أَقفَرَ من سَلمى يَناضيبُ
فَبَطنُ ذي قارٍ فَعُرقُوبُ
How empty of Salma, the haunts!
Within is Dhi Qar, so very ruinous,
فَواسِطٌ أَقفَرَ من أَهلِهِ
فَذاتُ قرقَينِ فَمَلحوبُ
And Wasit how bare of people!
And Zat Irqiyen, swept so clean!
مَنازِلُ الحَيِّ إِذا الحَيُّ لَم
تَشعَبهمُ عَنكَ الأَشاعيبُ
Homes of the living, when no living
Course through you, no throng,
وَقَد أَرى الحَيَّ بها فيهمُ
كَهمِّكَ الشُبانُ وَالشيبُ
And I see living there among them
Both graybeard and youth like you,
وَالجامِلُ الحومُ لَهُ رَجَّةٌ
كَأَنَّهُ للناظِرِ اللوبُ
The sleek camel with pride has a look
As if to the onlooker a slice of the moon,
وَالصافِناتُ الجُردُ كُلٌّ إِلى
صالحِ عِرقِ الخَيلِ مَنسوبُ
And smooth she-camels, every bare one
Traced to goodly steed stock.
وَقُضُبُ الهنديِّ مجلوزةً
قَد قوِّمَت منها الأَنابيبُ
Bamboo rods of the India make,
Perfected here into flutes.
يُسمَعُ للسامِرِ فيهم إِذا
أَمسوا أَغانيٌّ وَتَطريبُ
One hears, as they while away their eve,
Song and the sound of strings.
هَل تُبلِغَنّي حَرَجٌ رَسلَةٌ
قَومي كِنازُ اللَحمِ شُنخوبُ
Will a messenger come my way from the folk
Whose flesh dainty morsels waylay?
يَغولُ عَنّي البيدَ إِرقاصُها
إِذا احزألَّت بي الصَياهيبُ
The distance makes off with them from me
When the looming mirage mocks.
يَبري لَها مُستَعمَلٌ لاحِبٌ
موطّأُ المَتنَينِ مَركوبُ
A rider tries them, lover untried,
On the smooth back astride.
كَأَنَّها أَسفَعُ ذو جُدَّةٍ
آوى إِلى غَضباءُ مَهضوبُ
As though it were Asfa’ straight standing there
Taking cover in wrathful Muhaddab.
تَلُفُّهُ ريحٌ خَريقٌ وَلَي
لٌ حالِكُ النُقبَةِ غَربيبُ
The wind of dawn gusts round him, and night
Resolved becomes in starless pall,
فَباتَ مقرروا مُكِباً عَلى
روقَيهِ وَالماءُ شآبيبُ
And he slept bent over his ribs, while the water
Was rippling in sheets.
كَأَنَّما الماءُ عَلى مَتنِهِ
لؤلؤُ مَتنٍ جالَ مَثقوبُ
As though the water upon his back
Were necklace-pearls closely strung,
حَتّى غَدا يَكلأُ أَقطارَهُ
من كُلِّ وَجهٍ وَهوَ مَرعوبُ
Until at the rise of morn he brushes
Each region about, still filled with fright,
فَنالَ شَيئاً ثم هاجَت بِهِ
مؤسَدَةٌ فيهِنَّ تَدريبُ
And gained something, then it provoked him,
A cushion-mate, well trained was she.
غُضفٌ ضِراءٌ طويَت فاِنطَوَت
كَأَنَّها ضُمراً يعاسيبُ
A chestnut filly tightly wound, as though
She were an ostrich in Swayib.
