صَرَمَتكَ جَمرَةُ وَاِستَبَدَّ بِدارِها
وَعَدَت عَوادي الحَرب دونَ مَزارِها
Her branch was consumed by flaming coal, it ravaged her home
And the cycles of war returned, beyond her tomb
زَبَنَتَك أَكانُ العَدَوِّ فَأَصبَحَت
أَجَأ وَجُبَّةَ مَن قَرارِ دِيارِها
Your morning betrayed you to the enemy, so it became
A refuge for the frightened, from the settlements of her land
وَكَأَنَّها دَقرى تَخَيَّلُ نَبتُها
أَنُفٌ يَغُمُّ الضالَ نَبتُ بِحارِها
It was as if it were an old village, imagining its vegetation
A nose that protects the lost, growing in its ruins
عَزَبَت وَباكِرَها السَمِيّ بديمَةٍ
وَطفاءَ يَملَؤُها إِلى أَصبارَها
Its maidens and youth were left uncultivated like a barren land
And darkness fills it to the brim of its walls
وَكَأَنَّ أَنماطَ المَدايِنِ وَسطَها
مِن نَورِ حَنوتِها وِمِن جِرجارِها
And it was as if the patterns of the cities in its midst
Were from the glow of its affection and the clanking of its gold
وَلَقَد لَهَوتُ بِطِفلَةٍ مَيّالَةٍ
بِلهاءَ تُطلِعُني عَلى أَسرارِها
And indeed I have flirted with a gentle-mannered girl
Flirting that let me in on her secrets
عَبِقَ المَمسَكِ وَالعَبيرِ بِحُبِّها
وَكَأَنَّ نَضحُ دَمٍ عَلى أَظفارِها
The scent of musk and perfume in her love
As if the sprinkling of blood on her nails
وَكَأَنَّها عَيناء أُمُّ جُؤَيذِرٍ
خَذَلَت لَهُ بِالرَملِ خَلفَ صَوارِها
It was as if she was a blind mother of Judhaydhir
Who let him down in the sand behind her walls
خَرِقٌ إِذا نامَ طافَت حَولَهُ
طَوفَ الكِعابِ عَلى جَنوبِ دُوارِها
A patched cloak, if he slept surrounded by
The circling of dogs around the room of her house
بأغنَّ طِفلٍ لا تُصاحِبُ غَيرَهُ
فَلَهُ عُفافَةُ دَرِّها وَغِرارِها
With the most melodious cry of a child who has no other companion
Thus he has the chastity of her home and its sanctity
هَل تَذكُرينَ جُزيتِ أَحسنَ صالِحٍ
أَيّامَنا بِمَليحَةٍ فَهرارِها
Do you remember when we stayed in the good Salih’s Juzeet
Our days in Maleeha, the splendor of her courtyard
أَزمانَ لَم تَأَخُذ إِلَيَّ سِلاحَها
إِبِلي بَجِلَّتِها وَلا أَبكارِها
When she would not take my camels to her
Neither her sturdy nor her young ones
اِبتَزَّها أَلبانُها وَلُحومَها
فَأُهينُ ذاكَ لَضَيفِها وَلِجارِها
She held back their milk and meat
So I was disgraced, as was her guest and neighbor
وَلرفقَة في لَيلَة مَشمولَةٍ
نَزَلَت بِها فَغَدَت عَلى آسارِها
And a company on a dark night
That descended upon it so it ended up in ruins
كانوا يُسيمونَ المَخاضَ أَمامَها
وَيُعَزِّزونَ بِها عَلى أَغبارِها
They would race the childbirth in front of her
And encourage her against her weaknesses
وَلَقَد شَهِدتُ إِذا القِداحُ تَوَحَّدَت
وَشَهِدتُ عِندَ اللَيلِ مَوقِدَ نارِها
And indeed I witnessed when the wine cups came together
And I witnessed next to the fire, the kindling of its flame
عَن ذاتِ أَولِيَةٍ أَساوُد رَيَّها
وَكَأَنَّ لَونَ المِلحِ فَوقَ شِفارِها
Of an aswad complexion, her saliva was like
The color of salt above her lips
فَمَنحَتُ بَدأَتِها رَقيباً جانِحاً
وَالنار تَلفَحُ وَجهَهُ بِأَوارِها
So I gave her virginity an ardent guardian
And the fire scorched his face with its flames
كانَت عَقيلَةَ مالِهِ فَأَذِلُّهُ
عَن بَعضِ قيمَتِها رَجاءُ بِكارِها
She was the prize of his money, so he made little
Of some of her value, hoping for her virginity
حَتّى إِذا قَسَمَ النَصيبَ وَأَصفَقَت
يَدَهُ بِجِلدَةِ ضَرعِها وَحُوارِها
Until he divided the share and clapped
His hand on the skin of her breast and neck
ظَهَرَت نَدامَتُهُ وَهانَ بِسُخطِهِ
شَيئاً عَلى مَربوعِها وَعِذارِها
His regret appeared and he was angry
At something of her conceit and coquetry
وَلَقَد شَهِدَت الخَيلَ وَهيَ مُغيرَةٌ
وَشَهِدَتها تَعدو عَلى آثارِها
And indeed I witnessed the horses as they were taken for spoils
And I witnessed them race after their tracks
وَحَوَيتُ مَغنمها أَمامَ جِيادِها
وَكَرَرتُ إِذ طردَت عَلى أَدبارِها
And I contained its war booty in front of its stallions
And repeated as they were chased to their cruppers
وَلَقَد شَفَيتُ مِنَ الرِكابِ وَمَشيِها
وَزَفيفها نَفسي وَمِن أَكوارِها
And indeed I was cured by its riding and walking
And the neighing of its breath and its saddles
وَكَأَنَّما اِنطَمَرَت جَنادِبُ حَرَّةٍ
في سَردِها فَرمتك عَن أَبصارِها
And it was as if the claws of vicious lizards
Were embedded in its ground, so it cast you away from its sights
