أَتَرحَلُ مِن لَيلى وَلَمّا تَزَوَّدِ
وَكُنتَ كَمَن قَضّى اللُبانَةَ مِن دَدِ
Do you depart from Layla though you are not yet equipped,
Like one who has accomplished the separation from affection?
أَرى سَفَهاً بِالمَرءِ تَعليقَ لُبَّهِ
بِغانِيَةٍ خَودٍ مَتى تَدنُ تَبعُدِ
I see it as foolish for a man to set his heart
On a fair-cheeked coquette; when close, she distances.
أَتَنسَينَ أَيّاماً لَنا بِدُحَيضَةٍ
وَأَيّامَنا بَينَ البَدِيِّ فَثَهمَدِ
Have you forgotten the days we spent together in Duhaysha
And our days in the desert, uninhabited and desolate,
وَبَيداءَ تيهٍ يَلعَبُ الآلُ فَوقَها
إِذا ما جَرى كَالرازِقِيِّ المُعَضَّدِ
And the arid plain where gazelles frisked about
When, like al-Raziqi, you rode your excellent steed?
قَطَعتُ بِصَهباءِ السَراةِ شِمِلَّةٍ
مَروحِ السُرى وَالغِبِّ مِن كُلِّ مَسأَدِ
I traversed the barren plain of Sahba mounted
On a swift she-camel, wandering far from all dwellings,
بَناها السَوادِيُّ الرَضيخُ مَعَ الخَلى
وَسَقيِي وَإِطعامي الشَعيرَ بِمَحفَدِ
Built by al-Sawadi, the compliant and obedient,
Who gave me water and fed me barley at Mahjad.
لَدى اِبنِ يَزيدٍ أَو لَدى اِبنِ مُعَرِّفٍ
يَفُتُّ لَها طَوراً وَطَوراً بِمِقلَدِ
At the abode of Ibn Yazid or that of Ibn Mu'arrif
She lingered awhile before journeying on, bridled.
فَأَضحَت كَبُنيانِ التَهامِيِّ شادَهُ
بِطينٍ وَجَيّارٍ وَكِلسٍ وَقَرمَدِ
She became like the structure erected by al-Tahami
With bricks, mortar, lime, and jagged stones.
فَلَمّا غَدا يَومَ الرُقادِ وَعِندَهُ
عَتادٌ لِذي هَمٍّ لِمَن كانَ يَغتَدي
When the day of departure came and he who grieves
Had gear for one distressed, desirous of setting out,
شَدَدتُ عَلَيها كورَها فَتَشَدَّدَت
تَجورُ عَلى ظَهرِ الطَريقِ وَتَهتَدي
I tightened her girth and she grew restive
And strayed onto the road, lost without guidance.
ثَلاثاً وَشَهراً ثُمَّ صارَت رَذِيَّةً
طَليحَ سِفارٍ كَالسِلاحِ المُفَرَّدِ
For three months and more she became accustomed
To the gear of travelers, like a sword worn smooth;
إِلَيكَ أَبَيتَ اللَعنَ كانَ كَلالُها
إِلى الماجِدِ الفَرعِ الجَوادِ المُحَمَّدِ
Her obstinacy refused curses - may her decline
Be to the Glorious, the Bestowing, the Praiseworthy Muhammad!
إِلى مَلِكٍ لا يَقطَعُ اللَيلُ هَمَّهُ
خَروجٍ تَروكٍ لِلفِراشِ المُمَهَّدِ
To a king whose cares are not dispelled by sleep
Or by retiring to the couch where he reclines;
طَويلَ نِجادِ السَيفِ يَبعَثُ هَمُّهُ
نِيامَ القَطا بِاللَيلِ في كُلِّ مَهجَدِ
The drawn sword of long struggle awakens his cares,
Disturbing the slumber of warriors in every camp.
فَما وَجَدَتكَ الحَربُ إِذ فُرَّ نابُها
عَلى الأَمرِ نَعّاساً عَلى كُلِّ مَرقَدِ
You were never found by war to be sleepy
When called, or lying languid on any couch,
وَلَكِن يَشُبُّ الحَربَ أَدنى صُلاتِها
إِذا حَرَّكوهُ حَشَّها غَيرَ مُبرِدِ
But war comes to life in the least of its forms
If roused, though not raging with destructive fire.
لَعَمرُ الَّذي حَجَّت قُرَيشٌ قَطينَهُ
لَقَد كِدتَهُم كَيدَ اِمرِئٍ غَيرِ مُسنَدِ
By the life of Him whose Caaba the Quraysh circumambulated,
You inflicted on them a cunning scheme, unpropped!
