وَمَرقَبَةٍ عَنقاءَ يَقصُرُ دونَها

وَمَرقَبَةٍ عَنقاءَ يَقصُرُ دونَها

أَخو الضِروَةِ الرِجلُ الحَفِيُّ المُخَفَّفُ

أَخو الضِروَةِ الرِجلُ الحَفِيُّ المُخَفَّفُ

And many a lofty lookout lies beyond the reach

With a slender graceful neck that humbles

of the seasoned walker, barefoot and lightly laden.

The needy foot-traveler with light provisions

نَعَبتُ إِلى أَدنى ذُراها وَقَد دَنا

نَعَبتُ إِلى أَدنى ذُراها وَقَد دَنا

مِنَ اللَيلِ مُلتَفُّ الحَديَقةِ أَسدَفُ

مِنَ اللَيلِ مُلتَفُّ الحَديَقةِ أَسدَفُ

I sped to its lowest summit, as there drew near

I crept to her nearest abode as nightfall

night’s dark, densely tangled garden.

In his gown approached the orchard’s hedge

فَبتُّ عَلى حَدَّ الذِراعَين مُجذِياً

فَبتُّ عَلى حَدَّ الذِراعَين مُجذِياً

كَما يَتَطَوّى الأَرقَمُ المُتَعَطَّفُ

كَما يَتَطَوّى الأَرقَمُ المُتَعَطَّفُ

So I spent the night crouching, propped on my elbows,

I spent the night at arm’s length, all hunched up

like a mottled serpent coiling back upon itself.

As the vine twists and turns in trembling coils

وَلَيسَ جِهازي غَيرُ نَعلَينِ أُسحِقَت

وَلَيسَ جِهازي غَيرُ نَعلَينِ أُسحِقَت

صُدورُها مَخصورَةً لا تُخَصَّفُ

صُدورُها مَخصورَةً لا تُخَصَّفُ

And my gear was only two sandals, worn thin

My gear was just two sandals, worn at the breast

at their fronts, narrow-cut and never patched;

Unpaired, with straps that could not be crossed

وَمِلحَفَةٍ دَرسٍ وَجَردِ مُلاءَةٍ

وَمِلحَفَةٍ دَرسٍ وَجَردِ مُلاءَةٍ

إَذا أَنهَجَت مِن جانِبٍ لا تُكَفَّفُ

إَذا أَنهَجَت مِن جانِبٍ لا تُكَفَّفُ

and a worn-out wrap and a threadbare cloak,

A tattered shawl, a gown and a patched cloak

which, when it frays along an edge, is never hemmed;

That if it slips from one side cannot be hitched

وَأَبيَضُ مِن ماءِ الحَديدِ مُهَنَّدٌ

وَأَبيَضُ مِن ماءِ الحَديدِ مُهَنَّدٌ

مُجِذٌّ لِأَطرافِ السَواعِدِ مِقطَفُ

مُجِذٌّ لِأَطرافِ السَواعِدِ مِقطَفُ

and a bright Indian-forged sword of iron’s pure essence,

A white one rust-stained as smith’s water

a cutter that lops off the ends of forearms;

Clasping the wrists, it could easily be plucked

وَحَمراءُ مِن نَبعٍ أَبِيٍّ ظَهيرَةٌ

وَحَمراءُ مِن نَبعٍ أَبِيٍّ ظَهيرَةٌ

تَرِنُّ كَإِرنانِ الشَجِيّ وَتَهتِفُ

تَرِنُّ كَإِرنانِ الشَجِيّ وَتَهتِفُ

and a red, strong-backed bow of unyielding nabʿ wood,

A red one, from a spring rain one morn

ringing like the cry of one grieving, and calling aloud.

Creaking like a lattice, screaming aloud

إِذا آلَ فيها النَزعُ تَأبى بِعَجزِها

إِذا آلَ فيها النَزعُ تَأبى بِعَجزِها

وَتَرمي بِذَروَيها بِهِنَّ فَتَقذِفُ

وَتَرمي بِذَروَيها بِهِنَّ فَتَقذِفُ

When the draw reaches its full extent, its back resists,

When the climax comes it refuses ineptly

and its two tips fling the arrows, shooting them forth.

Casting its tatters amidst giggling and laughing

كَأَنَّ حَفيفَ النَبلِ مِن فَوقِ عَجزِها

كَأَنَّ حَفيفَ النَبلِ مِن فَوقِ عَجزِها

غَوارِبُ نَحلٍ أَخطَأَ الغارَ مُطنِفُ

غَوارِبُ نَحلٍ أَخطَأَ الغارَ مُطنِفُ

As though the rustle of arrows above its back

As if the rustle of arrows over its back

were swarms of bees whose cave a cliff-climbing honey-gatherer missed.

Were bees gone astray, failing to find their hive

نَأَت أُمُّ قَيسِ المَربَعَين كِلَيهِما

نَأَت أُمُّ قَيسِ المَربَعَين كِلَيهِما

وَتَحذَرُ أَن يَنأى بِها المُتَصَيَّفُ

وَتَحذَرُ أَن يَنأى بِها المُتَصَيَّفُ

Umm Qays has gone far from both spring camps,

The Mother of Qais the braceleted came

and fears the summer camp will carry her farther away.

