أَمِن ذِكرِ سَلمى ماءُ عَينِكَ يَهمِلُ
كَما اِنهَلَّ خَرزٌ مِن شَعيبٍ مُشَلشِلُ
Does the water of your eye neglect to flow from the mention of Salma
As necklaces cascade down a rugged mountainside?
وَماذا تُرَجّي بِالسَلامَةِ بَعدَما
نَأَت حِقَبٌ وَاِبيَضَّ مِنكَ المُرَجَّلُ
What hope remains for peace after times
When white hairs sprouted and the staff grew unsteady?
وَحالَت عَوادي الحَربِ بَيني وَبَينَها
وَحَربٌ تُعِلُّ المَوتَ صِرفاً وَتُنهِلُ
The vicissitudes of war stand between me and her.
A war where death changes course and pours forth.
قِراها إِذا باتَت لَدَيَّ مُفاضَةٌ
وَذو خُصَلٍ نَهدُ المَراكِلِ هَيكَلُ
When her villages spend the night with me they are places
Where the thighs of the fair sway like camel litters.
كَميشٌ كَتَيسِ الرَملِ أَخلَصَ مَتنَهُ
ضَريبُ الخَلايا وَالنَقيعُ المُعَجَّلُ
Moving like the measured gait of a camel over sand
My poetry’s rhythm bounds free yet remains orderly.
عَتيدٌ لِأَيّامِ الحُروبِ كَأَنَّهُ
إِذا اِنجابَ رَيعانُ العَجاجَةِ أَجدَلُ
Ready for the days of war as though
When the chicks of the wild hen first took flight.
يَجاوِبُ جُرداً كَالسَراحينِ ضُمَّراً
تَرودُ بِأَبوابِ البُيوتِ وَتَصهَلِ
Answering the naked swords with other naked swords
That strike tents’ doors and make them ring.
عَلى كُلِّ حَيٍّ قَد أَطَلَّت بِغارَةٍ
وَلا مِثلَ ما لاقى الحِماسُ وَزَعبَلُ
Against every living thing I have launched a raid
But none suffered as Hudhayl and Dhu Za'bal did:
غَداةَ رَأَونا بِالغَريفِ كَأَنَّنا
حَبِيٌّ أَدَرَّتهُ الصَبا مُتَهَلِّلُ
The morning we were on the hill as though we were
Tousled locks the dawn breeze had just stirred.
بِمُشعَلَةٍ تَدعو هَوازِنَ فَوقَها
نَسيجٌ مِنَ الماذِيِّ لَأمٌ مُرَفَّلُ
With a flaming torch calling Hawazin from on high
Above it a banner of twisted strands.
لَدى مَعرَكٍ فيها تَرَكنا سَراتَهُم
يُنادونَ مِنهُم موثَقٌ وَمُجَدَّلُ
In a battle where we left their chieftains
Calling out, bound and fettered.
نَجُذُّ جَهاراً بِالسُيوفِ رُؤوسَهُم
وَأَرماحُنا مِنهُم تَعُلُّ وَتَنهَلُ
Loudly we lop off their heads with swords
And our spears in them flare up and flow.
تَرى كُلَّ مُسوَدِّ العِذارَينِ فارِسٍ
يُطيفُ بِهِ نَسرٌ وَعَرفاءُ جَيأَلُ
You see every dark-tressed knight in armor
Plundered by an eagle and nimble resourceful ones.
