1. ضَرَبنَ إِلَينا خُدوداً وِساما

    وَقُلنَ لَنا اليَومَ موتوا كِراما

    They turned toward us beautiful cheeks,

    and said to us: "Today, die nobly!"

  2. وَلا تَبرُكوا بِمُناخِ الذَليلِ

    يُرَحِّلُهُ الضَيمُ عاما فَعاما

    Do not kneel in the abased man's encampment,

    whom oppression drives onward year after year.

  3. إِلى كَم خُضوعٌ لِرَيبِ الزَمانِ

    قُعوداً أَلا طالَ هَذا مَناما

    How long this submission to time's vicissitudes,

    sitting idle? Ah, how long this slumber has lasted!

  4. وَلا أَنفَ تَحمي لِهَذا الهَوانِ

    وَلا قَلبَ يَأنَفُ هَذا المَقاما

    No nose burns with pride at this humiliation,

    and no heart disdains this station.

  5. فَإِن رابَكُم ما يَقولُ النَصيحُ

    فَسالوا القَنا وَاِستَشيروا الحُساما

    If what the sincere adviser says troubles you,

    then ask the spears and consult the keen sword.

  6. وَأَدنوا العَليقَ إِلى المُقرَباتِ

    تَقُل لَكُمُ لَيسَ إِلّا اللِجاما

    Bring fodder near the prized horses;

    they will tell you: "Nothing but the bridle!"

  7. تَيَقَّظتُمُ لِدِفاعِ الخُطوبِ

    فَلَم تَترُكونَ الأَعادي نِياما

    You have awakened to ward off calamities;

    then why do you leave your enemies asleep?

  8. أَلَسنا بَني البيضِ مِن هاشِمٍ

    أَعَزَّ جَناباً وَأَوفى ذِماما

    Are we not sons of Hashim's bright-faced men,

    mightiest in standing and most faithful to covenants?

  9. وَما تَفتَلينا المَنايا غُلاماً

    يُؤَمَّلُ إِلّا اِفتَلَينا غُلاما

    Death never takes from us a youth

    in whom hope is placed, but we choose another youth.

  10. لَنا كُلُّ مُغتَرَبٍ في العَلا

    ءِ لا يَطرُقُ الحَيَّ إِلّا لِماما

    Ours is every far-roaming seeker of eminence,

    who visits the tribal camp only now and then.

  11. وَقَد كانَ إِن شَمَّ ضَيماً أَبى

    فَمِن أَينَ عُلِّمَ هَذا الشِماما

    He would refuse whenever he smelled injustice;

    where, then, was he taught this proud bearing?

  12. إِلى الطائِعِ العَدلِ أَعمَلتُهُن

    نَ سَومَ القَطا يَدَّرِعنَ الظَلاما

    Toward al-Ta'i', the just, I drove them onward,

    at the sandgrouse's pace, armored in darkness.

  13. كَأَنّي أَروعُ بِها جِنَّةً

    إِذا اِلتَبَسَت بِالدُجى أَو نَعاما

    As though I startled a band of jinn with them,

    when they mingled with night's gloom—or ostriches.

  14. يَقولُ الرِفاقُ إِذا رَجَّعَت

    مِنَ الأَينِ جَرجَرَةً أَو بُغاما

    The companions say, when they repeat

    from weariness a rumbling or a lowing:

  15. لَكَ اللَهُ جَعجِع بِأَنضائِهِنَّ

    تَعَفِّ السَنامِ وَتَنقِ السُلامى

    "God help you! Halt their exhausted bodies;

    restore their humps and replenish the marrow of their limb bones."

  16. إِلى أَينَ خَلفِيَ أَثني العِنانَ

    إِذا ما وَجَدتُ أَمامي إِماما

    Where behind me should I turn the rein,

    when I have found an imam before me?

  17. إِذا ما أَنَخنا إِلى اِبنِ المُطيعِ

    حَمِدنا السُرى وَأَطَلنا المُقاما

    When we make our mounts kneel beside Ibn al-Muti',

    we praise the night's journey and prolong our stay.

  18. إِمامٌ تَرى سِلكَ آبائِهِ

    بُعَيدَ الرَسولِ إِماماً إِماما

    An imam whose forefathers you see in a string,

    just after the Messenger, imam after imam.

