1. أَشادِنَ إِنَّ ريمَةَ لا تُصادُ

    وَإِنَّ لِقاءَ ريمَةَ مُستَزادُ

    O young gazelle, Rima cannot be caught,

    and more meetings with Rima are sought.

  2. أَشادِنَ كَيفَ رَأيُكِ في صَديقٍ

    بِهِ عَقدٌ بِريمَةَ أَو وِجادُ

    O young gazelle, what do you think of a friend

    bound to Rima, or burning with longing?

  3. بِريمَةَ خالَفَت عَيني سُهوداً

    وَبِئسَ خَليفَةُ النَومِ السُهادُ

    For Rima, my eye has allied itself with wakefulness,

    and wretched is sleeplessness as sleep's successor.

  4. أَشادِنَ لَو أَعَنتِ فَإِنَّ عَيني

    لَها سَبَلٌ وَلَيسَ لَها رُقادُ

    O young gazelle, if only you helped, for my eye

    has streaming tears, but has no sleep.

  5. أُغادي الهَمَّ مُنفَرِداً لَصوقاً

    عَلى كَبِدي كَما لَصِقَ القُرادُ

    Each morning I meet grief, alone, as it clings

    to my liver as a tick clings.

  6. وَأَفرَحُ أَن أُعادَ وَقَد أُراني

    أُذادُ عَنِ الحَديثِ وَلا أُعادُ

    And I rejoice to be visited, yet I see myself

    driven from conversation, and not visited.

  7. أَشادِنَ قَد مَضى لَيلٌ وَلَيلٌ

    أُكابِدُهُ وَقَد قَلِقَ الوِسادُ

    O young gazelle, night after night has passed;

    I struggle through it, and the pillow has grown restless.

  8. فَأَيُّ فَتىً أُصيبَ بِمِثلِ ما بي

    يُصابُ عَلى الهَوى أَو يُستَزادُ

    What youth, then, afflicted as I am,

    is stricken for love, or asked for still more?

  9. أَشادِنَ إِنَّها طِلقٌ وَإِنّي

    أَبا لَكِ لا أَنامُ وَلا أَكادُ

    O young gazelle, she is unbound, while I—

    may you have a father!—do not sleep, nor even come close.

  10. وَما عَن نائِلٍ كَلَفي وَلَكِن

    شَقيتُ بِها وَمُزنَتُها جَمادُ

    My passion springs from no favor, but

    I have suffered through her, and her raincloud is rainless.

  11. إِذا ما باعَدَت قَرُبَت بِرَأيٍ

    وَإِن قَرُبَت فَشيمَتُها البِعادُ

    When she withdraws, she draws near in thought;

    and if she draws near, her habit is distance.

  12. وَقالَت قَد كَبِرتَ فَلَستَ مِنّا

    وَلَيسَ لِما مَضى مِنكَ اِرتِدادُ

    And she said: You have grown old; you are not one of us,

    and what has passed from you cannot return.

  13. فَحَسبي مِن مُهازَلَةِ الغَواني

    وَمِن كَأسٍ لِسَورَتِها فَسادُ

    Enough for me, then, of bantering with beauties,

    and of a cup whose heady force brings ruin.

  14. تَرَكتُ اللَهوَ بَل نَفِدَ التَصابي

    وَأَيُّ العَيشِ لَيسَ لَهُ نَفادُ

    I have left diversion—rather, youthful dalliance has run out;

    and what manner of life does not run out?

  15. وَحاجَةِ صاحِبٍ ثَقُلَت عَلَيهِ

    حَمَلتُ وَلا يَقومُ لَها الوِجادُ

    And a friend's need, which weighed upon him,

    I took upon myself, though wealth could not suffice for it.

  16. وَصَفراوَينِ مِن بَقَرٍ وَراحٍ

    أَصَبتُهُما وَما حَسُنَ السَوادُ

    And two yellow ones, a cow and wine,

    I obtained them both, and blackness had no charm.

  17. وَذَكَّرَني الحَمامُ فِراقَ إِلفٍ

    عَلى الرَوحاءِ لَيسَ لَهُ مَعادُ

    And the doves reminded me of parting from a beloved

    at al-Rawha', one who will never return.

  18. وَيَومٌ في ذُرى جُشَمِ بنِ بَكرٍ

    نَعِمتُ بِهِ وَنَدماني زِيادُ

    And a day on the heights of Jusham ibn Bakr,

    I enjoyed, with Ziyad as my drinking companion.

  19. إِذا ما شِئتُ غَنّاني كَريمٌ

    لَهُ حَسَبٌ وَلَيسَ لَهُ تِلادُ

    Whenever I wished, a noble man sang to me,

    possessing noble lineage, but no inherited wealth.

