وَدِّع أُمامَةَ وَالتَوديعُ تَعذيرُ
وَما وَداعُكَ مَن قَفَّت بِهِ العيرُ
Bid farewell to Ummama though parting is but an excuse,
Your farewell is not from one stopped by luggage camels.
وَما رَأَيتُكَ إِلّا نَظرَةً عَرَضَت
يَومَ النِمارَةِ وَالمَأمورُ مَأمورُ
I saw you but a fleeting glance,
The day they rode out and the commander gave orders.
إِنَّ القُفولَ إِلى حَيٍّ وَإِن بَعُدوا
أَمسَوا وَدونَهُمُ ثَهلانُ فَالنيرُ
Surely returning to loved ones, though far away,
Is like evening for them with the saddles still warm.
هَل تُبَلِّغنيهِمُ حَرفٌ مُصَرَّمَةٌ
أُجدُ الفَقارِ وَإِدلاجٌ وَتَهجيرُ
Can fragments of parchment convey a message for me,
Full of yearning and twisting of fiber?
قَد عُرِّيَت نِصفَ حَولٍ أَشهُراً جُدُداً
يَسفي عَلى رَحلِها بِالحيرَةِ المورُ
Half a year has passed, fresh new months,
As she wanders confused, the camels led on.
وَقارَفَت وَهيَ لَم تَجرَب وَباعَ لَها
مِنَ الفَصافِصِ بِالنُمِّيِّ سِفسيرُ
Though untried, she took the risk and was sold for her
Cheap ornaments and flimsy garments.
لَيسَت تَرى حَولَها إِلفاً وَراكِبُها
نَشوانُ في جَوَّةِ الباغوثِ مَخمورُ
She sees no friends around her, only her rider
Drunk on wine in the litter of a sand grouse.
تُلقي الإِوَزّينَ في أَكنافِ دارَتِها
بَيضاً وَبَينَ يَدَيها التِبنُ مَنشورُ
She casts the little bustards in the fold of her refuge
White in front of her, the hay strewn about.
لَولا الهُمامُ الَّذي تُرجى نَوافِلُهُ
لَقالَ راكِبُها في عُصبَةٍ سيروا
Were it not for the virtues hoped for as bonus,
Her rider would say to his friends "let's move on."
كَأَنَّها خاضِبٌ أَظلافَهُ لَهِقٌ
قَهدُ الإِهابِ تَرَبَّتهُ الزَنانيرُ
As if dye stained the edges, worn out, fatigued,
The camel's hump dusty from the howdah's straps.
أَصاخَ مِن نَبأَةٍ أَصغى لَها أُذُناً
صِماخُها بِدَخيسِ الرَوقِ مَستورُ
From a report she heard, listening intently,
Her bridle muffled in coarse fabric.
مِن حِسِّ أَطلَسَ تَسعى تَحتَهُ شِرَعٌ
كَأَنَّ أَحناكَها السُفلى مَآشيرُ
With sensitivity of a smooth wool cloak they hurry underneath,
As if her lower lip was shaved bare.
يَقولُ راكِبُها الجِنِّيُّ مُرتَفِقاً
هَذا لَكُنَّ وَلَحمُ الشاةِ مَحجورُ
Her demon rider complains, bargaining,
"At least let us have mutton, even just scraps."
