أَجَدَّ اليَوم جيرَتُكَ اِحتِمالا

وَحَثَّ حُداتهم بِهِم الجِمالا

Your neighbor was very patient today

And urged their camels on insistently

فَلَم يَأووا لِمن تَبَلوا وَلَكِن

تَوَلَّت عيرُهم بِهِم عِجالا

But the camels did not come to those who loaded them

Rather their caravan quickly left with them

وَقطَّعتِ النَّوى أَقرانَ حَيٍّ

تَحَمَّلَ عَن مَساكِنه فَزالا

It cut the rope of the living tribe

Who had endured the departure from their dwellings

عَلَوا بالرَّقمِ وَالدِّيباجِ بُزلاً

تَخَيَّلُ في أَزِمَّتِها اِختِيالا

Wearing striped silk and brocade clothes

Imagining elegance in their distress

وَفي الأَظعانِ آنسةٌ لَعوبٌ

تَرى قَتلي بِغَيرِ دَمٍ حَلالا

With playful, beautiful women

Whose killing seemed lawful without shedding blood

حَباها اللَّهُ وَهيَ لِذاكَ أَهلٌ

مَع الحَسَبِ العَفافةَ وَالجَمالا

God endowed them and made them suitable

With lineage, chastity, and beauty

أُمَيَّةُ يَومَ دارِ القَسرِ ضَنَّت

عَلَينا أَن تُتَوِّلنا نَوالا

Umayya, when we were in the palace of Qasr

Resented that we looked to her for sustenance

دَنَت حَتّى إِذا ما قُلتُ جادَت

أَجَدَّت بَعدُ بُخلاً واِعتِلالا

She drew near until when I spoke she was generous

Later she resented with stinginess and sickness

لَعَمرُكَ ما أُمَيَّةُ غَيرُ خِشفٍ

دَنا ظِلُّ الكِناسِ لَهُ فَقالا

By your life, Umayya is none other than miserly

The shade of the churches came near her so she spoke

إِذا وَعدتكَ مَعروفاً لَوَتهُ

وَعَجَّلَتِ التَّجَرُّمَ وَالمِطالا

When I promised you kindness, she ruined it

And was quick to commit sins and persist

تُذَكِّرُني ثَناياها مِراراً

أَقاحي الرَّملِ باشرتِ الطِّلالا

She reminds me of her sand dunes time and again

Which the windswept valleys roamed

لَها بَشَرٌ نَقيُّ اللَّونِ صافٍ

ومتنٌ خُطَّ فاِعتَدَلَ اِعتِدالا

She has a fair complexioned camel

With a body marked by symmetry and balance

إِذا تَمشي تأوَّدُ جانِباها

وَكادَ الخصرُ يَنخَزِلُ اِنخِزالا

When she walks her sides sway

And her waist almost comes undone

فَإِن تُصبِح أُمَيَّةُ قَد تَوَلَّت

وَعادَ الوَصلُ صُرماً وَاِعتِلالا

And if Umayya has turned away in the morning

Returning to remoteness and sickness

تنوءُ بِها رَوادِفُها إِذا ما

وِشاحاها عَلى المَتنين جالا

Her escorts kneel when her garments

Drape over the camels' humps

فَقَد تَدنو النَوى بَعدَ اِغتِرابٍ

بِها وَتُفَرِّقُ الحَيَّ الحلالا

The loved ones have come near again after estrangement

Spreading lawful sustenance through her

تُعَبِّسُ لي أُمَيَّةُ بَعدَ أُنسٍ

فَما أَدري أَسُخطاً أَم دَلالا

Umayya frowns at me after intimacy

So I know not if it's anger or coquetry

أَبيني لي فَرُبَّ أَخٍ مُصافٍ

رُزِئتُ وَما أُحِبُّ بِهِ بدالا

Clarify for me - for many a loving brother

I have been spurned and do not like the alternative

أَصُرمٌ مِنكِ هَذا أَم دَلالٌ

فَقَد عَنّى الدلالُ إِذن وَطالا

Is this remoteness from you or coquetry?

For coquetry has certainly grown long

أَمِ اِستَبدلتِ بي وَمَللتِ وَصلي

فبُوحي لي بِهِ وَذَري الخِتالا

Or have you replaced me, tired of my friendship?

