أَغَدواً واعَدَ الحَيُّ الزِبالا

أَغَدواً واعَدَ الحَيُّ الزِبالا

وَشَوقاً لا يُبالي العَينَ بالا

وَشَوقاً لا يُبالي العَينَ بالا

Has the tribe arranged to meet at al-Zibal in the morning?

In the morning the streetsweeper made a date

And, oh, the longing that pays the eye no heed!

With passionate longing disregarding every eye

وَهُنَّ كَأَنَّهُنَّ ظِباءُ مَردٍ

وَهُنَّ كَأَنَّهُنَّ ظِباءُ مَردٍ

بِبَطنِ كَراءَ يَسفَفنَ الهَدالا

بِبَطنِ كَراءَ يَسفَفنَ الهَدالا

And they seemed like the gazelles of Mard,

They were like shy gazelles

In the hollow of Kara, nibbling mistletoe.

With the bellies of water skins sagging with dew

وَقَفنَ عَلى العَجالِزِ نِصفَ يَومٍ

وَقَفنَ عَلى العَجالِزِ نِصفَ يَومٍ

وَأَدَّينَ الأَواصِرَ وَالخِلالا

وَأَدَّينَ الأَواصِرَ وَالخِلالا

They halted upon sturdy she-camels for half a day,

They stood over the old woman for half a day

And honored the bonds of kinship and friendship.

Doing the chores and errands

وَصَدَّت عَن نَواظِرَ وَاِستَعَنَّت

وَصَدَّت عَن نَواظِرَ وَاِستَعَنَّت

قَتاماً هاجَ صَيفِيّاً وَآلا

قَتاماً هاجَ صَيفِيّاً وَآلا

She turned away from Nawazir and faced

They glanced slyly away and pretended

Rising summer dust and mirage.

To be busy with the hot summer tasks

فَلَمّا أَن بَدا القَعقاعُ لَجَّت

فَلَمّا أَن بَدا القَعقاعُ لَجَّت

عَلى شَرَكٍ تُناقِلُهُ نِقالا

عَلى شَرَكٍ تُناقِلُهُ نِقالا

When al-Qa‘qa‘ came into view, she pressed on,

But when the sun declined they slipped away

Along a branching track, crossing it with nimble steps.

To gossip on a porch relaying news

تَعاوَرنَ الحَديثَ وَطَبَّقَتهُ

تَعاوَرنَ الحَديثَ وَطَبَّقَتهُ

كَما طبَّقتَ بِالنَعلِ المِثالا

كَما طبَّقتَ بِالنَعلِ المِثالا

They traded talk, and she matched it precisely,

They talked and laughed

As you match the pattern with the sandal.

Like the sound of sandals slapping in mud

كَأَنَّ سُلافَةً عُرِضَت لِنَحسٍ

كَأَنَّ سُلافَةً عُرِضَت لِنَحسٍ

يُحيلُ شَفيفُها ماءً زُلالا

يُحيلُ شَفيفُها ماءً زُلالا

As though choice wine had been exposed to a bitter wind,

As if a bucket was placed before someone unlucky

Whose biting chill freezes clear, sweet water.

Whose spilling water turns to clear streams

لَها حِبَبٌ يُرى الراووقَ مِنها

لَها حِبَبٌ يُرى الراووقَ مِنها

كَما أَدمَيتَ في القَروِ الغَزالا

كَما أَدمَيتَ في القَروِ الغَزالا

It has bubbles; through it the wine-strainer is seen,

They have charms where one can see coyness

As though you had bled a gazelle into the trough.

As you have reddened the cheeks of a fawn

كَمِرآةِ المُضِرِّ سَرَت عَلَيها

كَمِرآةِ المُضِرِّ سَرَت عَلَيها

إِذا رامَقتَ فيها الطَرفَ جالا

إِذا رامَقتَ فيها الطَرفَ جالا

Like the mirror of a wife with a rival, brushed by the wind,

Like the mirror of a flirt they flaunted themselves

When you peer into it, your gaze roams.

Your eyes would shine if you saw them

رَنَوناةٌ تُساوِرُ حينَ تُجلى

رَنَوناةٌ تُساوِرُ حينَ تُجلى

شُؤونَ الرَأسِ شَبّاً لا قَبالا

شُؤونَ الرَأسِ شَبّاً لا قَبالا

A heady wine that assails, when unveiled,

Humming tunes when their hair is loose

The skull's seams—leaping upward, not head-on.

Youthful and free of veils

تَمَشّى في مَفارِقِهِ وَتَغشى

تَمَشّى في مَفارِقِهِ وَتَغشى

سَناسِنَ صُلبِهِ حَتّى يُهالا

سَناسِنَ صُلبِهِ حَتّى يُهالا

It creeps through his hair-partings and covers

Walking with a swaying gait

The ridges of his backbone, until he is overwhelmed with dread.

Her muscles supple to the point of dissolution

أَبَت عَيناكَ إِلّا أَن تَلُجّا

أَبَت عَيناكَ إِلّا أَن تَلُجّا

وَتَختالا بِمائِهِما اِختِيالا

وَتَختالا بِمائِهِما اِختِيالا

Your eyes refuse to do anything but persist,

Your eyes insisted on flooding

And swagger proudly with their water.

And exaggerating with their tears

كَأَنَّهُما شَعيباً مُستَغيثٍ

كَأَنَّهُما شَعيباً مُستَغيثٍ

يُزَجّي ظالِعاً بِهِما ثَفالا

يُزَجّي ظالِعاً بِهِما ثَفالا

As though they were two waterskins of a man seeking relief,

As if they were ravines crying for help

Who urges on a limping, slow beast bearing them.

