يا دارُ ما طَرِبَت إِلَيكِ النَوقُ

إِلّا وَرَبعُكِ شائِقٌ وَمَشوقُ

O home, the she-camels yearned not for you,

But your quarters were alluring and enticing,

جاءَتكِ تَمرَحُ في الأَزِمَّةِ وَالبُرى

وَالزَجرُ وِردٌ وَالسِياطُ عَليقُ

They came to you frolicking in prosperity and blessings,

Goading and whips being commonplace,

وَتَحِنُّ ما جَدَّ المَسيرُ كَأَنَّما

كُلُّ البِلادِ مُحَجَّرٌ وَعَقيقُ

And they pined for the long journey as though

Every region was rugged and stony ground.

دارٌ تَمَلَّكَها الفِراقُ فَرَقَّها

بِالمَحلِ مِن أَسرِ الغَمامِ طَليقُ

A home that separation took possession of and scattered

Among its dwellers from the bonds of clouds set loose.

شَرِقَت بِأَدمُعِها المَطيُّ كَأَنَّما

فيها حَنينُ اليَعمَلاتِ شَهيقُ

It shed tears with its weeping until the courser

Seemed to have in it the moaning of ostriches.

خَفَقَت يَمانِيَةٌ عَلى أَرجائِها

وَطَغَت عَلَيها زَعزَعٌ وَخَريقُ

A Yemeni she-camel circled its corners

As clamor and neighing rose high above it.

في كُلِّ إِصباحٍ وَكُلِّ عَشِيَّةٍ

يَسري عَلَيها لِلدُموعِ فَريقُ

Every morn and evening a band for tears

Marched over it to lament and weep.

سَخِطَ الغُرابُ عَلى المَساقِطِ بَينَها

فَلَهُ بِإِنجازِ الفِراقِ نَعيقُ

The raven grew angry at its ruins between them

So it had the separation to shriek about.

فَتَوَزَّعَت تِلكَ القَذاةَ نَواظِرٌ

وَتَقَسَّمَت تِلكَ الشَجاةَ حُلوقُ

Those languid gazes scattered and

Those tender throats were split.

الآنَ أَقبَلَ بي الوَقارُ عَنِ الصَبا

فَغَضَضتُ طَرفي وَالظِباءُ تَروقُ

Now dignity beyond youth has come over me

So I cast down my eyes and the does leap.

وَلَوَ اِنَّني لَم أُعطِ مَجدي حَقَّهُ

أَنكَرتُ طَعمَ العِزِّ حَينَ أَذوقُ

Had I not given my glory its due,

I would have denied the taste of honor when I taste it.

رَمَتِ المَعالي فَاِمتَنَعنَ وَلَم يَزَل

أَبَداً يُمانِعُ عاشِقاً مَعشوقُ

I aspired to the heights but they evaded me and

My beloved never ceased to be aloof from a lover.

وَصَبَرتُ حَتّى نِلتُهُنَّ وَلَم أَقُل

ضَجَراً دَواءُ الفارِكِ التَطليقُ

I was patient until I attained them and said not

In annoyance, “The cure for one far off is to break away.”

ما كُنتُ أَوَّلَ مَن جَثا بِقَميصِهِ

عَبَقُ الفَخارِ وَجَيبُهُ مَخروقُ

I was not the first to bow down with his shirt

Scented with dust and his pocket torn.

كَثُرَت أَمانيُّ الرِجالِ وَلَم تَزَل

مُتَوَسِّعاتٌ وَالزَمانُ يَضيقُ

The hopes of men multiplied and never ceased

To expand while time grew narrower.

مِن كُلِّ جِسمٍ تَقتَضيهِ حُفرَةٌ

فَكَأَنَّهُ مِن طينِها مَخلوقُ

For each body there is a niche that claims it

As though it were created of its clay.

وَمَفازَةٍ تَلِدُ الهَجيرَ خَرَقتُها

وَالأَرضُ مِن لَمعِ السَرابِ بُروقُ

And a mirage that gives birth to delusion―I ripped it open

While the land gleamed with the flash of a mirage.

بِنَجاءِ صامِتَةِ البُغامِ كَأَنَّها

وَالآلُ يَركُضُ في الفَلاةِ فَنيقُ

With the silent ululation of she-camels, as though

They and the family were running in the desert wasteland.

سَبَقَت إِلَيكَ العَزمَ طائِشَةُ الخُطى

فَنَجَت وَأَعناقُ المَطيِّ تَفوقُ

Your determination outstripped its wild-roaming footsteps,

So it was saved, while the necks of the steeds vied in speed.

