قِفي قَبلَ التفَرُّقِ يا أُماما
ورُدِّي قَبلَ بَينكم السَّلاما
Stand before parting, O leader,
And bid farewell before you depart.
طَرِبتُ وشاقني يا أُمَّ بَكرٍ
دُعاءُ حَمامَةٍ تَدعو حَماما
I am disturbed and saddened, O mother of Bakr,
By the prayer of a dove calling to her kind.
فَبِتُّ وَباتَ هَمّي لي نَجيّاً
أُعزّي عَنكِ قَلباً مُستَهاما
My concerns kept me awake at night
To console a heart seized by passion.
إِذا ذُكِرت لِقَلبكِ أُمُّ بَكرٍ
يَبيتُ كَأَنَّما اِغتَبَقَ المُداما
When the mother of Bakr comes to mind,
My heart spends the night as if drunk on wine.
خَدَلَّجةٌ تَرِفُّ غروبُ فيها
وَتَكسو المتنَ ذا خُصَلٍ سُخاما
A smooth-necked gazelle grazing at sunset,
Cloaked in a thick, dark coat.
أَبى قَلبي فَما يَهوى سِواها
وَإِن كانَت مودَّتُها غَراما
My heart refused all but her,
Though its love for her was a sin.
يَنامُ اللَّيلَ كُلُّ خَلِيِّ هَمٍّ
وَتأَبى العَينُ مِنّي أَن تَناما
All my friends sleep at night
While my eyes refuse to sleep.
أُراعِي التالِياتِ مِن الثرَيّا
وَدَمعُ العَينِ مُنحَدِرٌ سِجاما
I stay up late with the Pleiades,
My tears flowing ceaselessly.
عَلى حين اِرعويتُ وَكانَ رأسي
كَأَنَّ عَلى مفارِقِه ثَغاما
Once as I herded, my head felt
As if a poisonous insect stung it.
سَعى الواشونَ حَتّى أَزعَجوها
وَرَثَّ الحَبلُ فاِنجذمَ اِنجِذاما
The guards hurried until they startled her,
And the rope snapped as it jerked and broke.
فَلَستُ بِزائِلٍ مادُمتُ حَيّا
مُسرّاً من تذكرِها هُياما
As long as I live, I'll never leave,
Delighting in the memory of her passion.
تُرَجِّيها وَقَد شَطَّت نَواها
وَمَنَّتكَ المُنى عاماً فَعاما
You wish for her though she is far away,
And time has passed, year after year.
خَدَلَّجةٌ لَها كَفَلٌ وَبوصٌ
يَنوءُ بِها إِذا قامَت قِياما
A smooth-necked gazelle with ankles and shins
Bent under her weight when she stands.
مُخَصَّرَةٌ ترى في الكَشحِ مِنها
عَلى تَثقيلِ أَسفَلِها اِنهِضاما
Of shapely legs, the fullness at her ankles
Visible when she moves her lower half.
لَها بَشَرٌ نَقيُّ اللَّونِ صافٍ
وَأَخلاقٌ تَشينُ بِها اللِّئاما
She has a face pure and clear,
With character that shames the vile.
وَنَحرٌ زانَهُ دُرٌّ حَليٌّ
وَياقوتٌ يُضَمِّنُهُ النِّظاما
A neck adorned with a strand of pearls
And gems set in order upon it.
إِذا اِبتَسَمت تَلألأَ ضَوءُ بَرقٍ
تَهَلَّلَ في الدجُنَّةِ ثُمَّ داما
When she smiles, the flash of lightning shines,
Rippling through the darkness.
وَإِن مالَ الضَّجيعُ فَدِعصُ رَملٍ
تَداعى كَأَنَّ مُلتَبِداً هَياما
When she inclines on her side, it is like
Shifting sand dunes billowing in the air.
وَإِن قامَت تأمَّلَ مَن رآها
غَمامَةَ صَيفٍ وَلجَت غَماما
Whoever sees her standing is amazed
By a summer cloud bursting with rain.
وَإِن جَلست فَدُميَةُ بَيتِ عيدٍ
تُصانُ فَلا تُرى إِلا لِماما
Sitting, she is a doll in a festive house
Veiled, barely visible at all.
إِذا تَمشي تَقولُ دَبيبَ سَيلٍ
تَعرَّجَ ساعَةً ثُمَّ اِستَقاما
When she walks, it is like the creeping of a stream,
Winding then straightening its course.