أُلى كُلٌّ فَلَستَ بِظالِمٍ
وَطِئتَهُمُ وَطءَ البَعيرِ المُقَيَّدِ
All were humbled, so you wronged no one,
You trampled them with the tread of a fettered camel
بِمَلمومَةٍ لا يَنفُضُ الطَرفُ عَرضَها
وَخَيلٍ وَأَرماحٍ وَجُندٍ مُؤَيَّدِ
With a well-groomed army whose glance does not waver
And horses and spears and troops giving victory
كَأَنَّ نَعامَ الدُوُّباضَ عَلَيهِمُ
إِذا ريعَ شَتّى لِلصَريخِ المُنَدِّدِ
As if the ostriches of Dubbat were over them
When they cry out discordantly with an enraged wail.
فَما مُخدِرٌ وَردٌ كَأَنَّ جَبينَهُ
يُطَلّى بِوَرسٍ أَو يُطانُ بِمُجسَدِ
None showed weakness or gave way, as though his brow
Were smeared with dregs or plastered with dried mud.
كَسَتهُ بَعوضُ القَريَتَينِ قَطيفَةً
مَتى ما تَنَل مِن جِلدِهِ يَتَزَنَّدِ
The mosquitoes of Qurayta stung their necks
Whenever they alighted on their hides, buzzing.
كَأَنَّ ثِيابَ القَومِ حَولَ عَرينِهِ
تَبابينُ أَنباطٍ لَدى جَنبِ مُحصَدِ
As if the people's clothes around his lair
Were flies swarming on the flank of a harvest-heap.
رَأى ضَوءَ نارٍ بَعدَما طافَ طَوفَةً
يُضيءُ سَناها بَينَ أَثلٍ وَغَرقَدِ
He saw the light of a fire after roaming awhile,
Its glow shining through the twisted branches of 'athl and gharqad.
فَيا فَرَحا بِالنارِ إِذ يَهتَدي بِها
إِلَيهِم وَإِضرامِ السَعيرِ المُوَقَّدِ
So he rejoiced at the fire which guided him
To them, and kindled the raging blaze.
فَلَمّا رَأَوهُ دونَ دُنيا رِكابِهِم
وَطاروا سِراعاً بِالسِلاحِ المُعَتَّدِ
When they saw him below the tread of their steeds
They fled hastily, equipped with their weapons.
أَتيحَ لَهُم حُبُّ الحَياةِ فَأَدبَروا
وَمَرجاةُ نَفسِ المَرءِ ما في غَدٍ غَدِ
The love of life was allowed them, so they fled,
While the soul's hope for tomorrow spurs one on.
فَلَم يَسبِقوهُ أَن يُلاقي رَهينَةً
قَليلَ المَساكِ عِندَهُ غَيرَ مُفتَدي
Before he could meet a captive, lightly-held,
With none to ransom him, they heard his cry
فَأَسمَعَ أولى الدَعوَتَينِ صِحابَهُ
وَكانَ الَّتي لا يَسمَعونَ لَها قَدِ
Calling his companions with a surer, bolder cry
Than the one they did not hear then.
بِأَصدَقَ بَأساً مِنكَ يَوماً وَنَجدَةً
إِذا خامَتِ الأَبطالُ في كُلِّ مَشهَدِ
"With more truthful, on the day of help and salvation,
When the valiant weaken in every arena
وَما فَلَجٌ يَسقي جَداوِلَ صَعنَبى
لَهُ شَرَعٌ سَهلٌ عَلى كُلِّ مَورِدِ
No canal flowing to Sa'naba's meadows
Has an easy course to every watering-place,
وَيُروي النَبيطُ الزُرقُ مِن حَجَراتِهِ
دِياراً تُرَوّى بِالأَتِيِّ المُعَمَّدِ
Nor does Nabit al-Zurq water its dwellings
From channels watered by the coming rivers.
بِأَجوَدَ مِنهُ نائِلاً إِنَّ بَعضَهُم
كَفى ما لَهُ بِاِسمِ العَطاءِ المُوَعَّدِ
It attains its goal more generously, though some
Deem enough the name of promised gift.
تَرى الأُدمَ كَالجَبّارِ وَالجُردَ كَالقَنا
مُوَهَّبَةً مِن طارِفٍ وَمُتَلَّدِ
You see the black and the roan like the mighty and the brave,
Bestowed from Tarif, purebred and pedigreed."
فَلا تَحسَبَنّي كافِراً لَكَ نِعمَةً
عَلَيَّ شَهيدٌ شاهِدُ اللَهِ فَاِشهَدِ
Do not reckon me thankless for a favor to me -
My witness is God's witness - so bear witness!
وَلَكِنَّ مَن لا يُبصِرُ الأَرضَ طَرفُهُ
مَتى ما يُشِعهُ الصَحبُ لا يَتَوَحَّدِ
But he whose eyes cannot discern the ground before him
When lit by companions does not stand alone.
