وَمَرقَبَةٍ عَنقاءَ يَقصُرُ دونَها

أَخو الضِروَةِ الرِجلُ الحَفِيُّ المُخَفَّفُ

With a slender graceful neck that humbles

The needy foot-traveler with light provisions

نَعَبتُ إِلى أَدنى ذُراها وَقَد دَنا

مِنَ اللَيلِ مُلتَفُّ الحَديَقةِ أَسدَفُ

I crept to her nearest abode as nightfall

In his gown approached the orchard’s hedge

فَبتُّ عَلى حَدَّ الذِراعَين مُجذِياً

كَما يَتَطَوّى الأَرقَمُ المُتَعَطَّفُ

I spent the night at arm’s length, all hunched up

As the vine twists and turns in trembling coils

وَلَيسَ جِهازي غَيرُ نَعلَينِ أُسحِقَت

صُدورُها مَخصورَةً لا تُخَصَّفُ

My gear was just two sandals, worn at the breast

Unpaired, with straps that could not be crossed

وَمِلحَفَةٍ دَرسٍ وَجَردِ مُلاءَةٍ

إَذا أَنهَجَت مِن جانِبٍ لا تُكَفَّفُ

A tattered shawl, a gown and a patched cloak

That if it slips from one side cannot be hitched

وَأَبيَضُ مِن ماءِ الحَديدِ مُهَنَّدٌ

مُجِذٌّ لِأَطرافِ السَواعِدِ مِقطَفُ

A white one rust-stained as smith’s water

Clasping the wrists, it could easily be plucked

وَحَمراءُ مِن نَبعٍ أَبِيٍّ ظَهيرَةٌ

تَرِنُّ كَإِرنانِ الشَجِيّ وَتَهتِفُ

A red one, from a spring rain one morn

Creaking like a lattice, screaming aloud

إِذا آلَ فيها النَزعُ تَأبى بِعَجزِها

وَتَرمي بِذَروَيها بِهِنَّ فَتَقذِفُ

When the climax comes it refuses ineptly

Casting its tatters amidst giggling and laughing

كَأَنَّ حَفيفَ النَبلِ مِن فَوقِ عَجزِها

غَوارِبُ نَحلٍ أَخطَأَ الغارَ مُطنِفُ

As if the rustle of arrows over its back

Were bees gone astray, failing to find their hive

نَأَت أُمُّ قَيسِ المَربَعَين كِلَيهِما

وَتَحذَرُ أَن يَنأى بِها المُتَصَيَّفُ

The Mother of Qais the braceleted came

Fearing the spy may meet and turn informer

وَإِنَّكِ لَو تَدرينَ أَن رُبَّ مَشرَبٍ

مَخوفٍ كَداءِ البَطنِ أَو هُوَ أَخَوفُ

If you but knew that drink of dreadful danger

Is like a malady of the gut, or worse

وَرَدتُ بِمَأثورٍ يَمانٍ وَضاَّلةٍ

تَخَيَّرتُها مِمّا أُريشُ وَأَرصُفُ

I came back with some borrowed Meccan wares

Picked and chosen from all I can sieve and sort

أَرَكَّبُها في كُلَّ أَحمَرَ غاثِر

وَأَنسِجُ لِلوِلدانِ ما هُوَ مُقرِفُ

Onto each striped red camel I tie them

And weave for boys garb of the finest cut

وَتابَعتُ فيهِ البَريَ حَتّى تَرَكتُهُ

يَرِنُّ إِذا أَنزَفتُهُ وَيُزَفزفُ

I rode the camels until I left them

Creaking when I bled them, blowing and snorting

بِكَفَّيَ مِنها لِلبَغيضِ عُراضَةٌ

إِذا بِعتُ خُلاًّ مَالَهُ مُتَعَرَّفُ

With a handful as bribe for the hated guard

When I sell brine whose owner is infamous

وَوادٍ بَعيدِ العُمقِ ضَنكٍ جُماعُهُ

بَواطِنُهُ لِلجِنَّ وَالأُسدِ مَألَفُ

A valley far, narrow, desolate,

Where Jinn and lions have their dwelling place

وحوشٍ يُرى بادِ الذِّئابِ مَضلّة

بَواطِنُه لِلجنِّ والأُسدِ مَألَفُ

Beasts of prey roam, led astray by wolves’ howling

Where Jinn and lions have their dwelling place

تَعَسَّفتُ مِنهُ بَعدَما سَقَطَ النَدى

غَماليلَ يَخشى عَيلَها المُتَعَسَّفُ

I took from it arbitrarily, after the dew fell

Waterskins that even the arbitrary fear to pierce

وَإنَي إذا خامَ الجَبانُ عَنِ الرَدى

فَلي حَيثُ يَخشى أَن يُجاوِزَ مِخشَفُ

When the coward shrinks from the path of virtue

My course is where even the piercing may dread to pass

وَإِنَّ اِمرَأً قَد جارَ سَعدَ بنَ مالِكٍ

عَلَيَّ وَأَثوابِ الأُقَيصَر يَعنُفُ

A man has envied Sa’d son of Malik

Against me, though robed in the Caesar’s own attire