وَلَولا هَناةٌ وَالهَناةُ مَعاذِرٌ

لَطارَت بِرَحلي عَنكَ بَزلاءُ ضامِرُ

Were it not for yearning and yearning is an excuse

My saddle bags would have flown from you, O barren ruins

وَشَيَعتُ أَظعاناً كَأَنَّ زُهاءَها

بِجانِبِ ذي القَلّامِ نَخلٌ مَواقِرُ

And I would have traveled urgent journeys as if their brightness

Were date palms waving by Al-Qallam

مُفارِقَ دارٍ طَأطَأَ الذُلُّ أَهلَها

وَما عِزُّ دارٍ لَيسَ فيها مَعاشِرُ

Leaving an abode whose people are made low by humiliation

And no abode has honor if not peopled

أَقَمتُ عَلى ما ساءَ أُذناً وَمُقلَةً

يُبَلِّغُني المَكروهَ سَمعٌ وَناظِرُ

I bore what pained my ears and what saddened my eyes

My hearing and sight conveying to me what I dislike

أَبيتُ رَميضاً صالِياً حَرَّ زَفرَةٍ

لِلَيلِيَ مِن زَورِ المُلِمّاتِ سامِرُ

I spent my nights sleepless, hot from the burning anguish

Of the insomniac nights with their burdensome length

أَرِقتُ وَلَم يَأرَق مَعي مَن رَجَوتُهُ

لِيَومي إِذا دارَت عَليَّ الدَوائِرُ

I was wakeful though those I hoped for were not alarmed

For my day when affairs turned against me

أَقامَ عَلى دارِ القَطيعَةِ وَالقِلى

يُشاوِرُ فيما ساءَني وَيُؤامِرُ

He stayed at the abode of estrangement and bitterness

Scheming against me and conspiring

رَمانِيَ عَن قَوسِ العَدوِّ وَقالَ لي

أَمامَكَ إِنّي مِن وَرائِكَ ثائِرُ

He warded me off from the bow of the foe saying

I am before you though I am rising against you from behind

وَعِندي لَتَبديلِ الدِيارِ مُناخَةٌ

تُوَقِّعُ ما تُملي عَلَيَّ المَقادِرُ

And I have a way to change abodes

That would make me do what the fates dictate to me

أَقولُ غَداً وَالشَرُّ أَقرَبُ مِن غَدٍ

أَبى الضَيمُ أَن يَبقى بِعُشِّكَ طائِرُ

I say tomorrow but evil is nearer than tomorrow

The wrong refused to stay cooped up in your settlement

فَما أَنتَ نَظّارٌ وَغَيرُكَ رائِحٌ

وَنِضوَكَ مَزمومٌ وَرَحلُكَ قاتِرُ

You are not a watcher and others have departed

Your provisions are depleted and your saddlebags barren

إِذا لَم يَكُن لي ناصِرٌ مِن عَشيرَتي

فَلي مِن يَدِ المَولى وَإِن ذَلَّ ناصِرُ

If I have no helper from my tribe

Then I have from the hand of God though helpers fail

وَإِنّي وَإِن قَلّوا لِمُستَمسِكٌ بِهِم

وَقَد تُمسِكُ الساقَ المَهيضَ الجَبائِرُ

And I—if they are few—hold fast to them

As the jerking leg holds fast to the stirrup

وَبَعضُ مَوالي المَرءِ يَغمِزُ عودَهُ

كَما غَمَزَ القِدحَ الخَليعُ المُقامِرُ

Some of the man's allies jab his pride

As did the debauched gambler with the wine flask

وَقَد كانَ مَولى الزِبرِقانِ هَراسَةً

لَها وَاِخِذٌ في الأَخمَصَينِ وَناقِرُ

Didn’t the ally of Zubraqan used to be fickle

A faultfinder with the two sons of Akhmas and a stabber

وَقَد أَكَلَ الجيرانُ قَيسَ بنَ عاصِمٍ

وَجارُ الأَيادِيِّ الحُذافِيِّ واقِرُ

Didn’t the neighbors eat up Qais ibn Asim

And the neighbor of Al-Hudhaifi Al-Judhami a stabber

وَقَد كانَ فيها لِلسُمَوأَلِ عُذرَةٌ

وَمَن رامَ عُذراً أَمكَنَتهُ المَعاذِرُ

Wasn’t there for Sumawal an excuse

And he who seeks an excuse finds excuses

وَلَكِنَّهُ أَصغى لِما قالَ لائِمٌ

فَأوفى وَلَم يَحفِل بِما قالَ عاذِرُ

But he listened to the words of the blamer

And did his duty, heedless of the words of the excuser

فَلا يَغرُرَنكَ اليَومَ ثَغرُ اِبنِ حُرَّةٍ

تَبَسَّمَ لِلأَعداءِ وَالصَدرُ واغِرُ

So do not be fooled today by the smiling mouth of Ibn Hurrah

Who smiles at enemies though his breast is seething

شَكا الناسَ يَبكي قَلبُهُ وَلِسانُهُ

وَإِن كَتَمَت عَنكَ الدَموعَ النَواظِرُ

He complains of people, his heart weeps and his tongue

Though eyes conceal from you their tears

تَواكَلَهُ الخُلّانُ حَتّى حُسامُهُ

وَأَعوانُهُ حَتّى الجَنانُ المُوازِرُ

His boon companions have entrusted him until his swords

And his aides until his dear life

وَما كُنتَ إِلّا كَالمُوارِبِ نَفسَهُ

بَغى وَلَداً وَالعِرسُ جَدّاءُ عاقِرُ

You have only been like the pregnant woman

Who longed for a son though the wedding was barren

وَهَل يَنفَعَنَّ الطارِقينَ عَلى الطَوى

إِذا غابَ جودُ المَرءِ وَالزادُ حاضِرُ

Can the pitch dark night benefit the visitors to dwellings

When the man's generosity is absent though provisions are present?

