أَماطَت لِثاماً عَن أَقاحِ الدَمائِثِ
بِمِثلِ أَساريعِ الحُقوفِ العَثاعِثِ
She unveiled a watering place from the remains of campsites
Like the quick-moving floodwaters' torrents
وَنَصَّت عَنِ الغَصنِ الرَطيبِ سَوالِفاً
يَشُبُّ سَناها لَونَ أَحوى جَثاجِثِ
And plucked stories from the fragrant branch
Whose old age resembles the color of withered skulls
وَلاثَت تُثَنّي مِرطَها دِعصَ رَملَةٍ
سَقاها مُجاجُ الطَلِّ غِبَّ الدَثائِثِ
She circled, folding her cloak, around a hill of sand
Watered by bitter sap from ruptured skins
أَما وَتَكافى ما تجنُّ ثِيابها
أَلِيَّةَ بَرٍّ لا أَلِيَّةَ حانِثِ
I swear, her clothes make up for what they lack
An upright woman's garb, not a corrupt one's
لَقَد نَفَثَت أَلحاظُها في فُؤادِهِ
جَوىً لا كَطِبِّ العاقِداتِ النَوافِثِ
Indeed, her glances instilled in his heart
A passion not like knotted necklaces' embers
فَإِن لا تَكُن بَتَّت نِياطَ فُؤادِهِ
فَقَد غادَرَتهُ في مَخاليبِ ضابِثِ
If she hasn't captivated his heart
Then she left it in the claws of a ferocious beast
سَجيرَيَّ مِن شَمسِ بنِ عَمرِو بنِ غانِم
وَنَصرِ بنِ زَهرانَ بنِ كَعبِ بنِ حارِثِ
Sajira daughter of Shams son of ‘Amr son of Ghanim
And Nasr son of Zuhran son of Ka’b son of Harith
هَلِ الرَبعُ بِالخَرجَينِ فَالقاعِ فَاللِوى
فَأَنقاءِ جَنبَي مائِرٍ فَالعَناكِثِ
Is it Dharib and Kharjain, then Qa’a, then Liwa
Then wide slopes of Ma’ir, then ‘Anak?
عَلى العَهدِ أَم أَوفى بِهِ الدَهرُ نَذرَهُ
فَكَرَّ البِلى فيهِ بِأَيدٍ عَوائِثِ
By your vows, or did time void its pledge
And decrepitude corroded it with destroying hands?
فَلا تَطوِيا أَرضاً حَوَتهُ هُديتُما
وَمَهما تَنَل مِن مَوقِفٍ غَيرِ رائِثِ
So do not refuse any land you two embraced
And whatever stance you take, take it generously
تَجَدُّدَ عَهدٍ أَو قَضاءَ مَذَمَّة
فَعاجا صُدورَ اليَعمُلاتِ الدَلائِثِ
Renewing a pact or avenging a crime
Would vex the chests of hard-working camels
عَلى ماثِلٍ هابي العِراصِ كَأَنَّهُ
عَلى قِدَمِ الأَيامِ تَخطيطُ عابِثِ
On a lover whose love fades, as if
A child scribbled aimlessly on his thigh
فَوارَيتُ عَنِ شَوقٍ أَقَرَّت صَبابَتي
حَثاحِثَ مِنها تَهتدي بِحَثائِثِ
I took refuge from a passion that addled my mind
Rushing blindly wherever it led me
وَقَد أَزعَجَت دَمعي بَواعِثُ مِل أَسى
فَأَجشَمتُ نَفسي رَدعَ تِلكَ البَواعِثِ
Then it receded, gnawing in the darkness
Gnawing a fire glimpsed among the plowshares
عَلى أَنَّها اِرتَدَّت تَأَكَّلُ في الحَشا
تَأَكّلَ نارٍ أُرِّيَت بِالمَحارِثِ
May God water Liwa’s dwelling place the night they camped
Daughters of darkness, adorned in their finery
سَقى اللَهُ مَثوى بِاللِوى لَيلَةَ اِلتَوَت
بَناتُ الدُجى مُغدَودِناتِ الخَنائِثِ
