1. بَعثنَ غداةَ تَقويضِ الخِيامِ

    مَنيَّة كُلَّ صَبٍ مُستَهامِ

    They brought, on the morning the tents were struck,

    death to every lover maddened by passion.

  2. وَمِلنَ إِلى الوَداعِ وكل جَفنٍ

    يُفيضُ الدَمع كالقدح الجِمامِ

    And they turned toward farewell, while every eye

    poured forth tears like a brimming cup.

  3. جَرَت عبراتُهُنَّ عَلى عَبير

    كَما اِصطَفقَ الحُباب عي المُدامِ

    Their tears flowed over perfume,

    as bubbles rippled upon wine.

  4. ظِباءٌ صادَها قَنّاصُ بَينٍ

    فَأَبدَلَها الهَوادِج بِالخِيامِ

    Gazelles caught by separation's hunter,

    who gave them howdahs in place of tents.

  5. أَراميهنَّ بِاللحظات خَلساً

    فَترجع نَحوَ مَقتَلَتي سِهامي

    I trade stealthy arrows of glances with them,

    and my arrows return toward my own vital spot.

  6. برودٌ رِيقُهنَّ وَكَيف يَحمى

    وَمَجراهُ عَلى برَدٍ تُؤَامِ

    Cool is their saliva—how could it grow warm,

    when its course runs over paired hailstones?

  7. هَجَرتُ رِضابهنَّ لأَنَّ فيهِ

    بُعَيدَ النَومِ أَوصاف المُدامِ

    I forsook their sweet saliva, for it holds,

    just after sleep, the qualities of wine.

  8. وَأقسمُ ما مُقتَّقةٌ شَمولٌ

    ثَوَت في الدَن عاماً بَعدَ عامِ

    And I swear: no spiced, heady wine—

    that has rested in the jar year after year,

  9. إِذا ما شاربُ القوم اِحتَساها

    أَحَسَّ لَها دَبيباً في العِظامِ

    which, when the company's drinker sips it,

    he feels creeping through his bones—

  10. بِأَطَيبِ من مُجاجتهنَّ طَعماً

    إِذا استيقظنَ من سِنَةِ المَنامِ

    is sweeter in taste than the nectar of their mouths

    when they awaken from a drowsy sleep.

  11. وَلَم أَرشَف لَهُنَّ جَنىً وَلكن

    شَهدنَ بِذاك أَعواد البشامِ

    I have not sipped their sweetness, but

    the balsam twigs bore witness to it.

  12. إِذا شفَّت بَراقِعُهنَّ قُلنا

    ضياء البدر من تحت الجِهامِ

    When their veils are translucent, we say:

    “The full moon's radiance beneath rainless clouds.”

  13. سِقام جفونهنَّ سِقام قَلبي

    وَهَل يَبرى السِقامُ مِنَ السِقامِ

    The languor of their eyelids is my heart's sickness;

    and can sickness be healed by sickness?

  14. وَإِنّي عند مَقدِرَتي وَوَجدي

    بهنَّ مَع الشَبيبَة وَالغَرامِ

    And I, despite my power and my longing

    for them, amid youth and passion,

  15. أَعَفُّ عَن الخَنا عند اِنتِباهي

    وَأَحلُمُ عنه في حال المَنامِ

    abstain from lewdness when awake,

    and refrain from it even in sleep.

  16. هَوىً لا عيب فيهِ وَلا أَثامِ

    إِذا ما الحُبُّ أُفسِدَ بِالأَثامِ

    A love with neither fault nor sin,

    when love is corrupted by sins.

  17. وأقسم صادِقاً لَو هَمَّ قَلبي

    بِفعلِ دَنيَّةٍ خَذلت عِظامي

    And I swear truthfully: if my heart intended

    a base deed, my bones would fail me.

  18. وَأَظلمهنَّ إِن ناديتُ يَوماً

    بِإِحداهِنَّ يا بَدرُ التَمامِ

    And I wrong them if one day I call

    to one of them, “O moon at the full!”

  19. كَما ظَلَمَ النَدى مَن قاسَ يَوماً

    نَدى كَفَّ المفرِّج بِالغَمامِ

    as generosity was wronged by whoever once compared

    the bounty of al-Mufarrij's palm to the clouds.

  20. فَتىً جُبلت يَداهُ عَلى العَطايا

    كَما جُبِلَ اللِسانِ عَلى الكَلامِ

    A young man whose hands were fashioned for giving,

    as the tongue was fashioned for speech.

  21. نَزَلت بِهِ فَقرَّبني كَريمٌ

    تقسَّمه العلى خَيرَ اِقتِسامِ

    I alighted with him, and a noble man drew me close,

    whom lofty pursuits share in the finest division.

