أَلا ضَرَمَت مَوَدَّتُكَ الرُواعُ

أَلا ضَرَمَت مَوَدَّتُكَ الرُواعُ

وَجَدَّ البَينُ مِنها وَالوَداعُ

وَجَدَّ البَينُ مِنها وَالوَداعُ

Lo, Ruwāʿ has set your love aflame,

Alas! Your affection has blazed up and separation and farewell have come between us.

And parting from her, and farewell, are now in earnest.

She said that he is an old man, so she gave in to him and did not show any reluctance.

وَقالَت إِنَّهُ شَيخٌ كَبيرٌ

وَقالَت إِنَّهُ شَيخٌ كَبيرٌ

فَلَجَّ بِها وَلَم تَرِعِ أَمتِناعُ

فَلَجَّ بِها وَلَم تَرِعِ أَمتِناعُ

And she said, “He is an old man, advanced in years.”

Either yesterday I regained my patience, and the mask of old age shone upon me.

So refusal gripped her stubbornly, and she did not relent.

So I will reconcile with the friend even if he has estranged me, and the enmity between us will disappear like wisps of clouds.

فَإِمّا أَمس قَد راجَعتُ حِلمي

فَإِمّا أَمس قَد راجَعتُ حِلمي

وَلاحَ عَلَيَّ مِن شَيبٍ قِناعُ

وَلاحَ عَلَيَّ مِن شَيبٍ قِناعُ

So if yesterday I returned to sober judgment,

And I will preserve in absence the matter of my people, so no blame or loss comes upon me.

And a veil of gray hair appeared upon me,

The weak will be fortunate through me when misfortune strikes me, while the brave champion will dislike my company.

فَقَد أَصِلُ الخَليلَ وَإِن نَآني

فَقَد أَصِلُ الخَليلَ وَإِن نَآني

وَغِبُّ عَداوَتي كَلَأٌ جُداعُ

وَغِبُّ عَداوَتي كَلَأٌ جُداعُ

I still keep faith with a friend, even if he shuns me;

He refuses to blame me, for I am generous, and my stance is to embrace.

And the aftermath of my enmity is forage that maims.

Among the Bani Bakr bin Sa'd, when their horses are assembled, I am obeyed.

وَأَحفَظُ بِالمَغيبَةِ أَمرَ قَومي

وَأَحفَظُ بِالمَغيبَةِ أَمرَ قَومي

فَلا يُسدى لَدَيَّ وَلا يُضاعُ

فَلا يُسدى لَدَيَّ وَلا يُضاعُ

And I safeguard my people's affairs in their absence,

Their flanks are protected by armored coats of mail which flash with spears.

So they are neither neglected in my care nor squandered.

I endured their charges, and when the defeated turned to flee, the noble she-camels carried off their plunder.

وَيَسعَدُ بي الضَريكُ إِذا اِعتَراني

وَيَسعَدُ بي الضَريكُ إِذا اِعتَراني

وَيَكرَهُ جانِبي البَطَلُ الشُجاعُ

وَيَكرَهُ جانِبي البَطَلُ الشُجاعُ

And the destitute finds relief through me when he seeks me out,

With head held high I used to be their rein, and the peaks provided shade for them.

While the brave champion dreads my side.

When the advisers forsook him, the ostriches and wild cows mocked him.

وَيَأبي الذَمَّ لي أَنّي كَريمٌ

وَيَأبي الذَمَّ لي أَنّي كَريمٌ

وَأَنَّ مَحَلّي القَبَلُ اليَفاعُ

وَأَنَّ مَحَلّي القَبَلُ اليَفاعُ

And what keeps blame from me is that I am noble,

His partisans abandoned him, so he was left without a companion like an old shoe without patches.

And that my dwelling stands on a prominent, lofty height.

A blind man whom we had entertained became in the evening of his life carefree.

وَإِنّي في بَني بَكرٍ بنَ سَعدٍ

وَإِنّي في بَني بَكرٍ بنَ سَعدٍ

إِذا تَمَّت زَوافِرُهُم أُطاعُ

إِذا تَمَّت زَوافِرُهُم أُطاعُ

And among the sons of Bakr son of Saʿd,

And water of a barren, distant land abandoned by beasts of prey.

When their supporting clans are fully gathered, I am obeyed.

I returned while fate had spun out of control, and cares and sorrows pressed heavily upon me.

وَمَلمومٍ جَوانِبُها رَداحٍ

وَمَلمومٍ جَوانِبُها رَداحٍ

تَزَجّى بِالرِماحِ لَها شُعاعُ

تَزَجّى بِالرِماحِ لَها شُعاعُ

And many a massed host, immense along its flanks,

Majestic is the hyena with speckled thighs, barking with laughter, dragging his feet.

Driven onward with spears radiating from it,

He has a she-camel, and when she is in heat, the ostriches mock her.