With our specters while jinn played the flute
Its whimpering joined by their whimpering
بِأَشباحِنا وَالجِنُّ تَعزِفُ بِالفَلا
هَثاهِثُها مَوصولَةُ بِهَثاهِثِ
Their cheeks puffed, covering the faces of warriors
With pebbles and hailstones
وَقد زَفَرَت صِرٌّ فَغَشَّت صُدورها
وُجوهَ المَهاري بِالحَصى وَالكَثاكِثِ
Their slender waists meet us
As if they touched the faces with grasping claws
يَواجِهُنا شَفّانُها فَكَأَنَّما
تَمسُّ الوُجوه بِالأَكُفِّ الشَرائِثِ
You can see the band, some wearing necklaces
Others with turbans wrapped round and round
تَرى الرَكبَ مِن مُدلٍ لِفيهِ عِطافَهُ
وَآخَرَ ثانٍ لِلعِمامَةِ لائِثِ
But it was only the wish of every highborn lady
To hear the flutes played by fat-fingered girls
وَلَم يَكُ إِلّا حَتُّ كُلِّ نَجيبَةٍ
تَغولُ الفَلا بِالمُزبِداتِ الحَثائِثِ
While riding at the pace of their steeds
They glimpsed a light between the walls and dunes
فَبَينا نواصيهِم بِحَثِّ مَطِيِّهِم
رَأَوا لَمحَةً بَينَ الصُوى وَالأَواعِثِ
“It’s a star,” they said, but the most perceptive said
“Which star shines between the sands at night?”
فَقالوا سَنا نَجمٍ فَقالَ أَريبُهُم
سَنا أَيُّ نَجمٍ لاحَ بَينَ أَيافِثِ
“It’s the fire of Al-Harith stoking its flames
Not lit by tinder or steel striking flint”
هِيَ النارُ شَبَّ الحارِثِيُّ وَقودَها
وَلَم يَقتَدِحها بِالزِنادِ المُغالِثِ
So we inclined to the hospitality of great-souled Majid
Magnanimous, no miser or deceitful friend
فَمِلنا إِلى رَحبِ المَباءَةِ ماجِدٍ
عَظيمِ المَقاري غَيرِ جِبسٍ كُنابِثِ
When we arrived, our arrival did not please him
Nor did we make excuses or vain entreaties
فَلَمّا أَنَخنا لَم يَؤُدهُ مَناخُنا
وَلَم نَتَعَلَّل عِندَهُ بِالعَلائِثِ
He leaned on his spear practicing his skill
While they readied themselves to repel raiders
وَمالَ عَلى البركِ الهَواجِد مُصلتاً
وَهُنَّ معدّاتٌ لدفعِ المغارِثِ
He drew a sword whose edges are forever
Honed to pierce the most armored coats
فَحَكَّم سَيفاً لا تزالُ ظُباتُهُ
مُحَكَّمَةً في الناوِياتِ المَثائِثِ
He lunged, and snatched away one of their camels
From the herd, with no restraining rope or tether
فَعَيَّثَ ثُمَّ اِعتامَ مِنهُنَّ بَكرَةً
مِنَ الكومِ لَم يَعلَق بِها حَبلُ طامِثِ
He cut its lead rope and it collapsed as if
Its pregnant hump were the ship Titanic
فَتَرَّ وَظيفَيها فَخَرَّت كَأَنَّما
حَوالِبُ رُفغَيها مُتونُ الحَفافِثِ
He turned to another and she protected herself, so he
Parried with his shield and turned to a third
وَمالَ لِأُخرى فَاِتَّقَتهُ بِسَقبِها
فَجَدَّلَهُ قَصعاً وَمالَ لِثالِثِ
Whom he missed as she recoiled, and his slaves rose
To seize them and snatch away their belongings
