هَل ما عَلِمتَ وَما اِستودِعَت مَكتومُ
أَم حِبلُها إِذ نَأَتكَ اليَومَ مَصرومُ
What you knew and entrusted remains hidden,
Or has its rope when it came to you today, become unraveled?
أَم هَل كَبيرٌ بَكى لَم يَقضِ عَبرَتَهُ
إِثرَ الأَحِبَّةِ يَومَ البَينِ مَشكومُ
Or did a veteran weep without fulfilling his tears
In yearning for loved ones on the day of separation intertwined?
لَم أَدرِ بِالبَينِ حَتّى أَزمَعوا ظَعناً
كُلُّ الجِمالِ قُبَيلَ الصُبحِ مَزمومُ
I did not know about separation until they turned away frowning,
All beauties on the verge of dawn, wilted.
رَدَّ الإِماءُ جِمالَ الحَيِّ فَاِحتَمَلوا
فَكُلُّها بِالتَزيدِيّاتِ مَعكومُ
The maidens restored the beauty of life, so they endured,
As each was adorned with jewelry fastened.
عَقلاً وَرَقماً تَظَلُّ الطَيرُ تَتبَعُهُ
كَأَنَّهُ مِن دَمِ الأَجوافِ مَدمومُ
Reason and sign, the birds follow them
As if made from the blood of intestines spilled.
يَحمِلَنَّ أُترُجَّةً نَضخُ العَبيرِ بِها
كَأَنَّ تَطيابَها في الأَنفِ مَشمومُ
They carry a perfume whose fragrance is diffused
As if its scent whiffs through the nose inhaled.
كَأَنَّ فارَةَ مِسكٍ في مَفارِقِها
لِلباسِطِ المُتَعاطي وَهوَ مَزكومُ
Like a musk pouch on their departure
For one extending his hand, it was sealed.
فَالعَينُ مِنّي كَأَن غَربٌ تَحُطُّ بِهِ
دَهماءُ حارِكُها بِالقِتبِ مَخزومُ
My eyes from me are as if a setting sun descends on them
Whose movement is tied down by firm ropes.
قَد عُرِّيَت حِقبَةً حَتّى اِستَطَفَّ لَها
كِترٌ كَحافَةِ كيرِ القَينِ مَلمومُ
An era has been stripped bare until a broad sword unsheathed for it,
Like the edge of an unpolished sword, filed.
كَأَنَّ غِسلَةَ خِطمِيٍّ بِمِشفَرِها
في الخَدِّ مِنها وَفي اللَحيَينِ تَلغيمُ
As if the washing of a scolder's mouth with its razor
On the cheek and on both chins, scratched.
قَد أَدبَرَ العُرُّ عَنها وَهيَ شامِلُها
مِن ناصِعِ القَطِرانِ الصِرفِ تَدسيمُ
The hair covering it has turned away while it embraces it
With pure dripping tar, greased.
تَسقي مَذانِبَ قَد زالَت عَصيفَتُها
حُدورُها مِن أَتِيِّ الماءِ مَطمومُ
It waters the sides of a pasture whose grass has withered
With running water from a cloudburst, flooded.
مِن ذِكرِ سَلمى وَما ذِكري الأَوانِ لَها
إِلّا السَفاهُ وَظَنُّ الغَيبِ تَرجيمُ
With the mention of Salma, my time for her mention is
Nothing but foolishness and guessing blindly shot.
صِفرُ الوِشاحَينِ مِلءُ الدِرعِ خَرعَبَةٌ
كَأَنَّها رَشأٌ في البَيتِ مَلزومُ
The yellow shawls and the breastplate's clanking
As if fluttering noises inside the house sealed.
هَل تُلحِقَنّي بِأولى القَومِ إِذ شَحَطوا
جُلذِيَّةٌ كَأَتانِ الضَحلِ عُلكومُ
Will they meet me with the first of the people when they departed
Rough and unruly as the she-camels of Dhuhl uprooted?
تُلاحِظُ السَوطَ شَزَراً وَهيَ ضامِزَةٌ
كَما تَوَجَّسَ طاوي الكَشحِ مَوشومُ
It observes the whip slender and firm while bounding ahead
As the dodger of the whip stroke shied.
كَأَنَّها خاضِبٌ زُعرٌ قَوائِمُهُ
أَجنى لَهُ بِاللِوى شَريٌ وَتَنّومُ
As if it is a dark-colored frightened whose legs
Were bent sideways for it with twisting and bending.
يَظَلُّ في الحَنظَلِ الخُطبانِ يَنقُفُهُ
وَما اِستَطَفَّ مِنَ التَنّومِ مَخذومُ
It remains in the meadow, the gnat pestering it
While the drowsiness it shook off was severed.
