تَأَمَّلْ خَلِيليَ هَلْ تَرَى ضَوْءَ بَارِقٍ

يَمَانٍ مَرَتْهُ رِيحُ نَجْدٍ فَفَتَّرَا

Behold, my friend, can you see a flash of lightning

That was struck by a Najd wind as it passed through Yemen?

مَرَتْهُ الصَّبَا بِالغَوْرِ غَوْرِ تِهَامَةٍ

فَلَمَّا وَنَتْ عَنْهُ بِشَعْفَيْنِ أَمْطَرَا

The breeze carried it through the valleys of Tihama,

Then when it veered away with the waving of two tree branches, it rained.

يَمَانِيَةٌ تَمْرِي الرَّبَابَ كَأَنَّهُ

رِئَالُ نَعَامٍ بَيْضُهُ قَدْ تَكَسَّرَا

A Yemeni woman passes by the tent as if

She were the train of an ostrich whose eggs had just hatched.

وطَبَّقَ لَوْذَانَ القَبَائِلِ بَعْدَمَا

سَقَى الجِزْعَ مِنْ لوْذَانَ صَفْواً وأَكْدَرَا

She gathered the tribes after their dissention,

Giving them to drink a mixed draught, both pure and dirty.

فَأَمْسَى يَحُطُّ المُعْصِمَاتِ حَبِيُّهُ

وأَصْبَحَ زَيَّافَ الغَمَامَةِ أَقْمَرَا

So he camped among them, pleased with his beloveds,

And in the morning he adorned the clouds as the brightest moon.

كَأَنَّ بِهِ بَيْنَ الطَّرَاةِ ورَهْوَةٍ

ونَاصِفَةِ الضَّبْعَيْنِ غَاباً مُسَعَّرَا

As if he had kindled a blazing fire between Mount Tara and Rahewa

And between Nasaifat al-Dab'ain, the two hyenas.

فَغَادَرَ مَلْحُوباً تُمَشِّي ضِبَابُهُ

عَبَاهيلَ لَمْ يَتْرُكْ لَهَا المَاءُ مَحْجَرا

So he left behind a goodbye, his fog carrying him away

From the meadows without leaving them any water.

أَقَامَ بِشُطَّانِ الرِّكَاءِ ورَاكِسٍ

إِذَا غَرِقَ ابْنُ المَاءِ في الوَبْلِ بَرْبَرَا

He stayed in the soft sands of Rika', standing firmly

Whenever the son of water is drowned in the mud and becomes stuck.

أَصَاخَتْ لَهُ فدْرُ اليَمَامَةِ بَعْدَمَا

تَدَثَّرَهَا مِنْ وَبْلِهِ مَا تَدَثَّرَا

The hillocks of Yamama cried out to him after

He had wrapped them in as much mud as he had wrapped himself.

أَنَاخَ بِرَمْلِ الكَوْمَحَيْن إِنَاخَةَ اليَمَانِي

قِلاَصاً حَطَّ عَنْهُنَّ أَكْوُرَا

He tethered his camel in the sands of Al-Kawmahain like the tethering

Of a Yemeni, having cast off from them something dirty.

أجِدِّي أَرَى هذَا الزَّمَانَ تَغَيَّرا

وبَطنَ الرِّكَاءِ مِنْ مَوَالِيَّ أَقْفَرَا

My age, I see that time has changed

And the belly of Rika' has emptied of my tribesmen.

وكَائِنْ تَرَى مِنْ مَنْهَلٍ بَادَ أَهْلُهُ

وعِيدَ عَلَى مَعْرُوفِهِ فَتَنَكَّرَا

Wherever you see an abandoned wellspring

And a feast has turned away from its customs and become corrupt,

أَتَاهُ قَطَا الأَجْبَابِ مِنْ كُلِّ جَانِبٍ

فَنَقَّرَ في أَعْطَانِهِ ثُمَّ طَيَّرَا

The wild cats have come to it from every side

And clawed into its peg then took flight.

فَإِمَّا تَرَيْني قَدْ أَطَاعَتْ جَنيبَتِي

وخُيِّطَ رَأْسي بَعْدَ مَا كَانَ أَوْفَرَا

So either you will see me obey my old age

And my head shorn after it once had such thick hair.

وأَصْبَحْتُ شَيْخاً أَقْصَرَ اليَوْمَ بَاطِلي

وأَدَّيْتُ رَيْعَانَ الصِّبَا المُتَعوَّرَا

I have become an old man whose time today is wasted

And I have spent the exuberance of youth going astray.

وقَدَّمْتُ قُدَّامِي العَصَا أَهْتَدِي بِهَا

وأَصْبَحَ كَرِّي لِلصَّبَابَةِ أَعْسَرَا

I walk with a staff in front guiding me

And my briskness for the youth has become difficult.

فَقَدْ كُنْتُ أُحْذِي النَّابَ بِالسَّيْفِ ضَرْبَةً

فأُبْقِى ثَلاثاً والوَظِيفَ المُكَعْبَرَا

For I used to shoe the gap tooth with the sword - a strike

That would leave three dead and the officer appointed over them tortured.

