أَلِلشَوقِ لَمّا هَيَّجَتكَ المَنازِلُ
بِحَيثُ التَقَت مِن بَينَتَينِ الغَياطِلُ
The longing, when the stages stirred you,
Where the valleys met between two slopes,
تَذَكَّرتَ فَاِنهَلَّت لِعَينِكَ عَبرَةٌ
يَجودُ بِها جارٍ مِنَ الدَمعِ وابِلُ
You remembered, so a tear flowed
Freely from your eye, pouring down.
لَيالِيَ مِن عَيشٍ لَهَونا بِوَجهِهِ
زَماناً وَسُعدى لي صَديقٌ مُواصِلُ
Nights of a life made pleasant by his face,
Once, and Sa'da was a friend who stayed by me.
فَدَع عَنكَ سُعدى إِنَّما تُسعِفُ النَوى
قَرانَ الثُرَيّا مَرَّةً ثُمَّ تافلُ
Leave Sa'da now, desires help love
Join once, then are inconstant.
إِلَيكَ اِبنَ لَيلى تَمتَطي العيسَ صُحبَتي
تَرامى بِنا مِن مَبرَكَينِ المَناقِلُ
To you, Ibn Layla mounts his smooth-gaited camel,
We two race, carried by a relay of camels.
تَخَلَّلُ أَحوازَ الخُبيبِ كَأَنَّها
قَطاً قارِبٌ أَعدادَ حُلوانَ ناهِلُ
Threading through the thickets of his loved one,
Like a wild cat counting the water-holes.
وَمُسنِفَةٌ فَضلَ الزِمامِ إِذا اِنتَحى
بِهِزَّةِ هاديها عَلى السَومِ بازِلُ
A mare freed from the rein's control when
Her guide gave her her head at the halter.
تَلَغَّبَها دونَ اِبنِ لَيلى وَشَفَّها
سُهادُ السُرى وَالسَبسَبُ المُتماحِلُ
She plays, darting ahead of Ibn Layla, the braided
Tether and the charming ankle-brace distracting her.
دِلاثُ العَتيقِ ما وَضَعتُ زِمامَهُ
مُنيفٌ بِهِ الهادي إِذا اِحتُثَّ ذامِلُ
Old Dilath, I never dropped his rein,
My guide holds him back when the clay-pit lies ahead.
وَأَنتَ اِبنَ لَيلى خَيرُ قَومِكَ مَشهَداً
إِذا ما اِحمَأَرَّت بِالعَبيطِ العَوامِلُ
You, Ibn Layla, grace your tribe when
Business trips show what men are made of.
جَميلُ المُحَيّا أَبلَجُ الوَجهِ واضِحٌ
حَليمٌ إِذا ما زَلزَلَتهُ الزَلازِلُ
Beautiful, bright-faced, open,
Mild when disasters shake his composure.
لَهُ حَسَبٌ في الحَيِّ وارٍ زِنادُهُ
عَفارٌ وَمَرخٌ حَثَّهُ الوَريُ عاجِلُ
His lineage is noble among honored houses,
Their glory is his banner.
فَمَن يَنبُ عَنّي نَبوَةَ البُخلِ أَو يُرِد
لِمَعروفِهِ صَرفاً فَإِنَّكَ باذِلُ
Who can accuse me of being miserly
Or of refusing his request? For you are generous.
أُديرَت حَمالاتُ المَكارِمِ كُلُّها
عَلَيكَ فَلَم تَبخل فَفَضلُكَ شامِلُ
The camels of bounty knelt all before you
And you gave freely, your abundance was enough.
وَأَنتَ أَبو ضَيفَينِ ضَيفٌ نَفَعتَهُ
بِنَفحَةِ عُرفٍ عاجِلٍ فَهوَ زائِلُ
You welcomed two guests: you were of use
To one with prompt friendliness, soon gone.