شَهدتُ طِرادَها فَصَبرتُ فيها

شَهدتُ طِرادَها فَصَبرتُ فيها

إِذا ما هَلَّلَ النِكسُ اليَراعُ

إِذا ما هَلَّلَ النِكسُ اليَراعُ

I have joined in its charges and stood firm within it,

As if the saddle on his back were upon a camel saddle worn from constant use.

When the craven weakling shrank away.

A saddle of a meadow overrun with locusts from Al-Ashrat, exported wares.

وخم يركب العوصاء طاط

وخم يركب العوصاء طاط

عَنِ المُثلى غُناماهُ القِذاعُ

عَنِ المُثلى غُناماهُ القِذاعُ

And a base fellow taking the crooked course, straying

It groans heavily like an ancient well whose buckets are pulled up successively by the women drawing water.

From the best path, whose utmost gain is foul abuse—

It tosses about bunches of dry brittle wood, with bits and pieces flying off.

طَموحِ الرَأسِ كُنتُ لَهُ لِجاماً

طَموحِ الرَأسِ كُنتُ لَهُ لِجاماً

يُخَيِّسُهُ لَهُ مِنهُ صِقاعُ

يُخَيِّسُهُ لَهُ مِنهُ صِقاعُ

Headstrong as he was, I became his bridle;

When they descend easily, it brays at them, and through it they have a window to look out.

A headstrap from that bridle subdues him.

It avoided the racetracks of the valley of Qaw and the racecourse, and wandered off.

إِذا ما اِنآدَ قَوَّمَهُ فَلانَت

إِذا ما اِنآدَ قَوَّمَهُ فَلانَت

أخادِعُهُ النَواقِرُ وَالوِقاعُ

أخادِعُهُ النَواقِرُ وَالوِقاعُ

Whenever he bent aside, it set him straight, and

To the nearest pasture, whether Athaal, Ghumaadhah or Nataa’.

His neck-veins grew supple under piercing blows and heavy strokes.

So he brought them there when night's darkness gathered and not yet dawn’s first light had broken through.

وَاِشعَثَ قَد جَفا عَنهُ المَوالي

وَاِشعَثَ قَد جَفا عَنهُ المَوالي

لَقىً كَالحِلسِ لَيسَ بِهِ زَماعُ

لَقىً كَالحِلسِ لَيسَ بِهِ زَماعُ

And a disheveled man whose kinsmen had turned away from him,

In the morning he raided the Bani Jallaan for spoils - his equipment and travel provisions.

Cast aside like a saddle-cloth, with no resolve left in him,

When he did not obtain meat from the wild beasts to satisfy his starving children,

ضَريرٍ قَد هَنَأناهُ فَأَمسى

ضَريرٍ قَد هَنَأناهُ فَأَمسى

عَلَيهِ في مَعيشَتِهِ اِتِّساعُ

عَلَيهِ في مَعيشَتِهِ اِتِّساعُ

A man in distress—we gave him bounty, and he came to have

He dispatched the zealous young men on a raid, but they were denied success.

Ample means in his livelihood.

So their mother pined in grief and he despaired, with a moan of anguish.

وَماءٍ آجِن الجَمّاتِ قَفرٍ

وَماءٍ آجِن الجَمّاتِ قَفرٍ

تَعَقَّمُ في جَوانِبِهِ السِباعُ

تَعَقَّمُ في جَوانِبِهِ السِباعُ

And a deserted watering place with stagnant pools,

Where beasts of prey lurk along its edges,

وَرَدتُ وَقَد تَهَوَّرَتِ الثُرَيّا

وَرَدتُ وَقَد تَهَوَّرَتِ الثُرَيّا

وَتَحتَ وَلَّيتي وَهمٌ وَساعُ

وَتَحتَ وَلَّيتي وَهمٌ وَساعُ

I reached when the Pleiades had sunk,

And beneath my saddle-cloth was a huge, wide-striding camel:

جُلالٌ مائِرُ الضَبعَينِ يَخدي

جُلالٌ مائِرُ الضَبعَينِ يَخدي

عَلى يَسَراتِ مَلزوزٍ سِراعُ

عَلى يَسَراتِ مَلزوزٍ سِراعُ

Massive, his upper forelegs swinging, he strode swiftly

On the swift limbs of his compact frame.

لَهُ بُرَّةٌ إِذا ما لُجَّ عاجَت

لَهُ بُرَّةٌ إِذا ما لُجَّ عاجَت

أَخادِعُهُ فَلانَ لَها النُخاعُ

أَخادِعُهُ فَلانَ لَها النُخاعُ

He had a nose-ring; whenever he was pressed hard,

His neck-veins bent, and his spinal cord yielded to it.

