أَبَت آياتُ حُبَّى أَن تَبينا

لَنا خَبَراً فَأَبكَينَ الحَزينا

My love tokens refused to tell us

Any news, so we wept in sorrow,

وَكَيفَ سُؤالُنا عَرَصاتِ رَبعٍ

تُرِكنَ بِقَفرَةٍ حَتّى بَلينا

How could we question the deserts of Rabia

When we were left in desolation until we withered?

وَأَحجاراً مِنَ الصَوّانِ سُفعاً

بِهِنَّ بَقِيَّةٌ مِمّا صَلينا

With slabs of stone from es-Sawan

We found some remnants of our prayers.

عَرَفناها مَنازِلَ آلِ حُبّى

فَلَم نَملِك مِنَ الطَرَبِ العُيونا

We recognized them as the dwellings of the family of Huba

Yet our eyes could not hold back their joy.

تَراوَحُها رَواعِدُ كُلِّ هَيجٍ

وَأَرواحٌ أَطَلنَ بِها حَنينا

The ruins were stirred by every passion

And spirits that called out longingly,

بِدارَةِ مَكمَنٍ ساقَت إِلَيها

رِياحُ الصَيفِ أَرآماً وَعينا

The summer winds carried them

Soft specks and a spring.

حَفَرنَ عُروقُها حَتّى أَجَنَّت

مَقاتِلَها وَأَضحَينَ القُرونا

Their roots dug deeply until they squeezed out

Their warriors, and the horns remained.

كِناسُ تَنوفَةٍ ظَلَّت إِلَيهِ

هِجانُ الوَحشِ حارِنَةً حُرونا

The shelters of Tanufa remained leaning

While beasts roared wildly around them.

يَقِلنَ بِعاسِمَينِ وَذاتِ رُمحٍ

إِذا حانَ المَقيلُ وَيَرتَعينا

They graze at nightfall on Asima and Dhat Rumh

When it was time for the camels to pasture.

كَأَنَّ بِكُلِّ رابِيَةٍ وَهَجلٍ

مِنَ الكَتّانِ أَبلاقاً بُنينا

It was as if there were white camels calves

Tied with ropes for us at every Rabia and Hajl.

وَنارِ وَديقَةٍ في يَومِ هَيجٍ

مِنَ الشِعرى نَصَبتُ لَهُ الجَبينا

And the fire of Wadaqa on a day of turmoil

I set up my forehead upon the brushwood,

إِذا مَعزاءُ هاجِرَةٍ أَرَنَّت

جَنادِبُها وَكانَ العيسُ جونا

When the goats of a nomad tribe bleated

And the deer frolicked.

وَعارِيَةِ المَحاسِرِ أُمِّ وَحشٍ

تَرى قِطَعَ السَمامِ بِها عِزينا

The bare ground, mother of beasts

You would see the frayed ropes upon it while we mourned.

نَصَبتُ بِها رِوائي فَوقَ شُعثٍ

بِمَوماةٍ يَظِنّونَ الظُنونا

I set up my tent above the disheveled ground

At Mawma with ropes they imagined to be pulpits.

إِلى أَقتادِ راحِلَتي فَظَلَّت

تُنازِعُهُ الأَعاصيرُ الوَضينا

Until when my camel stallion competed

And the whirlwinds struggled with him.

وَنَحنُ لَدى دُفوفِ مُغَوَّراتٍ

نَقيسُ عَلى الحَصى نُطَفاً بَقينا

While we were at the foot of the loaded,

We measured the drops against pebbles as we remained.

قَليلاً ثُمَّ طِرنا فَوقَ خوصٍ

يُلاعِبنَ الأَزِمَّةَ وَالبُرينا

We flew for a little while above the Khus

Which plays with the bowstring and the well rope.

مُضَبَّرَةٍ مَرافِقُهُنَّ فُتلٌ

نَواعِبَ بِالرُؤوسِ إِذا حُدينا

As girls with dyed hand bands

Incline with their heads when we passed by.

