أَبَت عَينُ ابنِ عَمِّكَ أَن تَنَامَا

بِجِنبِ الطَّفَِّ وَاحتَمَّ احتِمامَا

My cousin’s son’s eye refused to sleep

By his tenderness, and he hugged with passion

وَقَالَت عِرسُهُ مَاذا بِعشقٍ

ولَكِن نَظرَةٌ كانَت غَرَاما

Yet his wife asked: what of love is this?

It was but a look that was an infatuation

صَرفتُ الوَجهَ عَن نَظَرٍ إِلَيهَا

وَأَلقَت دُونَ سُنَّتِهَا قِرَاما

I turned my face from looking at her

And she cast down her gaze in coquetry

كِلاَنا خَائِفٌ يَخشَى أَبَاهَا

وطَعناً مِن عشِيرَتِهَا وَذَاما

We both fear her father

And slander from her clan and blame

بَصُرتُ بِهَا تُكَلِّمُ جَارَتَيهَا

فَلاَ دَلا عَتَبتُ ولاَ قَوَامَا

I saw her speaking to her two neighbors

So I neither admonished nor blamed

رَأيتُ غَمامَةً فِى مُستَكِفٍّ

عَلَت فى عَارِضٍ كَسِفٍ جَهَامَا

I saw a cloud in a high region

Rising over a cheek as black as pitch darkness

يُضِىءُ دُجَى الظَّلامِ بَرِيقُ فِيهَا

وتُبصِرُ حِينَ تَبتَسِمُ ابتِسَامَا

Its lightening illuminates the dark night

And you see her smile blossoming into a smile

أَقاحِىَ قَد تَصَبَّبَ مِن نَدَاهُ

كَأَنَّ أصُولَهُ عُلَّت مُدَامَا

An oriental perfume dripped from her radiance

As though its roots were vines of wine

كُمَيتَ اللَّونِ عَتَّقَهَا عَظِيمٌ

فَلَم يَقرَب لَهَأ حِجَجاً خِتَامَا

A ruby complexion that a great one had set free

Who does not seek union without a seal

تَنَاسَاهَا على طَرَبٍ إِلَيهَا

إِذا ذَكَرَ المَشَارِبَ والنَّدَامَى

In his passion for her he forgot

Whenever he recalled drinks and boon companions

تُدِلُّ بِحُسنِهَا وَسطَ العَذَارَى

وَتَستَغنِى فَمَا تَبغِى لِثَامَا

Her beauty outshines the virgins’ beauty

She has no need for a veil over her face

وَأردَافٌ تَنُوءُ بِهَا وخَصرٌ

كَطَىِّ السِّبِّ يَنهَضِمُ انهِضَامَا

Rounded hips and slender waist,

Like the road’s curves, winding and rising

بِهَا يلهُو الضَّجِيعُ إِذا تَعَألَى

وَغَارَ النَّجمُ فَاقتَحَمَ اقتِحَامَا

The lounger is infatuated by her

And the star penetrates forcefully

وَأعيَبُ شَانِهَأ أَنِّى هَيُوبٌ

إِذا مَا جِئتُ أَكتَتِمُ اكتِتَامَا

I blame her character that it should be

As though I come to conceal a concealment

وَأَنَّ الرأسَ شَيَّبَهُ اطِّلاَعِى

بِلاَدَ الحَربِ مُلبَسَةً قَتَامَا

That my head has turned grey surveying

The lands of war wrapped up in darkness

أُعَالِجُ صَعدَةً وَأَقُودُ مُهراً

طَوِيلَ المَتنِ يَستَوفِى الحِزَامَا

