وليل كأني فيه انسان ناظر

يقلب في الآفاق جفنيه عاليا

And a night in which I seemed the pupil of an eye,

turning its two eyelids aloft across the horizons.

إذا ما أمالتني به نشوة الكرى

تمايل في كفي المثقف صاحيا

Whenever slumber's intoxication made me droop within it,

the straightened spear swayed sober in my palm.

ولما طمى لج المنى بين أضلعي

تعسفت لجاً من دجا الليل طاميا

And when the deep sea of hopes swelled between my ribs,

I ventured unguided through a swelling sea of night's darkness.

فأمسي شجاً في ظلمة الليل والجاً

وأضحي قذى في مقلة الصبح غاديا

So at evening I enter night's darkness, a bone in its throat,

and at morning go forth, a mote in the eye of dawn.

حسامي نديمي والكواكب روضتي

وبيت السرى ساقي والسير راجبا

My sword is my drinking companion, and the stars my garden;

and night travel's house is my cupbearer, and journeying is 'reverent' [wording unclear].

ولما رأى الشيخ الجليل اقامتي

عليه وتطليقي لديه المهاريا

And when the venerable elder saw me settling

with him and divorcing the Mahri camels in his presence,

دعاني وادناني وقرب منزلي

ورحب بي وانتاشني واصطفانيا

he called me, drew me near, and gave me a place close by,

and welcomed me, lifted me up, and chose me.

همام يبكي المشرفية ساخطا

ويضحك أبكار الأماني راضيا

A noble lord who makes Mashrafi swords weep when angry,

and makes the maidens of hope laugh when pleased.

ولو أن بحراً يستطيع ترقياً

اليه لأم البحر جدواه راجيا

And if a sea could ascend

to him, the sea would seek him, hoping for his bounty.

وما شرف الانسان الا بنفسه

أكان ذووه سادة أم مواليا

And a person's nobility comes only from himself,

whether his kin were lords or dependents.