1. للغانياتِ بِذي المَجازِ رُسومُ

    فَبِبَطنِ مَكّةَ عهدُهنَّ قَديمُ

    At Dhu al-Majaz are traces of the fair women;

    in Mecca's valley, their time there is long past.

  2. فَبمَنحر الهَدي المقَلدِ مِن مِنى

    جُدَدٌ يلُحنَ كَأَنَّهُنَّ وشومُ

    And at Mina's slaughter-ground for garlanded offerings,

    streaks appear as though they were tattoos.

  3. هِجنَ البكاءَ لِصاحِبي فزَجرتُهُ

    وَالدَّمعُ مِنه في الرِّداءِ سُجومُ

    They stirred my companion's tears, and I rebuked him,

    while his tears streamed into his cloak.

  4. قال اِنتَظِر نَستَحفِ مَغنَى دِمنَةٍ

    أَنَّى اِنتَوَت لِلسائلين رَميمُ

    He said: Wait; let us question the ruined abode:

    where has Rumaym journeyed, for those who ask?

  5. قُلتُ اِنصَرِف إِنَّ السؤالَ لَجاجَةٌ

    وَالناسُ منهم جاهِلٌ وَحَليمُ

    I said: Turn away; questioning is obstinacy,

    and among people are the foolish and the forbearing.

  6. فَأَبى بِهِ أَن يَستَمِرَّ عَن الهَوى

    لِنَجاحِ أَمرٍ لُبُّهُ المَقسومُ

    But he was barred from turning away from desire

    to accomplish a purpose, by his allotted mind.

  7. وَالحُبُّ ما لَم تَمضيَن لِسَبيلِهِ

    داءٌ تضمَّنَهُ الضُلوعُ مُقيمُ

    And love, unless you send it on its way,

    is a lasting illness lodged within the ribs.

  8. أَبلِغ رُمَيمَ عَلى التنائي أَنَّني

    وصّالُ إِخوان الصَفاءِ صَرومُ

    Tell Rumaym, though we are far apart, that I

    keep close ties with loyal brothers, and firmly sever ties.

  9. أَرعَى الأمانَة للأمينِ بِحَقِّها

    فَيبينُ عَفّاً سِرُّهُ مَكتومُ

    I honor the trust of the trustworthy as it deserves,

    so he departs untainted, his secret concealed.

  10. وَأَشَدُّ لِلمَولى المُدَفَّعِ رُكنُهُ

    شَفَقاً مِن التَعجيزِ وَهوَ مُليمُ

    And I strengthen the support of a rebuffed kinsman,

    for fear of leaving him helpless, though he is blameworthy.

  11. يَنأى بِجانِبه إِذا لَم يفتَقِر

    وَعَليَّ لِلخَصمِ الأَلدِّ هَضيمُ

    He turns away when he has no need,

    but falls to me when a stubborn foe oppresses him.

  12. إِنَّ الأَذِلَّةَ وَاللئامَ مَعاشِرٌ

    مَولاهُم المُتَهَضّمُ المَظلومُ

    The abject and the base are people

    whose kinsman is belittled and oppressed.

  13. وَإِذا أَهنتَ أَخاكَ أَو أَفردتَهُ

    عَمداً فَأَنتَ الواهِنُ المَذمومُ

    And if you humiliate your brother or leave him alone

    deliberately, you are the weak and blameworthy one.

  14. لا تَتَّبِع سُبُلَ السفاهَةِ وَالخَنا

    إِنَّ السفيهَ معنَّفٌ مَشتومُ

    Do not follow the paths of foolishness and obscenity;

    the fool is rebuked and reviled.

  15. وَأَقِم لِمَن صافيتَ وَجهاً واحِداً

    وَخَليقَةً إِنَّ الكَريمَ قَؤومُ

    Show one face to the friend you cherish,

    and one character: the noble man is steadfast.

  16. لا تَنهَ عَن خُلُقٍ وَتأتيَ مِثلَهُ

    عارٌ عَلَيكَ إِذا فعلتَ عَظيمُ

    Do not forbid a trait while practicing its like;

    if you do so, it is a great disgrace to you.

  17. وَإِذا رَأَيتَ المَرءَ يَقفو نَفسَهُ

    وَالمُحصَناتِ فَما لِذاكَ حَريمُ

    And if you see a man slandering himself

    and chaste women, he has no claim to protection.

  18. وَمُعيِّري بِالفَقرِ قُلتُ لَهُ اِقتَصِد

    إِنّي أَمامَك في الزَمانِ قَديمُ

    To the man who taunted me for poverty, I said: Be moderate;

    I stand ahead of you, long-seasoned in life.

  19. قَد يُكثِرُ النكس المُقَصِّرِ هَمّهُ

    وَيَقِلُّ مالُ المَرء وَهوَ كَريمُ

    A base man of limited ambition may grow wealthy,

    while a man's wealth dwindles though he is noble.