فوهٌ كَشَقِّ العَصا لَأياً تُبَيَّنُّهُ
أَسَكُّ ما يَسمَعُ الأَصواتَ مَصلومُ
A mouth like the split of a staff, nothing makes it clear
Deaf to the voices, locked up.
حَتّى تَذَكَّرَ بيضاتٍ وَهيَّجَهُ
يَومُ رَذاذٍ عَلَيهِ الريحُ مَغيومُ
Until it recalled eggs and was stirred
On a drizzly day, clouds looming.
فَلا تَزَيُّدُهُ في مَشيِهِ نَفِقٌ
وَلا الزَفيفُ دُوَينَ الشَدِّ مَسؤومُ
So neither a burrow energizes its walk
Nor the whistling winds, ill-omened sounds.
يَكادُ مَنسِمُهُ يَختَلُّ مُقلَتَهُ
كَأَنَّهُ حاذِرٌ لِلنَخسِ مَشهومُ
Its blinking nearly disorders its gaze
As if it’s wary of the sly glances, suspected.
يَأوي إِلى خُرَّقٍ زُعرٍ قَوادِمُها
كَأَنَّهُنَّ إِذا بَرَّكنَ جُرثومُ
It comes to a ragged, frightened shelter whose pillars
Are as if they buzz when they kneel down.
وَضّاعَةٌ كَعِصِيِّ الشَرعِ جُؤجُؤُهُ
كَأَنَّهُ بِتَناهي الرَوضِ عُلجومُ
Scattered like twigs of the shrub, its neck
Is as if a house surrounded by a dilapidated hyena, attacked.
حَتّى تَلافى وَقَرنُ الشَمسِ مُرتَفِعٌ
أُدِحَيَّ عِرسَينِ فيهِ البيضُ مَركومُ
It is shielded by a glowing, submissive hen
That answers it with melodies of cooing.
يوحي إِلَيها بِإِنقاضٍ وَنَقنَقَةٍ
كَما تَراطَنُ في أَفدانِها الرومُ
But every tribe, no matter how powerful and numerous,
Its leader is hit by the nails of evil, chased away.
صَعلٌ كَأَنَّ جَناحَيهِ وَجُؤجُؤَهُ
بَيتٌ أَطافَت بِهِ خَرقاءُ مَهجومُ
And generosity negates wealth, destroying it
While stinginess keeps it for his family, and is blamed.
تَحُفُّهُ هِقلَةٌ سَطعاءُ خاضِعَةٌ
تُجيبُهُ بِزِمارٍ فيهِ تَرنيمُ
And wealth is fleeting comfort they play with
According to its scarcity, lasting and rolled up.
بَل كُلُّ قَومٍ وَإِن عَزّوا وَإِن كَثُروا
عَريفُهُم بِأَثافي الشَرِّ مَرجومُ
And praise cannot be bought except for its price
From what makes souls stingy, well known.
وَالجودُ نافِيَةٌ لِلمالِ مُهلِكَةٌ
وَالبُخلُ مُبقٍ لِأَهليهِ وَمَذمومُ
And ignorance has a reputation that cannot be bought back
While forbearance is a safe haven for people, lost.
وَالمالُ صوفُ قَرارٍ يَلعَبونَ بِهِ
عَلى نِقادَتِهِ وافٍ وَمَجلومُ
And the food of sheep on the day of sheep is their food
However it turns, and the deprived are deprived.
وَالحَمدُ لا يُشتَرى إِلّا لَهُ ثَمَنٌ
مِمّا تَضِنُّ بِهِ النُفوسُ مَعلومُ
And whoever confronts crows to scare them away
Is destined for misfortune upon his safety.
وَالجَهلُ ذو عَرَضٍ لا يُستَرادُ لَهُ
وَالحِلمُ آوِنَةً في الناسِ مَعدومُ
And every house, no matter how long it stands
Upon its pillars, is destined to crumble down.
وَمُطعَمُ الغُنمِ يَومَ الغُنمِ مُطعَمُهُ
أَنّى تَوَجَّهَ وَالمَحرومُ مَحرومُ
I bear witness to their intoxicated drinking within them
While sober, and the people laid low by fatigue, worn out.
وَمَن تَعَرَّضَ لِلغِربانِ يَزجُرُها
عَلى سَلامَتِهِ لابُدَّ مَشؤومُ
A cup of a dear one from grapes he liberated
For some of its owners, a picturesque tavern.
وَكُلُّ بَيتٍ وَإِن طالَت إِقامَتُهُ
عَلى دَعائِمِهِ لابُدَّ مَهدومُ
It alleviates headaches and its harshness does not harm you
Nor does accumulation in the head persist.