إِذا الحاجاتُ كُنَّ وَراءَ خَمسٍ

مِنَ المَوماةِ كُنَّ بِها سَفينا

When the milch she camels were behind us

They were like ships for us at Mawma.

وَماءٍ تُصبِحُ الفَضَلاتُ مِنهُ

كَخَمرِ بُراقَ قَد فَرَطَ الأُجونا

And water whose sediments in the morning

Were like sparkling wine that overflowed the leather bags.

وَرَدتُ مَدِيُّهُ فَطَرَدتُ عَنهُ

سَواكِنَ قَد تَمَكَّنَّ الحُضونا

I welcomed its flooding then drove away

The settlers who had taken control.

بِصَفنَةِ راكِبٍ وَمُوَصَّلاتٍ

جَمَعتُ الرَثَّ مِنها وَالمَتينا

With saddle bags and connected straps

I gathered the feathers and fine hair from them.

وَمَصنَعَةٍ هُنَيدَ أَعَنتُ فيها

عَلى لَذّاتِها الثَمِلَ المَنينا

And a small sword I took out from its case

Helping it satisfy its cravings.

وَنازَعَني بِها نَدمانُ صِدقٍ

شِواءَ الطَيرِ وَالعِنَبَ الحَقينا

And my two boon friends competed against me

For the roast meat and ripe grapes.

وَطُنبورٍ أَجَشَّ وَريحِ ضِغثٍ

مِنَ الرَيحانِ يَتَّبِعُ الشُؤونا

And a bleating goat and the smell of withered grass

That followed the aromatic breeze.

وَعَيشٍ صالِحٍ قَد عِشتُ فيهِ

لَوَ اِنَّ عِمادَ ظُلَّتِهِ يَقينا

And a good life I lived happily in

Even if the pillar of its shade was certain.

وَأَظعانٍ طَلَبتُ بِذاتِ لَوثٍ

يَزيدُ رَسيمُها سَرَعاً وَلينا

And rough camels I sought in muddy ground

Whose breeze increased their speed and smooth gait.

مِنَ العيدِيِّ تَحمِلُني وَرَحلي

وَتَحمِلُها مَلاطِسُ ما يَقينا

Of good pedigree, carrying me and my saddlebags

And carrying them are objects of certainty.

إِذا خَفَقَت مَشافِرُها وَظَلَّت

بِسيرَتِها مُصانِعَةً ذَقونا

When their feet pattered and they continued

Flirtatiously with their traveling pace.

عَقيلَةُ أَينُقٍ أَغدو عَلَيها

إِذا حاجاتُ قَومٍ يَعتَرينا

A bright red camel I rode to them

When the needs of people befell me.

أَلا يا لَيتَ راحِلَتي بَخَبتٍ

مُيَمِّمَةً أَميرَ المُؤمِنينا

Oh, if only my excellent she-camel bowed down

To lead the commander of the faithful!

وَإِن دَمِيَت مَناسِمُها وَأَلقَت

بِمَوماةٍ عَلى عَجَلٍ جَنينا

And if her teats gave milk and she threw

At Mawmaa a newborn calf.

تَشُقُّ الطَيرُ ثَوبُ الماءُ عَنهُ

بُعَيدَ حَياتِهِ إِلّا الوَتينا

The birds, water and clouds surround him

Save his lifespan, none remain for him.

وَهِزَّةِ نِسوَةٍ مِن حَيِّ صِدقٍ

يُزَجِّجنَ الحَواجِبَ وَالعُيونا

And the swaying of truthful women

Who clank their bracelets and eyes.

طَلَبتُ وَقَد تَواهَقَتِ المَطايا

بِيَعمَلَةٍ تَبُذُّ السابِقينا

I sought when the horses had outsped

With fleetness defeating the forerunners.

