هَوى أُمِّ بِشرٍ أَن تَراني بِغَبطَةٍ

وَتَهوى نُمَيرٌ غَيرَ ذاكَ وَأَكلُبُ

A mother of mankind wished to see me in joy,

While Numayr desired other than that, and Aklub,

قُضاعِيَّةٌ أَحمَت عَلَيها رِماحُنا

صَحارِيَ فيها لِلمَكاكِيِّ مَلعَبُ

Quda'iyya on which our spears bore down,

Deserts wherein the sly foxes gambol,

وَكَم دونَها مِن مَلعَبٍ وَمَفازَةٍ

تَظَلُّ بِها الوُرقُ الخِفافُ تَقَلَّبُ

And how many a playground and wilderness beneath it,

Wherein the light leaves flutter and turn.

إِذا ما مَصايِيفُ القَطا قَرَبَت بِهِ

مِنَ القَيظِ أَدناها السُرى وَهيَ لُغَّبُ

When the summer rains of El-Qata drew near to him,

Because of the heat, he brought them the Sura, and it was confused,

إِذا ما اِستَقَت ما تَستَقي الهيفُ فَرَّغَت

مِياهَ سَواقيها حَواصِلُ نُضَّبُ

When it took what the howdahs take, and it emptied

The waters of its cisterns, the buckets pulled up.

بِوَفرٍ رِقاقٍ لَم تُخَرَّز قُعورُها

وَلا شُربُها أَفواهُها لا تُصَوَّبُ

With ample intervening plains its depths were not pierced,

And its waters mouths drank not, nor were they aimed straight.

وَعَنسٍ بَراها رِحلَتي فَكَأَنَّها

مِنَ الحَبسِ في الأَمصارِ وَالخَسفِ مِشجَبُ

By bleak Uensa my companions passed the night, so it seemed

As if from confinement in settled regions and wadis, distracted.

عَلى أَنَّها تَهدي المَطِيَّ إِذا عَوى

مِنَ اللَيلِ مَمشوقُ الذِراعَينِ هَبهَبُ

Though it guides the rider, when wandering at night,

With arms outstretched, confused.