يَفوزُ الفَتى بِالحَمدِ وَالمالُ ناقِصٌ

وَتَتبَعُ مَوفورَ الرِجالِ المَعائِرُ

The noble youth succeeds through praise though his wealth is diminished

While pursuits of abundant men are blamed

وَلَو كُنتُ في فِهرٍ لَقامَ بِنُصرَتي

غُضوبٌ إِذا لَم يَغضَبِ الحَيُّ غائِرُ

Had it been for Abu Al-Awwam he would have protected me

When the living do not rage though the cauldron boils

وَسَدَّدَ مِن دوني سِناناً كَأَنَّهُ

إِلى الطَعنِ نابٌ يُقلِسُ السُمَّ قاطِرُ

And he would have straightened for me without me a spear as though it were

To the stabbing a fang that strips armor of its links

إِذا ضافَتِ الحَيَّ الحَريدَ مُغيرَةٌ

أَدَرَّ عَليها لَقحَةَ الطَعنِ عامِرُ

When the tribe was attacked treacherously in the night

He turned on them the point of his sharp piercing spear

كَلَيثِ الشَرى ما فاتَ حَدَّ نُيوبِهِ

مِنَ الطُعمِ يَوماً أَدرَكَتهُ الأَظافِرُ

Like a lion of the thicket, nothing escaped his fangs

Of prey, whenever his claws reached it

وَيَأبى الفَتى وَالسَيفُ يَحطِمُ أَنفَهُ

وَفي الناسِ مَصبورٌ عَلى السَيفِ صابِرُ

But the young man refuses though the sword smashes his nose

And among people there is one patient with the sword

وَلَو بِأَبي العَوّامِ كانَ مُناخُها

لَغامِرَ عَنها اللَوذَعِيُّ المُغامِرُ

Had it been for Abul Al-Ghadaq I would have risked it

To draw the sword of the youngcamel upon them like the morning draught

وَراحَت طِراباً لَم تُشَمِّس رِحالَها

وَلا نَغَرَت مِنها القُدورُ النَواغِرُ

On the day it is called to the feared appointed time

They turn away the chests of warriors rusted by chainmail

سَوارِحَ لَم يَدفَع عَنِ الرَعيِ دافِعٌ

لَئيمٌ وَلَم يَنهَر عَنِ الماءِ زاجِرُ

As if an early rain at Nata and Khaibar

Among them a clear speaker and among them a helper

فَتَلتُم عَلى ضَلعاءَ مَنقوضَةِ القِوى

إِذا ما اِستَمَرَّت بِالرِجالِ المَرائِرُ

I am only a morsel for their saddlebags

With a mouth unless God protects me, defenseless

سَهامُكُمُ في كُلِّ عارٍ سَديدَةٌ

وَسَهمُكُمُ في مَرشَقِ المَجدِ عائِرُ

Had it not been for Abu Al-Awwam they would not have ruled supreme

Over the people unless cataclysms occurred

وَما كُنتُمُ لُجمَ الجَوامِحِ قَبلَها

فَتَثنونَني إِن أَعجَلَتني البَوادِرُ

Nor would they have raised between Ghawir and Hajir

Their abodes as long as there was for skulls a cleaver

إِذا ما دُعوا لِليَومِ ذي الخَطبِ أَصفَحوا

صُدورَ الحَرابي أَرمَضَتها الهَواجِرُ

I repelled from my people the surplus of my collection

And I am able to do what displeases my people

كَأَنَّ بُكوراً مِن نَطاةٍ وَخَيبَرٍ

لَها ناحِطٌ مِنهُم رَميضٌ وَناعِرُ

I wish to make peace with the necks of my tribe

So a caller calls and one estranged returns

وَما أَنا إِلّا أُكلَةٌ في رِحالِهِم

لَها الفَمُ إِلّا أَن يَقي اللَهُ فاغِرُ

A smooth-talking liar reviled me and told me:

