1. أَشاقَكَ مَغنى مَنزِلٍ مُتَأَبِّدِ

    وَفَحوى حَديثِ الباكِرِ المُتَعَهِّدِ

    Has the site of a long-deserted dwelling stirred your longing,

    and the import of an early visitor's talk as he revisits it,

  2. وَشامٌ بِحَوضى ما يَريمُ كَأَنَّهُ

    حَقائِقُ وَشمٍ أَو وُشومٌ عَلى يَدِ

    and traces at Hawda that never fade, as though they were

    fixed tattoo marks, or tattoos upon a hand?

  3. إِذا ما رَأَتهُ العَينُ بَعدَ جَلادَةٍ

    جَرى دَمعُها كَاللُؤلُؤِ المُتَبَدِّدِ

    When the eye beholds it after steadfast restraint,

    its tears flow like scattered pearls.

  4. كَأَنَّ الحَمامَ الوُرقَ في الدارِ وُقَّعاً

    مَآتِمُ ثَكلى مِن بَواكٍ وَعُوَّدِ

    It is as though the gray doves perched in the dwelling

    were a bereaved woman's gatherings of weepers and visiting mourners.

  5. ذَكَرتُ بِها مَشيَ الثَلاثِ فَعادَني

    جَديدُ الهَوى وَالمَوتُ في المُتَجَدِّدِ

    I recalled there the three women's gait, and back to me came

    renewed love—and death lies in its renewal.

  6. وَقالَ خَليلي قَد مَضَت لِمَضائِها

    فَأَبقِ لِأُخرى مِن هَواكَ وَأَرشِدِ

    And my friend said, 'She has already gone her way;

    so save some of your love for another, and be sensible.'

  7. فَقُلتُ لَهُ لَم تَبقَ أُذنٌ لِسامِعٍ

    وَما اللَومُ إِلّا جِنَّةٌ بِكَ فَاِقصِدِ

    So I told him, 'No ear remains for anyone who would listen;

    and reproach is only madness in you—so be measured.'

  8. عَلى عَينِها مِنّي السَلامُ وَإِن غَدَت

    مُفارِقَةً تَخدي إِلى غَيرِ مَقعَدِ

    Peace from me upon her eye, even if she is now

    departing, hastening toward no resting place.

  9. أَبا كَرِبٍ لَم تُمسِ حبّى بَعيدَةً

    فَما قَلبُ حُبّى عَن أَخيكَ بِمُبعَدِ

    O Abu Karib, Hubba has not grown distant;

    for Hubba's heart is not estranged from your brother.

  10. فَلَمّا رَأَيتُ الهَجرَ قَد لاحَ وَجهُهُ

    وَراحَ عِتارُ الحَيِّ وَالبَينُ مُعتَدِ

    So when I saw estrangement reveal its face,

    and the clan's caravan departed, with separation on the attack,

  11. فَيا حُسنَها لَولا العُيونُ فَإِنَّها

    إِذا أُرسِلَت يَوماً أَحالَت عَلى الغَدِ

    ah, how beautiful she is, but for the watching eyes! For she,

    when sent one day, puts it off until tomorrow.

  12. عَلى الغَزَلى مِنّي السَلامُ وَرُبَّما

    خَلَوتُ بِها مِن عارِبٍ في خَلاً نَدِ

    Peace from me upon al-Ghazla; how often

    I was alone with her, away from everyone, in a dewy clearing.

  13. لِغَيثِ ثَلاثٍ لا يُفارِقُ ريبَةً

    عَفَفنَ وَلا أَربو وَلَستُ بِمُبعَدِ

    Ghayth has three women; he never lets suspicion go.

    They remained chaste; I do not overstep, nor am I kept away.

  14. لَقَد زادَني شَوقاً خَيالٌ يَزورُني

    وَصَوتُ غِناءٍ مِن نَديمٍ مُغَرِّدِ

    A phantom that visits me has indeed increased my longing,

    and the sound of song from a warbling drinking companion,

  15. وَطولُ اِلتِقاءِ العاشِقينَ وَمَعهَدٌ

    تَهولُ النَدامى حَولَهُ ثُمَّ تَرقُدِ

    and the lovers' long meeting, and a familiar haunt

    where you awe the drinking companions around it, then sleep.

