لِهِندٍ بِأَعلامِ الأَغَرِّ رُسومُ
إِلى أُحُدٍ كَأَنَّهُنَّ وُشومُ
Hind has marks of beauty upon her face,
As though they were tattooed upon her skin.
فَوَقفٍ فَسُلِّيٍّ فَأَكنافِ ضَلفَعٍ
تَرَبَّعُ فيهِ تارَةً وَتُقيمُ
She halted at Sulayy, then moved on to 'Aknaf Dhal'a',
Where she stayed awhile and took rest.
بِما قَد تَحُلُّ الوادِيَينِ كِلَيهِما
زَنانيرُ فيها مَسكَنٌ فَتَدومُ
With polished pillars, there she made her abode
In a dwelling where musk diffuses its scent.
وَمَرتٍ كَظَهرِ التُرسِ قَفرٍ قَطَعتُهُ
وَتَحتي خَنوفٌ كَالعَلاةِ عَقيمُ
I crossed a plain as barren as a shield's surface,
Beneath me a groaning camel, dry and weak.
عُذافِرَةٌ حَرفٌ كَأَنَّ قُتودَها
تَضَمَّنَهُ جَونُ السَراةِ عَذومُ
The small band trudged on with little effort,
Now advancing, and now falling behind.
أَضَرَّ بِمِسحاجٍ قَليلٍ فُتورُها
يَرِنُّ عَلَيها تارَةً وَيَصومُ
The mild sun cheers the hours of daylight,
As though it were a lovesick man, drunk with wine.
يُطَرِّبُ آناءَ النَهارِ كَأَنَّهُ
غَوِيٌّ سَقاهُ في التِجارِ نَديمُ
She leaned towards me, a wine-skin from Babylon -
After a cup, it exhales a fermented smell.
أُميلَت عَلَيهِ قَرقَفٌ بابِلِيَّةٌ
لَها بَعدَ كَأسٍ في العِظامِ هَميمُ
In the evening he cooled it, after it had fermented -
More sour than vinegar made from dates.
فَرَوَّحَها يَقلو النِجادَ عَشِيَّةً
أَقَبُّ كَكَرِّ الأَندَرِيِّ شَتيمُ
He watered it beneath a thicket
Of two 'qarnatayn' shrubs, and it seethed and foamed.
فَأَورَدَها مَسجورَةً تَحتَ غابَةٍ
مِنَ القُرنَتَينِ وَاِتلَأَبَّ يَحومُ
She was not content with shallow water, until she plunged in
And emerged with her chemise dripping wet.
فَلَم تَرضَ ضَحلَ الماءِ حَتّى تَمَهَّرَت
وِشاحٌ لَها مِن عَرمَضٍ وَبَريمُ
It cured the soul of what I feared - the day troops were mobilized
And the day I met the tribe of Nukhayl.
شَفى النَفسَ ما خُبِّرتُ مَرّانُ أُزهِفَت
وَما لَقِيَت يَومَ النُخَيلِ حَريمُ
The clan of Ju'fi, son of Sa'd, are like
A herd of sheep watered at springs of Zua'f.
قَبائِلُ جُعفِيِّ بنِ سَعدٍ كَأَنَّما
سَقى جَمعَهُم ماءَ الزُعافِ مُنيمُ
A band of Ka'b's descendants girded for war
Owning a glorious name on days of trial.
تَلافَتهُمُ مِن آلِ كَعبٍ عِصابَةٌ
لَها مَأقِطٌ يَومَ الحِفاظِ كَريمُ
By that tribe, I swear, I have no boast over you,
Just a house upon the meadows where we dwell.
فَتِلكُم بِتِلكُم غَيرَ فَخرٍ عَلَيكُم
وَبَيتٌ عَلى الأَفلاجِ ثُمَّ مُقيمُ