  20. تَراكُ أَمكنةٍ إِذا لَم أَرضَها

    حَمّالُ أَضغانٍ بِهِنَّ غَشومُ

    I readily leave places when they displease me,

    bearing grudges against them, ruthless.

  21. بَل رُبَّ مُعتَرِضٍ رَدَدتُ جِماحَهُ

    في رأسِهِ فأقَرَّ وَهوَ لَئيمُ

    Indeed, many an assailant's unruliness I turned

    back upon his own head, till he yielded, base as he was.

  22. أَغضى عَلى حَدِّ القَذى إِذ جِئتهُ

    وَبأنفِهِ مِمّا أَقولُ وسومُ

    He closed his eyes upon the sting of grit when I came to him,

    and my words left brands upon his nose.

  23. أَنضَجتُ كَيَّتُهُ فَظَلَّ منكِّساً

    وسطَ النَديِّ كَأَنَّه مأمومُ

    I burned his brand deep, and he remained with head bowed

    amid the assembly, as though wounded through the skull.

  24. متَقَنِّعاً خَزيانَ أَعلى صَوتِه

    بَعدَ اللجاجَةِ في الصُراخِ نَئيمُ

    Covering his head, ashamed, his loudest voice

    after his obstinate shouting was a faint moan.

  25. أَقصِر فَإِنّي لا يَرومُ عضادتي

    يابنَ الجَموحِ مُوَقَّعٌ مَلطومُ

    Desist! No one seeks to match my strength,

    O son of al-Jamuh, who is battered and slapped.

  26. وَإِذا شَرِبتَ الخَمرَ فاِبغِ تَعِلَّةً

    غَيري يَئينُ بِها إِلَيكَ نَديمُ

    And when you drink wine, seek some diversion

    other than me, over which a drinking mate may weary himself for you.

  27. أَنَّى تُحارِبُني وَعودُكَ خِروَعٌ

    قَصفٌ وَأَنتَ مِن العَفافِ عَديمُ

    How can you fight me, when your wood is castor wood,

    brittle, and you are devoid of chastity?

  28. ما كانَ ظَهري لِلسّياطِ مظِنَّةً

    زَمَناً كأَنّي لِلحُدودِ غَريمُ

    My back was never a likely target for whips,

    at any time, as though I owed a debt to prescribed penalties.

  29. قَد كُنتُ قُلتُ وَأَنتَ غَيرُ موفقٍ

    ماذا زُوَيملَةُ الضَّلالِ يَرومُ

    I had already said, while you lacked good judgment:

    What does Zuwaymilah of error seek?

  30. أَنتَ امرؤٌ ضَيَّعتَ عِرضَكَ جاهِلٌ

    وَرَضِيتَ جَهلاً أَن يُقالَ أَثيمُ

    You are an ignorant man who squandered his honor

    and ignorantly consented to be called sinful.

  31. إِنّي أَبى ليَ أَن أُقَصِّرَ والِدٌ

    شَهمٌ عَلى الأَمرِ القَوي عَزومُ

    My father would not allow me to fall short,

    high-spirited and resolute in formidable undertakings.

  32. وَقَصائِدي فَخرٌ وَعِزي قاهِرٌ

    مُتَمَنِّعٌ يَعلو الجِبالَ جَسيمُ

    My poems are a source of pride, and my honor conquers,

    unassailable, towering above the mountains, immense.

  33. وَأَنا امرؤٌ أَصِلُ الخَليلَ وَدونَهُ

    شُمُّ الذُّرى وَمَفازَةٌ ديمومُ

    And I am a man who reaches his friend, though before him lie

    lofty summits and a vast, trackless desert.

  34. وَلَئِن سَئِمتُ وصالَه مادامَ بي

    مُتَمَسِّكاً إِنّي إِذَن لَسَؤومُ

    Were I to tire of his companionship while he still

    holds fast to me, I would indeed tire too readily.

  35. لا بَل أُحَيّي بِالكَرامَةِ أَهلَها

    وَأذمُّ مَن هوَ في الصَديقِ وَخيمُ

    No: rather I greet the worthy with honor

    and condemn whoever is harmful in friendship.

  36. وَبِذاكَ أَوصاني أَبي وَأَنا امرؤٌ

    فَرعٌ خزيمةُ معقِلي وَصَميمُ

    My father enjoined this on me, and I am a man,

    a scion: Khuzaymah is my stronghold and pure stock.

  37. لا أرفِدُ النُّصحَ امرءاً يَغتَشُّني

    حَتّى أَموتَ وَلا أَقولُ حَميمُ

    I will not lend counsel to a man who distrusts me

    until I die; nor will I call a close friend

  38. لِمبعِّدٍ قُربي يَمُتُّ بِدونِها

    إِنَّ امرءاً حُرِمَ الهُدى مَحرومُ

    one who spurns my kinship yet claims a lesser bond.

