بانَ الخَليطُ الؤولى شاقوكَ إِذ شَحَطوا
وَفي الحُدوجِ مَهاً أَعناقُها عِيَطُ
The first mixture irked you as they dragged
And the folds, their necks cried out, oppressed
ناطوا الرِعاثَ لِمَهوىً لَو يَزِلُّ بِهِ
لَاِندَقَّ دونَ تَلاقي اللَبَّةِ القُرُطُ
They tied calamity to fate, if only it would slip
The knots would come undone before the meeting of forelocks
هَلِ اللَيالِيُ وَالأَيّامُ راجِعَةٌ
أَيّامُ نَحنُ وَسَلمى جيرَةٌ خُلُطُ
Are those nights and days coming back?
Those days of us and Salma, a neighboring tribe, mixed
إِذ كُلُّنا وَمِقٌ راضٍ بِصاحِبِهِ
لا يَبتَغي بَدَلاً فَالعَيشُ مُغتَبِطُ
When we were all satisfied with our companion
Not seeking an alternative, so life was blissful
وَالشَملُ مُجتَمِعٌ فَاِعتاقَهُ قِدَمٌ
وَالدَهرُ مِنهُ عَلى التَحيِيفِ وَالفُرُطُ
And the gathering intact, so time honored it
Yet time acted perfidiously and failed us
عَهدي بِهِم يَومَ جَزعِ القاعِ مِن رَمَقِ
وَالصَفحُ قَد زالَ بِالأَحداجِ وَالغُبُطُ
My oath to them on the day the pasture panicked from remnant
The plain is now devoid of happiness and comfort
وَالعيسُ مُدبِرَةٌ تَهوي بِأَركُبِها
كَأَنَّهُنَّ نَعامٌ نُفَّرٌ مُعُطُ
The she-camels heading back as if they are
Startled ostriches scattered in retreat
فَوَرَدَت ماءَ جَزعٍ عَن شَمائِلِها
في سَبسَبٍ مُقفِرٍ حُمرٌ بِهِ اللَغَطُ
They arrived at the waters of distress, their beauty gone
On an arid plain, reddened with drought
تَرى لَهُنَّ عَزيفاً في مَواثِبِهِ
إِذا هُمُ لَبِثوا لِلماءِ وَاِفتَرَطوا
You see them racing in their gait
When they lingered at the water and were unquenched
وَتُصبِحُ الجونُ حَسرى في مَناهِلِها
وَالكُدرُ قَد قَصُرَت عَن وِردِها الوُقُطُ
The valleys greet the dawn in sorrow at their springs
The turbid water, its customary watering place now barred
وَعَن أَيامِنِها الأَطواءُ مُصعِدَةٌ
قَد شارَفوا فَرَحَ الأَوتادِ أَو وَسَطوا
The lofty times from its days have departed
They approached the peg of the tent, or midway
رَوضَ القَطا مِن جَنوبِ السِدرِ مِن خِيَمِ
فَالمُحتَبي فَأَجازوا الدَوَّ أَو هَبَطوا
The garden between the myrtle and date palms
So the sheltered ones surpassed the sands or descended
يَجتابُ مَهمَهَةً يَهماءَ صَملَقَةً
سَكنُ الخَلائِقِ حادي الأُدمِ مُقتَسِطُ
A shepherd roams perplexed, confused
The peace of people, the equitable judge of blood
مُشَمِّرٌ خَلَقٌ سِربالُهُ مَشِقٌ
قاذورَةٌ فائِلٌ مُغَذمِرٌ قَطَطُ
Girded of waist, his cloak askew
A shaggy goat, inclined and disheveled of hair
يُكَلِّفُ الغَولَ مِنها كُلَّ ناجِيَةٍ
بَعدَ الهَجيرِ بِإِرقالٍ وَيَلتَبِطُ
He calls upon ghosts, every wailing she-camel
After separation with a mournful rattle
فَظِلتُ أُتبِعُهُم عَيناً عَلى طَرَبٍ
إِنسانُها غَرِقٌ في مائِها مَغِطُ
I remained following them with an eye of disquiet
Its humanity drowned in its waters, immersed
وَكُلُّ مُجتَمِعٍ لا بُدَّ مُفتَرِقٌ
وَكُلُّ ذي عُمُرٍ يَوماً سَيُحتَنَطُ
Every gathering must eventually disperse
All who live will someday be embalmed
وَفِتيَةٌ كَلُيوثِ الغابِ مِن أَسَدٍ
ما لِلنَدى عَنهُمُ نَزحٌ وَلا شَحَطُ
And youths like the lions of the forests, from a lion
No fatigue overcame them, nor did they drag their feet
بيضٌ بَهاليلُ يَنفي الجَهلَ حِلمُهُمُ
وَتَفزَعُ الأَرضُ مِنهُم إِن هُمُ سَخِطوا
Whites shining, their wisdom dispels ignorance
The earth trembles at their rage, if they be provoked
إِذا تَخَمَّطَ جَبّارٌ ثَنَوهُ إِلى
ما يَشتَهونَ وَلا يُثنَونَ إِن خَمِطوا
When a tyrant writhed, they bent him toward
What they desire, unbending if they are opposed
وَالفارِجو الكَربِ وَالغُمّى بِرَأيِهِمُ
إِذا تَشابَهَتِ الأَهواءُ وَالصُرُطُ
Dispelling hardship and gloom with their counsel
When tastes and ways became confused
وَالقائِلو الفَصلِ لا تَنآدُ طينَتُهُم
وَما لِقَولِهِمُ خَلفٌ وَلا مَيَطُ
The decisive speakers, their clay remains unblemished
Their word has no contradictions or swerve
وَالخالِطو مُعسِرٍ مِنهُم بِموسِرِهِم
وَأَكرَمُ الناسِ مَطروقاً إِذا اِختُبِطوا
Those who join the destitute among them to their wealthy
The most generous of people when brought together
مُرّو اللِقاءَ وَمُبقو العَقدِ إِن عَقَدوا
إِذا أَضاعَ مِنَ الميثاقِ مُشتَرِطُ
Who honor the meeting and uphold a pact if pledged
When the treaty breaker discards conditions
رُجحٌ إِذا حَضَرَ النادي حُلومُهُمُ
وَفيهِمُ الزَغفُ وَالخَطِّيُّ وَالرُبُطُ
The eminent among them when they gather
Contain frivolity, jest and play
وَالمَشرَفِيَّةُ مَفلولٌ ضَوارِبُها
يَومَ اللِقاءِ وَأَيدٍ بِالنَدى سَبِطُ
The lofty-speared warriors among them
On the day of battle, hands streaming with dew
لا يَحسِبونَ غِنىً يَبقى وَلا عَدَماً
إِذا رَأى ذاكَ مِنهُم مَعشَرٌ فُرُطُ
They do not account lasting wealth or poverty
When some of their number witness excess
