1. The one with the generous chest has passed away,
And the melodies of his poetry left the land desolate.

2. He bid farewell while still young,
What heart bereft of him could show patience?

3. I blamed the nights for their betrayal—but
Betrayal was never a trait of womankind first.

4. The tears, frozen for so long, are flowing now;
Never before did molten lead flow from a stone.

5. It's as if I'm an infant, newly orphaned,
Deprived of the comforts of his cradle and wealth.

6. A spring had passed whose sorrows ruined me—
Had it not ended, sorrow would not have touched me.

7. I walk as if lost in an ignorant, aimless dark—
Its shining days have vanished with the dawn.

8. Humble yet proud of soul and God-fearing,
Poor yet possessing boundless wealth.

9. The heir of glory and grace settled down,
With no lack of merit or abundance of meanness.

10. A noble youth, gone with all he owned—
As suddenly impoverished as he was wealthy.

11. Where is that fair hand? All is dark.
Where is that sweet union? Life is bitter.

12. Where is all that boundless knowledge
To which the sea itself was but a drop?

13. Did not the sword break the pillars of his people?
Did it not shred banners high atop their spears?

14. Did it not dye blue blades and darken
The earth with the red embers of fire?

15. Did it not order their composure into disarray,
Scattering jewels about like stars plucked from their settings?

16. Did it not carry the brave youths' corpses all together
Like a necklace of pearls peeking out from beneath wine?

17. The next morning only fragments of spears and armor remained
For the delicate ladies with graceful figures.

18. For whom are saved fine dresses and gazelles,
As well as polished Indian swords and other treasures?

19. And every small deed their noble nature adorned
As it adorned the structure of the best buildings.

20. Despite their valor, his tribe was not to be envied—
An impenetrable fortress that no enemies could breach.

21. The sea foamed between their backs one evening, and I promised
My sword would defend them like their coats of mail defend their chests.

22. The women of his tribe cried over every loss—
Those branches whose leaves and fruits were still green.

23. Tears erased the cosmetics that adorned their eyes,
Leaving them pale without enhancement.

24. Untouched by doubt or coquetry,
They had cast off their veils and wine.

25. Their cheeks refused perfume in their icy aloofness,
Vowing never to have color or warmth again.

26. Their features matched their noble nature—clear skies,
A radiant spring, and now a dusty, gloomy fall.

27. A man is faultless in the eyes of his beneficence.
No speck dims them; no complaint reaches his generous ears—

28. As if his wooden nature never harbored knots
That caused the deaf rocks to echo when he struck.

29. In dire straits, his tribe invoked Heaven, but he let
No prayer deter him from fulfilling his duty to protect them.

30. He never smiled at the fires in his thickets
To laugh proudly when Destiny was gloomy.

31. No wealth whose pursuit destroys a man could buy
Enduring glory or profitable compensation.

32. Do not let adequate generosity stop you
From initiating good deeds, O noble one incapable of infidelity!

33. The hands of the noble are no more generous
In smoothing the rough land than they are the easy plains.

34. God's peace and blessings be upon you, thankful and devoted one!
How many blessings has gratitude gathered upon you!

35. The horses of departure checked their pace,
Just as riders rein themselves in lest they fall.

36. Dawn's smile peeked through the cracks of darkness—
White pages with black script all along their edges.

37. As if a sword sneaked up to take a life
Without even a sound from the sweeping blow.

38. Why else would Fate convulse and evince distress,
Sending omens from its lofty perches to circle in the sky?

39. I bid farewell, and the West's rough face frowned,
Hurling insults, while the radiant East's mouth smiled.

40. My looks nourish their hungry eyes
However my fiery glances happen to turn.

41. Could that galaxy be a bowl from which to drink
With stars all around it like flowers?

42. Not all who seek glory necessarily achieve it.
When matters are ambiguous, my determination remains resolute.

43. He meets death, not cowardly fleeing the weapons of his tribe,
His shredded banners never trailing in the dust.

44. The swords did not dye themselves red with blood
Or darken the earth with sparks of raging fire—

45. Spear shafts did not wave about in surrender,
Nor stars spill forth without their settings.

46. The swords did not sweep up all their valiant youth
Like a string of pearls glimpsed beneath the wine.

47. The next day only fragments of armor and spears remained.
The delicate ladies paraded with their elegant figures.

48. For whom do you hoard rich dresses, gazelles, swords,
Polished Indian blades and other battle dress?

49. Each small act their noble nature performed
Adorned them as jewels bedeck the best buildings.

50. Despite their courage, they were not to be envied—
An impenetrable fortress no enemies could destroy.

51. The sea foamed between their backs one night, and I promised
My sword would guard them as their coats of mail guard their chests.

52. He was not created for one tribe alone—
When mighty calamities befell the tribes, was he not there?

53. Did not his fires burn during peace and war?
Did not his smile shine whether fate was fair or bleak?

54. No wealth whose pursuit destroys a man could buy
Enduring glory or profitable compensation.

55. Do not stop initiating good deeds, O generous one,
For hands of noble lineage smooth both rugged and easy terrain.

56. At times I convey the bitterness of my complaint to others,
Though it demeans great men to divulge their secrets.

57. Grief at separation does not let me rest—
How can the exiled not be distressed?

58. If my body is kept from you time after time,
My soul's devotion carries it to you.

59. If fate grants me life, I must shorten
My journeys to your dwellings, be they long or short.

60. How often have I reached my beloved and found
My first approach was cold, and my last loving embrace.

61. I learned to accept what life presents—
We were created, after all, to be patient.

62. Neither rebellion nor roaming prevented me From journeying to Egypt, where I once settled.
If my body is kept from you time after time,

63. My soul's devotion carries it to you.
All faults come down to lack of

64. Access to your sanctuaries, no matter my lifespan.
I send you the prime of my poetry

65. When the treasures overflow the jars containing them.
If I recited them at a friendly gathering,

66. The pious would ask, “Is that wine I smell?”
My critics are like pharaohs, jealous

67. Of the miracle of Moses’ staff.
The sea splits open in awe of their eloquence,

68. Hiding its head in modesty beneath the shells.
If you had been my father, given our similar traits,

69. What excuse could justify such shortcomings?
The land was an ear hearkening to my laments,

70. Hearing the cadence of scintillating pearls and hail.
No elegy could fully capture his greatness,

71. Even if the Nile flooded the earth with my tears.
Visits cannot console my grief,

72. For time does not assist most admirers.
A short visit may end lasting companionship,

73. And those once close become strangers.
I understand we must show resignation,

74. For it is human nature to be patient.
No insolence or wandering kept me

75. From that Egypt where I would settle again.