أَمن آلِ شَعثاءَ الحُمولُ البَواكِرُ
مَع الصُبحِ قَد زالَت بِهِنَّ الأَباعِرُ
When the early morning camels of Sha'tha's clan departed
At dawn, driving the young she-camels away,
وَحَلَّت سُلَيمى في هِضابٍ وَأَيكَةٍ
فَلَيسَ عَلَيها يَومَ ذَلِكَ قادِرُ
Sulaima settled in meadows and sand hills
Where none could reach her that day.
تُهيبُك الأَسفارُ مِن خَشيَةِ الرَدى
وَكَم قَد رأَينا من رَدٍ لا يُسافِرُ
Long journeys make you anxious about mishaps
And how often have we seen one who does not return from a journey!
وَأَلقَت عَصاها وَأستقرَّت بِها النَوى
كَما قَرَّ عَيناً بالإِيابِ المُسافِرُ
She cast down her staff and the camels halted,
As the traveler's eye is gladdened by the return journey.
فَصَبَّحَها أَملاكُها بكَتيبَةٍ
عَليها إِذا أَمسَت مِن اللَهِ ناظِرُ
In the morning, the kings who watched over her
Attacked with a battalion,
مُعاويَةُ بن الجَونِ ذُبيانُ حَولَهُ
وَحَسّانُ في جَمعِ الرِبابِ مُكاثِرُ
Mu'awiyah ibn al-Harith and his army
And Hassaan in the midst of the singing maidens
وَقَد جَمَعا جَمعاً كأَنَّ زُهاءَهُ
جَرادٌ سَفى في هَبوَةٍ مُتَظاهِرُ
Had gathered an army as if its nobility
Were swarming locusts in a towering, teeming flock.
وَمَروا بأَطرافِ البيوتِ فردَّهُم
رِجالٌ بأَطرافِ الرِماحِ مَساعِرُ
They passed by the edges of the houses but men at the tips of spears
Drove them back.
يُفَرِّجُ عَنّا كُلَّ ثَغرٍ مَخافَةً
جَوادٌ كسِرحانِ الأَباءَةِ ضامِرُ
A noble steed, like the grey stallion of the dunes,
Carries us forth from every battle out of fear.
وَكُلُّ طَموحٍ في الجِراءِ كَأَنَّها
إِذا أغتمسَت في الماءِ فتخاءُ كاسِرُ
Every high-climber in the valley is like
A partridge immersing itself in water—a diver.
لَها ناهِضٌ في المَهدِ قَد مَهدَت لَهُ
كَما مَهَّدَت للبَعلِ حَسناءُ عاقِرُ
For her a baby camel rises in the cradle,
Just as the beautiful, barren wife prepared for her husband.
هَوى زهدَمٌ تَحتَ الغُبارِ لحاجِبٍ
كَما اِنقَضَّ أَقنى ذو جَناحَينِ فاتِرُ
He collapsed under the dust for the sake of an eyebrow
As a fledgling with weak wings collapses.
هُما بَطلانِ يَعثُرانِ كِلاهُما
يُريدُ رياسَ السَيفِ وَالسَيفُ نادِرُ
They are two champions both stumbling—
Each desires leadership of the sword but the sword is rare.
فَلا فَضلَ إِلّا أَن يَكونَ جَراءَةٌ
ذَوي بَدَنَينِ وَالرؤوسُ حَواسِرُ
The only merit is to show courage
Despite weak bodies and crushed heads.
يَنوءُ وَكَفّا زَهدَمٍ من وَرائِهِ
وَقَد عَلِقَت ما بَينَهُنَّ الأَظافِرُ
The shoulders and palms of Zuhaym behind him
Were clawed as if by eagles' talons.
وَباتوا لَنا ضَيفاً وَبِتنا بنعمةٍ
لَنا مُسمِعاتٌ بالدفوفِ وَسامِرُ
They spent the night as our guests and we spent it in prosperity,
With singers and a flute to entertain us.
فَلَم نقرهم شَيئاً وَلكنَّ قَصرَهُم
صَبوحٌ لَدَينا مَطلعَ الشَمسِ حازِرُ
We did not lessen our gifts to them but their stay with us
Ended at dawn when the sun rose with burning heat.
فَباكَرهُم قَبلَ الشُروفِ كَتائِبٌ
كأَركانِ سَلمى سَيرُها مُتواتِرُ
They were met before daybreak by battalions
In dense rows, continuously marching.
من الضاربينَ الكَبشَ يَبرُقُ بَيضُه
إِذا غَصَّ بالريقِ القَليلِ الحَناجِرُ
You could see the white of their teeth flashing
As the warriors bit their short spears.
وَظَنَّ سَراةُ الحَيِّ إِن لَن يُقَتَّلوا
إِذا دُعيَت بالسَفحِ عَبسٌ وَعامِرُ
The elite troops thought they would not be killed
If the tribes of 'Abs and 'Amir were summoned at the low ground.
كَأَنَّ نَعامَ الدوِّ باضَ عليهمِ
وَأعيُنُهم تَحتَ الحَبيكِ جَواحِرُ
It was as if the ostriches' eggs were laid upon them
And their eyes were the eggs in the nest.
ضَرَبنا حَبيكَ البَيضِ في غَمرِ لُجَّةٍ
فَلَم يَنجُ في الناجينَ منهم مُفاخِرُ
We broke the eggshells in a torrent of dark blood—
None of their boastful warriors survived.
وَلَم يَنجُ إِلّا أَن يَكونَ طِمرَّةٌ
نوايلُ أَو نَهدٌ مُلِحٌّ مُثابِرُ
No one survived unless he was
A young ostrich fledgling or a persistent, mature, wild cow.
