لِمَنِ الدارُ أَقفَرَت بِبُواطِ

لِمَنِ الدارُ أَقفَرَت بِبُواطِ

غَيرَ سُفعٍ رَواكِدٍ كَالغَطاطِ

غَيرَ سُفعٍ رَواكِدٍ كَالغَطاطِ

Whose dwelling lies deserted at Buwat,

For whom has the house been left desolate of tents,

save for dark hearthstones, still as sandgrouse?

Except for traces of encampments like shadows?

تِلكَ دارُ الأَلوفِ أَضحَت خَلاءً

تِلكَ دارُ الأَلوفِ أَضحَت خَلاءً

بَعدَما قَد تَحُلُّها في نَشاطِ

بَعدَما قَد تَحُلُّها في نَشاطِ

That loving woman's dwelling now stands empty,

That house of thousands has become empty,

after she once inhabited it in high spirits.

After it used to fill with activity.

دارُها إِذ تَقولُ ما لِاِبنِ عَمروٍ

دارُها إِذ تَقولُ ما لِاِبنِ عَمروٍ

لَجَّ مِن بَعدِ قُربِهِ في شَطاطِ

لَجَّ مِن بَعدِ قُربِهِ في شَطاطِ

Her dwelling, when she would say, 'What ails Ibn ‘Amr,

Its house, when it says what is wrong with Ibn 'Amr,

persisting in estrangement after his closeness?'

He took refuge in it after his nearness on the shore.

بَلِّغاها بِأَنَّني خَيرُ راعٍ

بَلِّغاها بِأَنَّني خَيرُ راعٍ

لِلَّذي حَمَّلَت بِغَيرِ اِفتِراطِ

لِلَّذي حَمَّلَت بِغَيرِ اِفتِراطِ

Tell her, you two, that I am the best guardian

Tell her that I am the best guardian,

of what she entrusted to me, without neglect.

For the one who carried without excess.

رُبَّ لَهوٍ شَهِدتُهُ أُمَّ عَمروٍ

رُبَّ لَهوٍ شَهِدتُهُ أُمَّ عَمروٍ

بَينَ بيضٍ نَواعِمٍ في الرِياطِ

بَينَ بيضٍ نَواعِمٍ في الرِياطِ

Many a revel I witnessed, Umm ‘Amr,

I witnessed many vain entertainments there, O mother of 'Amr,

among fair, delicate women in fine wraps,

Among white delicate maidens in the meadows,

مَع نَدامى بيضِ الوُجوهِ كِرامٍ

مَع نَدامى بيضِ الوُجوهِ كِرامٍ

نُبِّهوا بَعدَ خَفقَةِ الأَشراطِ

نُبِّهوا بَعدَ خَفقَةِ الأَشراطِ

with noble, fair-faced drinking companions,

With the chosen ones with white faces like moons,

roused after the Ashrat stars had set,

They were awakened after the throes of death.

لِكُمَيتٍ كَأَنَّها دَمُ جَوفٍ

لِكُمَيتٍ كَأَنَّها دَمُ جَوفٍ

عُتِّقَت مِن سُلافَةِ الأَنباطِ

عُتِّقَت مِن سُلافَةِ الأَنباطِ

for dark-red wine, like blood from deep within,

As if it were the blood of an emancipated slave,

aged from the Nabataeans' first-run wine.

Freed from the slavery of the Nabataeans.

فَاِحتَواها فَتىً يُهينُ لَها الما

فَاِحتَواها فَتىً يُهينُ لَها الما

لَ وَنادَمتُ صالِحَ اِبنَ عِلاطِ

لَ وَنادَمتُ صالِحَ اِبنَ عِلاطِ

Then a young man acquired it, freely spending his

They contained a young man who humiliates wealth for it,

money on it; and I drank with Salih ibn ‘Ilat.

And the confidante of pious Ibn Hilat.

ظَلَّ حَولي قِيانُهُ عازِفاتٍ

ظَلَّ حَولي قِيانُهُ عازِفاتٍ

مِثلَ أُدمٍ كَوانِسٍ وَعَواطِ

مِثلَ أُدمٍ كَوانِسٍ وَعَواطِ

His singing girls kept playing music around me,

His singing slave-girls were around me,

like pale gazelles in coverts and does without young.

Like red ostriches and wild cows.

طُفنَ بِالكَأسِ بَينَ شَربٍ كِرامٍ

طُفنَ بِالكَأسِ بَينَ شَربٍ كِرامٍ

مَهَّدوا حُرَّ صالِحِ الأَنماطِ

مَهَّدوا حُرَّ صالِحِ الأَنماطِ

They went round with the cup among noble drinkers,

They passed around the cup among honorable drinking companions,

who had spread the choicest of fine patterned rugs,

They prepared the wedding of pious Al-Anmat.

ساعَةً ثُمَّ قالَ هُنَّ بَدادِ

ساعَةً ثُمَّ قالَ هُنَّ بَدادِ

بَينَكُم غَيرَ سُمعَةِ الإِختِلاطِ

بَينَكُم غَيرَ سُمعَةِ الإِختِلاطِ

for a while; then he said, 'They are allotted separately

For a while, then he said, "Far be it from you,

among you, without the notoriety of indiscriminate mingling.'

Anything but an honorable gathering."

رُبَّ خَرقٍ أَجَزتُ مَلعَبَةِ الجِن

رُبَّ خَرقٍ أَجَزتُ مَلعَبَةِ الجِن

نِ مَعي صارِمُ الحَديدِ إِباطي

نِ مَعي صارِمُ الحَديدِ إِباطي

Many a wasteland I crossed, a playground of the jinn,

I have endured many rips from the playfulness of jinn,

with a keen iron blade beneath my arm,

The severe iron of my sword is with me.

