عَرَفتُ الدِيارَ لِأُمِّ الرَهيـ

ـنِ بَينَ الظُباءِ فَوادي عُشَر

I knew the abode of Umm al-Rahin

Between az-Zuba and the valley of Ushar

أَقامَت بِهِ وَاِبتَنَت خَيمَةً

عَلى قَصَبٍ وفُراتِ النَهَر

She pitched a tent there and resided

On reed-stems by the Euphrates river

تَخَيَّرُ مِن لَبَنِ الآرِكا

تِ بِالصَيفِ بادِيَةً وَالحَضَر

She chooses from the milk of the she-camels

In summer, the plain and cultivated land

أَلِكني إِلَيها وَخَيرُ الرَسو

لِ أَعلَمُهُم بِنَواحي الخَبَر

Take me to her, the best messenger

Is the one most knowing of the news

بِآيَةِ ما وَقَفَت وَالرِكا

بُ بَينَ الحَجونِ وَبَينَ السِرَر

With the sign that she paused while the she-camel stood

Between al-Hajun and as-Sirar

فَقالَت تَبَرَّرتَ في حَجِّنا

وَما كُنتَ فينا جَديرا بِبِرِّ

She said, “You sought righteousness in our Hajj

And you were not worthy of righteousness among us”

وَأَعلَمُ أَنّي وَأُمَّ الرَهيـ

ـنِ كَالظَبيِ سيقَ لِحَبلِ الشَعَر

And I know that I and Umm al-Rahin

Are like the mountain goat led by a nose rope

فَبَينا يُسَلِّمُ رَجعَ اليَدَيـ

ـنِ باءَ بِكَفَّةِ حَبلٍ مُمَرَّ

While he was delivering the greetings, he returned

With nothing in the palm of his hand

فَراغَ وَقَد نَشِبَت في الزِما

عِ فَاِستَحكَمَت مِثلَ عَقدِ الوَتَر

His efforts were wasted and stuck

In time, as tight as a braided cord

وَما إِن رَحيقٌ سَبَتها التِجا

رُ مِن أَذرِعاتٍ فَوادي جَدَر

No nectar did the bees bring to her

From the meadows of the valley of Jadar

سُلافَةُ راحٍ تُريكَ القَذى

تُصَفَّقُ في بَطنِ زِقٍّ وَجَر

The leftovers of scent that show you the specks

Clapping in the belly of a worn-out waterskin

وَتُمزَجُ بِالعَذبِ عَذبِ الفُرا

تِ زَعزَعَه الريحُ بَعدَ المَطَر

And mix with the fresh sweet Euphrates

Shaken by the wind after rain

تَحَدَّرَ عَن شاهِقٍ كَالحَصيـ

ـرِ مُستَقبِلَ الريحِ وَالفَيءِ قَر

It flows from a towering peak

Facing the wind and shade of a cave

فَشَجَّ بِهِ ثَبَراتِ الرِصا

فِ حَتّى تَزَيَّلَ رَنقُ المَدَر

So it burst open the sealed flasks

Until the neck of the waterskin softened

فَجاءَ وَقَد فَصَلتُهُ الشَما

لُ عَذبَ المَذاقَةِ بُسراً خَصِر

And it came while the north wind

Distilled its sweetest juice, a pleasure to taste

بِأَطيَبَ مِنها إِذا ما النُجو

مُ أَعنَقنَ مِثلَ تَوالي البَقَر

Sweeter than when the stars incline

Like a herd of cattle stretching their necks

فَدَع عَنكَ هذا وَلا تَغتَبِط

لِخَيرٍ وَلا تَتَباءَس لِضُر

So leave this and do not gloat

For good nor scowl for harm

وَخَفِّض عَلَيكَ مِنَ النائِباتِ

وَلا تَكُ مِنها كَئيباً بِشَر

And make the misfortunes upon you lighter

And do not be among them woeful and peeved

فَإِنَّ الرِجالَ إِلى الحادِثا

تِ فَاِستَيقِنَنَّ أَحَبُّ الجُزُر

For men, of incidents

Be most certain, are the most beloved of prizes

أَبَعدَ اِبنِ عُجرَةَ لَيثِ الرِجا

لِ أَمسى كَأَن لَم يَكُن ذا نَفَر

How far was the son of ‘Ujrah, the lion of men

Who one evening was as if he did not have comrades

وَهُم سَبعَةٌ كَعَوالي الرِما

حِ بيضُ الوُجوهِ لِطافُ الأُزُر

And they were seven like the Pleiades

Pale faces, fine garments

مَطاعيمُ لِلضَّيفِ حينَ الشِتا

ءِ قُبُّ البُطونِ كَثيرو الفَجَر

Welcoming to guests when winter descends

Big bellies, spending much

فَيا لَيتَهُم حَذِروا جَيشَهُم

عَشِيَّةَ هُم مِثلُ طَيرِ الخَمَر

If only they had protected their army

One evening they were like intoxicated birds

فَلَو نُبِذوا بِأَبي ماعِزٍ

حَديدِ السِنانِ وَشاهي البَصَر

If only they had been cast with Abi Ma’iz

Of hardened canines and sharp sight

وَبِاِبنَي قُبَيسٍ وَلَم يُكلَما

إِلى أَن يُضيءَ عَمودُ السَحَر

And the two sons of Qubais and they were not reproached

Until the pillar of dawn rose

لَقالَ الأَباعِدُ وَالشامِتو

نَ كانَت كَلَيلَةِ أَهلِ الهُزَر

The slanderers and gloaters would have said

It was like the night of the people of huzar