1. لِمَنِ الدِيارُ بِحائِلٍ فَوُعالِ

    دَرَسَت وَغَيَّرَها سُنونَ خَوالي

    Whose are the dwellings at Ha'il and Wu'al?

    They have faded; long-past years have changed them.

  2. دَرَجَ البَوارِحُ فَوقَها فَتَنَكَّرَت

    بَعدَ الأَنيسِ مَعارِفُ الأَطلالِ

    Scorching winds swept over them, making strange

    The ruins' familiar features, after human company had gone.

  3. فَكَأَنَّما هِيَ مِن تُقادُمِ عَهدَها

    وَرَقٌ نُشِرنَ مِنَ الكِتابِ بَوالي

    As though, with the long passage of time,

    They were worn pages spread out from a book.

  4. دِمَنٌ تُذَعذِعُها الرِياحُ وَتارَةً

    تُسقى بِمُرتَجِزِ السَحابِ ثَقالِ

    Camp traces scattered by the winds, and sometimes

    Watered by thundering, heavy-laden clouds.

  5. باتَت يَمانِيَةُ الرِياحِ تَقودُهُ

    حَتّى اِستَقادَ لَها بِغَيرِ حِبالِ

    All night the southerly wind led the cloud,

    Until it followed her without ropes.

  6. في مُظلِمٍ غَدِقِ الرَبابِ كَأَنَّما

    يَسقي الأَشَقَّ وَعالِجاً بِدَوالي

    In a dark mass of rain-rich cloud, as though

    It watered al-Ashaqq and 'Alij with great drawing-buckets.

  7. وَعَلى زُبالَةَ باتَ مِنهُ كَلكَلٌ

    وَعَلى الكَثيبِ وَقُلَّةِ الأَدحالِ

    Over Zubala its breast lay through the night,

    And over al-Kathib and the summit of al-Adhal.

  8. وَعَلا البَسيطَةَ فَالشَقيقُ بِرَيِّقٍ

    فَالضَوجَ بَينَ رُوَيَّةٍ فَطِحالِ

    It swept over al-Basita, then al-Shaqiq, with its first rain,

    Then al-Dawj, between Ruwayya and Tihal.

  9. دارٌ تَبَدَّلَتِ النَعامَ بِأَهلِها

    وَصِوارَ كُلِّ مُلَمَّعٍ ذَيّالِ

    A dwelling that took ostriches in place of its people,

    And herds of dappled, long-tailed wild cattle.

  10. أُدمٌ مُخَدَّمَةُ السَوادِ كَأَنَّها

    خَيلٌ هَوامِلُ بِتنَ في الأَجلالِ

    Pale-coated, black-ankleted, as though they were

    Roaming horses that spent the night in horsecloths.

  11. تَرعى بَحازِجُها خِلالَ رِياضِها

    وَتَميسُ بَينَ سَباسِبٍ وَرِمالِ

    Their calves graze among its meadows,

    And sway across level plains and sands.

  12. وَلَقَد تَكونُ بِها الرَبابُ لَذيذَةً

    بِفَمِ الضَجيعِ ثَقيلَةَ الأَوصالِ

    Once al-Rabab was there, sweet

    To her bedfellow's lips, heavy of limb.

  13. يَجري ذَكِيُّ المِسكِ في أَردانِها

    وَتَصيدُ بَعدَ تَقَتُّلٍ وَدَلالِ

    The keen scent of musk flows within her sleeves,

    And, after languishing and coquetry, she ensnares

  14. قَلبَ الغَوِيِّ إِذا تَنَبَّهَ بَعدَ ما

    تَعتَلُّ كُلُّ مُذالَةٍ مِتفالِ

    The wayward man's heart when he awakens, after

    Every slovenly, unperfumed woman has offered excuses.

  15. عِشنا بِذَلِكَ حِقبَةً مِن عَيشِنا

    وَثَرىً مِنَ الشَهَواتِ وَالأَموالِ

    We lived thus for a span of our lives,

    Amid an abundance of pleasures and wealth.

  16. وَلَقَد أَكونُ لَهُنَّ صاحِبَ لَذَّةٍ

    حَتّى تَغَيَّرَ حالُهُنَّ وَحالي

    I was their companion in pleasure,

    Until their condition changed, and mine.

  17. فَتَنَكَّرَت لَمّا عَلَتني كَبرَةٌ

    عِندَ المَشيبِ وَآذَنَت بِزِيالِ

    She grew estranged when old age came upon me,

    At the coming of gray hair, and announced her departure.

  18. لَمّا رَأَت بَدَلَ الشَبابِ بَكَت لَهُ

    وَالشَيبُ أَرذَلُ هَذِهِ الأَبدالِ

    When she saw youth's replacement, she wept for youth;

    Gray hair is the basest of these replacements.

  19. وَالناسُ هَمُّهُمُ الحَياةُ وَما أَرى

    طولَ الحَياةِ يَزيدُ غَيرَ خَبالِ

    People's chief concern is life, yet I do not see

    Long life adding anything but decay.