وَحَثَّ الحادِيانِ بِأُمُّ لَهوٍ

ظَعائِنَ في الخَليطِ الرافِعينا

And the two guides of Umm La-haw

Drove the bleating young two year olds.

أَنَخنَ جِمالَهُنَّ بِذاتِ غِسلٍ

سَراةَ اليَومِ يَمهَدنَ الكُدونا

They dangled their beauty at Dhat Ghisl

The brisk riders paved the way.

بِرَوضٍ عازِبٍ سَرَّحنَ فيهِ

سَواماً وَاِنتَظَرنَ بِهِ الظُعونا

In an isolated pasture they let loose

The herd and there awaited the latecomers.

وَما مالَ النَهارُ وَهُنَّ فيها

يُخَدِّرنَ الدِمَقسَ وَيَحتَوينا

The day did not advance while they were in it

Lulling to sleep, conversing with me.

فَرُحنَ عَشِيَّةً كَبَناتِ مَخرٍ

عَلى الغُبُطاتِ يَملَأنَ العُيونا

They departed contentedly in the evening

Like the girls of makh seeking bliss.

دَعَونَ قُلوبَنا بِأُثَيفِياتٍ

فَأَلحَقنا قَلائِصَ يَغتَلينا

They tempted our hearts with promises

And made us like plucked chicks.

بِغَيطَلَةٍ إِذا اِلتَفَّت عَلَينا

نَشَدناها المَواعِدَ وَالدُيونا

With delusions, when she turned to look at us,

We asked her for dates and appointments.

عَطَفنَ لَها السَوالِفَ مِن بَعيدٍ

فَقُلتُ عُيونَ آرامٍ كُسينا

From afar, she bestowed glances

So I said: “The eyes of Aram are magical indeed!”

أولَئِكَ نِسوَةٌ في إِرثِ مَجدٍ

كَرائِمُ يَصطَفينَ وَيَصطَفينا

Those are virtuous women with ancestral glory

Chosen ones who choose us too.

مُدِلّاتٌ يَسِرنَ بِكُلِّ ثَغرٍ

إِذا أُرِّقنَ مِن فَزَعٍ حُمينا

Seductive glances from every eyelash

When they shy away from sudden fear.

لَهُنَّ فَوارِسٌ لَيسوا بِميلٍ

وَلا كُشُفٍ إِذا قُلنَ اِمنَعونا

They have horsemen who never falter

Or hold back when they say “Defend us!”

ظَعائِنُ مِن كِرامِ بَني نُمَيرٍ

خَلَطنَ بِمَيسَمٍ حَسَباً وَدينا

Gazelles from the Bani Numayr tribes

Mixed with lineage and faith.

تَفَرَّعنَ النُصورَ وَحَيَّ مَعنٍ

وَسادَةَ عامِرٍ حَتّى رَضينا

They are affiliated with An-Nusur and Hayyi Ma’n

And the Saada of Aamir until we were content.

وَسَبقٍ تَعظُمُ الأَخطارُ فيهِ

وَيَحسُرُ جَريُهُ البَطَلُ البَطينا

And with precedence where dangers are regarded highly

And its swift movement makes the hero swim.

شَهِدناهُ بِفِتيانٍ كِرامٍ

فَلَم نَبرَح بِهِ حَتّى عُلينا

We witnessed it with generous horsemen

And did not budge from it until we excelled.

تَبادَرنا إِساءَتَهُ فَجِئنا

مِنَ الأَفواجِ نَلتَهِمُ المِئينا

We took turns offending

As we swallowed troops in hundreds.

وَمُعتَرَكٍ تَشُقُّ البيضَ فيهِ

كَشَقِّ الجارِزِ القَمَعَ السَمينا

And at the battlegrounds where eggs are broken

Like the breaking of round bread loafs.

لَنا حُبَبٌ وَأَرماحٌ طِوالٌ

بِهِنَّ نُمارِسُ الحَربَ الشَطونا

We have loved ones and long spears

With which we practice dangerous war.