جَذَبَت بِضَبعي مِن تِهامَةَ قاصِداً

وَالنَجمُ في بَحرِ الظَلامِ غَريقُ

It dragged me from Tihama heading purposefully

While the star in the sea of darkness was drowning.

مَستَشرِياً بَرقاً تَقَطَّعَ خَيطُهُ

فَلَهُ عَلى طُرَرِ البِلادِ شُروقُ

Letting loose a lightning whose thread was severed,

So that the horizons had glimmers of its dawn.

هَزَّ المَجَرَّةَ أُفقُهُ وَكَأَنَّها

غُصنٌ بِأَحداقِ النُجومِ وَريقُ

Its horizon shook the galaxy as though it were

A bough with the brilliance of the stars thickening.

مَجَّ الظَلامُ الفَجرَ عَنهُ كَأَنَّما ال

أَضواءُ في شَفَةِ الغَياطِلِ ريقُ

Darkness obscured dawn from it as though

There were no lights on the lip of darkness.

وَاللَيلُ مَحلولُ النِطاقِ عَنِ الضُحى

عارٍ وَعِقدُ الصُبحِ فيهِ وَثيقُ

And the night with loosed waistband from dawn

Was disgraced, and the knot of morning tied fast.

ما كانَ إِلّا هَجعَةٌ حَتّى اِنثَنى

وَالطَرفُ مِن سُكرِ النُعاسِ مُفيقُ

It was only a slumber until it tossed

With eyes bleary from the intoxication of drowsiness.

وَتَماسَكَت تِلكَ العَمائِمُ بَعدَما

أَرخى جَوانِبَها كَرىً وَخُفوقُ

Those turbans clung together after

Its edges had been loosened, pendulous and fluttering.

ما رُفِّهَت رُكبانُها إِلّا وَفي

جِلدِ الظَلامِ مِنَ الضِياءِ خُروقُ

Their riders were not well-seated but on

The skin of darkness were holes of light piercing through.

يا ناقَ عاصي مَن يُماطِلُكِ السُرى

فَلَحيقُ غَيرِكِ بِالعِقالِ خَليقُ

O she-camel, recalcitrant, who makes the pace slow for you

So that others than you are more apt with the nose-rein?

وَرِدي حِياضَ فَتى مَعَدٍّ كُلُّها

فَالحَبلُ أَتلَعُ واّلقَليبُ عَميقُ

Return to the enclosure of a Ma’addi young man, all of it

With plaited palm-leaf rope whose heart is profound.

وَإِذا تَراخَت حَبوَتي أَوثَقتُها

بِفِناءِ بَيتٍ تُربُهُ العَيّوقُ

When my saddle-girths grow slack I tighten them

In the courtyard of a house whose soil is dragon’s blood.

في بَلدَةٍ حَرَمٌ عَلى أَعدائِهِ

وَعَلى النَوائِبِ رَبوَةٌ إِزليقُ

In a township inviolable to its enemies

And impregnable to misfortunes, a stronghold natural.

تَتَزاحَمُ الأَضيافُ في أَبياتِهِ

فِرَقاً تَحِنُّ إِلى القِرى وَتَتوقُ

The guests throng in its dwellings

As fellow tribes that yearn for settlements and pine.

وَإِذا رَآهُم لَم يَقُل مُتَمَثِّلاً

أَبَني الزَمانِ لِكُلِّ رَحبٍ ضيقُ

When he saw them he did not say pretentiously,

“O children of the age, for each expanse is confining.”

عَجَباً لِرَبعِكَ كَيفَ تُخصِبُ أَرضُهُ

وَجَنابُهُ بِدَمِ السَوامِ شَريقُ

Wondrous is your dwelling place, how its land thrives,

While its shoulder is dyed with the blood of miscreants.

وَالخَيلُ تَعلَمُ أَنَّ حَشوَ ظُهورِها

مِنهُ نُهىً يَنجابُ عَنها الموقُ

The horses know that the stuffing of their saddles

Is unlawful for them so the branding-iron shuns them.

ما زالَ يَجنُبُها إِلى أَعدائِهِ

وَالشَمسُ تَسحَبُ وَالفَلاةُ تَضيقُ

He continues to spare them for his enemies

While the sun drags on and the desert grows confining.

مِن كُلِّ رَقّاصٍ كَأَنَّ صَهيلَهُ

نَغَمٌ وَما مَجَّ الطِعانُ رَحيقُ

The neigh of each gallant steed is like

A tune, though the lance’s thrust is not fragrant.

