إذا زم للبين الغداة جمال — Alabywrdy

إذا زُمَّ للبَيْنِ الغَداةَ جِمالُ

فَلا وَصْلَ إلا أنْ يَزورَ خَيالُ

When camels are haltered in the morning for departure,

no union remains except a phantom's visit.

تَفرَّقَ أهْواءُ الجَميعِ وثُوِّرَتْ

رَكائِبُ أدْنى سَيْرِهِنَّ نِقالُ

The company's affections scattered, and there were roused

riding camels whose slowest gait was a swift trot.

وفي الرّكْبِ نَشْوى المُقلَتَيْنِ كأنّها

وديعَةُ أُدْحِيٍّ وهُنّ رِئالُ

And in the caravan, a drunken-eyed woman, as though she were

a treasure entrusted to an ostrich's nest, while the others are ostrich chicks.

لها نَظَراتُ الرّيمِ تَملأُ سَمْعهُ

حَفيفاً بأيدي القانِعينَ نِبالُ

Hers are the glances of a gazelle whose hearing is filled

with the swish of arrows in aiming archers' hands.

وفي الدّمْعِ منْ خَوفِ الوُشاة إذا رَنَتْ

إلينا أَناةٌ والمَطِيُّ عِجالُ

And her tears, for fear of talebearers when she looks

toward us, linger, while the riding camels hasten.

فَيا حَسَراتِ النّفْسِ حينَ تقطَّعَتْ

لبَيْنٍ كما شاءَ الغَيورُ حِبالُ

Ah, the soul's anguish when they were severed—

the bonds, by parting, as the jealous one wished.

ونحنُ بنَجْدٍ قَبلَ أن تَفْطُنَ النّوى

بِنا ويَروعَ القاطِنينَ زِيالُ

And we were in Najd, before separation took notice

of us and departure startled those dwelling there,

على مَنْهَلٍ عَذْبِ النِّطافِ كأنّما

أدارَ بهِ كأسَ الشَّمولِ شمالُ

at a watering place of sweet waters, as though

a north wind had passed a cup of wine around there.

رَكزْنا حَوالَيْهِ الرِّماحَ وما لَنا

سِواها إذا فارَ الهَجيرُ ظِلالُ

We planted spears around it, and had no

shade but theirs when the midday heat seethed.

يلوذُ بِها مِنْ عَبْدِ شَمْسٍ جَحاجِحٌ

بهِمْ تُلْقَحُ الآمالُ وهْيَ حِيالُ

Sheltering beside them are mighty chiefs of Abd Shams,

through whom hopes are made fertile, though barren.

مُلوكٌ إذا اسْتَلّوا الظُّبا استَنْهَضَ الرّدى

صَوارِمُ دبّتْ فوقَهُنَّ نِمالُ

Kings: when they unsheathe their blades, death is roused

by keen swords over which ants have crawled.

فليسَ لهُمْ غيرَ المَعالي لُبانةٌ

ولا غيرَ أطرافِ السّيوفِ ثِمالُ

So they have no desire but lofty honors,

and no refuge but the points of swords.

عُلاً كأنابيبِ الرِّماحِ تَناسَقَتْ

بَناها لَنا عمٌّ أغَرُّ وخالُ

Glories, ordered like the sections of spears,

were built for us by an illustrious paternal uncle and a maternal uncle.

وخَيْرُ عَتادي في الحُروبِ مهَنَّدٌ

نَفى صَدأً عنْ مَضْرِبَيْهِ صِقالُ

And my finest equipment in war is an Indian-steel sword;

polishing has banished rust from both its cutting edges.

وفي السِّلْمِ مَيْلاءُ الخِمارِ كأنّها

إذا التَفَتَتْ خَوفَ الرّقيبِ غَزالُ

And in peace, a woman with her veil askew, resembling,

when she turns in fear of the watcher, a gazelle.