فَلَو أَشكو الَّذي أَشكو إِلَيها
إِلى حَجَرٍ لراجَعني الكَلاما
If I complained to her of my complaints,
Even a stone would echo my words.
أُحِبُّ دنُوَّها وَتحِبُّ نَأيي
وَتَعتامُ الثناءَ لَها اعتِياما
I love her nearness and she loves my distance,
Veiled from praise, refusing it.
كَأَنّي مِن تَذكُّرِ أُمِّ بَكرٍ
جَريحُ أَسِنَّةٍ يَشكو كِلاما
Remembering Umm Bakr, I am like one
Wounded by arrows complaining of their pain.
تَساقَطُ أَنفُساً نَفسي عَلَيها
إِذا سَخِطت وَتغتَمُّ اِغتِماما
It destroys me when she is angry,
And is gloomy and downcast.
غَشيتُ لَها مَنازِلُ مُقفِراتٍ
عَفَت إِلا أَياصِرَ أَو ثُماما
I haunt the desolate encampments she left,
Abandoned, except for tent stakes or tent cloth.
وَنؤياً قَد تَهَدَّمَ جانِباهُ
وَمَبناها بِذي سَلَمِ الخِياما
A dream whose sides have crumbled,
Its structure like a temporary nomad's tent.
كَأَنَّ البختَريَةَ أم خِشفٍ
تَرَبَّعَتِ الجُنَينَةَ فالسلاما
As if al-Bukhthuriya, mother of Khashf,
Camped in al-Junaynah, so farewell!
تَطوفُ بِواضِحِ الذِّفرى إِذا ما
تَخَلَّفَ ساعَةً بغمت بُغاما
She circles around at daybreak when
Loneliness brings her to gloomy sands.
صِليني واِعلمي أَنّي كَريمٌ
وَأَنَّ حَلاوَتي خُلِطَت عُراما
Greet me and know I am generous,
My sweetness mixed with bitterness.
وَأَنّي ذو مدافعةٍ صَليبٌ
خُلِقتُ لِمَن يضارِسُني لِجاما
I was created to confront those who oppose me,
A stalwart horse bred for battle.
فَلا وَأَبيك لا أَنساكِ حَتّى
تُجاوِرَ هامَتي في القَبرِ هاما
By your father! I'll never forget you
Until we lie side by side in the grave.
لَقَد عَلِمت بَنو الشَّدّاخِ أَنّي
إِذا زاحَمتُ اِضطَلِعُ الزِّحاما
The clan of Shaddakh knows when I
Join the fray, I plunge into the thickest of it.
فَلَستُ بِشاعرِ السَّفسافِ مِنهم
وَلا الجاني إِذا أشِرَ الظَلاما
I am no poet of frivolities or crimes
Under the cover of darkness.
وَلَكِنِّي إِذا حارَبتُ قَوماً
عَبأتُ لَهُم مذكرةً عُقاما
Rather, when I war against a people,
I prepare for them a destructive assault.
أَقِي عِرضي إِذا لَم أَخشَ ظُلماً
طَغامَ الناسِ إِنَّ لهَمُ طَغاما
I protect my honor unless I fear injustice,
The tyranny of people, for they are tyrannical.
إِذا ما البَيتُ لَم تُشدَد بِشيءٍ
قَواعِدُ فرعه اِنهَدَمَ اِنهِداما
When a house lacks supports,
The branches of its trunk collapse.
سأُهدي لابنِ ربعيٍّ ثَنائي
وَمِمّا أَن أَخصَّ بِهِ الكِراما
I will recite verses in praise
Of the best of men, singling out the generous.
لعِكرِمةُ بنُ رَبعيّ إِذا ما
تَساقا القَومُ بالأَسَلِ السِّماما
Ikrimah son of Rabīʿah, when the people
Are routed by sharp swords,
أَشَدُّ حَفيظَةً مِن لَيثِ غابٍ
تَخالُ زَئيرَهُ اللجبَ اللُّهاما
Is more ferocious than a lion of the jungle
Whose mighty roar shakes the hills.
أَخو ثِقَةٍ يُرى بَيني المَعالي
يَضيمُ وَيَحتَمي مِن أَن يُضاما
The brother of Trustworthiness, between us there is nobility,
He who is wronged but does not wrong in return.