  20. وَإِذا اِفتَقَرتَ إِلى الذَخائِرِ لَم تَجِد

    ذُخراً يَكونُ كَصالِحِ الأَعمالِ

    When you need treasures, you will not find

    Any treasure equal to righteous deeds.

  21. وَلَئِن نَجَوتُ مِنَ الحَوادِثِ سالِماً

    وَالنَفسُ مُشرِفَةٌ عَلى الآجالِ

    If I escape calamities unharmed—

    Though the soul hovers on the brink of death—

  22. لَأُغَلغِلَنَّ إِلى كَريمٍ مِدحَةً

    وَلَأُثنِيَنَّ بِنائِلٍ وَفَعالِ

    I shall surely send a song of praise to a noble man,

    And extol his bounty and his deeds.

  23. إِنَّ اِبنَ رِبعِيٍّ كَفاني سَيبُهُ

    ضِغنَ العَدُوِّ وَنَبوَةَ البُخّالِ

    The bounty of Ibn Rib'i has spared me

    The enemy's rancor and misers' rebuffs.

  24. أَغلَيتَ حينَ تَواكَلَتني وائِلٌ

    إِنَّ المَكارِمَ عِندَ ذاكَ غَوالي

    You paid dearly when Wa'il left me to others;

    Noble deeds are costly at such a time.

  25. وَلَقَد شَفَيتَ غَليلَتي مِن مَعشَرٍ

    نَزَلوا بِعَقوَةِ حَيَّةٍ قَتّالِ

    You quenched my burning anger against a people

    Who had encamped in a deadly serpent's precincts.

  26. بَعُدَت قُعورُ دِلائِهِم فَرَأَيتُهُم

    عِندَ الحَمالَةِ مُغلَقي الأَقفالِ

    Their buckets' bottoms lay far down; I found them

    With their locks shut tight when indemnities were due.

  27. وَلَقَد مَنَنتَ عَلى رَبيعَةَ كُلِّها

    وَكَفَيتَ كُلَّ مُواكِلٍ خَذّالِ

    You bestowed favor upon all Rabi'a,

    And spared us every shirking deserter:

  28. كَزمِ اليَدَينِ عَنِ العَطِيَّةِ مُمسِكٍ

    لَيسَت تَبِضُّ صَفاتُهُ بِبِلالِ

    Tight-fisted, withholding gifts, close-handed,

    His rock exuding not a drop of moisture.

  29. مِثلِ اِبنِ بَزعَةَ أَو كَآخَرَ مِثلِهِ

    أَولى لَكَ اِبنَ مُسيمَةِ الأَجمالِ

    Like Ibn Baz'a, or another just like him—

    Woe to you, son of the woman who pastures camels!

  30. إِنَّ اللَئيمَ إِذا سَأَلتَ بَهَرتَهُ

    وَتَرى الكَريمَ يراحُ كَالمُختالِ

    A base man is overwhelmed when you ask him,

    While the noble rejoices like one strutting with pride.

  31. وَإِذا عَدَلتَ بِهِ رِجالاً لَم تَجِد

    فَيضَ الفُراتِ كَراشِحِ الأَوشالِ

    If you compare other men with him, you will not find

    The Euphrates' flood equal to trickling springs.

  32. وَإِذا تَبَوَّعَ لِلحَمالَةِ لَم يَكُن

    عَنها بِمُنبَهِرٍ وَلا سَعّالِ

    When he reaches out to shoulder an indemnity, he is not

    Left breathless by it, nor coughing.

  33. وَإِذا أَتى بابَ الأَميرِ لِحاجَةٍ

    سَمَتِ العُيونُ إِلى أَغَرَّ طُوالِ

    When he comes to the emir's door with a need,

    Eyes rise toward a radiant, towering man,

  34. ضَخمٍ سُرادِقُهُ يُعارِضُ سَيبُهُ

    نَفَحاتِ كُلِّ صَبا وَكُلِّ شَمالِ

    Whose pavilion is vast; his bounty rivals

    The gusts of every east wind and every north wind.

  35. وَإِذا المِؤونَ تُؤوكِلَت أَعناقُها

    فَاِحمِل هُناكَ عَلى فَتىً حَمّالِ

    When men leave the necks of hundreds of camels to one another,

    Then lay the burden there upon a young man strong to bear it.

  36. لَيسَت عَطِيَّتُهُ إِذا ما جِئتَهُ

    نَزراً وَلَيسَ سِجالُهُ كَسِجالِ

    His gift, whenever you come to him, is not

    Scant, nor are his brimming buckets like other buckets.

  37. فَهُوَ الجَوادُ لِمَن تَعَرَّضَ سَيبَهُ

    وَاِبنُ الجَوادِ وَحامِلُ الأَثقالِ

    He is the generous one to whoever seeks his bounty,

    The son of a generous man, the bearer of burdens.