وكمْ طَرَقَتْني والنّجومُ كأنّها

على مَفْرِقِ الليْلِ الأحَمِّ ذُبالُ

And how often she visited me by night, while the stars seemed

like wicks on the hair-parting of coal-black night.

فبرَّح بي سِحْرٌ حَرامٌ بطَرْفِها

دَمي لكَ يا سِحْرَ العُيونِ حَلالُ

Then the forbidden magic of her gaze tormented me;

my blood is lawful for you, O magic of the eyes!

فلا تَعِديني يا بْنَةَ القَومِ نائِلاً

يَطولُ اقْتضاءٌ دونَهُ ومِطالُ

So do not promise me, O daughter of the tribe, a favor

with lengthy demands and delays before it can be won.

ومَنْ كان عَفّاً في هَواكِ ضَميرُهُ

فسِيّانِ هَجْرٌ عندَهُ ووصالُ

And for one whose heart is chaste in loving you,

estrangement and union are alike.

ولولا التُّقى لمْ أتْرُكِ البيضَ كالدُّمى

وإنْ ظُلِّلَتْ بالمُرْهَفاتِ حِجالُ

But for piety, I would not leave fair women, like figurines, alone,

even if their bridal chambers were shaded by sharpened swords.

وإني لأثْني النَّفْسَ عمّا تُريدُهُ

إذا كانَ في العُقْبى عليَّ مَقالُ

And I do restrain my soul from what it desires

if, in the end, it would bring reproach upon me.

ولا أرْتَضي خِلاً يَدومُ وِدادُهُ

على طَمَعٍ مادامَ عِنديَ مالُ

Nor do I accept a friend whose affection endures

out of greed, so long as I have wealth.

أرى الناسَ أتْباعَ الغِنى ولمَنْ نَبا

بهِ الدّهْرُ منهُمْ ضَجْرَةٌ ومَلالُ

I see people as followers of wealth; toward one whom

time has treated harshly, they feel irritation and weariness.

إذا ما اسْتَفَدْتَ المالَ مالُوا بوُدِّهِمْ

إليكَ وحالُوا إن تغَيَّرَ حالُ

If you acquire wealth, they incline with their affection

toward you, and change if your circumstances change.

فمنْ لي على غَيِّ التَمَنّي بصاحِبٍ

عَزيمتُهُ للمَشْرَفيِّ مثالُ

So who can find me, despite the folly of wishing, a companion

whose resolve is a model for the Mashrafi sword?

إذا مَدَّ مِنْ أثْناءِ خُطْوَتِهِ المَدى

فليسَ يُناجي أخْمَصَيْهِ كَلالُ

When he stretches distance from the folds of his stride,

no weariness whispers to the arches of his feet.

ويُقْدِمُ والأسْيافُ تُغْمَدُ في الطُّلى

وللْخَيْلِ مِنْ صَوْبِ الدِّماءِ نِعالُ

And he advances while swords are sheathed in necks,

and the horses have shoes of streaming blood.

وإنْ طَرَقَ الأعْداءَ واللّيلُ مُظْلِمٌ

أطَلَّتْ علَيهمْ بالصّباحِ نِصالُ

And if he raids the enemies while the night is dark,

blade-points loom over them with the dawn.

فيُصْدِرُها عَنهُمْ رِواءً مُتونُها

وقد وَرَدَ الهَيْجاءَ وهْيَ نِهالُ

He leads the blades back from the foes, their broad surfaces quenched,

though he had entered battle while they were thirsty.

فتىً سَيْبُهُ قَيْدُ الثّناءِ وسَيْفُهُ

لأُدْمِ المَتالي في الشّتاءِ عِقالُ

A youth whose bounty fetters praise, and whose sword

is a winter tether for white she-camels with calves at heel.

إذا ما سأَلْتَ الحيَّ عنْ خَيْرِهِمْ أباً

أشارَتْ نِساءٌ نحوَهُ ورِجالُ

If you ask the tribe who among them has the noblest father,

women and men point toward him.