بِالعُفرِ دارٌ مِن جَميلَةَ هَيَّجَت
سَوالِفَ حُبٍّ في فُؤادِكَ مُنصِبِ
With beauty a house in Al-Ufra stirred up
Love talks in your heart set up
وَكُنتَ إِذا بانَت بِها غِربَةُ النَوى
شَديدَ القُوى لَم تَدرِ ما قَولُ مُشغِبِ
And when the beloved's absence made you languish
You were strong, unaware what the mischief-maker would say
كَريمَةُ حُرِّ الوَجهِ لَم تَدعُ هالِكاً
مِنَ القَومِ هُلكاً في غَدٍ غَيرَ مُعقِبِ
The free-born beauty didn't leave anyone from the tribe
To perish tomorrow without being followed
أَسيلَةُ مَجرَى الدَمعِ خُمصانَةُ الحَشا
بَرودُ الثَنايا ذَاتُ خَلقٍ مُشَرعَبِ
Tears flowing copiously, intense darkness
Cool calmness, of flamboyant nature
تَرى العَينُ ما تَهوى وَفيها زِيادَةٌ
مِنَ اليُمنِ إِذ تَبدو وَمَلهَىً لِملعَبِ
The eye sees what it desires and it has more
Good omen, when she appears, a playground for the glance
وَبَيتٍ تَهُبُّ الريحُ في حَجَراتِهِ
بِأَرضِ فَضاءٍ بابُهُ لَم يُحَجَّبِ
A house the wind blows in its chambers
In a wilderness, its door not covered
سَماوَتُهُ أَسمالُ بُردٍ مُحَبَّرٍ
وَصَهوَتُهُ مِن أَتحَمِيٍّ مُعَصَّبِ
Its ceiling rough woolen wraps
Its court of black woolen clothes all wrapped
وَأَطنابُهُ أَرسانُ جُردٍ كأَنَّها
صُدورُ القَنا مِن بادِئٍ وَمُعَقِّبِ
Its pillars spear handles as though they are
Breasts of spears in succession wrapped
نَصَبتُ عَلى قَومٍ تُدِرُّ رِماحُهُم
عُروقَ الأَعادي مِن غَريرٍ وَأَشيَبِ
I attacked a people whose spears
Make the enemies' veins bleed with dripping blood
وَفينا تَرى الطولى وَكُلَّ سَمَيدَعٍ
مُدَرَّبِ حَربٍ وَاِبنِ كُلِّ مُدَرَّبِ
Among us you see glory and all eminent ones
Trained in war and son of every trained one
طَويلِ نِجادِ السَيفِ لَم يَرضَ خُطَّةً
مِنَ الخَسفِ وَرّادٍ إِلى المَوتِ صَقعَبِ
With long honorable lineage, he doesn't accept
Any feeble scheme, leading to death yoked
تَبيتُ كَعِقبانِ الشُرَيفِ رِجالُهُ
إِذا ما نَوَوا إِحدَاثَ أَمرٍ مُعَطِّبِ
Their men ambush like noble eagles
When intending any annoying matter
وَفينا رِباطُ الخَيلِ كُلَّ مُطَهَّمٍ
رَجيلٍ كَسِرحانِ الغَضا المُتَأَوِّبِ
Among us horses tethered, all bridled
Strutting lightly like pleasant fillies wrapped
يُذيقُ الَّذي يَعلو عَلى ظَهرِ مَتنِهِ
ظِلالَ خَذاريفٍ مِنَ الشَدِّ مُلهِبِ
It makes mounter on its back taste
Shadows of skulls due to intense heat kindled
وَجَرداءَ مِمراحٍ نَبيلٍ حِزامُها
طَروحٍ كَعودِ النَبعَةِ المُتَنَخَّبِ
Bareness of noble pacing camel, its girth
Fallen like rod of sprouted wood polished
تُنيفُ إِذا اِقوَرَّت مِنَ القَودِ وَاِنطَوَت
بِهادٍ رَفيعٍ يَقهَرُ الخَيلَ صَلهَبِ
When trotting if it inclines and contracts
With straight elevated stride subduing horses startled