  19. يَعُدُّ لِعَليائِهِ هاشِماً

    إِذا ما الأَذِلّاءُ عَدّوا هِشاما

    He counts Hashim among his sources of eminence,

    while the lowly count Hisham.

  20. مِنَ الراكِزينَ الرِماحَ الطِوا

    لَ وَالرافِعينَ العِمادَ العِظاما

    Of those who plant the long spears

    and raise the mighty tent-poles.

  21. إِذا ما بَنَوا بَيتَ أُكرومَةٍ

    أَطالوا السُموكَ وَمَدّوا الدِعاما

    When they build a house of nobility,

    they heighten its roofs and extend its supports.

  22. مَعَ الشَمسِ قَد فَرَشوهُ نُجوماً

    مِنَ العِزِّ أَو ظَلَّلوهُ غَماما

    Beside the sun, they have carpeted it with stars

    of glory, or shaded it with clouds.

  23. كَأَنَّكَ تَلقى بُدوراً تُضيءُ

    إِذا طَلَعوا أَو قُروماً تَسامى

    You seem to meet full moons shining

    when they rise, or chiefs who soar high.

  24. هُمُ اِستَيقَظوا وَحدَهُم لِلخُطوبِ

    فَقاموا بِها وَأَناموا الأَناما

    They alone awoke to face calamities;

    they rose to meet them and let mankind sleep.

  25. لَهُم نَسَبٌ كَاِشتِباكِ النُجومِ

    تَرى لِلمَناقِبِ فيهِ اِزدِحاما

    Their lineage is like the interlacing of stars;

    you see noble deeds crowding within it.

  26. مُضيءٌ كَشَعشَعَةِ المَشرَفِيِّ

    يَنفي الظَلامَ وَيَأبى الظِلاما

    Radiant as the flash of a Mashrafi sword,

    it drives out darkness and will brook no wrong.

  27. يَزُرُّ السَماحَ عَلَيهِ الشُفوفَ

    وَيُلبِسُهُ العِزَّ بيضاً وَلاما

    Generosity buttons gauzy robes upon it,

    and glory clothes it in helmets and coats of mail.

  28. عَلَيهِ مِنَ المُصطَفى لامِعٌ

    يُميطُ الأَذى وَيُجَلّي القَتاما

    Upon it is a gleam from al-Mustafa,

    that removes harm and clears away the dust.

  29. إِذا أَنشَأوا لِلعِدا عارِضاً

    أَسالَ بِواديهِمُ أَو أَغاما

    When they raise a storm-cloud against their foes,

    it floods their valley, or gathers into cloud.

  30. وَباتوا قَدِ اِكتَحَلوا بِالطِعانِ

    وَقَد رَجَّلوا بِالنَجيعِ الجُماما

    They spend the night with spear-thrusts as their kohl,

    having combed their locks with fresh blood.

  31. وَطارَت بِقَلبِهِمُ المُقرَبا

    تُ تَركَبُ أَعقابَهُنَّ القُداما

    And the prized horses fly off with their hearts,

    their foreparts riding over their heels.

  32. وَقَد طَوَّحَ الأَلمَعِيُّ العِنانَ

    مِنَ الرَوعِ وَالأَعوَجِيُّ الحِزاما

    The sharp-witted rider has flung away the rein

    in terror, and the A'waji steed its girth.

  33. كَأَنَّ الرِماحَ بِأَعجازِها

    يَمانِيَةٌ تَستَهِلُّ الغَماما

    As though the spears in their hindquarters

    were Yemeni lightning drawing rain from clouds.

  34. شَواحٍ مِنَ الطَعنِ أَفواهُها

    كَما جَرَّتِ الناصِحونَ الجِلاما

    Their mouths gape wide from the stabbing,

    as tailors draw their shears.

  35. رَمَوا في بُيوتِهِمُ جَمرَةً

    أَطالوا القُعودَ لَها وَالقِياما

    They hurled a burning coal into their houses,

    prolonging the sitting and standing over it.

  36. إِذا ذَكَروا الوِترَ حَزّوا الرِقابَ

    وَإِن ذَكَروا العَفوَ جَزّوا اللِماما

    When they speak of vengeance, they slit necks;

    and if they speak of pardon, they shear the locks.