Then confide in me and spare me guessing

فَلا وَأَبيكِ ما أَهوى خَليلاً

أُقاتِلُه عَلى وَصلي قِتالا

By your father, I do not love a replacement

I would fight him for my companionship

فَكَم مِن كاشِحٍ يا أُمَّ بَكرٍ

مِن البَغضاءِ يأتَكِلُ اِئتِكالا

How many slanderers, O mother of Bakr

Come to you full of enmity

لَبِستُ عَلى قَنادِعَ مِن أَذاهُ

وَلولا اللَّهُ كُنتُ له نَكالا

I have worn myself out with someone who, if

Weighed against a mustard seed, would be outweighed

يَقولُ فَتىً وَلَو وَزَنوهُ يَوماً

بِحَبَّةِ خَردَلٍ رَجَحَت وَشالا

I am the hawk you've heard about

The freer of birds swooping down

أَنا الصقرُ الَّذي حُدِّثتَ عَنهُ

عِتاقُ الطَّيرِ تَندَخِلُ اِندِخالا

I have mastered poetry, the tribe of Ma'ad knows

I speak no nonsense or plagiarism

قَهرتُ الشعرَ قَد عَلِمَت مَعَدٌّ

فَلا سَقَطاً أَقولُ وَلا اِنتِحالا

And whoever comes close, even if your camels rage

You have in each lofty place, only a mirage

وَمَن يَدنو وَلَو شَطَّت نَواكُم

لَكم في كُلِّ مُعظَمةٍ خَيالا

It visits while below it is barren wasteland

Where the pregnant camels complain of aridity

تَزورُ وَدونَها يَهماءُ قَفرٌ

تَشَكَّى الناعِجاتُ بِها الكَلالا

The fifth drink what is fed to them

Even if death by thirst was their lot

تَظَلُّ الخِمسُ ما يُطعَمنَ فيهِ

وَلَو مَوَّتنَ مِن ظَمإٍ بِلالا

Apart from the drippings of their udders, their color

Is like the green dye of washing

سِوى نُطَفٍ بِعَرمَضِهِنَّ لَونٌ

كَلَونِ الغِسلِ أَخضَرَ قَد أَحالا

With it we ward off the striking hooves

Of a dove, its feathers like arrows

بِها نَدرأ قوادمَ مِن حَمامٍ

مُلقّاةٍ تُشَبِّهُها النِّصالا

When longing reminds me of the singing girls

And I walk them fully adorned

إِذا ما الشَّوقُ ذَكَّرَني الغَواني

وأسوقها المُمَلأَةَ الخِدالا

With white pearls around their necks

And heavy anklets around their feet

وَأَعناقاً عَلَيها الدرُّ بيضاً

وأعجازاً لَها رُدُحاً ثِقالا

I imagined my tears a valley, a flock

Flowing copiously like a torrent

ظَلَلتُ بذكرِهِنَّ كَأَنَّ دَمعي

شَعيباً شَنَّة سرباً فَسالا

I saw the singing girls close up when

They saw old age taking over my temples

رَأَيتُ الغانِياتِ صَدَفنَ لَمّا

رَأَينَ الشَّيبَ قَد شَمِلَ القَذالا

The salty spittle of the wine skin watered their souls

Dripping constantly with spurts

سَقى أَرواحَهُنَّ عَلى التنائي

مُلِحُّ الوَدقِ يَنجَفِلُ اِنجِفالا

When it rests its anchor on the ground

You see a trail from its flowing spout

إِذا أَلقى مَراسِيهُ بِأَرضٍ

رأَيتَ لسيرِ رَيِّقِه جفالا

It exposes the roots of the tamarisk and acacia trees

When it plows through the belly of a valley

يُزيلُ إِذا أَهَرَّ بِبَطنِ وادٍ

أُصولَ الأثلِ وَالسُّمُرَ الطِّوالا

Though the singing girls are inclined

To kill men with amorous glances

عَلى أَنَّ الغَوانيَ مُولَعاتٌ

بأن يَقتُلنَ بالحَدَقِ الرِّجالا

When they strut, beckon and flirt

Leaving men's hearts sick with passion

إِذا ما رُحنَ يَمشينَ الهُوَينا

وَأَزمَعنَ المَلاذَةَ وَالمِطالا

They sought out lovers with the arrows of jinn

