أمِنْ ذِكرِ سلمَى أنْ نأتْكَ تَنوصُ
فَتَقْصُرُ عنها خُطوةًَ وتَبُوصُ
Is it from mentioning Salma that we come to you wavering,
So you fall short in your step and look askance?
وكم دونَها مِن مَهْمَهٍ ومَفَازةٍ
وكم أرضِ جَدْبٍ دونَها ولُصُوصُ
How many perils and wildernesses are below it,
And how much barren land is below it, frequented by thieves!
تَرَاءَتْ لَنَا يَوْمًا بجَنْبِ عُنَيزَةٍ
وَقَد حانَ مِنها رِحلَةٌ فَقُلُوصُ
One day it appeared to us at Unayzah’s side,
And now to move camp from it was imperative.
بأسودَ مُلْتَفِّ الغَدَائِرِ واردٍ
وذي أُشُرٍ تَشُوفُهُ وَتشُوصُ
With black camels wound with plaited halters
And young she-camels that you incite and prod.
مَنَابِتُهُ مِثْلُ السُّدُوسِ وَلَوْنُهُ
كشوكِ السَّيالِ فهو عَذْبِ يُفِيضُ
Their resting places are like sdus-plants and their color
Is like torrential rain-water, sweet and overflowing.
فهل يُسْلِيَنَّ الهَمَّ عنكِ شِمِلَّةٌ
مُدَاخِلَةٌ صُمُّ العِظَامِ أَصُوصُ
Will an impenetrable shawl console you for anxiety
That penetrates the bones of the deaf adders?
تَظَاهَرَ فِيهَا النِّيُّ لا هيَ بَكْرَةٌ
وَلا ذاتُ ضِغنٍ في الزِّمامِ قَمُوصُ
The purpose in it is evident; it is no young camel
Nor one with a frayed bridle-rein and bit.
أَوُوبٌ نَعوبٌ لا يُواكِلُ نَهْزُها
إذا قيلَ سيرُ المُدْلِجِينَ نَصِيصُ
Tiresome, fidgety, not halting her movement
When they say: “Move on in the dark, O travelers!”
كأنِّي وَرَحْلِي والقِرَابَ ونُمْرُقِي
إذا شَبَّ للمرْوِ الصِّغارَ وَبِيصُ
As if I, my camel-litter, my kinsfolk and my guide,
When the small camels stir, were all one group
عَلى نِقْنِقٍ هَيْقٍ لَهُ وَلِعِرْسِهِ
بمُنعَرَجِ الوَعساءِ بَيضٌ رَصِيصُ
On a creaking litter for him and his bride,
White, marked on the side, climbing the undulating ground.
إذا رَاحَ لِلأُدْحيِّ أوْبًا يَفُنُّهَا
تُحَاذِرُ منْ إدْرَاكِهِ وَتَحيصُ
When he moves lethargically to couple with her,
She avoids him and holds back in alarm.
أذَلِكَ أمْ جَوْنٌ يُطَارِدُ آتُنًا
حَمَلنَ فأرْبَى حَمْلِهِنَّ دُرُوصُ
Is that so or a lustful stallion pursuing young she-camels
Who have conceived and whose pregnancies are evident?
طوَاهُ اضْطِمارُ الشَّدِّ فالبَطنُ شازِبٌ
معالًى إلى المتنينِ فهو خَمِيصُ
Need has drawn his belly tight so his ribs are visible
And his flank clings to his spine so that he is pinched.
بحاجِبِهِ كَدْحٌ مِن الضَّربِ جالبٌ
وحاركهُ من الكِدامِ حَصِيصُ
On his forehead are bumps from blows, bringing disgrace,
And his scruff is calloused from contention and conflict.
كَأنَّ سَرَاتَهُ وَجُدَّةَ ظَهْرِهِ
كنائنُ يَجْرِي بينهنَ دَلِيصُ
As if his vertebrae and the hair of his back
Were lovers creeping stealthily between them.
ويأْكُلْنَ مِن قَوٍِّ لُعَاعًا وَرِبَّةً
تَجَبَّرُ بعدَ الأكلِ فهو نَمِيصُ
They graze on the plentiful desert-grass ratb and la’u’
Swollen with food, he staggers as he walks.
تُطِيرُ عِفَاءً مِنْ نَسِيلٍ كَأنّهُ
سُدُوسٌ أطَارَتهُ الرِّيَاحُ وَخُوصُ
Raising dust like a sdus-plant when the winds lift it
And whirl it about till it can rise no more.
تَصَيّفَهَا حَتى إذا لمْ يَسُغْ لهَا
حَليٌّ بأعْلى حَائِلٍ وَقَصِيصُ
She drove them on until, no longer able to continue,
There was a mountain pass above them and a gorge.
تَغَالَبْنَ فيه الجَزْءَ لولا هَوَاجِرٌ
جَنَادِبُهَا صَرْعَى لهُنّ قَصِيصُ
They struggled there; were it not for rock-climbers
Their young would be prey for them in the gorge.
أَرَنَّ عليها قاربًا وانْتَحَتْ له
طُوالَة ُ أرْساغِ اليَدَيْنِ نَحُوصُ
When he spied them from nearby he moaned at them
With wrists as slender as those of a nursing baby.
فأَوْرَدَها مِن آخِرِ الَّليلِ مَشْرَبًا
بلائِقَ خُضْرًا ماؤُهُنَّ قَلِيصُ
So he gave them to drink late at night a beverage
Green, whose water was brackish and scarce.
فَيَشْرَبْن أنفاسًا وَهُنَّ خَوَائِفٌ
وَتَرْعَدُ مِنْهُنَّ الكُلَى والفَريصُ
They drank it in gasps while they shook with fear
And their kidneys quivered at it, as did their chests.
فأصْدَرَها تَعْلو النِّجادَ عَشِيَّةً
أقَبُّ كَمِقْلاءِ الوليدِ شَخِيصُ
Then he brought them out ascending the mound at night,
More wrinkled than the sole of an unborn baby’s foot.
فَجَحْشٌ على أَدْبَارِهِنَّ مُخَلَّفٌ
وَجَحْشٌ لَدى مَكَرِّهِنَّ وَقِيصُ
Some halted behind them while others faced their cunning
And warded it off, staying close to their side.
وَأصْدَرَها بادي النّواجِذِ قارِحٌ
أقبُّ كَكَرِّ الأَنْدَرِيِّ مَحِيصُ
And he brought them out while the star of good fortune shone,
More twisted than an Andarawi jug’s handle.
