1. صَدَّت فَجَذّت حَبلَ وَصلِكَ زَينَبُ

    تِيهاً وَأَعجَبَها الشَبابُ المُعجِبُ

    Zaynab turned away and severed the cord of your union,

    Haughtily, delighted by beguiling youth.

  2. وَلَطالَما فَعَلَت تُطيلُ مُرورَها

    وَتَجِيءُ عَمداً كَي تَراكَ وَتَذهَبُ

    How often she used to linger as she passed,

    And come deliberately to see you, then depart.

  3. لا تَعجَبَن يا قَلبُ مِن هِجرانِها

    فَوِصالُها لَو دامَ مِنهُ أَعجَبُ

    Do not marvel, O heart, at her desertion:

    For her union, had it lasted, would be stranger than that.

  4. أَغرى المَليحَةَ بِالصُدودِ ثَلاثَةٌ

    نَأيٌ وَإِقلالٌ وَرَأسٌ أَشيَبُ

    Three things urged the lovely woman to turn away:

    Distance, poverty, and a head gone gray.

  5. فَاِضرِب عَن اِستِعتابِها صَفحاً فَما

    ذَو الشَيبِ وَالإِفلاسِ مِمَّن يَعتِبُ

    So turn aside from seeking her reconciliation, for

    A gray-haired, penniless man is not one to press a grievance.

  6. وَاِستَبقِ ماءَ الوَجهِ فيهِ وَكُن بِهِ

    حَجِياً وِلا تَقُلِ القُلوبُ تَقَلَّبُ

    Preserve the water of your face, and be

    Worthy of it; do not say, 'Hearts change.'

  7. وَلَئِن طَمِعتَ بَأَن تُريعَ وَتَرعَوي

    وَالحالُ تِلكَ فَمَرحَباً يا أَشعَبُ

    And if you hope that she will return and relent,

    With matters thus, then welcome, Ash'ab!

  8. يا حَبَّذا وَادي الحَساءِ فَإِنَّهُ

    لَو ساءَني وادٍ إِليَّ مُحَبَّبُ

    How dear is the valley of al-Hasa! For it,

    Even if it grieved me, is a valley beloved to me.

  9. يا حَبَّذا دَربُ السَّليمِ وَحَبَّذا

    ذاكَ القَطينُ بِهِ وَذاكَ المَلعَبُ

    How dear is Darb al-Salim, and how dear

    That settled company there, and that playground!

  10. وَعِصابَةٌ فارَقتُهُم لا عَن قِلىً

    مِنّي وَلا لي غَيرُ وَالدِهِم أَبُ

    And a band I left, not out of hatred

    On my part; nor have I a father other than theirs.

  11. وَكَريمَةُ الطَرفينِ ذِروَةُ وائِلٍ

    آباؤُها وَجُدودُها إِذ تُنسَبُ

    And a lady noble on both sides—the pinnacle of Wa'il

    Are her fathers and forefathers, when her ancestry is traced.

  12. شاطَرتُها شَرخَ الشَبابِ وَماؤُهُ

    يَجري وَجَذوَةُ نارِهِ تَتَلَهَّبُ

    I shared with her the prime of youth, its water

    Flowing, and the ember of its fire blazing.

  13. لا تَحسَبُ الأَيّامَ تُبلي جدَّةً

    أَبَداً وَلا بَردُ الشَبيبَةِ يُسلَبُ

    She did not think the days could wear freshness away,

    Ever, nor that youth's mantle could be stripped off.

  14. وَبَعِيدَةٍ الأَقطارِ طامِسَةِ الضُّوى

    تِيهاً تَموتُ بِها الظِبا وَالأَرنَبُ

    And many a far-flung waste, its waymarks effaced,

    A trackless wilderness where gazelles and hares perish:

  15. يَتشابَهُ الطّرفُ المُجَلّلُ إِن بَدا

    في عَينِ سالِكِ جَوِّها وَالثَعلَبُ

    A caparisoned steed, if it appears, looks no different,

    To one crossing its expanse, from a fox.

  16. أَقحَمتُها شَرجَ النَّجاءِ شِمِلَّةً

    أَحَداً يُباريها كمَيتٌ مُذهِبُ

    I plunged into it on a swift she-camel, speed's own match,

    A lone beast, with a fleet bay steed keeping pace with her.

  17. ما لي بِها مِن صاحِبٍ إِلّا هُما

    وَمُهَنَّدٌ عَضبٌ وَقَلبٌ قُلّبُ

    There I had no companion but those two,

    And a keen-edged sword of Indian steel, and a resourceful heart.