فَوقَ مُستَنزِلِ الرَديفِ مُنيفٍ

فَوقَ مُستَنزِلِ الرَديفِ مُنيفٍ

مِثلِ سِرحانِ غابَةٍ وَخّاطِ

مِثلِ سِرحانِ غابَةٍ وَخّاطِ

on a lofty mount that unseats a pillion rider,

Above the stopping place of the friendly

like a long-striding wolf of the woods.

Like a bracket of a forest and a seamstress.

بَينَما نَحنُ نَشتَوي مِن سَديفٍ

بَينَما نَحنُ نَشتَوي مِن سَديفٍ

راعَنا صَوتُ مِصدَحٍ نَشّاطِ

راعَنا صَوتُ مِصدَحٍ نَشّاطِ

While we were roasting some camel-hump fat,

While we were warming ourselves from the cold,

a loud, spirited caller's cry startled us.

We were alarmed by the sound of someone yelling.

فَأُتينا بِسابِحٍ يَعبوبٍ

فَأُتينا بِسابِحٍ يَعبوبٍ

لَم يُذَلَّل بِمِعلَفٍ وَرِباطِ

لَم يُذَلَّل بِمِعلَفٍ وَرِباطِ

Then they brought us a mighty steed, swimming in its stride,

So we were brought a swift steed,

never tamed by manger and tether,

Who was not weakened by fodder and ties.

غَيرِ مَسحٍ وَحَشكِ كومٍ صَفايا

غَيرِ مَسحٍ وَحَشكِ كومٍ صَفايا

وَمَرافيدَ في الشِتاءِ بِساطِ

وَمَرافيدَ في الشِتاءِ بِساطِ

only with stroking and rich milk from choice, high-humped camels,

Without wiping or scratching hay and horse blankets,

and bountiful milkers in winter, left with their calves.

And saddlebags in winter and carpets.

فَتَنادَوا فَأَلجَموهُ وَقالوا

فَتَنادَوا فَأَلجَموهُ وَقالوا

لِغُلامٍ مُعاوِدِ الإِعتِباطِ

لِغُلامٍ مُعاوِدِ الإِعتِباطِ

They called to one another, bridled him, and said

So they called him, restrained him, and said

to a lad practiced in riding unbroken horses:

To a boy repeating mistakes,

سَكِّنَنهُ وَاِكفُف إِلَيكَ مِنَ الغَر

سَكِّنَنهُ وَاِكفُف إِلَيكَ مِنَ الغَر

بِ تَجِد مائِحاً قَليلَ السِقاطِ

بِ تَجِد مائِحاً قَليلَ السِقاطِ

'Calm him, and curb some of his fierce

"Calm him down and stop him for me from the west,

spirit; you will find him long-striding, rarely stumbling.'

You will find him with little stumbling."

فَتَوَلّى الغُلامُ يَقدَعُ مُهراً

فَتَوَلّى الغُلامُ يَقدَعُ مُهراً

تَئِقَ الغَربَ مانِعاً لِلسِياطِ

تَئِقَ الغَربَ مانِعاً لِلسِياطِ

The lad set off, checking a colt

So the boy went to castrate a stallion,

brimming with spirit, unyielding to the whip.

Closing off the west, preventing whips.

وَتَوَلَّينَ حينَ أَبصَرنَ شَخصاً

وَتَوَلَّينَ حينَ أَبصَرنَ شَخصاً

مُدمَجاً مَتنُهُ كَمَتنِ المِقاطِ

مُدمَجاً مَتنُهُ كَمَتنِ المِقاطِ

They turned and fled when they saw a form,

And they turned away when they saw a figure

compactly built, its back like a stout rope,

With his body like the body of a sword.

فَوقَهُ مُطعِمُ الوُحوشِ رَفيقٌ

فَوقَهُ مُطعِمُ الوُحوشِ رَفيقٌ

عالِمٌ كَيفَ فَوزَةُ الآباطِ

عالِمٌ كَيفَ فَوزَةُ الآباطِ

upon it a skillful provider of wild game,

Above it was a feeder of wild animals, a friend

knowing how to find the opening at the armpits,

Who knows the ways of cheetahs and lynxes,

داجِنٌ بِالطِرادِ يَرمي بِطَرفٍ

داجِنٌ بِالطِرادِ يَرمي بِطَرفٍ

في فَضاءٍ وَفي صَحارٍ بَساطِ

في فَضاءٍ وَفي صَحارٍ بَساطِ

at home in the chase, sending a noble steed racing

Hunting with a crossbow, shooting from afar

through open country and across broad, level deserts.

In the wilderness and on a flat plain.

ثُمَّ والى بِسَمحَجٍ وَنَحوصٍ

ثُمَّ والى بِسَمحَجٍ وَنَحوصٍ

وَبِعِلجٍ يَكُفُّهُ بِعِلاطِ

وَبِعِلجٍ يَكُفُّهُ بِعِلاطِ

Then, in turn, he took a long-backed she-ass and a barren one,

Then he turned away with tolerance and deliberation,

and a wild-ass stallion he checked with a neck-rope.

Restraining him with reins.

ثُمَّ رُحنا وَما يَخافُ خَليلي

ثُمَّ رُحنا وَما يَخافُ خَليلي

مِن لِساني خِيانَةَ الإِنبِساطِ

مِن لِساني خِيانَةَ الإِنبِساطِ

Then we returned, and my companion had no fear

Then we left and my friend does not fear

that my tongue would betray his unguarded confidence.

Betrayal from my tongue spreading.