1. هلْ يدنينَّكَ منْ أجارعِ واسطٍ

    أوْ باتُ يعملة ِ اليدينِ حضارِ

    Will you be brought nearer from the sandy flats of Wasit

    by the journeys of white Hadar, tireless in her forelegs?

  2. شدقاءُ تصبحُ تشتئي غبَّ السُّرَى

    فِعْلَ المُضِلِّ صِيارَهُ البَرْبَارِ

    Wide-mouthed, she presses onward at morning after night travel,

    as does a bellowing beast that has lost his herd—

  3. منْ وحشِ خبَّة َ، أودعتْهُ نيَّة ٌ

    لِلنَّاطِلِيَّة ِ مِنْ لِوَى البَقَّارِ

    one of Khabbah's wild beasts, whom a journey has brought

    to al-Natiliyyah from the sand-curves of al-Baqqar.

  4. طَرِفُ التَّنائِفِ، مَا يُبِنُّ مَبَاءَة ً

    يومَينِ، طيِّبُ نيَّة ِ الإنعارِ

    A wanderer of the trackless wastes, he keeps no resting place

    for two days, gladly intent on ranging away.

  5. وحَدَاهُ مُقْتَنِصٌ، قَرَا آثَارَهُ

    بعياسلٍ سجحِ الخدودِ ضوارِي

    A hunter drove him on, tracking his footprints

    with loping hounds, smooth-cheeked and trained to hunt.

  6. حَتَّى فَجِئْنَ بِهِ، فَأَجْفَلَ مِنْ مَدى ً

    كَثَبٍ، وهُنَّ دَوامِجُ الإحْضَارِ

    Until they surprised him, and he bolted from a distance

    close at hand, while they crowded together at full speed.

  7. شَأْواً تَقَاذَفَ جُلَّهُ، ثُمَّ ارْعَوَى

    خمطاً، يهزُّ كحربة ِ الأسوارِ

    He covered most of a course in bounds, then turned back,

    enraged, shaking like a horseman's spear.

  8. فنَحا لأوَّلهَا بطعنة ِ محفظٍ

    تمْكُو جَوَانِبُها مِنَ الإِنْهارِ

    Then he aimed a maddened thrust at the foremost of them,

    its sides whistling as blood poured out.

  9. فصددْنَ، خوفاً، عنْ سنانيْ باسلٍ

    بَطَلٍ، أشَاحَ عَلى الوَغَى ، مِغْوارِ

    They turned away in fear from the two spear-points of a valiant one,

    a champion facing battle boldly, a daring raider.

  10. وأفاجَ محبوراً، يفنِّنُ شدَّهُ

    بفجاجِ طامسَة ِ الصُّوَى مقفارِ

    And he strode off delighted, varying his headlong run

    through deserted ravines whose cairns were effaced.

  11. منْ خالدٍ، أهلِ السَّماحة ِ والنَّدَى ،

    مَلِكِ العِراقِ إِلى رِمَالِ وَبَارِ

    From Khalid, a man of generosity and bounty,

    king of Iraq, to the sands of Wabar.

  12. يا خالِ، ما وُجدُ امرىء ٍ منْ عصبة ٍ

    يتضيَّفونَ قوادمَ الأكوارِ

    O Khalid, no man has been found among a band

    who make their lodging on the fronts of camel saddles,

  13. يعتدُّ مثلَ أبوَّة ٍ لكَ تسعة ٍ

    بِيضِ الوُجُوهِ، أعِزَّة ٍ أَخْيارِ

    who counts nine forefathers to rival yours—

    bright-faced, mighty, excellent men.

  14. شقٌّ وغمغمة ُ الأغرُّ وعامرٌ

    عُمَدَاءُ، أَهْلُ لُهاً، وأَهْلُ مَغار

    Shiqq, Ghamghamah al-Agharr, and Amir,

    pillars, men of lavish gifts and men of raids;

  15. ومُعَوِّدُ الجَفْرَاءِ، رَهْنُ قِسِيِّهِمْ

    بالجرجرادِ بكلِّ يومِ فخارِ

    and the veteran of al-Jafra, the surety of their bows,

    at al-Jarjarad on every day of glory;

  16. والمُنْتَضَى أَسَدٌ، وكُرْزُ قَبِيلَة ٍ

    فَنِجارُ ضِئْضِئِكُمْ كَخَيْرِ نِجارِ

    and Asad, the unsheathed blade, and Kurz of the tribe:

    the stock of your lineage is like the finest stock.