  37. عَلاؤُكَ أَعظَمُ مِن أَن يُرامَ

    وَمَجدُكَ أَمنَعُ مِن أَن يُضاما

    Your eminence is too great to be reached,

    and your glory too inviolable to be wronged.

  38. وَأَنتَ المُعَظَّمُ في هاشِمٍ

    إِذا ما بَدا بادِؤوهُ قِياما

    You are the honored one among Hashim,

    whom, when he appears, they greet standing.

  39. وَأَخلَوا لَهُ مُعشِباتِ العَلا

    ءِ يَرعى الجَميمَ وَيُسقى الجِماما

    They cleared for him the lush pastures of eminence;

    he grazes fresh growth and is given brimming waters.

  40. مَشَيتَ البَراحَ وَراجَ الذَلي

    لُ يوصِدُ باباً وَيُرخي قِراما

    You walked the open ground, while the lowly man went about

    shutting a door and lowering a curtain.

  41. وَما كُنتُمُ الدَهرَ إِلّا الرُعاةَ

    وَلا سائِرُ الخَلقِ إِلّا السَواما

    Throughout time, you have been only shepherds,

    and all other creatures only grazing herds.

  42. حَلَفتُ بِها كَقِسِيِّ النِبا

    عِ تَحسَبُ أَعناقَهُنَّ السِهاما

    I swore by them, like bows of nab' wood,

    whose necks you would take for arrows.

  43. كَحافِلَةِ المُزنِ آنَستُها

    مُسَمَّحَةً في قِيادِ النُعامى

    Like a rain-laden cloud-bank I glimpsed them,

    yielding beneath the south wind's reins.

  44. وَكُلِّ فَنيقٍ إِلى ناقَةٍ

    يُساقِطُها زَبَداً أَو لُغاما

    And by every prized camel sire beside a she-camel,

    dropping froth or foam upon her.

  45. وَكُلِّ اِبنِ لَيلٍ عَلى مُقرَمٍ

    إِذا ما وَنى زاغَ مِنهُ الزِماما

    And every son of night upon a prized camel,

    who, when it flags, turns the rein away from it.

  46. وَلِلرَحلِ لَحيانِ في دَفِّهِ

    إِذا اِجلَوَّذَ اللَيلُ لاكَ السَناما

    The saddle has two jaws upon his flank;

    when night races on, it chews the hump.

  47. يَبيتُ كَأَنَّ بِهِ أَولَقاً

    مِنَ السَيرِ أَو خابِلاً أَو عُداما

    He spends the night as though possessed by madness

    from travel, or a maddening spirit, or delirium.

  48. يُؤَدّي أُشَيعَثَ جَمَّ الهُمومِ

    حَراماً يُزاوِلُ أَرضاً حَراما

    He carries a disheveled little man, laden with cares,

    consecrated, seeking a sacred land.

  49. كَنَصلِ اليَمانِيِّ أَبلى القِرابَ

    وَما أَضمَرَ الغِمدُ مِنهُ كَهاما

    Like a Yemeni blade that has worn out its case,

    though its sheath has harbored no dulled blade.

  50. يُبَيِّنُ لِلمَجدِ في وَجهِهِ

    سُفوراً وَلَم يَنضُ عَنهُ اللِثاما

    He reveals glory in his face,

    unveiled, though he has not removed his face-veil.

  51. وَكَبَّ الهَدِيَّ لِأَذقانِهِ

    يَؤُمُّ بِهِ زَمزَماً وَالمَقاما

    And he has cast the sacrificial beasts upon their chins,

    heading with them toward Zamzam and the Maqam.

  52. تَخالُ النَجيعَ لِهَذا صِداراً

    إِذا ما جَرى وَلِهَذا زِماما

    You would take fresh blood for this one's breastcloth,

    when it flows, and for that one's halter.

  53. لَأَنتُم أَعَزُّ عَلى مُهجَتي

    مِنَ الماءِ يَنقَعُ مِنهُ الأُواما

    You are surely dearer to my soul

    than water that quenches burning thirst.

  54. وَإِنّي وَإِن كُنتُمُ في البِلا

    دِ أَنأى دِياراً وَأَبدى خِياما

    And I, though you are throughout the lands

    farther off in dwelling, more desertward in tents—

  55. أَلَيسَ أَبوكُم أَبي وَالعُروقُ

    تُخَلِّطُ لَحمي بِكُم وَالعِظاما

    is your father not my father, and do the veins

    not mingle my flesh and bones with you?

