أَلَم تَسأَل بِفاضِحَةَ الدِيارا
مَتى حَلَّ الجَميعُ بِها وَسارا
Did you not ask about the scandal of the abodes
When did all settle in it and migrate
وَجُردٍ طارَ باطِلُها نَسيلاً
وَأَحدَثَ قَمؤُها شَعَراً قِصارا
With bare Jorud whose vanity flowed
And its brambles grew short hair
يَظَلُّ رِعاؤُها يَلقونَ مِنها
إِذا عُدَّ نَظائِرَ أَو جَمارا
Its shepherds will find in it
When equals or neighbors are counted
بِصَحراءِ الهِياشِ لَها دَوِيٌّ
غَداةَ قَثامِ لَم يَغنَم صِرارا
In the desert of Hiyyash it has an echo
The morning after a pitch-dark night that did not gain consciousness
أَبا الشَبعانِ بَعدَكَ حَرُّ نَجدٍ
وَأَبطَحُ بَطنِ مَكَّةَ حَيثُ غارا
O Abul Shabaan after you the heat of Najd is forbidden
And the abdomen of Mecca wherever there is a cave became desolate
سَلوا قَحطانَ أَيُّ اِبنَي نِزارٍ
اَتى قَحطانَ يَلتَمِسُ الجِوارا
Ask Qahtan which son of Nizar
Came to Qahtan seeking refuge
فَالَفَهُم وَخالَفَ مِن مَعَدٍّ
وَنارُ الحَربِ تَستَعِرُ اِستِعارا
So he brought them together and dissented from Ma’add
And the fire of war is blazing borrowed
أَرانا لا يَزالُ لَنا حَميمٌ
كَداءِ البَطنِ سُلّاً أَو صُفارا
Do we still have an affection
Like the bile of the belly, roots or blond
يُعالِجُ عاقِراً عاصَت عَلَيهِ
لِيُلقِحَها فَيُنتِجَها حُوارا
He woos a barren one who rebelled against him
To impregnate her so he sires cubs
وَيَزعُمُ أَنَّهُ نازٍ عَلَينا
بِشِرَّتِهِ فَتارِكُنا تَبارا
And he claims that he is generous with us
By his nobility, leaving us to flee
كَحَجَّةِ أُمِّ شَعلٍ حينَ حَجَّت
بِكَلبتِها فَلَم تَرمِ الجِمارا
Like the argument of Umm Sha’l when she argued
With her bitch but did not pelt the neighbor
نُدارِئُهُ كَما أَنقاءُ وَهبٍ
يُساعِدُها فَتَنهَمِرُ اِنهِمارا
We tolerate him like the she-camels of Wahb
Which aid him so they pour heavily
يُدَنِّسُ عِرضَهُ لِيَنالَ عِرضي
أَبا دَغفاءَ وَلِّدها فِقارا
He disgraces his honor to attain my honor
O Abul Daghfal may you give birth to a mouse
لَها رِطلٌ تَكيلُ الزَيتَ فيهِ
وَفَلّاحٌ يَسوقُ لَها حِمارا
She has a ratl to measure oil in it
And a peasant who drives a donkey for her
تَقولُ حَليلَتي بِشَراءَ إِنّا
نَأَينا أَن نَزورَ وأَن نُزارا
She says "My trinkets are too dear in Shara’"
"We avoid visiting and grouping"
عَلَيكَ الجانِبَ الوَحشِيِّ إِنّي
سَمِعتُ لِقَومِنا حِلَفا حَرارا
"Keep away, I heard our people swear strongly"
"That if As-Sumar comes we will kill him"
لَئِن وَرَدَ السُمارَ لَنَقتُلَنهُ
فَلا وَأَبيكِ لا أَرِدُ السُمارا
"No, by your father, I will not ward off As-Sumar"
I fear slanderers who secretly creep to us
أَخافُ بَوائِقاً تَسري إِلَينا
مِنَ الأَشياعِ سِرّاً أَو جَهارا
From the Shia whether openly or secretly
The gardens of the Muslims I love to graze
جَنانُ المُسلِمينَ أَوَدُّ مَسّاً
وَلَو جاوَرتَ أَسلَمَ أَو غِفارا
Even if it neighbored Aslam or Ghifar
And perhaps a discreet questioner about me
وَرُبَّتَ سائِلٍ عَنّي حَفِيٍّ
أَعارَت عَينُهُ أَم لَم تُعارا
Whose eye lent or did not lend
So if he is happy with what I faced from my people
فَإِن يَفرَح بِما لاقَيتُ قَومي
لِئامُهُمُ فَلَم أُكثِر حِوارا
Their ignoble ones, so I did not talk much
And I am not a startled, tremulous rabbit
وَلَستُ بِهَيرَعٍ خَفِقٍ حَشاهُ
إِذا ما طَيَّرَتهُ الريحُ طارا
When the wind scares it, it flies
Nor am I a hornless, hornless ram my weapon
وَلَستَ بِعِرنَةٍ عِرِكٍ سِلاحي
عَصاً مَثقوبَةٌ تَقِصُ الجِمارا
A hollow stick that butts the neighbor
Nor does youth make me forget my honor
وَلا يُنسينِيَ الحَدَثانُ عِرضي
وَلا أُلفي مِنَ الفَرحِ الإِزارا
Or make me used to wearing only a loincloth
And youths like the family of ‘Issa
وَفِتيانٍ كَجَنَةِ آلِ عِسرٍ
إِذا لَم يَعدِلِ المِسكُ القُتارا
When musk does not equate tar