  17. ويَزِيدُ وابْنُ يَزِيدَ نَالاَ مُهْلَة ً

    في المَجْدِ واقْتَدَحَا بِزَنْدٍ وَارِي

    And Yazid and Yazid's son won ample scope

    in glory, and struck fire with a flame-yielding firestick:

  18. عزَّاً ومكرمة ً، أباً فأباً لهُ

    حيثُ استقرَّ بهِمْ مدَى الأعمارِ

    honor and nobility, father after father, for him,

    wherever the span of their lives had settled them.

  19. وَصَلَ الحَديثُ لَهُمْ قَدِيمَ فَعَالِهِمْ

    فجروْا علَى لقمٍ ودعسقِ أمارِ

    Their present deeds joined their ancient deeds,

    and they ran on a clear road, a beaten track marked by cairns.

  20. حسباً تواصلَ ليسَ يفرقُ بينَهُ

    جدٌّ أغثُّ، ولاَ وشائقُ عارِ

    An unbroken nobility, not sundered

    by a base forefather, nor by shreds of disgrace.

  21. صدِّفُ النَّواظرِ عنْ مناجاراتهِمْ

    حتَّى يبنًّ حواصنَ الأسرارِ

    Their eyes turn aside from contests over their lineage,

    until they lodge in the guarded recesses of secrets.

  22. الصَّابرونَ بكلِّ يومِ حفيظة ٍ

    والفائزونُ بكلِّ يومِ نفارِ

    Steadfast on every day when honor is at stake,

    and victorious on every day of rivalry.

  23. أُنُفُ الحَفَائِظِ، يَبْسُطُونَ أَكُفَّهُمْ

    بِنَوَالِ لاَ نَزْرٍ ولاَ إِصْفارِ

    Proud defenders of honor, they spread their palms

    with gifts neither scant nor empty.

  24. يتضمَّنُونَ لمنْ يجاورُ فيهِمُ

    رَيْبَ الزَّمَانِ وكَبَّة َ الإِقْتَارِ

    They shoulder, for whoever lives among them,

    the reversals of time and the crushing fall of poverty.

  25. والجَارُ وَسْطَهُمُ يَزِيدُ عَطَاؤُهُ

    بتتابعِ الهلكاتِ والأحجارِ

    The neighbor among them receives ever greater gifts

    as disasters and years of dearth come in succession.

  26. ولأُحْدِثَنَّ لِخَالِدٍ ولِقَوْمِه

    مَدْحاً يَغُورُ لَهُ بِكُلِّ مَغارِ

    And I shall compose for Khalid and his people

    praise that penetrates every depth on his behalf.

  27. ويفونَ إنْ عقدُوا، وإنْ أتلوْا حبَوا

    دونَ التَّلاءِ بفخمة ٍ مذكارِ

    They keep their pacts; when they pledge protection, they advance

    in defense of their pledge with a mighty, fierce host.

  28. يا خالِ، ما وشحتْ بمثلكِ ناقة ٌ

    منْ صغْي ذي يمنٍ وجذمِ نزارِ

    O Khalid, no camel has been adorned with your equal

    from Yemen's kin and the stock of Nizar,

  29. بعدَ ابنِ آمنة َ النَّبيِّ محمَّدٍ

    خُضْراً إلى لَفَفٍ مِن الأَشْجَارِ

    after Aminah's son, the Prophet Muhammad,

    running swiftly toward tangled stands of trees—

  30. أندَى يداً لعشيرة ٍ منْ مالِهِ

    في غيرِ تعتعة ٍ ولاَ اقْذحرارِ

    more generous with his wealth toward his kin,

    without hesitation or shrinking back;