    A man denied guidance is truly deprived.

  39. تَلقى الدَّني يَذُمُّ مَن يَنوي العُلى

    جَهلاً ومتنُ قَناتِه مَوصومُ

    You find the base man disparaging one who seeks the heights,

    ignorantly, while his own spear-shaft is flawed.

  40. فِعل المُنافِق ظَلَّ يأبِنُ ذا النُّهى

    في دينِهِ وَنِفاقُهُ مَعلومُ

    The hypocrite's conduct: he keeps slandering the discerning man

    in his faith, while his own hypocrisy is known.

  41. هَذا وَإِمّا أُمسِ رَهنَ مَنيَّةٍ

    فَلَقَد لَهَوتُ لَو اَنَّ ذاكَ يَدومُ

    This—and if I come to be hostage to death,

    I have indeed enjoyed myself—if only that could last—

  42. بِكَواعِبٍ كالدُرِّ أَخلصَ لَونَها

    صَونٌ غُذينَ بِهِ مَعاً وَنَعيمُ

    with full-breasted maidens like pearls, whose complexion was refined

    by the sheltered care and comfort in which they were reared,

  43. في غَيرِ غِشيانٍ لأمرٍ مَحرَمٍ

    وَمَعي أَخٌ لي لِلخَليلِ هَضومُ

    without engaging in anything forbidden,

    and with a brother beside me, yielding toward a friend.

  44. وَلَقَد قَطَعتُ الخَرقَ تَحتي جَسرَةٌ

    خَطّارَةٌ غِبَّ السُّرى عُلكومُ

    And I have crossed the wide waste, beneath me a sturdy she-camel,

    tail-swishing after night travel, massive.

  45. مَوّارَةُ الضبعَينِ يَرفَعُ رَحلَها

    كَتِدٌ أَشَمُّ وَتامِكٌ مَدمومُ

    Her upper arms swing; her saddle is raised

    by lofty withers and a tall, fat-packed hump.

  46. تَقِصُ الإِكام إِذا عدَت بِملاطِسٍ

    سُمرِ المَناسِمِ كلّهنَّ رَثيمُ

    She crushes the hillocks when she runs on hammering hooves,

    dark at the soles, all of them battered.

  47. مَدفوقَةٌ قُدُماً تَبوَّعُ في السُّرى

    أجدٌ مُداخَلَةُ الفَقارِ عَقيمُ

    Thrust straight ahead, taking long strides through the night,

    firm-fleshed, close-knit of vertebrae, barren.

  48. زَيّافَةٌ بمقَذِّها وبليتِها

    مِن نَضحِ ذِفراها الكُحَيلُ عصيمُ

    Swift-striding, with her nape and neck swaying,

    the tar lies in streaks from the sweat behind her ears.

  49. وَجناءُ مُجفِرَةٌ كَأَنَّ لُغامَها

    قُطنٌ بِأَعلى خَطمِها مَركومُ

    Stout-cheeked and broad-flanked, her foam seems

    cotton piled upon the top of her muzzle.

  50. أَرمي بِها عُرضَ الفَلاةِ إِذا دَجا

    لَيلٌ كَلَونِ الطَّيلسانِ دَهيمُ

    I drive her across the desert's breadth when darkness falls:

    a night black as a taylasan cloak.

  51. تهدي نجايبَ ضُمَّراً وَكَأَنَّما

    ضَمِنَ الوَليَّةَ وَالقتودَ ظَليمُ

    She leads lean, noble mounts, and it is as though

    a male ostrich carries the saddlecloth and saddle frames.

  52. مُتَواتِراتٍ تَعتلينَ ذواقِنا

    فَكأَنَّهُنَّ مِن الكَلالَةِ هِيمُ

    Following in succession, they climb with drooping chins,

    as though exhaustion had made them thirst-maddened.

  53. وَلَها إِذا الحِرباءُ ظَلَّ كَأَنَّهُ

    خَصمٌ يُنازِعُهُ القُضاة خصيمُ

    And hers, when the chameleon stands as though

    a contentious litigant wrangling with the judges,

  54. عَنسٌ كَأَنَّ عِظامَها مَوصولَةٌ

    بِعِظامِ أُخرى في الزِّمامِ سَعومُ

    is a sturdy she-camel, her bones seemingly joined

    to another's bones, swift under the halter.

  55. وَلَقَد شَهِدتُ الخَيلَ يَحمِلُ شِكَّتي

    طِرفٌ أَجَشُّ إِذا وَنينَ هَزيمُ

    And I have witnessed the cavalry, my arms carried by

    a noble steed, rough-voiced, swift when the others tire.