كَأَنَّ الرَحلَ مِنهُ فَوقَ جَأبٍ

كَأَنَّ الرَحلَ مِنهُ فَوقَ جَأبٍ

أَطاعَ لَهُ بِمَعقلَةَ التِلاعُ

أَطاعَ لَهُ بِمَعقلَةَ التِلاعُ

As though the saddle upon him were over a thickset wild ass,

To whom the gullies at Maʿqalah yielded their pasture:

تِلاعٌ مِن رِياضٍ أَتأفَتها

تِلاعٌ مِن رِياضٍ أَتأفَتها

مِنَ الأَشراطِ أَسمِيَةٌ تِباعُ

مِنَ الأَشراطِ أَسمِيَةٌ تِباعُ

Gullies among meadows that had been drenched

By successive rains from the Ashrāṭ stars.

فَآضَ مُحَملِجاً كَالكَرِّ لَمَّت

فَآضَ مُحَملِجاً كَالكَرِّ لَمَّت

تَفاوُتَهُ شَآمِيَةٌ صَناعُ

تَفاوُتَهُ شَآمِيَةٌ صَناعُ

So he grew sleek and rounded, like a climbing-rope whose

Uneven strands a skilled Syrian woman had gathered tight.

يُقَلِّبُ سَمجَحاً قَوداءَ طارَت

يُقَلِّبُ سَمجَحاً قَوداءَ طارَت

نَسيلَتُها بِها بِنَقٌ لِماعُ

نَسيلَتُها بِها بِنَقٌ لِماعُ

He herds a long-bodied, long-necked she-ass that has shed

Her loose coat, revealing gleaming patches.

إِذا أَسهَلا قَنَبَت عَلَيهِ

إِذا أَسهَلا قَنَبَت عَلَيهِ

وَفيهِ عَلى تَجاسُرِها اِطِّلاعُ

وَفيهِ عَلى تَجاسُرِها اِطِّلاعُ

When the two reached level ground, she brayed at him,

And, for all her boldness, he still had the upper hand.

تَجانَفَ عَن شَرائِعِ بطنِ قَوٍّ

تَجانَفَ عَن شَرائِعِ بطنِ قَوٍّ

وَحادَ بِها عَنِ السَبقِ الكُراعُ

وَحادَ بِها عَنِ السَبقِ الكُراعُ

He turned aside from the watering approaches in the valley of Qaww,

And al-Kurāʿ diverted him and her away from al-Sabq.

وَأَقرَبُ مَورِدٍ مِن حَيثُ راحا

وَأَقرَبُ مَورِدٍ مِن حَيثُ راحا

أُثالُ أَو غُمازَةُ أو نَطاعُ

أُثالُ أَو غُمازَةُ أو نَطاعُ

And the nearest watering place to where they set out at evening

Was Uthāl, or Ghumāzah, or Naṭāʿ.

فَأَورَدَها وَلَونُ اللَيلِ داجٍ

فَأَورَدَها وَلَونُ اللَيلِ داجٍ

وَما لَغِبا وَفي الفَجرِ اِنصِداعُ

وَما لَغِبا وَفي الفَجرِ اِنصِداعُ

So he brought her to water while the night's hue was dark,

And neither had tired, while dawn was breaking open.

فَصَبَّحَ مِن بَني جَلّانَ صَلّاً

فَصَبَّحَ مِن بَني جَلّانَ صَلّاً

عَطيفَتُهُ وَأَسهُمُهُ المَتاعُ

عَطيفَتُهُ وَأَسهُمُهُ المَتاعُ

At dawn he encountered a viper from the sons of Jallān,

Whose bow and arrows were his gear.

إِذا لَم يَجتَزِر لَبَنيهِ لَحماً

إِذا لَم يَجتَزِر لَبَنيهِ لَحماً

غَريضاً مِن هَوادي الوَحش جاعوا

غَريضاً مِن هَوادي الوَحش جاعوا

If he did not butcher meat for his sons,

Fresh from the foremost wild beasts, they went hungry.

فَأًرسَلَ مُرهَفَ الغَرَّينِ حُشراً

فَأًرسَلَ مُرهَفَ الغَرَّينِ حُشراً

فَخَيَّبَهُ مِنَ الوَتَرِ اِنقِطاعُ

فَخَيَّبَهُ مِنَ الوَتَرِ اِنقِطاعُ

So he loosed a slender arrow, sharpened on both edges,

But a break in the bowstring thwarted him.

فَلَهفَ أُمَّهُ وَاِنصاعَ يَهوي

فَلَهفَ أُمَّهُ وَاِنصاعَ يَهوي

لَهُ رَهجٌ مِنَ التَقريبِ شاعُ

لَهُ رَهجٌ مِنَ التَقريبِ شاعُ

Then he cried, “Woe to his mother!” as the ass turned and sped away,

With a spreading dust cloud from his bounding gait.