تُؤَمِّلُ أَن تُلاقِيَ أُمَّ وَهبٍ

تُؤَمِّلُ أَن تُلاقِيَ أُمَّ وَهبٍ

بِمَخلَفَةٍ إِذا اِجتَمَعَت ثَقيفُ

بِمَخلَفَةٍ إِذا اِجتَمَعَت ثَقيفُ

You hope to meet Umm Wahb

You hope to meet Umm Wahb

at Makhlafah, when Thaqif gathers,

In Ukaz when Thaqif gathers,

إِذا بُنِيَ القِبابُ عَلى عُكاظٍ

إِذا بُنِيَ القِبابُ عَلى عُكاظٍ

وَقامَ البَيعُ وَاِجتَمَع الأُلوفُ

وَقامَ البَيعُ وَاِجتَمَع الأُلوفُ

when the pavilions are erected at Ukaz,

When the tents are pitched in Ukaz

and trading begins and thousands gather.

And trade commences as thousands converge.

تُواعِدُنا عُكاظَ لَنَنزِلَنهُ

تُواعِدُنا عُكاظَ لَنَنزِلَنهُ

وَلَم تَعلَم إِذاً أَنّي خَليفُ

وَلَم تَعلَم إِذاً أَنّي خَليفُ

She promises to meet us at Ukaz; we shall surely camp there,

Ukaz calls us for a visit, we shall indeed alight,

but she did not know then that I would stay behind.

Yet you know not that I am the caliph.

فَسَوفَ تَقولُ إِن هِيَ لَم تَجِدني

فَسَوفَ تَقولُ إِن هِيَ لَم تَجِدني

أَخانَ العَهدَ أَم أَثِمَ الحَليفُ

أَخانَ العَهدَ أَم أَثِمَ الحَليفُ

So she will say, if she does not find me,

So you will say, if you do not find me,

“Has he betrayed the pledge, or has the sworn ally sinned?”

Did he break his vow or sin, the ally?

وَما إِن وَجدُ مُعوِلَةٍ رَقوبٍ

وَما إِن وَجدُ مُعوِلَةٍ رَقوبٍ

بِواحِدِها إِذا يَغزو تُضيفُ

بِواحِدِها إِذا يَغزو تُضيفُ

Nor even the grief of a wailing, bereaved mother,

I take no heed of a watchful spy

for her only son, for whom she fears when he goes raiding—

With evil in his heart, if he arrives to blame.

تُنَفِّضُ مَهدَهُ وَتَذُبُّ عَنهُ

تُنَفِّضُ مَهدَهُ وَتَذُبُّ عَنهُ

وَما تُغني التَمائِمُ وَالعُكوفُ

وَما تُغني التَمائِمُ وَالعُكوفُ

she shakes out his cradle and wards harm away from him,

I shake his cot and ward him off,

yet amulets and constant attendance avail nothing.

Amulets and seclusion are of no avail.

تَقولُ لَهُ كَفَيتُكَ كُلَّ شَيءٍ

تَقولُ لَهُ كَفَيتُكَ كُلَّ شَيءٍ

أَهَمَّكَ ما تَخَطَّتني الحُتوفُ

أَهَمَّكَ ما تَخَطَّتني الحُتوفُ

She says to him, “I have spared you everything

I say to him, “I’ve had my fill of all things.

that troubled you, so long as death has passed me by.”

Does it trouble you that I’m free of worry and fear?”

أُتيحَ لَهُ مِنَ الفِتيانِ خِرقٌ

أُتيحَ لَهُ مِنَ الفِتيانِ خِرقٌ

أَخو ثِقَةٍ وَخِرّيقٌ خَشوفُ

أَخو ثِقَةٍ وَخِرّيقٌ خَشوفُ

From among the young men, a daring youth was sent his way,

Among the youths he finds a fool,

a man to trust, a bold rover, daring by night.

A stupid, rash, dimwitted lout.

فَبَينا يَمشِيانِ جَرَت عُقابٌ

فَبَينا يَمشِيانِ جَرَت عُقابٌ

مِنَ العِقبانِ خائِتَةٌ دَفوفُ

مِنَ العِقبانِ خائِتَةٌ دَفوفُ

Then, as the two walked, an eagle flew past,

As they walk, a raven swoops down

one of the eagles, swooping and flying low.

Of ill-omened ravens, clucking aloud.

فَقالَ لَهُ وَقَد أَوحَت إِلَيهِ

فَقالَ لَهُ وَقَد أَوحَت إِلَيهِ

أَلا لِلَّهِ أُمُّكَ ما تَعيفُ

أَلا لِلَّهِ أُمُّكَ ما تَعيفُ

He said to him, after it had given him a sign,

It suggests to the dimwit, whispering in his ear,

“Listen, God bless your mother! What omen do you read

“Woe to you! May your mother be bereaved!

