أَفيis it on كُلِّevery يَومٍday ليbelonging to me عِشارٌten-month-pregnant she-camels تَسوقُهاdrive them
أَفي كُلِّ يَومٍ لي عِشارٌ تَسوقُها
رِماحُthe spears of بَنيthe sons of الغَبراءِthe dusty earth سَوقَthe driving of الظَعائِنِwomen in litters
رِماحُ بَني الغَبراءِ سَوقَ الظَعائِنِ
Must my pregnant she-camels be driven off every day
Is there a tenth of mine that spears of Bani al-Ghabra drive each day,
by the spears of the sons of dust, as women in litters are driven?
Turning their necks back, avoiding its pools, a pasture for stallions?
أَحالواthey assailed عَلَيهاthem عاكِسينَreversing رِقابَهاtheir necks
أَحالوا عَلَيها عاكِسينَ رِقابَها
وَطَواthey trod بِهَواديهاwith their necks مَكانَin place of الفَراسِنِcamel footpads
وَطَوا بِهَواديها مَكانَ الفَراسِنِ
They bore down on them, reversing their necks,
When I am away from the family of Muhallim,
and made their necks tread in place of their footpads.
Their girls look longingly towards me from behind the tents,
إِذاwhen جُزتُI passed فيamong أَبياتِthe tents of آلِthe household of مُحَلِّمٍMuhallim
إِذا جُزتُ في أَبياتِ آلِ مُحَلِّمٍ
تَراغَينَthey bellowed together نَحويtoward me مِنfrom وَراءِbehind المَعاطِنِcamel-resting grounds by water
تَراغَينَ نَحوي مِن وَراءِ المَعاطِنِ
When I pass among the tents of Muhallim’s household,
Yearning for an estate that was not intended for them,
they bellow toward me from behind the watering grounds.
While the pasture was barren and the resting places desolate.
تَحِنُّthey yearn إِلىfor تَرعِيَّةٍa skilled herdsman لَمdid not يُرِدwish بِهاfor them
تَحِنُّ إِلى تَرعِيَّةٍ لَم يُرِد بِها
وَبيءَpestilent المَراعيpastures وَالنِطافَand pools of water الأَواجِنِstagnant
وَبيءَ المَراعي وَالنِطافَ الأَواجِنِ
They yearn for a skilled herdsman who never sought for them
Every treacherous coward has deceived me about them,
pestilent pastures or stagnant pools.
Hiding his schemes from the wrathful avenger.
وَخالَسَنيهاand stealthily snatched them from me كُلُّevery أَطلَسَgray wolf خاتِلٍsly
وَخالَسَنيها كُلُّ أَطلَسَ خاتِلٍ
خَفِيِّconcealed المَراميshots عَنfrom قِسِيِّthe bows of الضَغائِنِrancor
خَفِيِّ المَرامي عَن قِسِيِّ الضَغائِنِ
And every gray, sly wolf snatched them stealthily from me,
The worst harm is that which comes from an unworthy man,
with hidden shots from the bows of rancor.
And the plotting of the slanderer unlike the flattery of the agreeable.
وَشَرُّand the worst الأَذىharm ماthat which جاءَcame مِنfrom غَيرِan absence of حِسبَةٍexpectation
وَشَرُّ الأَذى ما جاءَ مِن غَيرِ حِسبَةٍ
وَكيدَand the guile of المُباديthe open adversary دونَis less than كَيدِthe guile of المُداهِنِthe dissembler
وَكيدَ المُبادي دونَ كَيدِ المُداهِنِ
And the worst harm is what comes unexpectedly,
For fear in the heart of a fearful man to be reached,
and an open foe’s guile is less than a dissembler’s.
Is not like fear being reached in the heart of a tranquil man.
وَإِنَّand indeed بُلوغَthe impact of الخَوفِfear مِنupon قَلبِthe heart of خائِفٍone who fears
وَإِنَّ بُلوغَ الخَوفِ مِن قَلبِ خائِفٍ
لَدونَis surely less than بُلوغِthe impact of الخَوفِfear مِنupon قَلبِthe heart of آمِنِone who feels safe
لَدونَ بُلوغِ الخَوفِ مِن قَلبِ آمِنِ
And indeed fear’s impact on a fearful heart
Horses dragged girths in every town,
is surely less than fear’s impact on a secure heart.
Bearing long spears upon their withers.
وَخَيلٍand horses جَرَرنَthey dragged النَقعَthe dust فيthrough كُلِّevery بَلدَةٍland
وَخَيلٍ جَرَرنَ النَقعَ في كُلِّ بَلدَةٍ
وَناقَلنَand maneuvered فيهاthere بِالطَوالِwith the long المَوارِنِsupple lance-shafts
وَناقَلنَ فيها بِالطَوالِ المَوارِنِ
And horses that dragged dust through every land
Enemies diverted them from me, so at daybreak
and maneuvered there with long, supple lances:
They were homeless ones from 'Aliq and barren mount Safin.