وَعوجٍ كَأَحناءِ السَراءِ مَطَت بِها
مَطارِدُ تَهديها أَسِنَّةُ قَعضَبِ
Swollen like bends of plains, it was led by
A driver whose spikes tore it asunder
إِذا قيلَ نَهنِهها وَقَد جَدَّ جِدُّها
تَرامَت كَخُذروفِ الوَليدِ المُثَقَّبِ
If told gently, and its zeal intensifies
It trots like colt with perforated flanks
قَبائِلُ مِن فَرعَي غَنِيٍّ تَواهَقَت
بِها الخَيلُ لا عُزلٍ وَلا مُتَأَشَّبِ
Tribes from branches of Ghani leapt on it
Without isolation and superstition mixed
أَلا هَل أَتى أَهلَ الحِجازِ مُغارُنا
عَلى حَيِّ وَردٍ وَاِبنِ رَيّا المُضَرَّبِ
Won’t the people of Hejaz come disputing with us
About alive and well-pastured cattle and house of Rayyan destroyed
جَلَبنا مِنَ الأَعرافِ أَعرافِ غَمرَةٍ
وَأَعرافِ لُبنى الخَيلَ يا بُعدَ مَجلَبِ
We brought from hillsides, hillsides of Ghamra
And Lubna's hillsides the horses, oh remote watering place
بناتِ الغُرابِ وَالوَجيهِ وَلاحِقٍ
وَأَعوَجَ تَنمي نِسبَةَ المُتَنَسِّبِ
Daughters of ghurab and distinguished and Laheq
Crooked which grows the lineage of him who claims descent
وِراداً وَحُوّاً مُشرِفاً حَجَباتُها
بَناتِ حِصانٍ قَد تُعولِمَ مُنجِبِ
Coming and going elevated, their wrappings
Daughters of Hisan who can give information about the pedigree
وَكُمتاً مُدَمّاةً كَأَنَّ مُتونَها
جَرى فَوقَها وَاِستَشعَرَت لَونَ مُذهَبِ
Muddied as though their bodies
Upon them dropped the dye and they borrowed its color
نَزائِعَ مَقذوفاً عَلى سَرَواتِها
بِما لَم تُخالِسها الغُزاةُ وَتُسهَبِ
Delicate when trotting as though their elite part
Not touched by aggressors and left in the open
تُباري مَراخيها الزِجاجَ كَأَنَّها
ضِراءٌ أَحَسَّت نَبأَةً مِن مُكَلِّبِ
It contends with its pavement as though it's
A wild animal informed about news from Mukallab
كَأَنَّ يَبيسَ الماءِ فَوقَ مُتونِها
أَشاريرُ مَلحٍ في مَباءَةِ مُجرِبِ
As though the water dried above their bodies
Fragments of salt in a water-pit made to drink
مِنَ الغَزوِ وَاِقوَرَّت كَأَنَّ مُتونَها
زَحاليفُ وِلدانٍ عَفَتَ بَعدَ مَلعَبِ
As though when trotting their bodies
Are slabs of boys after playground departed
وَأَذنابُها وُحفٌ كَأَنَّ ذُيولَها
مَجَرُّ أَشاءٍمِن سُمَيحَةَ مُرطِبِ
Their tails are rough woolen clothes as though their tails
Are a filled valley in Sumeiha surfeited
وَتَمَّت إِلى أَجوازِها وَتَقَلقَلَت
قَلائِدُ في أَعناقِها لَم تُقَضَّبِ
They went to their throat latches and their necklaces shook
Not worn out or broken into pieces
كَأَنَّ سَدى قُطنِ النَوادِفِ خَلفَها
إِذا اِستَودَعَتهُ كُلَّ قَاعٍ وَمِذنَبِ
As though the cotton of rain-clouds behind them
When trusted with it every pasture and dune
