1. سَتَعلَمونَ ما يَكونُ مِنّي

    إِن مَدَّ مِن ضَبعَيَّ طولُ سِنّي

    You will know what will come from me,

    if length of life lends strength to my two arms.

  2. أَأَدَعُ الدُنيا وَلَم تَدَعني

    يَلعَبُ بي عَناؤُها المُعَنّي

    Shall I abandon the world when it has not abandoned me?

    Its tormenting hardship toys with me,

  3. ناطِحَةً بِالجُمِّ هامَ القِرنِ

    نِطاحَ رَوقِ الجازِىءِ الأَغَنِّ

    butting adversaries' heads with hornless heads,

    like the horn-butting of a herbage-sated, nasal-voiced gazelle.

  4. وَسِعتُ أَيّامي وَلَم تَسعَني

    أَفضَلُ عَنها وَتَضيقُ عَنّي

    I have encompassed my days, yet they have not contained me;

    I outgrow them, and they are too narrow for me.

  5. لَم أَنا مِثلُ الفاطِنِ المُبِنِّ

    أَسحَبُ بُردَي ضَرَعٍ وَأَفنِ

    Why am I, like a discerning, astute man,

    dragging the two cloaks of feebleness and folly,

  6. وَلي مَضاءٌ قَطُّ لَم يَخُنّي

    ضَميرُ قَلبي وَضَميرُ جَفني

    though I have a keenness that has never betrayed me—

    what lies in my heart and what lies in my scabbard?

  7. أَحصَلُ مِن عَزمي عَلى التَمَنّي

    وَلَيتَني أَفعَلُ أَو لَوَ اِنّي

    From my resolve I gain mere wishing,

    and 'Would that I might act,' or 'If only I

  8. راضِ بِما يُضوي الفَتى وَيُضني

    غَنيتُ بِالمَجدِ وَلَم أَستَغنِ

    were content with what wastes and wearies a young man.'

    Glory enriched me, yet I never felt I had enough.

  9. إِنَّ الغِنى مَجلَبَةٌ لِلضَنِّ

    وَلِلقُعودِ وَالرِضا بِالوَهنِ

    Wealth indeed invites miserliness,

    and idleness, and contentment with weakness.

  10. الفَقرُ يُنئِي وَالثَراءُ يُدني

    وَالحِرصُ يُشقي وَالقُنوعُ يُغني

    Poverty keeps one distant; wealth brings one near.

    And greed makes one wretched; contentment makes one rich.

  11. إِن كُنتُ غَيرَ قارِحٍ فَإِنّي

    أَبُذُّ جَريَ القارِحِ المُسِنِّ

    If I am no full-grown steed, then I

    outstrip the gallop of an aged, full-grown steed.

  12. جُنِنتُ بَأساً وَالشَجاعُ جِنّي

    أَثارَ طَعنَ الدَهرِ في مِجَنّي

    I am mad with valor, and the brave man is a jinn.

    The marks of Time's thrusts upon my shield

  13. يَشهَدُ لي أَنَّ الزَمانَ قِرني

    سَوفَ تَرى غُبارَها كَالدَجنِ

    testify for me that Time is my adversary.

    You will see its dust like clouded darkness,

  14. قَساطِلاً مِثلَ غَوادي المُزنِ

    تَجري بِضَربٍ صادِقٍ وَطَعنِ

    billowing in clouds, like the rain clouds' morning showers,

    streaming with sure blows and spear-thrusts,

  15. جَريَ عَزالي المَطَرِ المُستَنِّ

    إِن غِبتُ يَوماً عَنكَ فَاِطَّلِبني

    as the spouts of driving rain stream.

    If one day I am absent from you, seek me:

  16. بَينَ المَواضي وَالقَنا تَجِدني

    أَمامَ جَيشٍ كَجُنوبِ الرَعنِ

    among keen swords and lances you will find me,

    before an army like a mountain ridge's flanks,

  17. جونُ الذُرى أَقوَدُ مُرجَحَنِّ

    أَنفُضُ عَنهُ نَقعَهُ بِرَدني

    dark-crested, long-stretching, massive.

    I shake its dust away with my sleeve.

  18. لِتَعرِفَنّي وَلِتَعرِفَنّي

    أَيّامَ أَقني بِالقَنا وَأُغني

    You shall surely know me—and surely know me—

    on days when I gain possessions with lances and enrich others;

  19. أَقَرُّ عَينِ الفاقِدِ المُرِنِّ

    عَسايَ أَنفي الضَيمَ أَو لَعَنّي

    I gladden the eye of the bereaved, wailing one.

    Perhaps I may drive away oppression—or perhaps I...

  20. كَم صَبرُ خافي الشَخصِ مُستَجِنِّ

    مُنطَمِرٍ مِنَ الأَذى في سِجنِ

    How long can one unseen and concealed endure,

    buried in a prison to escape harm,

  21. مُرتَهَنٍ بِهِمَّةٍ تُعَنّي

    يالَيتَها بِنَهضَةٍ فَدَتني

    held in pawn by an ambition that torments?

    Would that it ransomed me by rising to action,

  22. مِن قَبلِ أَن يَغلَقَ يَوماً رَهني

    مَتى تَراني وَالجَوادُ خِدني

    before one day my pledge is forfeited!

    When will you see me with the noble steed my companion,

  23. وَالنَصلُ عَيني وَالسِنانُ أُذني

    وَأُمِّيَ الدِرعُ وَلَم تَلِدني

    the blade my eye and the spearhead my ear,

    and mail my mother, though it did not bear me,

  24. أَجُرُّ فَضلَ ذَيلِها الرِفَنِّ

    ما اِحتَبَسَ الرِزقُ فَساءَ ظَنّي

    dragging the ample length of its trailing hem?

    Never has withheld sustenance soured my trust,

  25. وَلا قَرَعتُ مِن قُنوطٍ سِنّي

    ياأَيُّها المَغرورُ لا تَهِجَّني

    nor have I gnashed my teeth in despair.

    O deluded one, do not provoke me;

  26. وَعُذ بِإِغضائِيَ وَاِستَعِذني

    وَاِحذَر عِداءَ قاطِعٍ في ضِمني

    and take refuge in my forbearance, and ask me for protection.

    And beware the enmity of a cutting blade within me,

  27. يَنطَقُ عَنّي بِلِسانِ ضِغني

    نَبَّهتُ يَقظانَ قَليلَ الأَمنِ

    speaking for me with the tongue of my rancor.

    I have roused a wakeful man, scarcely secure,

  28. مُخَرَّقَ الثَوبِ بِطَعنِ اللُدنِ

    يا دَهرُ سَيفي مَعقِلي وَحِصني

    his garment torn by the thrusts of supple spears.

    O Time, my sword is my stronghold and my fortress;

  29. وَالخَوفُ يُغري طَلَبي فَخَفني

    يا لَيتَ مَقدورَكَ لَم يُؤمِنّي

    and fear spurs my pursuit, so fear me.

    O would that your decree had not made me feel secure!

  30. جَنَيتُ مِن قَبلُ وَسَوفَ أَجني

    أَثني يَدي وَالعَزمُ أَن أُثَنّي

    I have done harm before, and I shall do harm again;

    I stay my hand, yet am resolved to strike again.