بِأَرضٍ لا أَنيسَ بِها يَبابٍ

بِأَرضٍ لا أَنيسَ بِها يَبابٍ

وَأَمسِلَةٍ مَدافِعُها خَليفُ

وَأَمسِلَةٍ مَدافِعُها خَليفُ

in a desolate land with not a soul in it,

“In a land with no friend to give you comfort,

and streambeds whose outlets form a mountain pass?”

With rulers whose kinsman is the caliph.”

فَقالَ لَهُ أَرى طَيراً ثِقالاً

فَقالَ لَهُ أَرى طَيراً ثِقالاً

تُبَشِّرُ بِالغَنيمَةِ أَو تُخيفُ

تُبَشِّرُ بِالغَنيمَةِ أَو تُخيفُ

He said to him, “I see heavy birds

The fool says, “I see a bird heavy with tidings,

that herald booty, or inspire dread.”

Bearing news of bounty or stirring up fear.”

فَأَلفى القَومَ قَد شَرِبوا فَضَمّوا

فَأَلفى القَومَ قَد شَرِبوا فَضَمّوا

أَمامَ الماءِ مَنطِقُهُم نَسيفُ

أَمامَ الماءِ مَنطِقُهُم نَسيفُ

He found the men had drunk and closed ranks

But he found the people had drunk their fill,

before the water, their speech a low murmur.

Their talk blurred, tongues slow with wine.

فَلَم يَرَ غَيرَ عادِيَةٍ لِزاماً

فَلَم يَرَ غَيرَ عادِيَةٍ لِزاماً

كَما يَتَهَدَّمُ الحَوضُ اللَقيفُ

كَما يَتَهَدَّمُ الحَوضُ اللَقيفُ

He saw nothing but an unrelenting assault,

He saw none but the guards, as ordained,

like a stone-lined trough crumbling.

Like a bowl with cracks, ripe to leak.

فَراغَ وَزَوَّدوهُ ذاتَ فَرغٍ

فَراغَ وَزَوَّدوهُ ذاتَ فَرغٍ

لَها نَفَذٌ كَما قُدَّ الحَشيفُ

لَها نَفَذٌ كَما قُدَّ الحَشيفُ

He swerved, and they furnished him with a gaping wound,

So he left, taking waterskins full of emptiness,

piercing clean through, like a worn waterskin slit open.

With outlets like plaited palm-leaves.

وَغادَرَ في رَئيسِ القَومِ أُخرى

وَغادَرَ في رَئيسِ القَومِ أُخرى

مُشَلشِلَةً كَما قُدَّ النَصيفُ

مُشَلشِلَةً كَما قُدَّ النَصيفُ

And he left another in the chief of the men,

And he left in the chief of the clan another

streaming with blood, like a veil slit open.

That sagged like a sack without a stitch.

فَلَمّا خَرَّ عِندَ الحَوضِ طافوا

فَلَمّا خَرَّ عِندَ الحَوضِ طافوا

بِهِ وَأَبانَهُ مِنهُم عَريفُ

بِهِ وَأَبانَهُ مِنهُم عَريفُ

When he fell beside the trough, they gathered

But when he fell at the basin, they encircled him

around him, and a headman among them recognized him.

And their leader distinguished him from the rest,

فَقالَ أَما خَشيتَ وَلِلمَنايا

فَقالَ أَما خَشيتَ وَلِلمَنايا

مَصارِعُ أَن تُخَرِّقَكَ السُيوفُ

مَصارِعُ أَن تُخَرِّقَكَ السُيوفُ

He said, “Did you not fear—for death has

Saying, “Did you not fear the strokes of death

its killing grounds—that swords would pierce you?”

That swords may pierce and shred you through?”

فَقالَ لَقَد خَشيتُ وَأَنبَأَتني

فَقالَ لَقَد خَشيتُ وَأَنبَأَتني

بِهِ العِقبانُ لَو أَنّي أَعيفُ

بِهِ العِقبانُ لَو أَنّي أَعيفُ

He said, “Indeed I feared, and I was warned

He said, “Yes I feared, and the ravens warned me

of it by the eagles—if only I knew how to read omens.”

Had I been faint of heart or frail.”

وَقالَ بِعَهدِهِ في القَومِ إِنّي

وَقالَ بِعَهدِهِ في القَومِ إِنّي

شَفَيتُ النَفسَ لَو يُشفى اللَهيفُ

شَفَيتُ النَفسَ لَو يُشفى اللَهيفُ

And he said, by his pledge among the men, “I

And he said, upholding his vow to the tribe, “I

have healed my soul—if the anguished can be healed.”

Quenched my soul’s thirst, though the wounded perish.”