أَهاجَكَ مِن أَسماءَ رَسمُ المَنازِلِ

بِرَوضَةِ نُعمِيٍّ فَذاتِ الأَجاوِلِ

The outlines of the dwellings aroused your longing

In the gardens of Nu'mayy, the owner of wide spaces

أَرَبَّت بِها الأَرواحُ حَتّى كَأَنَّما

تَهادَينَ أَعلى تُربِها بِالمَناخِلِ

The spirits were comforted by it, as though

They were gently rocking at its summit among the palm trees

وَكُلُّ مُلِثٍ مُكفَهِرٍ سَحابُهُ

كَميشِ التَوالي مُرثَعِنَّ الأَسافِلِ

And every pregnant cloud, its darkness intense

Is like a procession of camels, fully laden

إِذا رَجَفَت فيهِ رَحىً مُرجَحِنَّةٌ

تَبَعَّقَ ثَجّاجٌ غَزيرُ الحَوافِلِ

When the millstone rumbles within it, churning,

It rains copiously, pouring down showers

عَهِدتُ بِها حَيّاً كِراماً فَبُدِّلَت

خَناطيلَ آجالِ النِعامِ الجَوافِلِ

I knew them alive, generous, but they were changed

To cranes, with long necks, wandering freely

تَرى كُلَّ ذَيّالٍ يُعارِضُ رَبرَباً

عَلى كُلِّ رَجّافٍ مِنَ الرَملِ هائِلِ

You see every long-necked one vying with another

On every towering sand dune

يُثِرنَ الحَصى حَتّى يُباشِرنَ بَردَهُ

إِذا الشَمسُ مَجَّت ريقَها بِالكَلاكِلِ

They paw the pebbles until they feel its coolness

When the sun beats down with intense heat

وَناجِيَةٍ عَدَّيتُ في مَتنِ لاحِبٍ

كَسَحلِ اليَماني قاصِدٍ لِلمَناهِلِ

And I rode a smooth-gaited she-camel, in a beloved's saddle

Like a Yemeni mare, heading for the waterholes

لَهُ خُلُجٌ تَهوي فُرادى وَتَرعَوي

إِلى كُلِّ ذي نيرَينِ بادي الشَواكِلِ

It has resting places where it goes alone to drink

To every freshwater spring in the horizon

وَإِنّي عَداني عَن لِقائِكِ حادِثٌ

وَهَمٌّ أَتى مِن دونِ هَمَّكِ شاغِلُ

And I was distracted from meeting you by an event

And a care that came, besides your cares, distracting me

نَصَحتُ بَني عَوفٍ فَلَم يَتَقَبَّلوا

وَصاتي وَلَم تَنجَح لَدَيهِم وَسائِلي

I advised the Bani ‘Awf, but they did not accept

My advice, and my means were not successful with them

فَقُلتُ لَهُم لا أَعرِفَنَّ عَقائِلاً

رَعابيبَ مِن جَنبَي أَريكٍ وَعاقِلِ

So I said to them, “I will not recognize

Maidens by my couch, or a wise old man

ضَوارِبَ بِالأَيدي وَراءَ بَراغِزٍ

حِسانٍ كَآرامِ الصَريمِ الخَواذِلِ

Rushing with hands behind bright curtains

Beautiful visions like the sand grouse in pairs

خِلالَ المَطايا يَتَّصِلنَ وَقَد أَتَت

قِنانُ أَبيرٍ دونَها وَالكَوائِلِ

Through the range of view, they are linked, and there came

Waterskins of leather, below them and the skins

وَخَلّوا لَهُ بَينَ الجِنابِ وَعالِجٍ

فِراقَ الخَليطِ ذي الأَذاةِ المُزايِلِ

And they left it between association and a comrade

Parting from the mixed company, vexatious, blighting

وَلا أَعرِفَنّي بَعدَما قَد نَهَيتُكُم

أُجادِلُ يَوماً في شَوِيٍّ وَجامِلِ

And I do not recognize, after I prohibited you

That I contend one day over roasted meat and a gambler

وَبيضٍ غَريراتٍ تَفيضُ دُموعُها

بِمُستَكرَهٍ يُذرينَهُ بِالأَنامِلِ

And white sheep with teary eyes

Driven away with a crook in flocks”

وَقَد خِفتُ حَتّى ما تَزيدُ مَخافَتي

عَلى وَعِلٍ في ذي المَطارَةِ عاقِلِ

And I feared so much that my fear

Would not increase over a sharp-witted foal

مَخافَةَ عَمروٍ أَن تَكونَ جِيادُهُ

يُقَدنَ إِلَينا بَينَ حافٍ وَناعِلِ

The fear that ‘Amr’s horses may be

Led out to us between valiant and swift

إِذا اِستَعجَلوها عَن سَجِيَّةِ مَشيها

تَتَلَّعُ في أَعناقِها بِالجَحافِلِ

If they were rushed from the pace of their walking

They jerk their necks, stampeding in throngs

شَوازِبَ كَالأَجلامِ قَد آلَ رِمُّها

سَماحيقَ صُفراً في تَليلٍ وَفائِلِ

Geldings whose manes have turned

To yellow from long journeys and partings

وَيَقذِفنَ بِالأَولادِ في كُلِّ مَنزِلٍ

تَشَحَّطُ في أَسلائِها كَالوَصائِلِ

And they hurl the boys in every stop

Tumbling in theirequipment like floodwaters

تَرى عافِياتِ الطَيرِ قَد وَثِقَت لَها

بِشَبعٍ مِنَ السَخلِ العِتاقِ الأَكائِلِ

You see wild birds have grown accustomed to them

Well-fed on millet and scattered grain

يَرى وَقَعُ الصَوّانِ حَدَّ نُسورِها

فَهُنَّ لِطافٌ كَالصِعادِ الذَوابِلِ

It sees the hooves land so they are gentle

Like feathers floating softly downwards

مُقَرَّنَةً بِالعيسِ وَالأُدمِ كَالقَنا

عَلَيها الخُبورُ مُحقَباتُ المَراجِلِ

Coupled with the stallion and sorrel like the anklets

On which are fastened the rounded bells

وَكُلُّ صَموتٍ نَثلَةٍ تُبَّعِيَّةٍ

وَنَسجُ سُلَيمٍ كُلَّ قَضّاءَ ذائِلِ

And every silent, following, dependent weakling

And Sulaym’s progeny, all are protectors

عُلينَ بِكِديَونٍ وَأُبطِنَّ كَرَّةً

فَهُنَّ وِضاءٌ صافِياتُ القَلائِلِ

They carried trappings and were girded with halters

So they are resplendent, pure white

عَتادُ اِمرُؤٍ لا يَنقُضُ البُعدُ هَمَّهُ

طَلوبُ الأَعادي واضِحٌ غَيرُ خامِلِ

The resolve of a man which distance does not destroy

Seeking the enemies, evident, not fading

تَحينُ بِكَفَّيهِ المَنايا وَتارَةً

تَسُحّانِ سَحّاً مِن عَطاءٍ وَنائِلِ

At times he holds back death with his palms

At times smoothly, from a gift and attainment

إِذا حَلَّ بِالأَرضِ البَريَّةِ أَصبَحَت

كَئيبَةَ وَجهٍ غِبُّها غَيرُ طائِلِ

When he encamps on barren land, it becomes

Gloomy like a face whose end is fruitless

يَؤُمَ بِرِبعِيٍّ كَأَنَّ زُهائَهُ

إِذا هَبَطَ الصَحراءَ حَرَّةُ راجِلِ

He comes with a troop as though its beauty

When it descends the flat land is a hot ember