تَعَجَّبُ جارَتي لَمّا رَأَتني
كَذاتِ النوطِ مَخدِرَتي جِراحي
My neighbor was astonished when she saw me
Like a captive doe nursing my wounds
كَأَنَّكِ لَم تَرَي قَبلي أَسيراً
يُقادُ بِهِ عَلى جَمَلٍ رَداحِ
As if you've never seen a prisoner before
Led on a camel, writhing in agony
عَلى آثارِ أَحمِرَةٍ وَفِرقٍ
تُقَسَّمُ بَينَ أَغوِلَةٍ شِحاحِ
On the tracks of red camels and raiding parties
Divided among greedy, rapacious thieves
فَلَمّا أَنزَلوني كُنتُ حُرّاً
أُجالِدُهُم لَدى كَفَلِ الجَناحِ
When they brought me down, I was free
Fighting them at the bend of the wing
تَعاوَرَهُ الرِجالُ فَأَنزَلوني
عَنِ الفَرَسِ المُطَهَّمَةِ الوَقاحِ
The men took turns bringing me down
From the impudent, decked-out horse
فَلَمّا أَن كُثِرتُ وَغابَ قَومي
أُسِرتُ إِسارَ مُحتَبَلِ البَراحِ
When my tribe grew large and absent
I was captured, bound in shackles
رَأَوني مُفرَداً فَتَناذَروني
وَما صَدَعَت كُماتُهُم جِماحي
They saw me alone, so they warned me
And their threats did not make me blink
وَقَد رَوَّعتُهُم قِدماً بِخَيلٍ
جَوانِفَ في الأَعِنَّةِ كَالسَراحِ
I had frightened them, once on horses
Charging amidst the sandstorms like ghosts
إِذا بَلَّت أَعِنَّتَها بَناني
خَرَجنَ بِنا نَواشِطَ كَالقِراحِ
Just as their sandstorms intensified
They came at us like violent thunder
وَلَو أَنّي جَمَعتُ لَهُم شَواري
عَلى نَهدٍ مَراكِلُهُ شَناحِ
Had I gathered their drinking cups
On a meadow, its pastor a hawk
لِأَنكَرَني الَّذينَ تَبادَروني
عَلَيَّ مَفاضَتي وَمَعي سِلاحي
Those who came at me would not recognize me
As I overflowed at them, weapons in hand
كَأَنَّ عَدِيَّهُم حَولي عُبابٌ
تَغَطمَّطَ في قَموسِ البَحرِ ضاحي
It was as if their army swarmed around me
Plunging into the sea's deep darkness
وَغابَ حَلائِبي وَبَقيتُ فَرداً
أُماصِعُهُم وَنَهضُكَ بِالجَناحِ
And my warriors vanished, leaving me alone
Battling them, swooping with my wings
فَما أَدري وَظَنّي كُلُّ ظَنٍّ
أَيُسلِمُني بَنو البَرءِ اللِقاحِ
So I do not know, though I suspect
Will the innocent ones make peace with me?
فَتَقتُلَني بَنو خَمرٍ بِذُهلٍ
وَكِدتُ أَكونَ مِن قَتلى الرِياحِ
Lest the wine-drinkers kill me in confusion
And I become one of the winds' dead
وَظَنّي أَن سَتَشغَلُكَ النَدامَى
غُدُوُّهُم إِلَيكَ مَعَ الرَواحِ
I expect the penitents will occupy you
Coming to you at dawn with the departing souls
تُغَنّيكَ الحَمامَةُ كُلَّ فَجرٍ
عَلى التُكَآتِ في النُجُبِ الصِباحِ
The dove will sing to you each dawn
On the hillocks at first light
إِذا فارَقتَ نَدماناً بِلَيلٍ
تُواعِدُهُ لِقاءَكَ ذا صَباحِ
When you leave a regretful one at night
Promising to meet him at dawn
وَإِنَّ أَخاكَ إِن غُيِّبتَ عَنهُ
يَغَصُّ بِنُغبَةِ الماءِ القَراحِ
If your brother disappears from you
He will choke with thirst like hot embers
فَلَو كُنتَ الأَسيرَ وَلا تَكُنهُ
لَزُرتُهُم بِمُرتَجَفِ النَواحِ
If you were the captive, do not hide it
I would visit them in great distress
فَإِن لَم يُطلِقوا مِنكُم أَسيراً
فَقودوا الخَيلَ أَسفَلَ مِن رَباحِ
If they do not release any captive among you
Then ride the horses south of the meadows
وَلا يَردَعكُمُ شَفَقٌ عَلَينا
فَبَعضُ القَودِ أَدنى لِلنَجاحِ
Let no mercy for us hold you back
For some loss paves the way for success
وَإِنَّ القَودَ بَعدَ القَودِ يَشفي
ذَوي الأَضغانِ مِن لَهَبِ الأُجاحِ
Loss after loss will heal
The fiery pain of the wounded
