أَتاني بِها وَاللَيلُ نِصفانِ قَد مَضى

أَتاني بِها وَاللَيلُ نِصفانِ قَد مَضى

أَمامي وَنِصفٌ قَد تَوَلَّت تَوائِمُه

أَمامي وَنِصفٌ قَد تَوَلَّت تَوائِمُه

He brought her to me, the night in two halves: one had passed

He brought her when the night was half over,

Before me, and the other half's twin stars had turned away.

Half was behind me, its twin still ahead.

فَقالَ تَعَلَّم إِنَّها أَرحَبِيَّةٌ

فَقالَ تَعَلَّم إِنَّها أَرحَبِيَّةٌ

وَإِنَّ لَكَ اللَيلَ الَّذي أَنتَ جاشِمُه

وَإِنَّ لَكَ اللَيلَ الَّذي أَنتَ جاشِمُه

Then he said, 'Know that she is an Arhab-bred she-camel,

He said, "Learn that she is of the Banu Arhab,

And yours is the night you are braving.'

And you have the night that you crave."

نَصيحَتُهُ بَعدَ اللُبابِ الَّذي اِشتَرى

نَصيحَتُهُ بَعدَ اللُبابِ الَّذي اِشتَرى

بِأَلفَينِ لَم تُحجَن عَلَيها دَراهِمُه

بِأَلفَينِ لَم تُحجَن عَلَيها دَراهِمُه

His counsel followed the choice camel he had bought

His advice after the eloquence he had bought

For two thousand, his dirhams not begrudged for her.

For two thousand, no dirhams were withheld from her price.

وَإِنَّكَ إِن يَقدِر عَلَيكَ يَكُن لَهُ

وَإِنَّكَ إِن يَقدِر عَلَيكَ يَكُن لَهُ

لِسانُكَ أَو تُغلَق عَلَيكَ أَداهِمُه

لِسانُكَ أَو تُغلَق عَلَيكَ أَداهِمُه

'And if he gains power over you, he will have

And if the night allows you, it will be yours,

Your tongue, or his iron fetters will close upon you.'

Otherwise your tongue or hands will be bound.

كَفاني بِها البَهزِيُّ جُملانِ مَن أَبى

كَفاني بِها البَهزِيُّ جُملانِ مَن أَبى

مِنَ الناسِ وَالجاني تُخافُ جَرائِمُه

مِنَ الناسِ وَالجاني تُخافُ جَرائِمُه

With her, Jumlān the Bahzī shielded me from whoever resisted,

The Bahzawi sufficed me with two words from those who refuse

Among men, and the offender whose crimes are feared.

Among men and jinn, fearing their crimes,

فَتى الجودِ عيسى ذو المَكارِمِ وَالنَدى

فَتى الجودِ عيسى ذو المَكارِمِ وَالنَدى

إِذا المالُ لَم تَرفَع بَخيلاً كَرائِمُه

إِذا المالُ لَم تَرفَع بَخيلاً كَرائِمُه

ʿĪsā, the youth of generosity, endowed with noble deeds and bounty,

The noble Jesus, of generosity and glory,

When wealth's choicest treasures do not exalt a miser,

If wealth does not raise a miser, his virtues are vain.

تَخَطّى رُؤوسَ الحارِسينَ مُخاطِراً

تَخَطّى رُؤوسَ الحارِسينَ مُخاطِراً

مَخافَةَ سُلطانٍ شَديدٍ شَكائِمُه

مَخافَةَ سُلطانٍ شَديدٍ شَكائِمُه

Passed over the guards' heads, risking himself,

He crept past the guards' heads, risking

For fear of a ruler whose bridle-bits were fierce.

The wrath of a mighty, firm king.

فَمَرَّت عَلى أَهلِ الحُفَيرِ كَأَنَّها

فَمَرَّت عَلى أَهلِ الحُفَيرِ كَأَنَّها

ظَليمٌ تَبارى جُنحَ لَيلٍ نَعائِمُه

ظَليمٌ تَبارى جُنحَ لَيلٍ نَعائِمُه

Then she passed the people of al-Ḥufayr as though she were

She passed the cave people as though she were

A male ostrich whose hens race one another in the night's gloom.

A thick darkness competing with the wings of a soft night.

كَأَنَّ شِراعاً فيهِ مَثنى زِمامِها

كَأَنَّ شِراعاً فيهِ مَثنى زِمامِها

مِنَ الساجِ لَولا خَطمُها وَبَلاعِمُه

مِنَ الساجِ لَولا خَطمُها وَبَلاعِمُه

As though a mast held the doubled loop of her rein,

As if her cheek strap was a sail with its tie ropes

Made of teak, were it not for her muzzle and its throat-passages.

Of twisted silk, but for her snout and canine tooth.

كَأَنَّ فُؤوساً رُكِّبَت في مَحالِها

كَأَنَّ فُؤوساً رُكِّبَت في مَحالِها

إِلى دَأيِ مَضبورٍ نَبيلٍ مَحازِمُه

إِلى دَأيِ مَضبورٍ نَبيلٍ مَحازِمُه

As though axe-heads were fitted in her vertebral joints,

As if her legs were strapped to the saddle

Joined to a tightly knit spine, massive about the girth.

Of a noble, pure-bred stead, firm are its bindings.

وَأَصبَحتُ وَالمُلقى وَرائي وَحَنبَلٌ

وَأَصبَحتُ وَالمُلقى وَرائي وَحَنبَلٌ

وَما صَدَرَت حَتّى تَلا اللَيلَ عاتِمُه

وَما صَدَرَت حَتّى تَلا اللَيلَ عاتِمُه

Morning found me with al-Mulqā and Ḥanbal behind me,

I woke with the racing-ground behind me, Ḥanbal nearby,

And she had not left the watering-place until deep darkness followed nightfall.

She did not bolt until the night was pitch black.

رَأَت بَينَ عَينَيها رَوِيَّةَ وَاِنجَلى

رَأَت بَينَ عَينَيها رَوِيَّةَ وَاِنجَلى

لَها الصُبحُ عَن صَعلٍ أَسيلٍ مَخاطِمُه

لَها الصُبحُ عَن صَعلٍ أَسيلٍ مَخاطِمُه

She saw Rawiyya straight ahead, and there broke

Between her eyes she saw ruwiya and injaala

For her the dawn, revealing a small-headed creature, sleek of muzzle.

The dawn shone upon a lofty, smooth plain.

إِذا ما أَتى دوني الفُرَيّانَ فَاِسلَمي

إِذا ما أَتى دوني الفُرَيّانَ فَاِسلَمي

وَأَعرَضَ مِن فَلجٍ وَرائي مَخارِمُه

وَأَعرَضَ مِن فَلجٍ وَرائي مَخارِمُه

When he reaches al-Furayyān, still short of me, then rest secure,

When the horsemen come after me, surrender to them,

And behind me the mountain passes of Falj spread wide.

And turn away from the valley behind me.