لِمَنِ الدارُ كَعُنوانِ الكِتابِ
هاجِتِ الشَوقَ وَعَيَّت بِالجَوابِ
To whom does the house belong, like a book's title,
That stirred longing and responded with answers?
لَم تَزِدكَ الدارُ إِلّا طَرَباً
وَالصِبا غَيرُ شَبيهٍ بِالصَوابِ
The house increased you in nothing but confusion,
And youth is not akin to propriety.
مَوضِعُ الأَنضادِ لَأياً ما يُرى
وَرَمادٌ مِثلَ كُحلِ العَينِ هابِ
A place for convening whatever is seen,
And ashes like kohl of eyes gone.
صَدَّ عَنهُ السَيلَ مَجرى تَلعَةٍ
خُدُدٌ باقٍ كَأُخدودِ الكِرابِ
The torrent barred a valley's course,
Leaving lasting gashes like scratches of parchments.
ضَرَبَتهُ سَلفَعُ مَملوكَةٌ
بِغُرابِ الفَأسِ في وَجهِ التُرابِ
A slave girl struck it with the crow of an axe in the earth's face,
Pushing back the torrent until it flowed
تَدفَعُ السَيلَ به حَتّى جَرى
صَحصَحانِيُّ الصَحاري وَالرِكابِ
Among the pebbly, desolate plains and hilltops.
With what used to dwell in it-
وَبِما قَد كانَ فيها ساكِناً
أَهلُ أَنعامٍ وَخَيلٍ وَقِبابِ
People of livestock, horses, and tents,
And young girls beautifully pure
وَرَعابيبٌ حِسانٌ كَالدُمى
لا يُنِلنَ الشَيبَ لِذاتِ الشَبابِ
Whom old age cannot touch in their youthfulness.
So leave play to those who play with it
فَذَرِ اللَهوَ لِمَن يَلهو بِهِ
وَاِكسُ أَقتادَكَ جَوناً ذاهِبابِ
And saddle your riding camel, going away.
A female camel carried it, strong,
حَمَلَتهُ بازِلٌ كَودانَةٌ
في مِلادٍ وَوِعاءِ كَالجِرابِ
In a birth and vessel like a saddlebag
For a year until when she found her bearing
سَنَةً حَتّى إِذا ما أَحوَلَت
وَضَعَتهُ بَعدَ عَزفٍ وَاِضطِرابِ
She laid it down after writhing and struggling.
A husk whose essence perfidy did not violate
جَلدَةً لَم يَتَخَوَّن دَرَّها
سوءُ تَصريمٍ وَلا جَهدُ اِحتِلابِ
Nor effort of gathering violate.
So it shed its pearls until there emerged
فَفَلَتهُ دِرَراً حَتّى بَدا
سامِقاً يَعلو مَصاعيبَ السِقابِ
Lofty, rising above water-drawing pulleys.
A trunk the acacia is too short for,
جَذَعاً يَستَكبِرُ الشَولُ لَهُ
مُفنَقاً كَالفَحلِ يَعمي بِاللُعابِ
Bristling like a stallion frothing at the mouth.
Then it bent while a fierce, unyielding
ثُمَّ أَثنى وَهوَ شَهمٌ مُصعَبٌ
فَرَدٌ يُذعَرُ مِن صَوتِ الذُبابِ
Colt startled by the buzzing of flies.
It remained six days within it
فَخَلا سَتَّةَ أَيّامٍ بِهِ
رابِضٌ يَعدِلُ أَظعانَ الصِعابِ
Crouching, equaling the heights of loftiest peaks
In the wilderness's emptiness until it led him,
في خَلاءِ الأَرضِ حَتّى قادَهُ
تَبَعَ المُهرِ بمَنحٍ وَاِجتِلابِ
Following the expert guide in conferral and pleading.
Rarely did it carry of his belongings
قَلَّما حَمَّلَهُ مِن رَحلِهِ
غَيرَ أَقتادٍ وَقَطعٍ وَقِرابِ
Other than tether, scraps, and waterskin.
It watches the person with the rear of its eye
يَرقُبُ الشَخصَ بِتالي طَرفِهِ
بَعدَما يَنضوا مَعانيقَ الرِكابِ
After the litters' curtains have been drawn.
Good is the ringing of the caravan bells when
نِعمَ قُرقورُ المَرَوراتِ إِذا
غَرِقَ الحِزّانُ في آلِ السَرابِ
The driver is engulfed in mirage.
Like a wavering shadow, in its weakness
كَمُدِلٍّ ظَلَّ في عانَتِهِ
بصُوى الرِجلَةِ شَرقِيَّ غُرابِ
It relied on the calluses of a barefoot easterner crow.
Fasting, it breaks its slightest command
صائِمُ يَقصِمُ أَدنى أَمرِهِ
قَد بَرى جَبلَتَهُ عَسفَ الرِقابِ
Having experienced the violence of servitude.
Does it water them from the spring of secrets or
أَبِماءِ السِرِّ يَسقيهِنَّ أَم
يَرِدُ الجِيَّ إِلى وَجهِ الإِيابِ
Return the troop to the water-gatherer?
Then it lined them up-fettered in passion-
ثُمَّ قَفّاهُنَّ مَحبوكُ الشَوى
أَصحَلُ في أَخدَرِيّاتٍ لِهابِ
Addled in intoxications, flame-engulfed.