طِرفٌ تَعَوَّدَ أَن يُخَلَّقَ وَجهُهُ

في حَيثُ يَنضو النَقعَ وَهوَ سَبوقُ

A gaze accustomed to being narrowed so his face

Becomes slender at the thinning out of fat.

ذو جِلدَةٍ حَمراءَ تَحسَبُ أَنَّها

مِن طولِ تَخليقِ الرِهانِ خُلوقُ

Of ruddy complexion you would think it

Was from the long-established wagers on racing.

وَاليَومُ مَلطومُ السَوالِفِ بِالظُبى

وَاللَيلُ مُرتَعِدُ النُجومِ خَفوقُ

Today the twilight converses with the oryx

While tonight the trembling stars wander.

لَقَطَت نُفوسَهُمُ شِفاهُ صَوارِمٍ

فَرَغَت وَأَسيافُ العَوامِلِ روقُ

Their souls were snatched away by the lips of Indian swords

So they surged ahead while the blades of disasters quivered.

في كُلِّ يَومٍ يَندُبونَ مُصارِعاً

لِلوَحشِ فيها وَالنُسورِ طُروقُ

Every day they mourn a fallen warrior

For the beasts there and the vultures circling.

نَشوانَةُ الأَعطافِ مِن دَمِ فِتيَةٍ

فيهِم صَبوحٌ لِلرَدى وَغَبوقُ

The flexing of the biceps from the blood of young men

Among whom the morning light shone while they were unmindful.

تَبكي عَلَيها غَيرَ راحِمَةٍ لَها

بِالهاطِلاتِ رَواعِدٌ وَبُروقُ

It weeps for them without pity,

With pouring rains and lightning striking.

وَتَبَلَّغَت آراؤُهُ فَكَأَنَّها

طَلَعَت وَفي سَجفِ الغُيوبِ فُتوقُ

And his views circulated until they seemed

To rise while the clouds obscured them.

وَيَكُرُّ وَالفَرَسُ الجَوادُ مُبَلِّدٌ

وَيَقُدُّ وَالعَضبُ الحُسامُ مَعوقُ

He turns back while the excellent steed goes slowly

And he leads ahead while the blade of the sword drags.

كَرّاتُ مَن شُدَّت قَوائِمُ عَزمِهِ

فَلَها رَسيمٌ في العُلى وَعَنيقُ

Swerves from one whose feet determination bound

So that for him in the heights there was a gentle breeze and intimacy.

كَفّاهُ أَدَّبَتا السِهامَ فَما لَها

في النَبضِ عَن خَطَإِ البَنانِ مُروقُ

His two palms sufficed to train the arrows, so that for them

In throbbing there was no deviation from precise striking.

لَولا اِحتِذاءُ السَهمِ طاعَةَ قَوسِهِ

ما شَيَّعَ النَصلُ المُصَمِّمَ فوقُ

Were it not for the arrow’s obedience to the bow,

The resolute blade would not have bade farewell aloft.

يُدني الحِمامَ بِكَفِّهِ مُتَرَسِّلٌ

لِقَضائِهِ نائي السِنانِ رَشيقُ

He brings the doves near with his palm in a leisurely way

For his decree, the starling arrow-heads graceful.

نُفِضَت عَلى الأَيّامِ مِنهُ شَمائِلٌ

أَبرَزنَ وَجهَ الدَهرِ وَهوَ طَليقُ

From him fine qualities were scattered on the days

That brought out the face of time radiant and unfettered.

وَأَقامَ أَسواقَ الضِرابِ فَلِلرَدى

فيهِنَّ مِن سَبيِ النُفوسِ رَقيقُ

And he held markets for striking, so for souls

Captured there, the tender were precious.

نَفسي فِداؤُكَ أَيُّ يَومٍ لَم تَقُم

لَكَ فيهِ مِن جَلَبِ القَواضِبِ سوقُ

My soul be your ransom, what day did you not stand

For you among the ships bringing fighters?

قَمَرٌ يَهابُ المَوتُ ضَوءَ جَبينِهِ

وَاليَومَ خَوّارُ العَجاجِ غَسوقُ

A moon, death fears the gleam of his forehead,

While today the heelbones of the mighty are breaking.

وَالسَيفُ لَيسَ يُهابُ قَبلَ قِراعِهِ

حَتّى يَمَسُّ العَينَ مِنهُ بَريقُ

The sword is not feared before the clashing with it

Until its blade touches the eye with its flash.

عَشِقَ السَماحَ وَكُلُّ سِحرٍ لِلمُنى

فيهِ بِأَنفاثِ السُؤالِ يُحيقُ

He loved benevolence, and for every charm leading to success

In it, with the breath of asking, he blew upon.

