صَحا القَلبُ مِن ذِكرى قُتَيلَةَ بَعدَما
يَكونُ لَها مِثلَ الأَسيرِ المُكَبَّلِ
The heart recovered from the memory of Qutaylah after she had become like a shackled captive.
She has a delicate, smooth foot; her toes are perfectly proportioned in beautiful creation.
لَها قَدَمٌ رَيّا سِباطٌ بَنانُها
قَدِ اِعتَدَلَت في حُسنِ خَلقٍ مُبَتَّلِ
And legs that flesh flows over them to the tips of her anklet with dangling bells.
When her wrists were sought, her palms were inclined in the most excellent of manners.
وَساقانِ مارَ اللَحمُ مَوراً عَلَيهِما
إِلى مُنتَهى خَلخالِها المُتَصَلصِلِ
With a target on them that you see atop the perfected creation an elevation of beauty.
When she lies down, her side keeps away from the ground and holds her like the hump of a sand dune.
إِذا اِلتُمِسَت أُربِيَّتاها تَسانَدَت
لَها الكَفُّ في رابٍ مِنَ الخَلقِ مُفضِلِ
When a noble knight mounts her, what an excellent bed for the noble knight!
She sways with him, a male ostrich, when she is feeling amorous, the breadth of the hillside fox's tail sways.
إِلى هَدَفٍ فيهِ اِرتِفاعٌ تَرى لَهُ
مِنَ الحُسنِ ظِلّاً فَوقَ خَلقٍ مُكَمَّلِ
Her thighs fold back his cloak, inclined to the likeness of a shifting dune.
A sapling, like a branch of acacia, sways when she walks with the gait of a gazelle in every meadow.
إِذا اِنبَطَحَت جافى عَنِ الأَرضِ جَنبُها
وَخَوّى بِها رابٍ كَهامَةِ جُنبُلِ
And breasts like two pomegranates, with a neck like the neck of a gazelle, if it were not cast off.
She smiles, revealing dimples like the scattered seeds of chamomile whose sprouts have not been stripped.
إِذا ما عَلاها فارِسٌ مُتَبَذِّلٌ
فَنِعمَ فِراشُ الفارِسِ المُتَبَذِّلِ
Her sparkle is like polished glass, as if you see the eyes of a wild cow, even if she were not darkened with kohl.
Eyelids languid, on the beauty of an eyebrow and a soft, glowing, dreamy cheek.
يَنوءُ بِها بوصٌ إِذا ما تَفَضَّلَت
تَوَعَّبَ عَرضَ الشَرعَبِيِّ المُغَيَّلِ
She has a smooth liver, a bosom hidden in secret, and a neck like the neck of a camel led out to pasture.
Her anklets circle her two ankles when she walks, ringing out a delightful jingle.
رَوادِفُهُ تَثني الرِداءَ تَسانَدَت
إِلى مِثلِ دِعصِ الرَملَةِ المُتَهَيِّلِ
She is perfect in beauty; there is nothing above her, though my words about her are frivolous.
And she knew in secret that I love her, and that I have mastery over myself in being decked out.
نِيافٌ كَغُصنِ البانِ تَرتَجُّ إِن مَشَت
دَبيبَ قَطا البَطحاءِ في كُلِّ مَنهَلِ
I did not complain before Qutaylah killed me with the child. She has undone me with the child, all undone.
When I say a thing, I do it. I am not one to change my word or alter it.
وَثَديانِ كَالرُمّانَتَينِ وَجيدُها
كَجيدِ غَزالٍ غَيرَ أَن لَم يُعَطَّلِ
Passion destroys until it lays bare a man’s reason and makes the forbearing, dignified one kill with fury,
When she wears a head shawl and then flashes with her wrists, and the sun has just risen,
وَتَضحَكُ عَن غُرِّ الثَنايا كَأَنَّهُ
ذُرى أُقحُوانٍ نَبتُهُ لَم يُفَلَّلِ
She bites a palm with a bracelet adorning it, fingers like the lobes of the branched date cluster.
You saw the generous one, of majestic manner, gazing while the heart of the mocking outcast melted.