Wanting only to fight them

تَرَكنَ قُلوبَ أَقوامٍ مِراضاً

كَأَنَّ الشوقَ أَورثَهُم سُلالا

Liars, if caught in a tryst of love

They disappointed you after the bitterness of estrangement

قَصدنَ العاشِقينَ بنَبلِ جِنٍّ

قَواصِدَ يَقتَتِلنَهُمُ اِقتِتالا

I will not go back on my word about them

When they intend to move on from estrangement

كَواذِبُ إِن أُخِذنَ بِوَصلِ وُدٍّ

أَثَبنَكَ بَعدَ مُرِّ الصَّرمِ خالا

Their love branched into the quarters of my heart

And the heart's passion begets anxiety

فَلَستُ بِراجعٍ فيهِنَّ قَولاً

إِذا أَزمَعنَ لِلصرمِ اِنتِقالا

Doe-eyed ones charming of glance, eyes

That follow specks like those of a one-eyed camel

تَشَعَّبَ وُدُّهُنَّ بَناتِ قَلبي

وَشَوقُ القَلبِ يورِثُه خَبالا

Familiar ones whom no sun has touched

Nor have they endured difficult journeys

نواعِمُ ساجِياتُ الطرفِ عينٌ

كَعينِ الإِرخِ تَتَّبِعُ الرِّمالا

Doe-eyed ones who adopt for every evening

Scented leather socks and slippers

أَوانِسُ لَم تلوِّحهُنَّ شَمسٌ

وَلَم يَشدُدنَ في سَفَرٍ رِحالا

They reveal some charms and conceal others

When a reasonable man sees them, he is tempted

نَواعِمُ يَتَّخِذنَ لِكُلِّ مُمسَى

مُروطَ الخَزِّ وَالنَّقَبَ النعالا

We saw a youth rising high while between me

And virtues for the clan, there is no reaching

يَصُنَّ مَحاسِناً وَيُرينَ أُخرى

إِذا ذو الحِلمِ أبصَرهُنَّ مالا

A springtime in years whose prime

Flashes like lightning in the north

رأَينا حَوشَباً يَسمو وَبَيني

مَكارِمَ لِلعَشيرَةِ لن تُنالا

A burden-bearer of great deeds, gentle

When burdens overwhelm men

رَبيعاً في السنين لمعتَفيه

إِذا هَبَّت بصُرّادٍ شَمالا

I found the nobility of Bakr's sons

Returns to Dhahlan and superiority

حَمولاً لِلعَظائِمِ أَريحيّاً

إِذا الأَعباءُ أَثقلتِ الرِّجالا

The clan of Shayban, the best of Bakr’s houses

When counted, and their pillar ropes stretched

وَجَدتُ الغُرَّ مِن أَبناءِ بَكرٍ

إِلى الذهلَينِ تَرجِعُ وَالفِضالا

Men who were given the dreams of ‘Aad

When they set out with their long hands

بَنو شَيبانَ خَيرُ بُيوتِ بَكرٍ

إِذا عُدّوا وأمتَنُها حِبالا

And Taym, by God alive, alive in truth

But the millstones are above the chaff

رِجالاً أُعطيَت أَحلامَ عادٍ

إِذ اِنطَلَقوا وأيديها الطِّوالا

Akhram, you were like merchandise sold

The sale of regret came, so you rose

وَتَيمُ اللَّهِ حَيٌّ حَيُّ صِدقٍ

وَلَكِنَّ الرَّحى تَعلو الثِّفالا

Carry me, Ibn Rabia's eulogy

And grant it a gift that went astray

أَعِكرِمَ كُنتَ كالمبتاعِ بَيعاً

أَتى بيعَ الندامَةِ فاِستَقالا

You fell short of what I hoped for from you

Like the glance of one who looked then turned away

أَقِلني يا ابنَ رَبعيّ ثنائي

وهَبها مِدحَةً ذهبت ضَلالا

I tried praising you but you did not reward me

And I left no room for other eulogizers

تفاوتني عَمايَ بِها وَكانَت

كَنظرةِ مَن تَفَرَّس ثُمَّ مالا

So I will never be a loyal friend

If his company does not provide rewards

حَبَوتُكَ بِالثَّناءِ فَلَم تَثُبني

وَلَم أَترُك لِمُمتَدِحٍ مَقالا

فَلَستُ بِواصلٍ أَبَداً خَليلا

إِذا لَم تُغنِ خُلَّتُه قِبالا