Ode XXXII: My mother and aunt bear the

My mother and aunt bear the ills of you twain, feet of mine, for what ye did at Kulab, when the heels were nigh cut off!

Yea, when I saw the foe's horse charging us troop after troop, I knew that the day was desperate, all but life quite lost.

I saved myself by a flight such as none had seen before, as though 'twere an eagle swooping in Taiman down on his prey—

A black eagle brownish of hue, whose feathers a steady rain has matted, some day of cold and storm [in the mountain air].

It seemed, when at last I put Hudhunnah between me and them, we were ostriches all in a string before a horseman's pursuit.

Let whoso will look for kindness and ruth from men of Tamim— no tie of kin nor of friend binds Jarm at least to Tamim !

I heard the horsemen behind shouting Muqa'is their cry, and straight there rose in my chest a stifling heat to my throat ;

Yea, if I can help it, Muqa'is shall not get hold of me : I shall not be made the show there of tent or village folk ;

I shall not be given to guard me a jailoress of Mudar, whose daily care is to feed her brood [and leave me to starve] !

I said to the man of Nahd — ' I pray thee mount me behind ' ! but how should a broken man mount thee — thy mother weep for her son !

I prayed him by all the bonds of kinship between us twain— but time was when Nahd and Jarm shunned each the other in hate.