1. عُج بِالمَطيِّ عَلى اليَبابِ الغامِرِ

    وَاِربَع عَلى قَبرٍ تَضَمَّنَ ناظِري

    Turn the riding camels aside toward the vast wasteland,

    and halt beside a grave that holds the apple of my eye.

  2. فَسَتَستَبينُ مَكانَهُ بِضَجيعِهِ

    وَيَنِمُّ مِنهُ إِلَيكَ عَرفُ العاطِرِ

    You will recognize its place by the sleeper within,

    and from it the fragrant one's scent will make him known to you.

  3. فَلَكَم تَضَمَّنَ مِن تُقىً وَتَعَفُّفٍ

    وَكَريمِ أَعراقٍ وَعِرضٍ طاهِرِ

    How much piety and chastity it has enclosed,

    and noble roots and unsullied honor.

  4. وَاِقرَ السَلامَ عَلَيهِ مِن ذي لَوعَةٍ

    صَدَعَتهُ صَدعاً ما لَهُ مِن جابِرِ

    And convey to him greetings of peace from one whose burning grief

    has rent him with a wound that no healer can mend.

  5. فَعَساهُ يَسمَحُ لي بِوَصلِ في الكَرى

    مُتَعاهِداً لِيَ بِالخَيالِ الزائِرِ

    Perhaps he will grant me reunion in sleep,

    renewing his care for me through his visiting image,

  6. فَأُعَلِّلَ القَلبَ العَليلَ بِطَيفِهِ

    عَلّي أُوافيهِ وَلَستُ بِغادِرِ

    so I may soothe my ailing heart with his apparition.

    Perhaps I shall join him; I am no betrayer.

  7. إِنِّي لَأَستَحيِيِهِ وَهُوَ مُغَيَّبٌ

    في لَحدِهِ فَكَأَنَّهُ كَالحاضِرِ

    I am indeed abashed before him, though he lies hidden

    in his burial niche, as though he were present.

  8. أَرعى أَذِمَّتَهُ وَأَحفَظُ عَهدَهُ

    عِندي فَما يَجري سِواهُ بِخاطِري

    I honor his claims upon me and preserve his covenant

    with me; no one but him passes through my mind.

  9. إِن كانَ يَدثُر جِسمُهُ في رَمسِهِ

    فَهَوايَ فيهِ الدَهرَ لَيسَ بِداثِرِ

    Though his body may decay within his grave,

    my love for him will never decay through all time.

  10. قَطَعَ الزَمانَ مَعي بِأَكرَمِ عِشرَةٍ

    لَهفي عَلَيهِ مِن أَبَرِّ مُعاشِرِ

    He passed his days with me in the noblest companionship;

    how I mourn him, that most devoted companion!

  11. ما كانَ إِلّا نَدرَةً لا أَرتَجي

    عِوَضاً بِها فَرَثَيتُهُ بِنَوادِرِ

    He was a rarity; I can hope for no

    replacement for such a one, so I elegized him in rare verses.

  12. وَلَو أَنَّني أَنصَفتُهُ في وُدِّهِ

    لَقَضَيتُ يَومَ قَضى وَلَم أَستَأخِرِ

    Had I done justice to his love,

    I would have died the day he died, not lingered,

  13. وَشَقَقتُ في خِلبِ الفُؤادِ ضَريحَهُ

    وَسَقَيتُهُ رَبَداً بِماءِ مَحاجِري

    and carved his tomb within the sheath of my heart,

    and watered its dusky earth with the water of my eyes.

  14. أَجِدُ الحَلاوَةَ في الفُؤادِ بِكَونِهِ

    فيهِ وَأَرعاهُ بِعَينِ ضَمائِري

    I find sweetness in my heart from his being

    within it, and guard him with the eye of my innermost thoughts.

  15. لَسَأَلتُ مَغفِرَةً لَهُ وَتَجاوزاً

    عَنهُ مِنَ الرَبِّ الجَوادِ الغافِرِ

    I would surely ask forgiveness for him and pardon

    for him from the generous, forgiving Lord.