يَرى قَولاً نَعَم حَقّاً عَلَيهِ
وَقَولاً لا لِسائِلِهِ حَراما
He sees some words as fair, obligatory to fulfill,
And others as forbidden to the questioner.
فَتى لا يَرزأُ الخُلانَ إِلا
ثَناءَهُم يرى بِالبُخلِ ذاما
A man who does not insult the ignoble
Except by their own praise, which he sees as blame.
كَأَنَّ قدورَهُ مِن رأسِ ميلٍ
عَلى عَلياءَ مشرفَةٍ نَعاما
As if his cauldrons are on the top of a salt marsh
High on a hilltop exposed.
تَظَلُّ الشارِفُ الكَوماءُ فيها
مُطبَّقَةً مَفاصِلُها عِظاما
The cooking pots are piled inside them,
Their joints just bones.
يُحَسُّ وَقودُها بِعِظامِ أُخرى
فَلا ينفكُّ يَحتَدِمُ اِحتِداما
Its fuel is the bones of others
So it never stops burning hot.
كَأَنَّ الطائِفينَ بِها صَوادٍ
رأت رِيّا وَقَد وردت هُياما
As if those circling them are hunters
Who saw prey and closed in on it.
لَو اَنَّ الحَوشبينِ لَهُ لَكانا
لمن يَغشى سُرادِقَهُ طَعاما
If the trenches were his, they would be
An abundant feast for whoever enters his dwelling.
لَقَد جارَيتُما يا ابنَي رُوَيمٍ
هَزيمَ الغَربِ يَنثَلِمُ اِنثِلاما
You have outdone, O sons of Ruwaym,
Those who fled from the west in defeat.
يُقَصِّرُ سَعيُ أَقوامٍ كِرامٍ
وَيأبى مَجدُه إِلا تَماما
The efforts of other honored people fall short,
While your glory is perfected.
لَهُ بَحرٌ تَغَمَّدَ كُلَّ بَحرٍ
فَما عدلَ الدَّوارِجَ وَالسناما
He has a sea that drowned all seas—
No isthmus or strait can match it.
يَرى لِلضَيفِ وَالجيرانِ حَقّاً
وَيَرعى في صَحابَتِهِ الذِّماما
He sees rights for the guest and neighbor
And considers the interests of his companions.
إِذا بَرَدَ الزمانُ أَهانَ فيهِ
عَلى المَيسورِ وَالعُسرِ السَّواما
When times get cold he treats both
The prosperous and destitute equally.
يُسابِقُ بالتلادِ إِلى المَعالي
حِمامَ النَّفسِ إِنَّ لَها حِماما
He races to glory,
A pigeon racing toward its nest.
أَغَرُّ تَكَشَّف الظلماء عَنهُ
يَعِزُّ مِن المَلامَةِ أَن يُلاما
Dawn's light reveals him clearly,
Too proud for anyone to blame.
نَما ونمت بهم أَعراقُ صِدقٍ
وَحيٌّ كانَ أَوَّلُهم زِماما
In them are the roots of truthfulness,
A tribe whose first was their leader.
كَأَنَّ الجارَ حينَ يَحلُّ فيهم
عَلى الشُمِّ البَواذِخ مِن شَماما
When the neighbor settles among them
On the lofty summits of cedar trees,
يُقيمونَ الضرابَ لِمَن أَتاهُم
وَنارُ الحَربِ تَضطَرِمُ اِضطِراما
They take up arms for whoever comes to them
With the fire of war blazing hot.
هُوَ المُعطي الكِرامَ وَكُلَّ عَنسٍ
صَموتٍ في السُّرى تَقِصُ الأَكاما
He gives generous gifts and excellent character,
Noble and steadfast in hardships.
وَخِنذيذٍ كَمَرِّيخِ المُغالي
إِذا ما خَفَّ يَعتَزِمُ اِعتِزاما
And a grumbling miser with great ambitions
Who, when resolved, is firmly determined.
طَويلِ الشخص ذي خُصَلٍ نَجيبٍ
أَجَشّ تَقُطُّ زفرتُه الحِزاما
Tall, of excellent character,
His loud cry strips away the loincloths.
فَلَم أرَ سوقةً يُربي عَلَيهِ
بِنائِلِهِ وَلا مَلِكاً هُماما
I have not seen a horseman train his mare,
Or a magnificent king, as well as him.