Sending out streams of tears

وَهيَ خَرزاهُما فَالماءُ يَجري

وَهيَ خَرزاهُما فَالماءُ يَجري

خِلالَهُما وَينسَلُّ اِنسِلالا

خِلالَهُما وَينسَلُّ اِنسِلالا

Their two seams have loosened, so the water flows

Their kohl is running and the water flows

Through both, slipping quietly away,

Through it all streaming down

عَلى حَيَّينِ في عامَينِ شَتّا

عَلى حَيَّينِ في عامَينِ شَتّا

فَقَلَّ غِناؤُنا بِهِما وَطالا

فَقَلَّ غِناؤُنا بِهِما وَطالا

For two clans that scattered in two years;

For two years of our heyday

So our song for them was scant, yet long.

Our singing of them grew less but continued

وَأَيّامض المَدينَةِ وَدَّعونا

وَأَيّامض المَدينَةِ وَدَّعونا

فَلَم يَدَعو لِقائِلَةٍ مَقالا

فَلَم يَدَعو لِقائِلَةٍ مَقالا

And during the days in Medina, they bade us farewell,

The days of the town bid us farewell

Leaving no woman a word to say.

No words remained for a speaker to say

فَأَيَّةُ لَيلَةٍ تَأتيكَ سَهواً

فَأَيَّةُ لَيلَةٍ تَأتيكَ سَهواً

فَتُصبِحَ لا تَرى مِنهُمُ خَيالا

فَتُصبِحَ لا تَرى مِنهُمُ خَيالا

So what night brings you forgetfulness,

What night will come to you in your oblivion

That you wake without seeing a phantom of them?

When you wake up and see no trace of them

أَبو حَنَشٍ يُؤرِّقُنا

أَبو حَنَشٍ يُؤرِّقُنا

وَطَلقٌ وَعَمّارٌ وَآوِنّةً أُثالا

وَطَلقٌ وَعَمّارٌ وَآوِنّةً أُثالا

Abu Hanash keeps us awake,

Abu Hanash distresses us

And Talq and Ammar, and sometimes Uthal.

And Talq and Ammar and more like them

أَراهُمُ رُفقَتي حَتّى إِذا ما

أَراهُمُ رُفقَتي حَتّى إِذا ما

تَجافى اللَيلُ وَاِنخَزَلَ اِنحِزالا

تَجافى اللَيلُ وَاِنخَزَلَ اِنحِزالا

I see them as my companions, until, when

I see them as my companions until

Night draws back and retreats completely,

The night grows cold and packs up

إِذا أَنا كَالَّذي أَجرى لِوَردٍ

إِذا أَنا كَالَّذي أَجرى لِوَردٍ

إِلى آلٍ فَلَم يُدرِك بِلالا

إِلى آلٍ فَلَم يُدرِك بِلالا

I am like one who sped his mount to seek water

Then I become like one who hopes for flowers

Toward a mirage, and found no moisture.

But reaches a barren people

أَرى ذا شَيبَةٍ حَمّالٍ ثِقلٍ

أَرى ذا شَيبَةٍ حَمّالٍ ثِقلٍ

وَأَبيَضَ مِثلَ صَدرِ السَيفِ نالا

وَأَبيَضَ مِثلَ صَدرِ السَيفِ نالا

I see a gray-haired man, a bearer of burdens,

I see an old man who bears burdens

And a fair, generous man, like the forepart of a sword.

His chest white like a sword’s blade

غَطارِفُ لا يَصُدُّ الضَيفُ عَنهُم

غَطارِفُ لا يَصُدُّ الضَيفُ عَنهُم

إِذا ما طَلَّقَ البَرَمُ العِيالا

إِذا ما طَلَّقَ البَرَمُ العِيالا

Noble men from whom no guest turns away,

Noble souls who do not turn away a guest

When the miser casts off his dependants.

When the livestock return at night

بِهِم فَخرُ المُفاخِرِ يَومَ حَفلِ

بِهِم فَخرُ المُفاخِرِ يَومَ حَفلِ

إِذا ما عَدَّ بَأساً َو فَعالا

إِذا ما عَدَّ بَأساً َو فَعالا

In them lies the boaster's glory on a day of gathering,

With them are the pride of glories on the day of gathering

When he counts up valor and noble deeds.

When courage and deeds are counted

وَبيضٍ لَم يُخالِطُهُنَّ فُحشٌ

وَبيضٍ لَم يُخالِطُهُنَّ فُحشٌ

نَسينَ وِصالَنا إِلّا سُؤالا

نَسينَ وِصالَنا إِلّا سُؤالا

And fair women whom no obscenity touched,

And chaste ones whom no lewdness has touched

Who forgot our union, save for asking after us;

Who forgot our union and asked only after our health

وَجُردٍ يَعلَهُ الداعي إِلَيها

وَجُردٍ يَعلَهُ الداعي إِلَيها

مَتى رَكِبَ الفَوارِسُ أَو مَتى لا

مَتى رَكِبَ الفَوارِسُ أَو مَتى لا

And sleek horses, whose caller is bewildered

And cavaliers who the summons to them

As to when the horsemen mounted, or when they did not.

Makes you ask, “when did the knights ride or not?”

فَوارِسُهُنَّ لا كُشُفٌ خِفافٌ

فَوارِسُهُنَّ لا كُشُفٌ خِفافٌ

وَلا ميلٌ إِذاً العُرضِيُّ مالا

وَلا ميلٌ إِذاً العُرضِيُّ مالا

Their riders are not unarmored, lightly equipped men,

Their knighthood is not mere pretense and fancy

Nor unsteady when the unruly mount swerves.

Nor a reputation, if reproached, declines