إِذا هَبَطَت سَهلاً كَأَنَّ غُبارَهُ
بِجانِبِهِ الأَقصَى دَواخِنُ تَنضُبِ
When they descend a plain as though its dust
On its farthest side, kitchens extinguished and drained
كَأَنَّ رِعالَ الخَيلِ لمّا تَبَدَّدَت
بَوادي جَرادِ الهَبوَةِ المُتَصَوِّبِ
As though the neighing of horses when scattered
Upon valley of locusts swarming congregated
وَهَصنَ الحَصى حَتّى كَأَنَّ رُضاضَهُ
ذُرى بَرَدٍ مِن وابِلٍ مُتَحَلَّبِ
It made the pebbles collide until as though its rubble
Fragments of hail from pouring rain dissolved
يُبادِرنَ بِالفُرسانِ كُلَّ ثَنِيَّةٍ
جُنوحاً كَفُرّاطِ القَطا المُتَسَرِّبِ
They confront horsemen in every pass
Ambushing suddenly like wild cats scattered
وَعارَضتُها رَهواً عَلى مُتَتابِعٍ
شَديدِ القُصَيرى خارِجِيٍّ مُحَنَّبِ
I raced it while continuously trotting
With elevated croup, outsider, and humpbacked
كَأَنَّ عَلى أَعرافِهِ وَلِجامِهِ
سَنا ضَرَمٍ مِن عَرفَجٍ مُتَلَهِّبِ
As though on its brow and curb
Teeth of embers from blazing fire kindled
كَأَنَّ عَلى أَعطافِهِ ثَوبَ مائِحٍ
وَإِن يُلقَ كَلبٌ بَينَ لِحيَيهِ يَذهَبِ
As though on its shoulders a waving garment
If dog passes through its cheeks it disappears
إِذا اِنصَرَفَت مِن عَنَّةٍ بَعدَ عَنَّةٍ
وَجَرسٍ عَلى آثارِها كَالمُؤَلَّبِ
When it turns away from one onset after another
With bells on its track like chained
تُصانِعُ أَيديها السَريحَ كَأَنَّها
كِلابُ جَميعٍ غُرَّةَ الصَيفِ مُهرَبِ
It caresses its hands gently as though they are
All dogs of summer frightened and confused
إِذا اِنقَلَبَت أَدَّت وُجوهاً كَريمَةً
مُحَبَّبَةً أَدَّينَ كُلَّ مُحَبَّبِ
When they turn back they show noble beloved faces
Most endeared, more endeared than every endeared one
خَدَت حَولَ أَطنابِ البُيوتِ وَسَوَّفَت
مَراداً وَإِن تُقرَع عَصا الحَربِ تُركَبِ
They trot around houses' pillars and fidget
About as though the war rod is shaken they ride
فَلَمّا بَدا حَزمُ القَنانِ وَصارَةٌ
وَوازَنَّ مِن شَرقِيِّ سَلمى بِمَنكِبِ
So when the resolving of warriors and persistence showed
And it balanced from east of Salma on shoulder
أَنَخنا فَسُمناها النِطافَ فَشارِبٌ
قَليلاً وَآبٍ صَدَّ عَن كُلِّ مَشرَبِ
We tightened them, we called them sprinters, riders
Drinking little and swift preventing from drinking
يُرادي عَلى فَأسِ اللِجَامِ كَأَنَّما
يُرادي بِهِ مِرقاةُ جِذعٍ مُشَذَّبِ
It chops on the horse axe as though with it
A pruned trunk is chopped
وَشَدَّ العَضاريطُ الرِحالَ وَأُسلِمَت
إِلى كُلِّ مِغوارِ الضُحَى مُتَلَبِّبِ
The luggage carriers tightened supplies and submitted
To every owner of plateau wrapped
فَلَم يَرَها الراؤونَ إِلاّ فُجاءَةً
بِوادٍ تُناصيهِ العِضاةَ مُصَوَّبِ
Those seeing it didn't see it except suddenly