فَغادَرَهُ يَكبو وَقامَ عَبيدُهُ
فَمِن كاشِطٍ عَن نَيِّهِنَّ وَفارِثِ
The cooking pots clanged as if
Echoing the ringing of heavy rain
وَأَرزَمَتِ الدُهمُ الرِغابُ كَأَنَّها
تُرَدِّدُ إِرزامَ المَتالي الرَواغِثِ
We stayed awake enjoying the breeze after our meal
On pillows and carpets and household goods
وَبِتنا نُعاطي الراحَ بَعدَ اِكتِفائِنا
عَلى مُحزَئِلّاتٍ وِثارٍ أَثائِثِ
Blessed is that gallant man, drawer of dew
Refuge of the troubled, and haven of the lost
فَنِعمَ فَتى الجلّى وَمُستَنبِطُ النَدى
وَمَلجَأُ مَكروبٍ وَمَفزَعُ لاهِثِ
Iyadh son of ‘Amr son of Al-Halith son of Jabir
Son of Zayd son of Manzur son of Zayd son of Warith
عِياذُ بن عَمرو بنِ الحَليسِ بنِ جابِرِ ب
نِ زَيدِ بنِ مَنظورِ بنِ زَيدِ بنِ وارِثِ
Do not let days make me forget your vow at Liwa
No, what I hoped for will never fade
فَلا تُنسِني الأَيامُ عَهدَكَ بِاللِوى
أَجَل إِنَّ ما أَرَّبت لَيسَ بِناكِثِ
Time taught me to abandon a land made lawful
By the encroachment of enemies and turn of fate
عَداني أَن أَزدارَ أَرضاً حَلَلتها
ظُهورُ الأَعادي وَاِعتِنانُ الحَوادِثِ
Though I do not flinch from misfortune
Or complain of entanglements in adversity
عَلى أَنَّني لا أَستَكينُ لِنَكبَةٍ
وَلا أَتَعايا بِاِختِباطِ الهَنابِثِ
I have at times met fate’s caprice with acceptance
At others, confrontation and rivalry
تَفَوَّقتُ دَرَّ الدَهرِ طَوراً مُلائِماً
وَطَوراً يُلاقيني بِبَطشٍ مُشارِثِ
For no golden age lasts indefinitely
Just as no dark age persists eternally
كَما لَم يَكُن عَصرُ النَضارَةِ لابِثاً
كَذَلِكَ عَصرُ البُؤسِ لَيسَ بِلابِثِ
Reap what your hands have sown, for if you leave it
It will not linger, awaiting an heir
أَفِد ما اِستَفادَتهُ يَداكَ فَإِنَّهُ
عَلَيكَ إِذا لَم تُمضِهِ غَيرُ ماكِثِ
Do not deny worthy causes what will soon
Be distributed as inheritance to heirs
وَلا تَمنَعَن مِن أَوجُهِ الحَقِّ مِثلَما
يَكونُ وَشيكاً لِاِستِهامِ المَوارِثِ
You hoarded it in life and lamented its loss
Scattered now by destructive and plundering hands
ضَنَنتَ بِهِ حَيّاً وَبُؤتَ بِإِصرِهِ
وَقَد آضَ نَهباً بَينَ أَيدٍ قَواعِثِ
And you moldered into dust, your grave concealed
By earth heaped on it by grubby hands
وَغودِرتَ في غبرٍ يُواري تُرابُها
ضَريحَكَ بِالأَيدي الحَواثي النَوابِثِ
Wealth lives on only in how you spent it
If its accounts are examined in retrospect
فَما المالُ إِلّا ما ذُكِرتَ بِبَذلِهِ
إِذا بُحِثَت أَنباؤُهُ في المَباحِثِ
Some people admire poetry to excess though
To me it is more contemptible than an expectorator
حَبا الشِعرَ تَعظيماً أُناسٌ وَإِنَّهُ
لِأَحقَرُ عِندي مِن نُفاثَةِ نافِثِ
Does the sea care if it surges
And floods over its currents' turmoil?