  22. فَيُسراهُ لنَيلٍ أَو عنانٍ

    وَيُمناهُ لِرُمحٍ أَو حُسامِ

    His left hand is for giving or the reins,

    and his right for a spear or a cutting sword.

  23. وَطَوَّقني صَنائِع لَيسَ تَخفى

    وَكَيفَ خَفاء أَطواق الحِمامِ

    And he garlanded me with favors that cannot be hidden;

    and how could the neck-rings of doves be hidden?

  24. لَقَد أَحيا المَكارِمَ بَعدَ مَوتٍ

    وَشادَ بِناءها بَعدَ اِنهِدامِ

    He has indeed revived noble virtues after their death,

    and raised their edifice after its collapse.

  25. وَيقسمُ ماله في كِلِّ وَفدٍ

    كَلَحمِ البُدنِ في البلَدِ الحَرامِ

    And he divides his wealth among every delegation,

    like the meat of sacrificial camels in the sacred city.

  26. بِصَفحَةِ خَدِّهِ لِلبشرِ ماء

    كَمِثلِ الماء في صَفح الحُسامِ

    On his cheek's surface, cheerfulness has a sheen,

    like the watery sheen upon the flat of a sword.

  27. وَلَم أَرَ قَبلَهُ أَسَداً يُلاقي

    ضُيوفاً بِالتَحيَّةِ والسَلامِ

    Before him, I had never seen a lion receive

    guests with greetings and peace.

  28. يَزرَّ الدِرعَ منه عَلى هِزَبرٍ

    أَبي شِبلٍ مَخالبه دَوامي

    He fastens his armor over the mighty lion within him,

    a cub's sire, whose claws are bloodied.

  29. فَتىً لقيَ الوَغى قَبلَ اِثِّغارٍ

    وَقادَ جُيوشها قَبلَ اِحتِلامِ

    A young man who met battle before his adult teeth appeared,

    and led its armies before reaching puberty.

  30. فَلَيسَ يَراع لِلغمَراتِ حَتّى

    يراع الحوت في اللُجَجِ العِظامِ

    So he is not frightened by perilous depths until

    the fish is frightened in the mighty deeps.

  31. يُغادِرُ قِرنَهُ وَالرُمحُ فيهِ

    صَليباً بَينَ رُهبان قِيامِ

    He leaves his adversary, with the spear lodged in him,

    a cross among monks standing upright.

  32. تكفِّنهُ البَواتِرُ في دِماء

    وتدفنه الحَوافِرُ في القَتامِ

    The cutting swords shroud him in blood,

    and the hooves bury him in battle-dust.

  33. تَفيض دَم العِدى مِن كُلِّ دِرع

    كَفَيضِ الخَمرِ مِن خَلَلِ الفَدامِ

    They pour the enemies' blood from every coat of mail,

    as wine flows through the gaps of a straining-cloth.

  34. وَتُسمِعُهم كَلام المَوت جَهراً

    بِآذانٍ مِنَ الطَعنِ التُؤامِ

    And they make them hear death's words aloud,

    through ears formed by paired thrusts.

  35. وَلَم يَكُ طَعنه أَذناً وَلَكِن

    يَكون السَمعُ من قَرع الكَلامِ

    His thrust was not an ear, but

    hearing comes from the impact of words.

  36. وَيَهرتُ في الطِلى أَشداقُ عنسٍ

    تُحلَّب بِالدِماء بدل اللَغامِ

    And in the necks he opens jaws like a she-camel's,

    dripping blood instead of foam.

  37. لَهُ مِن نَفسِهِ أَبَداً مُنادٍ

    يُناديهِ إِلى الرُتَبِ الجِسامِ

    He always has a herald within himself,

    calling him to lofty ranks:

  38. فَيَومُ الجودِ حَيَّ عَلى العَطايا

    وَيَومُ الحَربِ حيَّ عَلى الزِحامِ

    on the day of bounty, “Hasten to giving!”

    and on the day of war, “Hasten to the press of battle!”

  39. لَو أَنَّ المَجدَ يُدرِك بِالهُوَينا

    لما فَضُلَ الكِرام عَلى اللِئامِ

    If glory could be attained with ease,

    the noble would not outshine the base.

  40. تُجمِّل كل مملكة يَداهُ

    وَإِن كانَت جَمالاً للأَنامِ

    His hands adorn every kingdom,

    though it is itself an adornment to mankind.

  41. كَذاكَ الدُرّ أَحسَن ما تَراهُ

    عَلى عُنُقِ الخَريدَةِ في النِظامِ

    Likewise, pearls are loveliest when you see them

    upon a shy maiden's neck, strung together.