  16. أَخلِق بِمِثلي أَن يُرى مُتَطَلِّباً

    حَوراءَ ذاتَ غَدائِرٍ وَأَساوِرِ

    How fitting for one like me to be seen seeking

    a dark-eyed maiden with tresses and bracelets,

  17. مَقصورَةً في قُبَّةٍ مِن لُؤلُؤٍ

    ذُخِرَت ثَواباً لِلمُصابِ الصابِرِ

    secluded within a dome of pearl,

    reserved as a reward for the patient, afflicted man.

  18. لَخَلت ذِراعي وَاِنفَردَتُ فَإِن أَكُن

    تاجَرتُ فيها كُنتُ أَربَحَ تاجِرِ

    My arm is truly empty, and I am alone; if I have

    traded for her, I shall be the most successful trader.

  19. وَلَئِن حُرِمتُ وَلَم يَفُز قِدحي بِها

    فَأَنا لَعَمرُ اللَهِ أَخسَرُ خاسِرِ

    And if I am denied her, and my lot-arrow fails to win her,

    then, by God's life, I am the greatest loser of all.

  20. مَن جاوَزَ السِتينَ لَم يَجمُل بِهِ

    شُغلٌ بِجُملٍ وَالرَبابِ وَغادِرِ

    For one who has passed sixty, it is unfitting

    to be absorbed in Juml, al-Rabab, and Ghadir.

  21. بَل شُغلُهُ في زادِهِ لِمَعادِهِ

    فَالزادُ آكَدُ شُغلِ كُلِّ مُسافِرِ

    Rather, his concern should be provisions for his final return,

    for provisions are every traveler's most pressing concern.

  22. وَالشَيخُ لَيسَ قَصارُهُ إِلّا التُقى

    لا أَن يَهيمَ صَبابَةً بِجَآذِرِ

    An old man's sole aim should be piety,

    not to wander love-struck after young oryxes.

  23. نَفَرَت طِباعُ الغِيدِ عَنهُ كَراهَةً

    وَمِنَ العَناءِ عَلاقَةٌ بِمُنافِرِ

    The graceful maidens' natures recoil from him in aversion;

    and attachment to one who shuns you is torment.

  24. هَل يَلتَقي قِرنٌ بِقِرنٍ في الوَغى

    إِلّا بِأَزرَقَ أَو بِعَضبٍ باتِرِ

    Does a warrior face his rival in battle

    except with a blue-steel spear or a keen, cleaving sword?

  25. وَإِذا تَقَحَّمَ أَعزَلٌ في مَأزِقٍ

    كانَ الأَسيرَ وَلَم يَكُن بِالآسِرِ

    And when an unarmed man plunges into a tight fight,

    he becomes the captive, not the captor.

  26. ما يَشتَهي نَهداً وَلَحظاً فاتِراً

    إِلّا خَلِيٌّ في زَمانٍ فاتِرِ

    None desires a breast and a languid glance

    but a carefree man in a languid age.

  27. حَسبيَّ كِتابُ اللَهِ فَهُوَ تَنَعُّمي

    وَتَأَنُّسي في وَحشَتي بِدَفاتِري

    God's Book suffices me; it is my delight,

    and my solace in my loneliness is in my books.

  28. أَفتَضُّ أَبكاراً بِها يَغسِلنَ مَن

    يَفتَضُّهُنَّ بِكُلِّ مَعنى طاهِرِ

    In them I deflower virgins who cleanse whoever

    deflowers them—with every pure meaning.

  29. وَإِذا أَرَدتُ نَزاهَةً طالَعتُها

    فَأَجولُ مِنها في أَنيقٍ زاهِرِ

    And when I desire an excursion, I read them,

    and roam through beauty in full bloom within them.

  30. وَأَرى بِها نَهجَ الهِدايَةِ واضِحاً

    يَنجو بِهِ مَن لَيسَ عَنهُ بِجائِرِ

    In them I see the path of guidance clearly,

    by which whoever does not stray from it is saved.

