غَشيتُ مَنازِلاً مِن آل هِندٍ

قِفاراً بُدِّلَت بَعدي عُفِيّا

I visited the dwellings of the tribe of Hind,

Desolate places changed after me.

تُبينُ رَمادَها وَمَخَطَّ نُؤيٍ

وَأَشعَثَ ماثِلاً فيها ثَوِيّا

Their ashes appear and the tracks of tents,

With a blackened cooking pot boiling in them.

فَكادَت مِن مَعارِفِها دُموعي

تَهُمُّ الشَأنَ ثُمَّ ذَكَرتُ حَيّا

My tears from their acquaintances almost

Cared for the matter, then I remembered one alive.

وَكانَ الجَهلُ لَو أَبكاكَ رَسمٌ

وَلَستُ أُحِبُّ أَن أُدعى سَفِيّا

Ignorance would have wept for you as a duty,

But I do not like to be called foolish.

وَنَدمانٍ كَريمِ الجَدِّ سَمحٍ

صَبَحتُ بِسُحرَةٍ كَأساً سَبِيّا

And a noble, generous, forgiving reproacher

I have become at dawn a captured cup.

يُحاذِرُ أَن تُباكِرَ عاذِلاتٌ

فَيُنبَأَ أَنَّهُ أَضحى غَوِيّا

He is wary that blamers will hasten

So he is told he has become reckless.

فَقالَ لَنا أَلا هَل مِن شِواءٍ

بِتَعريضٍ وَلَم يَكميهِ عِيّا

So he said to us, “Is there no roast

With allusion?” and he did not conceal the meaning.

فَأَرسَلتُ الغُلامَ وَلَم أُلَبِّث

إِلى خَيرِ البَوائِكِ تَوهَرِيّا

So I sent the boy and I did not tarry

To the best she-camels loaded evenly.

فَناءَت لِلقِيامِ لِغَيرِ سَوقٍ

وَأُتبِعُها جُرازاً مُشرَفِيّا

She went to stand without going to market

And I made her follow a broad saddle.

فَظَلَّ بِنِعمَةٍ يُسعى عَلَيهِ

وَراحَ بِها كَريماً أَجفَلِيّا

He remained with a blessing sought after

And went away generously swaying.

وَكُنتُ إِذا الهُمومُ تَضَيَّفَتني

قَرَيتُ الهَمَّ أَهوَجَ دَوسَرِيّا

When cares visited me

I would read out the care as intensely dark.

بُوَيزِلَ عامِهِ مِردى قِذافٍ

عَلى التَأويبِ لا يَشكو الوَنِيّا

A she-camel of his, a shield against hot wind,

Upon being loaded would not complain of exhaustion.

يُشيحُ عَلى الفَلاةِ فَيَعتَليها

وَأَذرَعُ ما صَدَعتَ بِهِ المَطِيّا

She bolts into the wilderness so he spurs her

And the miles her feet cracked are binding.

كَأَني حينَ أَزجُرُهُ بِصَوتي

زَجَرتُ بِهِ مُدِلّاً أَخدَرِيّا

It is as if when I deter her with my voice

I deterred with it one heavily pregnant.

تَمَهَّلَ عانَةً قَد ذَبَّ عَنها

يَكونَ مَصامُهُ مَنها قَصِيّا

She slowed out of weakness, her burden removed

So that her destination would be nearby.

أَطالَ الشَدَّ وَالتَقريبَ حَتّى

ذَكَرتَ بِهِ مُمَرّاً أَندَرِيّا

He prolonged urging and bringing near until

You mentioned with it one passing by.

بِها في رَوضَةٍ شَهرَي رَبيعٍ

فَسافَ لَها أَديماً أَدلَصِيّا

With it in a garden the two months of spring

He travelled over a plain intensely dark.

مُشيحاً هَل يَرى شَبَحاً قَريباً

وَيوفي دونَها العَلَمَ العَلِيّا

Glancing - does he see an apparition drawing near?

And the high flags would fail besides it.

إِذا لاقى بِظاهِرَةٍ دَحيقاً

أَمَرَّ عَلَيهِما يَوماً قَسِيّا

When he meets a terrible wasteland

He would pass a very hard day over them.

فَلَمّا قَلَّصَت عَنهُ البَقايا

وَأَعوَزَ مِن مَراتِعِهِ اللَوِيّا

So when the remnants diminished from him

And the pastures lacked what would restore him,

أَرَنَّ فَصَكَّها صَخِبٌ دَءولٌ

يَعُبُّ عَلى مَناكِبِها الصَبِيّا

There clamored over her a yearling camel, foolishly playing,

Bellowing over her shoulders like a child.

فَأَورَدَها عَلى طِملٍ يَمانٍ

يُهِلُّ إِذا رَأى لَحماً طَرِيّا

So he brought her to a red-haired male camel

Who drools when he sees delicious meat.

لَهُ شِريانَةٌ شَغَلَت يَدَيهِ

وَكانَ عَلى تَقَلُّدِها قَوِيّا

He has a she-camel that occupied his hands

And he was strong in controlling her.

وَزُرقٌ قَد تَنَخَّلَها لِقَضبٍ

يَشُدُّ عَلى مَناصِبِها النَضِيّا

And a coat of mail which date palms wove for him

That binds over his positions intensely.

تَرَدّى بُرأَةً لَمّا بَناها

تَبَوَّأَ مَقعَداً مِنها خَفِيّا

She fell back when he built her

And took up from her a hidden seat.

فَلَمّا لَم يَرَينَ كَثيرَ ذُعرٍ

وَرَدنَ صَوادِياً وَرداً كَمِيّا

When he did not see much confusion in her

He returned her to pasture satiated.

فَأَرسَلَ وَالمَقاتِلُ مُعوِراتٌ

لِما لاقَت ذُعافاً يَثرِبِيّا

So he sent the fighters while the warriors

Encountered the battle cry of Yathrib.

فَخَرَّ النَصلُ مُنقَعِصاً رَثيماً

وَطارَ القِدحُ أَشتاتاً شَظِيّا

The blade fell, soaked in blood,

And the leather bucket flew into pieces.

وَعَضَّ عَلى أَنامِلِهِ لَهيفاً

وَلاقى يَومَهُ أَسَفاً وَغِيّا

He bit his fingers in anguish

And met his day with sorrow and disappearance.

وَراحَ بِحِرَّةٍ لَهِفاً مُصاباً

يُنَبِّئُ عِرسَهُ أَمراً جَلِيّا

He went moaning, stricken,

Announcing his wedding an open matter.

فَلَو لُطِمَت هُناكَ بَذاتِ خَمسٍ

لَكانا عِندَها حِتنَينِ سِيّا

If she were to be hit there with five arrows,

The two of them would be snakes to her.

وَكانوا واثِقينَ إِذا أَتاهُم

بِلَحمٍ إِن صَباحاً أَو مُسِيّا

They were confident that if he brought them

Flesh, whether morning or evening,