1. Far from those I kept company with other than the straight
And far from all who stray except from the blood

2. When there is injustice, I do not persist in error
So my night-time is like orbits of stars wandering

3. With my passion for piercing, I become feeble and faded
When the sin decreased, it leaned to repetition

4. I am not of those whose heart accepts the taste
And the spears do not know from where comes my taste

5. I will go forward, not magnifying what I encounter
Whether terror expands for me or the path ahead narrows

6. The past distressed Labid with the sleepless night
And Malik was consoled before me for bereavement

7. With resolve I give preferences and with yearning
I flung it between land and heaven-reaching

8. The young man is only he whom if you see
You see singing soul in a worn-out garb

9. Few stays between family and wealth
Many risings between valley and mountain pass

10. My day dawns upon me and I have not yet
Waded in the blood of enemies with straight blade

11. I have not exhausted the lengthy sword, its brightness
In front of the antelope, while the cleavers at cleavers hurl

12. There is no healing for the soul except a morning
Of dust, remote from a blackened encampment

13. How many spears of mine provoke the pebbles
With their downpour at landmarks after landmarks

14. When God does not help my sword against the enemies
I am but prone to humiliation and defeat

15. If He saves my skull from the mouth of death
I will escape, else I'll be the first taste

16. I refuse in every land with resolve
That shakes the necks of tied steeds

17. And she-camels reprimanded with whip that is as if
Studying the pace of the young camel, long-necked

18. You see every red-dyed leather as though
In its depths churned the sweat of indigo

19. With a shoe whose heel is like the cheek of a banner
Raised on a shade of a neck, slender, flexing

20. As if the youth struck the saddle with a feather
Floating above a back made skinny, rib-marked

21. When she senses danger in the herd behind her
She glances with a nose proud and smooth

22. It seemed from the slackness of the bridle the son of Ramla
Had gnawings where the bit hit

23. They came upon us in the night and reached us
With the shining white cheeks of the drinking-cups

24. Whoever made the valiant heart his guide
Every darkness to him is not gloomy

25. I suffer tribulation and my time torments me with a band
Who lead me into every guarded secret

26. Divulgers of the guarded secret—would that they
Divulged it freely when the north wind blows cold

27. Few insurgent words, not excessive
And initiating speech from the completer

28. An age of harm—live in it, be tolerant of its people
And die in it glorified

29. Though I do not overcome passion with reason
Or say to longing if it strays, desist

30. Nor cut off with suspicion what I was joining
And many an angry severance is but fancied

31. I am, about earnestness, niggardly
With my mouth, so no man knows where my smile is

32. Parting from loved ones is more bitter than calamity
And I cut off more from companions than a polished sword

33. Yours in the valley of Tuwa whose plain has expanded
And quarried in it soft ground and salty soil

34. They contend with the aromatic wind of Khuzama at night
With the most fragrant of the winds of Khuzama

35. I master my tears then it masters me in turns
And whoever sheds no tear for love does wrong

36. Whenever the soul recalled you it clasped
To the heart-selling ache of one hurt

37. O my friend, tears do not stop me
Like the burning ember of burning love

38. What am I but lord of a borrowed soul
And a borrowed heart that longs and hurts

39. When my courser passes in her lands
My sigh responds always with a moan

40. I yearn without my yearning being blamed
I come close without my closeness being deemed shame

41. In my eyes the image of one between my ribs
Though many a glance takes the place of speaking

42. How many a glance asks speech from my mouth
Distresses my speaking to answer the speaker

43. If you tricked me from my requests
I would not obey and blame you

44. Most generous of hopes and noblest of glories
One who, if called to bounty, steps forward

45. I seek refuge for you to darken a knight whose
Glance was engaged by the twinkling of Pleiades

46. One whom wealth deceived, pleased with affability
While devoid of water, content with dry ablution

