لابْنَةِ عَجْلانَ بالجَوِّ رُسُومْ

لم يَتَعَفَّيْنَ والعَهْدُ قَدِيمْ

The designs of Ibnat Ajlan's tent have long faded

without being patched, though the tent is old.

لابْنَةِ عَجْلانَ إذْ نَحْنُ معاً

وأيُّ حالٍ منَ الدَّهْرِ تَدُومْ

When I am with Ibnat Ajlan, which circumstances of fate remain?

Is it from the ruins of a land whose traces have faded,

أَمِنْ دِيارٍ تَعَفَّى رَسْمُها

عيْنُكَ مِنْ رَسْمِها بِسَجُومْ

so that your eye is bleary from its traces?

It has become desolate, though in days gone by

أَضْحَتْ قِفاراً وقَدْ كانَ بها

فِي سالِفِ الدَّهْرِ أَرْبابُ الهُجُومْ

the people who attacked used to dwell there.

They passed away and after them I thought

بادُوا وأَصْبَحْتُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمُ

أَحْسَبُنِي خالِداً ولا أَرِيمْ

I would remain immortal and suffer no decline.

O daughter of Ajlan, how patiently

يا ابْنَةَ عَجْلانَ ما أَصْبَرَنِي

على خُطُوبٍ كَنَحْتٍ بالقَدُومْ

I have borne the misfortunes that came unexpectedly!

As if in them was a draught that was bitter

كأَنَّ فيها عُقاراً قَرْقَفاً

نَشَّ مِنَ الدَّنِّ فالكأْسُ رَذُومْ

and removed me from baseness, so the cup was well-seasoned.

He poured on it some cool water,

شَنَّ عليها بماءٍ باردٍ

شَنٌّ مَنُوطٌ بأَخْرابِ هَزِيمْ

a continuous downpour on the ruins of the routed army.

Every evening it has a few drops for it,

في كلِّ مُمْسىً لَها مِقْطَرَةٌ

فيها كِباءٌ مُعَدٌّ وحَمِيمْ

in which there is signs of scum and pus.

It kindles no fire at night, nor

لا تَصْطَلِي النَّارَ باللَّيْلِ وَلا

تُوقَظُ لِلزَّادِ بَلْهاءُ نَؤُومْ

is the confused sleepy one awakened for provisions.

Insomnia distressed me in the night with constant flashing,

أَرَّقَنِي اللَّيْلَ بَرْقٌ ناصِبٌ

ولَمْ يُعِنِّي على ذاكَ حَمِيمْ

and the fever did not help me in that.

When the phantom saddened and weakened me,

مَنْ لِخَيالٍ تَسَدَّى مَوْهِناً

أَشْعَرَنِي الهمَّ فالقَلْبُ سقِيمْ

anxiety made me heartsick and the heart frail.

On a long sleepless night,

ولَيْلةٍ بِتُّها مُسْهِرَةٍ

قد كَرَّرَتْها عَلى عَيْني الهُمُومْ

which it repeated to my troubled eye,

I did not nap until it ended,

لم أَغْتَمِضْ طُولَها حَتَّى انْقَضَتْ

أكلؤُها بَعْدَما نامَ السَّليِمْ

going sleepless after the healthy ones slept.

You cry over fate, and fate itself

تَبْكِي على الدَّهْرِ والدَّهْرُ الذي

أَبكاكَ فالدَّمْعُ كالشَّنِّ الهَزِيمْ

made you cry, so tears are like the downpour on the routed.

By your life! Do you know, if

فَعَمْرَكَ اللّهَ هَلْ تَدْرِي إذا

ما لُمْتَ في حُبِّها فِيمَ تَلومْ

you blame it for loving her, whom you blame?

You hurt a friend and show suspicion.

تُؤْذِي صَدِيقاً وتُبْدِي ظِنَّةً

تُحْرِزُ سَهماً وسَهْماً ما تَشِيمْ

You prepare an arrow and an arrow that is not proper.

How many a brother I saw wealthy

كم مِنْ أَخِي ثَرْوَةٍ رأَيْتُهُ

حَلَّ على مالِهِ دَهْرٌ غَشُومْ

and fate descended oppressively upon his money!

And many a protector, powerful,

ومن عزِيز الحِمى ذِي مَنْعَةٍ

أَضْحى وقد أَثَّرتْ فيهِ الكُلومْ

became frail after the ulcers had an effect on him!

While a brother of bliss - when it departed

بَيْنا أَخُو نِعْمَةٍ إذْ ذَهَبتْ

وحُوِّلَتْ شِقْوَةٌ إلى نَعِيمْ

and wretchedness was changed into comfort,

and while a suffering weakling -

وبَيْنا ظاعِنٌ ذُو شُقَّةٍ

إذْ حَلَّ رَحْلاً وإِذْ خَفَّ المُقِيمْ

when he packed up and left and the resident became light,

and for the youth a contagion contaminates him,

ولِلْفَتى غائِلٌ يَغُولُهُ

يا ابْنَةَ عَجْلانَ مِنْ وَقْعِ الحُتُومْ

O daughter of Ajlan, from the occurrence of misfortunes!