1. I am not one to miss an appointment
The letters and dots appear clearly to me

2. Like the blade of an axe poised to strike
Its path strewn with people laid low

3. Of its throne only the pillar remains
Split timber and debris scattered about

4. With a steadfast companion, time's fickleness cannot be grasped
When the goal is the bowstring taut

5. I sent him into the black night to watch over me
While he chose sleep and warmth instead

6. Like Ibn Wailah the scout or a man
From the clan of Murrah, restless and roaming

7. In her head he lingers like an old wound
With an ache and recurring throb

8. An easygoing man, hot-tempered when roused
Who makes the slanderers uneasy and anxious

9. As though he were Khalid in the midst of battle
While the people spread lies and gossip