وأَزْجُرُ فِيهَا قَبْلَ تَمِّ ضَحَائِهَا

مَنِيحَ القِدَاحِ والصَّرِيعَ المُجَبَّرَا

And I would frighten them with my threats even before the morning's glow had dimmed,

Startling the sleeping and terrifying the injured.

تُخُيِّرَ نَبْعَ العَيْكَتَيْن ودُونَهُ

مَتَالِفُ هَضْبٍ تَحْبِسُ الطَّيْرَ أَوْعَرَا

We had our choice between the springs of 'Aikatain and those below them,

Blocking the way for the birds or leaving an opening.

فَمَا زَالَ حَتَّى نَالَهُ مُتَغَلْغِلٌ

تَخَيَّرَ مِنْ أَمْثَالِهِ مَا تَخَيَّرَا

He remained undeterred until an opposing group reached him

Which chose the best of its kind, as he had chosen.

فَشَذَّبَ عَنْهُ النَّبْعَ ثُمَّ غَدَا بِهِ

مُجَلًّى مِنَ اللاَّئِي يُفَدَّيْنَ مِطْحَرَا

Then he cut us off from the spring and moved against it

Adorned with women who could be ransomed for a young camel.

يُطِيعُ البَنَانَ غَمْزُهُ وهْوَ مَانِعٌ

كَأَنَّ عَلَيْهِ زَعْفَرَاناً مُعَطَّرَا

Their glances make him obey though he refused at first,

As if saffron perfume had been sprinkled over him.

تَخِرُّ حِظَاءُ النَّبْعِ تَحْتَ جَبِينِهِ

إِذَا سَنَحَتْ أَيْدِي المُفِيضينَ صَدَّرَا

The fortune of the spring flows down beneath his forehead

Whenever the hands of the givers are outstretched and flow freely.

تَبَادَرُهُ أَيْدِي الرِّجَالِ إِذَا بَدَتْ

نَوَاهِدع مِنْ أَيْدِي السَّرَابِيلِ حُسَّرَا

The hands of men reach out for it when it appears -

Delicate, from the hands of the women with robes hitched up.

وإِنِّيَ لأَسْتَحْيِي وفي الحَقِّ مُسْتَحىً

إِذَا جَاءَ بَاغِي العُرْفِ أَنْ أَتَعَذَّرَا

And truly I am too shy, though shame is called for,

To offer excuses when the suitor of the meadow comes to me.

إِذَا مِتُّ عَنْ ذِكْرِ القَوَافِي فَلَنْ تَرَى

لَهَا تَالِياً مِثْلَي أَطَبَّ وأَشْعَرَا

When I pass from composing verse, you will never see

Another like me, whose poetry is smoother and more eloquent,

وأَكْثَرَ بَيْتاً مَارِداً ضُرِبَتْ لَهُ

حُزُونُ جِبَالِ الشِّعْرِ حَتَّى تَيَسَّرَا

And whose abundant, wild poetry has struck

The trade routes of poetry until they were humbled.

أَغَرَّ غَرِيباً يَمْسَحُ النَّاسُ وَجْهَهُ

كَمَا تَمْسَحُ الأَيْدِي الأَغَرَّ المُشَهَّرَا

It deceived a stranger whose face people stroke

Just as hands stroke the cat with clipped ears.

فَإِنْ تَكُ عِرْسي نَامَتِ الَّليْلَ كُلَّهُ

فَقَدْ وَكَلَتْني أنْ أَصَبَّ وأَسْهَرَا

If my wedding night sleeps the whole night through,

Then it has entrusted me to stay up late and pour the wine.

أَلاَ لَيْتَ ليْلَى بَيْنَ أَجْمَادِ عَاجِفٍ

وتِعْشَارِ أَجْلَى في سَرِيجٍ وَأَسْفَرَا

Oh, if only Layla were between the roaring pavilions,

And the remains of a pleasant night in an illuminated tent!

ولكِنَّمَا لَيْلَى بِأَرْضٍ غَرِيبَةٍ

تُقَاسي إِذَا النَّجْمُ العِرَاقِيُّ غَوَّرَا

But Layla is in a foreign land, suffering

Whenever the Iraqi star goes down.

فإِمَّا تَرَيْنَا أَلْحَمَتْنَا رِمَاحُنَا

وخِفَّةُ أَحْلاَمٍ ضِبَاعاً وأَنْسُرَا

Either you will see our spears joined together

And the whims of a pleasant dream, hunting prey and carving,

فَمَا نَحْنُ إِلاَّ مِنْ قُرُونٍ تُنُقِّصَتْ

بأَصْغَرَ مِمَّا قَدْ لَقِيتُ وأَكْبَرَا

Or we are nothing but generations that have been diminished

By something much smaller and much greater than what I have met.