  31. وأسدَّ بعدَ ثأى ً لوهْي عظيمة ٍ،

    وأفكَّ في قنعٍ لكلِّ إسارِ

    better at mending a mighty breach after it has split,

    and better, amid humble appeals, at undoing every bond;

  32. وأعمَّ منفعة ً، وأعظمَ نائلاً

    لأخٍ أسَافَ وصَاحِبٍ مُحْتَارٍ

    more far-reaching in benefit, greater in gifts

    to a brother who has lost his livestock and a needy friend;

  33. وأصدَّ عنْ خطلٍ، وأحلمَ قدرة ً

    عَنْ كَاشِحٍ يَسْتَنُّ بالأغْوَارِ

    more averse to folly, more forbearing when powerful

    toward a spiteful foe coursing through the hollows;

  34. وأَشَدَّ مَحْمِيَة ً، وأَبْلَغَ صَوْلَة ً

    لَكَ إِذْ تُحَطُّ عَوَاقِبُ الأَقْدَارِ

    stronger in protection, more forceful in assault

    for you, when fate's final outcomes descend;

  35. وأدَلَّ في عِظَة ٍ عَلَى مَالَمْ يَكُنْ

    أبداً ليذهنَهُ ذوو الأبصارِ

    and better, in counsel, at revealing what would not

    ever be grasped by men of insight.

  36. مَا نَالَهَا أَحَدٌ مَضَى ، ومُرِيدُهُ

    في الأَصْلِ، حِينَ تَغِيبُ، ذُو آصَارِ

    No predecessor attained it; whoever seeks his rank

    in lineage, when you are absent, is weighed down with burdens.

  37. وأودَّ، بعدَ حذارِ، أنْ لاَ يرعوِي

    حَتَّى يُميتَ وَرِيدَ كُلِّ حَذَارِ

    And more eager, after caution, not to draw back

    until he stills the jugular of every terror;

  38. وأجدَّ في دعة ٍ، وأبعدَ غاية ً

    في روحة ٍ، وأعزَّ ذمَّة َ جارِ

    more diligent at ease, farther-reaching in aim

    in an evening's journey, and firmer in a neighbor's protection;

  39. وأَشَدَّ، إِذْ زَنَأَ الزَّمَانُ، تَوَسُّعاً

    في عِيصِ كُلِّ شَصِيبَة ٍ ويَسَارِ

    more expansive when time presses hard,

    amid the thicket of every hardship and time of plenty.

  40. لَوْ لَمْ تَكُنْ رَجُلاً لَكُنْتَ بِمَا تَرَى

    لحماً تدينُ لهُ الأجادلُ ضارِي

    Were you not a man, you would, as you see,

    be a fierce flesh-hungry hunter to whom the falcons submit:

  41. صَقْرٌ، يَصيدُ إِذَا غَدَا بِجَنَاحِهِ

    وبخطْمِهِ، ويصيدُ بالأظفارِ

    a falcon that hunts, when it sets out, with its wing

    and with its beak, and hunts with its talons.

  42. يمضي الأمورَ، بلا وتيرة ِ فترة ٍ،

    أَرِباً، يُقَوِّمُ أَسْهُمَ الأُسْوَارِ

    He carries matters through, without a pause of weakness,

    resourceful, straightening the mounted archer's arrows,

  43. كالسَّيفِ أخلصَهُ الجلاَءُ، وصانَهُ

    تصميمُهُ بجماجمِ الكفَّارِ

    like a sword purified by polishing and kept sound

    by its clean cuts through the unbelievers' skulls.

  44. يُمْسي ويُصْبِحُ جَوْفُهُ مِنْ قُوتِهِ

    وبِهِ لِمُخْتَلِفِ الهُمُومِ مَجَارِي

    Evening and morning, his belly [is sustained] by his food,

    and through it run channels for shifting cares.

  45. وَسُمِيَّة ٌ بَكَرَتْ، وكَانَ وَلِيُّها

    وطبٌ يكونُ إناهُ بالأسحارٍ

    And Sumayyah came early; her companion was

    a milk-skin whose contents are ready in the predawn hours.