كَأَنّي كَسَوتُ الرَحلَ جَوناً رَباعِياً
بِليتَيهِ مِن زَرِّ الحَميرِ كُلومُ
As though I had saddled the camel a sturdy mount,
Girded with leather straps from the donkeys' hide.
عُلَندى مِصَكّاً قَد أَضَرَّ بِعانَةٍ
لِما شَذَّ مِنها أَو عَصاهُ عَذومُ
I had with me a whip that was rough on the camel's eye
Whenever it strayed or was stubborn and hard to subdue.
تَرَبَّعَ أَكنافَ القَنانِ فَصارَةٍ
فَما وانَ حَتّى قاظَ وَهوَ زَهومُ
It curled up in the cave's nooks during the siesta
And did not rouse till the noon heat made it distraught.
إِلى أَن عَلاهُ القَيظُ وَاِستَنَّ حَولَهُ
أَهابِيُّ مِنها حاصِبٌ وَسَمومُ
Until the midday sun rose and baked the sands around it,
When hot winds blew, scorching, and dust clouds mounted.
وَأَعوَزَهُ باقي النِطافِ وَقَلَّصَت
ثَمائِلُها وَفي الوُجوهِ سُهومُ
It weakened the rest of the she-camels, emaciated
Their bodies, and in their faces fatigue was paramount.
وَحَلَّأَها حَتّى إِذا تَمَّ ظِمؤُها
وَقَد كادَ لا يَبقى لَهُنَّ شُحومُ
It drove them on until their thirst was slaked,
When little fat was left on their frames to count.
فَظَلَّ سَراةَ اليَومِ يَقسِمُ أَمرَهُ
مُشِتٌّ عَلَيهِ الأَمرُ أَينَ يَرومُ
All day he remained dividing his time,
Perplexed, wondering where he should go.
وَأَقلَقَهُ هَمٌّ دَخيلٌ يَنوبُهُ
وَهاجِرَةٌ جَرَّت عَلَيهِ صَدومُ
A nagging care kept after him
And an immigrant wife who brought him much woe,
بِرابِيَةٍ يَنحَطُّ عَنها مُعَشِّراً
وَيَعلو عَلَيها تارَةً فَيَصومُ
With a baby he had to provide for,
Rising above them sometimes, and fasting below.
وَظَلَّت كَأَنَّ الطَيرَ فَوقَ رُؤوسِها
صِياماً تُراعى الشَمسَ وَهوَ كَظومُ
Over their heads they seemed like birds
Observing the sun-fast, suffering its glow,
مَخافَةَ مَخشِيِّ الشَذاةِ عَذَوَّرٍ
لِنابَيهِ في أَكفالِهِنَّ كُلومُ
Fearing the patrolman of the wastes, a tyrant
To their young, carried in the crook of their elbow.
إِلى أَن أَجَنَّ اللَيلُ وَاِنقَضَّ قارِباً
عَلَيهِنَّ جَيّاشَ الجِراءِ أَزومُ
Until night came and darkness enfolded them
With its flood upon them, the running sands' flow.
وَكَمشِها ثَبتُ الحِضارِ مُلازِمٌ
لَمّا ضاعَ مِن أَدبارِهِنَّ لَزومُ
And Orion clung to the settled darkness,
Cleaving fast when their tracks were hard to know.
فَأَورَدَها ماءً بِغَضوَرَ آجِناً
لَهُ عَرمَضٌ كَالغِسلِ فيهِ طُمومُ
He led them to brackish, troubled water,
With floating scum like washing froth in its bow.
بِحَضرَتِهِ رامٍ أَعَدَّ سَلاجِماً
وَبِالكَفِّ طَوعُ المِركَضَينِ كَتومُ
Nearby a groom had readied the saddle-bags
And with his hands the racers were easy to trow.
فَلَمّا دَنَت لِلماءِ هيماً تَعَجَّلَت
رَباعِيَةٌ لِلهادِياتِ قَدومُ
When they approached the water, driven by thirst,
The sturdy she-camels were quick to follow.
فَدَلَّت يَدَيها وَاِستَغاثَت بِبَردِهِ
عَلى ظَمَإٍ مِنها وَفيهِ جُمومُ
She stooped her hands to drink and cooled her innards
Against a thirst in her, though the water was foul.
فَأَهوى بِمَفتوقِ الغِرارَينِ مُرهَفٍ
عَلَيهِ لُؤامُ الريشِ فَهوَ قَتومُ
With widespread pinions the falcon dived at her
His body feathers ruffling, aggressive and growling.
فَأَنفَذَ حِضنَيها وَجالَ أَمامَها
طَميلٌ يُفَرّي الجَوفَ وَهوَ سَليمُ
He pierced her breast and fended off her front
While the smooth spear slipped in, safe and sound.
فَوَلَّت وَوَلّى العَيرُ فيها كَأَنَّما
يُلَهَّبُ في آثارِهِنَّ ضَريمُ
She turned away and the drove of camels turned too,
As though fire blazed in the tracks they were treading.
وَغادَرَها تَكبو لِحُرِّ جَبينِها
كِلا مَنخِرَيها بِالنَجيعِ رَذومُ
He left her bending to the fever in her brow
With both nostrils high from the babbling and threading.
