أَفي كُلِّ يَومٍ لي عِشارٌ تَسوقُها
رِماحُ بَني الغَبراءِ سَوقَ الظَعائِنِ
Is there a tenth of mine that spears of Bani al-Ghabra drive each day,
Turning their necks back, avoiding its pools, a pasture for stallions?
أَحالوا عَلَيها عاكِسينَ رِقابَها
وَطَوا بِهَواديها مَكانَ الفَراسِنِ
When I am away from the family of Muhallim,
Their girls look longingly towards me from behind the tents,
إِذا جُزتُ في أَبياتِ آلِ مُحَلِّمٍ
تَراغَينَ نَحوي مِن وَراءِ المَعاطِنِ
Yearning for an estate that was not intended for them,
While the pasture was barren and the resting places desolate.
تَحِنُّ إِلى تَرعِيَّةٍ لَم يُرِد بِها
وَبيءَ المَراعي وَالنِطافَ الأَواجِنِ
Every treacherous coward has deceived me about them,
Hiding his schemes from the wrathful avenger.
وَخالَسَنيها كُلُّ أَطلَسَ خاتِلٍ
خَفِيِّ المَرامي عَن قِسِيِّ الضَغائِنِ
The worst harm is that which comes from an unworthy man,
And the plotting of the slanderer unlike the flattery of the agreeable.
وَشَرُّ الأَذى ما جاءَ مِن غَيرِ حِسبَةٍ
وَكيدَ المُبادي دونَ كَيدِ المُداهِنِ
For fear in the heart of a fearful man to be reached,
Is not like fear being reached in the heart of a tranquil man.
وَإِنَّ بُلوغَ الخَوفِ مِن قَلبِ خائِفٍ
لَدونَ بُلوغِ الخَوفِ مِن قَلبِ آمِنِ
Horses dragged girths in every town,
Bearing long spears upon their withers.
وَخَيلٍ جَرَرنَ النَقعَ في كُلِّ بَلدَةٍ
وَناقَلنَ فيها بِالطَوالِ المَوارِنِ
Enemies diverted them from me, so at daybreak
They were homeless ones from 'Aliq and barren mount Safin.
حَواها العِدا عَنّي فَأَصبَحنَ بِالحِمى
عَواطِلَ مِن آبي عَليقٍ وَصافِنِ
A party of people whose land a wolf pack ravaged,
The furious foes did obscure with their dust columns.
وَثِلَّةِ حَيٍّ قَد أَضَبَّ بِأَرضِها
ذُؤالَةُ إِضبابَ الغَريمِ المُدايِنِ
Were it not for the wolves of 'Amir, they would resemble
At Mecca, the flocks of pigeons flocking together.
وَلَولا ذِئابُ العامِرِيِّ لَشابَهَت
بِمَكَّةَ أَسرابَ الحَمامِ القَواطِنِ
Each day we have from them a vicious wolf
With blood of poetry on its teeth and claws.
لَنا كُلَّ يَومٍ مِنهُ ذِئبٌ عَمرَدٌ
دَمُ الشِعرِ في أَنيابِهِ وَالبَراثِنِ
Whenever you looked towards Najd or the depression you were disgraced
With a mark whose fires blazed among the settlements.
مَتى تَطلَعوا نَجداً أَوِ الغَورَ تُفضَحوا
بِوَسمٍ فَشَّت نيرانُهُ في المَواطِنِ
You sought the sun of the perfume-sellers, so get away
From the rope of ignominy, you distant outcasts.
خَطَبتُم إِلى شُمسِ الخُدورِ فَوارِكٍ
طَوالِقَ مِن حَبلِ اللِئامِ بَوائِنِ
Virgins among you lusted with the lust of your women,
While they were in my care, clothed in robes.
عَذارى بَغَت فيكُم بَغاءَ نِسائِكُم
وَقَد كُنَّ عِندي في ثِيابِ الحَواضِنِ
Take them, but had you married one to Burqah
She would have cut ties to my abode with divorce.
خُذوها فَلَو قَرَّنتُموها بِبَرقَةٍ
قَطَعنَ إِلى داري وَثاقَ القَرائِنِ
