1. بِمِثلِ لِقائِها شُفِيَ الغَليلُ

    غَداةَ تَزايَلَت تِلكَ الحُمولُ

    Such a meeting with her quenched the burning longing,

    on the morning those laden camels parted.

  2. بَعيدَةُ مَطلَبٍ وَجَمادُ نَيلٍ

    فَها هِيَ ما تُنالُ وَلا تُنيلُ

    Far beyond reach, and barren of favors,

    so there she is: neither attainable nor bestowing.

  3. إِذا خَطَرَت تَأَرَّجَ جانِباها

    كَما خَطَرَت عَلى الرَوضِ القَبولُ

    When she sways past, fragrance spreads from either side,

    as the east wind glides over the meadow.

  4. وَيَحسُنُ دَلُّها وَالمَوتُ فيهِ

    وَقَد يُستَحسَنُ السَيفُ الصَقيلُ

    Her coy grace is lovely, though death lies within it,

    and even a polished sword can be admired.

  5. وَقَفنا وَالعُيونُ مُشَغَّلاتٌ

    يَغالِبُ دَمعَها نَظَرٌ كَليلُ

    We stood, our eyes preoccupied,

    a weary gaze contending with their tears.

  6. نَهَتهُ رِقبَةُ الواشينَ حَتّى

    تَعَلَّقَ لا يُغيضُ وَلا يَسيلُ

    Fear of the slanderers held them back, until

    they hung suspended, neither ebbing nor flowing.

  7. غَدَت قُضبانُ إِسحِلَةٍ عَلَيها

    لِفَرطِ الجَدلِ أَوشِحَةٌ تَجولُ

    They became boughs of an isḥilah tree, around which

    sashes turned freely, such was their taut slenderness.

  8. يُقَوِّمُ مِن تَثَنّيها اِعتِدالٌ

    يَكادُ يُقالُ مِن هَيَفٍ نُحولُ

    Their swaying is tempered by upright poise,

    so slender it might almost be called emaciation.

  9. مَشَينَ عَلى خَمائِلِ ذي طُلوحٍ

    وَقَد ضاقَت بِما فيها الحُجولُ

    They walked over the meadows of Dhu Tuluh,

    while their anklets were tight about what they enclosed.

  10. أَقولُ أَزيدَ مِن سَقَمٍ فُؤادي

    وَهَل يَزدادُ مِن قَتلٍ قَتيلُ

    I ask: has my heart grown sicker still?

    And can one already slain be slain still more?

  11. وَلَيسَ يَصِحُّ لِلمَخبولِ قَلبٌ

    يُعَلُّ خَبالَهُ اللَحظُ العَليلُ

    Nor can the maddened man's heart grow sound,

    when a languid glance keeps watering his madness.

  12. تَناسى عَهدَهُ سَكَنٌ خَلِيٌّ

    وَناءَ بِوِدِّهِ خِلٌّ مَلولُ

    A carefree beloved chose to forget his pledge,

    and a fickle friend took his affection far away.

  13. فَما دامَ الحَبيبُ عَلى وِصالٍ

    وَلا أَدّى أَمانَتَهُ خَليلُ

    So no beloved persisted in union,

    nor did a friend discharge his trust.

  14. أَذُمُّ إِلَيكَ مَن أَحمَدتُ إِن لَم

    يَكُن عَدَدٌ بِحَيثُ هُمُ قَليلُ

    I censure before you those I once praised, even if

    they form no multitude, being few wherever they are.

  15. لَنا في كُلِّ دَهرٍ أَصدِقاءٌ

    تَعودُ عِدىً وَحالاتٌ تَحولُ

    In every age we have friends

    who turn to enemies, and conditions that change.

  16. وَقَد تَعفو الظُنونُ بِمَن يُرَجّى

    فَتُخلِفُ مِثلَ ماتَعفُ الطُلولُ

    And hopes in one relied upon may fade,

    and disappoint, as the ruins fade away.

