إِربَع فَحَيِّ مَعارِفَ الأَطلالِ
بِالجَزعِ مِن حُرُصٍ فَهُنَّ بَوالِ
Four acquaintances surveying the ruins
Grieving with worry, so they are despondent
فَشِراجَ ريمَةَ قَد تَقادَمَ عَهدُها
بِالسَفحِ بَينَ أُثَيِّلٍ فَبِعالِ
The lamps of Reema have faded with time
On the foothills between prominent peaks
وَحشاً تَعاوَرَها الرِياحُ كَأَنَّها
تَوشيحُ عَصبِ مُسَهَّمِ الأَغيالِ
Desolate, winds batter them as if they are
The banners of a courageous army
لَمّا وَقَفتُ بِها القَلوصَ تَبادَرَت
حَبَبُ الدُموعِ كَأَنَّهُنَّ عَزالي
When I stopped with them, tears welled up
As if they were migrant birds
وَذَكَرتُ عَزَّةَ إِذ تُصاقِبُ دارُها
بِرُحَيِّبٍ فَأُرابِنٍ فَنُخالِ
And I remembered Aziza as her abode
Rebukes with a pasture, an open plain, and palm trees
أَيّامَ أَهلونا جَميعاً جيرَةٌ
بِكُتانَةٍ فَفُراقِدٍ فَثُعالِ
Days when we all neighbored
In Al-Kutanah, Furaid, and Tha’al
سَقياً لِعَزَّةَ خُلَّةً سَقياً لَها
إِذ نَحنُ بِالهَضَباتِ مِن أَملالِ
Watering for Aziza a special group, watering for her
As we are in the meadows, from water springs
إِذ لا تُكَلِّمُنا وَكانَ كَلامُها
نَفلاً نُؤَمِّلُهُ مِنَ الأَنفالِ
When she does not talk to us, and her talk
Was a bonus we hoped for from the spoils of war
وَبِجيدِ مُغزِلَةٍ تَرودُ بِوَجرَةٍ
بَجَلاتِ طَلعٍ قَد خُرِفنَ وَضالِ
With the spinning wheel of Mughzilah she returns with a waterskin
Made of old palm fronds, meager
إِذ هُنَّ في غَلَسِ الظَلامِ قَوارِبٌ
أَعدادَ عَينٍ مِن عُيونِ أَثالِ
As they, in the darkness of night, were ships
The number of which is countless
يَجتَزنَ أَودِيَةَ البُضَيعِ جَوازِعاً
أَجوازَ عَينونا فَنَعفَ قِبالِ
Crossing the valleys of AL-Budai’ courageously
Our eyes overflowing with tears
تَرمي الفِجاجَ إِذا الفِجاجُ تَشابَهَت
أَعلامُها بِمَهامِهٍ أَغفالِ
It throws spears when the spears resemble
Their symbols with oblivion
بِرَكائِبٍ مِن بَينِ كُلِّ ثَنِيَّةٍ
سُرُحِ اليَدَينِ وَبازِلٍ شِملالِ
With she-camels among every pass
The hands (she-camels) are set loose and unrestricted
ناجٍ إِذا زُجِرَ الرَكائِبُ خَلفَهُ
فَلَحِقنَهُ وَثُنينَ بِالحَلحالِ
Walking easily, when the she-camels are driven behind him
They catch up with him, stomping in the wet terrain
يَهدي مَطايا كَالحَنِيِّ ضَوامِراً
بِنِياطِ أَغبَرَ شاخِصِ الأَميالِ
Guiding steeds like the hissing snakes
With a gray loincloth, prominent milestones
تَمطو الجَديلَ إِذا المَكاكي بادَرَت
جُحلَ الضِبابِ مَحافِرَ الأَدحالِ
They stomp the ground when the small insects initiate
Digging holes in the accumulated darkness
وَتَعانَقَت أُدمُ الظِبّاءِ وَباشَرَت
أَكنافَ كُلِّ ظَليلَةٍ مِقيالِ
And the shades of dusk gathered and probed
The sides of every shady tree, a shelter
فَكَأَنَّهُ إِذ يَغتَدي مُتَسَنَّماً
وَهداً فَوَهداً ناعِقٌ بِرِئالِ
So it is as if when it attacks ferociously
And gently, a roaring camel
كَالمِضرَحِيَّ عَدا فَأَصبَحَ واقِعاً
مِن قُدس فَوقَ مَعاقِلِ الأَوعالِ
Like an acrobat it ran and fell
From Jerusalem, above the mountain dens
فَنَبَذتُ ثَمَّ تَحِيَّةً فَأَعادَها
غَمرُ الرِداءِ مُفَضفَضُ السِربالِ
So I bid farewell, and he returned it
The flowing robe and cloak fluttering
يُعطي العَشيرَةَ سُؤلَها وَيَسودُها
يَومَ الفَخار وَيَومَ كُلِّ نبالِ
It gives the clan their request and makes them wealthy
On the day of pride and the day of any fortune
وَبَثَثتَ مَكرُمَةً فَقَد أَعدَدتَها
رَصَداً ليَومِ تَفاخُرٍ وَنِضالِ
And you have prepared generosity, so you made it
A provision for the day of boasting and struggle
غَمرُ الرِداءِ إِذا تَبَسَّمَ ضاحِكاً
غَلِقَت لِضَحكَتِهِ رِقابُ المالِ
The flowing robe, when he smiles laughing
For his laughter, necks are humbled
