سَألْتُ فلمْ تكُلِّمْني الرُّسومُ

فَظَلْتُ كأنَّني فيها سَقِيمُ

I asked but the inscriptions did not speak to me

So I remained as if sickened by them

بِقَارعَة الِغريفِ فَذاتِ مَشْيٍ

إلى العَصْداءِ ليسَ بِها مُقِيمُ

At the striking of the bell, that figure

Walking to the slender palm, not staying there

مَنازِلُ عَذْبةِ الأنْيابِ خَوْدٍ

فما إنْ مِثْلُها في الناسِ نيِمُ

The abodes of the sweet spring are a bosom

None like them comfort people

فإمَّا أن صَرَفْتِ فَغَيْرُ بُغْضٍ

ولكنْ قدْ تُعدِّيني الهمُومُ

So either you turned away, without hatred

Or sorrows would afflict me

عَداني أنْ أزورَكِ حَرْبُ قَوْمٍ

كَحَرِّ النارِ ثَاقِبَةٌ عذُومُ

The war of a people prevented me from visiting you

Hot as hellfire, raging

عَذومٌ يَنْكُلُ الأعْداءُ عَنْها

كَأَنَّ صُلاتْهَا الأَبْطالَ هِيمُ

Raging, the enemies recoil from it

As if their warriors are terrified by it

فلَسْتُ بآمِرٍ فيها بِسِلْمٍ

ولكِنِّي على نَفْسي زَعيمُ

I cannot command peace in it

But I am the captain of myself

قَتَلْنا نَاجِياً بِقتيلِ فهْمٍ

وَخَيْرُ الطَّالِبِ التِّرَةَ الغَشُومُ

We killed the survivor for understanding

And the best seeker desires the bloody shirt

بِغَزْوٍ مثلِ وَلْغِ الذِّئْبِ حَتّى

يَنُوءُ بِصاحِبي ثَأْرٌ مُنِيمُ

With an attack like the pouncing of a wolf until

My companion takes vengeance, staying

يَبُوءُ بِصاحِبي أو يَقْتُلونِي

قَتِيلٌ مَاجِدٌ سَمْحٌ كَريمُ

My companion takes vengeance or they kill me

A valiant martyr, forgiving, generous

وَلَمَّا أَنْ بَدَتْ أَعْلامُ تَرْجٍ

وَقالَ الرَّابئانِ بَدَتْ رنومُ

And when the banners of Turj appeared

And the monks said the bells appeared

وأعْرَضَتِ الجبالُ السُّودُ

عنيِّ وَخَيْنَفُ عَنْ شِمالي والبَهيمُ

And the black mountains shunned me

And Kheynaf on my left and the beast

أَمَمْتُ بها الطَّرِيقَ فُوَيْقَ نَعْلٍ

ولمْ أُقْسِمْ فَتَرْبِثَني القُسُومُ

I strode the path with the clacking of sandals

And did not swear lest vows entrap me

وَمَرْقَبَةٍ نَمَيْتُ إلى ذُراها

يُقَصِّرُ دونَها السَّبِطُ الوَسيمُ

And I climbed a lookout whose far limit

The handsome youth cannot reach

عَلَوْتُ قَذالَها وَهَبَطْتُ مِنْها

إِلى أُخْرى لِقُلَّتِها طَمِيمُ

I climbed its ridge and descended from it

To another, too narrow to be filthy

فَلَمْ يَقْصُرْ بِها باعي ولكنْ

كَما تَنْقَضُّ ضَارِيةٌ لَحُومُ

My camel did not fall short there but

Collapsed like a wild animal tearing meat

مِنَ النُّمْرِ الظُّهُورِ كَأَنَّ فاها

إِذا أَنْحَتْ على شَيْءٍ قَدُومُ

From the lynx's back, its mouth appears

When it pounces on something, biting

وَلَيْلةِ قِرَّةٍ أَدْلَجْتُ فِيها

يُحرِّقُ جِلْدَ سَاقَيَّ الهَشِيمُ

And on a cold night I traveled

Burning the skin of my legs with fuel

فَأَصْبَحتِ الأَنامِلُ قَدْ أُبِينَتْ

كَأَنَّ بنَانها أَنْفٌ رَثيمُ

So in the morning my toes appeared

As if their structure is a flabby nose

تَراها مِنْ وِثامِ الأَرْضِ سُوداً

كَأَنَّ أَصابِعَ القَدَمَيْنِ شِيمُ

You see them blackened by the soil

Like the toes are shoots

وَرَجْلٍ قَدْ لَفَفْتُهُمُ بِرَجْلٍ

عَلَيْهِمْ مِثْلَ مانُثِرَ الجَريمُ

With a leg I wrapped them round a leg

Pouring on them like scattered embers

يُصِيبُ مَقاتِلَ الأَبْطالِ مِنْهُمْ

قَحِيطُ الطَّعْنِ والضَّرْبُ الخَذِيمُ

Striking the warrior heroes among them

The surrounding stab and the piercing blow

كَمَعْمَعَةِ الحدِيقَةِ في أَباءٍ

تَشِبُّ ضِرامَها رِيحٌ سَمُومُ

Like the rustling of palm trees in a storm

Whose branches are lashed by poisonous winds

وَرَدَتُ المْوتَ بالأبْطالِ فِيهمْ

إذا خامَ الحببانُ فلا أَخِيمُ

And I returned death to the heroes among them

When the brown spears mixed, I did not waver

وَمُعْتَرَكٍ كأَنَّ الَقوْمَ فيهمْ

تَبُلُّ جُلودَ أَوْجُهِهِمْ جَحِيمُ

And a melee as if the people among them

The skins of their faces are scalded by hell

صَلَيْتُ بِحَرَّهِ وَتَجَنَّبَتْهُ

رِجالٌ لا يُناطُ بها التَّمِيمُ

I prayed its heat and men avoided it

Who cannot be tied by amulets

إذا أَنسىَ الحَياءَ الرَّوْعُ نادَوا

ألا يا حَبَّذَا الأَنَسُ المُقِيمُ

When fright forgets modesty they shouted

Oh, the beloved companion remaining