تَأَلّى حلفَةً في غَيرِ جُرمٍ
أَميري حارِثٌ شبهَ الصرارِ
He wrongfully accused me, my prince Harith,
Resembling the flowing stream.
عَلَيَّ لأجلَدَن في غَيرِ جُرمٍ
وَلا أُدني فَيَنفَعُني اِعتِذاري
He will flog me though I'm not guilty,
And my pleading will not avail.
وَقُلتُ وَقَد ضَمَمتُ إِلَيَّ جَأشي
تَحَلَّل لا تأَلَّ عَلَيَّ حارِ
I said, as I gathered my provisions,
"Don't accuse me wrongly, stop!"
فَإِنّي سَوفَ يَكفينيكَ عَزمي
وَنَصي العيسَ بِالبَلَدِ القِفارِ
My resolve will suffice against you,
And my support, the stallions of the deserted country.
وَعَنسٌ ذاتُ مُعجَمَةٍ أَمونٌ
عَلَنداةٌ مُوَثَّقَةُ الفِقارِ
A she-camel, large-bodied, safe,
With a sturdy spine.
تَزيفُ إِذا تَواهَقَتِ المَطايا
كَما زافَ المُشَرِّفُ لِلخِطارِ
She prances when the riding beasts prance,
Like an honorable one facing dangers.
وَإِن ضَرَبَت بِلَحيَيها وَعامَت
تَفَصَّمَ عَنهما حَلقُ السِّفارِ
If she strikes with her cheeks and labors,
The necks of the nobles are severed from her.
مِراحاً غَيرَ ما ضِغنٍ وَلَكِن
لجاجاً حينَ تَشتَبِهُ الصَحاري
Not slowly but quickly when the plains look alike,
When an open space appears before her,
إِذا ما اِستَقبَلَت جَوناً بَهيجاً
تَفَرَّجَ عَن مُخَيَّسهِ حصَاري
Her privation is relieved, and the enclosures.
When the garden of Rabab lies before me
إِذا ما حال رَوضُ رباب دوني
وَتَثليثٌ فَشَأنُكَ بِالبَكاري
And spoils, your concern is with the virgins.
My sword will leave their fangs behind
وَأَنيابٌ سَيُخلِفهُنَّ سَيفي
وَشَدّاتُ الكَمِيِّ عَلى التِجارِ
And the scabbard's bands on the merchants.
If it flashes from it, my people smile
فَإِن أَسطَع أرح مِنهُ أناسي
بِضَربَةِ فاتِكٍ غَيرِ اِعتِذارِ
With a single, fatal stroke without apology.
And if he escapes, I will hurl
وَإِن يُفلِت فَإِنّي سَوفَ ألقى
بَنيه بِالمَدينَةِ أَو صِرارِ
His sons in Medina or the rocky plain.
Let the messenger inform Marwan about me,
أَلا مَن مُبلِغٌ مَروانَ عَنّي
فَإِنّي لَيسَ دَهري بِالفِرارِ
That my time is not for fleeing.
I'm not afraid of youths in a day,
وَلا جَزعٌ مِنَ الحدثانِ يَوماً
وَلَكِنّي أَرودُ لَكُم وبارِ
Rather, I aim ruin for you.
With neighing by which the steeds are controlled
بِهزمارٍ تُرادُ العيسُ فيها
إِذا أَشفَقن مِن قَلقِ الصِّفارِ
When dusk disturbs with the bells' commotion.
They crowd with necks like the cords of a tent,
وَهن يَحُشنَ بِالأَعناقِ حَوشاً
كَأَنَّ عِظامَهُنَّ قِداحُ بارِ
As if their bones are the sticks of tents.
As if the saddle secured a new crescent
كَأَنَّ الرَحلَ أَسأَرَ مِن قَرها
هِلالَ عَشِيَّةٍ بَعدَ السرارِ
In the evening after the departure of the caravan.
I saw the seas had brought next to me
رَأَيتُ وَقَد أَتى بُحرانُ دوني
لِلَيلى بِالغُمَيِّمِ ضَوءَ نارِ
For Layla, in the darkness, the light of fire.
When I say its flames have died down,
إِذا ما قُلتُ قَد خَمَدَت زُهاها
عَصِيُّ الزَّندِ وَالعَصفُ السَّواري
The branches of acacia and stormy willows
Stoke it, and it glows weakly
يُشَبُّ وَقودُها وَيَلوحُ وَهناً
كَما لاحَ الشَبوبُ مِنَ الصُّوارِ
As embers glow from bellows.
As if when kindled for Layla,
كَأَنَّ النارَ إِذا شُبَّت لِلَيلى
أَضاءَت جيدَ مغزِلَةٍ نَوارِ
The fire illuminates the cheeks of a spinner of yarn.
It hunts hearts with its flames
وَتَصطادُ القُلوبَ عَلى مَطاها
بِلا جَعدِ القُرونِ وَلا قِصارِ
Without tangled locks or shortness.
It smiles with sweet, pure whiteness
وَتبسمُ عَن نَقِيِّ اللَّونِ عَذبٍ
كَما شيفَ الأقاحي بِالقطارِ
As the gum exudes from the train.
Are you afraid, knowing the abode
أَتجزَعُ أَن عَرَفتَ بِبَطنِ قَوٍّ
وَصَحراءِ الأُدَيهم رَسمَ دارِ
Of Qawas and the deserts of Udayham?
That you are among the mixed horde
وَأَن حَلَّ الخَليطُ وَلَست فيهِم
مَرابِعَ بَينَ ذِحل إِلى سَرارِ
With no steadfastness between Dhahil and Sarar?
When they camp at an empty meadow
إِذا حَلّوا بِناعِجَةٍ خَلاءً
يُقَطِّفُ نورَ حَنوتِها العَذاري
Where its dew is picked by the young maidens.
