عَرَفتُ الدارَ كَالخِلَلِ البَوالي
بِفَيفِ الخائِعينَ إِلى بَعالِ
I knew the house like a worn anklet,
By the murmuring of the humble going to Baal.
دِيارٌ مِن عُزَيزَةَ قَد عَفاها
تَقادُمُ سالِفِ الحِقَبِ الخَوالي
A land from mighty Uzayzah now desolate;
Made so by the succession of previous eras.
كَأَنَّ حُمولَهُم لَمّا تَوَلَّت
بِيَليَلَ وَالنَوى ذاتُ اِنفِتالِ
As if when their caravans turned away,
At night, with the stars and acacia trees parting.
وَعَدَّت نَحوَ أَيمَنِها وَصَدَّت
عَنِ الكُثبانِ مِن صُعدِ وَخالِ
And headed right towards it and turned away,
From the sand dunes, from climbs and descents.
شَوارِعُ في ثَرى الخَرماءِ لَيسَت
بِجاذِيَةِ الجُذوعِ وَلا رِقالِ
The streets in the crusty soil aren’t
Flowing with saplings or soft sand.
فَسَجّفنَ الخُدورَ بِكُلِّ وَجهٍ
نَقِيٍّ لَونُهُ كَسَنا الهِلالِ
So we roofed the rooms with every
Pure complexioned face like a new crescent.
بِكُلِّ تَلاعَةٍ كَالبَدرِ لَمّا
تَنَوَّرَت وَاِستَقَلَّ عَلى الجِبالِ
With a radiance like that of the full moon
When it glows and rests above the mountains.
كَأَنَّ الريحَ تَثني حينَ هَبَّت
وَلَو ضَعُفَت بِهِنَّ فَروقَ ضالِ
As if the wind folds when it blows
And it caused weakness amongst the scattered remnants.
كَسَونَ الرَيطَ ذا الهُدبِ اليَماني
خُصوراً فَوقَ أَعجازٍ ثِقالِ
Like the scaling on the fine, Yemeni fabric
Bosoms over heavy lower backs.
وَيَجعَلنَ الخَلاخِلَ حينَ تُلوى
بِأَسؤقِهِنَّ في قَصَبٍ خِدالِ
And they make the anklets when they’re wrapped
Around their limbs, into hollow reeds.
وَكُنتُ قُبَيلَ أَن يُخلِفنَ ظَنّي
أُكَذِّبُ بِالتَفَرُّقِ وَالزِيالِ
And I was, before they could prove me wrong,
Denying separation and departure.
فَلَمّا أَن رَأَيتُ العيسَ صَبَّت
بِذي المَأثولِ مُجمِعَةَ التَوالي
But when I saw the rain pouring down
In that bare pasture, collectively in succession.
وَقَحَّمَ سَيرُنا مِن قورِ حِسمى
مَروَتَ الرَعيِ ضاحِيَةَ الظِلالِ
And our journey was impeded by the pen
Of decree, the pasture of shade and shadows.
وَأَرغَمَ ما عَزَمنَ البَينُ حَتّى
دَفَعنَ بِذي المَزارِعِ وَالنِجالِ
And it predominated what we intended to endure until
It drove us out with the farmers and palm trees.
فَقُلتُ وَقَد جَعَلنَ بِراقَ بَدرٍ
يَميناً وَالعُنابَةَ عَن شِمالِ
I said, as they made the radiant full moon
A right, and crab-apple trees a left.
وَأَشمَتِّ العِدى حَتّى كَأَنّي
وَإِيّاها لَهُم غَرَضُ النِبالِ
And I begrudge the enemy, as if
He and she are who the arrows are aimed at.
وَأَبعَدُ ما بَدا لَكَ غَيرَ مُشكٍ
خَليلاً لَستَ أَنتَ لَهُ بِقالي
And I distance what appears to you as doubt
You’re no friend, nor confidante.
أَقولُ لَها عُزَيزَ مَطَلَت دَيني
وَشَرُّ الغانِياتِ ذَوو المِطالِ
I say to her, mighty one you’ve wasted my debt
And the worst loans are those unfulfilled.
قَقالَت وَيبَ غَيرِكَ كَيفَ أَقضي
غَريماً ما ذَهَبتُ لَهُ بِمالِ
She said alas! Who but you can I pay
A creditor - I did not go to him with wealth?
فَأُقسِمُ لَو أَتَيتُ البَحرَ يَوماً
لَأَشرَبَ ما سَقَتني مِن بُلالِ
I swear that if I came to the sea one day
I'd drink what it gave of fresh water.
وَأُقسِمُ أَنَّ حُبَّكِ أُمَّ عَمرٍو
لَدى جَنبي وَمُنقَطَعِ السِعالِ
And I swear your love is, mother of Amr,
Next to my side, with severed breath.