I break a mare and lead a long bodied steed

That fulfills the warrior’s belt

وَمَن يَلقَ الفَوَارِسَ كُلَّ يَومٍ

أَطَاعِن أَو أَلاَزِمهُم لِزَامَا

Whoever meets cavaliers everyday

Either spearing or clinging to them

وَكُنتُ إِذا الهُمُومُ تَكَنَّفَتنِى

لِتُسهِرَنِى جَعَلتُ لَهَا نِظَامَا

Whenever worries would besiege me

To keep me up, I would devise for them a system

وَلَستُ بِمُحرزٍ مَالِى بِنَذرٍ

وَلَو لَم يُبقِ لِى أَبَداً سَوَامَا

I do not withhold if destitute nor vow

Even if I am not left any means forever

وَلَستُ أُرَشِّحُ الأطفَالَ مِنهَا

لِيُدرِكَ نَسلُهَا عَاماً فَعَامَا

I do not prepare her children from my wealth

For her progeny to grow, year by year

وَلَكنِّى أُقولُ لِحَالِبَيهَا

أَشِيعَا أنَّ فِى مَالِى ذِمَامَا

Rather, I say to her milkers,

Take the lead, my wealth has some life in it

وَأُقرِضُها ابنَ عَمِّ إِن أَتَانِى

وَأَقرِى الضَّيفَ أَعظَمَهَا سَنَامَا

I lend money to my cousin if he comes to me

And host the guest, the oldest in years

وَخَلفٍ خَالِفٍ أَصبَحتُ فِيهِ

يُذَكِّرُنِى حَيَاةً أَو حُلاَمَا

And the vicissitudes of time I have entered

That recall to me a life or dreams

وَإخوَانٍ فُجِعتُ بِهِم فَأُضحِى

كَمَرُوحٍ بِهِ يَشكُو كِلاَمَا

And brothers I have been bereaved of

So I start the day complaining of conversation

وَقَد أَحمِى الحَقِيقَةَ كُلَّ يَومٍ

وَتَحمى الأَزدُ أنفِى أَن أُرَامَا

I protect honesty everyday

While the Azd tribe protects my nose from humiliation

أنَاسٌ يَأمَنُ الجِيرَانُ فِيهُم

كَمَكَّةَ مَا تَمسُّ بِهَا الحَمَامَا

There are people whose neighbors feel safe amongst them

Like Mecca which no pigeons make impure

وَمذحِجُ إِذ تَقَرُّبِهِم جَمِيعاً

رَأيتَ قُرُومَ مَذحِجنَا عِظَامَا

And when Mudhij approach altogether,

You see the bare bones of Mudhij

وَفِى هَمدَانَ ضَربٌ حِينَ تُلقَى

يُطِيرُ مَعَاصِماً وَيُبِينُ هَامَا

In Hamdan, there are warriors, if encountered

Make the opponent take flight scattering

وَإِن أَهتِف بِكِندَةَ يأتِ صَفٌّ

تُطِلُّ رِمَاحُهُم مَلِكاً هُمامَا

And if I call on Kindah, ranks will come

With spears that make kings recoil

وَمَالى دُونَ خَثعَمَ مِن صَدِيقٍ

إِذا الفَتَيَاتُ أَخرَجنَ الخِدَامَا

I have no friend apart from Khuza’ah

If girls go out followed by servants

وَإِن تَحضُر بِجيلَةُ يَومَ بَأسٍ

تُكَشِّف عَن مَنَاكِبَى الزِّحَامَا

And if Jibillah are present on a day of distress,

They expose my shoulders from the crowds (in battle)