  31. قَد آنَ لي أَن أَستَفيقَ وَأَرعَوي

    لَو أَنَّني مِمَّن تَصِحُّ بَصائِري

    The time has come for me to awaken and restrain myself,

    if only I were one whose powers of insight were sound.

  32. فَلَكَم أَروحُ وَأَعتَدي في غَمرَةٍ

    مُتَرَدِّداً فيها كَمِثلِ الحائِرِ

    How often I go forth and transgress amid confusion,

    wandering in it like a bewildered man.

  33. وَأَرى شَبابي ظاعِناً في عَسكَرٍ

    عَنّي وَشَيبي وافِداً بِعَساكِرِ

    I see my youth departing in one army

    from me, while my gray hair arrives with armies.

  34. فَغَدَت مُظَفَّرَةً عَلَيَّ وَلَم تَزَل

    قِدماً مُعَلّاةً قِداحُ الظافِرِ

    So they have conquered me; as ever,

    the victor's lot-arrows have long been held high.

  35. وَلَقَد رَأَيتُ مِنَ الزَمانِ عَجائِباً

    جَرَّبتُها بِمَوارِدي وَمَصادِري

    I have indeed seen wonders wrought by time,

    and experienced them in my comings and goings.

  36. فَوَجَدتُ إِخوانَ الصَفاءِ بِزَعمِهِم

    يَلقاكَ أَمحَضُهُم بِعَرضٍ سابِري

    I found those who claim to be brothers of true affection:

    even their sincerest greets you with a perfunctory Sabiri-cloth offer.

  37. وَلَرُبَّما قَد شَذَّ مِنهُم نادِرٌ

    وَأُصولُنا أَن لا قِياسَ بِنادِرِ

    Perhaps a rare exception has stood apart among them,

    but our principle is: no analogy from a rare exception.

  38. وَإِذا نَبا بِيَ مَنزِلٌ أَو رانَبي

    صَفَّقتُ عَنهُ كَالعُقابِ الكاسِرِ

    When a dwelling rejects me or oppresses me,

    I beat my wings away from it like a swooping eagle.

  39. فَأَجوبُ أَرضاً سَهلُها كَحُزونِها

    عِندي وَأَوَّلُ قَطرِها كَالآخَرِ

    I traverse a land whose plains and rough ground are alike

    to me, and whose first reaches are like its last.

  40. وَلَقَد عَجِبتُ لِمُؤمِنٍ في شِدقِهِ

    جَرَسٌ كَناقوسٍ بِبَيعَةِ كافِرِ

    I have marveled at a believer whose mouth holds

    a clamor like a bell in an unbeliever's church.

  41. لَيسَ يُهَينِمُ دائِباً وَلَم يَرى

    أَنَّ اللِسانَ كَمِثلِ لَيثٍ هاصِرِ

    He never speaks softly, nor has he understood

    that the tongue is like a mauling lion.

  42. وَلَو أَنَّني أَدعو الكَلامَ أَجابَني

    كَإِجابَةِ المَأسورِ دَعوَةَ آسِرِ

    Were I to summon speech, it would answer me

    as a captive answers his captor's call.

  43. لَكِن رَأَيتُ نَبِيَّنا قَد عابَهُ

    مِن كُلِّ ثَرثارٍ وَأَشدَقَ شاعِرِ

    But I saw that our Prophet had condemned it

    in every chatterer and bombastic poet.

  44. فَصَمَتُّ إِلّا عَن تُقىً وَلَرُبَّما

    قَذَفَت بِحارُ قَريحَتي بِجَواهِرِ

    So I kept silent except in piety; though often

    the seas of my inspiration have cast up jewels.

  45. ما اِستَحسَنوا طولَ الخَطابَةِ بَل رَأَوا

    تَقصيرَها مَهما اِرتَقوا بِمَنابِرِ

    They did not approve of lengthy sermons, but favored

    brevity whenever they mounted pulpits.

