أَمِن رَسْمِ دارٍ بالعَقِيقِ مُحيلِ

أَمِن رَسْمِ دارٍ بالعَقِيقِ مُحيلِ

وَلمّا هَبَطْنَا الغَيْثَ تُذْعَرُ وحْشُهُ

وَلمّا هَبَطْنَا الغَيْثَ تُذْعَرُ وحْشُهُ

Is it from the timeworn trace of a dwelling at al-‘Aqiq?

From the traces of a house in Akik made,

And when we descended into the rain-fed pasture, its wild beasts took fright,

When we descended the rain, its wild beasts startled.

على كُلِّ خَوَّارِ العِنانِ أَسِيلِ

على كُلِّ خَوَّارِ العِنانِ أَسِيلِ

وَثارَتْ بَناتُ الأَعْوَجِيّاتِ بالضُّحَى

وَثارَتْ بَناتُ الأَعْوَجِيّاتِ بالضُّحَى

On steeds, each yielding to the rein and smooth-cheeked.

On every snarling rogue I loosened the reins,

And at midmorning the daughters of the A‘waj mares surged forth,

And the she-camels of Al-A'waj raised the dawn.

أَبابِيلَ مِن أَعْطَافِ غَيْرِ وَبِيلِ

أَبابِيلَ مِن أَعْطَافِ غَيْرِ وَبِيلِ

مُسَوَّمةً نَعْتَدُّها مِن خِيارِها

مُسَوَّمةً نَعْتَدُّها مِن خِيارِها

In scattered bands, from flanks that were not ponderous,

With maidens not hired from generous lineage,

Marked steeds, which we reckon among the choicest of their kind,

We select the prime of them to repel a shirt or a group.

لطَرْدِ قَنِيصٍ أَوْ لطَرْدِ رعِيلِ

لطَرْدِ قَنِيصٍ أَوْ لطَرْدِ رعِيلِ

إِذا ما تَغَنَّى الصَّحْبُ فَوْقَ مُتُونها

إِذا ما تَغَنَّى الصَّحْبُ فَوْقَ مُتُونها

For chasing quarry or pursuing a troop.

When the friends sang over their backs at forenoon

When the companions sang upon their backs,

They responded to their chant with neighing.

ضُحيّا أَجابَتْ نَحْتَهُمْ بصَهِيلِ

ضُحيّا أَجابَتْ نَحْتَهُمْ بصَهِيلِ

نَدُوسُ بها أَبْكارَ نَوْرٍ كأَنَّهُ

نَدُوسُ بها أَبْكارَ نَوْرٍ كأَنَّهُ

At midmorning they answered beneath them with neighing [probable reading].

We trod on them virgin mounts as though it were

With them we tread upon virgin bloom, as though it were

The gown of a bride who was given notice of defloration.

رِداءُ عَرُوسٍ أُوذِنَتْ بحَلِيلِ

رِداءُ عَرُوسٍ أُوذِنَتْ بحَلِيلِ

رَمَيْنا بها عرْضَ الصُّوارِ فأَقْعَصَتْ

رَمَيْنا بها عرْضَ الصُّوارِ فأَقْعَصَتْ

The robe of a bride who has been told of her bridegroom.

We shot at the breadth of Sowar until it was wounded,

We hurled them against the flank of the wild-cattle herd, and they killed outright

We sang though we killed it without a victim.

أَغَنَّ قَتَلْنَاهُ بغَيْرِ قَتِيلِ

أَغَنَّ قَتَلْنَاهُ بغَيْرِ قَتِيلِ

وبادَرَ أَصْحابي النُّزُولَ فأَقَبَلَتْ

وبادَرَ أَصْحابي النُّزُولَ فأَقَبَلَتْ

A nasal-voiced bull we slew, with none of our own slain.

And my comrades hastened to alight, so she came

And my companions hastened to dismount, and then came

Like reddish stairs from fresh heating.

كَرادِيسُ من عَضِّ الشَّواءِ نَشِيلِ

كَرادِيسُ من عَضِّ الشَّواءِ نَشِيلِ

نُمَسِّحُ بالجودان مِنه أَكُفَّنا

نُمَسِّحُ بالجودان مِنه أَكُفَّنا

Great joints of roasted meat, lifted out to be gnawed.

We wipe our palms on it when we get but little from it,

We wipe our palms clean of it with al-jawdan [unclear term],

And we said to its cupbearer, "Pass it round freely,

إِذا ما اقْتَنَصْنا منه غَيْرَ قَلِيلِ

إِذا ما اقْتَنَصْنا منه غَيْرَ قَلِيلِ

فقُلْنا لساقِيها أَدِرْها سُلافةً

فقُلْنا لساقِيها أَدِرْها سُلافةً

Whenever we have seized no small share of it.

Generously filling, and from your eyes sparing."

So we told its cupbearer, 'Pass it round, the first-run vintage,

So he rose with his two cups obedient to our command,

شَمُولاً ومِن عَيْنَيْكَ صِرْفَ شَمُولِ

شَمُولاً ومِن عَيْنَيْكَ صِرْفَ شَمُولِ

فقامَ بكأسَيْهِ مُطيعاً لأَمْرِنا

فقامَ بكأسَيْهِ مُطيعاً لأَمْرِنا

Wine—and from your eyes, pure, unmixed wine.'

Inclining with it in kindness everyone who inclined.

So he rose with his two cups, obedient to our command,

He waved its fresh stems, continuously bending

يَمِيلُ به الإِدْلالُ كُلَّ ممِيلِ

يَمِيلُ به الإِدْلالُ كُلَّ ممِيلِ

وشَعْشَعَ راحَيْه فَمازالَ مائِلاً

وشَعْشَعَ راحَيْه فَمازالَ مائِلاً

Coquetry swaying him every way.

With a generous head from them and humility,

And he diluted his two wines, and kept bending

Until it laid them prostate from what they had imbibed

برأَسٍ كَرِيمٍ منهُمُ وتَلِيلِ

برأَسٍ كَرِيمٍ منهُمُ وتَلِيلِ

إِلَى أَن ثَناهُمْ راكِدِينَ لِما احْتَسوا

إِلَى أَن ثَناهُمْ راكِدِينَ لِما احْتَسوا

A noble head and neck among them,

Vile from might and excellence of intellects.

Until he laid them low, motionless from what they had sipped,

They sprawled on the blossoms as though they were

خَلِيعِينَ مِن بَطْشٍ وفَضْلِ عُقُولِ

خَلِيعِينَ مِن بَطْشٍ وفَضْلِ عُقُولِ

نَشاوَى على الزَّهْراءِ صَرْعَى كأَنَّهُمْ

نَشاوَى على الزَّهْراءِ صَرْعَى كأَنَّهُمْ

Stripped of vigor and keenness of mind.

Pillars of a palace or trunks of palms.

Drunken, sprawled on al-Zahra, as though they were

أَساطِينُ قَصْرٍ أَوْ جُذُوعُ نَخِيلِ

أَساطِينُ قَصْرٍ أَوْ جُذُوعُ نَخِيلِ

Pillars of a palace, or trunks of palm trees.