  16. تَمَشّى بِهِ عينُ النِعاجِ كَأَنَّها

    سُروبُ العَذارى في البَياضِ المُعَمَّدِ

    Large-eyed wild cows walked there, as though they were

    troops of maidens in striped white garments.

  17. سَفيهَ قُرَيشٍ لا تَهولَنَّكَ المُنى

    إِلى ضِلَّةٍ قَد نِلتَ سَعيَكَ فَاِبعَدِ

    O fool of Quraysh, let no ambitions dazzle you

    into delusion; you have attained your goal, so go away.

  18. يُغَنّيكَ بِالمُلكِ الصَدى فَتَرومُهُ

    وَحَسبُكَ مِن لَهوٍ سَماعٌ وَمِن دَدِ

    An echo sings to you of kingship, and you pursue it;

    and for diversion and play, listening alone suffices you.

  19. سَفيهَ قُرَيشٍ ما عَلَيكَ مَهابَةٌ

    وَلا فيكَ فَضلٌ مِن إِماءٍ وَأَعبُدِ

    O fool of Quraysh, no awe surrounds you,

    nor have you any superiority over slave women and men.

  20. إِذا قُمتَ لَم تَظفَر وَواعَدتَ فَالمُنى

    مُسارِقَةٌ خَلفَ الإِمامِ المُقَلَّدِ

    If you rise, you gain nothing; you make promises, but your hopes

    are furtive schemes behind the imam invested with authority.

  21. وَلَولا أَميرُ المُؤمِنينَ مُحَمَّدٌ

    رَجَعتَ لَقىً في ظِلِّ قَصرٍ مُجَرَّدِ

    And were it not for Muhammad, Commander of the Faithful,

    you would have returned, cast aside, in the shade of a bare palace.

  22. وَلا تَنسَ إِنعامَ الخَليفَةِ بَعدَما

    أَحَلَّكَ في قَصرٍ مُنيفٍ مُشَيَّدِ

    And do not forget the caliph's favor, after

    he lodged you in a lofty, well-built palace.

  23. تَعَزَّ بِصَبرٍ عَن خِلافَةِ أَحمَدٍ

    وَكُل رَغَداً مِمّا تَشَرَّقتَ وَاِرقُدِ

    Console yourself with patience for not succeeding Ahmad,

    and eat at ease of what you have sun-dried, and sleep.

  24. إِذا راحَ خُطّابُ الخِلافَةِ بِالقَنا

    وَرُحتَ تَهُزُّ الرُمحَ قالوا لَكَ اِبعَدِ

    When the suitors of the caliphate go forth with lances,

    and you go forth brandishing your spear, they tell you, 'Go away!'

  25. أَلَستَ تَرى أَنَّ الخِلافَةَ حُرَّةٌ

    وَأَنَّكَ عِندَ الحَيِّ غَيرَ مُؤَيَّدِ

    Do you not see that the caliphate is a freeborn woman,

    and that among the clan you are unsupported?

  26. سَيَكفيكَها مَهدِيُّ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ

    أَحاطَ بِها عَن والِدٍ غَيرَ قُعدَدِ

    The Mahdi of Muhammad's house will take care of her for you;

    he took possession of her from a father who was no laggard.

  27. فَتىً جادَ بِالدُنيا خَلا زادَ راكِبٍ

    وَشُحَّ عَلى دينِ النَبِيِّ المُؤَيَّدِ

    A young man who gave away the world, save a rider's provisions,

    while the faith of the aided Prophet was jealously guarded.

  28. فَطِر طيرَةَ المَذعورِ أَو قَع فَإِنَّما

    أَتَت مَلِكاً ميراثُهُ عَن مُحَمَّدِ

    So fly the terrified one's flight, or alight; for only

    to a king whose inheritance is from Muhammad has she come.