Fearing the spy may meet and turn informer

وَإِنَّكِ لَو تَدرينَ أَن رُبَّ مَشرَبٍ

وَإِنَّكِ لَو تَدرينَ أَن رُبَّ مَشرَبٍ

مَخوفٍ كَداءِ البَطنِ أَو هُوَ أَخَوفُ

مَخوفٍ كَداءِ البَطنِ أَو هُوَ أَخَوفُ

And if only you knew how many a watering place,

If you but knew that drink of dreadful danger

fearsome as belly sickness—or more fearsome still—

Is like a malady of the gut, or worse

وَرَدتُ بِمَأثورٍ يَمانٍ وَضاَّلةٍ

وَرَدتُ بِمَأثورٍ يَمانٍ وَضاَّلةٍ

تَخَيَّرتُها مِمّا أُريشُ وَأَرصُفُ

تَخَيَّرتُها مِمّا أُريشُ وَأَرصُفُ

I reached with a patterned Yemeni sword and a wild-sidr arrow,

I came back with some borrowed Meccan wares

chosen from those I fletch and bind.

Picked and chosen from all I can sieve and sort

أَرَكَّبُها في كُلَّ أَحمَرَ غاثِر

أَرَكَّبُها في كُلَّ أَحمَرَ غاثِر

وَأَنسِجُ لِلوِلدانِ ما هُوَ مُقرِفُ

وَأَنسِجُ لِلوِلدانِ ما هُوَ مُقرِفُ

I drive it into every ruddy, thick-witted man,

Onto each striped red camel I tie them

and weave for the boys what is of inferior stock.

And weave for boys garb of the finest cut

وَتابَعتُ فيهِ البَريَ حَتّى تَرَكتُهُ

وَتابَعتُ فيهِ البَريَ حَتّى تَرَكتُهُ

يَرِنُّ إِذا أَنزَفتُهُ وَيُزَفزفُ

يَرِنُّ إِذا أَنزَفتُهُ وَيُزَفزفُ

I kept shaving its shaft until I left it

I rode the camels until I left them

ringing when I let it fly, and whirring.

Creaking when I bled them, blowing and snorting

بِكَفَّيَ مِنها لِلبَغيضِ عُراضَةٌ

بِكَفَّيَ مِنها لِلبَغيضِ عُراضَةٌ

إِذا بِعتُ خُلاًّ مَالَهُ مُتَعَرَّفُ

إِذا بِعتُ خُلاًّ مَالَهُ مُتَعَرَّفُ

In my palms is one of these, a gift for the man I hate,

With a handful as bribe for the hated guard

when I sell off a friend with no recognizable merit.

When I sell brine whose owner is infamous

وَوادٍ بَعيدِ العُمقِ ضَنكٍ جُماعُهُ

وَوادٍ بَعيدِ العُمقِ ضَنكٍ جُماعُهُ

بَواطِنُهُ لِلجِنَّ وَالأُسدِ مَألَفُ

بَواطِنُهُ لِلجِنَّ وَالأُسدِ مَألَفُ

And many a valley, deep and narrow throughout,

A valley far, narrow, desolate,

its inner reaches a haunt for jinn and lions,

Where Jinn and lions have their dwelling place

وحوشٍ يُرى بادِ الذِّئابِ مَضلّة

وحوشٍ يُرى بادِ الذِّئابِ مَضلّة

بَواطِنُه لِلجنِّ والأُسدِ مَألَفُ

بَواطِنُه لِلجنِّ والأُسدِ مَألَفُ

wild and desolate, where roaming wolves appear—a trackless waste—

Beasts of prey roam, led astray by wolves’ howling

its inner reaches a haunt for jinn and lions,

Where Jinn and lions have their dwelling place

تَعَسَّفتُ مِنهُ بَعدَما سَقَطَ النَدى

تَعَسَّفتُ مِنهُ بَعدَما سَقَطَ النَدى

غَماليلَ يَخشى عَيلَها المُتَعَسَّفُ

غَماليلَ يَخشى عَيلَها المُتَعَسَّفُ

I forced my way through it after the dew had fallen,

I took from it arbitrarily, after the dew fell

through tangled ravines whose exhausting strain the wayfarer fears.

Waterskins that even the arbitrary fear to pierce

وَإنَي إذا خامَ الجَبانُ عَنِ الرَدى

وَإنَي إذا خامَ الجَبانُ عَنِ الرَدى

فَلي حَيثُ يَخشى أَن يُجاوِزَ مِخشَفُ

فَلي حَيثُ يَخشى أَن يُجاوِزَ مِخشَفُ

And I, when the coward recoils from death,

When the coward shrinks from the path of virtue

have a path where he fears to venture.

My course is where even the piercing may dread to pass

وَإِنَّ اِمرَأً قَد جارَ سَعدَ بنَ مالِكٍ

وَإِنَّ اِمرَأً قَد جارَ سَعدَ بنَ مالِكٍ

عَلَيَّ وَأَثوابِ الأُقَيصَر يَعنُفُ

عَلَيَّ وَأَثوابِ الأُقَيصَر يَعنُفُ

And indeed, a man who has sought Saʿd ibn Malik’s protection

A man has envied Sa’d son of Malik

treats me harshly—by the robes of al-Uqayṣir!

Against me, though robed in the Caesar’s own attire