ذَكَرتُ أَخي بَعدَ نَومِ الخَلِيِّ

فَاِنحَدَرَ الدَمعُ مِنّي اِنحِدارا

I remembered my brother after the carefree had fallen asleep,

and tears streamed down from me in torrents.

وَخَيلٍ لَبِستَ لِأَبطالِها

شَليلاً وَدَمَّرتَ قَوماً دَمارا

Many a cavalry troop—against its champions you donned

battle-garb, and destroyed a people utterly.

تَصَيَّدُ بِالرُمحِ رَيعانَها

وَتَهتَصِرُ الكَبشَ مِنها اِهتِصارا

With the spear you hunted down its chiefs,

and wrenched its ram-like champion down with crushing force.

فَأَلحَمتَها القَومَ تَحتَ الوَغى

وَأَرسَلتَ مُهرَكَ فيها فَغارا

You plunged him among the foe beneath the battle’s din,

and proudly loosed your young stallion among them—

يَقينَ وَتَحسَبُهُ قافِلاً

إِذا طابَقَت وَغَشينَ الحِرارا

unfaltering, though you might think him turning home,

when the horses closed ranks and covered the lava tracts.

فَذَلِكَ في الجَدِّ مَكروهُهُ

وَفي السِلمِ تَلهو وَتُرخي الإِزارا

Such was his ordeal when the matter grew earnest;

but in peace you played and let your waistcloth hang loose.

وَهاجِرَةٍ حَرُّها صاخِدٌ

جَعَلتَ رِداءَكَ فيها خِمارا

And through a scorching, white-hot noon

you made your cloak a veil over your head,

لِتُدرِكَ شَأواً عَلى قُربِهِ

وَتَكسَبَ حَمداً وَتَحمي الذِمارا

to attain an aim, though it was near at hand,

and earn praise and guard the inviolable charge.

وَتُروي السِنانَ وَتُردي الكَمِيِّ

كَمِرجَلِ طَبّاخَةٍ حينَ فارا

You slaked the spearhead and laid the armored warrior low,

like a cookwoman’s cauldron when it boils.

وَتُغشي الخُيولَ حِياضَ النَجيعِ

وَتُعطي الجَزيلَ وَتُردي العِشارا

You brought the horses to pools of gore,

gave lavishly, and slaughtered ten-month pregnant she-camels.

كَأَنَّ القُتودَ إِذا شَدَّها

عَلى ذي وُسومٍ تُباري صِوارا

As though the saddle-frame, once you cinched it

upon the branded mount, raced a wild ass—

تَمَكَّنَ في دِفءِ أَرطاتِهِ

أَهاجَ العَشِيُّ عَلَيهِ فَثارا

one settled deep in the warm shelter of his arṭā shrubs,

whom evening roused, and up he sprang.

فَدارَ فَلَمّا رَأى سِربَها

أَحَسَّ قَنيصاً قَريباً فَطارا

He wheeled; and when he saw the herd,

he sensed a hunter nearby and flew off,

يُشَقَّقُ سِربالَهُ هاجِراً

مِنَ الشَدِّ لَمّا أَجَدَّ الفِرارا

rending his coat as he sped away,

away from the hindrance, once his flight grew urgent.

فَباتَ يُقَنِّصُ أَبطالَها

وَيَنعَصِرُ الماءُ مِنهُ اِنعِصارا

All night he pressed hard upon the herd’s strongest,

while water streamed from him as though wrung out.