1. أَمَن بَعد ما بانَ الفَريق وَأَدلَجا

    لِمثلي يَرى وَجه اِصطِبار وَيُرتَجى

    Is it, after the company departed and traveled by night,

    that one like me can see—and hope for—a way to endure?

  2. سَروا فَاِستَطارَ البَرق خَلفَ رِكابَهُم

    وَقَد رَقَّ جُلباب الظَلام وَأَنهَجا

    They journeyed by night, and lightning flashed behind their riding camels,

    while darkness's cloak had thinned and grown threadbare.

  3. يَشبم هَوى وَالجنس مَغرى بِجِنسِهِ

    بِأَظعانِهم ثَغراً شَنيباً مُفلجا

    It seeks a glimpse in longing—each kind is drawn to its own—

    of a cool, sweet, gap-toothed mouth among their women in howdahs.

  4. وَهَبت مَها الوادي تُؤمل نَظرت

    تَزوَّدها مِن سَحر أَحورَ أَدعَجا

    And the valley's oryx rose, hoping for a glance

    to carry away from the spell of one with wide eyes of brilliant white and deep black.

  5. وَفي رَكبِهُم بِالصَفائح وَالقَنا

    فَلَستَ تَرى إِلّا وَشيجاً وَسملجا

    And amid their cavalcade, with sword-blades and lances,

    you see nothing but clustered spears and fleet steeds.

  6. وَعقبان حَرب فَوق جَرد لَو أَنَّهُم

    أَغاروا عَلى نسر السَماء لَما نَجا

    And war-eagles ride sleek horses—if they

    raided the eagle of the heavens, it would not escape.

  7. وَغَيران يُمسي بِالدِماء مسوراً

    فَيُصبح بِالعزّ المشيد مُتوَّجا

    And a jealous one, walled about with blood at dusk,

    rises at dawn crowned with towering glory.

  8. فَيا ريح لَو حاوَلت غشيانُهُ لَما

    تَولجت مِن بَين الأَسنة مولَجا

    So, O wind, if you tried to reach him, you would not

    find an opening among the spearheads.

  9. وَيا أَنجُم الجَوزاء لَو رَصعوكَ في

    نسوع المَطايا لاستقلوك زَبرجا

    And O stars of Orion, if they set you as jewels in

    the riding-camels' girths, they would deem you a trifling adornment.

  10. وَلَو كُنتِ لَما أَزَمَعوا في طَريقَهُم

    لَقى يا ثُريا ما اِرتَضوا بِكِ هَودَجا

    And if, when they resolved to depart, you had lain in their path,

    a castoff, O Pleiades, they would not accept you as a howdah.

  11. آيست وَقَد بانوا مِن العَيش بَعدَهُم

    يَقيناً وَفي غَير النَوى بِحُسن الرَجا

    Once they departed, I despaired of life after them,

    for certain; in matters other than parting, I cherish good hope.

  12. لَقَد رَكدت ريح اللُقا بَعدَ أَن جَرَت

    رَخاءً وَهبت شَمأل الهَجر سيهَجا

    The breeze of meeting fell still after blowing

    gently, and parting's north wind blew fiercely.

  13. وَأتعبكَ اللَيل الطَويل عَلى الغَضا

    وَكانَ بِذات البان لَيلَك سَجسجا

    And the long night wearied you upon ghada embers,

    though at Dhat al-Ban your night was mild and calm.

  14. فَذُب بَعدَهُم وَجداً فَما أَنتَ جَلمدٌ

    وَلا لَكَ مِن جور الصَبابَة مُلتَجى

    So melt with longing after them: you are no rock,

    and have no refuge from passion's tyranny.

  15. وَهَذي الرِياح الهَوج تُبلى رُسومَهُم

    فَما يَمنَع الأَحشاءَ إِن تَتَأجَجا

    And these raging winds wear away their traces;

    so what can restrain the entrails if they flare?

  16. غَدا كَرَةً قَلبي وَصَدريِ مَلعَباً

    لِخَيل خُطوب الدَهر وَالهَمّ صَولَجا

    My heart became a ball, my breast a playing field

    for the horses of time's calamities, and sorrow a polo mallet.

  17. أَغثني بِكَأس يا نَديم لَعَلَني

    أَرى لي بِها مِن ربقة الهَم مَخرَجا

    Rescue me with a cup, O drinking companion, that perhaps I

    may find through it a way out of sorrow's noose.

  18. وَلا تَحسَبَنَّ العَقل لِلمَرءِ لَعَلَني

    أَرى لَي بِها مِن ربقة الهَم مُخرِجا

    And do not suppose reason, for a man—perhaps I

    may find through it a deliverer from sorrow's noose.

  19. وَلا تَحسَبَنَّ العَقل لِلمَرءِ معقلاً

    فَقَد يُؤخَذ المَجدود مِن قَبل الحِجى

    And never think reason a stronghold for a man,

    for even the fortunate may be caught through intellect itself.

  20. وَهاتِ حَديثاً عَن لَيالي وِصالَنا

    عَسى صُبح هَذا الهَمّ أَن يَتَبَلَجا

    And tell me of the nights of our union;

    perhaps the dawn of this sorrow will break.

