أَمِن دِمنَةِ الدارِ أَقوَت سِنينا

بَكَيتَ فَظَلتَ كَئيباً حَزينا

From the homelands of the house I spent years

You wept and remained sad and forlorn

بِها جَرَّتِ الريحُ أَذيالَها

فَلَم تُبقِِ مِن رَسمِها مُستَبينا

The wind dragged its train behind

Leaving no visible trace or sign

وَذَكَّرَنيها عَلى نَأيِها

خَيالٌ لَها طارِقٌ يَعترينا

And in your absence a specter reminded me

A shadow crept upon me like a lurking thief

فَلَمّا رَأَيتُ بَأَنَّ البُكاءَ

سَفاهٌ لَدى دِمَنٍ قَد بَلينا

When I saw crying was foolishness

Before ruins we had lived in too long

زَجَرتُ عَلى ما لَدَيَّ القَلو

صَ مِن حَزَنٍ وَعَصَيتُ الشُؤونا

I scolded my heart for its sorrow

And disobeyed grief's commands

وَكُنتُ إِذا ما اِعتَرَتني الهُمومُ

أُكَلِّفُها ذاتَ لَوثٍ أَمونا

Whenever worries accosted me

I tasked them to a reliable confidante

عُذافِرَةً حُرَّةَ الليطِ لا

سَقوطاً وَلا ذاتَ ضِغنٍ لَجونا

A mare free of blemish or fault

No stumbling or heaviness to lament

كَأَنّي شَدَدتُ بِأَنساعِها

قُوَيرِحَ عامَينِ جَأباً شَنونا

As if I had yoked for two barren years

A dense-flanked, muscular steed forlorn

يُقَلِّبُ حُقباً تَرى كُلَّهُنَّ

قَد حَمَلَت وَأَسَرَّت جَنينا

Twisted-legged yet nimble-hoofed

A red fox hardy and lean

وَحَلاهُنَّ وَخَبَّ السَفا

وَهَيَّجَهُنَّ فَلَمّا صَدينا

When their stallion came upon them

You'd see in their midst green meadows

وَأَخلَفَهُنَّ ثِمادَ الغِمارِ

وَما كُنَّ مِن ثَادِقٍ يَحتَسينا

He'd harass them relentlessly

With cries in the wilderness till they soften

جَعَلنَ القَنانَ بِإِبطِ الشَمالِ

وَماءَ العُنابِ جَعَلنَ اليَمينا

And batter their skulls sullenly

So to escape his harm we took precautions

وَبَصبَصنَ بَينَ أَداني الغَضا

وَبَينَ عُنَيزَةَ شَأواً بَطينا

When the heavy one turned her tail on him

He was furious and charged from behind

فَأَبقَينَ مِنهُ وَأَبقى الطِرا

دُ بَطناً خَميصاً وَصُلباً سَمينا

Behind her hind was a mule

In the mare's place, hiding between

وَعوجاً خِفافاً سَلامُ الشَظى

وَميظَبَ أُكمٍ صَليباً رَزينا

He'd push them from the right flank

And they'd strike his nose and forehead

إِذا ما اِنتَحاهُنَّ شُؤبوبُهُ

رَأَيتَ لِجاعِرَتَيهِ غُضونا

So he brought them to the hilltop thicket

Be they in heat or be they stout

يُعَضِّضُهُنَّ عَضيضَ الثِقا

فِ بِالسَمهَرِيَةِ حَتّى تَلينا

They'd kick up dust in his face

Like smoke above glowing embers

وَيَكدِمُ أَكفالَها عابِساً

فَبِالشَدِّ مِن شَرِّه يَتَّقينا

And drank from the cold well aware

No milking nor drinking there

إِذا ما اِنتَحَت ذاتُ ضِغنٍ لَهُ

أَصَرَّ فَقَد سَلَّ مِنها ضُغونا

While frogs held their breath

Croaking their shrill song

لهُ خَلفَ أَدبارِها أَزمَلٌ

مَكانَ الرَقيبِ مِنَ الياسَرينا

