نَأَتكَ أُمامَةُ إِلّا سُؤالا
وَأَعقَبَكَ الهَجرُ مِنها الوِصالا
Umma came to you only with questions,
And separation from her followed your union.
وَحادَت بِها نِيَّةٌ غَربَةٌ
تُبَدِّلُ أَهلَ الصَفاءِ الزِيالا
An intention of estrangement took her away,
Changing the friends of goodness into strangers.
وَنادى أَميرُهُمُ بِالفِرا
قِ ثُمَّ اِستَقَلّوا لِبَينٍ عِجالا
Their leader called for departure,
Then they hastily set out for the land between.
فَقَرَّبنَ كُلَّ مُنيفِ القَرا
عَريضِ الحَصيرِ يَغولُ الحِبالا
Each chieftain of a tribe brought near
His wide tent-cloth, pulling the ropes.
إِذا ما تَسَربَلنَ مَجهولَةً
وَراجَعنَ بَعدَ الرَسيمِ النِقالا
When they donned their traveling clothes anonymously,
And returned after the siesta being transported.
هَداهُنَّ مُشتَمِراً لاحِقاً
شَديدَ المَطا أَرحَبِياً جُلالا
He guided them, wrapped up, pursuing,
Severe in stride, wide in step, glorious in appearance.
تَخالُ حُمولَهُمُ في السَرا
بِ لَما تَواهَقنَ سُحقاً طِوالا
You would think their camel litters travelling in the night
Were towering shadows prolonged into shadows.
كَوارِعَ في حائِرٍ مُفعَمٍ
تَغَمَّرَ حَتّى أَتا وَاِستَطالا
Like frightened ostriches in a crowded enclosure
Immersed until the morning light began to shine.
كَسَونَ هَوادِجَهُنَّ السُدو
لَ مُنهَدِلاً فَوقَهُنَّ اِنهِدالا
They folded their tent walls,
Letting down the awnings over them like collapse.
وَفيهِنَّ حورٌ كَمِثلِ الظِبا
ءِ تَقرو بِأَعلى السَليلِ الهَدالا
In them are lovely maidens like gazelles
Resting at the highest part of the acclivity.
جَعَلنَ قُدَيساً وَأَعناءَهُ
يَميناً وَبُرقَةَ رَعمٍ شِمالا
They made the saint and his helpers
A blessing on the right, and a lightning bolt on the left.
نَوازِعُ لِلخالِ إِذ شِمنَهُ
عَلى الفُرُداتِ يَحُلُّ السِجالا
Rivals for the cheek’s beauty when he smelled it
On the lone ones, disputing begins.
فَلَمّا هَبَطنَ مَصابَ الرَبيعِ
بُدِّلنَ بَعدَ الرِحالِ الحِجالا
When they alighted at the spring pastures,
They exchanged their camel litters for tents.
وَبَيداءَ يَلعَبُ فيها السَرا
بُ يَخشى بِها المُدلِجونَ الضَلالا
In an open plain where mirages play tricks
Feared by those losing their way.
تَجاوَزتُها راغِباً راهِباً
إِذا ما الظِباءُ اِعتَنَقنَ الظِلالا
I passed by it, keen and abstaining,
When the gazelles were embracing the shadows.
بِضامِزَةٍ كَأَتانٍ الثَمي
لِ عَيرانَةٍ ما تَشَكّى الكَلالا
With a she-camel slow as an obstinate old camel,
Not complaining of the noose.
إِلى اِبنِ الشَقيقَةِ أَعمَلتُها
أَخافُ العِقابَ وَأَرجو النَوالا
I made her carry me to the son of the maternal aunt,
Fearing punishment and hoping for bestowal.
إِلى اِبنِ الشَقيقَة خَيرِ المُلوكِ
أَوفاهُمُ عِندَ عَقدٍ حِبالا
To the son of the maternal aunt, the best of kings,
Truest to their word when pacts are bound.
أَلَستَ أَبَرَّهُمُ ذِمَّةً
وَأَفضَلَهُم إِن أَرادوا فِضالا
Are you not the most righteous of them in oath
And most excellent of them if they want excellence?
فَأَهلي فِداؤُكَ مُستَعتِباً
عَتَبتَ فَصَدَّقتَ في المَقالا
So my people ransom you while I complain,
You blamed and believed the words spoken.
أَتاكَ عَدُوٌّ فَصَدَّقتَهُ
فَهَلّا نَظَرتَ هُديتَ السُؤالا
An enemy came to you and you believed him!
Why did you not consider, you were asked questions!
فَما قُلتُ ما نَطَقوا باطِلاً
وَلا كُنتُ أَرهَبُهُ أَن يُقالا
I did not say what they said was false,
Nor would I fear that it be said.
فَإِن كانَ حَقاً كَما خَبَّروا
فَلا وَصَلَت لي يَمينٌ شِمالا
But if it is true as they reported,
No right hand of mine will reach out to a left hand.
تَصَدَّق عَلَيَّ فَإِني اِمرِؤٌ
أَخافُ عَلى غَيرِ جُرمِ نَكالا
Be generous to me, for I am a man
Who fears the punishment for no crime.
وَيَومٍ تَطَلَّعُ فيهِ النُفو
سُ تُطَرِّفَ بِالطَعنِ فيهِ الرِجالا
On a day when souls look out
Stabbing men with accusations in it.
شَهِدتَ فَأَطفَأتَ نيرانَهُ
وَأَصدَرتَ مِنهُ ظِماءً نِهالا
You witnessed and extinguished its fires
And made a thirsty plant grow from it.
وَذي لَجَبٍ يُبرِقُ الناظِر
ينَ كَاللَيلِ أُلبِسَ مِنهُ ظِلالا
By one possessing might that makes beholders shine
As the night was clad in its shadows.
كَأَنَّ سَنا البَيضِ فَوقَ الكُما
ةِ فيهِ المَصابيحُ تُخبي الذُبالا
It is as though the lamps above the silver plaque
Conceal the wicks within.
صَبَحتُ العَدُوَّ عَلى نَأيِهِ
تَريشُ رِجالاً وَتَبري رِجالا
I bid the enemy farewell in his isolation.
Its men are now featherless and men plucked.