  21. فَما أَبهم المَقدور إِلّا لِيَرتَجى

    وَلا ضاقَ طَوق الكَرب إِلّا لِيفرجا

    For fate is veiled only so that it may be hoped for,

    and distress's collar tightens only to be loosened.

  22. وَطَيف سَرى حَتّى تَناوَلَ شاحِباً

    تَولَج مِن هَول السَرى ما تَوَلَجا

    And a dream-phantom traveled by night until it reached a pallid man,

    braving all it braved of the terrors of night travel.

  23. أَحست بِهِ زُهر الدَجى فَتَخاوَصَت

    وَآنسهُ بَدر السَماء فَعَرَّجا

    The stars of darkness sensed it and half-closed their eyes;

    and the full moon in the sky perceived it and turned aside.

  24. وَشَقَ عَلَيهِ أَنَّهُ كُلَّما سَرى

    يَشق جَلابيب الدُجى حَيثَما دَجا

    And it found it hard that, whenever it traveled by night,

    it had to tear darkness's cloaks wherever night deepened.

  25. وَمَرَّ عَلى وادي الحِمى فَتَعَطَرَت

    بِرياهُ أَرجاء الحِمى إِذ تَأَرَجا

    And it passed by the valley of al-Hima, making fragrant

    al-Hima's reaches with its scent as its perfume spread.

  26. أَلَمَّ بِنَضو لِلزيارة مُرتجِ

    فَصادَف مِنهُ مَسلَك الهَم مرتجا

    It visited a wasted man hoping for a visit,

    and found sorrow's passage within him barred.

  27. وَمِن طول أَلف الجفن لِلسُهد لَو رَأى

    حُروف الكَرى مَرقومة لِتحرجا

    So long had his eyelid grown familiar with sleeplessness that, if he saw

    the letters of sleep inscribed, he would feel scruples.

  28. وَطَيرٌ غَدا يُملي حَديث شُجونِهِ

    فَأَعجَزَني عَن حَمل وَجدي وَأَزعَجا

    And a bird began dictating the tale of its sorrows,

    leaving me unable to bear my longing, and disquieting me.

  29. وَعَرَّض بِالأَعراض عَنهُم فَراعَني

    وَأَخفاهُ في طَي الحَديث وَأَدمَجا

    It hinted at turning away from them, alarming me,

    and hid it within the tale's folds, weaving it in.

  30. لَقَد كانَ قَلبي لا يَراع لَحادث

    فَقَد صرت أَرجو مِن أَحاديثَك النَجا

    My heart once feared no calamity;

    now I hope for deliverance from your tales.

  31. وَكُنتُ أَظن النَأي للصَبر مَنهَجاً

    فَما كانَ لي إِلّا المَوت مُدرَجا

    And I had thought distance a path to patience,

    but for me it was only a road to death.

  32. تَولى زَمان اللَهو إِلّا تَذَكُرٌ

    مَتّى فَاجأَ القَلب الوَفي تَوَهَجا

    The age of merriment has passed, leaving only remembrance;

    whenever it surprises the faithful heart, that heart blazes.

  33. عَلى أَن هَذا العَصر ضاعَت بِهِ النُهى

    وَأَصبَحَ فيهِ الجَهل أَرجى وَأَروَجا

    Yet in this age understanding has been lost,

    and ignorance has become more promising and more in vogue.

  34. وَقيد أَهل السَبق عَن طَلب العُلى

    فَأَضحى إِلَيها كُل وَغد مهملجا

    It shackled the foremost from seeking high rank,

    while every base fellow came ambling toward it.

  35. وَضاحك أَهل العَيّ حَتّى تَفصحوا

    وَقطب في وَجهِ البَليغ فَلَجلَجا

    It smiled on the inarticulate until they grew eloquent,

    and scowled at the eloquent man, making him stammer.

  36. وَكانَ إِذا ما اِنَهَلَّ درُ مَدامِعي

    وَصافح يَحموم الزَفير تَسبجا

    And whenever the pearls of my tears poured down

    and touched the black smoke of sighs, they turned to jet.

  37. فَلم يَبقَ طول الحُزن دَمعاً إِذا اِنهَمى

    أَراح بِهِ إِلّا القَريض المُدبجا

    Long sorrow left no tears whose flowing

    could bring relief—only embroidered verse remained.

  38. فَما صافَحَت بَحر القَوافي نَسيمُهُ

    لِكَف الصِبا إِلّا طَما وَتَموَجا

    Its breeze never brushed the sea of rhymes

    at youth's hand without the sea swelling and billowing.

  39. قَريض غَدا يَربى عَلى الدَمع رقة

    وَيَسكُن مَعناهُ الرَحيق المَمزجا

    Verse that has grown more tender than tears,

    and whose meaning dwells in blended wine.

  40. إِذا ضاقَ القرحان أَحمى شُجونَهُ

    وَإِن خالج القَلب المُؤَجَج أَثلَجا

    When the unwounded man feels distressed, it kindles his sorrows,

    yet if it stirs the blazing heart, it brings cool relief.