قَد أَشهَدُ الشَربَ فيهِم مِزهَرٌ رَنِمٌ
وَالقَومُ تَصرَعُهُم صَهباءُ خُرطومُ
A tavern, an amphora whose years were not inaugurated
By a sealed decanter smeared with clay.
كَأسُ عَزيزٍ مِنَ الأَعنابِ عَتَّقَها
لِبَعضِ أَربابِها حانِيَّةٌ حومُ
It remained flickering in the vat, slapped by
An non-Arabic boy in cotton garb, crumpled.
تَشفي الصُداعَ وَلا يُؤذيكَ صالِبُها
وَلا يُخالِطُها في الرَأسِ تَدويمُ
As if their pitcher is a young mountain goat on a hillside
Bloodied by the childhood of cotton garb, feeding on herbs.
عانِيَّةٌ قُرقُفٌ لَم تُطَّلَع سَنَةً
يُجِنُّها مُدمَجٌ بِالطينِ مَختومُ
Pure white prominent in the sun, its watcher
Imitating the rods of basil, aromatic.
ظَلَّت تُرَقرِقُ في الناجودِ يَصفِقُها
وَليدُ أَعجَمَ بِالكَتّانِ مَفدومُ
I set out at the lead of the tribe, escorted
By one trusted for his goodness, marked.
كَأَنَّ إِبريقَهُم ظَبيٌ عَلى شَرَفٍ
مُفَدَّمٌ بِسَبا الكَتّانِ مَلثومُ
And I ascended the camel litters that raised me
On a day the rain comes, poisonous.
أَبيَضُ أَبرَزَهُ لِلضِحِّ راقِبُهُ
مُقَلِّدٌ قُضُبَ الريحانِ مَفغومُ
Hot as if the fires’ flames envelop him
Without clothes, and the man’s head wrapped.
وَقَد غَدَوتُ عَلى قِرني يُشَيِّعُني
ماضٍ أَخو ثِقَةٍ بِالخَيرِ مَوسومُ
And I lead in front of the tribe a blaze
By which a lineage in the tribe is known.
وَقَد عَلَوتُ قُتودَ الرَحلِ يَسفَعُني
يَومَ تَجيءُ بِهِ الجَوزاءُ مَسمومُ
Neither in its flames or embers is there fury
Nor have the windows, their carving, eroded it.
حامٍ كَأَنَّ أَوارَ النارِ شامِلُهُ
دونَ الثِيابِ وَرَأسُ المَرءِ مَعمومُ
Smooth like the staff of a pleasure seeker, twisted by
One with spoils like seeds of carob, heaped up.
وَقَد أَقودُ أَمامَ الحَيِّ سَلهَبَةً
يَهدي بِها نَسبٌ في الحَيِّ مَعلومُ
It pursues the slave girls when they are aroused by song
As if drums beating on camel litters, defeated.
لا في شَظاها وَلا أَرساغِها عَنَتٌ
وَلا السَنابِكُ أَفناهُنَّ تَقليمُ
Guided by it, the cheekiest of cheeks, an inspector
Of beauty, very fleshy, immoral.
سُلّاءَةٌ كَعَصا النَهدِيِّ غُلَّ بِها
ذو فَيئَةٍ مِن نَوى قُرّانَ مَعجومُ
When a corner of its tent ropes sways
The little humps bunch up at its corners, gathered.
تَتبَعُ جوناً إِذا ما هُيِّجَت زَجِلَت
كَأَنَّ دُفّاً عَلى عَلياءَ مَهزومُ
And I accompany young men whose food
Is greens of food and meat with it, sliced up.
يَهدي بِها أَكلَفُ الخَدَّينِ مُختَبِرٌ
مِنَ الجِمالِ كَثيرُ اللَحمِ عَيثومُ
And I afford, when hunger befalls it
Followed by a drink from the spring of wine, fermented.
إِذا تَزَغَّمَ مِن حافاتِها رُبَعٌ
حَنَّت شَغاميمُ في حافاتِها كومُ
If only they would afford with horses I would afford thereby
And all the people's comforts are finite.
وَقَد أُصاحِبُ فِتياناً طَعامُهُمُ
خُضرُ المَزادِ وَلَحمٌ فيهِ تَنشيمُ
وَقَد يَسَرتُ إِذا ما الجوعُ كُلِّفَهُ
مُعَقَّبٌ مِن قِداحِ النَبعِ مَقرومُ
لَو يَيسِرونَ بِخَيلٍ قَد يَسَرتُ بِها
وَكُلُّ ما يَسرَ الأَقوامُ مَغرومُ
