بانَ الخَليطُ فَعَينُهُ لا تَهجَعُ
وَالقَلبُ مِن حَذَرِ الفِراقِ مُرَوَّعُ
Sleep stays away as his eyes mix with tears,
His heart filled with the fear of parting, distressed.
وَدَّ العَواذِلُ يَومَ رامَةَ أَنَّهُم
قَطَعوا الحِبالَ وَلَيتَها لا تَقطَعُ
The visiting women blamed the day of Rama,
When they cut the ropes, if only they weren't cut!
قالَ العَواذِلُ غَيرَ جِدِّ نَصاحَةٍ
أَعلى الشَبابِ وَقَد بَليتَ تَفَجَّعُ
The visiting women said, not out of true advice:
"You're still young, yet you've aged from crying."
يا لَيتَ لَو رَفَعَت بِنا عيدِيَّةٌ
أَعناقُهُنَّ عَلى الطَريقِ تَزَعزَعُ
If only they had raised Eidiyya's rope necklaces
Swaying on the road, shaken.
صَبَّحنَ دومَةَ بَعدَ خِمسٍ جاهِدٍ
غَلَساً وَفَضلُ نُسوعِها يَتَنَوَّعُ
They left Duma at dawn, after five nights' journey
Riding all night, the remnants of their provisions diverse.
تَعلو السَماوَةُ تَلتَظي حِزّانُها
وَالآلُ فَوقَ ذُرى وُعالٍ يَلمَعُ
Clouds rise up, weeping over their misfortune,
While the family is atop scattered, shining sands.
يَكفي الأَدِلَّةَ بَعدَ سوءِ ظُنونِهِم
مَرُّ المَطِيِّ إِذا الحُداةُ تَشَنَّعوا
The foal's galloping suffices as proof after their ill suspicions
When the landmarks diminish and the shadows shrink
وَالأَرحَبِيُّ إِذا الظِلالُ تَقاصَرَت
يُغري الغَرِيَّ وَذاتُ غَربٍ مَيلَعُ
The spacious sands entice the lost soul
A letter you're wary of in depleted wine skins
حَرفٌ تُحاذِرُ في خِشاشٍ ناشِبٍ
حَصِداً يَسورُ كَما يَسورُ الأَشجَعُ
Like a harvest that whirls as the bracelet whirls.
Shrubbery from Samaja palm trunks
شَذِبُ المَكارِبِ مِن جُذوعِ سُمَيحَةٍ
يَمطو الجَديلَ وَسُرطُمانٌ شَعشَعُ
Sweeping the smooth sands while twigs crackle.
Stirring the flint stones in the kindling
وَتُثيرُ مُظهِرَةً وَقَد وَقَدَ الحَصى
شاةَ الكِناسِ إِذا اِسمَأَلَّ التُبَّعُ
A ewe bleats when smoke from twigs rises.
You see the sparks flying from the flint
وَتَرى الحَصى زَجِلاً يُطيرُ نَفِيَّهُ
قَبضُ المَناسِمِ وَالحَصى يَتَصَعصَعُ
Clasped between flints colliding and sparking.
Doe gazelles wring out their slender bodies
وَالعيسُ تَعتَصِرُ الهَواجِرُ بُدنَها
عَصرَ الصُنَوبَرِ كُلُّ غَرٍّ يَنبَعُ
Like sap drips from pine trees from every cleft.
We travelled from Udhma sands and Mukhafeq sands
سِرنا مِنَ الأُدَمى وَرَملِ مُخَفِّقٍ
نَرجو الحَيا وَجَنابَ غَيثٍ يُربَعُ
Seeking life, hoping for pouring rain.
How much grace you've bestowed on us continuously
كَم قَد تَتابَعَ مِنكُمُ مِن أَنعُمٍ
وَالمَحلُ يَذهَبُ أَن تَعودَ الأَمرُعُ
Though it nearly ceased when ropes were cut.
You've revived the fresh springs after
أَثبَتُّمُ زَلَلَ المَراقي بَعدَما
كادَت قُوى سَبَبِ الحِبالِ تَقَطَّعُ
The rope pulleys were nearly severed.
I complain to you - provide me children
أَشكو إِلَيكَ فَأَشكِني ذُرِّيَّةً
لا يَشبَعونَ وَأُمُّهُم لا تَشبَعُ
Insatiable, and their mother no less so,
Multiplying, neither eldest nor youngest die
كَثُروا عَلَيَّ فَما يَموتُ كَبيرُهُم
حَتّى الحِسابِ وَلا الصَغيرُ المُرضَعُ
Until time ends, or the nursing babe grows up,
When I look at them, their mother makes me doubt
وَإِذا نَظَرتُ يَريبُني مِن أُمِّهِم
عَينٌ مُهَجَّجَةٌ وَخَدٌّ أَسفَعُ
Squinting eyes and a grimacing cheek.
When the children share their toys
وَإِذا تَقَسَّمَتِ العِيالُ غَبوقَها
كَثُرَ الأَنينُ وَفاضَ مِنها المَدمَعُ
Crying rises, and tears flow from them.
Gift me, though neediness has befallen me
رِشني فَقَد دَخَلَت عَلَيَّ خَصاصَةٌ
مِمّا جَمَعتَ وَكُلُّ خَيرٍ تَجمَعُ
From what you've gathered, as you gather all good.
