أَتاني بِها وَاللَيلُ نِصفانِ قَد مَضى
أَمامي وَنِصفٌ قَد تَوَلَّت تَوائِمُه
He brought her when the night was half over,
Half was behind me, its twin still ahead.
فَقالَ تَعَلَّم إِنَّها أَرحَبِيَّةٌ
وَإِنَّ لَكَ اللَيلَ الَّذي أَنتَ جاشِمُه
He said, "Learn that she is of the Banu Arhab,
And you have the night that you crave."
نَصيحَتُهُ بَعدَ اللُبابِ الَّذي اِشتَرى
بِأَلفَينِ لَم تُحجَن عَلَيها دَراهِمُه
His advice after the eloquence he had bought
For two thousand, no dirhams were withheld from her price.
وَإِنَّكَ إِن يَقدِر عَلَيكَ يَكُن لَهُ
لِسانُكَ أَو تُغلَق عَلَيكَ أَداهِمُه
And if the night allows you, it will be yours,
Otherwise your tongue or hands will be bound.
كَفاني بِها البَهزِيُّ جُملانِ مَن أَبى
مِنَ الناسِ وَالجاني تُخافُ جَرائِمُه
The Bahzawi sufficed me with two words from those who refuse
Among men and jinn, fearing their crimes,
فَتى الجودِ عيسى ذو المَكارِمِ وَالنَدى
إِذا المالُ لَم تَرفَع بَخيلاً كَرائِمُه
The noble Jesus, of generosity and glory,
If wealth does not raise a miser, his virtues are vain.
تَخَطّى رُؤوسَ الحارِسينَ مُخاطِراً
مَخافَةَ سُلطانٍ شَديدٍ شَكائِمُه
He crept past the guards' heads, risking
The wrath of a mighty, firm king.
فَمَرَّت عَلى أَهلِ الحُفَيرِ كَأَنَّها
ظَليمٌ تَبارى جُنحَ لَيلٍ نَعائِمُه
She passed the cave people as though she were
A thick darkness competing with the wings of a soft night.
كَأَنَّ شِراعاً فيهِ مَثنى زِمامِها
مِنَ الساجِ لَولا خَطمُها وَبَلاعِمُه
As if her cheek strap was a sail with its tie ropes
Of twisted silk, but for her snout and canine tooth.
كَأَنَّ فُؤوساً رُكِّبَت في مَحالِها
إِلى دَأيِ مَضبورٍ نَبيلٍ مَحازِمُه
As if her legs were strapped to the saddle
Of a noble, pure-bred stead, firm are its bindings.
وَأَصبَحتُ وَالمُلقى وَرائي وَحَنبَلٌ
وَما صَدَرَت حَتّى تَلا اللَيلَ عاتِمُه
I woke with the racing-ground behind me, Ḥanbal nearby,
She did not bolt until the night was pitch black.
رَأَت بَينَ عَينَيها رَوِيَّةَ وَاِنجَلى
لَها الصُبحُ عَن صَعلٍ أَسيلٍ مَخاطِمُه
Between her eyes she saw ruwiya and injaala
The dawn shone upon a lofty, smooth plain.
إِذا ما أَتى دوني الفُرَيّانَ فَاِسلَمي
وَأَعرَضَ مِن فَلجٍ وَرائي مَخارِمُه
When the horsemen come after me, surrender to them,
And turn away from the valley behind me.