47. My poetry about you remains while all else
Is carried off by hands of nights and thrown

48. My eyelids are bound to you in every gaze
An unrestricted moon in high ranks garbed

49. Were it not for you, my she-camel would not have surpassed Baghdad
And I would be just a torn rag

50. The best land to stay in, over homeland
Is a land where when the freeman descends, profits

51. I praised the Commander of the Faithful—he
Is the noblest hope and highest place of reverence

52. So he favored me before bestowing, honoring
No welcome to wealth if I am not honored

53. When I say in praise of other than the glorious
It is as if I, not speaking, tasted bitter aloe

54. My hope adorns the Hashimite religion—it
Will bring joy; my sufficiency in bounty and favor

55. So be my intercessor to him one day, perhaps
He will feather my arrows and spearheads

56. I disapprove that one inferior says
While not granted my words or my mouth

57. If he wills, the distinguishing mark I have known
Is clear to the eye of the observer, marked

58. Some troubles affected Labid with sleeplessness,
And Malik was consoled before I was for a loss.

59. With resolve, I engaged in lofty pursuits, and with longing,
I cast it between the earth and the highest heavens.

60. A man is only one whom, if you see,
You see a soul singing in tattered clothes.

61. Few stays between family and wealth;
Many risings between valleys and mountain passes.

62. My day dawns upon me, and I have not yet
Waded in the blood of enemies with straight sword.

63. I have not tired the lengthy gleaming sword
Before the prey, while the cleavers hurl at cleavers.

64. No healing for the soul but a remote,
Dusty morning from a blackened encampment.

65. How many are my spears provoking pebbles
With their downpour over landmarks after landmarks.

66. When God does not aid my sword against enemies,
I am but prone to humiliation and defeat.

67. If He saves my skull from the mouth of death,
I survive; else, I'll be the first taste.

68. I refuse with resolve in every land,
That shakes the necks of tethered steeds.

69. And she-camels chastened with whips seem as if
Studying the gait of a long-necked young camel.

70. You see each red-dyed leather as though
In its depth churns the sweat of indigo.

71. With a shoe whose heel rivals the cheek of a standard
Raised over the slender, swaying neck's shade.

72. As if the youth's saddle was hit with a feather
Floating over a skinny back, rib-marked.

73. When she senses danger from the herd behind,
She glances with a proud smooth muzzle.

74. It seemed the slack bridle's son had gnawings
Wherever the bit had hit.

75. They came upon us in the night and reached us
With the shining white cheeks of the drinking-cups.

76. Whoever made the valiant heart his guide,
No darkness to him is gloomy.

77. I suffer tribulation, and my age torments me with a band
Who lead me into every guarded secret—

78. Divulgers of the guarded secret—would that they
Divulged it freely when the north wind blows cold.

79. Few insurgent words, not excessive,
And initiating speech from the completer.

80. An injurious time—live in it, tolerant of its people,
And die in it glorified.

81. Though I do not overcome passion with reason,
Nor say to yearning if it strays, desist,

82. Nor cut off with doubt what I was joining,
And many a rash severance is but fancied.

83. Earnestness, I am niggardly about,
My mouth, so no man knows where my smile is.

84. Parting from loved ones is more bitter than calamity,
And I cut off more from friends than a polished sword.

85. Yours is the valley of Tuwa whose plain has expanded
And quarried in it soft ground and salty soil—

86. They vie with the scented wind of Khuzama at night
With the gentlest of the winds of Khuzama.

87. I master my tears, then it masters me in turn,
And whoever sheds no tear for love does wrong.

88. Whenever the soul recalled you, it embraced
To the heart-selling ache of one in pain.

89. O my friend, tears do not stop me,
Like the burning ember of burning love.

90. What am I but lord of a borrowed soul
And a borrowed heart that longs and hurts?

91. When my courser passes through her lands,
My sigh always responds with a moan.

92. I yearn without my yearning being blamed,
I approach without my nearing being shamed.

93. In my eyes, the image of one between my ribs,
Though many a glance takes speech's place.