لِسَلمى بِشَرقِيِّ القَنانِ مَنازِلُ

وَرَسمٌ بِصَحراءِ اللُبَيَّينِ حائِلُ

My beloved has dwellings in eastern Salma,

And a figure in the deserts of Lubayyin hinders.

عَفا عامَ حَلَّت صَيفُهُ وَرَبيعُهُ

وَعامٌ وَعامٌ يَتبَعُ العامَ قابِلُ

A year has passed, its summer and spring gone by,

And year follows year, each replacing the last.

تَحَمَّلَ مِنها أَهلُها وَخَلَت لَها

سِنونَ فَمِنها مُستَبينٌ وَماثِلُ

Its people have endured it and it has served them—

Years, some distinct, some similar.

كَأَنَّ عَلَيها نُقبَةً حِميَرِيَّةً

يُقَطِّعُها بَينَ الجُفونِ الصَياقِلُ

It's as if over it is a small reddish dome

Fragmented by gray polished clouds.

تَبَصَّر خَليلي هَل تَرى مِن ظَعائِنٍ

كَما زالَ في الصُبحِ الأَشاءُ الحَوامِلُ

Look, my friend! Do you see any young, pregnant camels

Such as rose in the dawn, the pregnant ones halted?

نَشَزنَ مِنَ الدَهناءِ يَقطَعنَ وَسطَها

شَقائِقَ رَملٍ بَينَهُنَّ خَمائِلُ

They strode from the sand and split its middle

With small dunes between which are cairns.

فَلَمّا بَدَت ساقُ الجِواءِ وَصارَةٌ

وَفَرشٌ وَحَمّاواتُهُنَّ القَوابِلُ

When the legs of the locusts appeared and hoppers—

Litters and their nurses, the egg-layers—

طَرِبتَ وَقالَ القَلبُ هَل دونَ أَهلِها

لِمَن جاوَرَت إِلّا لَيالٍ قَلائِلُ

You were disturbed and said, “Unless it's for its people,

For whom has it hosted others but for a few nights?”

تُهَوِّنُ بُعدَ الأَرضِ عَنّي فَريدَةٌ

كِنازُ البَضيعِ سَهوَةُ المَشيِ بازِلُ

A unique treasure consoles me for the distance,

The darling of the camp, my faltering walk's mistake.

كَأَنَّ بِضاحي جِلدِها وَمَقَذِّها

نَضيحَ كُحَيلٍ أَعقَدَتهُ المَراجِلُ

It's as if its plains and brow display

The fires stoked by the cooking-places.

وَإِنّي لَمُهدٍ مِن ثَناءٍ وَمِدحَةٍ

إِلى ماجِدٍ تُبغى لَدَيهِ الفَواضِلُ

And I am outpouring praise and panegyric

To a noble one whose virtues are sought,

مِنَ الأَكرَمينَ مَنصِباً وَضَريبَةً

إِذا ما شَتا تَأوي إِلَيهِ الأَرامِلُ

One of the noblest in rank and stature

When bereaved women wish to take refuge with him,

فَما مُخدِرٌ وَردٌ عَلَيهِ مَهابَةٌ

يَصيدُ الرِجالَ كُلَّ يَومٍ يُنازِلُ

One whom no warrior can ward off in fear

As he hunts men down day after day.

بِأَوشَكَ مِنهُ أَن يُساوِرَ قِرنَهُ

إِذا شالَ عَن خَفضِ العَوالي الأَسافِلُ

Soon he will attack amatching opponent

When the sublime and low clash together.

فَيَبدَءُهُ بِضَربَةٍ أَو يَشُكُّهُ

بِنافِذَةٍ تَصفَرُّ مِنهُ الأَنامِلُ

He begins with a blow or cripples him

With a piercing one that yellows the fingers.

أَبى لِاِبنِ سَلمى خَلَّتانِ اِصطَفاهُما

قِتالٌ إِذا يَلقى العَدُوَّ وَنائِلُ

The son of Salma was granted two boons: to be chosen

For combat when meeting a foe in battle

وَغَزوٌ فَما يَنفَكُّ في الأَرضِ طاوِياً

تَقَلقَلُ أَفراسٌ بِهِ وَرَواحِلُ

And for raids, never stopping to conquer lands,

His horses and camels disturbing the earth,

إِذا نَهَبوا نَهباً يَكونُ عَطائَهُ

صَفايا المَخاضِ وَالعِشارُ المَطافِلُ

Giving freely of spoils like the first milkings

And tithes that seekers alight on.

تَراهُ إِذا ما جِئتَهُ مُتَهَلِّلاً

كَأَنَّكَ تُعطيهِ الَّذي أَنتَ سائِلُ

When you come fawning over him,

It's as if you're the one giving what you seek.

أُحابي بِهِ مَيتاً بِنَخلٍ وَأَبتَغي

إِخاءَكَ بِالقَولِ الَّذي أَنا قائِلُ

I will love him unto death with palms, and I ask

Your friendship with my words that I speak.

أُحابي بِهِ مَن لَو سُئِلتُ مَكانَهُ

يَميني وَلَو عَزَّت عَلَيَّ أَنامِلُ

I will love him over whom, if asked,

I would give my right hand, were it difficult.

لَعِشنا ذَوي أَيدٍ ثَلاثٍ وَإِنَّما ال

حَياةُ قَليلٌ وَالصَفاءُ التَباذُلُ

We two will live, a trinity of hands. But life

Is short, purity being rare between two hearts.

وَلَيسَ لِمَن لَم يَركَبِ الهَولَ بُغيَةٌ

وَلَيسَ لِرَحلٍ حَطَّهُ اللَهُ حامِلُ

One who hasn't embarked on doom has no desire,

Just as one whom God has halted has no mount,

إِذا أَنتَ لَم تُقصِر عَنِ الجَهلِ وَالخَنا

أَصَبتَ حَليماً أَو أَصابَكَ جاهِلُ

And if you do not fall short of ignorance and rancor

You will gain a forbearing man or meet an ignorant one.