تأَوَّبَهُ طَيفٌ بِذاتِ الجَراثِمِ
فَنامَ رَفيقاهُ وَلَيسَ بِنائِمِ
A specter haunted him, one of past crimes,
His companions slept, but he was not asleep.
وَهَجَّدَهُ عَوراءُ مِن ذي قَرابَةٍ
عَلى رِيبَةٍ في سالِفٍ مُتَقادِمِ
A kinswoman berated him for suspicion
Of treachery in bygone years.
وَأَخطَبَ في فَنواءَ يَنتِفُ ريشَهُ
وَطَيرٍ جَرَت يَومَ العَقيقِ حَوائِمِ
He declaimed in the wasteland where feathers are shed
By birds who on the day of battle took flight.
تَعَرَّضَ لِلأَبوابِ أَبوابِ عاصِمٍ
تَعَرُّضَ مِملالٍ لَها غَيرِ لازِمِ
He knocked at the doors, doors of a fortress,
Knocking without purpose, to no avail.
فَلَمّا رَأى أَن غابَ عَنهُ شَفيعُهُ
وَأَخلَفَهُ ما يُرتَجى عِندَ عاصِمِ
When he saw his intercessor was gone from him
And the one from whom favor was hoped had betrayed him,
وَعادَ ضَماراً بَعدَ عَينٍ وَكُذِّبَت
صَحيفَتُهُ وَحيلَ دونَ الدَراهِمِ
He returned disappointed, after being promised
His petition granted, but kept from the money,
رَمى سَدفَ الظَلماءِ وَاَحتَفَرَ السُرى
بِمرجَمَةٍ أَو ذي هِبابٍ مُراجِمِ
He discarded the cloak of darkness and dug a tunnel
With a pickaxe or some other piercing tool.
بِهِ لا بِها أَرمى الفَلاةَ عَن الهَوى
وَأَفرُجُ غَمَّ المُسدِفِ المُتلاحِمِ
With it, not with her, I will cast off the wilderness of passion
And relieve the sorrow of the thwarted fugitive.
بِمُضطَرِبِ الضَفرَينِ مُطَّرِدِ القَرا
طَويلِ الزَمامِ ذي ذِفَرِّ عُراهِمِ
With the restless pair, driving the carriage
Of great length, the one with clattering hooves,
ضِبِرٍّ مضِرٍّ بِالنَواجي إِذا اِشتَكى
عَجا شِدقَهُ عَن فاطِرِ النابِ ناجِمِ
An excellent, precious mare, when she complains
Her cheek answers above the braying grindstones.
مُجِدِّ يُباري أِينُقاً جُرِّدت لَهُ
مُباعَدَةَ الأَيدي طِوالَ الخَراطِمِ
With high spirit she contends with the purebreds
Whose outstretched necks surpass the date palms.
إِذا عَرَّها أُمُّ الطَريقِ تَواهَقَت
بِمُختَلِفاتِ الرَجعِ فَوقَ المَناسِمِ
When the mother of roads presents herself, she prances
With diverse gaits above the milestones.