  38. وَمُسَوِّمٍ خِرَقُ الحُتوفِ تَقودُهُ

    لِلطَعنِ يَومَ كَريهَةٍ وَقِتالِ

    And many a marked war-host, led by death's banners

    To spear-thrusts on a day of terror and battle—

  39. أَقصَدتَ قائِدَها بِعامِلِ صَعدَةٍ

    وَنَزَلتَ عِندَ تَواكُلِ الأَبطالِ

    You felled its leader with a straight lance's point,

    And dismounted when the champions left each other unsupported.

  40. وَالخَيلُ عابِسَةٌ كَأَنَّ فُروجَها

    وَنُحورَها يَنضَحنَ بِالجِريالِ

    The horses grimaced, as though their groins

    And breasts were spurting red wine.

  41. وَالقَومُ تَختَلِفُ الأَسِنَّةُ بَينَهُم

    يَكبونَ بَينَ سَوافِلٍ وَعَوالِ

    Among the men, spearheads crossed to and fro;

    They fell headlong between spear-butts and spearheads.

  42. وَلَقَد تَرُدُّ الخَيلَ عَن أَهوائِها

    وَتَلُفُّ حَدَّ رِجالِها بِرِجالِ

    Often you turn the horses from their chosen course,

    And meet their warriors' edge with other warriors.

  43. وَمُوَقَّعٍ أَثَرُ السِفارِ بِخَطمِهِ

    مِن سودِ عَقَّةَ أَو بَني الجَوّالِ

    And many a camel, its muzzle scarred by the nose-halter,

    From the black stock of 'Aqqa or Banu al-Jawwal—

  44. يَمري الجَلاجِلَ مَنكِباهُ كَأَنَّهُ

    قُرقورُ أَعجَمَ مِن تِجارِ أُوالِ

    His shoulders milk the bells, as though he were

    A foreign Uwal merchant's cargo ship.

  45. بَكَرَت عَلَيَّ بِهِ التِجارُ وَفَوقَهُ

    أَحمالُ طَيِّبَةِ الرِياحِ حَلالِ

    The merchants brought him to me at dawn, and upon him

    Lay loads of sweet-scented, lawful wine.

  46. فَوَضَعتُ غَيرَ غَبيطِهِ أَثقالَهُ

    بِسِباءِ لا حَصِرٍ وَلا وَغّالِ

    I unloaded his burdens, leaving only his saddle-litter,

    Buying wine as neither a miser nor an uninvited drinker.

  47. وَلَقَد شَرِبتُ الخَمرَ في حانوتِها

    وَشَرِبتُها بِأَريضَةٍ مِحلالِ

    I have drunk wine in its wine-shop,

    And drunk it on spacious, welcoming ground.

  48. وَلَقَد رَهَنتُ يَدي المَنِيَّةَ مُعلِماً

    وَحَمَلتُ عِندَ تَواكُلِ الحُمّالِ

    I have pledged my hand to death, wearing my battle-sign,

    And charged when the chargers left it to others.

  49. فَلَأَجعَلَنَّ بَني كُلَيبٍ شُهرَةً

    بِعَوارِمٍ ذَهَبَت مَعَ القُفّالِ

    I shall surely make Banu Kulayb notorious

    With fierce satires that have traveled with homebound men.

  50. كُلَّ المَكارِمِ قَد بَلَغتُ وَأَنتُمُ

    زَمَعَ الكِلابِ مُعانِقو الأَطفالِ

    I have attained every noble honor, while you are

    Dogs' dewclaws, huggers of children.

  51. وَكَأَنَّما نَسِيَت كُلَيبٌ عَيرَها

    بَينَ الصَريحِ وَبَينَ ذي العُقّالِ

    It is as though Kulayb has forgotten its donkey

    Between al-Sarih and Dhu al-'Uqqal.

  52. يَمشونَ حَولَ مُخَدَّمٍ قَد سَحَّجَت

    مَتَنَيهِ عَدلُ حَناتِمٍ وَسِخالِ

    They walk around a black-ankleted donkey, rubbed raw

    On both flanks by panniers of jars and kids.

  53. وَإِذا أَتَيتَ بَني كُلَيبٍ لَم تَجِد

    عَدَداً يُهابُ وَلا كَبيرَ نَوالِ

    When you come to Banu Kulayb, you will not find

    Numbers to be feared, nor any great bounty.

  54. العادِلينَ بِدارِمٍ يَربوعَهُم

    جَدعاً جَريرُ لِأَلأَمِ الأَعدالِ

    Those who set their Yarbu' on a par with Darim—

    May your nose be cut off, Jarir, vilest of peers!

  55. وَإِذ وَرَدتَ جَريرُ فَاِحبِس صاغِراً

    إِنَّ البُكورَ لِحاجِبٍ وَعِقالِ

    When you reach the water, Jarir, hold back, abased:

    The first watering belongs to Hajib and 'Iqal.