وَقالوا لَها لا تَنكِحيهِ فَإِنَّهُ
لِأَوَّلِ نَصلٍ أَن يُلاقِيَ مَجمَعا
They told her, “Do not marry him, for it is
The fate of the first spear tips to meet a host.”
فَلَم تَرَ مِن رَأيٍ فَتيلاً وَحاذَرَت
تَأَيُّمَها مِن لابِسِ اللَيلِ أَروَعا
Yet she saw no wisdom in such advice and feared
Remaining unmarried more than the wearer of night’s cloak.
قَليلُ غِرارِ النَومِ أَكبَرُ هَمِّهِ
دَمُ الثَأرِ أَو يَلقى كَمِيّاً مُقَنَّعا
Little sleep bothered him more than thoughts
Of vengeance’s blood or meeting masked warriors—
يُماصِعُهُ كُلٌّ يُشَجِّعُ قَومُهُ
وَما ضَربُهُ هامَ العِدى لِيُشَجَّعا
Each tribe egging on its own while the enemies’ blades
Struck not to encourage boasting but to wreak havoc.
قَليلِ اِدِّخارِ الزادِ إِلّا تَعِلَّةً
وَقَد نَشَزَ الشُرسوفُ وَاِلتَصَقَ المِعى
With little provision save sickness, his saddle straps
Were cinched tight, and his leather water bag fastened.
يَبيتُ بِمَغنى الوَحشِ حَتّى أَلِفنَهُ
وَيُصبِحُ لا يَحمي لَها الدَهرَ مَرتَعا
He slept in the wild till it became familiar
And woke with no pasture left to shelter their herd.
عَلى غِرَّةٍ أَو جَهلَةٍ مِن مُكانِسٍ
أَطالَ نِزالَ المَوتِ حَتّى تَسَعسَعا
An unknowing newcomer he slew, prolonging
The abode of death until the killings spread.
رَأَينَ فَتىً لا صَيدُ وَحشٍ يُهِمُّهُ
فَلَو صافَحَت إِنساً لَصافَحنَهُ مَعا
She saw a man no game could distract, who,
If he met a human, would face him undaunted.
وَلَكِنَّ أَربابَ المَخاضِ يَشُفُّهُم
إِذا اِقتَفَروهُ واحِداً أَو مُشَيَّعا
But raiders scorn being shamed when blamed
By one man marching alone or with an escort.
وَكَيفَ أَظُنُّ المَوتَ في الحَيِّ أَو أَرى
أَلَذُّ وَأَكرى أَو أَبيتُ مُقَنَّعا
How can I think of death amidst life or view
Sweetness when ability and cover have abandoned me?
وَلَستُ أَبيتُ الدَهرَ إِلّا عَلى فَتاً
أُسَلِّبُهُ أَو أَذعَرُ السِربَ أَجمَعا
I shall not survive long save by raiding a lad
Whose flock I can plunder or whose herd stampedes together.
وَإِنّي وَلا عِلمٌ لَأَعلَمُ أَنَّني
سَأَلقى سِنانَ المَوتِ يَبرُقُ أَصلَعا
Yet I know not for certain that I will meet
The grinning teeth of death gleaming hairless.
وَمَن يُغرَ بِالأَبطالِ لابُدَّ أَنَّهُ
سَيَلقى بِهِم مِن مَصرَعِ المَوتِ مَصرَعا
Who is fooled by heroes must meet with them
At the place of death the same death they were seeking.
