طافَت أُسَيماءُ بِالرِحالِ فَقَد

هَيَّجَ مِنّي خَيالُها طَرَبا

Usayma wandered with her camel, stirring

My imagination, bringing me unease

إِحدى بَني جَعفَرٍ بِأَرضِهِم

لَم تُمسِ مِنّي نَوباً وَلا قُرُبا

One of Ja'far's daughters in their land

Neither drew near, nor kept her distance

لَم أَخشَ عُلوِيَّةً يَمانِيَّةً

وَكَم قَطَعنا مِن عَرعَرٍ شُعَبا

I did not fear a highborn Yemeni

As we traversed many paths through ravines

جاوَزنَ فَلجاً فَالحَزنَ يُدلِج

نَ بِاللَيلِ وَمِن رَملِ عالِجٍ كُثُبا

We passed a valley, sorrow cloaked us

At night, and up the dunes of sandy hills

مِن بَعدِ ما جاوَزَت شَقائِقَ فَالدَه

نا وَغُلبَ الصُمّانِ وَالخُشُبا

After we passed autumn flowers, fatigue

O'ercame us, and the brambles and shrubs

فَصَدَّهُم مَنطِقُ الدَجاجِ عَنِ العَه

دِ وَضَربُ الناقوسِ فَاِجتُنِبا

The clucking of poultry warned them from the plains

And the ringing of bells - so we avoided them

هَل يُبلِغَنّي دِيارَها حَرَجٌ

وَجناءُ تَفري النَجاءَ وَالخَبَبا

Will the land's harshness take me to her abode

Where flowers release their scent at dusk?

كَأَنَّها بِالغُمَيرِ مُمرِيَّةٌ

تَبعي بِكُثمانَ جُؤذَراً عَطِبا

As if urging her camel through the dunes

Following me with a herd of lively camels

قَد آثَرَت فِرقَةَ البُغاءِ وَقَد

كانَت تُراعي مُلَمَّعاً شَبَبا

She preferred the company of harlots, and

Had favored a smooth-cheeked youth

أَتيكَ أَم سَمحَجٌ تَخَيَّرَها

عِلجٌ تَسَرّى نَحائِصاً شُسُبا

Did you come to me, or did Sahmaj choose you

A smooth land that rambles gently up the slopes?

فَاِختارَ مِنها مِثلَ الخَريدَةِ لا

تَأمَنُ مِنهُ الحِذارَ وَالعَطَبا

So he chose one like an old waterskin - not

One to be wary or cautious of

فَلا تَؤولُ إِذا يَؤولُ وَلا

تَقرُبُ مِنهُ إِذا هُوَ اِقتَرَبا

Do not go to him if he comes for you

And do not approach if he draws near

فَهُوَ كَدَلوِ البَحريِّ أَسلَمَها ال

عَقدُ وَخانَت آذانُها الكَرَبا

He is like a sea bucket - its rope betrays it

And the handles cheat it of deliverance

فَهُوَ كَقَدحِ المَنيحِ أَحوَذَهُ القا

نِصُ يَنفي عَن مَتنِهِ العَقَبا

He is like a poisoned wine cup - its maker

Saved it, denying all flaws upon its sides

يا هَل تَرى البَرقُ بِتُّ أَرقُبُهُ

يُزجي حَبِيّاً إِذا خَبا ثَقَبا

Oh, do you see lightning Battr and her daughter

Shooting sparks when the horizon darkens?

قَعَدتُ وَحدي لَهُ وَقالَ أَبو

لَيلى مَتى يَغتَمِن فَقَد دَأَبا

I sat alone with him - and Abu Layla said

"When will he pine for me?" Such was his habit

كَأَنَّ فيهِ لَمّا اِرتَفَقتُ لَهُ

رَيطاً وَمِرباعَ غانِمٍ لَجِبا

It was as if, when I made peace with him,

I found a threaded necklace and victorious warrior's coat of mail

فَجادَ رَهواً إِلى مَداخِلَ فَالصُح

رَةِ أَمسَت نِعاجُهُ عُصَبا

So he generously roamed to the entrances of Subrah

By evening, his sheep were all gathered

فَحَدَّرَ العُصمَ مِن عَمايَةَ لِلسَه

لِ وَقَضّى بِصاحَةَ الأَرَبا

He lowered the glass from cloudy waters to the plains

And quenched the thirst of the wide open spaces

فَالماءُ يَجلو مُتونَهُنَّ كَما

يَجلو التَلاميذُ لُؤلُؤاً قَشِبا

The water makes their bellies glisten as pupils

Glisten when teaching pearls to schoolboys

لاقى البَدِيُّ الكِلابَ فَاِعتَلَجا

مَوجُ أَتِيَّيهِما لِمَن غَلَبا

The bedouin and his dogs met and tangled

Their intertwined waves - for the victor to own

فَدَعدَعا سُرَّةَ الرَكاءِ كَما

دَعدَعَ ساقي الأَعاجِمِ الغَرَبا

They clamored like chattering pilgrims, as if

A Persian cupbearer making wine-filled threats

فَكُلُّ وادٍ هَدَّت حَوالِبُهُ

يَقذِفُ خُضرَ الدَباءِ فَالخُشُبا

And every valley whose slopes had slipped

Cast forth the green creeping plants and brambles

مالَت بِهِ نَحوَها الجَنوبُ مَعاً

ثُمَّ اِزدَهَتهُ الشَمالُ فَاِنقَلَبا

The breezes inclined toward her, then the south winds

Blew them northward, turning them around

فَقُلتُ صابَ الأَعراضَ رَيَّقُهُ

يَسقي بِلاداً قَد أَمحَلَت حِقَبا

I said: the honorable one's direction changed -

Watering lands that have borne calamities

لِتَرعَ مِن نَبتِهِ أُسَيمُ إِذا

أَنبَتَ حُرَّ البُقولِ وَالعُشُبا

That Usayma may graze on its growth when

It produces hot crops and grass

وَليَرعَهُ قَومُها فَإِنَّهُمُ

مِن خَيرِ حَيٍّ عَلِمتُهُم حَسَبا

And so may her people graze it, for they

Are the best people I know, of noble lineage

قَومي بَنو عامِرٍ وَإِن نَطَقَ ال

أَعداءُ فيهِم مَناطِقاً كَذِبا

My tribe, the Bani Amer - though enemies

Speak falsely of them with blatant lies

بِمِثلِهِم يُجبَهُ المُناطِحُ ذو العِز

زِ وَيُعطي المُحافِظُ الجَنَبا

With the likes of them the fighter charges gloriously

And the protector confidently engages in combat