وَهَل يَحفَلُ البَحرُ اللُغام إِذا غَمى
فَطاحَ عَلى تَيّارِهِ المُتَلاطِثِ
If I steeled myself to resuscitate it
I would extract from it only abstruse conundrums
فَلَو أَنَّني أَجشَمتُ نَفسي اِنبِعاثَهُ
لأَخرَجتُ مِنهُ غامِضاتِ المَباحِثِ
And reveal from its hidden essence an obscure secret
Buried where no diligent seeker succeeded
وَأَبدَيتُ مِن مَكنونِهِ غامِضَ سِرِّهِ
مَدافِنَ لَم يَظفَر بِها أَبثُ آبِثِ
Some disgraced people have surpassed in poetry
And so were honored, though verse is perfect nonsense
تَفَوَّقَ درَّ الشِعرِ قَومٌ أَذِلَّةٌ
فَعَزّوا بِهِ وَالشِعرُ جَمُّ المَرامِثِ
If I were to trim its fanciful margins
I would leave them only the coarse dregs
وَلَو أَنَّني أُمري حَواشِكَ دَرِّهِ
تَرَكتُ لَهُم مِنهُ فَظوظَ المَفارِثِ
Look at me, though thankless, confident
My steady resolve no hesitation altered
أراني وَلا كُفرانَ بِاللَهِ واثِقاً
بِتَأريبِ حَزمٍ عَقدُهُ غَيرُ والِثِ
When I am determined to forget the past
With an unwavering will that no advice diverted
إِذا ما اِمتَضَيتُ الماضِيَينِ عَزيمَةً
مُصَمِّمَةً لَم تَرتَدِع بِالرَبائِثِ
And composed, though events may challenge it
They are deflected, advancing steadily undeterred
وَحَزماً إِذا ما الحادِثاتُ اِعتَرَضنَهُ
تَصَدّعنَ عَنهُ مُقدِماً غَيرَ رائِثِ
Whenever I approach a formidable crisis
That makes men’s feet stumble in uncertainty
وَإِنّي مَتى أُشرِف عَلى مُصمَئِلَّةٍ
تُثَأثِئُ أَقدامَ الرِجالِ الدَلاهِثِ
I rise above the crumbling edifice of every disaster
Cascading with the strikes of fate
عَلَوتُ عَلى أَكتادِ كُلّ مُلِمَّةٍ
تَرَدّى بِأَعطافِ الخُطوبِ الكَوارِثِ
One came to me on an untamed colt
Her trailing skirt touching the racing steed’s hind legs
أَتَتني عَلى طَلحِ الشَواجِنِ والغَضا
تُناطُ بِأَعجازِ المطِيِّ الدَلاهِثِ
What occupies your minds distressed me
Saddening the heart of a man bereft of heirs
مَآلِكُ مَلَّكنَ الخَواطِرَ مَزعَجاً
مِنَ الحُزنِ في قَلبِ اِمرئٍ غَيرِ واهِثِ
Yes, it is time, may God prolong your lives
To awaken, and reconsider your perilous state
أَجَل آنَ عَمرُ اللَهِ أَن تَتَيَقَّظوا
وَأَن تَتَلافَوا أَمرَكُم ذا النَكائِثِ
You have resorted to the counsel of an unwise man
One neither prudent nor adept in managing crises
فَزِعتُم إِلى رَأيِ اِمرِئٍ غَيرِ زُمَّلٍ
وَلا آنِحٍ عِندَ اِحتِمالِ اللَحائِثِ
Curse you if I refrain from advising you
For I will give you the counsel of a wise man
لَعاً لَكُم إِن أَنأَ عَنكُم فَإِنَّني
سَأُمحِضُكُم رَأيَ اِمرِئٍ غَيرِ غالِثِ
Consult the stalwart sons of Malawith about your affairs
For you will not lack stalwart sons of a stalwart tribe
أَليثوا بِأَبناءِ المَلاوِثِ رَأيَكُم
فَلَن تَعدموا أَبناءَ شُمٍّ مَلاوِثِ
You know the merit of your stalwart heroes