حَواهاseized them العِداthe enemies عَنّيfrom me فَأَصبَحنَso they became بِالحِمىin the protected pasture
حَواها العِدا عَنّي فَأَصبَحنَ بِالحِمى
عَواطِلَempty مِنof آبيa steed refusing عَليقٍfodder وَصافِنِand a steed with one hoof raised
عَواطِلَ مِن آبي عَليقٍ وَصافِنِ
the enemy seized them from me, leaving the protected pasture
A party of people whose land a wolf pack ravaged,
empty of fodder-spurning steeds or horses standing with one hoof raised.
The furious foes did obscure with their dust columns.
وَثِلَّةِand a flock of حَيٍّa clan قَدalready أَضَبَّlurked persistently بِأَرضِهاon its land
وَثِلَّةِ حَيٍّ قَد أَضَبَّ بِأَرضِها
ذُؤالَةُDhu’alah, the wolf إِضبابَthe persistence of الغَريمِa creditor المُدايِنِwho lends on credit
ذُؤالَةُ إِضبابَ الغَريمِ المُدايِنِ
And a clan’s flock, on whose land there lurked
Were it not for the wolves of 'Amir, they would resemble
Dhu’alah the wolf, with a creditor’s persistence.
At Mecca, the flocks of pigeons flocking together.
وَلَولاand were it not for ذِئابُthe wolves of العامِرِيِّal-‘Amiri لَشابَهَتit would have resembled
وَلَولا ذِئابُ العامِرِيِّ لَشابَهَت
بِمَكَّةَin Mecca أَسرابَthe flocks of الحَمامِdoves القَواطِنِresident
بِمَكَّةَ أَسرابَ الحَمامِ القَواطِنِ
And were it not for al-‘Amiri’s wolves, it would resemble
Each day we have from them a vicious wolf
the flocks of doves residing in Mecca.
With blood of poetry on its teeth and claws.
لَناfor us كُلَّevery يَومٍday مِنهُfrom him ذِئبٌa wolf عَمرَدٌhulking and fierce
لَنا كُلَّ يَومٍ مِنهُ ذِئبٌ عَمرَدٌ
دَمُthe blood of الشِعرِpoetry فيon أَنيابِهِits fangs وَالبَراثِنِand the claws
دَمُ الشِعرِ في أَنيابِهِ وَالبَراثِنِ
Every day a hulking wolf comes to us from him,
Whenever you looked towards Najd or the depression you were disgraced
with poetry’s blood on its fangs and claws.
With a mark whose fires blazed among the settlements.
مَتىwhenever تَطلَعواyou appear in نَجداًNajd أَوِor الغَورَal-Ghawr, the lowlands تُفضَحواyou will be exposed
مَتى تَطلَعوا نَجداً أَوِ الغَورَ تُفضَحوا
بِوَسمٍby a brand فَشَّتspread نيرانُهُits fires فيacross المَواطِنِthe lands
بِوَسمٍ فَشَّت نيرانُهُ في المَواطِنِ
Whenever you appear in Najd or al-Ghawr, you will be exposed
You sought the sun of the perfume-sellers, so get away
by a brand whose fires have spread across the lands.
From the rope of ignominy, you distant outcasts.
خَطَبتُمyou sought marriage إِلىwith شُمسِunyielding women of الخُدورِthe secluded chambers فَوارِكٍspurning their husbands
خَطَبتُم إِلى شُمسِ الخُدورِ فَوارِكٍ
طَوالِقَdivorced مِنfrom حَبلِthe tether of اللِئامِbase men بَوائِنِirrevocably separated
طَوالِقَ مِن حَبلِ اللِئامِ بَوائِنِ
You sought marriage with the chambers’ unyielding women, who spurn husbands,
Virgins among you lusted with the lust of your women,
divorced from base men’s tether, irrevocably parted.
While they were in my care, clothed in robes.
عَذارىvirgins بَغَتprostituted themselves فيكُمamong you بَغاءَthe harlotry of نِسائِكُمyour women
عَذارى بَغَت فيكُم بَغاءَ نِسائِكُم
وَقَدthough already كُنَّthey were عِنديwith me فيin ثِيابِthe garments of الحَواضِنِnursemaids
وَقَد كُنَّ عِندي في ثِيابِ الحَواضِنِ
Virgins who prostituted themselves among you, as your women do,
Take them, but had you married one to Burqah
though with me they had worn the robes of nursemaids.
She would have cut ties to my abode with divorce.
خُذوهاtake them فَلَوfor even if قَرَّنتُموهاyou yoked them بِبَرقَةٍat Barqah
خُذوها فَلَو قَرَّنتُموها بِبَرقَةٍ
قَطَعنَthey would sever إِلىtoward داريmy house وَثاقَthe bonds of القَرائِنِthe tether-mates
قَطَعنَ إِلى داري وَثاقَ القَرائِنِ
Take them—for even if you yoked them at Barqah,
they would sever their mates’ bonds to reach my house.
Partial English translation: 30 of 32 Arabic lines translated.