1. I have not seen the likes of youth in the days of ignorance
Forgetting what its consequences would be
١. لَم أَرَ كالفِتيانِ في غَبَنِ ال
أيَّامِ يَنسَونَ ما عَواقبُهَا
2. Had they not been heedless they would not have become orphans
In every condition, its purposes move about
٢. ما يَغفَلُوا لَم يكُن لهم يَتَمٌ
في كلِّ صَرفٍ تِسعَى مآربُهِا
3. They see their brothers and their place of death
And how its claws take them by surprise
٣. يَروَنَ إخوانَهُم ومَصرَعَهمُ
وكيفَ تَغتالُهُم مَخالِبُها
4. What do souls hope for from seeking good
And the love of life deceives them
٤. ماذا تُرَجِّي النُّفوسُ مِن طَلَبِ ال
خَيرِ وحُبُّ الَحياةِ كاذِبُها
5. It thinks that the tyranny of fate will not afflict it
And the mishap of death will miss it
٥. تَظُنُّ أن لَن يُصِيبَها عَنَتُ ال
دَّهرِ ورَيبُ الَمنُونِ كارِبُها
6. After Sana'a, which was inhabited
By mighty kings, abundant were their gifts
٦. ما بعدَ صَنعاءَ كانَ يَعمُرُها
ساداُ مُلكٍ جَزلٌ مَواهِبُها
7. He who built it at the foot of al-Muzna
And its knights would ride forth perfumed
٧. يَرفَعُها مَن بَنى لَدَى قَزَعِ
الُمزنِ وتَندَى مِسكاً مَحارِبُها
8. Surrounded by mountains, difficult for the enemy to access
In it, their caravans ascend
٨. مَحفوفَةٌ بِالجبَالِ دونض عُرضى ال
كَيدِ فيها تَرقَى غَواربُها
9. The voice of the ostrich can be heard answering
When the night bird calls out to it
٩. يَأنَسُ فيها صَوتُ النُّهَامِ إذا
جاوَبَها بالعَشِيِّ قاصِبُها
10. Circumstances brought to it the army of the noble free men
Its horsemen were its processions
١٠. ساقَت إليها الأسبابُ جُند بني ال
أحرارِ فُرسانُها مَواكِبُها
11. And it prevailed with camels taken as war booty
Killed with the sword as their necks were sought
١١. وفَوَّزت بالبغالِ تُوسَقُ بال
حَتفِ وتَسعَى بها تَوالِبُها
12. Until the emigrant saw it from afar
Green were its battalions
١٢. حتىَّ رآها الأقوالُ مِن طَرَف ال
منِقَلِ مُخضرَّةٌ كَتائِبهُا
13. The day they said, O to the Berber! May their fugitive not escape!
And it was a day, the rest are tales
١٣. يومَ يَقولُونَ يالَ بَربَرَ وأل
يَكسُوَم لا يَفلِتنَ هارِبُها
14. And a nation passed whose steps were firm
And neighing was replaced with the sound of bells
١٤. وكانَ يوماً باقي الحديثِ وزا
لَت إمَّةٌ ثابِتُ مَراتُبها
15. And days of betrayal, amazing are their wonders
After the Tubba, contented were their abodes
١٥. وبُدِّلَ الفَيحُ بالزُّرافَةِ وأل
أيَّامُ خُونٌ جَمٌّ عَجائُبها
16. And Hadhar was hit with an affliction
From a gap with strong pillars
١٦. بعدَ بني تُبَّعٍ نَخَاورةَ
قَدِ أطَمأَنًّت بهِم مَرازِبُها
17. A maiden who did not awaken her father
Out of love for him when her watcher was absent
١٧. والَحضرُ صابَت عليهِ آسَيةٌ
من ثُغرَةٍ أَيِّدٍ مَناكبُها
18. Love blinded her for what she did
When he slept unaware of her wrongdoing
١٨. رَبيبَةٌ لَم تُوَقِّ والدَها
لِحُبِّها إذ يُضاعُ راقبُها
19. She seduced him with red wine
While he was shy and intoxicated by its drinking
١٩. أَجَشمَها حُبُّها لِمَا فَعَلَت
إذ نامَ عنها لِلغَيِّ حاجِبُها
20. And she handed over her lord in the night
Thinking the leader was her suitor
٢٠. إذ غَبَّقَتهُ حَمراَء صافَيةَ
وألخَمرَ وَهلٌ يهيمُ شارِبُها
21. So the lot of the bride was, when dawn gleamed
Her blood flowing in streams
٢١. وأَسلَمَت رَبَّها بِلَيلَتِها
تَظُنُّ أنَّ الرَّئيسَ خاطِبُها
22. And Hadhar was ruined and violated
And burned within its walls were its dwellings
٢٢. فكانَ حَظُّ العَروسِ إذ بَرقَ أل
صُّبحُ دِماءً تَجري سَبائبُها
23. Nothing remained but the fallen leaves of grapevines
And dunes roaring with their peaks
٢٣. وحُوِّرَ الَحضرُ وأستُبيحَ وقَد
أُحرِقَ في خِدرِها مَشاجبُها
24. And I was not unaware of the events and days
What they would bring if their lover wished
٢٤. لَم يَبقَ فيه إلاَّ مَراوِحُ طا
ياتٍ وَبُورٌ تَضغُو ثَعالِبُها
25. My share of beauty would be that I not take
A path of wantonness, its gains inauspicious
٢٥. ولم أَكُن أَجهَلُ ألَحوادثَ وأل
أيَّامَ ما أن يَعِفَّ راغِبُها
26. I befriend prudence with good implied
While some turn away from it
٢٦. يكونُ حَظِّي مِنَ ألَجمَالِ فلا
أَغشَى سبيلاً وَعراً مكاسِبُها
27. And I seek noble manners with strength
When its seeker is guided
٢٧. وآلفُ ألخُطَّةَ ألُضمَّنَةَ أل
خَيرِ إذ بَعُضُهم مُجانِبُها
28. O Lord of a people I did favors for
But am I today their molder?
٢٨. وأَطلُبُ ألُخطَّةَ النَّبيلَةَ بال
قُوَّةِ إذ يُستَهَدُّ طالبُها
29. They did not advise when her visitor
Sought to find fault, while my heart argues with it
٢٩. يا رُبَّ قَومٍ أَبلَيتُهُم نِعَماً
فَهَل أَنَا أليَومَ عَمُرو قالِبُها
30. The fetters of imprisonment prevent me
From strife, and life remains for me to blame it
٣٠. ما نَصَحُوا إذ يَرُومُ رائمُها
رَيبَتَهُ والفُؤادُ هايِبهُا
٣١. تَمنَعُني أُربَةُ الوِثَاقِ مِنَ ال
جُهدِ وبُقيَا نَفسٍ أُعاتُبِها