"To make you lose heart I will come early one of two mornings

وَلَولا أَبو العَوّامِ لَم يَملِكوا العُلى

عَلى الناسِ إِلّا أَن تَشِبَّ النَوائِرُ

Dropping by while asleep or stopping while weakened

Resembling the racers on the day of the race

وَلَم يَرفَعوا بَينَ الغُوَيرِ وَحاجِرٍ

قِبابَهُمُ ما دامَ لِلبُدنِ ناحِرُ

Stop O Amr, you are stumbling

And neglect it pastured in his responsibility

أَرُدَّ عَلى قَومي فُضولَ تَغَمُّدي

وَإِنّي عَلى ما سَاءَ قَومي لَقادِرُ

He saw it on its infirmities, its back was hard

It descended as it danced and took precautions

وَإِنّي لَأَستَأني حُلومَ عَشيرَتي

لِيَعدِلَ مُنآدٌ وَيَرجِعَ نافِرُ

So he shied away, scared of its threats

And the adventurous falcon swooped down on it

وَأَطلَسَ مَنّاني الكِذابَ وَقالَ لي

لِيَهنِكَ إِحدى اللَيلَتَينِ لَباكِرُ

He saw his sword in it so he bit his fingers

But no! O Abul Ghalad I would have taken risks

يُناقِطُ فيها هِجرِسٌ وَهوَ نائِمٌ

وَجُرَّرَ فيها هِجرِسٌ وَهوَ فاتِرُ

To bare the sword on the young she-camel amidst the tribe, forbidden to them

Were it not for the intimidating rumors

تَشَبَّهَ بِالمُجرينَ في حَلبَةِ النَدى

أَقِم وادِعاً يا عَمرُو إِنَّكَ عاثِرُ

It resembled the racers in the arena of glory

Thoughts less than attaining glory and breakers

وَأَهمَلَها مَرعِيَّةً في ضَمانِهِ

زَمانَ اِدَّعى نِسيانَها وَهوَ ذاكِرُ

He neglected it as a pasture in his custody

A time he claimed forgetfulness though remembering

رَآها عَلى عِلّاتِها ظَهرَ صَعبَةٍ

تَحادَرُ مِن إِرقاصِها وَتُحاذِرُ

He saw it on its she-camels, their backs sturdy

Descending as it danced and took precautions

فَأَحجَمَ عَنها هائِباً نَزَواتِها

وَطارَ عَليها الشَحشَحانُ المُخاطِرُ

So he shied away from it, scared of its threats

And the adventurous Shuhshuh swooped down on it

رَأى سَيفَهُ فيها فَعَضَّ بَنانَهُ

فَأَلّا أَبا الغَلّاقِ كُنتُ تُبادِرُ

It leapt while threats rode its neck

Threats of less than attainment and breakers

يَكِشُّ كَشيشَ البَكرِ في الحَيَّ أُجلِيَت

عَليهِ بَرُمّانَ القُرومُ الخَواطِرُ

And I—if I remain—will fill your honor

With the defects of sublime horses ridden by critics

تَطاوَحَ وَالأَورادُ تَركَبُ عُنقَهُ

خَواطِرُ ما دونَ الرَدى وَكَواسِرُ

The camel-litters of the riders of darkness when they alight

From travel—with them the most precious Lares are borne

وَإِنّي مَليءٌ إِن بَقيتُ لِعُرضِكُم

بِشَوهِ المَجالي تَحتَهُنَّ النَواقِرُ

Calamities for those whom a straying chest jabs

While inattentive, and those it misses while vigilant

عُلالَةُ رُكبانِ الظَلامِ إِذا وَنوا

مِنَ السَيرِ مَرفوعٌ بِهِنَّ العَقائِرُ

Shameless towards the honors of men, blemishing them

