أَمِن آلِ وَسنى آخِرَ اللَيلِ زائِرُ

وَوادي العَويرِ دونَنا وَالسَواجِرُ

From the family of Wail and the end of night a visitor

Below us the valley of Al-Awair, and palm-trees,

تَخَطّى إِلَينا رِكنَ هَيفٍ وَحافِراً

طُروقاً وَأَنّى مِنكَ هَيفٌ وَحافِرُ

He came over the side of Mount Haif, with horseshoes

Striking sparks, yet how could Mount Haif have horseshoes striking sparks?

وَأَبوابُ حُوّارينَ يَصرِفنَ دونَنا

صَريفَ المَحالِ أَقلَقَتهُ المَحاوِرُ

The doors of Howarin turn away from us

The hopeless turning, disturbed by arguments,

فَقُلتُ لَهُم فيئي فَإِنَّ صَحابَتي

سِلاحي وَفَتلاءُ الذِراعَينِ ضامِرُ

So I said to them, “My booty!” - for my friends

Are my weapons, and the tendons of my arms can still draw the bowstring.

وَهَمٍّ وَعاهُ الصَدرُ ثُمَّ سَما بِهِ

أَخو سَفَرٍ وَالناعِجاتُ الضَوامِرُ

With anxiety that saddened my heart, then it left

Like a companion of travel, and the young she-camels stride fast.

وَلَن يُدرِكَ الحاجاتِ حَتّى يَنالَها

إِلى اِبنِ أَبي سُفيانَ إِلّا مُخاطِرُ

None can achieve their wants save by daring

Against the son of Abu Sufyan, only the venturesome.

فَإِنَّ لَنا جاراً عَلِقنا حِبالَهُ

كَغَيثِ الحَيا لا يَجتَويهِ المُجاوِرُ

For we have a neighbor whose ropes we have bound

Like rain refreshing life, which no neighbor can ever wear out,

وَأُمّاً كَفَتنا الأُمَّهاتِ حَفِيَّةً

لَها في ثَناءِ الصِدقِ جَدٌّ وَطائِرُ

And a mother who surpassed mothers in her care for us,

Truthful in praise, of high and noble descent.

فَما أُمُّ عَبدِ اللَهِ إِلّا عَطِيَّةٌ

مِنَ اللَهِ أَعطاها اِمرَأً فَهوَ شاكِرُ

No mother but ‘Atiyyah, whom God gave a son, and he

Is thankful - she is the sun, and the new moon is like her son.

هِيَ الشَمسُ وافاها الهِلالُ بَنوهُما

نُجومٌ بِآفاقِ السَماءِ نَظائِرُ

They are stars in the heavens, shining together,

She reminds him of kindness, being full of life,

تُذَكِّرُهُ المَعروفَ وَهيَ حَيِيَّةٌ

وَذو اللُبِّ أَحياناً مَعَ الحِلمِ ذاكِرُ

And one of mature mind is at times mindful and grateful,

As the gentle south wind welcomed a soft rain,

كَما اِستَقبَلَت غَيثاً جَنوبٌ ضَعيفَةٌ

فَأَسبَلَ رَيّانُ الغَمامَةِ ماطِرُ

And the showers of the clouds poured down abundant rain,

It encountered the bright face of Wadah, as if it were

تَصَدّى لِوَضّاحِ الجَبينِ كَأَنَّهُ

سِراجُ الدُجى تُجبى إِلَيهِ السَوائِرُ

A lamp in the darkness, towards which the lost wanderers throng.

