غَشيتُ مَنازِلاً بِعُرَيتِناتٍ

غَشيتُ مَنازِلاً بِعُرَيتِناتٍ

فَأَعلى الجِزعِ لِلحَيّ المُبِنِّ

فَأَعلى الجِزعِ لِلحَيّ المُبِنِّ

I visited dwellings at ʿUraytināt,

I dwelt in abodes with soft sand around;

then the upper valley bend, where the tribe had camped.

On their summits the living were eager.

تَعاوَرَهُنَّ صَرفُ الدَهرِ حَتّى

تَعاوَرَهُنَّ صَرفُ الدَهرِ حَتّى

عَفونَ وَكُلُّ مُنهَمِرٍ مُرِنِّ

عَفونَ وَكُلُّ مُنهَمِرٍ مُرِنِّ

Time's vicissitudes assailed them in turn, until

Time has ruined them till they are decayed;

they were effaced, battered too by every roaring downpour.

Every builder of them is decaying.

وَقَفتُ بِها القَلوصَ عَلى اِكتِئابٍ

وَقَفتُ بِها القَلوصَ عَلى اِكتِئابٍ

وَذاكَ تَفارُطُ الشَوقِ المُعَنّي

وَذاكَ تَفارُطُ الشَوقِ المُعَنّي

I halted my young she-camel there in sorrow,

There I stopped the ships, deeply mourning,

and that was the surge of tormenting longing.

With yearning too violent to be masked.

أُسائِلُها وَقَد سَفَحَت دُموعي

أُسائِلُها وَقَد سَفَحَت دُموعي

كَأَنَّ مَفيضَهُنَّ غُروبُ شَنِّ

كَأَنَّ مَفيضَهُنَّ غُروبُ شَنِّ

I question them, with my tears already pouring,

I ask them while my tears are flowing,

as though their flow were that of great, worn-leather buckets.

Like the coming downpour at sunset.

بُكاءَ حَمامَةٍ تَدعو هَديلاً

بُكاءَ حَمامَةٍ تَدعو هَديلاً

مُفَجَّعَةٍ عَلى فَنَنٍ تُغَنّي

مُفَجَّعَةٍ عَلى فَنَنٍ تُغَنّي

Weeping like a dove calling for Hadīl,

The weeping of a dove that calls her comrade,

bereaved, singing on a bough.

Grieving over the empty nests that sang.

أَلِكني يا عُيَينَ إِلَيكَ قَولاً

أَلِكني يا عُيَينَ إِلَيكَ قَولاً

سَأُهديهِ إِلَيكَ إِلَيكَ عَنّي

سَأُهديهِ إِلَيكَ إِلَيكَ عَنّي

Convey to yourself, O ʿUyayn, a message from me;

Bring me, O eyes, some words I may address to her,

I shall offer it to you: keep away from me.

Words I may send to her from me.

قَوافي كَالسِلامِ إِذا اِستَمَرَّت

قَوافي كَالسِلامِ إِذا اِستَمَرَّت

فَلَيسَ يَرُدُّ مَذهَبَها التَظَنّي

فَلَيسَ يَرُدُّ مَذهَبَها التَظَنّي

Rhyming verses like stones, once they speed onward;

Rhymes like greetings that go on and on

no conjecture can turn them from their course.

So that vain fancy cannot turn them back.

بِهِنَّ أُدينُ مَن يَبغي أَذاتي

بِهِنَّ أُدينُ مَن يَبغي أَذاتي

مُدايَنَةَ المُدايِنِ فَليَدَنّي

مُدايَنَةَ المُدايِنِ فَليَدَنّي

With them I requite whoever seeks to hurt me,

Through them I give my love to her hater;

with a requiter's recompense—let him requite me.

The intimacy of cities, so let him draw near me.

أَتَخذُلُ ناصِري وَتُعِزَّ عَبساً

أَتَخذُلُ ناصِري وَتُعِزَّ عَبساً

أَيَربوعَ بنَ غَيظٍ لِلمِعَنِّ

أَيَربوعَ بنَ غَيظٍ لِلمِعَنِّ

Do you forsake my defender and strengthen ʿAbs,

Do you help my foe and strengthen sulking?

O Yarbūʿ son of Ghayẓ, for the meddling adversary?

Like Rabī‘ah son of Ghaiz in his rancor?

كَأَنَّكَ مِن جِمالِ بَني أُقَيشٍ

كَأَنَّكَ مِن جِمالِ بَني أُقَيشٍ

يُقَعقَعُ خَلفَ رِجلَيهِ بِشَنِّ

يُقَعقَعُ خَلفَ رِجلَيهِ بِشَنِّ

As though you were one of Banū Uqaysh's camels,

One time you are an ostrich, another time

behind whose hind legs an old waterskin is rattled.

A griffon, wherever the wind lists you stray.

تَكونُ نَعامَةً طَوراً وَطَوراً

تَكونُ نَعامَةً طَوراً وَطَوراً

هَوِيَّ الريحِ تَنسُجُ كُلَّ فَنِّ

هَوِيَّ الريحِ تَنسُجُ كُلَّ فَنِّ

One moment you are an ostrich, and another

You wish them gone, so vie with them in going.

the wind's rush, weaving every pattern.

You shall surely be left while wishing remains.