وَأَفراسٍ إِذا نَلقى عَدُوّاً

بِمَلحَمَةٍ عُرِفنَ إِذا رُبينا

And horses, when we meet an enemy

With gallantry, known when we shoot.

وَرَدنَ المَجدَ قَبلَ بَني نِزارٍ

فَما شَرِبوا بِهِ حَتّى رَوينا

They restored glory before the Bani Nizar

And did not drink it until we quenched our thirst.

وَجَدنا عامِراً أَشرافَ قَيسٍ

فَكُنّا الصُلبَ مِنها وَالوَتينا

And we found Aamir the nobility of Qais

Thus, we were their essence and core.

ذُؤابَتُنا ذُؤابَتُها وَكانَت

فَتاةَ لِوائِها المَتبوعِ فينا

Our banners were their banners, carried

By the vanguard amongst us.

وَمَن يَفخَر بِمَكرُمَةٍ فَإِنّا

سَبَقناها لِأَيدي العالَمينا

Who can boast with an honor in which

We preceded the hands of both worlds?

عَصا كَرَمٍ وَرَثناها أَبانا

وَنورِثُها إِذا مِتنا بَنينا

A staff of generosity inherited from our fathers

Which we will bequeath when we die to our sons.

وَإِن وُزِنَ الحَصى فَوَزَنتُ قَومي

وَجَدتُ حَصى ضَريبَتِهِم رَزينا

And if pebbles were weighed I would weigh my tribe

And find the pebbles of its coins heavy.

وَمَن يَحفِر أَراكَتَنا يَجِدها

أَراكَةَ هَضبَةٍ ثَقَبَت شُؤونا

Whoever digs up our remains will find them

To be the remains of a lofty dune with burrows.

وَنَحنُ الحابِسونَ إِذا عَزَمنا

وَنَحنُ المُقدِمونَ إِذا لَقينا

We are the detainers when we decide

And we are the first when we encounter.

وَنَحنُ المانِعونَ إِذا أَرَدنا

وَنَحنُ النازِلونَ بِحَيثُ شينا

We are the preventers when we want

And we are the invaders where we roam.

إِذا نُدِبَت رَوايا الثِقلِ يَوماً

كَفَينا المُضلِعاتِ لِمَن يَلينا

If the difficult affairs were commissioned one day

We relieved the overburdened from those who succeed us.

إِذا ما قيلَ أَينَ حُماةُ ثَغرٍ

فَنَحنُ بِدَعوَةِ الداعي عُنينا

When it was said “Where are the defenders of the land?”

It was by the caller’s prayer that we were brought near.

وَتَلقى جارَنا يُثني عَلَينا

إِذا ما حانَ يَومٌ أَن يَبينا

And our neighbor praises us

Whenever a day comes for us to clarify.

هُمُ فَخَروا بِخَيلِهِمُ فَقُلنا

بِغَيرِ الخَيلِ تَغلِبُ أَو عِدينا

They took pride in their horses, so we said:

“Without horses, one wins or becomes a man.”

لَنا آثارُهُنَّ عَلى مَعَدٍّ

وَخَيرُ فَوارِسٍ لِلخَيرِ فينا

We have their tracks at Ma’ad

And the best horsemen for good are among us.

وَعُلِّمنا سِياسَتَهُنَّ إِنّا

وَرِثنا آلَ أَعوَجَ عَن أَبينا

And we were taught their politics, we

Inherited the family of Al-A’waj from our father.

مُقَرَّبَةً إِذا خَوَتِ الثُرَيّا

جَعَلنا رِزقَهُنَّ مَعَ البَنينا

When the Pleiades declined, we made

Their provision with that of our sons.

وَكُنَّ إِذا أَبَرنَ دِيارَ قَومٍ

عَطَفناها لِقَومٍ آخَرينا

And when they migrated from the lands of a tribe

We inclined it towards another people.

