وَمَحبوسَةٍ في الحَيِّ ضامِنَةِ القِرى
إِذا اللَيلُ وافاها بِأَشعَثَ ساغِبِ
Imprisoned in life and guardian of villages
When night comes upon her with a disheveled latecomer
مُعَقَّرَةٍ لا تُنكِرُ السَيفَ وَسطَها
إِذا لَم يَكُن فيها مَعَسٌّ لِحالِبِ
With a spear-point in her midst which she does not deny
When there is no rest for the milker there
مَرازيحَ في المَأوى إِذا هَبَّتِ الصَبا
تُطيفُ أَوابيها بِأَكلَفَ ثالِبِ
Winds in the dwelling when the dawn breezes blow
Making its corners whirl with twisting sands
إِذا اِستَقبَلَتها الريحُ لَم تَنفَتِل لَها
وَإِن أَصبَحَت شُهبَ الذُرى وَالغَوارِبِ
When the wind faces it, it does not come untied
Though the stars of heaven and planets have risen
إِذا ما الدَمُ المُهراقُ أَضلَعَ حَملُهُ
وَنابَ رَهَنّاها بِأَغلى النَوائِبِ
When the spilt blood saddens the shoulders that bear it
And it pines for the dearest of those that mourn
إِذا ما بَدا بِالغَيبِ مِنها عِصابَةٌ
أَوَينَ لَهُ مَشيَ النِساءِ اللَواغِبِ
When a band appears from it in the unseen
Moving with the walk of unrestrained women
يُطِفنَ بِزَيّافٍ كَأَنَّ هَديرَهُ
إِذا جاوَزَ الحَيزومَ تَرجيعُ قاصِبِ
Who circle about gaily as if the murmuring of them
When it passes over the pliable pouch were the humming of a picker
تَرُدُّ عَلى الظِمءِ الطَويلِ نِطافَها
إِذا شَوَتِ الجَوزاءُ وُرقَ الجَنادِبِ
They turn back the long thirst with their drinking-places
When the locust sheds the leaves of the acacias
كَأَنَّ لَهاها في بَلاعيمِ جِنَّةٍ
وَأَشداقَها العُليا مَغارُ الثَعالِبِ
It is as if it has long swaying branches in the gardens of paradise
And its upper gums are the dens of foxes
إِذا لَم يَكُن إِلّا القَتادُ تَجَزَّعَت
مَناجِلُها أَصلَ القَتادِ المُكالِبِ
When there is naught but the cutter, its sickles
At the thickets' base harvest the cutter
تُحَطِّمُهُ تَحتَ الجَليدِ فُؤوسُها
إِذا قَفَّعَ المَشتى أَكُفَّ الحَواطِبِ
It breaks them into pieces beneath the ice when
The acacia trees don heavy winter clothes
كَأَنَّ عَلَيها القَسطَلانِيَّ مُخمَلاً
إِذا ما اِتَّقَت شَفّانَهُ بِالمَناكِبِ
As if the fleece upon it were a soft model
When it covers its shoulders with the leading stars
شَفى النَفسَ قَتلى مِن سُلَيمٍ وَعامِرٍ
بِيَومٍ بَدَت فيهِ نُحوسُ الكَواكِبِ
It heals the soul's wounds from Sulaym and 'Āmir
On the day evil planets appeared
تُطاعِنُهُم فِتيانُ تَغلِبَ بِالقَنا
فَطاروا وَأَجلَوا عَن وُجوهِ الحَبائِبِ
The youths of Taghlib stab them with spears
So they fled and drew back from the faces of lovers