And tales of generous nobles, ever stalwart
مَغاوِثَ مِنكُم قَد عَرَفتُم بَلاءَهُم
وَأَنباءَ ساداتٍ كِرامٍ مَغاوِثِ
I fear if war horses stumble in the swamps
Hardships will plague you, then reversals
فَإِنّي إِخالُ الخَيلَ تَعثُرُ بِالقَنا
سَتُرهِقُكُم مِن عَثعَثٍ فَالمَباعِثِ
Atop them, men who never reconcile
When they clash with you grasping in rage
عَلَيها رِجالٌ لا هَوادَةَ عِندَهُم
إِذا عَلِقوكُم بِالأَكُفِّ الشَوابِثِ
They are curs; if provoked, they will unleash upon you
Greater woes than any past calamities
فَإنّ كِلاباً هذهِ إِن تُرعكُمُ
تَعِث فيكمُ جُهداً أشدَّ المَعائِثِ
They have reaped the harvest of their covenant
While you are bound by a rotten and feeble covenant
وَقَد أَبرَموا إِحصادَ مِرَّةِ حَبلِهِم
وَعُدتُم بِحَبلٍ ذي أسونٍ رَثائِثِ
I would not have tarried to help you if able
Lingering devotedly, not quickly departing
وَما كُنتُ إِن شَمَّرتُ فيكُم مَواقِفي
بِوَقّافَةٍ فيكُم وَلا مُتَماكِثِ
Nor have I shirked to diligently advise you
In times past or present
وَلا لُمتُ نَفسي في اِجتِهادِ نَصيحَةٍ
لَكُم في قَديمٍ قَبلَ هذا وَحادِثِ
But estrangement has come between us, and fate
Has brought misfortunes to heartbreaking degrees
فإِن حالَ نَأيٌ دونَكُم وَتَعَرَّضَت
غُروبُ خُطوبٍ لِلقُلوبِ نَواقِثِ
You will not lack the caring advice of a devoted man
Or the sage counsel of one knowledgeable in affairs
فَلَن تَعدِموا مِنّي نَصيحَةَ مُشفِقٍ
وَرَأيَ عَليمٍ لِلأُمورِ مُماغِثِ
When hot tempers cool regarding a matter
Do not be surprised by the drawing of sharp swords
إِذا الذكَرُ العَضبُ اِنثَنى عَن ضَريبَةٍ
فَلا غَروَ مِن نَبوِ السُيوفِ الأَنائِثِ
If you show weakness, you will be like morsels
Chewed by a nursling's slobbery gums
فَإِن تَهنوا تَضحَوا رَغيغَةَ ماضِغٍ
تُلَوِّقُها مَرثاً أَنامِلُ مارِثِ
Had I been among you, I would have guided your affairs
And treated the most nagging of your problems
وَلَو أَنَّني فيكُم أَسَوتُ كُلومَكُم
وَداوَيتُ مِنها غاثِقاتِ الغَثائِثِ
I would have led you to drink from the fresh sweet spring
And brought together your far-flung diversity
وَسُقتُ إِلى النَبعِ الغَريفِ وَقَرَّبَت
مُلاءَمَتي شَتّى الثَأى المُتَشاعِثِ
But misguided matters have led you astray
Driving back the falcons in confused panic
وَلَكِن أَضَلَّتكُم أُمورٌ إِخالُها
تَرُدُّ الصُقورَ نُهزَةً لِلأَباغِثِ
Far be it from you to accept a disastrous folly
That you would wander wearing clothes of regret
وَحاشاكُمُ مِن صَلقَةٍ مُصمَئِلَّةٍ
تَمشونَ مِنها في ثِيابِ الطَوامِثِ
If you divert your affairs from their course
They will be hostage to your enemies' arbitrary whims
ذِمارَكُم إِن تَصرِفوا عَنهُ حَدَّكُم
يَكُن رَهنَ أَيدٍ لِلأَعادي هَوائِثِ
Between you and me, for the excess of my passion
And the vicissitudes of my quarrelsome nature
