أُنِيخَتْ لَدى بابِ ابْنِ مَرْوانَ ناقَتِي

ثَلاثاً لَها عِنْدَ النِّتاجِ صَرِيفُ

I halted my she-camel at the door of Ibn Marwan's son

Thrice at evening she had been taken to a male for mating

يُطِيفُ بِها فِتْيانُهُ كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ

بِنيرَيْنِ مِئْرانُ الجبالِ وَرِيفُ

His slaves walk her about every night

With two ropes of goat's hair twisted together

غُلامٌ تَلَقَّى سُؤْدَداً وَهُوَ ناشِىءٌ

فآتَتْ بهِ رَحْبَ الذِّراعِ أَلِيفُ

A boy took charge of her when still growing up

So she came to have ample forelegs, tame and familiar

بِقيلٍ كتَحْبِيرِ اليَماني ونَائِلٍ

إذا قُلِّبَتْ دُونَ العَطاءِ كُفُوفُ

Of pure stock, like the incensed Yemeni; easy to control

When refused provender, with restrained generosity

ورُحْنا كأنّا نَمْتَطِي أخْدَرِيَّةً

أَضَرَّ بِها رَخْوُ اللِّبانِ عَنِيفُ

And we rode as though astride an ostrich

Over rugged ground where gum trees shed their scent

وحَلاَّها حتّى إذا لَمْ يَسَعْ لَها

حليٍّ بجَنْبَيْ ثادِقٍ وجَفيفُ

They packed her saddle until, unable to bear more

Of ornaments at her girth, she threw them off

أَرَنَّ عليها قارِباً وانْتَحَتْ لَهُ

مُبَرَّةُ أرساغِ اليَدَيْنِ زَرُوفُ

She bolted at a mirage, hunched up her slender forearms

Decked with bracelets, flexible like osiers

تُهادي خجوجاً خَدَّدَ الجَرْيُ لَحْمَها

فَلا جَحْشُها بالصيفِ فَهْي خروفُ

Toying with trinkets; the running had polished her flesh

So she had no withers in summer, but was plump