دَرَسَ المَنا بِمُتالِعٍ فَأَبانِ

وَتَقادَمَت بِالحُبسِ فَالسوبانِ

The stars taught with an observer, thus made clear

And lingered in confinement, so Suhban went far

فَنعافِ صارَةَ فَالقَنانِ كَأَنَّها

زُبُرٌ يُرَجِّعُها وَليدُ يَمانِ

The breath of ease blew on the bottle as though

It were a lute restored by a Yemeni lad

مُتَعَوِّدٌ لَحِنٌ يُعيدُ بِكَفِّهِ

قَلَماً عَلى عُسُبٍ ذَبُلنَ وَبانِ

One accustomed to a melody repeating with his palm

A pen on withered reeds that bloomed and were erect

أَو مُسلَمٌ عَمِلَت لَهُ عُلوِيَّةٌ

رَصَنَت ظُهورَ رَواجِبٍ وَبَنانِ

Or a Muslim whose Ulawiyyah was wrought

That molded the backs of she-camels and erected tents

لِلحَنظَلِيَّةِ أَصبَحَت آياتُها

يَبرُقنَ تَحتَ كَنَهبُلِ الغُلّانِ

For the Hanthalia its verses became like signs

That shine beneath the darkness of the young men

خَلَدَت وَلَم يَخلُد بِها مَن حَلَّها

وَتَبَدَّلَت خَيطاً مِنَ الأُحدانِ

It endured, but those who solved it did not endure

And it was transformed into a thread from cords

وَالخاذِلاتُ مَعَ الجَآذِرِ خِلفَةً

وَالأُدمُ حانِيَةٌ مَعَ الغِزلانِ

While the negligent with the resolute behind

And the lover coquetting with the weavers

فَصَدَدتُ عَن أَطلالِهِنَّ بِجَسرَةٍ

عَيرانَةٍ كَالعَقرِ ذي البُنيانِ

So I turned away from their ruins arrogantly

Like a mare free of restraint or construction

فَقَدَرتُ لِلوَردِ المُغَلِّسِ غُدوَةً

فَوَرَدتُ قَبلَ تَبَيُّنِ الأَلوانِ

I timed the plastered rose a morning

I arrived before the colors were distinct

سُدُماً قَديماً عَهدُهُ بِأَنيسِهِ

مِن بَينِ أَصفَرَ ناصِعٍ وَدِفانِ

An old friendship its pact with companions

Amongst yellow, brilliant and rolling sands

فَهَرَقتُ أُذنِبَةً عَلى مُتَثَلِّمٍ

خَلقٍ بِمُعتَدِلٍ مِنَ الأَصفانِ

So I shed a tear upon a well-formed one

Of fair creation and balanced limbs

فَتَغَمَّرَت نَفساً وَأَدرَكَ شَأوُها

عُصَبَ القَطا يَهوينَ لِلأَذقانِ

So a soul was immersed and realized its goal

The tendons of the throat plunging to the chins

فَثَنَيتُ كَفّي وَالقُرابَ وَنُمرُقي

وَمَكانَهُنَّ الكورُ وَالنِسعانِ

Then I folded my palms, the wine flask and bread

And their places, the guitars and entertainers

كَسَفينَةِ الهِندِيِّ طابَقَ دَرءَها

بِسَقائِفٍ مَشبوحَةٍ وَدِهانِ

Like an Indian ship with a repaired hull

In laid and painted compartments

فَاِلتامَ طائِقُها القَديمُ فَأَصبَحَت

ما إِن يُقَوِّمُ دَرءَها رِدفانِ

So its ancient planking came together

That barely two planks can make it right

فَكَأَنَّها هِيَ يَومَ غِبِّ كَلالِها

أَو أَسفَعُ الخَدَّينِ شاةُ إِرانِ

It was as if it, on the day its crescent waned

Or the smooth-cheeked ewe of Iran

حَرِجٌ إِلى أَرطاتِهِ وَتَغَيَّبَت

عَنهُ كَواكِبُ لَيلَةٍ مِدجانِ

Inclined to its poles with its stars obscured

On a moonless night

يَزَعُ الهَيامُ عَنِ الثَرى وَيَمُدُّهُ

بُطحٌ تَهايُلُهُ عَلى الكُثبانِ

