أَلا عَجِبَ الفِتيانُ مِن أُمِّ مالِكٍ

تَقولُ لَقَد أَصبَحتَ أَشعَثَ أَغبَرا

How the youths marvel at Umm Malik’s son

Saying, “You’ve become disheveled and dust-covered,

قَليلَ الإِتاءِ وَالحَلوبَةِ بَعدَما

رَأَيتُكَ بَرّاقَ المَفارِقِ أَيسَرا

Rarely visiting after we saw you

Radiant, with smooth cheeks!”

فَقُلتُ لَها يَومانِ يَومُ إِقامَةٍ

أَهُزُّ بِهِ غُصناً مِنَ البانِ أَخضَرا

I said to her, “Two days - a day I spend

Shaking a green bough of acacia,

وَيَومٌ أَهُزُّ السَيفَ في جيدِ أَغيَدٍ

لَهُ نِسوَةٌ لَم تَلقَ مِنّي أَنكَرا

And a day I shake a sword amid the necks of foes,

To which it is no stranger.

يَنُحنَ عَلَيهِ وَهوَ يَنزِعُ نَفسَهُ

لَقَد كُنتَ أَبّاءَ الظُلامَةِ قَسوَرا

It bends over it as it draws out his soul -

You were resolute in the dark turmoil.

وَقَد صِحتُ فيآثارِ حَومٍ كَأَنَّها

عَذارى عُقَيلٍ أَو بَكارَةُ حِميَرا

And I called in the tracks of Hawm as if they were

The virgins of 'Uqail or the maidens of Humayr.

أَبَعدَ النُفاثيِّنَ أَزجُرُ طائِراً

وَآسى عَلى شَيءٍ إِذا هُوَ أَدبَرا

I frighten off the sniffers like a repelling bird

And regret something when it turns away.

أُنَهنِهُ رِجلي عَنهُمُ وَإِخالُهُم

مِنَ الذُلِّ يَعراً بِالتَلاعَةِ أَعفَرا

My legs forbid them while I make them

Retreat in humiliation, drab and sallow.

فَلَو نالَتِ الكَفّانِ أَصحابَ نَوفَلٍ

بِمَهمَهَةٍ مِن بَينِ ظَرَّ فَعَرعَرا

If only the hands of Nawfal's companions reached them

With a blow from amidst prominent knolls!

وَلَمّا أَبى اللَيثِيُّ إِلّا اِنتِهاكَنا

صَبَرتُ وَكانَ العِرضُ عِرضِيَ أَوفَرا

And when the Laythi insisted we ravage them,

I was patient, though my honor was greater.

فَقُلتُ لَهُ حَقَّ الثَناءُ فَإِنَّني

سَأَذهَبُ حَتّى لَم أَجِد مُتَأَخَّرا

So I said to him - praise is due - I will go

Until I find none remaining.

وَلَمّا رَأَيتُ الجَهلَ زادَ لَجاجَةً

يَقولُ فَلا يَألوكَ أَن تَتَشَوَّرا

And when I saw ignorance grow more stubborn

Saying, 'May you never lack war,'

دَنَوتُ لَهُ حَتّى كَأَنَّ قَميصَهُ

تَشَرَّبَ مِن نَضحِ الأَخادِعِ عُصفُرا

I approached him until his shirt seemed

To be soaked in the dripping of adder's venom.

فَمَن مُبلِغٌ لَيثَ بنَ بَكرٍ بِأَنَّنا

تَرَكنا أَخاهُم يَومَ قَرنٍ مُعَفَّرا

Who will tell Layth ibn Bakr that we

Left their brother on the day of Qarn covered in dust?”