فَجالَ في وَحشيِّهِ نافِراً
رَهبَتها وَالشَرُّ مَرهوبُ
So he frolicked wildly in his lonesomeness,
Fearing evil, filled with fright,
حَتّى إِذا قُلنَ تَلافَينَهُ
وَالحَينُ للحاينِ مَجلوبُ
Till when she said she was his ally
And time for the lecher was ripe –
ثَنى لَها يَهتِكُ أَستارَها
بِمُستَمِرٍّ فيهِ تَجريبُ
He addressed himself to rend her veil
With unremitting and learned urge,
حَتّى تَساقَطنَ وَخَلَّينَهُ
وَرَوقُه بالدَمِ مَخضوبُ
Till she went limp and let him take her
While his flanks were stained with red,
كَأَنَّهُ حين نَجا كَوكَبٌ
أَو قَبَسٌ بالكَفِّ مَشبوبُ
As though when he had won clear he were a star
Or a hidden coal grasped in the palm.
إِنَّ بَني ضَبَّة قَومي فَلَن
أَشرِبَهُم ما حَنَّتِ النيبُ
The clan of Dabba – no more will I
Give them to drink what the Prophet prohibited.
قَولهُم بِرٌ وَجارَتهم
حِجرٌ فَلا هُجرٌ وَلا حوبُ
Their word is righteous, and their neighbor
A rock – no estrangement, no enmity!
يَنمي بهم آباؤهُم لِلعُلى
وَنِسوَةٌ بيضٌ مَناجيبُ
Their fathers exalt them to high place,
And women fair of visage modest.
وَيَحمَدُ العافي قِراهُم إِذا
ما لَم يَكُن في الحَيِّ مَحلوبُ
When no adulterer is among the clan,
The quarters of health are praised.
يا شَيءُ ما هم حينَ يَدعوهُمُ
داعٍ ليومِ الرَوعِ مَكروبُ
Oh thing, they are not – when a caller to the day
Of commotion calls them – troubled!
شُم يَغارونَ إِذا ما بَدا
من الحَيياتِ العَراقيبُ
They snort with rage if there saunter into view
Some serpents from Iraq.
كَأَنَّهم يَوماً إِذا استلأموا
في الحَلَقِ البُزل المَصاعيبُ
As though, when they arm themselves
With slender swords in the battle,
يَسعى لهم جَير بأوتارِهم
طَلّابُ أَوتارٍ وَمَطلوبُ
Some horse-doctor runs to tend their steeds,
Seeking payment, commissioned.
كَأَنَّهم عادٌ حُلوماً إِذا
طاشَ من الجَهلِ القَطاريبُ
As though they were ‘Ad when the ignorant
Set the close-ranked squadrons to milling,
وَالمالُ لا يُمنَعُ من حَقِّهِ
وَالآلُّ في ذي الألِّ مَرقوبُ
While wealth is not refused its rights
And the Family their share measured.
بَل لَيتَ شِعري وَالمُنى ضَلَّةُ
وَالمَرءُ إِذ يأمُلُ مَكذوبُ
Would that I knew – while wishes mislead
And man hopes for the impossible –
هَل تَذعَرنَّ الوحشَ بي في الضُحى
كَبداءُ كالصَعدَةِ سُرحوبُ
Will the wildlife start at me in the forenoon
Like smallpox skin in Sarhub?
مُدفَقَةُ المَتنَينِ يُنمي بها
هادٍ كجِذعِ النخلِ يَعبوبُ
She mounts me, makes them envious – a smooth
Back like a palm-trunk growing leaves,
وَكاهِلٌ أُفرِع فيهِ مَع ال
إِفراعِ إِشرافٌ وَتَقبيبُ
A shoulder widely spanned where twigs sprout
Amidst branches in built-up layers,
مَيمونَةُ الطائِرِ محبوبةُ
وَالفَرَسُ الصالِحُ محبوبُ
Auspicious, beloved, the bird on the right;
And the excellent steed, beloved!
تَعسِلُ تَحتي عَسلاناً كَما
يَعسِلُ نحوَ الغَنَمِ الذيبُ
She makes honey flow under me as
The wolf makes honey flow toward the sheep!
