وَمَسجونَةٍ قالَت وَقَد سَدَّ زَوجُها
عَلَيها خَصاصَ البَيتِ مِن كُلِّ مَنظَرِ
Imprisoned, she said - her husband had shut
The house’s eyes on her from every view -
لَعَمري لَقَد أَروى جَنابٌ لِقاحَهُ
وَأَنهَلَ في لَزنٍ مِنَ الماءِ مُنكَرِ
“By my life, a stranger has slaked his lust
And drunk, in a borrowed robe, unpure brew!
فَإِنَّكَ قَد أَشبَعتَ أَبرامَ نَهشَلٍ
وَأَبرَزتَ مِنهُم كُلَّ عَذراءَ مُعصِرِ
You have gorged the ravening packs of Nashel
And made bare each maiden pressed for you;
وَلَو كُنتَ حُرّاً ما طَعِمتَ لُحومَها
وَلا قُمتَ عِندَ الفَرثِ يا اِبنَ المُجَشَّرِ
Had you been gently bred you had never helled
The flesh of free women nor tax levied new.
أَلَم تَعلَما يا اِبنَ المُجَشَّرِ أَنَّها
إِلى السَيفِ تُستَبكى إِذا لَم تُعَقَّرِ
Know you not, vile Nashshar’s son, they steel
Their souls for death should dishonor ensue?
مَناعيشُ لِلمَولى مَرائيبُ لِلثَأى
مَعاقيرُ في يَومِ الشِتاءِ المُذَكَّرِ
I keep flocks for the Lord, shy from men and hole,
Warm goats in winter’s dearth for wealth accrue;
وَما جَبَرَت إِلّا عَلى عَتَبٍ بِها
عَراقيبُها مُذ عُقِّرَت يَومَ صَوأَرِ
My stakes firm planted since the day they stole
Me at Sawâr, though now my ribs askew
وَإِنَّ لَها بَينَ المِقَرَّينِ ذائِداً
وَسَيفَ عِقالٍ في يَدَي غَيرِ جَيدَرِ
And I bear between my burdens twain a sword
And reins controlled by hands all blood imbrue.
إِذا رَوَّحَت يَوماً عَلَيهِ رَأَيتَها
بُروكاً مَتاليها عَلى كُلِّ مَجزَرِ
Should she but breathe one day the death afford
You would see her broadsword fleshed on each subdue;
وَكائِن لَها مِن مَحبِسٍ أُنهِبَت بِهِ
بِجَمعٍ وَبِالبَطحاءِ عِندَ المُشَعَّرِ
And she has power to quit this prison gored
And meet her kin, and where the speakers mew
وَما إِبِلٌ أَدعى إِلى فَرعِ قَومِها
وَخَيرٌ قِرىً لِلطارِقِ المُتَنَوِّرِ
At the Hallowed Place. No camels ever pined
More for their calves or for the tribal view
وَأَعرَفَ بِالمَعروفِ مِنها إِذا اِلتَقَت
عَصائِبُ شَتّى بِالمَقامِ المُطَهَّرِ
Than she, who better knows the thing refined,
When the clans join at Holy Rendezvous.
وَما أُفُقٌ إِلّا بِهِ مِن حَديثِها
لَها أَثَرٌ يَنمى إِلى كُلِّ مَفخَرِ
She wakes some theme in all of generous mind
That spreads and blossoms into fame anew.”
