1. Her eyes blossomed
Her splendor shone brightly

2. Do you see the sky whose star set?
It was the son of its bright one

3. Do you see the mountains whose rule passed?
As they went their destined way

4. Do you see the gardens whose
Freshness faded from their brilliance?

5. Which meadow diffused its air
With its fragrance?

6. The dawn came and ink
Flowed from its inkstand

7. Graves smell of their
Musk and amber

8. Oh time, you are pitiless
Selling nations their wants

9. You murdered—shame—my
Young boys and girls

10. The murders of the caliphate in
Its heyday and pride

11. I feel no urge toward
Arrows aimed my way

12. If you find me strong tell
Misfortunes to challenge me

13. Ask an intelligent girl
Why she cuts her shiny hair

14. Does she grieve for a dandy
Whose charm was his ornament?

15. Or one mighty in war
Yet compassionate in victory?

16. The swords of Umayya in the
Wars with the yellow shawled clan

17. I tasted them three times
As they went on their ways

18. I died between its intercessor
And the death throes

19. After four—the death of a fawn
As long as an epoch

20. My red tears never ceased
To flow down my cheeks

21. She sprinkles them like carnelian
Among her tender necks

22. The rain wet her cheeks
Like a rich man’s clouds

23. He who died, his beauty
Was a delight to behold

24. If my God has shrouded me
And I never saw Him

25. The reward, He said, tomorrow
You will look on My face

26. They blamed him for his youth
Though he was their senior

27. I will yoke him to me
As my army’s commander

28. His dreams left him for Ja’far
If he had remained, from Ghadanfar

29. I would have taken vengeance
The oldest son I see as ransom

30. For the youngest
Oh father of boys, leave your bereavement

31. For the eldest
You were cured of it but

32. Did not heal the youngest’s loss
It never harmed you, nor did the like,

33. Since you lost a son
You did not order it burnt

34. In ashes like tinder
But fate is in its righteousness

35. And best interest
My humble home, though it denied me

36. Its door has relented
We fear death though we can’t escape

37. What has been destined
Every piebald steed galloped

38. As its owner whipped it
Fate prevails over those

39. Who loved or hated it
Live her youthful years or those

40. That make her hoary
The longest life when death takes

41. Is like the shortest
Fancy’s duration equals

42. The easiest or the hardest
Roll up your skirt, pride

43. Will not make you stumble
And overtake friends, no scent

44. Like the early riser’s
Be content, for one with plenty

45. Is like one deprived
Why are souls blind

46. To the guidance of their Lord?
He showed the clear proof but they

47. Continued in doubt
As if He had no power

48. To choose for them
Why do they ask when His

49. Revelation informs them?
If they reflected they would see

50. Guidance in their reflection
The human image shows

51. It was made by its Maker
Who gave him perfect beauty?

52. Adorned him and gave him grace?
Who built the sky? Who made

53. Its water poured down?
Who spread out the earth? Who

54. Surrounded it with its seas?
Who made its sun?

55. Who made its moon?
Who decrees all things

56. But our Lord, their Planner?
The stars have no power—

57. He has made them submissive
A clear sign for those

58. With insight to see
He originates all things

59. However He wills them changed
Do not obey atheists

60. Whose hidden core is corrupted
Leave them and their tongues

61. That contradict the clearest proofs
Stay with the community—do not let

62. Those who would mislead tempt you away
Take the easiest path

63. Leave the rougher road
He who makes his words doubtful

64. Will find them entangled
Where is the era of Tubba’

65. Where is Caesar’s day?
Where are those in plenty and those

66. In misery, son of Mundhir?
Do you see tyrants whom

67. Their insolence destroyed?
Their insolence did not help them

68. It was their undoing
Every nation vanished

69. When its time was done
God’s dominion is loftier

70. Than earth and grave
Then for each no escape

71. From resurrection’s encounter
That day earth will quake

72. When all are gathered
The wicked destined for hell

73. With no way out
While the pious rest

74. In the shade, with bliss
I say, when I see hell flaming

75. In fury and rage
Oh intercessor of his nation

76. Stand for its sinners
Stand! Fulfill your promise

77. You do not delay
Four things I have relinquished

78. Though I dread their loss
Oh son take my hand

79. You are the winner, I the loser
You are ahead, and white hair

80. Lags behind you
You are in gardens while one who fasts

81. Is like one who breaks the fast
Give me fruit from your gardens

82. From a ripening tree
And give me water when thirsty

83. From a flowing spring
Visit your father who you love dearly

84. Whose best is easiest
Visit Wahb, pity his plight

85. Stay up with him at night
Protect the little, whose tears

86. Flowed copiously
Put your hand on a liver that

87. Cries out from its rupture
Scold me! Nothing kept my soul

88. From being patient over you
Fihru wept with me

89. Oh Ibn Qutb, its pride
Its full moon, its gazelle

90. Its sea, its star
Its spear, its swordsman

91. Its coat of mail and victor
Oh finest pearl

92. From the rarest essence
Essence of its whiteness

93. Purest of its essence
Oh parchment whose beauty

94. Folds between its lines
The breeze translates from its writing

95. With its twigs
How many flashes the lightning showed

96. From its waving branches
She moaned like a wounded ostrich

97. When the son of Ma'mar roused her
To weep—how strange

98. Her unveiled face
The redness of her blackness

99. The blackness of her redness
Woe that beauty sleeps on her cheek

100. Like scabs on it
And tears wash it

101. Washing away kohl
The girl of culture wept for you

102. Adornment of its gathering
You were awake during the day

103. Unaware night would come
You were my waking to virtues

104. While I forgot to remember them
You, a youth, described white hair

105. In all its veneration
Your grandfather’s pulpit

106. Not like his pulpit
Egypt’s crown whose center jewel

107. Was beneath his earlobes
Iraq’s poet fell short of the range

108. Of his poetry’s breadth
Ibn Arba'in fell short of the range

109. Of his brilliance
And kings fall short

110. Of their riches’ radiance
Many a Shii band emerged

111. By the appearance of its leader
Of its soldiers, authorities

112. And counterfeiters
Then destroyed, as the destroyer came

113. From among them
He was their lion, though he avoided

114. Hurting the meek
Did men change or the noble soul change?

115. It is always the same
Then when winds of chastity blew

116. Erasing the kingdom of donkeys
It was deserted, and every protector

117. Was like one deserted
Why did my defending swords not aid me

118. And my warring arrows?
Though life impassions me

119. I feel bitterness in it