1. ما يَستَفيقُ دَدٌ لِقَلبِكَ مِن دَدٍ

    يَعتادُ ذِكراها طَوالَ المُسنَدِ

    The revelry in your heart never sobers from revelry;

    it keeps returning to the thought of her throughout time.

  2. بَيضاءُ إِن تُعلِل بِلَحظٍ لا تَهَب

    بُرءً وَإِن تَقتُل بِدَلٍّ لا تَدِ

    A fair woman: if she soothes with a glance, she grants no

    healing; and if she kills with coquetry, she pays no blood-price.

  3. سَبَقَت بِنَبوَتِها المَشيبِ وَعَجَّلَت

    في اليَومِ هُجراً كانَ يُرقَبُ في غَدِ

    Her estrangement preceded gray hair, and she hastened

    into today a desertion that was expected tomorrow.

  4. لَم أَلقَ شَفعاً كَالسُلُّوِ وَكَالهَوى

    أَنَأى وَأَبعَدَ مَصدَراً مِن مَورِدِ

    I have met no pair like forgetfulness and love,

    whose way out lies so far, so remote, from its way in.

  5. ماباتَ لِلأَحبابِ ضامِنَ لَوعَةٍ

    مَن باتَ بَعدَ البَينِ غَيرَ مُسَهَّدِ

    He has not passed the night pledged to anguish for his loved ones,

    who passes it after parting without lying sleepless.

  6. أَهوى البِراقَ عَلى تَعادي قَصدِها

    وَأَعُدُّ أَهواهُنَّ بُرقَةَ ثَهمَدِ

    I love the stony tracts, though their approaches lie far apart,

    and count Burqat Thahmad the dearest of them.

  7. لُطفُ الرَبيعِ لَها يَصوغُ حُلِيِّها

    بِغَرائِبٍ مِن لُؤلُؤٍ وَزَبَرجَدِ

    Spring's gentle touch fashions her jewelry for her,

    with rare wonders of pearl and peridot.

  8. أَمّا الخُطوبَ فَلَن تَعودَ كَما بَدَت

    بَل عَودَ أَنقَصَ عُدَّةٍ أَو أَزيَدِ

    As for misfortunes, they will not return as they first appeared,

    but return in lesser number or greater.

  9. قَد قُلتُ لِلمُعطي الهُوَينا عَزمَهُ

    إِنَّ النَجاحَ أَمامَ عَفوِكَ فَاِجهَدِ

    I have told the man who yields his resolve to ease:

    Success lies beyond your easy efforts, so strive.

  10. لَن تُدرِكَ الشَأوَ الَّذي تَجري لَهُ

    حَتّى تَكونَ كَأَحمَدِ بنِ مُحَمَّدِ

    You will not reach the goal toward which you race

    until you become like Ahmad ibn Muhammad.

  11. مُتَيَقِّظٌ حَفَظَت عَلَيهِ أُمورَهُ

    حَرَكاتُ نَجدٍ في المَساعي أَيِّدِ

    A vigilant man, whose affairs have been safeguarded

    by the actions of one valiant and mighty in endeavor.

  12. كانَت كِفايَتُهُ وَمُقبِلُ حَظِّهِ

    شَروى كَريمِ فَعالِهِ وَالمَحتِدِ

    His competence and rising fortune were

    a match for his noble deeds and lineage.

  13. جِدٌّ يَبيتُ الجِدُّ مُقتَضِياً لَهُ

    أَبَداً وَلا جِدٌّ لِمَن لَم يَجدُدِ

    Fortune that diligence spends the night securing for him,

    always; no fortune comes to one who does not strive.

  14. هُبِلَ الحَسودُ لَقَد تَكَلَّفَ خُطَّةً

    تُبدي الخَزايَةَ في وُجوهِ الحُسَّدِ

    May the envier perish! He has undertaken a scheme

    that exposes disgrace on the faces of the envious.