وًَدَاعِى الاَشعَرِينَ إِذا دَعَاهُم

مَنعنَاهُ الجَوامِعَ أَن يُضَامَا

My oath binds the two As’harites if they are called

Prevented by settlement to do injustice

وَحِميَرُ حِينَ يَبدَؤُوهَا كَرِيبٌ

تَكَادُ أُنُوفُهَأ تَجلُو الغَمامَا

And the Himirian steeds, as they start them, a fleet creature

Whose muzzles almost touch the clouds

وَغَسَّانُ الَّتِى مَلَكَت مَعَداًّ

شَآمِيَهَا وَمَن يَرعَى البَشَامَا

The Ghassanids who ruled Ma’add

Their elite and those who pasture the wastelands

وَلاَ تَترُك قُضَاعَةَ إِنَّ فِيهَا

لَنَا الحَسَبَ المُقَدَّمَ وَالتَّمَامَا

Do not abandon the Quda’a for verily amongst them

We have precedence and privilege

وَلاَقِ بِحَضرَموتَ غَدَاةَ عِزٍّ

خِيَارَ أُنَاسِ مَحضَرَةٍ غِشامَا

Meet with Hadramout at the advent of glory

The chosen ones at time of much sadness

جُذَامٌ لَيسَ مُحصِيَها قَبِيلٌ

إذَا دَاعِى الصّباحِ دَعَا جُذَامَا

Armaments that no tribe can enumerate

Whenever the morning caller calls to armaments

وَعَامِلَةٌ الحُمَاةُ وَمَن يَرَاهُم

يَرَى الجُردَ السَّوَاهِمَ وَالهِجَامَا

The people of Huma are workers

He who sees them sees biting swords and growlers

وَلَو أَصبَحتُ فِى حَكَمٍ مُقِيما

وَخَفَّ الزَّحفُ لَمأَرهَب أَثَامَا

If I had established stable rule

And the onslaught abated, I would not have feared sins

وَخَولاَنُ الَّتِى لَم تُعطِ إِلاَّ

نَبِىَّ اللهِ إِذ صَلَّى وَصَامَا

Khaulan, who did not give (tribute) except

To the Prophet when he prayed and fasted

وَحَاءٌ لَو رَأَيتَهُمُ جَمِيعاً

حَسِبتَ الغابَ فَوقَهُمُ إِجَامَا

And Hā’, if you were to see them all together,

You would think all of the forests to be over them

فَعُدَّا مِثلَ ذَا يَابنَى نِزَارٍ

وَذَاكَ عَلَيكُمَا أَمسَى حَرَامَا

Count two examples like you, O Ibn Nizar

And verily that came to me as sacred oath

وَلَن تَجِدَا مُلُوكا فِى نِزَارٍ

وَآبَاءً كَآبَائى كِرَامَا

You will not find kings in my progeny, Bin Nizar

Nor fathers like my glorious fathers

وَلَو سُئلَت بِلاَدُ الحَربِ عَنَّا

وَعَنكُم إِذ تَصادَمنا صِدَامَا

If the lands of war were asked about us

And about you, when we clashed, striking

عَلِمتُم أَنَّ كَيدَكُمُ ضَعِيفٌ

وَوَلَّى الجَمعُ فَانهَزَمَ انهِزَامَا

You would know that your cunning is weak

And the army turned in retreat, retreating

كَمَا كانَت جُمُوعُكُمُ تَوَلَّى

إِذا مَا أَبصَرَت لَجِباً لُهَامَا

Just as your groups would retreat

When they caught sight of a worn out sand hill

تَظَلُّ جِيَادُنَا مِن كُلِّ وَجهٍ

كَفِعلِ الطَّيرِ تَختَطِفُ اللِّحَامَا

Our horses in every direction

Snatch opportunity like birds of prey snatch flesh

تَرَى الجُردَ السّوَاهِمَ حِينَ تُعطَى

سِجَالَ المَاءِ تَقتَحِمُ اقتِحَامَا

You see the bare swords when they are given

To race to the water holes and penetrate forcefully

وكُلَّ مُطَارَةٍ خَفِقٍ حَشَاهَا

أَسَرَّت فِى غَزَاتِهِمِ وِحَامَا

And every she camel led to water that was sought after

Has enticed their warriors to love

وَشَاعِرِ مَعشَرٍ فِيهِ طِمَاحٌ

عَنِ الشُّعَرَاءِ كُنتُ لَهُ زِمَامَا

I was a leader for a tribe amongst whom was ambition

Over the poets - I held the reins

يُخَاطِرُ عَن عَشِيرَتِهِ خِطاراً

وَيَكسُو قَومَهُ حُلَلاً لِئَامَا

He took risks for his tribe – perils

And he clothed his people in mean rags

جَنى حَرباً عَلَيهِ ذَاتَ ضُرّ

وَتَلقَحُ ثُمَّ يَنتِجُهَا تَمَاما

He earned war against himself with harm

And they overlap, then sprout again completely

تَلَمَّسَ حُظوَةً فَاَصَابَ ذَمًّا

وَعَرَّدَ وَهِىَ تَضطَرِمُ اضطرَامَا

He tested good fortune, but met disfavor

It blazed, burning more and more

تَرَكتُ لِقَومِهِ عَيباً مُبِيناً

يَكُونُ عَلَى أُنُوفِهمِ خِطَامَا

He left an open disgrace for his tribe

To be a branding mark on their noses

وَقَالَ أُنَاسُهُ لَم يُغنِ شَيئاً

عَلاَمَ قَذَفَت أَنفُسَنَا عَلاَمَا

And his tribesmen said: No use came from him

Why did he cast our selves into misery

تُعَرِّضُ بِامرِىءٍ فِيهِ أنَاةٌ

قَديمِ العِيصِ يَنتَقِمُ انتِقَاما

Threatening a man of composure

Of old spryness, who takes revenge, avenging

فَمَاذَا يَبتَغِى الشُّعَرَاءُ مِنِّى

وَقَد قَسَّمتُ بَينَهُمُ قَسَامَا

So what do poets want from me

Since I have divided between them judgment

قَضَيتُ قَضِيَّةً فِيهِم فَجَازَت

بِهَا يُقضَى إِذا احتَكَمُوا احتِكَامَا

I arbitrated a case regarding them, in which

The judgment was by which to judge, if they arbitrate