As the crawling of the dung beetle blemishes

قَوارِعُ مَن تَخبِط يَعُد وَهوَ موضَحٌ

أَميمٌ وَمَن تُخطِىء يَبِت وَهوَ ساهِرُ

A bag of evil—how vile is its Lord's choice

When emptied at returning the burdens are apparent

بَواقٍ بِأَعراضِ الرِجالِ خُدوشُها

كَما رَقَصَت رَقَّ الأَبيلِ المَزائِرُ

We bite you but God splits open your cause

And peoples do not mend what God has broken

حَقيبَةُ شَرٍّ بِئسَ ما اِختارَ رَبُّها

إِذا نُفِضَت عِندَ الإِيابِ المَآزِرُ

I yearned for my people as the captive yearns

For water, though his tether allows little range

نَلُمُّكُمُ وَاللَهُ يَصدَعُ شَعبَكُم

وَلا يَجبُرُ الأَقوامُ ما اللَهُ كاسِرُ

Remembering the rain pools on the plateau enveloped

By clouds at the edges of the valley showering down

أَحَنَّ إِلى قَومي كَما حَنَّ نازِعٌ

إِلى الماءِ قَد دانى لَهُ القَيدَ قاصِرُ

There crept upon him there a scorpion night

With a questioner in every valley and train

تَذَكَّرَ جَوناً بِالبِطاحِ تَلُفُّهُ

بِمُنتَضِدِ الدَوحِ الغَمامُ المُواطِرُ

At the foot of a meadow as if its droplets

Were tears of maidens the boulders made flow

وَجَنَّت عَلَيهِ لَيلَةٌ عَقرَبِيَّةٌ

لَها سائِلٌ في كُلِّ وادٍ وَقاطِرُ

He sleeps by the water whose shadows

Are canopies, and Kina and Hayyan ridges

بِأَبطَحَ مِعشابٍ كَأَنَّ نِطافَهُ

دُموعُ العَذارى أَسلَمَتها المَحاجِرُ

They hold the breadths of earth East and West

Great towers they build the heights and fortresses

يَبيتُ عَلى الماءِ الَّذي في ظِلالِهِ

كِنانَةُ وَالحَيّانِ كَعبٌ وَعامِرُ

They turned a mill with plummets whose wheat

Was the breasts of plains and outstanding heads

لَهُم في كَفافِ الأَرضِ شَرقاً وَمَغرِباً

عَماعِمُ يَبنونَ العُلى وَكَراكِرُ

They revived me after the wave surge had tossed me

And the deep abyss made me roll

أَداروا رَحىً بِالأَعوَجِيّاتِ قَمحُها

صُدورُ المَواضي وَالرُؤوسُ النَوادِرُ

And they extended my hand after my bed

Had been dragged on the ground, dragged by critics

هُمُ نَشَطوني مَنشَطَ السِجلِ بَعدَما

تَطاوَحَهُ الجَولانُ وَالقَعرُ غايرُ

Face its evil, for today bares its injury

A gaping wound from the stab of the swinging blade

وَمَدّوا يَدي مِن بَعدِ ما كانَ مَطرَحي

مِنَ الأَرضِ مَجروراً عَليهِ الجَرائِرُ

Naught but degradation is other than the man's home

And naught but betrayers other than the man's people

وُقوا شَرَّها وَاليَومُ مُستَوجِفُ الحَشا

لَهُ أَبجَلٌ مِن عائِذِ الطَعنِ فائِرُ

And I emptied from my heart a place for thoughts of them

As the ruined encampment is remembered and settlements forgotten

وَما غَيرُ دارِ المَرءِ إِلّا مَذَلَّةٌ

وَلا غَيرُ قَومِ المَرءِ إِلّا فَواقِرُ

وَأَخلَيتُ مِن قَلبي مَكاناً لِذِكرِهِم

وَقَد يُذكَرُ البادي وَتُنسى الحَواضِرُ