  20. يَصُبُّ لِسانُهُ طُرَفاً عَلَينا

    كَما تَتَساقَطُ النُطَفُ السَدادُ

    His tongue pours delights upon us,

    as flawless pearls fall.

  21. فَلَمّا حَثَّتِ الصَهباءُ فينا

    وَغَرَّدَ صاحَبي وَخَلا المِسادُ

    When the tawny wine stirred within us,

    and my companion sang, and the wineskin stood empty,

  22. شَرِبنا مِن بَناتِ الدَنِّ حَتّى

    تَرَكنا الدَنَّ لَيسَ لَهُ فُؤادُ

    we drank of the daughters of the wine-jar until

    we left the jar with no heart within.

  23. وَعَيشٌ قَد ظَفَرتُ بِهِ كِداداً

    أَلَذُّ العَيشِ ما جَلَبَ الكِدادُ

    And a life I won through hard toil—

    the sweetest life is what toil brings.

  24. وَأَملاكٌ وَهَبتُ لَهُم ثَنائي

    وَلَيسَ كَزاخِرِ النيلِ الثِمادُ

    And kings to whom I gave my praise—

    scant pools are not like the swelling Nile.

  25. وَجَدتُ لِبَعضِهِم جوداً وَبَعضٌ

    كَماءِ البَحرِ أَكدَرُ لا يُرادُ

    I found generosity in some of them, while others

    are like seawater, murkier still, unwanted.

  26. وَلَيسَ الجودُ مُنتَحَلاً وَلَكِن

    عَلى أَحسابِها تَجري الجِيادُ

    And generosity is not merely assumed; rather,

    fine steeds run according to their pedigrees.

  27. فَتىً مِمَّن نَزَلتُ بِهِ وَلَكِن

    بِرَوحٍ تُكشَفُ الكُرَبُ الشِدادُ

    A youth among those with whom I lodged; yet

    through Rawh severe troubles are dispelled.

  28. قَريعُ بَني المَهَلَّبِ حينَ يَغدو

    بِهِ يَبكي العِدا وَبِهِ يُجادُ

    Foremost of the sons of al-Muhallab, when he goes forth,

    through him enemies weep, and through him gifts are bestowed.

  29. إِذا مَرَتِ الرِياحُ يَمينَ رَوحٍ

    جَرَت ذَهَباً وَطابَ لَها الجِلادُ

    When the winds milk Rawh's right hand,

    it flows with gold, and combat delights it.

  30. يَضُمُّ سِلاحُهُ مَلِكاً هُماماً

    عَلَيهِ مَهابَةٌ وَلَهُ اِقتِصادُ

    His arms enclose a valiant king,

    clothed in awe and possessed of moderation.

  31. وَرِئبالُ العِراقِ إِذا تَداعَت

    عَلى أَبطالِها البيضُ الحِدادُ

    And the lion of Iraq, when there converge

    upon its champions the sharp white swords.

  32. يَعيشُ بِفَضلِهِ ناءٍ وَدانٍ

    كَما تَحيا عَلى الغَيثِ البِلادُ

    Those far and near live by his bounty,

    as lands live on rain.

  33. وَجارِيَةٍ مِنَ الغُرِّ العَوالي

    تُزَفُّ إِلى المُلوكِ وَلا تُقادُ

    And a maiden among the radiant and lofty,

    escorted as a bride to kings, not driven along,

  34. تَسُرُّكَ بِاللِقاءِ وَلا تَراها

    وَيُعطي مالَهُ فيها الجَوادُ

    who delights you in meeting, yet you do not see her,

    and the generous man gives his wealth for her.

  35. أَقولُ لَها وَقَد خَرَجَت بِلَيلٍ

    مُناصَحَةً وَلِلنُصحِ اِجتِهادُ

    I tell her, as she sets out by night,

    in sincere counsel—and counsel demands diligence—

  36. زُري رَوحاً فَلَن تَجدي كَرَوحٍ

    إِذا أَزِمَت بِكِ السَنَةُ الجَمادُ

    Visit Rawh: you will never find Rawh's equal

    when the barren year grips you.

  37. إِذا خَلّى مَكانَ المُلكِ رَوحٌ

    فَلَيسَ لِمَن يُطيفُ بِهِ رُقادُ

    When Rawh leaves the seat of kingship,

    those who circle about him have no sleep.

