لِمَنِ الدِيارُ غَشِيتُها بِسُحامِ

لِمَنِ الدِيارُ غَشِيتُها بِسُحامِ

فَعَمايَتَينِ فَهُضبُ ذي أَقدامِ

فَعَمايَتَينِ فَهُضبُ ذي أَقدامِ

Whose are the dwellings I visited at Suham,

To whom do the abodes belong that I have covered in the evening,

then ʿAmayatayn, then the rocky heights of Dhu Aqdam,

With its two darknesses, so the plateau with legs became desolate?

فَصَفا الأَطيطِ فَصاحَتَينِ فَغاضِرٍ

فَصَفا الأَطيطِ فَصاحَتَينِ فَغاضِرٍ

تَمشي النِعاجُ بِها مَعَ الآرامِ

تَمشي النِعاجُ بِها مَعَ الآرامِ

then the smooth rocks of al-Atit, then Sahatayn, then Ghadir?

The voice of the watchman yelled, so the beautiful one raised her voice.

Wild cows walk there with the white gazelles.

The sheep walk in it slowly at night.

دارٌ لِهِندٍ وَالرَبابِ وَفَرتَنى

دارٌ لِهِندٍ وَالرَبابِ وَفَرتَنى

وَلَميسَ قَبلَ حَوادِثِ الأَيّامِ

وَلَميسَ قَبلَ حَوادِثِ الأَيّامِ

A home of Hind, al-Rabab, and Fartana,

It is a house for Hind and Rabab, and so it seemed to me,

and Lamis, before the calamities of time.

And Lamees, before the events of time.

عوجا عَلى الطَلَلِ المَحيلِ لِأَنَنا

عوجا عَلى الطَلَلِ المَحيلِ لِأَنَنا

نَبكي الدِيارَ كَما بَكى اِبنُ خِذامِ

نَبكي الدِيارَ كَما بَكى اِبنُ خِذامِ

Turn aside, you two, to the weathered ruins, for we

I cried over the abodes as Ibn Khidham cried,

weep for the dwellings as Ibn Khidham wept.

Bending over the ruined abodes.

أَو ما تَرى أَظعانَهُنَّ بَواكِراً

أَو ما تَرى أَظعانَهُنَّ بَواكِراً

كَالنَخلِ مِن شَوكانَ حينَ صِرامِ

كَالنَخلِ مِن شَوكانَ حينَ صِرامِ

And do you not see their litters setting out early,

Or don’t you see their young oryxes in the morning

like the date palms of Shawkan at harvest time?

Like palm trees among the thorns when picked?

حوراً تُعَلَّلُ بِالعَبيرِ جُلودُها

حوراً تُعَلَّلُ بِالعَبيرِ جُلودُها

بيضُ الوُجوهِ نَواعِمُ الأَجسامِ

بيضُ الوُجوهِ نَواعِمُ الأَجسامِ

Women with eyes of brilliant black and white, their skins repeatedly anointed with perfume,

Houries whose skins are scented with ambergris,

white of face, soft of body.

Fair of face, tender of body.

فَظَلِلتُ في دِمَنِ الدِيارِ كَأَنَّني

فَظَلِلتُ في دِمَنِ الدِيارِ كَأَنَّني

نَشوانُ باكِرَةٌ صَبوحُ مُدامِ

نَشوانُ باكِرَةٌ صَبوحُ مُدامِ

So I spent the day amid the darkened traces of the dwellings, as though I were

So I lingered in the ruins of the abode as if I were

drunk on an early morning draught of wine,

Nashwan, spending the early morning drinking wine.

أُنُفٍ كَلَونِ دَمِ الغَزالِ مُعَتَّقٍ

أُنُفٍ كَلَونِ دَمِ الغَزالِ مُعَتَّقٍ

مِن خَمرِ عانَةَ أَو كُرومِ شَبامِ

مِن خَمرِ عانَةَ أَو كُرومِ شَبامِ

newly opened, the color of a gazelle's blood, well-aged,

A nose the color of gazelle’s blood, drunk

from the wine of Anah or the vineyards of Shabam.

From the wine of Anah or the vineyards of Shabam.

وَكَأَنَّ شارِبَها أَصابَ لِسانَهُ

وَكَأَنَّ شارِبَها أَصابَ لِسانَهُ

مومٌ يُخالِطُ جِسمَهُ بِسَقامِ

مومٌ يُخالِطُ جِسمَهُ بِسَقامِ

And it is as though its drinker's tongue were struck

Its drinker’s tongue was as if laden with poison

by a delirious fever, spreading sickness through his body.

That spread through his body, bringing sickness.

وَمُجِدَّةٌ نَسَّأتُها فَتَكَمَّشَت

وَمُجِدَّةٌ نَسَّأتُها فَتَكَمَّشَت

رَتْكَ النَعامَةِ في طَريقٍ حامِ

رَتْكَ النَعامَةِ في طَريقٍ حامِ

And a vigorous she-camel I urged onward, so she sped,

Adorned, which I looked at closely, and it frowned

trotting like an ostrich along a scorching road.

Like the frowning of the ostrich in heated sands.

تَخدي عَلى العِلّاتِ سامٍ رَأسُها

تَخدي عَلى العِلّاتِ سامٍ رَأسُها

رَوعاءَ مَنسِمُها رَثيمٌ دامِ

رَوعاءَ مَنسِمُها رَثيمٌ دامِ

She strides swiftly despite her ailments, her head held high,

It marched against me so I said, “Restrain yourself,

high-spirited, her hoof-tip battered and bleeding.

