أَلا أَرِقَت عَيني فَبِتُّ أُديرُها
حِذارَ غَدٍ أَحجى بِأَن لا يَضيرُها
My eyes could not sleep, so I stayed awake
Beware tomorrow, lest it bring harm
إِذا النَجمُ أَضحى مَغرِبَ الشَمسِ مائِلاً
وَلَم يَكُ بِالآفاقِ بَونٌ يُنيرُها
When the star appears as the sunset of the sun leaning
And there was no light in the horizons to illuminate it
إِذا ما السَماءُ لَم تَكُن غَيرَ حَلبَةٍ
كَجِدَّةِ بَيتِ العَنكَبوتِ يُنيرُها
If the sky was nothing but an arena
Like a spider web illuminating it
فَقَد عَلِمَت غَوثٌ بِأَنّا سَراتُها
إِذا أُعلِمَت بَعدَ السِرارِ أُمورُها
So the rescue knew that we are its elite
When the secrets were disclosed, its affairs
إِذا الريحُ جاءَت مِن أَمامِ أَخائِفٍ
وَأَلوَت بِأَطنابِ البُيوتِ صُدورُها
When the wind came from fearful fronts
And twisted in the robes of homes, their chests
وَإِنّا نُهينُ المالَ في غَيرِ ظِنَّةٍ
وَما يَشتَكينا في السِنينَ ضَريرُها
And we spend money without any doubt
And we do not complain in years for its harm
إِذا ما بَخيلُ الناسِ هَرَّت كِلابُهُ
وَشَقَّ عَلى الضَيفِ الضَعيفِ عَقورُها
When the people's dogs fled their master
And it was hard on the weak guest, their dens
فَإِنّي جَبانُ الكَلبِ بَيتي مُوَطِّاً
أَجودُ إِذا ما النَفسُ شَحَّ ضَميرُها
So I am the brave one, my home protected
I am generous when the soul narrows its conscience
وَإِنَّ كِلابي قَد أُهِرَّت وَعُوِّدَت
قَليلٌ عَلى مَن يَعتَريني هَريرُها
And my dogs are provoked and trained
Little to whoever tries to make them growl
وَما تَشتَكي قِدري إِذا الناسُ أَمحَلَت
أُؤَثِّفُها طَوراً وَطَوراً أُميرُها
And my pot does not complain when people find fault
I move it from time to time as its master
وَأُبرِزُ قِدري بِالفَضاءِ قَليلُها
يُرى غَيرَ مَضنونٍ بِهِ وَكَثيرُها
And I bring out my pot in the open, little of it
Its full is seen and not suspected of it
وَإِبلِيَ رَهنٌ أَن يَكونَ كَريمُها
عَقيراً أَمامَ البَيتِ حينَ أُثيرُها
And my camels pledge to be generous
Restless in front of the house when aroused
أُشاوِرُ نَفسَ الجودِ حَتّى تُطيعَني
وَأَترُكُ نَفسَ البُخلِ لا أَستَشيرُها
I consult the soul of generosity until it obeys me
And I leave the soul of stinginess, I do not consult it
وَلَيسَ عَلى ناري حِجابٌ يَكُنُّها
لِمُستَوبِصٍ لَيلاً وَلَكِن أُنيرُها
And there is no barrier on my fire to hide it
From one lurking at night, but I illuminate it
فَلا وَأَبيكَ ما يَظَلُّ اِبنُ جارَتي
يَطوفُ حَوالَي قِدرِنا ما يَطورُها
By your father, my neighbor's son does not remain
Circling around our pot however he maneuvers
وَما تَشتَكيني جارَتي غَيرَ أَنَّها
إِذا غابَ عَنها بَعلُها لا أَزورُها
And my neighbor does not complain about me except
When her husband is away from her, I do not visit her
سَيَبلُغُها خَيري وَيَرجِعُ بَعلُها
إِلَيها وَلَم يُقصَر عَلَيَّ سُتورُها
She will know my goodness, and her husband will return to her
And she did not lack my veils upon her
وَخَيلٍ تَعادى لِلطِعانِ شَهِدتُها
وَلَو لَم أَكُن فيها لَساءَ عَذيرُها
And horses competing in spearing which I witnessed
And if I were not among them, their excuse would be miserable
وَغَمرَةِ مَوتٍ لَيسَ فيها هَوادَةٌ
يَكونُ صُدورَ المَشرَفِيِّ جُسورُها
And a sea of death without any calmness
The chests of the valiant would be its bridges
صَبَرنا لَها في نَهكِها وَمُصابِها
بِأَسيافِنا حَتّى يَبوخَ سَعيرُها
We were patient with it in its groaning and afflictions
With our swords until its flow of pus poured forth
وَعَرجَلَةٍ شُعثِ الرُؤوسِ كَأَنَّهُم
بَنو الجِنِّ لَم تُطبَخ بِقِدرٍ جَزورُها
And the barefoot, disheveled hair, as if they are
The jinn's sons, their pots never cooked
شَهِدتُ وَعَوّاناً أُمَيمَةُ أَنّنا
بَنو الحَربِ نَصلاها إِذا اِشتَدَّ نورُها
Umaymah witnessed that we
Are the people of war, its light intensified when we unsheathed it
عَلى مُهرَةٍ كَبداءَ جَرداءَ ضامِرٍ
أَمينٍ شَظاها مُطمَئِنٍّ نُسورُها
On a sturdy, severe, barren, trustworthy horse
Whose legs stomp showing no fear
وَأَقسَمتُ لا أُعطي مَليكاً ظُلامَةً
وَحَولي عَدِيٌّ كَهلُها وَغَريرُها
And I swore I will not give a king my darkness
While around me are foes, old and young
أَبَت لِيَ ذاكُم أُسرَةٌ ثُعَلِيَّةٌ
كَريمٌ غِناها مُستَعِفٌّ فَقيرُها
They refused me the highborn captives
The generous provided for them, the poor acquired them
وَخوصٍ دِقاقٍ قَد حَدَوتُ لِفِتيَةٍ
عَلَيهِنَّ إِحداهُنَّ قَد حَلَّ كورُها
And a fine, slender one whom young men vied over
One of them had loosened her belt