  18. وَلَقد حَلَبتُ الدَهرَ أشطُرَ نابِهِ

    وَعَرَفتُ ما يُبدي وَما يَتَغَيَّبُ

    I have milked the udder-halves of Time's old she-camel,

    And learned what it reveals and what lies hidden.

  19. فَإِذا مَوَدَّةُ كُلِّ مَن أَصفَيتُهُ

    وُدّي لَدى الحاجاتِ بَرقٌ خُلَّبُ

    And behold, the affection of everyone I sincerely favored

    With my love, in times of need, is lightning without rain.

  20. يا هاجِرَ الأَوطانِ يَطلُبُ ماجِداً

    يَلجا إِلَيهِ مِن الزَمانِ وَيَهربُ

    O you who leave your homeland seeking a noble man,

    To take refuge with him from Time, and flee:

  21. اِنزل عَلى الملكِ الَّذي بِفنائِهِ

    تُلقى الرِّحالُ وَيَستَريحُ المُتعَبُ

    Alight at the king, in whose courtyard

    Saddles are laid down, and the weary rest.

  22. اِنزل عَلى البَحرِ الخِضَمِّ فَما بَقى

    مَلكٌ سِواهُ بِهِ تُناخُ الأَركُبُ

    Alight at the vast, surging sea: no longer remains

    A king besides him at whose court caravans kneel.

  23. اِنزل عَلى الطَّودِ الأَشَمِّ فَإِنَّهُ

    حِصنٌ يُحاذِرُهُ الزَمانُ وَيرهبُ

    Alight at the lofty mountain, for he is

    A fortress that Time fears and dreads.

  24. اِنزل عَلى النَدبِ الهُمامِ فَما تَرى

    أَحَداً سِواهُ إِلى المَكارِمِ يَرغَبُ

    Alight at the gallant, valiant man: you will not see

    Anyone but him aspiring to noble deeds.

  25. مُتَوَقِّدُ العَزماتِ يُخشى بَأسُهُ

    وَيَخافُ صَولَتَهُ الهِزَبرُ الأَغلَبُ

    Blazing in resolve, his might is feared,

    And the thick-necked lion fears his onslaught.

  26. أَمضى مِن الصِّمصامِ عَزماً وَالدِما

    تَكسو المَناكِبَ وَالنُفوسُ تُسَلَّبُ

    Sharper in resolve than a keen sword, while blood

    Clothes the shoulders and souls are snatched away.

  27. وَالبيضُ في أَيدي الكُماةِ ضِياؤُها

    يَطفو مِراراً في الغُبارِ وَيَرسُبُ

    The bright swords in the hands of armored champions—their light

    Floats up repeatedly through the dust, then sinks.

  28. وَكَأَنَّ أَطرافَ الأَسِنَّةِ أَنجُمٌ

    شُهبٌ وَداجي النَّقعِ لَيلٌ غَيهَبُ

    As though the points of the spearheads were stars,

    Bright, and the dark battle-dust a pitch-black night.

  29. في مَعرَكٍ عاثَ الرَدى في أَهلِهِ

    فَمُعَفَّرٌ وَمُضَرَّجٌ وَمُقَعضَبُ

    In a battlefield where Death ravaged its people:

    One dust-covered, one blood-drenched, one hacked apart.

  30. أَلِفَ الحُروبَ جَوادُهُ فَكَأَنَّهُ

    مِن ماءِ هاماتِ الفَوارِسِ يَشرَبُ

    His steed has grown accustomed to war, as though it

    Drinks from the fluid of the horsemen's skulls.

  31. يَهوي اِنقِضاضاً في المكَرِّ كَما هَوى

    لِقَنيصَةٍ حَجنُ المَخالِبِ أَشهَبُ

    It swoops in a dive when charging, as swoops

    A gray, hook-taloned hawk upon its prey.

  32. ما صَبَّحَت داراً هَوادي خَيلِهِ

    إِلّا وَقامَ المَوتُ فيها يَخطُبُ

    Never has the vanguard of his horses reached a dwelling at dawn

    But Death stood within it, preaching.

  33. لِلّهِ دَرُّكَ أَيُّ فارِسِ نَهمَةٍ

    وَاليَومُ يَومٌ بِالجِيادِ عَصَبصَبُ

    God bless you—what a knight of fierce appetite,

    When the day is grievous for noble steeds!

  34. وَمَلاذِ مَكروبٍ وَعِصمَةٍ آمِلٍ

    أَذكى الرَجاءَ بِهِ وَعَزَّ المَطلَبُ

    And a refuge for the distressed, a safeguard for a hopeful man,

    Who kindled his hope in him, though the goal was hard to win.

