مَن لي بِرَعبَلَةٍ مِنَ البُزلِ
تَرمي إِلَيكَ مَعاقِدَ الرَحلِ
Who will lend me a she-camel from Buzaal,
That casts to you the ropes of travel,
عَجلى الرَواحِ كَأَنَّما لَمَحَت
فيكُم غَديرَ الجودِ مِن قَبلي
Swift of pace, as though she glimpsed
In you the meadow of generosity before my arrival,
نَغَّرتُها وَالبَدرُ مُطَّلِعٌ
حَتّى اِستَجابَ لِقائِدِ الأُفلِ
I coaxed her while the full moon was rising
Until the leader of stars responded to the coaxing,
كَتَبَت سُطوراً مِن مَناسِمِها
فَوقَ الأَباطِحِ وَالسُرى يُملي
She wrote lines with her markings
Above the sand dunes and plains she dictated,
إِنّي بِها في السَيرِمُقتَرِحٌ
عَجِلاً عَلى الإِقتابِ وَالجُدلِ
With her I propose travel by night
Hastening despite fatigue and effort,
إِنَّ الَّذي وَخَدَت إِلَيهِ فَتىً
يَبرا إِلى أَمَلي مِنَ البُخلِ
The one I approached as a young man
Will be generous to my hopes, free of stinginess,
لا تَملِكُ العَرَصاتُ قَعدَتَهُ
وَإِنِ اِستَقَرَّ فَفي ذُرى الإِبلِ
Pasturages cannot restrain his abode
Though he stays among the trails of camels,
لَم يُستَمَل بِالذُلِّ جانِبُهُ
مُذ شَدَّ قَبضَتَهُ عَلى النَصلِ
His side was not tempted by dishonor
Since he clenched his hand on the sword hilt,
تُنبيكَ نَفحَتُهُ إِذا فَغَمَت
عَن طيبِ مَغرِسِ ذَلِكَ الأَصلِ
His breath reminds you, when troubles press heavily,
Of the sweet fragrance of the root of that lineage,
وَلَأَنتَ مِثلُ السَيفِ في مُضَرٍ
عاذَت بِقائِمِهِ مِنَ الذُلِّ
You are like the sword in Muḍar
Which people at war sought refuge in from disgrace,
وَإِذا هَتَفتَ بِهِم لِنائِبَةٍ
جَذَبوا وَراءَكَ بِالقَنا الذُبلِ
When you call them at a time of distress
They pull behind you with the frayed rope,
لا يُسلِمونَ مَنِ اِتَّقى بِهِمُ
قَرعَ القَنا وَمَواقِعَ النَبلِ
They do not spare whoever sought protection against them
The clanging of the sword and the flight of arrows,
عامي وَعامُ المَحلِ في بَلَدٍ
فَاِسحَب إِلَيَّ ذُؤابَةَ الوَبلِ
My tribesmen and the tribes in a country
So pull to me the forelock of the ostrich,
وَاِحصُد قُوايَ فَإِنَّني أَبَداً
بَينَ القَرائِنِ مارِجُ الحَبلِ
And reap my strength, for I am ever
A wanderer, roaming the lands.