وشَاعِرِ قَوْمٍ مُعْجَبِينَ بِشِعْرِهِ

مَدَدْتُ لَهُ طُولَ العِنَانِ فَقَصَّرَا

And I am the poet of a people enamored with his poetry -

I gave free rein to him, but he fell short.

لَقَدْ كَانَ فِينَا مَنْ يَحُوطُ ذِمَارَنَا

ويُحْذِي الكَمِيَّ الزَّاعِبِيَّ المُؤَمَّرَا

Among us were those who protected our precious possessions

And who stroked the brave, glorious warrior made ready for battle.

ويَنْفَعُنَا يَوْمَ البَلاءِ بَلاَؤُهُ

إِذَا اسْتَلْحَمَ الأَمْرُ الدَّثورَ المُغَمَّرَا

He was of use to us on the day of trial with his trials

When the matter became serious and difficult.

وخَطَّارَةٍ لَمْ يَنْضَحِ السِّلْمُ فَرْجَهَا

تُلَقَّحُ بِالمُرَّانِ حَتَّى تَشَذَّرَا

And one whose slit was never penetrated, who

Was impregnated by training until she became torn.

شَهِدْنَا فَلَمْ نَحْرِمْ صُدُورَ رِمَاحِنَا

مَقَاتِلَهَا والمُشْرَفيَّ المذَكَّرَا

We were present but did not deprive our spear-chests -

Her warrior and the noble steadfast man -

وكُنا إِذَا مَا الخَصْمُ ذُو الضِّغْنِ هَرَّنَا

قَدَعْنَا الجَمُوحَ واخْتَلَعْنَا المُعَذَّرَا

And whenever the hostile, groaning enemy spurred us on,

We restrained our zeal and pretended to make excuses.

نَقُومُ بِجُلاَّنَا فَنَكْشِفُهَا مَعاً

وإِنْ رَامَنَا أَعْمَى العَشِيَّةِ أَبْصَرَا

We stand with our banners and unfold them together,

And if a blind man at night wanted to see, he could.

ويَقْدُمُنَا سُلاَّفُ حَيٍّ أَعِزَّةٍ

تَحُلُّ جُنَاحاً أَوْ تَحُلُّ مُحَجَّرَ

And the excellent tough men of valor go before us,

Alighting in a meadow or alighting in an enclosed camp,

كَأَنْ لَمْ تُبَوِّئْنَا عَنَاجِيجُ كَالقَنَا

جَنَاباً تَحَامَاهُ السَّنَابِكُ أخْضَرَا

As if the nests like grit had not housed us,

With partitions the green porches shaded.

ولَمْ يَجْرِ بِالأَخْبَارِ بَيْنِي وبَيْنَهُمْ

أَشَقُّ سَبُوحٌ لَحْمُهُ قَدْ تَحَسَّرَا

And no talebearer had gone between me and them -

A difficult climb whose flesh when cooked had fallen off the bone.

كَأَنَّ يدَيْهِ والغُلاَمُ يَكُفُّهُ

جَنَاحَانِ مِنْ سُوذَانِقٍ حِينَ أَدْبَرَا

It was as if his hands, and the boy he restrains,

Were two wings of an eagle when it wheeled away.

أَقَبُّ كَسِرْحَانِ الغَضَا رَاحَ مُؤْصِلاً

إِذَا خَافَ إِدْرَاكَ الطَّوَالِبِ شَمَّرَا

I turn my shoulder like the wild cows who went away angry

When they feared the pursuit of the seekers and grabbed their belongings.

أَلَهْفِي عَلَى عِزٍّ عَزِيزٍ وظِهْرَةٍ

وظِلٍّ شَبَابٍ كُنْتُ فِيهِ فَأَدْبَرَا

My craving is for precious glory and a peak

And the shade of the prime of youth that has now turned away from me,

وَلَهْفِي عَلَى حَيَّيْ حُنَيْفٍ كِلَيْهِمَا

إِذَا الغَيْثُ أَمْسَى كَابِي الَّلوْنِ أَغْبَرَا

And my craving is for my two dear encampments, Kila and Hunaif,

When the rain in the evening becomes dust colored and dusty.

يُذَكِّرُنِي حَيَّيْ حُنَيفٍ كِلَيْهِمَا

حَمَامٌ تَرَادَفْنَ الرَّكِيَّ المُعَوَّرَا

My two encampments, Kila and Hunaif, remind me

Of doves paired upon the rough sands that were heaped up.

ومَا لِيَ لاَ أَبْكِي الدِّيَارَ وأَهْلَهَا

وقَدْ حَلَّهَا رُوَّادُ عَكّ وحِمْيَرَا

Why should I not weep for the dwellings and their people

When they have been inhabited by the settlers of 'Ak and Himyar?

فَإِنَّ بَنِي قَنْيَانَ أَصْبَحَ سَرْبُهُمْ

بِجَرْعَاءِ عَبْسٍ آمِناً أَنْ يُنَفَّرَا

For the clan of Qanayan, their group has safely

Taken residence in the meadows of Abs, protected from being scattered.