لِهِندٍ بِأَعلامِ الأَغَرِّ رُسومُ

لِهِندٍ بِأَعلامِ الأَغَرِّ رُسومُ

إِلى أُحُدٍ كَأَنَّهُنَّ وُشومُ

إِلى أُحُدٍ كَأَنَّهُنَّ وُشومُ

Hind has traces of her dwelling at the landmarks of al-Agharr,

Hind has marks of beauty upon her face,

Stretching to Uhud, as though they were tattoos;

As though they were tattooed upon her skin.

فَوَقفٍ فَسُلِّيٍّ فَأَكنافِ ضَلفَعٍ

فَوَقفٍ فَسُلِّيٍّ فَأَكنافِ ضَلفَعٍ

تَرَبَّعُ فيهِ تارَةً وَتُقيمُ

تَرَبَّعُ فيهِ تارَةً وَتُقيمُ

Then Waqf, then Sulli, then the outskirts of Dalfaʿ,

She halted at Sulayy, then moved on to 'Aknaf Dhal'a',

Where she sometimes spends the spring and stays.

Where she stayed awhile and took rest.

بِما قَد تَحُلُّ الوادِيَينِ كِلَيهِما

بِما قَد تَحُلُّ الوادِيَينِ كِلَيهِما

زَنانيرُ فيها مَسكَنٌ فَتَدومُ

زَنانيرُ فيها مَسكَنٌ فَتَدومُ

Where she sometimes settles in both valleys;

With polished pillars, there she made her abode

Zananir holds a dwelling for her, so she remains.

In a dwelling where musk diffuses its scent.

وَمَرتٍ كَظَهرِ التُرسِ قَفرٍ قَطَعتُهُ

وَمَرتٍ كَظَهرِ التُرسِ قَفرٍ قَطَعتُهُ

وَتَحتي خَنوفٌ كَالعَلاةِ عَقيمُ

وَتَحتي خَنوفٌ كَالعَلاةِ عَقيمُ

And a desolate, barren tract, like a shield's back, I crossed,

I crossed a plain as barren as a shield's surface,

Beneath me a barren she-camel with outward-swinging forelegs, like an anvil.

Beneath me a groaning camel, dry and weak.

عُذافِرَةٌ حَرفٌ كَأَنَّ قُتودَها

عُذافِرَةٌ حَرفٌ كَأَنَّ قُتودَها

تَضَمَّنَهُ جَونُ السَراةِ عَذومُ

تَضَمَّنَهُ جَونُ السَراةِ عَذومُ

Powerful and lean, as though her saddle-frames

The small band trudged on with little effort,

Were borne by a dark-backed, biting wild ass.

Now advancing, and now falling behind.

أَضَرَّ بِمِسحاجٍ قَليلٍ فُتورُها

أَضَرَّ بِمِسحاجٍ قَليلٍ فُتورُها

يَرِنُّ عَلَيها تارَةً وَيَصومُ

يَرِنُّ عَلَيها تارَةً وَيَصومُ

He pressed close to a long-bodied she-ass whose weariness was slight,

The mild sun cheers the hours of daylight,

Braying at her sometimes, then falling silent.

As though it were a lovesick man, drunk with wine.

يُطَرِّبُ آناءَ النَهارِ كَأَنَّهُ

يُطَرِّبُ آناءَ النَهارِ كَأَنَّهُ

غَوِيٌّ سَقاهُ في التِجارِ نَديمُ

غَوِيٌّ سَقاهُ في التِجارِ نَديمُ

He trills through the hours of the day, as though he were

She leaned towards me, a wine-skin from Babylon -

A wayward man plied with drink among the merchants by a drinking companion.

After a cup, it exhales a fermented smell.

أُميلَت عَلَيهِ قَرقَفٌ بابِلِيَّةٌ

أُميلَت عَلَيهِ قَرقَفٌ بابِلِيَّةٌ

لَها بَعدَ كَأسٍ في العِظامِ هَميمُ

لَها بَعدَ كَأسٍ في العِظامِ هَميمُ

Babylonian wine was poured out for him,

In the evening he cooled it, after it had fermented -

Which, after a cup, creeps through the bones.