تَمَنَّ بُعادَهُم وَاِستَبقِ مِنهُم

تَمَنَّ بُعادَهُم وَاِستَبقِ مِنهُم

فَإِنَّكَ سَوفَ تُترَكُ وَالتَمَنّي

فَإِنَّكَ سَوفَ تُترَكُ وَالتَمَنّي

Wish them far away, and retain some of them;

With slanderers who have no trusted friend,

for you will be left alone with your wishing,

No guide who can give comfort and assurance.

لَدى جَرعاءَ لَيسَ بِها أَنيسٌ

لَدى جَرعاءَ لَيسَ بِها أَنيسٌ

وَلَيسَ بِها الدَليلُ بِمُطمَئِنِّ

وَلَيسَ بِها الدَليلُ بِمُطمَئِنِّ

on a barren sandy tract where there is no companion,

If you dare wrong the lion in his den,

and not even the guide is at ease there.

Then I am not of you, nor you of me.

إِذا حاوَلتَ في أَسَدٍ فُجوراً

إِذا حاوَلتَ في أَسَدٍ فُجوراً

فَإِنّي لَستُ مِنكَ وَلَستَ مِنّي

فَإِنّي لَستُ مِنكَ وَلَستَ مِنّي

If you attempt treachery against Asad,

They are my coat of mail I donned

then I am not of you, nor are you of me.

Against the evil day and my misfortune.

فَهُم دِرعي الَّتي اِستَلأَمتُ فيها

فَهُم دِرعي الَّتي اِستَلأَمتُ فيها

إِلى يَومِ النِسارِ وَهُم مِجَنّي

إِلى يَومِ النِسارِ وَهُم مِجَنّي

For they are my coat of mail, in which I armored myself

They repulsed the informers against Tamīm

for the day of al-Nisār, and they are my shield.

They were the folk of Ukaz; I am one of them.

وَهُم وَرَدوا الجِفارَ عَلى تَميمٍ

وَهُم وَرَدوا الجِفارَ عَلى تَميمٍ

وَهُم أَصحابُ يَومِ عُكاظَ إِنّي

وَهُم أَصحابُ يَومِ عُكاظَ إِنّي

And they reached al-Jifār against Tamīm,

I witnessed for them places of true service,

and they are the men of the day of ʿUkāẓ; indeed I

I came to them with love sincere within me.

شَهِدتُ لَهُم مَواطِنَ صادِقاتٍ

شَهِدتُ لَهُم مَواطِنَ صادِقاتٍ

أَتَينَهُمُ بِوُدَّ الصَدرِ مِنّي

أَتَينَهُمُ بِوُدَّ الصَدرِ مِنّي

have taken loyal stands on their behalf,

They marched to Hujr in an army,

which came to them with affection from my heart.

That day they were, in my thought, a mighty host.

وَهُم ساروا لِحُجرٍ في خَميسٍ

وَهُم ساروا لِحُجرٍ في خَميسٍ

وَكانوا يَومَ ذَلِكَ عِندَ ظَنّي

وَكانوا يَومَ ذَلِكَ عِندَ ظَنّي

And they marched to face Ḥujr in a host,

And they marched to the Ghassan in a march

and that day they lived up to my expectations.

Wherein the noble horses were jostling.

وَهُم زَحَفوا لِغَسّانٍ بِزَحفٍ

وَهُم زَحَفوا لِغَسّانٍ بِزَحفٍ

رَحيبِ السَربِ أَرعَنَ مُرجِحَنِّ

رَحيبِ السَربِ أَرعَنَ مُرجِحَنِّ

And they advanced toward Ghassān with a host

With every tested warrior like a lion

broad in its sweep, mountain-like and ponderously swaying,

Pouncing on the flank of a long-tailed hyena.

بِكُلِّ مُجَرَّبٍ كَاللَيثِ يَسمو

بِكُلِّ مُجَرَّبٍ كَاللَيثِ يَسمو

عَلى أَوصالِ ذَيّالٍ رِفَنِّ

عَلى أَوصالِ ذَيّالٍ رِفَنِّ

with every battle-tested warrior rising like a lion

And lively girls like decorated arrows

on the frame of a large, long-tailed steed,

With a band of specters round them, like jinn.

وَضُمرٍ كَالقِداحِ مُسَوَّماتٍ

وَضُمرٍ كَالقِداحِ مُسَوَّماتٍ

عَلَيها مَعشَرٌ أَشباهُ جِنِّ

عَلَيها مَعشَرٌ أَشباهُ جِنِّ

and lean, marked horses like arrow-shafts,

On the morrow when white dawn flickered,

on them a band of men resembling jinn.

Thrust against them in the dusty darkness.

غَداةَ تَعاوَرَتهُ ثَمَّ بيضٌ

غَداةَ تَعاوَرَتهُ ثَمَّ بيضٌ

دُفِعنَ إِلَيهِ في الرَهَجِ المُكِنِّ

دُفِعنَ إِلَيهِ في الرَهَجِ المُكِنِّ

On the morning when gleaming swords struck him there in turn,

Had I obeyed you in those matters

thrust toward him amid the concealing dust.

I would have met with regret in that, my age.

وَلَو أَنّي أَطَعتُكَ في أُمورٍ

وَلَو أَنّي أَطَعتُكَ في أُمورٍ

قَرَعتُ نَدامَةً مِن ذاكَ سِنّي

قَرَعتُ نَدامَةً مِن ذاكَ سِنّي

And had I obeyed you in certain matters,

I would have struck my tooth in remorse over that.