasrin for a day and night

Like brides not hurrying to their husband.

إِذا ما نَزَلنا لَم نَجِد ظِلَّ ساحَةٍ

سِوى يابِسِ الأَنهارِ أَو سَعَفِ النَخلِ

Whenever we camped, we found no level ground

Except barren riverbeds or palm fronds.

مَرَرنا عَلى سوراءَ نَسمَعُ جِسرَها

يَئِطُّ نَقيضاً عَن سَفائِنِهِ الفُضلِ

We passed by Surra hearing its bridge

Creaking from its overloaded ships.

فَلَمّا بَدا جِسرُ السَراةِ وَأَعرَضَت

لَنا سوقُ فُرّاغِ الحَديثِ إِلى شُغلِ

So when the Saraa Bridge appeared, and

The bustling market of Furragh distracted me,

نَزَلنا إِلى ظِلٍّ ظَليلٍ وَباءَةٍ

حَلالٍ بِرَغمِ القَلطَمانِ وَمانَغلِ

We descended into cool, shady, lawful drinking dens

Despite the police chief and spies.

بِشارِطَةٍ مَن شاءَ كانَ بِدِرهَمٍ

عَروساً بِما بَينَ السَبيئَةِ وَالنَسلِ

For a dirham, with a prostitute of your choice

You could be a groom between Sabeiyya and Nassal.

فَأَتبَعتُ رُمحَ السُوءِ سُميَةَ نَصلِهِ

وَبِعتُ حِمارِي واِستَرَحتُ مِنَ الثَقلِ

So I followed the wretched spear’s blade

And sold my donkey, relieved of the burden.

تَقولُ ظَبايا قُل قَليلاً أَلا لِيا

فَقُلتُ لَها أَصوي فإِنّي عَلى رِسلِ

The gazelles said, say just a little. I said to her,

I will be loud, for I am on an expedition.

مَهَرتُ لَها جِرديقَةً فَتَرَكتُها

بِمَرها كَطَرفِ العَينِ شَائِلَةَ الرَجلِ

I married her with a tattered cloak, then left her

At her price, glancing sideways with her leg.