More sour than vinegar made from dates.

فَرَوَّحَها يَقلو النِجادَ عَشِيَّةً

فَرَوَّحَها يَقلو النِجادَ عَشِيَّةً

أَقَبُّ كَكَرِّ الأَندَرِيِّ شَتيمُ

أَقَبُّ كَكَرِّ الأَندَرِيِّ شَتيمُ

So at evening he drove her onward, racing over the uplands—

He watered it beneath a thicket

Lean-bellied and harsh-featured, like the Andari's rope.

Of two 'qarnatayn' shrubs, and it seethed and foamed.

فَأَورَدَها مَسجورَةً تَحتَ غابَةٍ

فَأَورَدَها مَسجورَةً تَحتَ غابَةٍ

مِنَ القُرنَتَينِ وَاِتلَأَبَّ يَحومُ

مِنَ القُرنَتَينِ وَاِتلَأَبَّ يَحومُ

Then he led her to a brimming pool beneath a thicket

She was not content with shallow water, until she plunged in

Of al-Qurnatayn, and stood erect, circling.

And emerged with her chemise dripping wet.

فَلَم تَرضَ ضَحلَ الماءِ حَتّى تَمَهَّرَت

فَلَم تَرضَ ضَحلَ الماءِ حَتّى تَمَهَّرَت

وِشاحٌ لَها مِن عَرمَضٍ وَبَريمُ

وِشاحٌ لَها مِن عَرمَضٍ وَبَريمُ

She would not settle for shallow water until she swam in,

It cured the soul of what I feared - the day troops were mobilized

With a sash of pondweed about her, and a two-colored girdle.

And the day I met the tribe of Nukhayl.

شَفى النَفسَ ما خُبِّرتُ مَرّانُ أُزهِفَت

شَفى النَفسَ ما خُبِّرتُ مَرّانُ أُزهِفَت

وَما لَقِيَت يَومَ النُخَيلِ حَريمُ

وَما لَقِيَت يَومَ النُخَيلِ حَريمُ

What I was told healed my soul: Marran was laid low,

The clan of Ju'fi, son of Sa'd, are like

And what Harim suffered on the day of al-Nukhayl—

A herd of sheep watered at springs of Zua'f.

قَبائِلُ جُعفِيِّ بنِ سَعدٍ كَأَنَّما

قَبائِلُ جُعفِيِّ بنِ سَعدٍ كَأَنَّما

سَقى جَمعَهُم ماءَ الزُعافِ مُنيمُ

سَقى جَمعَهُم ماءَ الزُعافِ مُنيمُ

The tribes of Juʿfi ibn Saʿd, as though

A band of Ka'b's descendants girded for war

A sleep-bringer had made their host drink the water of deadly poison.

Owning a glorious name on days of trial.

تَلافَتهُمُ مِن آلِ كَعبٍ عِصابَةٌ

تَلافَتهُمُ مِن آلِ كَعبٍ عِصابَةٌ

لَها مَأقِطٌ يَومَ الحِفاظِ كَريمُ

لَها مَأقِطٌ يَومَ الحِفاظِ كَريمُ

A band from the clan of Kaʿb overtook them,

By that tribe, I swear, I have no boast over you,

Whose stand in battle was noble on the day of defending honor.

Just a house upon the meadows where we dwell.

فَتِلكُم بِتِلكُم غَيرَ فَخرٍ عَلَيكُم

فَتِلكُم بِتِلكُم غَيرَ فَخرٍ عَلَيكُم

وَبَيتٌ عَلى الأَفلاجِ ثُمَّ مُقيمُ

وَبَيتٌ عَلى الأَفلاجِ ثُمَّ مُقيمُ

So that was in return for that, without boasting over you,

And a house at al-Aflaj remained thereafter.