  42. ونعمةُ غيرِهِ عارٌ عَلَيهِ

    كَمِثلِ الخُلي لِلسَّيفِ الكِهامِ

    And another's favor is a disgrace to him,

    like adornment upon a blunt sword.

  43. رآهُ اللَهَ لِلعَلياءِ أَهلاً

    فَأَعلاهُ عَلى قِمَمِ الكِرامِ

    God deemed him worthy of the heights of honor,

    and raised him above the summits of the noble.

  44. فَقابَلَ فَضلَ خالِقِهِ بِشُكرِ

    وَإِنَّ الشُكرَ داعِيَة الدَوامِ

    He met his Creator's favor with gratitude,

    and gratitude invites its continuance.

  45. بَنوه لِجَيشِهِ أَبَداً إِمام

    بِمَنزِلَةِ النُصولِ مِنَ السِهامِ

    His sons are ever at the head of his army,

    in the place that arrowheads hold on arrows.

  46. فَبورِكَ ولدُهُ أَبَداً سِهاماً

    وَبورِكَ سَهمُ دين اللَهِ رامي

    So may his offspring ever be blessed as arrows,

    and blessed be the arrow of God's faith, the archer.

  47. سِواءٌ فيهُمُ قَول المُنادي

    هَلِمّوا لِلطِّعان أَو الطَعامِ

    For them, the herald's summons is the same:

    “Come to spear-fighting—or to food!”

  48. نَزَلتُم طَيِّباً حرماً وَكُنتُم

    مَكانَ الرُكنِ منها وَالمَقامِ

    You settled in a pleasant sanctuary, and stood

    there in the place of the Corner and the Station.

  49. أَتَتكَ رَسائِل السُلطانِ تَرضى

    وَتقنع من هِباتِكَ بِالرَمامِ

    The sultan's messages came to you, pleased

    and content with scraps from your gifts.

  50. أَتاكَ رَسولُ مَولانا نِزارٍ

    بِخاتِمه المُعَظَّم في الأَنامِ

    The messenger of our lord Nizar came to you,

    with his seal, revered among mankind,

  51. أَماناً مِن جَميعِ الناس طُرّاً

    فَأَنعَم بِالأَمانِ وَبِالدَوامِ

    as protection from all people, without exception—

    how excellent are security and continuance!

  52. وَأَلقاباً مُكرَّمَة حِساناً

    وَحيّاً بِالتَحيَّةِ وَالسَلامِ

    And fair, honored titles,

    and he greeted you with greetings and peace.

  53. إِذا خافَ الإِمام سَطاكَ يَوماً

    فَكَيفَ يَكونَ مَن دونَ الإِمامِ

    If the Imam one day fears your might,

    how, then, will those below the Imam fare?

  54. وَمَن كانَ الإِلَهُ لَهُ مُعيناً

    فَكَيفَ يَخاف ما دونَ الأَنامِ

    And whoever has God as his helper,

    how can he fear what is beneath mankind?

  55. إِلَيكَ جَعَلتُ صَدر المُهرِ سِلكاً

    أَسدُّ بِهِ المَوامي بِالمَوامي

    Toward you I made the colt's breast a thread,

    with which I stitch desert to desert.

  56. إِذا وَرَدَ القَرارَة بَعدَ أَينٍ

    حَشا فاهُ عَلى فاس اللِجامِ

    When, after weariness, it reaches a hollow,

    it fills its mouth around the bridle's bit.

  57. فَكَم مَلِكٍ أُغادِرُ عَن يَميني

    وَعَن يُسرايَ إِذ كُنتُم أَمامي

    How many kings I have left behind on my right

    and on my left, since you were ahead of me!

  58. وَلَستُ بِذي عَمىً عَن رزق سُوءٍ

    أُغادِرُهُ وَلَكِن عَن تَعامي

    Nor am I blind to a paltry livelihood;

    I leave it behind, but out of deliberate blindness.

  59. إِذا قَنِعَ الهِزَبرُ بقوت كَلبٍ

    فَلَيسَ الفَرقُ إِلّا في الأَسامي

    If a mighty lion is content with a dog's food,

    then the only difference is in the names.

  60. رَضَعتَ الجودَ قَبلَ الدَر طِفلاً

    وَما لِرَضاع جودِكَ مِن فِطامِ

    As an infant, you suckled generosity before milk,

    and there is no weaning from nursing on your bounty.

  61. فَجودُ سواك رَمَيةُ غَير رامٍ

    وَجودك رَمية من كَفِّ رامِ

    The generosity of others is a shot by a non-archer,

    while yours is a shot from an archer's palm.

  62. فَعِش واسلَم قَريرَ العَينَ تَعلو

    وَتبلغ زا تُؤمِّل مِن مَرامِ

    So live and stay safe, with tranquil eyes, rising high,

    and attain whatever goal you hope for.