1. قَليلٌ بينَنا رَجْعُ العِتابِ

    كذلِكَ دأبُ أيّامي ودَابي

    Reproach seldom echoes between us.

    Such is the habit of my days, and mine.

  2. عسى صَبْري على نُوَبِ اللّيالي

    يُليّنُ من خَلائِقِها الصِّعابِ

    Perhaps my patience with the nights' calamities

    will soften their harsh dispositions.

  3. فزعتُ إلى جميلِ الصّفحِ عنها

    ولم أفزعْ إلى ظُفُري ونابي

    I sought refuge in gracious forgiveness toward them,

    and did not seek refuge in my claw and fang.

  4. وقد ذهبَ الوَفاءُ فلسْتُ أرجو

    وفاءَ مصاحبٍ بعد الشَّبابِ

    Loyalty has gone, and I no longer hope

    for a companion's loyalty after youth.

  5. أأزْمَعَ سَلْوَةَ أمْ بانَ غَدْراً

    فإنّ الغَدْرَ من شيمِ الذّئابِ

    Did he resolve to forget, or depart treacherously?

    For treachery is among the traits of wolves.

  6. وكنتُ إذا نَبَتْ بهَواي أرضٌ

    يَسُلُّ السّيرُ عَضْباً من ثيابي

    And whenever a land rebuffed my desire,

    travel would draw a keen blade from my garments:

  7. لَبيباً حين تَخْدَعُني فَلاةُ

    رَقوصُ الآلِ ساحرةُ السَّرابِ

    discerning when a desert deceived me,

    its heat-haze dancing, its mirage bewitching;

  8. وقَطّاعَ القرائنِ كلَّ يومٍ

    على البيداءِ مُنْدَلِقَ الرّكابِ

    and severing ties each day,

    across the wilderness, with riding camels surging onward.

  9. أعِفُّ إذا المَطالِبُ أعجَبَتْني

    ولا يَبْقى الحَياءُ مع الطِّلابِ

    I restrain myself when sought-after gains entice me,

    and modesty does not endure importunate seeking.

  10. ولو كان الشّرابُ يجر منّاً

    إذاً لصددْتُ عن بَرْدِ الشّرابِ

    Were a drink to entail boastful reminders of a favor,

    I would turn away from the drink's coolness.

  11. صَميمُ سَجيّةٍ يُعْطيكَ هَوناً

    كما يُعطى على شَدِّ العِصابِ

    A man of pure disposition gives to you with ease,

    as gifts are given with the headband drawn tight.

  12. يُحكِّمني الصّديقُ أرادَ ظُلماً

    فأحكمُ للعدوِّ ولا أُحابي

    A friend makes me judge, intending injustice,

    so I rule for the enemy and show no favoritism.

  13. وأعشَقُ كلّ ممتعضٍ أبيٍّ

    يَفِرُّ إلى الحِمامِ من السِّبابِ

    And I love every proud man stung by affront,

    who flees from insults into death.

  14. إذا شَبّهْتُهُ بالغَيثِ جُوداً

    ونصلِ السّيفِ عزكَ في الخِطابِ

    When I liken him to rain in generosity,

    and to a sword's blade, he bests you in speech.

  15. وما كلُّ الصّرامةِ في المَواضي

    ولا كلُّ السّماحَةِ في السّحابِ

    Not all stern resolve lies in keen swords,

    nor all generosity in clouds.

  16. أقولُ لدَهْرِنا وله مقالٌ

    لشيءٍ ما سكَتَّ عن الجَوابِ

    I say to our age, which has something to say:

    For some reason you have fallen silent in reply.

  17. تَعرانا النوائبُ عن خُطوبٍ

    قَطَعْتَ بها القُلوبَ وأنتَ نابِ

    Misfortunes beset us with calamities

    with which you broke our hearts, while standing aloof.

  18. فقد ركبتكَ خيلُ أبي شُجاعٍ

    بضَيمٍ لم يكنْ لكَ في الحِسابِ

    For Abu Shujaʿ's cavalry has now ridden you down,

    with a humiliation you had not reckoned on.

  19. فتىً كشفَ المَشارِبَ عن قَذاها

    وفتّحَ في المكارمِ كلَّ بابِ

    A young man who cleared the watering places of their refuse,

    and opened every door to noble deeds.

  20. وأمهلَ عثرةَ الجاني أناةً

    يُقَدّمُ زَجرَهُ قبلَ العِقابِ

    He patiently grants respite to the offender's lapse,

    placing his reprimand before punishment.