تَلَألُؤُها مِثلُ اللُجَينِ كَأَنَّما
تَرى مُقلَتَي رِئمٍ وَلَو لَم تَكَحَّلِ
So leave her be, and cast away your worries with one who increases in excellence of bridle and saddle,
And which land did I not visit its expanses, and which land did I not answer its call with my camel-borne litter?
سَجُوّينَ بَرجاوَينِ في حُسنِ حاجِبٍ
وَخَدٍّ أَسيلٍ واضِحٍ مُتَهَلِّلِ
On a day we encamped at Dove Spring, an excellent rest for guest and wanderer.
Convey to the clan of ‘Ijl a messenger - and you are people of esteemed lineage and magnificent glory -
لَها كَبِدٌ مَلساءُ ذاتُ أَسِرَّةٍ
وَنَحرٌ كَفاثورِ الصَريفِ المُمَثَّلِ
We paid the thousand for you to your people, and we returned with the hastily gathered ransom money,
And we drove back the Persians by force, and we broke among them the spear of ‘Abdal.
يَجولُ وِشاحاها عَلى أَخمَصَيهِما
إِذا اِنفَتَلَت جالاً عَلَيها يُجَلجِلُ
So which cultivator of the ages hopes for our expanses when we did not show favor in what turned away?
And which ordeal of truth have you not been tested with, yet no one being tested was found wanting?
فَقَد كَمُلَت حُسناً فَلا شَيءَ فَوقَها
وَإِنّي لَذو قَولٍ بِها مُتَنَخَّلِ
We lead the life of nobility, so do not covet our pastures if we did not show favor.
And convey to the clan of ‘Ijl a messenger - you all have esteemed lineage and brilliant glory.
وَقَد عَلِمَت بِالغَيبِ أَنّي أُحِبُّها
وَأَنّي لِنَفسي مالِكٌ في تَجَمَّلِ
وَما كُنتُ أَشكي قَبلَ قَتلَةَ بِالصِبى
وَقَد خَتَلَتني بِالصِبى كُلَّ مَختَلِ
وَإِنّي إِذا ما قُلتُ قَولاً فَعَلتُهُ
وَلَستُ بِمِخلافٍ لِقَولي مُبَدَّلِ
تَهالَكُ حَتّى تُبطِرَ المَرءَ عَقلَهُ
وَتُصبي الحَليمَ ذا الحِجى بِالتَقَتُّلِ
إِذا لَبِسَت شَيدارَةً ثُمَّ أَبرَقَت
بِمِعصَمِها وَالشَمسُ لَمّا تَرَجَّلِ
وَأَلوَت بِكَفٍّ في سِوارٍ يَزينُها
بَنانٌ كَهُدّابِ الدِمَقسِ المُفَتَّلِ
رَأَيتَ الكَريمَ ذا الجَلالَةِ رانِياً
وَقَد طارَ قَلبُ المُستَخِفَّ المُعَذَّلِ
فَدَعها وَسَلِّ الهَمَّ عَنكَ بِجَسرَةٍ
تَزَيَّدُ في فَضلِ الزَمامِ وَتَعتَلي
فَأَيَّةَ أَرضٍ لا أَتَيتُ سَراتَها
وَأَيَّةُ أَرضٍ لَم أَجُبها بِمَرحَلِ
وَيَومِ حِمامٍ قَد نَزَلناهُ نَزلَةً
فَنِعمَ مُناخُ الضَيفِ وَالمُتَحَوِّلِ
فَأَبلِغ بَني عِجلٍ رَسولاً وَأَنتُمُ
ذَوُو نَسَبٍ دانٍ وَمَجدٍ مُؤَثَّلِ
فَنَحنُ عَقَلنا الأَلفَ عَنكُم لِأَهلِهِ
وَنَحنُ وَرَدنا بِالغَبوقِ المُعَجَّلِ
وَنَحنُ رَدَدنا الفارِسِيِّينَ عَنوَةً
وَنَحنُ كَسَرنا فيهِمُ رُمحَ عَبدَلِ
فَأَيَّ فَلاحِ الدَهرِ يَرجو سَراتُنا
إِذا نَحنُ فيما نابَ لَم نَتَفَضَّلِ
وَأَيَّ بَلاءِ الصِدقِ لا قَد بَلَوتُمُ
فَما فُقِدَت كانَت بَلِيَّةُ مُبتَلي