  15. لَؤُمَت خَلائِقُهُم فَكَذَّبَ سَعيُهُم

    عَن سَعيِ فَردٍ في المَكارِمِ أَوحَدِ

    Their characters were base, so their striving fell short

    of the striving of one unique, peerless in noble deeds.

  16. بَلَغَ السِيادَةَ في بُدوءِ شَبابِهِ

    إِنَّ الشَبابَ مَطِيَّةٌ لِلسُؤدُدِ

    He attained leadership at the outset of his youth;

    indeed, youth is a mount to eminence.

  17. في كُلِّ يَومٍ رُتبَةٌ يَزدادُها

    وَيُشارِفُ النُقصانَ مَن لَم يَزدِدِ

    Each day he gains another rank;

    and whoever does not advance draws near to decline.

  18. ذو شِكَّةٍ يَغدو الحُسامُ المُنتَضى

    أَحظى لَدَيهِ مِنَ الحُسامِ المُغمَدِ

    A man of arms: the drawn sword is

    dearer to him than the sheathed sword.

  19. عاذَت بَنو شَيبانَ مِنهُ بِطورِها

    وَالطورُ مَنزِلَةُ القَصِيِّ الأَبعَدِ

    Banu Shayban sought refuge from him on their Mount Tur,

    and Tur is the dwelling of the far-off, the most remote.

  20. فَغَلَت بُحورُ الحَربِ إِذ ضَرَّمتَها

    ناراً تَعودُ بِها السُيوفُ وَتَبتَدي

    Then the seas of war boiled when you kindled them

    into a fire in which the swords return and begin anew.

  21. إِنَّ المُحارِبَ لا يَفوزُ فَتَعتَلي

    أَقسامُهُ حَتّى يَجورَ فَيَعتَدي

    Indeed, a warrior cannot triumph and thereby increase

    his allotted shares until he does wrong and transgresses.

  22. قَد كانَ مالَ عَنِ المَطالِبِ ناظِري

    وَعَزَمتُ كُلَّ العَزمِ أَلّا أَجتَدي

    My gaze had already turned away from seeking favors,

    and I had resolved most firmly not to seek gifts,

  23. حَتّى اِبتَدَأتَ بِما اِبتَدَأتَ بِعُظمِهِ

    فَغَلَبتَ عُظمَ تَماسُكي وَتَزَهُّدي

    until you took the initiative with so great an offering,

    and overcame my strong restraint and self-denial.

  24. لي بُغيَةٌ في واسِطٍ ما دونَها

    إِلّا مُناقَلَةُ الهِجانِ الوُخَّدِ

    I have a goal in Wasit; nothing lies between me and it

    but the alternating strides of swift white thoroughbred camels.

  25. سَفَرٌ مَنَعتَهُمُ الصُعودَ فَصَوَّبوا

    وَالاِنحِدارُ سَبيلُ مَن لَم يَصعَدِ

    Travelers: you denied them ascent, so they headed down;

    and descent is the path of one who does not ascend.

  26. أَمّا مُصافَحَةُ الوَداعِ فَإِنَّها

    ثَقُلَت فَما اِسطاعَت تَنوءُ بِها يَدي

    As for the farewell handshake, it

    grew so heavy that my hand could not lift it.

  27. فَعَلَيكَ تَضعيفُ السَلامِ فَإِنَّني

    إِمّا أَروحُ غَداً وَإِمّا أَغتَدي

    So to you a doubled salutation, for I

    will leave tomorrow, either in the afternoon or the morning.

  28. كَم قَد لَوى الضَبعِيُّ مِن دينٍ لَنا

    لَم يُقضَ أَو عارِيَةٍ لَم تُردَدِ

    How many debts of ours al-Dab‘i has delayed,

    left unpaid—or borrowed things left unreturned!

  29. وَأَقَلُّ ما أَعتَدُّ مِنكَ وَأَرتَجي

    مِن حُسنِ رَأيِكَ فِيَّ نُجحُكَ مَوعِدي

    And the least I count on from you and hope for,

    given your good regard for me, is your keeping the promise made to me.