The sands blow away from the ground which

A dune whose slipping is on the sand hills

فَتَدارَكَ الإِشراقُ باقِيَ نَفسِهِ

مُتَجَرِّداً كَالمائِحِ العُريانِ

So dawn salvaged the remainder of its breath

Stripped bare like the flash of lightning

لَو كانَ يَزجُرُها لَقَد سَنَحَت لَهُ

طَيرُ الشِياحِ بِغَمرَةٍ وَطِعانِ

Had it been to scare it away, the birds

Of the winds presented themselves to peck

فَعدا عَلى حَذَرٍ مُوَرَّثُ عُدَّةٍ

يَهتَزُّ فَوقَ جَبينِهِ رُمحانِ

So he proceeded cautiously, inherited readiness

With a lance quivering above his forehead

حَتّى أُشِبَّ لَهُ ضِراءُ مُكَلِّبٍ

يَسعى بِهِنَّ أَقَبُّ كَالسِرحانِ

Until a pack resembling hyenas drew near

Racing with them, most quick like the mules

فَحَمى مَقاتِلَهُ وَذادَ بِرَوقِهِ

حَميَ المُحارِبِ عَورَةَ الصُحبانِ

So he protected his warriors and warded off with his lightning

The vulnerability of the companions in battle

شَزَراً عَلى نَبضِ القُلوبِ وَمُقدِماً

فَكَأَنَّما يَختَلُّها بِسِنانِ

Sparks upon the pulse of hearts advancing

As if he cleaved them with a blade

حَتّى اِنجَلَت عَنهُ عَمايَةُ نَفرِهِ

فَكَأَنَّ صَرعاها ظُروفُ دِنانِ

Until the blindness of his horde turned from him

As if their prone forms were those of Dhi Nun

فَاِجتازَ مُنقَطَعَ الكَثيبِ كَأَنَّهُ

نِصعٌ جَلَتهُ الشَمسُ بَعدَ صِوانِ

He crossed the interrupted dune as if he were

A lion stripped bare by the sun after imprisonment

يَمتَلُّ مَوفوراً وَيَمشي جانِباً

رَبِذاً يُسَلّي حاجَةَ الخَشيانِ

Walking proudly and going to the side

A few steps to fulfill the need of the timid

أَفَذاكَ أَم صَعلٌ كَأَنَّ عِفائَهُ

أَوزاعُ أَلقاءٍ عَلى أَغصانِ

Was it that or was it Sa’al like his beard hair

Thrown on branches

يُلقي سَقيطَ عِفائِهِ مُتَقاصِراً

لِلشَدِّ عاقِدَ مَنكِبٍ وَجِرانِ

Casting the train of his beard, gathering

Gripping the shoulders, a captive of assemblies

صَعلٌ كَسافِلَةِ القَناةِ وَظيفُهُ

وَكَأَنَّ جُؤجُؤُهُ صَفيحُ كِرانِ

Sa'al like the lower canal performing his duty

As if his braid was a bucket of tar

كَلِفٌ بِعارِيَةِ الوَظيفِ شِمِلَّةٍ

يَمشي خِلالَ الشَريِ في خيطانِ

Busy with the nakedness of duty, a garment

Walking amidst the milk in two lines

ظَلَّت تَتَبَّع مِن نِهاءِ صَعائِدٍ

بَينَ السَليلِ وَمَدفَعِ السُلّانِ

It followed from the limit of robes

Between the conduit and discharge of the culverts

سَبَداً مِنَ التَنّومِ يَخبِطُهُ النَدى

وَنَوادِراً مِن حَنظَلِ الخُطبانِ

A basket of luxuries struck by dew

And rarities from the sermon of the preachers

حَتّى إِذا أَفِدِ العَشِيُّ تَرَوَّحا

لِمَبيتِ رِبعِيِّ النِتاجِ هَجانِ

Until when evening came they took comfort

For staying a night in a Bedouin camp

طالَت إِقامَتُهُ وَغَيَّرَ عَهدَهُ

رِهَمُ الرَبيعِ بِبُرقَةِ الكَبَوانِ

His stay grew long and spring changed his era

With the lightning of Al Kabu