كَأَنَّ شَوادِخَ الغُرّاتِ مِنهُم

بَوازي يَصطَفِقنَ وَيَلتَقينا

As if the towering mountains amongst them

Were terraces that twittered and met.

أَصابَت حَربُنا جُشَمَ بنِ بَكرٍ

فَأَصبَحَ بَيتُ عِزِّهِمُ عِزينا

Our war hit Jusham ibn Bakr

So the home of their glory became grieving.

أَلَم نَترُك نِسائَهُمُ جَميعاً

بِأَقبالِ الهِضابِ مُسَنَّدينا

Did we not leave all their women

Resting their litters on the slopes?

بَدَأنا ثُمَّ عُدنا فَاِصطَلَمنا

خَراذِمَ مِن أُنوفِكُمُ بَقينا

We began and then returned, and so we finished

With the leftover bones from your noses.

قَتَلناكُم بِبَلدَةِ كُلِّ أَرضٍ

وَكُنّا في الحُروبِ مُجَرَّبينا

We killed you in the land of every place

And we were experienced in war.

بِأَسيافٍ لَنا مُتَوارَثاتٍ

كَشُهبانٍ بِأَيدي مُصطَلينا

With inherited swords for us

Like meteors in trained hands.

إِذا خالَطنَ هامَةَ تَغلِبِيٍّ

فَلَقنَ الرَأسَ مِنهُ وَالجَبينا

When it mixes with the valor of Taghlib

It meets with the head and skull from it.

أَلَم نَترُك نِساءَ بَني زُهَيرٍ

عَلى الآسي يُحَلِّقنَ القُرونا

Did we not leave the women of Bani Zuheyr

Circling on the litter camels?

تَمَنَّيتَ المُنى فَكَذَبتَ فيها

وَرَوَّيتَ الرِماحَ وَما رَوينا

You wished for bounty but lied about it

And narrated the spears but we did not narrate.

وَما تَرَكَت رِماحُ بَني سُلَيمٍ

لِفَحلٍ في حَواصِنِهِم جَنينا

The spears of Bani Sulaym did not leave

Any stallions in their fortresses as foals.

وَإِنَّ بَناتِ حَلّابٍ وَجَدنا

فَوارِسَهُنَّ في الهَيجا قُيونا

And we found the horsemen guarding

The girls of Hallab in times of turmoil.

وَهُم تَرَكوا عَلى أَكنافِ لُبنى

نِساءَهُمُ لَنا لَمّا لَقونا

And they left on the side of Labun

Their women when they met us.

إِذا ما حارَبَتكَ بُطونُ قَيسٍ

حَسِبتَ الناسَ حَرباً أَجمَعينا

When the quarters of Qais fought you

You thought all the people were at war.

عَلَيكَ البَحرُ حَيثُ نُفيتَ إِنّا

مَنَعناكَ السُهولَةَ وَالحُزونا

The sea is upon you wherever you were exiled, we

Prevented you from having it easy.

ثَناءٌ تُشرِقُ الأَحسابُ مِنهُ

بِهِ نَتَوَدَّعُ الحَسَبُ المَصونا

A praise shining from which statuses radiate

With which we bid farewell to protected lineage.

فَلَم نَشعُر بِضَوءِ الصُبحِ حَتّى

سَمِعنا في مَساجِدِنا الأَذينا

We did not feel the light of dawn until

We heard the call to prayer in our mosques.

يَقُدنَ وَلا يُقَدنَ لِكُلِّ غَيثٍ

وَفي رَأسٍ يَسِرنَ وَيَنتَوينا

They lead but are not led for every rain

And for every head that journeys and intends.

وَنَحنُ ذَوُو الأَناةِ وَإِن أُصِبنا

بِمَظلَمَةٍ حَسِبتَ بِنا جُنونا

We are the people of deliberation, and if

We were wronged, you would think us mad.