إِنّي كَأَنّي لَدى النُعمانِ خَبَّرَهُ
بَعضُ الأُوُدَّ حَديثاً غَيرَ مَكذوبِ
It seems as if one of the faithful friends told Nu'man
A tale, no falsehood in it, of a fortress alive
بِأَنَّ حِصناً وَحَيّاً مِن بَني أَسَدٍ
قاموا فَقالوا حِمانا غَيرُ مَقروبِ
With the clan of Asad, saying "Protect us!"
Their wits fled them, and the fair speaker seduced them,
ضَلَّت حُلومُهُمُ عَنهُم وَغَرَّهُمُ
سَنُّ المُعَيدِيَّ في رَعيٍ وَتَعزيبِ
Driving the steeds from Golan, unshod,
Among startled does roused from sleep unbroken,
قادَ الجِيادَ مِنَ الجَولانِ قائِظَةً
مِن بَينِ مُنعَلَةٍ تُزجى وَمَجنوبِ
Until they cried out for help from the salt-lick people
In a camp whose sleep was broken and unrested.
حَتّى اِستَغاثَت بِأَهلِ المِلحِ ما طَعِمَت
في مَنزِلٍ طَعمَ نَومٍ غَيرَ تَأويبِ
They were splashed with the overflow of the abundant troughs
As the water-carriers hauled the undrunk draught.
يَنضَحنَ نَضحَ المَزادِ الوُفرِ أَتأَقَها
شَدُّ الرُواةِ بِماءٍ غَيرِ مَشروبِ
The hollow bellies of the sand-grouse poured down
Like mourners' streaming tatters and trailing robes.
قُبُّ الأَياطِلِ تَردي في أَعِنَّتِها
كَالخاضِباتِ مِنَ الزُعرِ الظَنابيبِ
Dishevelled warriors with grizzled war-beards
And greying temples smelled of warriors and age.
شُعثٌ عَلَيها مَساعيرٌ لِحَربِهِمُ
شُمُّ العَرانينِ مِن مُردٍ وَمِن شيبِ
No drowsing in that fortress when
Voices of a lively tribe woke the guarded to alarm,
وَما بِحِصنٍ نُعاسٌ إِذ تُؤَرِّقُهُ
أَصواتُ حَيٍّ عَلى الأَمرارِ مَحروبِ
While the doubting herds crowded by the crosses
In the plain, apprehensive and assembled.
ظَلَّت أَقاطيعُ أَنعامٍ مُؤَبَّلَةٍ
لَدى صَليبٍ عَلى الزَوراءِ مَنصوبِ
When by God's grace their evil was stemmed,
The scout sped back to bear the news to the tribes.
فَإِذ وُقيتِ بِحَمدِ اللَهِ شِرَّتَها
فَاِنجي فَزارَ إِلى الأَطوادِ فَاللوبِ
Never did they encounter, as did the clan of Asad,
What brought them to disaster and confusion.
وَلا تُلاقي كَما لَقَت بَنو أَسَدٍ
فَقَد أَصابَتهُمُ مِنها بِشُؤبوبِ
None remained save a harried fugitive, unescaping,
Or a captive, bound by ropes of palm-fibre, stripped,
لَم يَبقَ غَيرُ طَريدٍ غَيرِ مُنفَلِتٍ
وَموثَقٍ في حِبالِ القِدِّ مَسلوبِ
Or a noble steed, mired like grouse in the sand,
Hobbled on the hillsides among the stone slopes,
أَو حُرَّةٍ كَمَهاةِ الرَملِ قَد كُبِلَت
فَوقَ المَعاصِمِ مِنها وَالعَراقيبِ
Calling vainly for succour, while the iron bit
Bit like a file in an unyielding muzzle.
تَدعو قُعَيناً وَقَد عَضَّ الحَديدُ بِها
عَضَّ الثِقافِ عَلى صُمِّ الأَنابيبِ
Sensing their homes the prey of the invaders,
They invoked the names of Jesus, Domiyya, and Job.
مُستَشعِرينَ قَدَ الفَوا في دِيارِهِمُ
دُعاءَ سوعٍ وَدُعمِيٍّ وَأَيّوبِ