  56. نَبَتنا مَعاً فَاِلتَقَينا عُروقاً

    بِأَرضِ العُلى وَاِختَلَطنا رُغاما

    We sprouted together, our roots meeting

    in the soil of eminence, our dust mingling.

  57. إِذا عَمَّمَ المَجدُ هاماتِكُم

    كَفانِيَ لَوثاً بِهِ وَاِعتِماما

    When glory wraps turbans around your heads,

    it suffices to wrap and turban me in it.

  58. لَئِن كانَ شَخصِيَ في غَيرِكُم

    فَإِنَّ لِقَلبِيَ فيكُم مَقاما

    Even if my person is among others,

    my heart surely has a dwelling among you.

  59. وَإِنَّ لِساني لَكُم وَالثَناءَ

    وَإِنَّ وُلوعي بِكُم وَالغَراما

    My tongue and praise are surely yours,

    and my devotion and ardent love are for you.

  60. وَكُنتُ زَماناً أَذودُ المُلوكَ

    عَنِ السِلكِ رَقرَقتَ فيهِ النِظاما

    And for a time I drove kings away

    from the thread on which you made the strung pearls shimmer.

  61. أُريدُ الكَرامَةَ لا المَكرُماتِ

    وَنَيلَ العُلى لا العَطايا الجِساما

    I seek honor, not generous favors,

    and the attainment of heights, not lavish gifts.

  62. فَحوزوا العَقائِلَ عَن خاطِري

    إِلى ما أُماطِلُ عَنها إِلى ما

    So claim the noble maidens from my imagination;

    how long must I put them off—how long?

  63. لَقَد طالَ عَتبي عَلى ناظِرٍ

    رَأى بارِقاً غَيرَ دانٍ فَشاما

    Long have I reproached an eye

    that saw far-off lightning and watched it.

  64. إِلى كَم أُجَدِّدُ وَجدي بِكُم

    وَأَعلَقُ مِنكُم حِبالاً رِماما

    How long shall I renew my yearning for you

    and cling to decaying cords from you?

  65. أَزيدُ مَعاقِدَها مِرَّةً

    وَتَأبى العَلائِقُ إِلّا اِنجِذاما

    I give their knots greater strength,

    yet the bonds insist on being severed.

  66. وَإِنّي أَعوذُ بِكُم أَن يَعودَ

    حُبابي قِلىً وَثَنائي مَلاما

    I seek refuge in you lest

    my love turn to aversion, and my praise to blame.

  67. فَهَل صافِقٌ فَأَبيعَ العِرا

    قَ غَيرَ غَبينٍ وَأَشري الشَآما

    Is there a trader, then, so I may sell Iraq

    without being cheated, and buy al-Sham,

  68. إِذا لَم أَزُر مَطلَعَ المَكرُما

    تِ قَد أَخَذَ البَدرُ فيهِ التَماما

    unless I visit the rising-place of noble deeds,

    where the full moon has begun to attain perfection,

  69. فَأُلبِسُ عِطفَيَّ ذاكَ الجَلالَ

    وَأورِدُ عَينَيَّ ذاكَ الهُماما

    to clothe my shoulders in that majesty

    and bring my eyes to drink in that heroic lord?

  70. فَما أَحفِلُ الخَطبَ مِن بَعدِها

    إِذا جَلَّ بَل لا أُبالي الحِماما

    Afterward, I shall heed no calamity,

    however great—no, I shall not even heed death.

  71. أَتُروى الغَرائِبُ مِن وِردِكُم

    وَذَودي عَلى جانِبَيهِ يُظامى

    Are strangers' camels watered at your watering-place,

    while my small herd at its edges is kept thirsty?

  72. فَلا تُنكِروا قُلعَةً مِن فَتىً

    أَقامَ عَلى مَطلِكُم ما أَقاما

    Do not, then, begrudge a young man his departure,

    after he has stayed, enduring your delay, as long as he has.

  73. سَلامٌ إِذا لَم يَكُن لُقيَةٌ

    وَإِنَّ يَداً أَن تَرُدّوا السَلاما

    Peace, if there can be no meeting;

    and to return the greeting of peace is surely a favor.