أَلاَ طَرَقَت أُمَيمَةُ بَعدض هَدءٍ
أخا سَفرٍ شَباريقَ القَميصِ
Has Umaymah knocked after some calm,
My brother's journey, the youth's shirts?
ومِن أَنَّى اهتَدَيتِ إِلى طَريدٍ
وَأرضُ الأُسدِ دونَكِ واللُّصُوصِ
And from where did you find the path,
While the lion's land is under you and the thieves?
تَوَسَّدَ فى اليَمِينِ زِمَامَ حَرفٍ
كَنازِ اللَّحمش اَيِّدَةِ الفُصُوصِ
He took the reins firmly in his right hand,
Like the brave, wide-clawed lioness.
قَلِيلُ البَزِّ إِلاّ رَيطَتَيهِ
وصافٍ حَدُّهُ باقى الخُلوصِ
With little pride except his two straps,
Pure, whose edge remains sharp.
وَأخلاَقَ الشَّليلِ وَجِلبَ رَحلٍ
وَحَطَّ المَيسِ مِن نِسع بَرِيصِ
He loaded the belongings and saddled the camel,
And alighted at the watering place of soft sand.
وما كانت بِمِدلاجِ خَروج
وَلاَ عَجلى بمَنطِقها هَبوصِ
She was not with a lantern for departure,
Nor hasty in her speech, excited.
وما كانت بجَافِيَةِ السَّجايا
وَلاَ صِفرِ الثِّيَابِ وَلا نَحُوصِ
She was not with dry cheeks,
Nor yellow clothes, nor bent down.
ولكن غَيرُ جَافيةٍ فَتُقلى
ثقالُ المَشىِ ذَاتُ حَشاً خَميصِ
But not with dry cheeks that she heats,
Heavy walking, having a thick veil.
مُبَتَّلَةٌ مُنَعّمَةٌ ثَقالٌ
تَبَسَّمُ عَن أَشانِبَ غَيرِ قِيصِ
Afflicted, refined, heavy,
Smiling with cheeks not dried out.
لَها جِيدُ الغَزالِ وَمُقلتاهُ
وعالِى النَّبتِ مَيّالُ العُقُوصِ
She has the doe's neck and blinks,
And erect growth, inclined curvature.
كأنَّ رُضابَها عَسَلٌ مُصَفًّى
بماءِ نَقًا بساريَةٍ عَرُوصِ
As if her skin is strained honey,
With pure water in an aromatic bowl.
سَلِى عَنّى إِذَا هَابَ المُرَجَّى
وأُوزِغَتِ الخَصَائلُ بالفَرِيصِ
Ask about me when the goal seems far,
And the braids are pinned with the headband.
وَتَمشِى حينَ تَأتِى جارتَيها
تَأَوَّدُ مِشيَةَ الوَحِلِ الوَهِيصِ
She walks when she comes to her neighbors,
With the gait of sticky mud.
وَلاَحٍ فى أُمَيمَةَ لَم أُطِعهُ
بِها أو سائلٍ عَنها مُلِيصِ
No glimpse of Umaymah that I obeyed,
Or a questioner about her, insisting.
إذا ما قُلتُ أَسلُو عَن هَواها
تَدَاوىَ مُبتغِى طِبٍّ حَرِيصِ
When I say, ask about her love,
A seeker of medicine heals, greedy.
أَبَت إِلا تَعُودُكَ مِن هَواها
دَوَاعِ يَستَقيمُ لها عَويِصى
She refused but to return you from her love,
A cure that goes straight for her, twisting.
أَلَم تَساَل عَنَ أصحابى الذى هُم
لَدى خَفضِ المَعِيشَةِ والشُّخُوصِ
Did you not ask about my friends who,
Are with low living and adversity?
وحينَ أُصاحبُ الفِتيانَ صَبراً
عَلَى مَطوِيّةِ الأَقرَابِ خُوصِ
And when I befriend the youths with patience,
On the grazing place of relatives, stingy.
ولَم أَبخَل عَلَى ضَيفى وجارى
بِغالِى ما أُفيدُ ولا الرَّخِيصِ
I did not begrudge my guest and neighbor
With the expensive that I offer or the cheap.
بذلك كانَ أَوصانى جُدُودِى
فأَرعَى عَهدَهُم والجَدُّ مُوصِى
With that my grandparents advised me,
So I heed their covenant and the elder is commanding.
وَقَومٍ قَد حَمَلناهُم أُعَادٍ
عَلَى حُدبٍ شَناشِنُهَا قَمُوصِ
And a people whom we carried, enemies,
On a hump, whose peaks are dry.
بِعاديةٍ كأَنَّ البِيضَ فيها
تَلهَّبُ أَو سَنا بَرقٍ عَروصِ
With an enmity as if the white in it,
Burns or the lightning of a bride flashes.
