وَقَد أَغتَدي في بَياضِ الصَّباحِ
وأَعجازُ لَيلي مُوَلّي الذَّنَب
I spent my morning in the whiteness of dawn,
with the hindquarters of my obedient night mount turned away.
بِطرفٍ يُنازِعُني مَرسِناً
سلوفِ المقادةِ مَحضِ النَّسَب
My glance competes with me, fixed on the long
neck of a smooth-gaited she-camel of pure lineage.
طَواهُ القنيصُ وتَعداؤه
وإِرشاشُ عِطفيه حَتّى شَسَب
Her gown covers her and flows over
as her shoulders spray droplets when she gallops.
بعيد مَدى الطَّرفِ خاظي البَضيعِ
مُمرِّ المَطا سَمهَرِيِّ العَصَب
Far-striding with slender legs, she runs
through the meadow, fast as an ostrich.
رَفيعِ القِذالِ كَسيدِ الغَضا
وَتمِّ الضُّلوعِ بِجَوفٍ رَحَب
High-crouped like a noble antelope doe,
her ribs are wide inside a spacious chest.
وَهادٍ تَقَدَّم لا عَيبَ فيهِ
كالجذعِ شُذَّب عَنهُ الكَرَب
Steady-paced, no flaw in her, she goes forth
like a trunk with no knots to chafe and disturb.
إِذا قيدَ قَحّمَ من قادَهُ
وَبانَت عَلابِيُّه واجلَعَب
When she’s haltered she digs in and throws
her forelegs out, revealing her zebras' stripes.
كَهزِّ الرُّدينيِّ بَينَ الأَكفِّ
جَرى في الأَنابيبِ ثُمَ اضطرَب
She bolts between the hands like a Najd mare,
running hot then breaking into confusion.
غَدونا نُريدُ بِهِ الآبداتِ
نؤَيهه بَينَ هابٍ وَهَب
We rode out seeking high ground,
driving her between gusts and squalls.
فَلَمّا أَتَينا عَلى الرَّوضَتينِ
بِحَيثُ المَصامَةُ بَينَ الشُّعَب
When we reached the two meadows
where the valley narrows into ravines,
إِذا عانةٌ قَد رآها الرَّقيبُ
بِلا حدِّ نأيٍ وَلا مِن كَثَب
I saw a group of women unguarded, alone,
with no shelter of tents or people.
صيامٌ تَلفت أَحوالَها
فأَومأَ وَهوَ عَلى مُرتَقب
I watched their condition closely
and my scout made a sign to lie in wait.
فَناشوا العِنانَ بأَيديهمُ
فأَعلَنَ بَعدَ السَّرارِ الصَّخَب
They gave their horses free rein,
and after hiding they began a tumult.
وَقَد يَسَّروا بَينَهم فارِساً
حَديدَ السِّنانِ كَميشَ الطَّلَب
They had let a horseman pass between them
with iron spears, like a ravening wolf.
أَجالوهُ في ظَهرِهِ إِذ دَنَوا
وَوَصَّوا غُلامَهُم فاعتَصَب
As he approached they charged his back,
and ordered their slave boy to grab the loot.
شَجَرنَ وَعادَلنَ بَينَ الوجوهِ
وَعُرضِ البَسيطَةِ أَينَ الهَرب
They fenced with him, face-to-face,
on the flat ground. Where could he escape?
فَولَّت سِراعاً وأَرجاؤُه
كَسَحِّ النَّضيحِ إِذا ما انشَعب
They sprang away quickly on all sides
like the flowing of a sudden flood.
فَحاصَرَهُنّ وَحاصَرنَهُ
وَناهَبنَهُ عُرضاً وانتَهَب
He surrounded them and they surrounded him,
robbing his goods and plundering his possessions.
يُقَطِّعُ بالشدِّ إِحضارَها
لَدى الحُضرِ عِندَ احتِضارِ اللَّهَب
He kept trying to cut them off
and bring them before the chiefs' assembly.
ضَروحُ الحَماتَين سامي الذِّراعِ
إِذا ما انتَحاهُ خَبارٌ وَثَب
But the bold warrior maidens with long arms
were too much for him when tried and tested.
فَلَم يَنفَع الوحشَ مِنهُ النجاءُ
وَلا بَثُّهنَّ عِراضَ العَلَب
The wild beasts gained nothing by fleeing,
nor did their scattering into the hills.
فأَلحَقَهُ وَهوَ ساطٍ بِها
كَما تُلحِق القَوسُ سَهمَ الغَرب
He pursued them while they distracted him
as a bow pursues an arrow's path.
فأَهوى السِّنانَ إِلى عَيرِها
فَجذَّ الفَريصَ وَقطَّ الحُجُب
He brought down his spear on their herd
and snatched away the prizes.
وَقُلتُ لَهُم جَلّلوه الثيابَ
وَشُدّوا الحِزامَ وأَرخوا اللَّبَب
I said to them: “Give him clothes,
bind his waist tight, and lower his headdress,
وَضُمّوا جَناحَيهِ أَن يُستَطارَ
فَقَد كانَ يأَخُذُ حُسنَ الأَدَب
and fold his wings, so he may be hooded
for he had learned good manners.”
فأَعدَدتُ ذاكَ ليومِ الوَغى
وَرَوعاتِ دَهرٍ طَويلِ الحِقَب
I prepared him for a day of warfare
and terrors of prolonged strife.
فَكَم مِن عَدوٍّ نَحَوناهُمُ
بِجَيشٍ لُهامٍ كَثيرِ اللَّجَب
How often we have driven off enemies
in great roaring armies of many troops,
وَفِتيانِ صِدقٍ إِذا ما اعتَزَوا
أَباحوا العَدوَّ وأُعطوا السَّلَب
and sincere lads who, when they band together,
rout the foe and seize the spoils!
مَتى أَدَعُ قَومي يُجِب دَعوتي
فَوارسُ هيجا كِرامُ الحَسَب
When will my people respond to my call,
horsemen of honor, noble and pure?
تَرى جارَهُم آمناً وَسطَهُم
يَروحُ بعَقدٍ وَثيق السَّبَب
You see their neighbor safe among them,
moving about, tied by binding oaths.
إِذا ما عَقَدنا لَهُ ذِمَةً
شَدَدنا العِناجَ وَعَقدَ الكَرب
When we grant someone protection
we tighten our belts and fortune favors us.