For killing me is forbidden to you.”

جالَت لِتَصرَعَني فَقُلتُ لَها اِقصِري

جالَت لِتَصرَعَني فَقُلتُ لَها اِقصِري

إِنّي اِمرُؤٌ صَرعي عَلَيكِ حَرامِ

إِنّي اِمرُؤٌ صَرعي عَلَيكِ حَرامِ

She swerved to throw me, so I said to her, 'Desist!

So you were rewarded, the best reward for a single she-camel,

I am a man: throwing me is forbidden to you.'

And you returned safe and sound, in peace.

فَجُزِيتِ خَيرَ جَزاءِ ناقَةِ واحِدٍ

فَجُزِيتِ خَيرَ جَزاءِ ناقَةِ واحِدٍ

وَرَجَعتِ سالِمَةَ القَرا بِسَلامِ

وَرَجَعتِ سالِمَةَ القَرا بِسَلامِ

So may you receive the finest reward a lone man's she-camel could receive,

As if it were Badr, the foal of Katifa,

and may you return in peace, your back unharmed.

Or as if from a rational chief, judges.

وَكَأَنَّما بَدرٌ وَصيلُ كَتيفَةٍ

وَكَأَنَّما بَدرٌ وَصيلُ كَتيفَةٍ

وَكَأَنَّما مِن عاقِلٍ أَرمامِ

وَكَأَنَّما مِن عاقِلٍ أَرمامِ

And it is as though Badr adjoined Katifa,

Convey to Subay’ if a message presents itself:

and as though Armam were part of ʿAqil.

“I am your protector if you reside in front of me.”

أَبلِغ سُبَيعاً إِن عَرَضتَ رِسالَةً

أَبلِغ سُبَيعاً إِن عَرَضتَ رِسالَةً

أَنّي كَهَمِّكَ إِن عَشَوتَ أَمامي

أَنّي كَهَمِّكَ إِن عَشَوتَ أَمامي

Convey a message to Subayʿ, if you pass his way:

Cut short your threats to me, for I am

that I am as you imagine, if you come groping before me.

Not too timid for what I may face.

أَقصِر إِلَيكَ مِنَ الوَعيدِ فَإِنَّني

أَقصِر إِلَيكَ مِنَ الوَعيدِ فَإِنَّني

مِمّا أُلاقي لا أَشُدُّ حِزامي

مِمّا أُلاقي لا أَشُدُّ حِزامي

Keep your threats to yourself, for I

I am the awakened one, after they were put to sleep,

do not tighten my belt for anything I encounter.

And I am the one who proclaimed the dawn to the sleepy ones.

وَأَنا المُنَبَّهُ بَعدَما قَد نُوِّموا

وَأَنا المُنَبَّهُ بَعدَما قَد نُوِّموا

وَأَنا المُعالِنُ صَفحَةَ النُوّامِ

وَأَنا المُعالِنُ صَفحَةَ النُوّامِ

And I am the one awakened after they have already been put to sleep,

I am the one whose excellence Mudar knew,

and I am the one who openly confronts the sleepers' faces.

And I sang of the nobility of Ibn Umm Qatam.

وَأَنا الَّذي عَرَفَت مَعَدٌ فَضلَهُ

وَأَنا الَّذي عَرَفَت مَعَدٌ فَضلَهُ

وَنُشِدتُ عَن حُجرِ اِبنِ أُمِّ قَطامِ

وَنُشِدتُ عَن حُجرِ اِبنِ أُمِّ قَطامِ

And I am the one whose worth Maʿadd has recognized,

And I fight the hated hero with his own fight.

and I was questioned about Hujr, son of Umm Qatam.

When I battle, my arrows do not miss.

وَأُنازِلُ البَطَلَ الكَريهَ نِزالُهُ

وَأُنازِلُ البَطَلَ الكَريهَ نِزالُهُ

وَإِذا أُناضِلُ لا تَطيشُ سِهامي

وَإِذا أُناضِلُ لا تَطيشُ سِهامي

And I face the champion whose combat is dreaded,

My uncle the son of Kabsha, you knew his place,

and when I contend with the bow, my arrows do not stray.

And Abu Yazeed and his brothers, my paternal uncles.

خالي اِبنُ كَبشَةَ قَد عَلِمتَ مَكانَهُ

خالي اِبنُ كَبشَةَ قَد عَلِمتَ مَكانَهُ

وَأَبو يَزيدَ وَرَهطُهُ أَعمامي

وَأَبو يَزيدَ وَرَهطُهُ أَعمامي

My maternal uncle is Ibn Kabsha; you already know his standing,

And if you are harmed in a city and take leave of it,

and Abu Yazid and his clan are my paternal uncles.

I will not stay anywhere but my house.

وَإِذا أُذيتَ بِبَلدَةٍ وَدَّعتَها

وَإِذا أُذيتَ بِبَلدَةٍ وَدَّعتَها

وَلا أُقيمُ بِغَيرِ دارِ مُقامِ

وَلا أُقيمُ بِغَيرِ دارِ مُقامِ

And when you are harmed in a land, you bid it farewell,

nor do I stay except in a home fit to dwell in.