In a valley next to vampire bats directed
ضَوابِعُ تَنوي بَيضَةَ الحَيِّ بَعدَما
أَذاعَت بِرَيعانِ السَوامِ المُعَزَّبِ
Talons intending the living tribe's egg after
They announced good news to young buzzards scattered
رَأى مُجتَنو الكُرّاثِ مِن رَملِ عالِجٍ
رِعالاً مَطَت مِن أَهلِ سَرحٍ وَتَنضُبِ
He saw the searcher of Karrath from high sand dune
Tracks of their horses which descended from Syria's sheep herders and drained
فَأَلوَت بَغاياهُم بِنا وَتَباشَرَت
إِلى عُرضِ جَيشٍ غَيرَ أَن لَم يُكَتَّبِ
So their camel shepherds contended with us
Until the breadth of an army, but war was not destined
فَقالوا أَلا ما هَؤُلاءِ وَقَد بَدَت
سَوابِقُها في ساطِعٍ مُتَنَصِّبِ
They said, "Who are those whose elite part
Appeared radiating established?"
فَقال بَصيرٌ يَستَبينُ رِعالَها
هُمُ وَالإِلَهِ مَن تَخافينَ فَاِذهَبي
A person with insight to discern their horses said
They, by God, are those you fear, so be gone
عَلى كُلِّ مُنشَقٍّ نَساها طِمِرَّةٍ
وَمُنجَرِدٍ كَأَنَّهُ تَيسُ حُلَّبِ
Upon every thin emaciated as though it’s forgotten leanness
And stripped like wether of Hulub
يَذُدنَ ذِيادَ الخامِساتِ وَقَد بَدا
ثَرى الماءِ مِن أَعطافِها المُتَحَلِّبِ
Returning the fifth platoon's promoters and their
Dust of water from flanks all dissolved appeared
وَقيلَ اِقدُمي وَاِقدُم وَأَخٍّ وَأَخِّري
وَهَل وَهَلا وَاِضرَح وَقادِعُها هَبِ
It was said, “Come on, come! Hold back, precede!
Push them away! Alas! Their chargers startled fled
فَما بَرِحوا حَتّى رَأَوا في دِيارِهِم
لِواءً كَظِلِّ الطائِرِ المُتَقَلِّبِ
Until they saw the flag in their houses
Like shadow of hovering bird circling
رَمَت عَن قِسيِّ الماسِخِيِّ رِجالُنا
بِأَجوَدَ ما يُبتاعُ مِن نَبلِ يَثرِبِ
Our men threw with the bows of Qisiy
The best purchased arrows of Yathrib
كَأَنَّ عَراقيبَ القَطا أُطُرٌ لَها
حَديثُ نَواحيها بِوَقعٍ وَصُلَّبِ
As though their quivers are boxes for them
Their edges' echo with impact and attack
كُسينَ ظُهارَ الريشِ مِن كُلِّ ناهِضٍ
إِلى وَكرِهِ وَكُلِّ جَونٍ مُقَشَّبِ
Covering the feather's spine of every well-bred
Horse returning to its den and burrow dug
فَلَمّا فَنا ما في الكَنائِنِ ضارَبوا
عَلى القُرعِ مِن جِلدِ الهِجانِ المُجَوَّبِ
So when what's in supplies ran out they beat
On tambourine made of old donkey leather tanned
فَذوقوا كَما ذُقنا غَداةَ مُحَجَّرٍ
مِنَ الغَيظِ في أَجوافِنا وَالتَحَوُّبِ
They tasted as we tasted the morning of Muhajjar
Of rage in our interiors and harassment
أَبَأنا بِقَتلانا مِنَ القَومِ مِثلَهُم
وَما لا يُعَدُّ مِن أَسيرٍ مُكَلَّبِ
Didn’t we make them mourn their dead like them
Innumerable prisoners chained led?