  35. لَم يُمنَعِ العافونَ إِلّا عِرضَهُ

    وَالعِرضُ عِندَ ذَوي النُهى لا يُوهَبُ

    Petitioners were denied nothing but his honor,

    And honor, among the wise, is not given away.

  36. نَفسٌ لِعَمري مُرَّةٌ وَخلائِقٌ

    أَحلى مِن الماءِ الزُلالِ وَأَعذَبُ

    A spirit, by my life, bitter—and manners

    Sweeter and more refreshing than limpid water.

  37. يَفديكَ يا خَيرَ المُلوكِ مَعاشِرٌ

    ظَهَرُوا وَلَكِن عِندَما ظهرُوا غَبُوا

    May bands of men be your ransom, O best of kings—

    They rose to view, but the moment they appeared, they faded.

  38. إِن يُمدَحوا غَضِبُوا عَلى مُدّاحِهِم

    خَوفَ الجَزاءِ وَإِن هُجُوا لَم يَغضَبوا

    If praised, they grow angry at their praisers,

    For fear of recompense; if lampooned, they do not grow angry.

  39. أَموالُهُم فَوقَ السِماكِ وَجاهُهُم

    يَغلو عَلى مُستامِهِ إِذ يُطلَبُ

    Their wealth lies above al-Simak, and their influence

    Costs its bidder dearly when it is sought.

  40. جَعَلوا وِقاءَ حُطامِهم أَعراضَهُم

    فَغَدَت تُمَزَّقُ في البِلادِ وَتُنهَبُ

    They made their reputations a shield for their worldly trash,

    So those reputations are torn and plundered throughout the lands.

  41. فَلِذاكَ قالَ الناسُ في آبائِهم

    قَبحَ الإِلَهُ أُبُوَّةً لَم يُنجِبُوا

    For that, people said of their fathers:

    'May God disgrace such fatherhood: they bred no worthy sons!'

  42. لِلّهِ دَرُّكَ يا عَلِيُّ فَلَم يَعُد

    إلّاكَ في هَذا الزَمانِ مُهَذَّبُ

    God bless you, Ali! No longer remains

    A refined man in this age but you.

  43. أَضحَت بِكَ الأَحساءُ ساكِنَةً وَقَد

    رَجَفَت بِمَن فيها وَكادَت تُقلَبُ

    Through you al-Ahsa grew tranquil, though it had

    Shaken with all within it and nearly been overturned.

  44. لَو لَم تَدارَكهَا وَتَرأَب صَدعَها

    لَغَدت بِها خَيلُ الهَلاكِ تَوَثَّبُ

    Had you not come to its rescue and mended its breach,

    The horses of destruction would have gone leaping through it.

  45. أَحيَيتها بَعدَ المَماتِ وَبَعدَما

    قامَت بَواكيها تَنوحُ وَتَندُبُ

    You revived it after death, and after

    Its mourning women had risen, wailing and lamenting.

  46. وَمَنَعتَها مِن بَعدِ ما كانَت سُدىً

    في كُلِّ ناحِيةٍ تُغارُ وَتُنهَبُ

    You defended it after it had lain unguarded,

    Raided and plundered in every quarter.

  47. وَمَلأتَها عَدلاً وَكانَت عُمِّمَت

    جَوراً تَغورُ بهِ الدِيّارُ وَتُخرَبُ

    You filled it with justice, when it had been covered

    With oppression that makes dwellings sink and crumble.

  48. وَرَفَعتَ عَنها المُؤذِياتِ وَطالَما

    راحَ البَلا في جَوِّها يَتَصَبَّبُ

    You lifted harmful things from it, after so long

    Affliction had poured down through its skies.

  49. حَتّى كَأَنَّكَ وَالمُشَبِّهُ صادِقٌ

    عُمَرٌ بِها وَكَأَنَّها لَكَ يَثرِبُ

    Until you seem—and he who makes the comparison speaks truly—

    Umar there, and it seems your Yathrib.

  50. نامَ الغَنِيُّ وَكانَ قَبلَكَ لا يَني

    خَوفَ المَظالِمِ ساهِراً يَتَقَلَّبُ

    The rich man sleeps; before you, he never ceased

    Tossing sleeplessly for fear of injustice.

  51. وَمَشى الفَقيرُ ضُحىً وَهَوَّنَ آمِناً

    بِالإِلتِفاتِ وَأَسفَرَ المُتَنَقِّبُ

    The poor man walked at midmorning, secure, and thought little

    Of looking back; the veiled man uncovered his face.