  38. وَحاسِدُ قُبَّةٍ بُنِيَت لِرَوحٍ

    أَطالَ عِمادَها سَلَفٌ وَآدوا

    And one who envied a dome built for Rawh,

    whose pillars his forebears raised high and strengthened,

  39. فَقُلتُ لَهُ أَراكَ حَسَدتَ رَوحاً

    كَذاكَ المُلكُ يَحسُدُهُ العِبادُ

    I said to him: I see that you envy Rawh;

    such is kingship: people envy it.

  40. تَشَدَّد لا تَمُت حَسَداً وَغَمّاً

    لِرَوحٍ مُلكُهُ وَلَكَ الكِيادُ

    Be steadfast; do not die of envy and grief;

    Rawh has his kingdom, and you have your scheming.

  41. أَغَرُّ عَلى المَنابِرِ أَريَحِيٌّ

    كَأَنَّ جَبينَهُ القَمَرُ الفِرادُ

    Radiant on the pulpits, open-handed,

    as though his brow were the peerless moon.

  42. وَضامِنُ عَسكَرٍ وَعِنانُ خَيلٍ

    نَهيدُ بِهِ العَدُوَّ وَلا نُهادُ

    And an army's protector, and the rein of steeds,

    through whom we terrify the foe and are not terrified.

  43. كَأَنَّ المُستَزيدي فَضلِ رَوحٍ

    غَوارِبَ دَجلَةَ الجَونِ اِستَزادوا

    As though those seeking more of Rawh's bounty

    had asked for more of the dark Tigris's billows.

  44. أَذَلَّ لِطالِبِ العُضُلاتِ رَوحٌ

    فَواضِلَهُ وَعَزَّ بِهِ الجِهادُ

    Rawh has made accessible to the seeker facing difficulties

    his bounties, and through him warfare has grown mighty.

  45. وَقَومٌ نالَهُم بِجَدىً وَقَومٌ

    أَصابَتهُم كَتائِبُهُ فَكادوا

    And some people he reached with bounty, while others

    his battalions struck, and so they schemed.

  46. أَلا يا أَيُّها الرَجُلُ المُباهي

    بِأُسرَتِهِ وَلَيسَ لَهُ عِمادُ

    Now, O man who boasts

    of his clan, though he has no supporting pillar,

  47. لَقَد قادَ الجُنودَ عَلَيكَ رَوحٌ

    بِآباءٍ لَهُ أَمَروا وَقادوا

    Rawh has indeed led armies against you,

    backed by forefathers of his who commanded and led,

  48. مِنَ المُتَنَزِّلينَ عَلى المَنايا

    وَإِن جَلَبوا لَكَ المَعروفَ عادوا

    men who descend upon death,

    and whenever they brought you kindness, they returned again.

  49. وَكَيفَ تَراكَ إِن حارَبتَ رَوحاً

    هَبِلتَ وَتَحتَكَ العَيرُ الكُدادُ

    And how do you see yourself if you wage war on Rawh—

    may you be bereft!—with a hard-toiling donkey beneath you?

  50. مُلوكُ القَريَتَينِ تَنازَعَتهُ

    وَأَخلاقٌ تَسودُ وَلا تُسادُ

    The kings of the two towns have laid claim to him,

    and virtues that rule and are never ruled.

  51. أَبا خَلَفٍ لَكَ الشَرَفُ المُعَلّى

    وَبَيتُ بَني المُهَلَّبِ وَالعِدادُ

    O Abu Khalaf, yours is exalted honor,

    and the house of al-Muhallab's sons, and their standing.

  52. إِذا شَهِدوا فَأَنتَ لَهُم دُوارٌ

    وَإِن غابوا فَلَيسَ بِكَ اِفتِقادُ

    When they are present, you are their Duwar,

    and when they are absent, you suffer no loss.

  53. تَثوبُ لَكَ القَبائِلُ مُجلِباتٍ

    كَما ثابَت عَلى النُصُبَينِ عادُ

    The tribes flock back to you with clamor,

    as 'Ad flocked to the two sacred stones.

  54. فِناؤُكَ واسِعٌ وَنَداكَ ضافٍ

    وَحِليَتُكَ السَنَوَّرُ وَالنِجادُ

    Your courtyard is broad, and your bounty ample,

    and your ornaments are armor and the sword-belt.

  55. وَما زالَت يَدٌ لَكَ لِلعَوالي

    وَأُخرى لِلسَماحَةِ تُستَجادُ

    And one hand of yours has ever served the tall spears,

    and the other is sought for generosity.

  56. تَراحُ إِلى العُلا وَتَسوسُ حَرباً

    وَلا يورى لِيَقظَتِكَ الزِنادُ

    You delight in lofty glory and direct warfare,

    and no fire-sticks need be kindled to rouse you.