وَآخَرُ يَرجو مِنكَ ما نالَ قَبلَهُ
أَخوهُ الَّذي جَهَّزَتهُ فَهوَ نازِلُ
Another hopes from you what the first obtained,
His brother whom you equipped when he departed.
جَمَعتَ خِلالاً كُلُّ مَن نالَ مِثلَها
لحَمل الثِقالِ المُضِعاتِ حَمائِلُ
You brought together such fine qualities
All who gained the like bore heavy loads.
رَحُبتَ بِها سَرباً فَأَجزَأتَ كُلَّها
بِحِفظٍ فلَم يَفدَحكَ ما أَنتَ حامِلُ
You made them into a herd, you sufficed for all,
Preserving them well though you carried the burden.
وَفيكَ اِبنَ لَيلى عِزَّةٌ وَبَسالَةٌ
وَغَربٌ وَمَوزونٌ مِنَ الحِلمِ ثاقِلُ
In you, Ibn Layla, are honor and courage,
Wisdom weighty and deliberate.
أَبَأتَ الَّذي وُلّيتَ حَتّى رَأَبتَهُ
وَأَنتَ لِذي القُربى وَذي الوُدِّ واصِلُ
You mended what you were entrusted with
Till it was repaired, loving kin and dear friend.
وَإِنَّكَ تَأبى الضَيمَ في كُلِّ مَوطِنٍ
قَديماً وَأَنتَ الشَيظَمِيُّ الحُلاحِلُ
You refuse injustice everywhere,
Defending the weak, brandishing your sword.
بَغاكُم رِجالٌ عِندَ كُلِّ مَلَمَّةٍ
مُعينٌ عَلَيكُم ما اِستَطاعَ وَخاذِلُ
When men had need in any crisis
You helped them, giving your all, or standing aside.
فَما زِلتُمُ بِالناسِ حَتّى كَأَنَّهُم
مِنَ الخَوفِ طَيرٌ أَخذَأَتها الأَجاذِلُ
You were a thorn, striking deep in the flanks
Of horses the young braves ride out on.
طعانٌ يَفُضُّ الجُدلَ عَن آنُفِ الشَبا
وَضَربٌ بِبيضٍ أَخلَصَتها الصَياقِلُ
You were a blade that the burnishers made shine,
Your flashing taking souls like lamps leaping up
لَوامِعَ يَخطِفنَ النُفوسَ كَأَنَّها
مَصابيحُ شَبَّت أَو بروقٌ عَوامِلُ
Or lightning dazzling sight.
When the enemy wore armor, their greaves
إِذا بَلَّت الخِرصان صاحَت كُعوبُها
فَلَم تَبقَ إِلّا المارِناتُ الذَوابِلُ
Clashed, but only the slit-eared camels remained.
Else death takes me, and death is sure,
وَإِلّا يُعقِني المَوتُ وَالمَوتُ غالِبٌ
لَهُ شَرَكٌ مَبثوثَةٌ وَحَبائِلُ
Its cords wound round me, its knots pulled tight.
I ready words for it, reciting poetry
أُحَبِّر لَهُ قَولاً تَناشَدُ شِعرَهُ
إِذا ما اِلتَقَت بَينَ الجِبالِ القَبائِلِ
When the tribes meet between the hills.
I venture out through mountain and valley
وَتَصدُر شَتّى مِن مَصَبٍّ وَمُصعِدٍ
إِذا ما خَلَت مِمَّن يَحُلُّ المَنازِلُ
When they are empty of one who pitches camp.
The traveling clans of Yahsub recite them,
يُغَنّي بِها الرُكبانُ مِن آلِ يَحصُبٍ
وَبَصرى وَتَرويهِ تَميمٌ وَوائِلُ
Basra's tribes, and Tamim, and Wail's.
May he who is not my friend or critic
وَأَلّا يَلي وُدّي وَلا حُسنِ مِدحَتي
دَنِيٌّ وَلا ذو خَصمَةٍ مُتَضائِلُ
Of my poor praise be far from me.
