أَفِدَ الرَحيلُ وَلَيتَهُ لَم يَأفَدِ
وَاليَومَ عاجِلُهُ وَيُعذَلُ في غَدِ
Departure has drawn near—would that it had not! Today it hastens, and tomorrow brings blame.
Ghaniyya claimed that gray hair now fills my head; a trifle to endure, provided she grows not distant.
زَعَمَت غَنِيَّةُ أَن اَكثَرَ لِمَّتي
شَيبٌ وَهانَ بِذاكَ ما لَم تَزدَدِ
When I saw pure-blooded camels with noble ones amidst them, she exulted and roamed amidst the distant cries.
I bestowed my word upon her, riding a wild, unruly mount, soothing her malice with gentle coaxing.
لَمّا رَأَيتُ عُرباً هَجائِنَ وَسطَها
مَرِحَت وَجالَت في الصُراخِ الأَبعَدِ
She knew not the weaving of the saddle-cloth before this, nor the treading of a rugged, furrowed path.
One raised in luxury, who feared not the outcome of the Decree, nor the ancient scripts of fate.
وَمَنَحتُها قَولي عَلى عُرضِيَّةٍ
عُلُطٍ أُداري ضِغنَها بِتَوَدُّدِ
Drunken, struck by the arrow of Fate's wheel; he cast a sinful arrow in return but struck no game.
Do you see Time baring its touch, save upon a fleeting madness that comes and goes?
لَم تَدرِ ما نَسجُ البَرَندَجِ قَبلَها
وَدِراسُ أَعوَصَ دارِسٍ مُتَخَدِّدِ
It marred the bond with the Harithi woman that she departs, and things occur that we never knew.
She spoke to us one day in the valley of Sabuha, amidst a noisy cavalcade seeking cool from the midday heat.
مِمَّن تَرَبَّبَهُ النَعيمُ وَلَم يَخَف
عُقُبَ الكِتابِ وَلا بَناتِ المُسنَدِ
"How vast the distance now between our lands and our desires! So flash your lightning and thunder in your own land!"
Were I at Al-Tabsayn, or Ulala, or Bar Ba'is with the black Jinan,
ثَمِلٌ رَمَتهُ المَنجَنونُ بِسَهمِها
وَرَمى بِسَهمٍ جَريمَةٍ لَم يَصطَدِ
A smooth Yemeni journey, an old man of resolve, cut off before the rising star of Yemen.
Birds flew past for her omen; my companion cried out at them, but I said, "This is a herald that brings no praise."
أَو هَل تَرَينَ الدَهرَ عَرّى مَسَّهُ
إِلّا عَلى لَمَمٍ يَروحُ وَيَغتَدي
I went forth early... The youth hopes in life for that which he cannot ransom.
On a lean-flanked steed that overtakes the prey, his back like a smooth rock in a dusty plain.
أَزرى بِوَصلِ الحارِثِيَّةِ أَنَّها
تَنأى وَيَحدُثُ بَعضُ ما لَم نَعهَدِ
Eager and swift when sweat beneath the bridle wets his neck, his hair tufts flowing—wild as the thorny gharqad.
He trots on shanks of distinct strength, with solid hooves that need no protection from the stony ground.
قالَت لَنا يَوماً بِبَطنِ سَبوحَةٍ
في مَوكِبٍ زَجِلِ الهَواجِرِ مُبرِدِ
With fleshy shoulders and thick rib-roots, a neck strong and high as he glances about.
His ribs are vaulted, his back firmly propped; yet when he charges, you would deem him unsupported in his flight.
يا جَلَّ ما بَعُدَت عَلَيكَ بِلادُنا
وَطِلابُنا فَاِبرُق بِأَرضِكَ وَاِرعُدِ
A full, round rump joins his high withers, set upon a strong chest and a lofty neck.
He possesses an ear attuned to every sound, and an eye sharp as the side-glance of a proud viper.
لَو كُنتُ بِالطَبسَينِ أَو بِأُلالَةٍ
اَو بَر بَعيصَ مَعَ الجِنانِ الأَسوَدِ
A storm-swept night passed over him; rain fell as he stood by a threatening sand-dune.
