أَلا آلُ لَيلى أَزمَعوا بِقُفولِ
وَلَم يُنظِروا ذا حاجَةٍ لِرَحيلِ
Behold, for Layla's kin made ready to depart
Nor waited, though in haste to take their leave.
تَنادَوا فَحَثّوا لِلتَفَرُّقِ عيرَهُم
فَبانوا بِجَمّاءِ العِظامِ قَتولِ
They cried aloud and hastened to disperse their train,
And shone with polished bones and coats-of-mail.
مُبَتَّلَةٍ يَشفي السَقيمَ كَلامُها
لَها جيدُ أَدماءِ العَشِيِّ خَذولِ
A houri, whose sweet talk could heal the sick,
With lovely throat as fair as early night.
وَتَبسِمُ عَن عَذبٍ زُلالٍ كَأَنَّهُ
نِطافَةُ مُزنٍ صُفِّقَت بِشَمولِ
And smiling lips like drafts of limpid wine,
As if musk-scented dew were sprinkled there.
فَعَدِّ طِلابَ الحَيِّ عَنكَ بِجَسرَةٍ
تَخَيَّلُ في ثِنيِ الزِمامِ ذَمولِ
Turn from her witching smiles and swanlike neck,
Bent as of one who checks a camel's rein.
عُذافِرَةٍ حَرفٍ كَأَنَّ قُتودَها
عَلى هِقلَةٍ بِالشَيِّطَينِ جَفولِ
With lovely ankles riding on her skirts,
As if shackled with devils for her shoon.
فَلَو سَلَمَت نَفسي لِعَمروِ بنِ عامِرٍ
لَقَد طالَ رَكبٌ نازِلٌ بِأَميلِ
Had but my soul been ransomed for Amr ibn Amer!
Too long the riders at the valley camp.
لَعَمري لَقَد جارَيتُمُ آلَ مالِكٍ
إِلى ماجِدٍ ذي جَمَّةٍ وَفُضولِ
By my life, kin of Malik, well have you
Your guest, the noble chief of flowing locks!
إِذا واضَحوهُ المَجدَ أَربى عَلَيهِمُ
بِمُستَفرِغٍ ماءَ الذِنابِ سَجيلِ
When fame made clear the glory was his right,
He washed it in the rain-pools after rain.
وَإِن يَرتَقوا في خُطَّةٍ يَرقَ فَوقَها
بِثَبتٍ عَلى ضاحي المَزَلِّ رَجيلِ
And if on dangerous venture they embark,
He mounts above them on unslippered feet.
فَصُدّوا صُدودَ الوانِ أَبقى عَلَيكُمُ
بَني مالِكٍ إِذ سُدَّ كُلُّ سَبيلِ
So bar the way, ye Banu Malik, now the paths
Are closed against you, each and every road.
فَما جَعَلَ الصُعرَ اللِئامَ خُدودُها
كَآدَمَ قَلباً مِن بَناتِ جَديلِ
Their ugly faces shall not make you fear,
Like people's hearts descendant from Jadilah.
فَتىً لا يُضامُ الدَهرَ ما عاشَ جارُهُ
وَلَيسَ لِأَدمانِ القِرى بِمَلولِ
A youth who, whilst he breathes, Fate doth not harm
His neighbor, nor the settled tribes distress.
هُوَ الواهِبُ الكومَ الصَفايا لِجارِهِ
وَكُلَّ عَتيقِ الحُرَّتَينِ أَسيلِ
He gives the guest the choicest of his wealth,
Yea, and the slaves untouched by whip or brand.
وَأَشجَعُ في الهَيجاءِ مِن لَيثِ غابَةٍ
إِذا مُستَباةٌ لَم تَثِق بِحَليلِ
And in the mêlée with the lion of the waste
More bold than at a lover's visitings,
وَخَيلٍ تَعادى بِالكُماةِ كَأَنَّها
وُعولُ كِهافٍ أَعرَضَت لِوُعولِ
And horses challenging with clattering hoofs
Like lions roaring in the wild ravine,
مُثابِرَةٍ رَهواً وَزَعتَ رَعيلَها
بِأَبيَضَ ماضي الشَفرَتَينِ صَقيلِ
Still pressing on their course, driving their steeds,
White gleaming the two edges of their swords.
أَخو ثِقَةٍ ضَشمُ الدَسيعَةِ ماجِدٌ
كَريمُ النَثا مَولاهُ غَيرُ ذَليلِ
A brother, tried and trusty, brave Majid,
Well-born, of generous stock, no weakling he!
إِذا الناسُ مَدّوا لِلفَعالِ أَكُفَّهُم
بَذَختَ بُعادِيِّ السَراةِ طَويلِ
When men stretch forth their palms unto the noble chief,
Thou spreadest treasures with a lavish hand.
وَجُرثومَةٍ لا يَبلُغُ السَيلُ أَصلَها
فَقَد صَدَّ عَنها الماءُ كُلَّ مَسيلِ
And he's a huge tree-trunk, no flood can reach
Its roots, for from it every channel's dammed.
بَنى الأَحوَصانِ مَجدَها ثُمَّ أُسلِمَت
إِلى خَيرِ مُردٍ سادَةٍ وَكُهولِ
The Banu Ahwas reared their glory high,
Then rendered it to chiefs and counselors.
فَإِن عُدَّ مَجدٌ فاضِلٌ عَدَّ مِثلَهُ
وَإِن أَثَّلوا أَدرَكتُهُم بِأَثيلِ
And if excel a noble, match him then
With one as noble, or with truer claim.
وَليتَ تُراثَ الأَحوَصَينِ فَلَم يَضِع
إِلى اِبنَي طُفَيلٍ مالِكٍ وَعَقيلِ
Would that the Ahwas' heritage were not
To Malik's sons entrusted, Malik and Aqil!
فَما يَنظُرُ الحُكّامُ بِالفَضلِ بَعدَما
بَدا واضِحٌ ذو غُرَّةٍ وَحُجولِ
For when clear merit shows the man of worth,
The rulers heed no more an empty boast.
