أَقولُ لِمَنحوضٍ أَعالي عِظامِها

أَقولُ لِمَنحوضٍ أَعالي عِظامِها

يَجُرُّ أَظَلّاها السَريحَ المُعَلّا

يَجُرُّ أَظَلّاها السَريحَ المُعَلّا

I say to a she-camel whose upper bones are stripped of flesh,

I say to the lofty ruins whose bones

whose two footpads drag the leather binding fastened over them,

The breeze drags its shadows elevated

شَرَيكَةِ خوصٍ في النَجاءِ قَدِ اِلتَقَت

شَرَيكَةِ خوصٍ في النَجاءِ قَدِ اِلتَقَت

عُراها وَأَجهَضنَ الجَنينَ المُسَربَلا

عُراها وَأَجهَضنَ الجَنينَ المُسَربَلا

a companion to sunken-eyed camels in swift travel; drawn together are

A partner of withered palm trees who met

their harness-loops, and they have miscarried the cloaked fetus.

Bare and miscarried the clothed fetus

تَسَنّى مِنَ الأَحلاقِ ما كانَ دونَهُ

تَسَنّى مِنَ الأَحلاقِ ما كانَ دونَهُ

وَفَكَّ مِنَ الأَرحامِ ما كانَ مُقفَلا

وَفَكَّ مِنَ الأَرحامِ ما كانَ مُقفَلا

The womb-passages that barred its way were eased open,

It let loose what was knotted in the gums

and whatever was sealed within the wombs was unlocked

And unleashed what was locked in the wombs

هَواجِرُ يَحلُبنَ الحَميمَ وَماكِدٌ

هَواجِرُ يَحلُبنَ الحَميمَ وَماكِدٌ

مِنَ السَيرِ لَم تَطعَم مُنَدّىً وَمَنزِلا

مِنَ السَيرِ لَم تَطعَم مُنَدّىً وَمَنزِلا

by scorching noons that milked out hot sweat, and relentless

Emigrants who milk intimacy but plots

travel; she has tasted neither a grazing stop nor a resting-place.

Of travel did not taste shelter or home

وَزَوراءَ أَدنى ما بِها الخِمسُ لا تَرى

وَزَوراءَ أَدنى ما بِها الخِمسُ لا تَرى

بِها العيسُ لَو حَلَّت بِها مُتَعَلَّلا

بِها العيسُ لَو حَلَّت بِها مُتَعَلَّلا

And a winding wilderness, where water comes at best on the fifth day; no

And behind her the least of the one-fifth I do not see

pale camels, should they halt there, would find sustenance there.

The shelter if it descends with her laden

وَمُحتَقِرينَ السَيرَ قَد أَنهَجَت لَهُم

وَمُحتَقِرينَ السَيرَ قَد أَنهَجَت لَهُم

سَرابيلَ أَبقاها الَّذي قَد تَرَعبَلا

سَرابيلَ أَبقاها الَّذي قَد تَرَعبَلا

And men who scorn the march; it has worn thin for them

And the despised travelers it paved for them

the tunics spared by the one already torn to rags.

Worn garments which who wore has stumbled

إِذا قَطَناً بَلَّغتِنيهِ اِبنَ مُدرِكٍ

إِذا قَطَناً بَلَّغتِنيهِ اِبنَ مُدرِكٍ

فَلاقَيتَ مِن طَيرِ العَراقيبِ أَخيَلا

فَلاقَيتَ مِن طَيرِ العَراقيبِ أَخيَلا

If you bring me to Qatan, son of Mudrik,

When the son of Mudrik brought me cotton

then may you meet a roller among the birds of the hocks—

I met from the birds of Iraq more barren

ذُباباً حُساماً أَو جَناحَي مُقَطِّعٍ

ذُباباً حُساماً أَو جَناحَي مُقَطِّعٍ

ظُهورَ المَطايا يَترُكُ الصُلبَ أَجزَلا

ظُهورَ المَطايا يَترُكُ الصُلبَ أَجزَلا

a keen sword-point, or the two wings of one that cuts

Flies that pierce or wings that sever

the backs of riding-camels, leaving the backbone severed.

The backs of steeds leaving the bones more gaunt

قَوِيٌّ أَمينٌ لِاِبنِ يوسُفَ مُجزِئٌ

قَوِيٌّ أَمينٌ لِاِبنِ يوسُفَ مُجزِئٌ

بِطاعَتِهِ عِندَ الَّذي قَد تَحَمَّلا

بِطاعَتِهِ عِندَ الَّذي قَد تَحَمَّلا

Strong and trustworthy, effective in Ibn Yusuf's service,

Strong, faithful to the son of Yusuf fulfilling

through his obedience, in the eyes of the one who has assumed responsibility.

His obedience to Him who has carried and borne

وَلَو وُزِنَت سَلمى بِحِلمِ اِبنِ مُدرِكٍ

وَلَو وُزِنَت سَلمى بِحِلمِ اِبنِ مُدرِكٍ

لَكانَ عَلى الميزانِ حِلمُكَ أَثقَلا

لَكانَ عَلى الميزانِ حِلمُكَ أَثقَلا

And were Salma weighed against the forbearance of Ibn Mudrik,

And if Salma were weighed against the patience of the son of Mudrik

your forbearance would be heavier on the scales.

On the scale your patience would be heavier

سَأُجزيكَ مَعروفَ الَّذي نِلتَني بِهِ

سَأُجزيكَ مَعروفَ الَّذي نِلتَني بِهِ

بِكَفَّيكَ فَاِسمَع شِعرَ مَن قَد تَنَخَّلا

بِكَفَّيكَ فَاِسمَع شِعرَ مَن قَد تَنَخَّلا

I shall repay you for the kindness with which you favored me

I will repay the favor you brought me

with your two hands; so hear the poetry of one who has carefully sifted

With your palms so listen to poetry from one who picked

قَصائِدَ لَم يَقدِر زُهَيرٌ وَلا اِبنُهُ

قَصائِدَ لَم يَقدِر زُهَيرٌ وَلا اِبنُهُ

عَلَيها وَلا مَن حَوَّلوهُ المُخَبَّلا

عَلَيها وَلا مَن حَوَّلوهُ المُخَبَّلا

odes that neither Zuhayr nor his son had the skill

Verses neither Zuhair nor his son could manage

to compose, nor the man they dubbed al-Mukhabbal.

Nor whom they made crazed and rambling

وَلَم يَستَطِع نَسجَ اِمرِئِ القَيسِ مِثلَها

وَلَم يَستَطِع نَسجَ اِمرِئِ القَيسِ مِثلَها

وَأَعيَت مَراقيها لَبيداً وَجَروَلا

وَأَعيَت مَراقيها لَبيداً وَجَروَلا

Nor could the weaving of Imru' al-Qays produce their like;

Nor could Amr ibn Kulthum weave the like

and their ascents defeated Labid and Jarwal,

And it exhausted Labid and Jarwal to contend

وَنابِغَتَي قَيسِ اِبنِ عَيلانَ وَالَّذي

وَنابِغَتَي قَيسِ اِبنِ عَيلانَ وَالَّذي

أَراهُ المَنايا بَعضُ ما كانَ قَوَّلا

أَراهُ المَنايا بَعضُ ما كانَ قَوَّلا

and the two Nabighas of Qays ibn 'Aylan, and the man

And Nabighat Dhubyani and he who

whom some of what he had uttered brought face to face with death.

I see death as some of what he fantasized