نُخَوّي صُدورَالمَشرَفِيَّةِ مِنهُمُ
وَكُلَّ شُراعِيٍّ مِنَ الهِندِ شَرعَبِ
We dig the honorable Shammar people's chests from them
And every Arab tent-dweller from India wrapped
بِضَربٍ يُزيلُ الهامَ عَن سَكَناتِهِ
وَيَنقَعُ مِن هامِ الرِجالِ بِمَشرَبِ
With such blows that remove the brain from settlements
And bursts from protection of men with remains extracted
فَبِالقَتلِ قَتلٌ وَالسَوامِ بِمِثلِهِ
وَبِالشَلِّ شَلُّ الغائِطِ المُتَصَوِّبِ
With killing, equal killing, and for good measure
Paralysis of one relieving with direction aimed
وَجَمَّعنَ خَيطاً مِن رِعاءٍ أَفَأنَهُم
وَأَسقَطنَ مِن أَقفائِهِم كُلَّ مِحلَبِ
We brought them together a thread of shepherds, are they their comrade?
And dropped all their shoulders' load unmilked
فَرُحنَ يُبارينَ النِهابَ عَشِيَّةً
مُقَلَّدَةً أَرسانَها غَيرَ خُيَّبِ
They were happy challenging the sweeping at night
Covered with spears with no misfortune
مُعَرَّقَةَ الأَلحي تَلوحُ مُتونُها
تُثيرُ القَطا في مَنقَلٍ بَعدَ مَقرَبِ
With sweat-lined necks their bodies appear
Inciting wildlife after water-hole arrived
لِأَيّامِها قيدَت وَأَيّامِها جَرَت
لِغُنمٍ وَلَم تُؤخَذ بِأَرضٍ وَتُغصَبِ
For its days, it spent periods and for days it raided
Sheep without land assaulted or usurped
كَأَنَّ خَيالَ السَخلِ في كُلِّ مَنزِلٍ
يَضَعنَ بِهِ الأَسلاءَ أَطلاءُ طُحلُبِ
As though the horses' specter in every camp
Lays eggs there which bare plains' Chaldeans hatch
طَوامِحُ بِالطَرفِ الظِرابِ إِذا بَدَت
مُحَجَّلَةَ الأَيدي دَماً بِالمُخَضَّبِ
Eyes glancing with swords when appearing
Blood-stained hands with blood smeared red
وَلِلخَيلِ أَيّامٌ فَمَن يَصطَبِر لَها
وَيعرِف لَها أَيّامَها الخَيرَ تُعقِبِ
For days the horses have days, so who can have patience for it
And knows its good days, good consequences come
وَقَد كانَ حَيّانا عَدُوَّينِ في الَّذي
خَلا فَعَلى ما كانَ في الدَهرِ فَاِرتُبِ
We had two enemies in the past
So in what was in time, have certainty
إِلى اليَومِ لَم نُحدِث إِليكُم وَسيلَةً
وَلَم تَجِدوها عِندَنا في التَنَسُّبِ
Until today we didn't send any new claim
And you didn't find it with us when lineage claimed
جَزَيناهُمُ أَمسِ الفَطيمَةِ إِنَّنا
مَتى ما تَكُن مِنّا الوَسيقَةُ نَطلُبِ
We rewarded them yesterday for the hospitality
When the invitation doesn't come from us we seek
فَأَقلَعَتِ الأَيّامُ عَنّا ذُؤابَةً
بِمَوقِعِنا في مَحرَبٍ بَعدَ مَحرَبِ
So days went far from us withdrawn
Due to our position in war after war
وَلَم يَجِدِ الأَقوامُ فينا مَسَبَّةً
إِذا اِستُدبِرَت أَيّامُنا بِالتَعَقُّبِ o
The people didn't find with us any insults
When our days pass with following