  17. وَما فُقِدَ الجَميلُ لِقُربِ عَهدٍ

    فَنَسأَلَ عَنهُ بَل نُسِيَ الجَميلُ

    Kindness has not been lost only recently,

    so that we might ask after it; rather, kindness is forgotten.

  18. وَيَلؤُمُ سائِلُ البُخَلاءِ حِرصاً

    وَإِشفاقاً كَما لَأُمَ البَخيلُ

    And one who asks of misers grows base through greed,

    and anxiety, just as the miser grew base.

  19. بَناتُ العيدِ تَعتادُ الفَيافي

    إِذا شِئنا اِستَمَرَّ بِها الذَميلُ

    The daughters of al-ʿId frequent the deserts;

    whenever we wish, their easy trot carries them onward.

  20. وَما طَرَفا زَمانِ المَرءِ إِلّا

    مُقامٌ يَرتَضيهِ أَو رَحيلُ

    A man's life has only two sides:

    a stay that pleases him, or departure.

  21. لَقَد ضَمِنَ العَلاءُ بَديءَ جودٍ

    نِجارُ أَبي العَلاءِ بِهِ كَفيلُ

    Al-Ala has indeed pledged a first act of generosity,

    Abu al-Ala's lineage stands surety for it.

  22. يَلَذُّ الأَريَحِيَّةَ لِلعَطايا

    كَما لَذَّت لِشارِبِها الشُمولُ

    He delights in the openhearted impulse to give,

    as wine delights its drinker.

  23. لَهُ مِن مَخلَدٍ وَبَني أَبيهِ

    شَمائِلُ ما تَخيبُ وَما تُخيلُ

    From Makhlad and his father's sons he has

    qualities that never disappoint or raise false hopes.

  24. أُناسٌ بَيتُ سُؤدُدِهِم مَطافُ ال

    مَعالي وَاِسمُ نائِلِهِم جَزيلُ

    A people whose house of nobility is circled by the

    lofty virtues, and whose bounty is called abundant.

  25. إِذا ذُكِروا بِشُهرَةِ يَومِ فَخرٍ

    تَناسَبَتِ النَباهَةُ وَالخُمولُ

    When they are mentioned with acclaim on a day of boasting,

    renown and obscurity appear alike.

  26. لَئِن مَدّوا إِلى العَليا أَكُفّاً

    لَهُنَّ عَلى أَكُفِّ الناسِ طولُ

    If indeed they stretch their palms toward the heights,

    those palms have greater reach than other people's palms.

  27. فَإِنَّهُمُ وَإِنّا حَيثُ نَغدو

    وَإِن كانَت تُدَبِّرُنا العُقولُ

    For they and we, wherever we go,

    though reason may direct us,

  28. نُيَسَّرُ لِلَّتي تَمني المَواني

    وَنَذهَبُ حَيثُ تُرسِلُنا الأُصولُ

    are made ready for what the fates decree,

    and go wherever our roots send us.

  29. أَبا عيسى وَأَنتَ المَرءُ تَعلو

    لَهُ النَفسُ الشَريفَةُ وَالقَبيلُ

    Abu Isa, you are a man exalted by

    his noble soul and his clan.

  30. وَفَرتُكَ لا هَوىً بِكَ في وُفورٍ

    إِذا ما حانَ مِن حَقٍّ نُزولُ

    I spared you—not that you wished to keep your wealth intact—

    when a rightful claim came due;

  31. وَلَكِن جاهُ ذي خَطَرٍ شَريفٍ

    أَراهُ وَهوَ مِن جودٍ بَديلُ

    but the standing of a man of noble worth

    I regard as a substitute for generosity.

  32. إِذا ما القَولُ عادَ لَنا بِطولٍ

    فَقَبضٌ مِن فَعالِكَ ما تَقولُ

    If speech brings us bounty,

    then your words are payment drawn from your deeds.