لِمَنِ الدِيارُ طُلولُها وُقصُ
ما لِلقَطينِ بِعُقرِها شَخصُ
Whose are the abodes, so tall and lofty,
While by their corner the wild beasts lie?
أَبقى الخَليطُ بِها مَعاهِدَهُ
أَثَرٌ لَعَمرُكَ ما لَهُ قَصُّ
A mixed tribe in them has residences,
A trace that has no story to relate.
وَلَقَد تَحِلُّ بِها مُرَبَّبَةٌ
ظَمَأى الوِشاحِ وَلِلبُرى غَصَّ
And damsels there are wont to visit them,
Thirsting to drink, though to all there is enough.
غَنِيَت بِحَليِ الحُسنِ عاطِلَةٌ
ما لِلنُضارِ بِجيدِها وَبَصُ
They won beauty's tenderness through lore and grace,
Not through delicate cheeks or fawnlike eyes.
فَرَعاءُ إِن نَهَضَت لِحاجَتِها
عَجِلَ القَضيبُ وَأَبطَأَ الدِعصُ
A shepherdess, when she rises to her need,
Makes her staff quick but her milking slow.
وَمُرَجَّلٍ جَعدٍ يَنوءُ بِهِ
جيدُ الغَزالِ وَناعِمٌ رَخصُ
A curly-haired, smooth-cheeked youth of pedigree
Could rob hearts by a glance from his doe eyes.
سَرَقَت بِطَرفِ الريمِ مُهجَتَهُ
وَمِنَ النَواظِرِ قاطِعٌ لُصُّ
They have sworn by the dust the cavalry raised,
And by the morning squadrons in close ranks,
قَسماً بِشُعثٍ جَعجَعَت لَهُمُ
بِالمَأزِمَينِ ظَوالِعٌ خُصًّ
Stabbing the dark with every bright sword,
And in every gloom a flashing glance.
طَعَنوا الظَلامَ بِكُلِّ ناجِيَةٍ
في موقِ كُلِّ دُجىً لَها بَحصُ
The darkness is pelted with starry lights
That make it seem like a quilted gown.
تَرمي الإِكامَ بِمَنسِمٍ عَمَمٍ
دامي الأَظَلَّ كَأَنَّهُ قُرصُ
They raced to the stoning without pause for rest,
Neither taking belts off nor tightening.
وَالراجِمَينَ جِمارَها بِمِنىً
غَدواً وَما حَلَقوا وَما قَصّوا
Bare of pilgrim's robes in the bright morn,
The girdles were loose and hymns unsung.
مُتَجَرِّدينَ مِنَ الرِياضِ ضُحىً
حُلَّ النِطاقُ وَأُطلِقَ العَقصُ
I will make you drink a draught so sharp
That neither game nor jest can relieve.
لَأُسَقِّيَنَّكَ كَأسَ لاذِعَةٍ
لا العَبُّ يُنفِدُها وَلا المَصُّ
With deadly, poisoned tips among its feathers,
The arrows make even the dancers retire.
بِقَوارِعٍ يُمسي الرَمِيُّ بِها
مِن غَيرِ ما طَرَبٍ لَهُ رَقصُ
Their distant hiss makes wounds forget their hurt,
The freed are apt to forget their chains.
تُنسي جَرائِحُها قَوارِصَها
وَالطَلقُ يُنسى عِندَهُ المَغصُ
Have you climbed a lofty dune, O camel,
Where did the driver chance to send you?
أَإِلى مَعَدٍّ جِئتَ مُرتَقِياً
يا عَيرُ أَينَ رَمى بِكَ القَمصُ
From the howdah to the soft sands quickly,
Swift moves the piebald camel with clipped hump!
أَمِنَ الوِهادِ إِلى الرُبى عَجِلاً
سُرعانَ ذا الذَملانُ وَالنَصُّ
Did you attach your plumes among their vanguard?
The advance will wear them out threadbare.
أَلحَقتَ ريشَكَ في قَوادِمِهِم
عَجلانَ تُلصِقُهُ وَيَنحَصُّ
If you add to them in number, you lessen them;
Increase by mixing brings but decrease.
إِن زِدتَهُم فَلَقَد نَقَصتَهُمُ
إِنَّ الزِيادَةَ بِالشَغا نَقصُ
You left it desolate, an empty ruin,
That neither life colors, nor plumb makes smooth.
غادَرتَها شَنعاءَ ضاحِيَةً
لا النَفسُ يَصبُغُها وَلا الحُصُّ
And part of the ruins the wearer conceals
Are covered by neither cloak nor shirt.
وَمِنَ المَخازي عِندَ لابِسِها
ما لا تُواري الأُزرُ وَالقُمصُ
O you who prick me with his needle claw,
The mosquito's sting is but a nip and bite!
يا موعِدي بِذِنابِ مِخلَبِهِ
إِنَّ البَعوضَ أَذاتُهُ القَرصُ
Envy no man his wealth,
For the linings of purses are ever lean.
لا تَحسُدَنَّ المَرءَ ثَروَتَهُ
إِنَّ البِطانَ إِلى غَدٍ خُمصُ
And fear overtaking those you've outstripped,
To climb high invites but a sudden fall.
وَخَفِ السِقاطَ عَلى الَّذينَ عَلَوا
وَمِنَ العُلُوِّ يُحاذِرُ الوَقصُ
And knot your hands with the twist of generosity,
No shame in stock, or bitter blame.
وَاِعقُد يَدَيكَ بِمُجتَني كَرَمٍ
لا قَدحُ في حَسَبٍ وَلا غَمصُ
When a lion is seen by men,
Talk grows hushed, and figures stand still,
أَسَدٍ إِذا بَصُرَ الرِجالُ بِهِ
خُفِضَ الكَلامُ وَطومَنَ الشَخصُ
Of a tribe whose best rode on at the outset,
The noblest on thoroughbred steeds like night,
مِن مَعشَرٍ رَكِبَت أَوائِلُهُم
أولى العُلى وَجِيادُها شُمصُ
When they do good they include all their people,
When they pelt aacterless wretch they aim true.
إِن أَحسَنوا عَمّوا بِنائِلِهِم
وَإِذَ رَموا بِجَريرَةٍ خَصّوا
The number of generous deeds in their homes
Is countless, heaped up and running over.
عَدَدُ المَكارِمِ في بُيوتِهِمُ
وَالجامِلُ القَبقابُ وَالقَبصُ
They have raised their strivings from the foundations,
High rise the walls built new from the base.
رَفَعوا المَساعي مِن قَواعِدِها
يَعلو بِهِنَّ الرَضمُ وَالرَصُّ
Until they are settled in the highest part,
And on the hilltops they place their forts,
حَتّى اِنتَموا في رَأسِ أَشرَفِها
وَعَلى الكُعوبِ يُوَقَّعُ الخُرصُ
They wiped out the enemy host, nor are they
Harmed by the shifting sands of wind-blown dunes.
أَفنى العَدُوَّ وَليسَ يَنقُصُهُم
مِن رَملِ مُنقَطِعِ اللَوى القَبصُ
