أَذِنَ اليَومَ جيرَتي بِحُفوفِ

صَرَموا حَبلَ آلِفٍ مَألوفِ

My neighbor's camels are prepared today

They severed the cord of an old friend

وَاِستَقَلَّت عَلى الجِمالِ حُدوجٌ

كُلَّها فَوقَ بازِلٍ مَوقوفِ

The howdahs are loaded on the camels

All halted over a kneeling-place

مِن كُراتٍ وَطَرفُهُنَّ سُجُوٌّ

نَظَرَ الأُدمِ مِن ظِباءِ الخَريفِ

Of globes, whose fringes are drapes

The dark-eyed gazelles look through autumn's mist

خاشِعاتٍ يُظهِرنَ أَكسِيَةَ الخَز

زِ وَيُبطِنَّ دونَها بِشُفوفِ

Humble, displaying overgowns of silk

And lining them with curtains below

وَحَثَثنَ الجِمالَ يَسهَكنَ بِالبا

غِزِ وَالأُرجُوانِ خَملَ القَطيفِ

They urged the camels to walk gently

Laden with brocade and purple of Al-Katif

مِن هَواهُنَّ يَتَّبِعنَ نَواهُن

نَ فَقَلبي بِهِنَّ كَالمَشغوفِ

Following their passions, following desires

While my heart is smitten with passion for them

بِلَعوبٍ مَعَ الضَجيعِ إِذا ما

سَهِرَت بِالعِشاءِ غَيرِ أُسوفِ

Sporting with the sleeping mate when she keeps night vigil

Without gloom, neither bread nor fodder

حُلوَةِ النَشرِ وَالبَديهَةِ وَالعِل

لاتِ لا جَهمَةٍ وَلا عُلفوفِ

Verily, the whiteness has saddened them, so they veiled themselves

From us with a barrier, blocked off

وَلَقَد ساءَها البَياضُ فَلَطَّت

بِحِجابٍ مِن دونِنا مَسدوفِ

So learn, when grey appears in the hair, that youth is no ally

And leave talk of my night's pleasure, for you know not my strength or disposition

فَاِعرَفي لِلمَشيبِ إِذ شَمِلَ الرَأ

سَ فَإِنَّ الشَبابَ غَيرُ حَليفِ

And we accompanied the family of Jafnah, noble lords

In Syria, land of plenty

وَدَعِ الذِكرَ مِن عَشائي فَما يُد

ريكَ ما قُوَّتي وَما تَصريفي

And the Banu Mundhir, ash-colored, walking in Al-Hirah at dawn like swords

And Julanda in Oman, then Qais in Hazramawt's meadows

وَصَحِبنا مِن آلِ جَفنَةَ أَملا

كاً كِراماً بِالشامِ ذاتِ الرَفيفِ

Sitting, while the boon-companions surround him, giving no pause

Until wine is brought in a pitcher

وَبَني المُنذِرِ الأَشاهِبِ بِالحي

رَةِ يَمشونَ غُدوَةً كَالسُيوفِ

And music, when excited by drink, throbs in a freshened rhythm

While man is like cracked old leather evened out by the tanner

وَجُلُنداءَ في عُمانَ مُقيماً

ثُمَّ قَيساً في حَضرَمَوتَ المُنيفِ

Or a vessel of palm leaves patched by the smith, concealing its cracks with tar

Misled by fate until he returns, after his walk, to vagrancy

قاعِداً حَولَهُ النَدامى فَما يَن

فَكُّ يُؤتى بِموكَرٍ مَجدوفِ

And from the she-camels, women difficult to drive, exhausted after night journey, empty

They have risen above the grayish gravel plain and come to a dreadful place

وَصَدوحٍ إِذا يُهَيِّجُها الشَر

بُ تَرَقَّت في مِزهَرٍ مَندوفِ

Verily I prepare the warriors of my tribe and make ready for some grave affair

With the valor of warriors excavating the oppression of past kings on the anxious lands

بَينَما المَرءُ كَالرُدَينيِّ ذي الجُب

بَةِ سَوّاهُ مُصلِحُ التَثقيفِ

Independent, reproaching the warriors after nightfall with other than logic

Then with the first light he stirs up a wind-blown dust with light shoes

أَو إِناءِ النُضارِ لاحَمَهُ القَي

نُ وَدارى صُدوعَهُ بِالكَتيفِ

If we avoid him in the emptiness of the desert or match his forearm with a task

I do not doubt that would restrain him, without pulling the bridle beneath the beard

رَدَّهُ دَهرُهُ المُضَلَّلُ حَتّى

عادَ مِن بَعدِ مَشيِهِ لِلدَليفِ

وَعَسيرٍ مِنَ النَواعِجِ أَدما

ءَ مَروحٍ بَعدَ الكَلالِ رَجوفِ

قَد تَعالَلتُها عَلى نَكَظِ المَي

طِ فَتَأتي عَلى المَكانِ المَخوفِ

وَلَقَد أُحزِمُ اللُبانَةَ أَهلي

وَأُعَدّيهِمُ لِأَمرٍ قَذيفِ

بِشُجاعِ الجَنانِ يَحتَفِرُ الظُل

ماءَ ماضٍ عَلى البِلادِ خَشوفِ

مُستَقِلٍّ بِالرِدفِ ما يَجعَلُ الجِر

رَةَ بَعدَ الإِدلاجِ غَيرَ الصَريفِ

ثُمَّ يُضحي مِن فَورِهِ ذا هِبابٍ

يَستَطيرُ الحَصى بِخُفٍّ كَثيفِ

إِن وَضَعنا عَنهُ بِبَيداءَ قَفرٍ

أَو قَرَنّا ذِراعَهُ بِوَظيفِ

لَم أَخَل أَنَّ ذاكَ يَردَعُ مِنهُ

دونَ ثَنيِ الزِمامِ تَحتَ الصَليفِ