So excellent was the praise of a sincere brother

فَقَلَّ ثَناءً مِن أَخٍ ذي مَوَدَّةٍ

غَدا مُنجِحُ الحاجاتِ وَالوَجهُ وافِرُ

Whose requests on the morrow will succeed, and his face is joyous,

Imagination sports in the darkness with him,

تَخوضُ بِهِ الظَلماءَ ذاتُ مُخيلَةٍ

جُمالِيَّةٍ قَد زالَ عَنها المُناظِرُ

A thing of beauty from which all veils are lifted,

Rosebuds on slender stalks whose buds reach as high

وَرودٌ سَبَنتاةٌ تُسامي جَديلُها

بِأَسجَحَ لَم تَخنِس إِلَيهِ المَشافِرُ

As the ostrich, unafraid of any claw or talon,

And eyes like the water of springs, shaded by

وَعَينٍ كَماءِ الوَقبِ أَشرَفَ فَوقَها

حِجاجٌ كَأَرجاءِ الرَكِيَّةِ غائِرُ

Eyelashes like the shutter-panels of the litter,

From the plumpness of the cheeks, bones like

مِنَ الغيدِ دَفواءُ العِظامِ كَأَنَّها

عُقابٌ بِصَحراءِ السُمَينَةِ كاسِرُ

Eagles in the desert of As-Sumainah breaking bones,

Sighing with languor beneath their shade

يَحِنَّ مِنَ المَعزاءِ تَحتَ أَظَلِّها

حَصىً أَوقَدَتهُ بِالحُزومِ الهَواجِرُ

Like stones heated by burning logs in the dark,

As a fire-stick blew on the darkness of night

كَما نَفَخَت في ظُلمَةِ اللَيلِ قَينَةٌ

عَلى فَحَمٍ شُذّانُهُ مُتَطايِرُ

Its sparks flying upward from glowing embers,

So when she stood, her anklets jingling,

فَلَمّا عَلَت ذاتَ السَلاسِلِ وَاِنتَحَت

لَها مُصغِياتٌ لِلنِجاءِ عَواسِرُ

The listening women were captivated by her call,

Slender garments at the edge of her skirts, as though

قَوالِصُ أَطرافِ المُسوحِ كَأَنَّها

بِرِجلَةِ أَحجاءٍ نَعامٌ نَوافِرُ

They were ostriches’ feet, with abundant feathers,

Racing camels spent the night at Sahab, and dawn

سِراعُ السُرى أَمسَت بِسَهبٍ وَأَصبَحَت

بِذي القورِ يُغشيها المَفازَةَ عامِرُ

Found them at Dhi Qur, the desert waste behind them,

Tall, long-armed, as though fearing, and on his guard,

أَشَمُّ طَويلُ الساعِدَينِ كَأَنَّهُ

يُحاذِرُ خَوفاً عِندَهُ وَيُحاذِرُ

Hurling the empty wastes with his spear, when the weaklings slept,

Look, my friend, can you see any gazelles

قَليلُ الكَرى يَرمي الفَلاةَ بِأَركُبٍ

إِذا سالَمَ النَومَ الضِعافُ العَواوِرُ

With delicate legs whom the does have left behind?

He called them from between two saddles, a pregnant she-camel,

تَبَصَّر خَليلي هَل تَرى مِن ظَعائِنٍ

بِذي نَبِقٍ زالَت بِهِنَّ الأَباعِرُ

Tents at Ukkash, with enclosures,

Bearing their burdens until I said they were not

دَعاها مِنَ الحَبلَينِ حَبلى ضَئيدَةٍ

خِيامٌ بِعُكّاشٍ لَها وَمَحاضِرُ

Human limbs, where the shameless man slept.

They climbed the high Najdi saddlecloth, as though it were

تَحَمَّلنَ حَتّى قُلتُ لَسنَ بَوارِحاً

بِذاتِ العَلَندى حَيثُ نامَ المَفاجِرُ

Blood flowing from the inside of the slaughtered beast.

So when they left the abode I said, she is like

وَعالَينَ رَقماً فارِسِيّاً كَأَنَّهُ

دَمٌ سائِلٌ مِن مُهجَةِ الجَوفِ ناحِرُ

Wild cows with tall humps departing.

Or does, does on the bend above Wasit,

فَلَمّا تَرَكنَ الدارَ قُلتُ مُنيفَةٌ

بِقُرّانَ مِنها الباسِقاتُ المَواقِرُ

Fat of haunch, or a Danite she-camel, ripe with milk.

So the driver hastened on the beautiful creatures,

أَوِ الأَثلُ أَثلُ المُنحَنى فَوقَ واسِطٍ

مِنَ العِرضِ أَو دانٍ مِنَ الدَومِ ناضِرُ

And sent them into the night, a herd hastening early,

They could only say at evening: “Our people have gone on,”

فَحَثَّ بِها الحادي الجِمالَ وَمَدَّها

إِلى اللَيلِ سَربٌ مِقبِلُ الريحِ باكِرُ

“Rise, for we are dependent on you.”

Then they turned aside in the Wadi of the Commander,

فَلا غَروَ إِلّا قَولُهُنَّ عَشِيَّةً

مَضى أَهلُنا فَاِرفَع فِإِنّا قَواصِرُ

When the glaring heat was still, and the sirocco winds joined forces,

Gazelles, innocent virgins, hiding their necks

فَأَفرَعنَ في وادي الأُمَيِّرِ بَعدَما

ضَبا البيدَ سافي القَيظَةِ المَتَناصِرُ

Like sheep that slept while only the brave stood guard.

They bent their heads away after they saw

نَواعِمُ أَبكارٌ تُواري خُدورَها

نِعاجُ المَلا نامَت لَهُنَّ الجَآذِرُ

The does, the does of Ghena, neighbors who have come near,

And Ziyad said, when their caravan was hidden from sight:

وَنَكَّبنَ زوراً عَن مُحَيّاةَ بَعدَما

بَدا الأَثلُ أَثلُ الغينَةِ المُتَجاوِرُ

“I see the living ones have departed; will you too depart?”

“If any tinkle of bells reaches us from the family

وَقالَ زِيادٌ إِذ تَوارَت حُمولُهُم

أَرى الحَيُّ قَد ساروا فَهَل أَنتَ سائِرُ

We will lift up our spear-shafts and proceed in order,

Galloping on lively Mashoof mounts that race until

إِذا خَبَّ رَقراقٌ مِنَ الآلِ بَينَنا

رَفَعنا قُروناً خَطوُها مُتَواتِرُ

The hot wind has withered them and the caves stand empty.”

Then she came with camphor and aloes-wood

مَطِيَّةَ مَشعوفَينِ أَفنى عَريكَها

رَواحُ الهِبِلِّ حينَ تَحمى الظَهائِرُ

Of Shami, fanned over embers to kindle its perfume,

فَجاءَت بِكافورٍ وَعودِ أُلُوَّةٍ

شَآمِيَّةٍ تُذكى عَلَيها المَجامِرُ