And met one with brimming spite

Clinging suspicions in his heart

يُحَشرِجُ مِنهُنَّ قَيدَ الذِراعِ

وَيَضرِبنَ خَيشومَهُ وَالجَبينا

Short of tusk, fine of stripe

Asking will they come or will he wait

فَأَورَدَها طامِياتِ الجِمامِ

وَقَد كُنَّ يَأجِنَّ أَو كُنَّ جونا

Coveting the absent herd, hoping

To strike down a warrior, violence his trade

يُثِرنَ الغُبارَ عَلى وَجهِهِ

كَلَونِ الدَواخِنِ فَوقَ الإِرينا

So they came filled with dread

Admitting to no company or friend

وَيَشرَبنَ مِن بارِدٍ قَد عَلِم

أَن لا دِخالَ وَأَن لا عُطونا

Their knees plunged in cold clear water

Sweet taste that they imbibe

وَتَنفي الضَفادِعَ أَنفاسُها

فَهُنَّ فُوَيقَ الرَجا يَرتَقينا

In succession they drink the draft

Like pebbles cast by a slinger fierce

فَصادَفنَ ذا حَنَقٍ لاصِقٍ

لُصوقَ البُرامِ يَظُنُّ الظُنونا

So he watched until they neared

The meadow, their thirst finally quenched

قَصيرَ البِنانِ دَقيقَ الشَوى

يَقولُ أَيَأتينَ أَم لا يُجينا

Then he crept off with yellow paste

On his palm, breadcrumbs soft he'd gathered

يَؤُمُّ الغَيابَة مُستَبشِراً

يُصيبُ المَقاتِلَ حَتفاً رَصينا

Ready to dash on their trail aloft

To strike down the bustards in their haven

فَجِئنَ فَأَوجَسنَ مِن خَشيَةٍ

وَلَم يَعتَرِفنَ لِنَفَرٍ يَقينا

He let fly an arrow into the spine

Of a herd wary of his cunning intention

وَتُلقى الأَكارِعَ في بارِدٍ

شَهِيٍّ مَذاقَتُهُ تَحتَسينا

It passed by neck and foreleg

For this was not a deed righteous

يُبادِرن جَرعاً يُواتِرنَهُ

كَقَرعِ القَليبِ حَصى القاذِفينا

Then in bitter regret he moaned

And in dejection he was cloaked

فَأَمسَكَ يَنظُرُ حَتّى إِذا

دَنونَ مِنَ الرِيِّ أَو قَد رَوينا

Their hooves struck the pebbles

And the boulders with them collided

تَنَحّى بِصَفراءَ مِن نَبعَةٍ

عَلى الكَفِّ تَجمَع أَرزاً وَلينا

The dusk led them in haste

Swifter than racers at the starter's line

مُعِدّاً عَلى عَجسِها مُرهَفاً

فَتيقَ الغِرارَينِ حَشراً سَنينا

Panting and heaving in their wake

Mournful, his spirit mournful in their midst

فَأَرسَلَ سَهماً عَلى فُقرَةٍ

وَهُنَّ شوارِعُ ما يَتَّقينا

You'd think amidst the sea mist their number

A lark trilling amidst the groves

فَمَرّ عَلى نَحرِهِ وَالذِراعِ

وَلَم يَكُ ذاكَ لَهُ الفِعلُ دينا

So at dawn he returned torn by grief

While the herd gathered rested and calm

فَلَهَّفَ مِن حَسرَةٍ أُمَّهُ

وَوَلَّينَ مِن رَهَجٍ يَكتَسينا

تَهادى حَوافِرُهُنَّ الحَصى

وَصُمُّ الصُخورِ بِها يَرتَمينا

فَقَلقَلَهُنَّ سَراةَ العِشاءِ

أَسرَعَ مِن صَدَرِ المُصدِرينا

يَزُرُّ وَيَلفِظُ أَوبارَها

وَيَقرو بِهِنَّ حُزوناً حُزونا

وَتَحسَبُ في البَحرِ تَعشيرَهُ

تَغَرُّدَ أَهوَجَ في مُنتَشينا

فَأَصبَحَ بِالجِزعِ مُستَجذِلاً

وَأَصبَحنَ مُجتمِعاتٍ سُكونا