  21. به عرفَتْ بصائرُ كلِّ أمرٍ

    وقوعَ الحزْمِ منها والصّوابِ

    Through him, discerning minds in every affair have learned

    where firm resolve and right judgment lie.

  22. ومُظلمةٍ من الغَمَراتِ يُغني

    عن الآراءِ فيها والصِّحابِ

    And in many a dark, engulfing ordeal, he suffices

    in place of counsels and companions.

  23. مُهَجَّرةَ الصّباحِ يكونُ منها

    مقيلُ الموتِ في ظلِّ العُقابِ

    Its morning already noonday-hot, within it

    Death takes his noon repose in the eagle's shade.

  24. أُعينَ بكلِّ مُشْعَلَةٍ تلَظّى

    إلى الأعداءِ طائِشة الحِرابِ

    He was aided by every blazing host, flaring

    toward the enemies, its spears flying wildly,

  25. وفتيانٍ يَهُزُّ الركضُ منهمْ

    أنابيباً تَدافَعُ في الكِعابِ

    and by young warriors whose galloping shakes

    spear-sections that jostle together at their joints.

  26. نَسوا أحلامَهم تحتَ العَوالي

    ولا أحلامَ للقَوْمِ الغِضابِ

    They forgot restraint beneath the lofty spears,

    and angry men have no restraint.

  27. إذا كانتْ نُحورُهُمُ دُموعاً

    فما مَعْنى السّوابغِ في العِيابِ

    If their throats are tears,

    what use are full coats of mail in the bags?

  28. تُتَيّمُهُ البلادُ وكُلُّ أرضٍ

    له بلقائها فَرَحُ الإيابِ

    Lands enthrall him, and every land

    brings him, at meeting it, the joy of homecoming.

  29. أُؤَمِّلُ حُسْنَ رأيكَ في اصطِناعي

    وحُسْنُ الرّأيِ من جُلِّ الثّوابِ

    I hope for your favorable judgment in taking me under your patronage,

    and favorable judgment is among the greatest rewards.

  30. وأرجو من نَداكَ الغَمر بَحْراً

    سَفيهَ الموْجِ مَجْنونَ العُبابِ

    And I hope from your overflowing bounty for a sea

    reckless in its waves, mad in its surging flood.

  31. وما استبطأتُ كفَّكَ في نَوالٍ

    على عدواءِ نأيٍ واقْتِرابِ

    I have not found your hand slow in giving,

    despite the hardships of distance and nearness.

  32. ولو كان الحِجابُ لغيرِ نَفْعٍ

    لما احتاجَ الفؤادُ إلى حِجابِ

    If a veil served no benefit,

    the heart would have no need of a veil.

  33. وكنتُ وبيننا كُرْمانُ أقضي

    على طمعِ العِدى لكَ بالغِلابِ

    And, with Kirman between us, I judged

    against the enemies' hopes, pronouncing victory yours.

  34. وأرقبُ في العَواقبِ منكَ يوماً

    عليلَ الشّمسِ مُحْمَرَّ الإهابِ

    And I await, in the course of events, a day from you,

    its sun sickly, its skin crimson,

  35. بأملاكِ الطّوائفِ منهُ ذُعْرٌ

    يُقلّمُ بينَهم حَسَكَ الضّبابِ

    that brings terror to the kings of the factions,

    pruning the lizards' thorns among them.

  36. ووصلُ ضَرورةٍ لا وَصْلُ ودٍ

    مَعانقَة المعبَّدةِ الحِرابِ

    A joining of necessity, not a joining of affection,

    is the embrace of subjugated spears.

  37. رأيتُ الناسَ حينَ تَغيبُ عنهُمْ

    كسارٍ في الظّلامِ بلا شِهابِ

    I have seen people, when you are absent from them,

    like a night-traveler in darkness without a flame.

  38. هُمُ زَرْعٌ يَحُلُّ نَداكَ منهُ

    مَحَلَّ الماءِ منه والتّرابِ

    They are a crop: your bounty holds for them

    the place of water and soil.

  39. فليتَ صَبابةَ النقْعَيْنِ تُبْنى

    فتخبِر عنكَ بالعَجَبِ العُجابِ

    Would that the longing of the two dust-clouds could take form,

    and tell wondrous marvels of you.

  40. وأنتَ تعلّمَتْ منكَ المَواضي

    هُبوبَ الأريحيّةِ في الضِّرابِ

    And you—the keen swords have learned from you

    the stirring of noble ardor in combat.

  41. فإنّ اللهَ لم يَسْلُلْ حُساماً

    سِواكَ على الجَماجمِ والرِّقابِ

    For God has unsheathed no keen sword

    but you against skulls and necks.