فَرُبَّ رَبيعٍ بِالبَلاليقِ قَد رَعَت
بِمُستَنِّ أَغياثٍ بِعاقَ ذُكورُها
Many a spring the water buckets at dawn have come round,
With the sound of the drivers' cries at early morning drawing water,
تَحَدَّرَ قَبلَ النَجمِ مِمّا أَمامَهُ
مِنَ الدَلوِ وَالأَشراطِ يَجري غَضيرُها
Coming down toward the star from before it
From the water-channel and Aquarius the water pourer.
أَلَم تَعلَمي أَنّي إِذا القِدرُ حُجِّلَت
وَأُلقِيَ عَن وَجهِ الفَتاةِ سُتورُها
Don't you know when the fateful time comes
And the maiden's veil is lifted from her face,
وَراحَت تَشِلُّ الشَولَ وَالفَحلُ خَلفَها
زَفيفاً إِلى نيرانِها زَمهَريرُها
She goes along jangling anklets and behind her the stallion,
With a whistling sound to its fireside, the branding iron glowing?
شَآمِيَةٌ تُفشي الخَفائِرَ نارُها
وَنَبحُ كِلابِ الحَيِّ فيها هَريرُها
A Samian cup gives out the secrets of its fire,
And the howling of the quarter's dogs goes on in it.
إِذا الأُفُقُ الغَربِيُّ أَمسى كَأَنَّهُ
سَدى أُرجُوانٍ وَاِستَقَلَّت عَبورُها
When the west horizon at evening seems as though
It were Myrobalan purple, and the wagons have gotten through,
تَرى النيبَ مِن ضَيفي إِذا ما رَأَينَهُ
ضُموزاً عَلى جَرّاتِها ما تُحيرُها
You see my guest if he sees them
Drawing together in confusion over their wine-skins—it bewilders them—
يُحاذِرنَ مِن سَيفي إِذا ما رَأَينَهُ
مَعي قائِماً حَتّى يَكوسَ عَقيرُها
Taking care because of my sword if they see it
With me, standing erect until their herd is hobbled;
وَقَد عَلِمَت أَنَّ القِرى لِاِبنِ غالِبٍ
ذُراها إِذا لَم يَقرِ ضَيفاً دَرورُها
And she has known that for the son of Galib
The parts of her abode are a gift if he does not drive off their cattle;
شَقَقنا عَنِ الأَولادِ بِالسَيفِ بَطنَها
وَلَمّا تُجَلَّد وَهيَ يَحبو بَقيرُها
We split open because of the sword the bellies of their big ones,
And when the cattle brutes bellowed I ripped them to tatters;
وَنُبِّئتُ ذا الأَهدامِ يَعوي وَدونَهُ
مِنَ الشَأمِ ذَرّاعاتُها وَقُصورُها
And I warned the short-haired one who shrieks over them,
Beyond us from Syria their mansions and castles;
إِلَيَّ وَلَم أَترُك عَلى الأَرضِ حَيَّةً
وَلا نابِحاً إِلّا اِستَسَرَّ عَقورُها
Toward me —and I left no living thing on earth,
Nor one that howls except I veiled its dens;
كِلاباً نَبَحنَ اللَيثَ مِن كُلِّ جانِبٍ
فَعادَ عُواءً بَعدَ نَبحٍ هَريرُها
Dogs that barked at the lion from every side,
Then their howling turned to whimpering after their barking.
عَوى بِشَقاً لِاِبنَي بُحَيرٍ وَدونَنا
نِضادٌ فَأَعلامُ السِتارِ فَنيرُها
He howled in earnest at the sons of Buḥair while around us
Were our assailants, and the banners of the curtain were woven.
وَنُبِّئتُ كَلبَ اِبنَي حُمَيضَةَ قَد عَوى
إِلَيَّ وَنارُ الحَربِ تَغلي قُدورُها
And I warned the dog of the sons of Ḥumaidhah, for he had howled
At me, and the fires of war boiled their pots;
وَوَدَّت مَكانَ الأَنفِ لَو كانَ نافِعٌ
لَها حَيضَةٌ أَو أَعجَلَتها شُهورُها
In place of the nose she wanted, if it would have helped her,
Ḥaidhah or faster for her the months.