  52. إِيهاً أَبا المَنصورِ يَقظَة ثائِرٍ

    بَطَلٍ لِعَلياهُ يَغارُ وَيَغضَبُ

    Rouse yourself, Abu al-Mansur, with an avenger's vigilance,

    A hero protective of his high honor, who grows angry for it.

  53. لا تَركنَنَّ إِلى العُدوِّ وَلا تُطِع

    آراءَ مَن في حَبلِ غَيرِكَ يَحطِبُ

    Do not lean toward the enemy, and do not obey

    The counsels of one who gathers wood with a rope not yours.

  54. وَاِعصَ الذَّليلَ إِذا أَشارَ وَلا تَثِق

    في الكائِناتِ بِكُلِّ مَن تَستَصحِبُ

    Disobey the abject man when he advises, and do not trust,

    In life's affairs, everyone you take as a companion.

  55. وَاِعلَم بِأَنَّ الناسَ قَد جَرَّبتهُم

    فَإِذا صَحيحُ الوُدِّ مِنهُم عَقرَبُ

    Know that I have put people to the test,

    And behold, the truly affectionate among them is a scorpion.

  56. وَاِقبَل نَصيحَةَ ماجِدٍ بِاعدتَهُ

    عَنكُم لِضَعفِ الرَأيِ وَهوَ الأَقرَبُ

    Accept the counsel of a noble man you drove away

    From you through poor judgment, though he is the nearest.

  57. آباؤُكَ الغُرُّ الكِرامُ إِذا اِنتَمَوا

    آباؤُهُ وَجُدُودُهُ إِذ تُنسَبُ

    Your illustrious, noble fathers, when their descent is traced,

    Are his fathers and forefathers, when ancestry is reckoned.

  58. أَبقى لَكُم في كُلِّ دارٍ حلَّها

    شَرَفاً يُشَرِّقُ ذِكرُهُ وَيُغَرِّبُ

    In every house where he lodged, he left for you

    Honor whose fame travels east and west.

  59. يَشري عَدُوُّكُمُ المُداجي بُعدَهُ

    عَنكُم بِأَنفَسِ ما يُباعُ وَيُطلَبُ

    Your dissembling enemy buys his estrangement

    From you with the most precious things bought or sought.

  60. تَرِدُ الكِلابُ الواسِعِيَّةُ حَوضَكُم

    وَأُذادُ عَنهُ كَما يُذادُ الأَجرَبُ

    The Wasi'iyya dogs come to drink at your pool,

    While I am driven from it like a mangy beast.

  61. وَتُجِلُّني أُسدُ الشَّرى في أَرضِها

    وَبِأَرضِكُم يَسطو عَلَيَّ الثَّعلَبُ

    The lions of al-Shara honor me in their land,

    While in your land the fox attacks me.

  62. وَبِقَوسِكُم في كُلِّ يَومٍ أَرتَمي

    وَبِسَيفِكُم في كُلِّ يَومٍ أُضرَبُ

    With your bow I am shot at every day,

    And with your sword I am struck every day.

  63. وَأَقولُ ما قالَ اِبنُ مُرَّةَ مُعلِناً

    لا أُمَّ لي إِن دامَ ذاكَ وَلا أَبُ

    And I proclaim what Ibn Murra proclaimed:

    'May I have no mother, if that continues, nor father!'

  64. لي في بِلادِ اللَّهِ عَمَّن لا يَرى

    حَقّي مَراحٌ كَيفَ شِئتُ وَمَذهَبُ

    For me in God's lands, away from those who deny

    My rights, are room to roam as I please and a way to go.

  65. فَاِحفَظ وِصاتي يا عَلِيُّ وَلا تُضِع

    ما قَد وُليتَ فَحولَ شاتِكَ أَذؤُبُ

    Heed my counsel, Ali, and do not neglect

    What you have been entrusted with: wolves surround your sheep.

  66. وَعَلَيكَ بِالعَدلِ الَّذي أَحيَيتَهُ

    فَدُعاءِ باكٍ في الدُجى لا يُحجَبُ

    Hold fast to the justice you revived,

    For a weeper's prayer in the darkness is not barred.

  67. وَبَقيتَ مَعمورَ الجَنابِ مُؤَيّداً

    ما قامَ داعٍ بِالصَّلاةِ يُثَوِّبُ

    May you remain, your court well peopled and you upheld,

    As long as a caller rises to repeat the summons to prayer.