وَجاءَ قَريعُ الشَولِ قَبلَ إِفالِها
يَزِفُّ وَراحَت خَلفَهُ وَهيَ زُفَّفُ
The scorching summer came before the grass withered,
Scorching, while the cool breeze rushed behind it.
وَباشَرَ راعيها الصِلا بِلَبانِهِ
وَكَفَّيهِ حَرَّ النارِ ما يَتَحَرَّفُ
The shepherd began heating milk for his guests,
His hands burning from the fire without being harmed.
وَأَوقَدَتِ الشِعرى مَعَ اللَيلِ نارَها
وَأَمسَت مُحولاً جِلدُها يَتَوَسَّفُ
The thorn trees lit their fires in the night,
Their bark curling and crisping.
وَأَصبَحَ مَوضوعُ الصَقيعِ كَأَنَّهُ
عَلى سَرَواتِ النيبِ قُطنٌ مُنَدَّفُ
In the morning the frost covered the ground
Like cotton on the pine trees, clumped and tufted.
وَقاتَلَ كَلبُ الحَيِّ عَن نارِ أَهلِهِ
لِيَربِضَ فيها وَالصِلا مُتَكَنَّفُ
The watchdog fought for its family against the fire
To bask in its warmth while the milk boiled.
وَجَدتَ الثَرى فينا إِذا يَبِسَ الثَرى
وَمَن هُوَ يَرجو فَضلَهُ المُتَضَيِّفُ
You will find soil in us when the soil is dry,
And who hopes for the hospitality of the host?
تَرى جارَنا فينا يُجيرُ وَإِن جَنى
فَلا هُوَ مِمّا يُنطِفُ الجارَ يُنطَفُ
You see our neighbor grants asylum though he sins,
Neither sheltering the neighbor nor being sheltered.
وَيَمنَعُ مَولانا وَإِن كانَ نائِياً
بِنا جارَهُ مِمّا يَخافُ وَيَأنَفُ
And our lord protects us, even when far off,
From what makes his neighbor anxious and reluctant.
وَقَد عَلِمَ الجيرانُ أَنَّ قُدورَنا
ضَوامِنُ لِلأَرزاقِ وَالريحُ زَفزَفُ
The neighbors know our cauldrons
Are safeguards for sustenance though the winds gust.
نُعَجِّلُ لِلضيفانِ في المَحلِ بِالقِرى
قُدوراً بِمَعبوطٍ تُمَدُّ وَتُغرَفُ
We hurry to ready cauldrons in our guest houses,
Replenished stew pots, passed around and ladled.
تُفَرَّغُ في شيزى كَأَنَّ جِفانَها
حِياضُ جِبىً مِنها مِلاءٌ وَنُصَّفُ
Poured into bowls as though their rims
Were meadow springs, brimming over and flooding.
تَرى هَولَهُنَّ المُعتَفينَ كَأَنَّهُم
عَلى صَنَمٍ في الجاهِلِيَّةِ عُكَّفُ
You see them bowing over them as if
Crouched before an idol from the days of ignorance.
قُعوداً وَخَلفَ القاعِدينَ سُطورَهُم
جُنوحٌ وَأَيديهِم جُموسٌ وَنُطَّفُ
Sitting, and behind the sitters, their spines,
Bent wicks, their hands clasped and tucked.
وَما حُلَّ مِن جَهلٍ حُبى حُلَمائِنا
وَلا قائِلٌ بِالعُرفِ فينا يُعَنَّفُ
No ignorance has addled our wise men’s wits,
Nor will the well-mannered among us be upbraided.
وَما قامَ مِنّا قائِمٌ في نَدِيِّنا
فَيَنطِقَ إِلّا بِالَّتي هِيَ أَعرَفُ
None of our orators stands to speak our virtues
Unless he tells what is most virtuous.
وَإِنّي لَمِن قَومٍ بِهِم تُتَّقى العِدى
وَرَأبُ الثَأى وَالجانِبُ المُتَخَوِّفُ
I am one of a people who make even foes feel safe,
Mending rifts, appeasing fearful sides.