طَهَّرتُ قَلبي مُذ عَلِمتُ بِأَنَّهُ

لِسُرى مَدائِحِهِ العِظامِ طَريقُ

I purified my heart after I knew

That for the pace of his glorious praises noble souls were a path.

كَم كاهِلٍ لِلشِعرِ أَثقَلَ نَعتُهُ

عِطفَيهِ وَهوَ لِما يَؤُدُّ مُطيقُ

How many shoulders of those who bore his fame

His generosity weighed down, though able to fulfill their duty.

طَأطَأتَ فَرعَ المَجدِ ثُمَّ جَنَيتَهُ

فَاِرتَدَّ وَهوَ عَلى عِداكَ سَحوقُ

You bowed the branch of glory then plucked it

So it recoiled while it was above your hands outstretched.

فَرعٌ أَشارَ إِلى السَماءِ فَجازَها

حَتّى كَأَنَّ لَهُ النُجومَ عُروقُ

A branch that pointed to the sky until

It seemed the stars were its roots.

وَمُبَخَّلٍ شَهِدَت عَلَيهِ يَمينُهُ

في حَيثُ يَمنَعُها النَدى وَيَعوقُ

And a grudging man whose oath bore witness against him

Where generosity prevented it and confined it.

يَبكي إِذا بَكَتِ السَحابُ كَأَنَّهُ

أَبَداً عَلى الطَرفِ الغَمامِ شَفيقُ

He weeps when the clouds weep as though

He were always a sympathetic horizon for the clouds.

وَإِذا تَعَرَّضَ عارِضٌ أَغضى لَهُ

أَلّا يَرى الأَنواءَ كَيفَ تُريقُ

If an objection presented itself he turned from it

Not to look upon caprices, observing how they flow.

لَو أَبدَتِ الأَيّامُ جانِبَ وَجهِهِ

لَتَشَبَّثَتهُ مَظالِمٌ وَحُقوقُ

If the days had revealed his aspect

Injustices and rights would have clung to him.

إِن سارَ سارَ إِلى النِزالِ بِخِفيَةٍ

حَتّى كَأَنَّ سِلاحَهُ مَسروقُ

If he marched, he marched into battle secretly

Until his weapon seemed stolen.

بَيتٌ أَقامَ البُخلُ فيهِ فَاِستَوى

بِفِنائِهِ المَحرومُ وَالمَرزوقُ

A house where stinginess resided and leveled

The deprived and the prosperous in its courtyard.

يَرجو بُلوغَ نَداكَ وَهوَ مُحَقِّقٌ

مَع حِرصِهِ أَنَّ الجَوادَ عَتيقُ

He hopes to attain your bounty while certain

That the excellent steed is rare.

في الطينَةِ البَيضاءِ غَرسُكَ إِنَّهُ

غَرسٌ تَداوَلُهُ البِقاعُ عَريقُ

In pure white lineage your root, it

Is a root generations of many lands have handed down.

فَإِذا اِلتَثَمتَ فَكُلُّ وَجهٍ باسِلٌ

وَإِذا حَسَرتَ فَكُلُّ خَدٍّ روقُ

When you smile, every face stands out beaming

And when you frown, every cheek appears radiant.

اللَهُ جارَكَ وَالمَطيُّ جَوائِرٌ

وَالنَصرُ دِرعُكَ وَالحُسامُ ذَليقُ

May God guard you, the steed act as protection

And victory arm you while the sword-blade is sharp.

لا زِلتَ تَجنُبُ مِن سُيوفِكَ في العِدى

نَحراً يَخُبُّ وَراءَهُ التَشريقُ

You continue to avoid from your swords in hostilities

A throat that deteriorates with the shouts of “Bravo!”

وَإِذا جَهَرتَ بِصَوتِ عَزمِكَ مُسمِعاً

أَصغى إِلَيكَ اليُمنُ وَالتَوفيقُ

When you declared your will aloud making heard

Auspiciousness and success inclined toward you.

شَرَّفتَ مَدحي فَاِعتَلى بِكَ طَودُهُ

وَمِنَ المَدائِحِ فائِقٌ وَمَفوقُ

You ennobled my praise so its loftiness

Arose through you, surpassing and transcendent.

شَهِدَت لَهُ خَيلُ الخَواطِرِ أَنَّهُ

خَيرُ الصَهيلِ وَما سِواهُ نَهيقُ

The steeds of thoughts testified that it

Is the best of neighing while other than it is whinnying.