أَرى العيرَ تُحدى بَينَ قَوٍّ وَضارِجٍ

كَما زالَ في الصُبحِ الأَشاءُ الحَوامِلُ

I see the caravan defying between a strong and swift one

As the pregnant she-camels disappeared in the morning

نَظَرتُ عَلى فَوتٍ ضُحَيّاً وَعَبرَتي

لَها مِن وَكيفِ الرَأسِ رَشٌّ وَواشِلُ

I looked upon them in the forenoon and my tears flowed

For their swaying heads dripping and wet

فَتَبَّعتُهُم عَينَيَّ حَتّى تَفَرَّقَت

مَعَ اللَيلِ عَن ساقِ الفَريدِ الحَمائِلُ

I followed them with my eyes until they dispersed

In the night from the leg of the singular camel

فَلَأياً قَصَرتُ الطَرفَ عَنهُم بِجَسرَةٍ

ذَمولٍ إِذا واكَلتُها لا تُواكِلُ

Whenever I shortened my gaze from them resentfully

With a rope when entrusted does not reciprocate trust

صَموتِ السُرى عَيرانَةٍ ذاتِ مَنسَمٍ

نَكيبِ الصُوى تَرفَضُّ عَنهُ الجَنادِلُ

Silent she-camels of a caravan with a nose rope

Repelling the carrying litters from its hump

عُذافِرَةٌ خَرساءُ فيها تَلَفُّتٌ

إِذا ما اِعتَراها لَيلُها المُتَطاوِلُ

A silent dusky one among them looking about

When its night overtakes it, prolonged

كَأَنّي كَسَوتُ الرَحلَ جَوناً رَباعِياً

شَنوناً تَرَبَّتهُ الرُسَيسُ فَعاقِلُ

As if I have clad the litter with a wide camel saddle

A careful, dirt dusted one, its sire disciplined

شَنونٌ أَبوهُ أَخلَدِيٌّ وَأُمُّهُ

مِنَ الحُقبِ فَحّاشٌ عَلى العِرسِ باسِلُ

A disciplined one whose father is enduring

And its mother among the epochs excellent at nuptials

إِذا ما أَرادَت صاحِباً لا يُريدُهُ

فَمِن كُلِّ ضاحي جِلدِها هُوَ آكِلُ

When it wants a companion that does not want it

Then from all its hide it is chewing on him

تَرى رَأسَهُ مُستَحمِلاً قَبلَ رِدفِها

كَما حَمَلَ العِبءَ الثَقيلَ المُعادِلُ

You see its head upholding before its croup

As the equalizing load carried the heavy burden

وَإِن جاهَدَتهُ جاهَدَت ذا كَريهَةٍ

وَإِن تَعدُ عَدواً يَعدُ عادٍ مُناقِلُ

And if it struggled, it struggled with abhorrence

And if reckoned an enemy, it reckoned a transferring foe

يُثيرانِ جَوناً ذا ظِلالٍ كَأَنَّهُ

جَديدُ البِقاعِ هَيَّجَتهُ المَعاوِلُ

They rouse a camel saddle with shades as if

The pickaxes have stirred up its fresh resting place

إِلى القائِلِ الفَعّالِ عَلقَمَةَ النَدى

رَحَلتُ قَلوصي تَجتَويها المَناهِلُ

To the saying rain-pourer I moved my carrying camel

My water-skin to collect it from the water springs

كَأَنّي كَسَوتُ الرَحلَ جَوناً يَمانِياً

شَنوناً يُرَبّيهِ الرَسيسُ وَعاقِلُ

As if I have clad the litter with a Yemeni camel saddle

A careful one nurtured by the chief disciplined

إِلى ماجِدِ الآباءِ قَرمٍ عَثَمثَمٍ

لَهُ عَطَنٌ يَومَ التَفاضُلِ آهِلُ

To the glorious fathers, spotted Qaram

For him on the day of superiority tents pitched

فَما كانَ بَيني لَو لَقيتُكَ سالِماً

وَبَينَ الغِنى إِلّا لَيالٍ قَلائِلُ

So what was between me, had I met you safe

And wealth, except for few nights

لَعَمرِي لَنِعمَ المَرءُ مِن آلِ جَعفَرٍ

بِحَورانَ أَمسى أَعلَقَتهُ الحَبائِلُ

By my life, excellent is the man from the family of Ja'far

In Hawran, whom at nightfall ropes tie down

لَقَد غادَرَت حَزماً وَبِرّاً وَنائِلاً

وَلُبّاً أَصيلاً خالَفَتهُ المَجاهِلُ

Indeed, you have left discretion, righteousness, and an obtainer

And an unspoilt kernel - the ignorant opposed it

وَقِدراً إِذا ما أَنفَضَ القَومُ أَوفَضَت

إِلى نارِها سَعياً إِلَيها الأَرامِلُ

And a pot, when the people decamp it boils over

With striving to it the widows hasten

لَعَمري لَنِعمَ المَرءُ لا واهِنُ القُوى

وَلا هُوَ لِلمَولى عَلى الدَهرِ خاذِلُ

By my life, excellent is the man, not weak in strength

Nor for the Lord through time neglectful

لَعَمري لَنِعمَ المَرءُ إِن عَيَّ قائِلٌ

عَنِ القيلِ أَو أَدنى عَنِ الفِعلِ فاعِلُ

By my life, excellent is the man, if a sayer

Abstains from saying, or less than doing, a doer

لَعَمري لَنِعمَ المَرءُ لا مُتَهاوِنٌ

عَنِ السورَةِ العُليا وَلا مُتَخاذِلُ

By my life, excellent is the man, not careless

Of the sublime cause, nor neglectful

تَكادُ يَداهُ تُسلِمانِ رِدائَهُ

مِنَ الجودِ لَمّا اِستَقبَلَتهُ الشَمائِلُ

His hands almost submit his garment

When the seeking hands met him

يَداكَ خَليجُ البَحرِ إِحداهُما دَماً

تَفيضُ وَأُخرى فِعلُ حَزمٍ وَنائِلُ

Your hands, one is a sea inlet of blood

Pouring forth, and the other a deed of discretion and obtaining

فَإِن تَحيَ لا أَملَل حَياتي وَإِن تَمُت

فَما في حَياةٍ بَعدَ مَوتِكَ طائِلُ

So if you live, my life will not tire, and if you die

Then in life after your death there is no use