  46. وَلَمّا رَأَوا سَردَ الكَلامِ بِسائِغٍ

    إِلّا لِعَبدٍ قارِئٍ أَو ذاكِرِ

    Nor did they deem an unbroken flow of speech permissible,

    except from a servant reciting or remembering God.

  47. فَالعَيُّ في الإِكثارِ لا في مَنطِقٍ

    يُهدي إِلى الأَلبابِ نَفثَةَ ساحِرِ

    Ineloquence lies in excess, not in speech

    that brings a sorcerer's breath to discerning minds.

  48. وَلَقَد أَقولُ لِبَعضِ مَن هُوَ عاذِلي

    في القَصدِ في شَأني وَلَيسَ بِعاذِري

    I say to some who reproach me

    for moderation in my affairs, yet will not excuse me:

  49. لَمّا رَأَيتُ الأَرضَ أَصبَحَ ماؤُها

    رَنقاً كَفَتني مِنهُ حَسوَةُ طائِرِ

    When I saw that the earth's water had turned

    murky, a bird's sip of it sufficed me.

  50. وَلَو أَنَّني أَرضى القَذا في مَشرَبي

    لَكَرَعتُ كَرعَةَ ظامِئٍ بِهَواجِرِ

    Had I been content with impurities in my drinking water,

    I would have drunk deep like one parched in the midday heat,

  51. وَعَبَرتُ بَحرَ الرِزقِ أَلتَمِسُ الغِنى

    حِرصاً عَلَيهِ وَكُنتُ أَمهَرَ ماهِرِ

    and crossed the sea of livelihood in search of wealth,

    eager for it, and been the most skillful of all.

  52. لَكِنَّني عَوَضتُ مِنهُ عِنايَةً

    بِقَناعَةٍ وَتَجَمُّلٍ في الظاهِرِ

    But I have replaced concern for it

    with contentment and a dignified outward bearing.

  53. فَمِنَ الغِنى ما قَد يَضُرُّ بِأَهلِهِ

    وَالفَقرُ عِندَ اللَهِ لَيسَ بِضائِرِ

    For some wealth may harm those who possess it,

    while poverty does no harm in God's sight.

  54. وَلَقَد أَصَبتُ مِنَ المَطاعِمِ حاجَتي

    وَمِنَ المَلابِسِ فَوقَ ما هُوَ ساتِري

    I have obtained all the food I need,

    and clothing beyond what is needed to cover me.

  55. وَأَنا لَعَمرُكَ مُكَرَّمٌ في جيرَتي

    وَمُعَظَّمٌ وَمُبَجَّلٌ بِعَشائِري

    By your life, I am honored among my neighbors,

    and esteemed and revered among my clans.

  56. وَغَداً بِمَيدانِ السِباقِ سَنَلتَقي

    فَيُرى الثَقيلُ مِنَ الخَفيفِ الضامِرِ

    Tomorrow we shall meet upon the racecourse,

    and the heavy will be distinguished from the light and lean.

  57. وا سَوأَتا إِن كُنتُ سُكَّيتاً بِهِ

    أَرجو اللِحاقَ عَلى هَجينٍ عاثِرِ

    Ah, my shame, if I come last upon it,

    hoping to catch up on a stumbling crossbred mount!

  58. وَالوَيلُ كُلُّ الوَيلِ لي إِن لَم يَكُن

    مَولايَ في تِلكَ الشَدائِدِ ناصِري

    And woe, utter woe to me, if

    my Lord is not my helper in those hardships.

  59. إِنّي لَأَشكُرُهُ عَلى آلائِهِ

    فَهُوَ الوَفيُّ بِعَهدِهِ لِلشّاكِرِ

    I do indeed thank Him for His blessings,

    for He is faithful to His promise to the grateful.

  60. وَإِلَيهِ أَضرَعُ في إِنابَةِ مُخلِصٍ

    فَهُوَ الَّذي أَرجو لِسَدِّ مَفاقِري

    To Him I plead, turning back in sincere devotion,

    for He is the one I hope will meet my needs.