1. هل من رفيق رفيقِ

    على فراق الفريقِ

    Is there a gentle companion

    For parting from the company?

  2. وهل فؤاد معنّىً

    يَشْفى بدمعٍ طليقِ

    And can an afflicted heart

    Be healed by freely flowing tears?

  3. ساروا بروضٍ أنيقِ

    على غواربِ نُوقِ

    They departed with a lovely garden

    Upon the withers of she-camels:

  4. فمن ثغورِ أقاحِ

    ومن خدود شقيقِ

    With mouths like daisies,

    And cheeks like anemones.

  5. ورب بيضٍ نيوقِ

    كمثلِ بيضِ الأنوقِ

    And many a refined fair maiden,

    Like the eggs of the vulture—

  6. غرائبُ الحسنِ شتّى

    بغرّب والعقيقِ

    Varied wonders of beauty

    At Ghurrab and al-Aqiq.

  7. وليس عنه طريقٌ

    وكم له من طريقِ

    There is no path away from it,

    Yet how many paths lead to it!

  8. فانظر الى غيثِ دمعٍ

    واسمع برعدِ شهيق

    So look at the rain of tears,

    And hear the thunder of sobbing;

  9. واعجب لها زفراتٍ

    قامتْ مقامَ البروقِ

    And marvel at those sighs

    That took the place of lightning.

  10. وكم علقتُ بصبري

    ولات حينَ عُلوقي

    And how often I clung to my patience,

    When it was no time for clinging!

  11. فكنت مثل غريق

    مستمسكٍ بغريق

    So I was like a drowning man

    Clinging to another drowning man.

  12. هذا ورُبّ حريقِ

    أطفأتُه برَحيقِ

    Such was my state—and many a fire

    I quenched with pure wine.

  13. فحثها في صبوحٍ

    مستحسن وغبوقِ

    So drink it eagerly as a morning draught,

    A pleasant one, and an evening draught.

  14. كريمةٌ لكريمٍ

    عريقةٌ لعَريقِ

    Noble wine for a noble man,

    Of ancient lineage for one of ancient lineage.

  15. واذكر أبا المسك تظفَرْ

    بنشْرِ مسكٍ فَتيقِ

    And mention Abu al-Misk: you will obtain

    The fragrance of unsealed musk,

  16. عن عنبرٍ عبرَ الرو

    ضَ بالأريجِ الأنيقِ

    From ambergris that passed through

    The garden with its lovely fragrance.

  17. شهمٌ هو الليثُ والغَيْ

    ثُ في مَضيقِ وضيقِ

    A valiant man: he is the lion and

    The rain, in straits and hardship.

  18. يأسو بعذبٍ رقيقِ

    جراح عَضْبِ رقيقِ

    He heals with tender sweetness

    The wounds of a slender, keen sword,

  19. براحةٍ طلْقةِ من

    هُ أو جبين طليقِ

    With a generous palm from

    Him, or a cheerful brow.

  20. وللعدوّ على مج

    دِهِ ثناء الصديقِ

    Even the enemy, concerning his glory,

    Offers the praise of a friend.

  21. صحَوْا وزادَ انتشاءً

    ففاقَ غيرَ مُفيق

    They sobered, while he grew more intoxicated;

    So he surpassed them without sobering.

  22. صديقُ كلّ أصمّ

    صِدْقَ الكَعوبِ صَدوقِ

    A friend to every solid spear,

    Firm of joints and trusty,

  23. وصارمٍ ذي شقاقِ

    يطيعُ طَوْعَ الشَقيقِ

    And a sharp sword, a bearer of strife,

    That obeys as willingly as a brother.

  24. يمزّقُ المأزقَ الجمّ

    أيّما تمزيقِ

    He rends the dense press of battle

    With an utter rending,

  25. بوجهِ رأي رقيقِ

    ووجهِ عزمٍ صفيقِ

    With the face of subtle judgment

    And the face of stout resolve.

  26. أغرّ وافقتُ منهُ

    معانيَ التوفيق

    A radiant man: in him I found

    The very essence of good fortune,

  27. من بعدِ تجفيفِ ريقي

    وجبِّ غصني الوريقِ

    After my mouth had been dried up

    And my leafy branch had been severed.

  28. يا من رأيت انفراجي

    لديهِ بعدَ مَضيق

    O you, I found relief

    In your presence, after hardship:

  29. انظُرْ فأني جوادٌ

    أمسي بغيرِ عَليقِ

    Look, for I am a noble steed,

    I pass the evening without fodder.

  30. وقد غلا السعرَ والشعْ

    رُ حلّ أكسدَ سُوقِ

    And prices have risen, while poetry

    Has settled in the most stagnant market.

  31. فأحمل عليه مُغيراً

    بحملةٍ من دَقيقِ

    So charge against it as a raider,

    With a load of flour.