1. ضَلالٌ مارَأَيتُ مِنَ الضَلالِ

    مُعاتَبَةُ الكَريمِ عَلى النَوالِ

    What folly, among the follies I have seen,

    to reproach the generous man for his giving!

  2. وَإِنَّ مَسامِعي عَن كُلِّ عَذلٍ

    لَفي شُغلٍ بِحَمدٍ أَو سُؤالِ

    And my ears, heedless of every reproach,

    are indeed occupied with praise or requests.

  3. وَلا وَاللَهِ مابَخِلَت يَميني

    وَلا أَصبَحتُ أَشقاكُم بِمالي

    No, by God, my right hand has not been stingy,

    nor have I become the most wretched among you through my wealth.

  4. وَلا أُمسي يُحَكَّمُ فيهِ بَعدي

    قَليلُ الحَمدِ مَذمومَ الفِعالِ

    Nor shall I end my days with it entrusted, after me,

    to one little praised and blameworthy in deeds.

  5. وَلَكِنّي سَأُفنيهِ وَأَقني

    ذَخائِرَ مِن ثَوابٍ أَو جَمالِ

    But I shall spend it all and acquire

    treasures of reward or fair renown.

  6. وَلِلوُرّاثِ إِرثُ أَبي وَجَدّي

    جِيادُ الخَيلِ وَالأَسَلِ الطِوالِ

    And for the heirs, the heritage of my father and grandfather:

    fine steeds and long spears.

  7. وَما تَجني سَراةُ بَني أَبينا

    سِوى ثَمَراتِ أَطرافِ العَوالي

    And the nobles among our father's sons reap

    only the fruits of the tips of tall spears.

  8. مَمالِكُنا مَكاسِبُنا إِذا ما

    تَوارَثَها رِجالٌ عَن رِجالِ

    Our kingdoms are our own gains, when

    men inherit them from men.

  9. إِذا لَم تُمسِ لي نارٌ فَإِنّي

    أَبيتُ لِنارِ غَيري غَيرَ صالِ

    If at evening I have no fire, then I

    spend the night unwarmed by another's fire.

  10. أَوَينا بَينَ أَطنابِ الأَعادي

    إِلى بَلَدٍ مِنَ النُصّارِ خالِ

    We lodged among the tent ropes of our enemies,

    in a land devoid of helpers.

  11. نَمُدُّ بُيوتُنا في كُلِّ فَجٍّ

    بِهِ بَينَ الأَراقِمِ وَالصِلالِ

    We stretch out our tents in every mountain pass

    there, among speckled snakes and vipers.

  12. نَعافُ قُطونَهُ وَنَمَلُّ مِنهُ

    وَيَمنَعُنا الإِباءُ مِنَ الزِيالِ

    We loathe dwelling there and grow weary of it,

    and pride keeps us from leaving,

  13. مَخافَةَ أَن يُقالَ بِكُلِّ أَرضٍ

    بَنو حَمدانَ كَفّوا عَن قِتالِ

    for fear it might be said in every land:

    'The sons of Hamdan have ceased fighting.'

  14. أَسَيفَ الدَولَةِ المَأمولَ إِنّي

    عَنِ الدُنيا إِذا ماعِشتَ سالِ

    O Sayf al-Dawla, in whom hope is placed, I

    care nothing for the world so long as you live.

  15. وَمَن وَرَدَ المَهالِكَ لَم تَرُعهُ

    رَزايا الدَهرِ في أَهلٍ وَمالِ

    And one who has entered deadly perils is not frightened

    by time's calamities in family and wealth.

  16. إِذا قُضِيَ الحِمامُ عَلَيَّ يَوماً

    فَفي نَصرِ الهُدى بِيَدِ الضَلالِ

    If death is decreed for me one day,

    then it will be in defense of guidance, at the hand of error.

  17. إِذا مالَم تَخُنكَ يَدٌ وَقَلبٌ

    فَلَيسَ عَلَيكَ خائِنَةُ اللَيالي

    If hand and heart do not betray you,

    then the treachery of nights has no power over you.

  18. وَأَنتَ أَشَدُّ هَذا الناسِ بَأساً

    وَأَصبَرُهُم عَلى نُوَبِ القِتالِ

    And you are the mightiest of these men in battle,

    and the most steadfast of them through battle's turns,

  19. وَأَهجَمُهُم عَلى جَيشٍ كَثيفٍ

    وَأَغوَرُهُم عَلى حَيٍّ حِلالِ

    and the boldest of them in attacking a densely massed army,

    and the greatest of them in raiding an encamped tribe.

  20. ضَرَبتَ فَلَم تَدَع لِلسَيفِ حَدّاً

    وَجُلتَ بِحَيثُ ضاقَ عَنِ المَجالِ

    You struck, leaving the sword no edge,

    and wheeled where the space was too narrow for movement.

  21. فَقُلتَ وَقَد أَظَلَّ المَوتُ صَبراً

    وَإِنَّ الصَبرَ عِندَ سِواكَ غالِ

    Then, with death looming, you said, 'Patience!'

    though patience is costly for anyone but you.

  22. أَلا هَل مُنكِرٌ يا اِبنَي نِزارٍ

    مَقامي يَومَ ذَلِكَ أَو مَقالي

    Now, does anyone, O two sons of Nizar, deny

    my stand that day, or what I said?

  23. أَلَم أَثبُت لَها وَالخَيلُ فَوضى

    بِحَيثُ تَخِفُّ أَحلامُ الرِجالِ

    Did I not stand firm in battle, while the horses were in disarray,

    where men's wits grow unsteady?

  24. تَرَكتُ ذَوابِلَ المُرّانِ فيها

    مُخَضَّبَةً مُحَطَّمَةَ الأَعالي

    I left the slender ashwood spears in it,

    blood-dyed, their upper ends shattered.

  25. وَعُدتُ أَجَرُّ رُمحي عَن مَقامٍ

    تُحَدِّثُ عَنهُ رَبّاتُ الحِجالِ

    And I returned, dragging my spear from a stand in battle

    of which the ladies of curtained chambers speak.

  26. فَقائِلَةٍ تَقولُ أَبا فِراسٍ

    أُعيذُ عُلاكَ مِن عَينِ الكَمالِ

    Then one woman says, 'Abu Firas,

    I seek protection for your eminence from perfection's evil eye.'

  27. وَقائِلَةٍ تَقولُ جُزيتَ خَيراً

    لَقَد حامَيتَ عَن حَرَمَ المَعالي

    And another says, 'May you be rewarded with good;

    you have indeed defended the sanctuary of lofty honor.'

  28. وَمُهري لايَمَسُّ الأَرضَ زَهواً

    كَأَنَّ تُرابَها قُطبُ النِبالِ

    And my colt, in its pride, does not touch the ground,

    as though its dust were arrowheads.

  29. كَأَنَّ الخَيلَ تَعرِفُ مَن عَلَيها

    فَفي بَعضٍ عَلى بَعضٍ تُعالي

    As though the horses knew who rode them,

    so some rise above others.

  30. عَلَينا أَن نُعاوِدَ كُلَّ يَومٍ

    رَخيصٍ عِندَهُ المُهَجُ الغَوالي

    We must face again every day

    on which precious lives are held cheap.

  31. فَإِن عِشنا ذَخَرناها لِأُخرى

    وَإِن مُتنا فَمَوتاتُ الرِجالِ

    If we live, we reserve them for another day;

    and if we die, ours are the deaths of men.