I anticipated him with my eye, while he fixed his gaze away from me, on the fresh, swaying shoots.
مَلسى يَمانِيَةٌ وَشَيخٌ هَمَّةٌ
مُتَقَطِّعٌ دونَ اليَماني المُصعِدِ
When the darkness lifted, I came upon him—a vigorous beast, wild and bright as the star Farqad.
Then I charged to challenge him and clung close, while his heart beat fast like the drumming of a hoopoe.
وَجَرَت لَها طَيرٌ فَيَزجُر صاحِبي
وَأَقولُ هَذا رائِدٌ لَم يُحمَدِ
He ceased his bellowing and lost the guidance of his horns, as I pierced his heart with my spear.
He collapsed, plummeting down, his vitality extinguished like a spark falling from a flint-striker's hand.
وَلَقَد غَدَوتُ رَأَيَّ أَفتُنِ دَهرِهِ
يَرجو الفَتى في العَيشِ ما لَم يَفتَدِ
May Allah the Majestic grant you long life! For I would turn to you, if only your mind were guided right.
Has any companion I ever journeyed with found fault in me—be he unarmored, mailed, or cloaked?
بِمُقَلِّصٍ دَركِ الطَريدَةِ مَتنُهُ
كَصَفا الخَليقَةِ بِالفَضاءِ المُلبِدِ
Have people ever blamed me when a beggar stood before me, or when facing the dispute of a stubborn, proud foe?
هَمِقٌ إِذا رَشَحَ العِذارُ بِلَيتِهِ
وَكَفَت خَصائِلُهُ وَكَيفَ الغَرقَدِ
يَخدي بِأَوظِفَةٍ شَديدٍ أَسرُها
صُمِّ السَنابِكِ لا تَقي بِالجَدجَدِ
ذي مَنكِبٍ رَهلٍ وَقُصرى جَأبَةٍ
وَصَليفِ أَرعَنَ يافِعِ المُتَلَدَّدِ
حَبِطَت قُصَيراه وَسونِدَ ظَهرُهُ
وَإِذا تَدافَعَ خِلتَهُ لَم يُسنَدِ
حُدِيَت بِحارِكِهِ قَطاةُ فَعمَةٌ
في صَندَلٍ لَهزٍ وَهادٍ موفِدِ
وَحَبَت لَهُ أُذُنٌ يُراقِبُ سَمعَها
بَصَرٌ كاصِيَةِ الشُجاعِ الأَصيَدِ
باتَت عَلَيهِ لَيلَةُ عَرشِيَّةٌ
شَرِيَت وَباتَ إِلى نَقاً مُتَهَدِّدِ
فَبَدَرتُهُ عَينا وَلَجَّ بِطَرفِهِ
عَنّي لُعاعَةُ لَغوَسٍ مُتَرَئِّدِ
لَمّا تَجَلى غَلَسُ الظَلامِ صَبَحتُهُ
ذا مَيعَةٍ خَرِصاً كَلَونِ الفَرقَدِ
ثُمَّ اِقتَحَمتُ مُناجِداً وَلَزِمتُهُ
وَفُؤادُهُ زَجِلٌ كَعَزفِ الهُدهُدِ
نَبَذَ الجَؤارَ وَضَلَّ هِديَةَ رَوقِهِ
لضمّا اِختَلَلتُ فُؤادَهُ بِالمِطرَدِ
وَاِنقَضَّ مُنسَدِراً كَأَنَّ إِرانَهُ
قَبسٌ تَقَطَّعَ دونَ كَفِّ الموقِدِ
عَمَّرتُكَ اللَهُ الجَليلَ فَإِنَّني
أَلوي عَلَيكَ لَو أَنَّ لُبَّكَ يَهتَدي
هَل لامَني مِن صاحِبٍ صاحَبتُهُ
مِن حاسِرٍ أَو دارِعٍ أَو مُرتَدي
هَل لامَني قَومٌ لِمَوقِفِ سائِلٍ
أَو في مُخاصَمَةِ اللَجوجِ الأَصيَدِ