وَإِنّي وَإِيَّاكُم لِما قَد يَغولُني
وَفَرطِ نِزاعي وَالَّذي هُوَ رائِثي
Are like water and tinder struggling with their bonds
Though all paths forward are blocked
لَكَالماءِ وَالصديانِ نازَعَ قَيدَهُ
وَقَد حُصِرَت عَنهُ رِحابُ المَباعِثِ
Men from Hayy and Qarwath, Jafar's tribe
With rugged and towering warriors
أَيَحسُنُ هاءُ اللَهِ خَدعُ عَدُوِّكُم
وَيُلهيكُمُ غَرسُ الوَدِيِّ الجَثاجِثِ
What will save you if you do not defend your lands
Barren wastes where neither tents nor structures stand
فَمَن مُبلِغٌ عَنّي ملدّاً وَبَحزَجاً
وَقَومَهُما أَهلَ اللِمامِ الكَثائِثِ
Seeking refuge in its mountains, but their passes
Are as hazardous as the deserts' empty wastes
وَمَن حَلَّ بِالحَبلِ الشَجيرِ إِلى المَلا
وَحُلّال تِلكَ الدائِراتِ اللَوابِثِ
Only ships and swamps remain, lest you be
Accomplices in shedding unlawful blood
رِجالاً مِنَ الحَيَّينِ عَمرِو بنِ مالِكٍ
وَكِندَةَ جدّاً غَيرَ قَولِ المُغالِثِ
Like dismembered corpses left embracing the sands
Content with certain perdition in the dunes' swells
أَلا إِنَّما السَلوُ الَّذي تُخلِصونَهُ
وَتَأقيطُ أَثوارٍ كَتِلكَ العَبائِثِ
Like the fate of Rabee’ and ‘Umur and their ilk
And those who pitched their tents on those barren flats
تعِلَّةُ أَيّامٍ وَقَد شارَفتكُمُ
شَوازِبُها بِالمارِقينَ الأَخائِثِ
Whenever they sight game near an oasis
They race to its outskirts with their hunting beasts
كَتائِبُ مِن حَيِّ القَروطِ وَجَعفَرٍ
لَها زَجلٌ ذو غَيطَلٍ وَلَثالِثِ
Or Labw, where the land is marked out for their abode
With sands of Hajoun or the fields of Haraith
فَما لَكُم إِن لَم تَحوطوا ذِمارَكم
سَوامٌ وَلا دارٌ بِحَتّى وَدامِثِ
The counsel of ‘Amr son of Malik I convey
And of Kindah's lineage, no false words
وَخَتٍّ فَإِن تَستَعصِموا بِجِبالِها
فَأَوعارُها مِثل السُهولِ البَوارِثِ
Who will inform Mildad and Buhzurj
And their tribe, masters of ignoble traits
فَلا وَزَرٌ إِلّا القَواضِبُ وَالقَنا
وَإِلّا فَكونوا مِن جُناةِ الطَرائِثِ
Who will take the sturdy rope to the chieftain
And those spinning circles, ever gyrating?
كَأَشلاءِ مَن قَد حَلَّ بِالرَملِ راضِياً
بِخُطَّةِ خَسفٍ بِالمَلا المُتَواعِثِ
Men from the living Hayy clan, ‘Amr ibn Malik
And Kinda, elders, not vainglorious boasts
كَدَأبِ رَبيعٍ وَالعُمورِ وَلَفِّها
وَمَن حَلَّ أَرفاغاً بِتِلكَ المَرامِثِ
Beware, the only plan that will save you
Is mending your fibers and trimming your frays
إِذا آنَسوا ضَبّاً بِجانِبِ كُديَةٍ
أَحالوا عَلى حافاتِها بِالمَباحِثِ
The signs of days creeping up on you
With forces of rebels and betrayers
أَوِ اللَبوِ حَيُ اِنتاطَتِ الأَرضُ دارَها
بِرَملِ حَجونٍ أَو بِقاعِ الحَرائِثِ
Contingents from Hayy al-Qarwath and Jafar
With a noisy troop and clamoring warriors
