حَدِّث حَديثَ فَتاةِ حَيٍّ مَرَّةً
بِالجِزعِ بَينَ أَذاخِرٍ وَحَراءِ
Tell the tale of a maiden of a lively clan
Who once lamented while amid ruins and wasteland:
قالَت لِجارَتِها عِشاءً إِذ رَأَت
نُزَهَ المَكانِ وَغَيبَةَ الأَعداءِ
She said to her neighbor in the evening when she saw
The beauty of the spot and absence of foes:
في رَوضَةٍ يَمَّمنَها مَولِيَّةٍ
مَيثاءَ رابِيَةٍ بُعَيدَ سَماءِ
In a garden made pleasant by a gently blowing breeze,
A resting place far from the distant firmament,
في ظِلِّ دانِيَةِ الغُصونِ وَريقَةٍ
نَبَتَت بِأَبطَحَ طَيِّبِ الثَرياءِ
In the shade of a thick-branched tree and soft meadow
That sprang in the hollow of good fertile soil,
وَكَأَنَّ ريقَتَها صَبيرُ غَمامَةً
بَرَدَت عَلى صَحوٍ بُعَيدَ ضَحاءِ
And it was as if its softness were a raincloud
That cooled over distant, hot, barren land.
لَيتَ المُغيرِيَّ العَشيَّةَ أَسعَفَت
دارٌ بِهِ لِتَقارُبِ الأَهواءِ
Would that the one who brings evening had favored
A house where we could be near each other!
إِذ غابَ عَنّا مَن نَخافُ وَطاوَعَت
أَرضٌ لَنا بِلَذاذَةٍ وَخَلاءِ
When he who we fear is absent from us
The land is ours in pleasantness and solitude."
قُلتُ اِركَبوا نَزُرِ الَّتي زَعَمَت لَنا
أَن لا نُباليها كَبيرَ بَلاءِ
I said, "Ride on! He who professed to us
That we should not heed it, though great the test."
بَينا كَذَلِكَ إِذ عَجاجَةُ مَوكِبٍ
رَفَعوا ذَميلَ العيسِ بِالصَحراءِ
While we were thus, suddenly the creaking sound
Of a procession raising the hem of a robe in the desert.
قالَت لِجارَتِها اِنظُري ها مَن أُلى
وَتَأَمَّلي مَن راكِبُ الأَدماءِ
She said to her neighbor, "Look! See who has come
And observe well the rider of the roan camel."
قالَت أَبو الخَطابِ أَعرِفُ زِيَّهُ
وَلِباسَهُ لا شَكَّ غَيرَ خَفاءُ
She said, "I know his garb and dress -
Without doubt it is none other than Khafaja."
قالَت وَهَل قالَت نَعَم فَاِستَبشِري
مِمَّن يُحَبُّ لَقِيُّهُ بِلِقاءِ
She said, "Indeed! Then be glad,
For the one whom we love to meet is come."
قالَت لَقَد جاءَت إِذاً أُمنِيَّتي
في غَيرِ تَكلِفَةٍ وَغَيرِ عَناءِ
She said, "My wish has indeed been answered
Without effort or exertion on my part.
ما كُنتُ أَرجو أَن يُلِمَّ بِأَرضِنا
إِلّا تَمَنِّيَهُ كَبيرَ رَجاءِ
I did not hope that he would visit our land
Except by greatly wishing and hoping for it.
فَإِذا المُنى قَد قَرَّبَت بِلِقائِهِ
وَأَجابَ في سِرٍّ لَنا وَخَلاءِ
And so my desire is brought near by meeting him,
And he has answered in secret, for me and in solitude."
لَمّا تَواقَفنا وَحَيَّيناهُما
رَدَّت تَحِيَّتَنا عَلى اِستِحياءِ
When we stopped and greeted them,
He returned our greeting bashfully.
قُلنَ اِنزِلوا فَتَيَمَّموا لِمَطِيِّكُم
غَيباً تُغَيِّبُهُ إِلى الإِمساءِ
We said, "Dismount, rest your riding beasts
Hidden away until nightfall."
إِن تَنظُروا اليَومَ الثَواءَ بِأَرضِنا
فَغَدٌ لَكُم رَهنٌ بِحُسنِ ثَواءِ
"If you look upon our land today favorably,
Tomorrow you will be indebted to its hospitality."
عُجنا مَطايا قَد عَيَينَ وَعُوِّدَت
أَلّا يَرُمنَ تَرَغُّماً بِرُغاءِ
"We have wearied our riding beasts which are accustomed
Not to grumble with a roar of discontent,
حَتّى إِذا أُمِنَ الرَقيبُ وَنُوِّمَت
عَنّا عُيونُ سَواهِرِ الأَعداءِ
Until, when the watcher is reassured and
Eyes of hostile spies are closed in slumber,
خَرَجَت تَأَطَّرُ في ثَلاثٍ كَالدُمى
تَمشي كَمَشيِ الظَبيَةِ الأَدماءِ
She emerged, wrists adorned with bracelets, walking like
A roe deer, in a party of three, with graceful gait.
جاءَ البَشيرُ بِأَنَّها قَد أَقبَلَت
ريحٌ لَها أَرجٌ بِكُلِّ فَضاءِ
The herald brought news that she approached,
A breeze with a fragrance pervading the atmosphere."
قالَت لِرَبّي الشُكرُ هَذي لَيلَةً
نَذراً أُؤَدّيهِ لَهُ بِوَفاءِ
She said, "Thanks to my Lord! Tonight in fulfillment
Of a vow I will faithfully perform for His sake."