  56. رَبِذُ القَوائِمِ حينَ يَندى عِطفُه

    وَيَمورُ مِن بعدِ الحَميمِ حَميمُ

    Swift of legs when his flank grows wet,

    and sweat surges after sweat.

  57. يَنفي الجِيادَ إِذا اِصطَكَكنَ بِمأزِم

    قَلِقُ الرِّحالَةِ وَالحِزامِ عَذومُ

    He drives the steeds aside when they collide in a narrow pass,

    shaking saddle and girth, biting fiercely.

  58. وَإِذا عَلت مِن بَعدِ وَهدٍ مَرقَباً

    عَرضت لَها دَيمومَةٌ وَحُزومُ

    And when they climb from a hollow to a lookout,

    a trackless plain and rugged heights lie before them.

  59. يَهدي أَوائِلَها المُوَقَّفُ غُدوَةً

    وَيَلوحُ فَوقَ جَبينِه التسويمُ

    The white-marked steed leads their foremost ranks at dawn,

    and his distinguishing mark shines above his brow.

  60. طالَت قَوائِمُه وَتَمَّ تَليلُه

    وَاِبتَزَّ سائِرَ خَلقِه الحَيزومُ

    His legs are long, his neck fully formed,

    and his chest dominates the rest of his frame.

  61. مُسحَنفِرٌ تُذري سَنابِكُه الحَصى

    فَكأنَّ تَذراهُ نَوىً مَعجومُ

    Charging forward, his hooves scatter pebbles,

    as though what he scatters were gnawed fruit stones.

  62. ذو رَونَقٍ يَذري الحِجارَةَ وَقعُهُ

    وَبِهِنَّ للمتوسِّمينَ كُلومُ

    Lustrous, his tread scatters stones,

    and on them are scars for those who inspect.

  63. فَكأَنَّهُ مِن ظَهرِ غَيبٍ إِذ بَدا

    يَمتَلُّ هَيقٌ في السرابِ يَعومُ

    As though, when he emerges from beyond the unseen,

    he were an ostrich racing, swimming through the mirage.

  64. هَزِجُ القِيادِ أمرَّ شَزراً هَيكَلٌ

    نَزِقٌ عَلى فأسِ اللِّجامِ أزومُ

    Lively under the reins, tautly cross-twisted, massive,

    headstrong, biting hard on the bridle's blade.

  65. يَهوي هَويَّ الدلوِ أسلمها العُرى

    فَتَصَوَّبت وَرِشاؤُها مَجذومُ

    He plunges like a bucket released by its loops,

    falling straight down with its rope severed.

  66. مُتَتابِعٌ كَفِتٌ كَأَنَّ صَهيلَهُ

    جَرسٌ تَضَمَّنَ صَوتَهُ الحُلقومُ

    Swift, with stride following stride; his neigh seems

    a ringing sound enclosed within his throat.

  67. صُلبُ النسورِ لَهُ مَعَدٌّ مُجفِرٌ

    سَبِطُ الضلوعِ وَكاهِلٌ ملمومُ

    Hard of hoof-frogs, with a capacious flank,

    long-ribbed, with compact withers.

  68. مُتَقاذِفٌ في الشَّدِّ حينَ تَهيجُه

    كَتقاذُفِ الحِسي الخَسيف طَميمُ

    Bounding in his gallop when you rouse him,

    like the surging of a deep waterhole, brimming full.

  69. مِن آلِ أَعوَجَ لا ضَعيفٌ مُقصَفٌ

    سَغِلٌ وَلا نَكِدُ النباتِ ذَميمُ

    Of A'waj's line, not weak or brittle,

    spindly, nor stunted and ill-favored in growth.

  70. سَلِطُ السنابِكِ لا يُوَرِّعُ غَربَهُ

    فَأسٌ أُعِدَّ لَهُ مَعاً وَشَكيمُ

    Sharp of hoof; his mettle is not restrained

    by the bit-blade fitted for him together with its mouthpiece.

  71. شَنِجُ النسا ضافي السَّبيبِ مُقَلِّصٌ

    بِكَظامَةِ الثَّغرِ المَخوفِ صَرومُ

    Taut of hamstring, with flowing mane and tail, long-legged,

    resolute at the narrows of the dreaded frontier.

  72. يَرمي بِعَينَيهِ الفِجاجَ وَرَبُّهُ

    لِلخَوفِ يقعدُ تارَةً وَيَقومُ

    He casts both eyes along the passes, while his master,

    in fear, now sits and now stands.

  73. كالصَّقرِ أَصبحَ باليَفاعِ وَلَفَّهُ

    يَومٌ أَجادَ مِن الرَبيعِ مُغيمُ

    Like a falcon at dawn on high ground, enveloped

    by a cloudy day pouring freely with spring rain.