1. أَأَغلِبُ هذا الدهرَ أَمْ هو غَالبي

    وعزمي مَعي والمَشْرفيُّ مُصاحِبي

    Shall I overcome this age, or will it overcome me?

    My resolve is with me, and the Mashrafi sword is my companion.

  2. أَصُونُ ضُلوعي عن مُعَالجةِ الهَوى

    وأَتركُهَا نَصبَ الرماحِ النَّواشِبِ

    I shield my ribs from grappling with passion,

    yet leave them a target for piercing spears.

  3. وما العِزُّ الاَّ قطعةٌ من خَلائقي

    وما المَجْدُ الاَّ اِربةٌ من مآربِي

    Honor is only a part of my character,

    and glory only one desire among my desires.

  4. وتَزعمُ يا قلبي بأَنَّكَ صَاحبي

    وأَنتَ سِنانٌ في الحَشا والتَّرائِبِ

    You claim, my heart, that you are my companion,

    yet you are a spearhead in my innards and breastbones.

  5. فلولا الذي أَمسيتَ مَنزِلَ سِرِّةِ

    سكبتُكَ ما بينَ الدموعِ السَّواكِبِ

    Were it not for the one whose secret you have come to house,

    I would pour you out amid the streaming tears.

  6. لكَ الويلُ ما هذا التَمَلمُلُ والأسى

    على اِثرِ مفقودٍ من العيشِ ذَاهِبِ

    Woe to you! What is this restlessness and sorrow

    in the wake of some lost pleasure of life now gone?

  7. وما العَيْشُ الا سَدُّكَ الجوَّ بالثَّري

    وَسَدُّ الثَّري بالمقرباتِ السَّلاهِبِ

    What is life but your filling the sky with dust,

    and filling the earth with prized, long-bodied steeds,

  8. وتَصْييرُ تِيجَانِ الجَبابرةِ الذرى

    مقاعدَ أولادِ الاماءِ الحواطِبِ

    and turning the towering crowns of tyrants

    into seats for the children of wood-gathering slave women?

  9. شَرِقْتُ على دَارِ الحبيبِ بأَدمعي

    وقد شَرِقَتْ أَطلالُها بالمَصَائِبِ

    I choked on my tears at my beloved's dwelling,

    while its ruins choked on calamities.

  10. اذا لَعِبَتْ أَيدي الرياحِ بتُربِهَا

    فَتَقْنَ فتيتَ المِسْكِ بينَ المَلاعِبِ

    When the hands of the winds played with its dust,

    they released powdered musk among the playgrounds.

  11. ألا يا خليلَ القلبِ دونَ حِجَابِهِ

    خَليلُكَ لا يَلقى هَواكَ بحَاجِبِ

    O friend of my heart, within its veil,

    your friend meets your love with no doorkeeper in the way.

  12. أَعنّي بسيفٍ أَو بعُذرٍ تَقُولهُ

    والا فأَنتَ اليومَ عونُ النَّوائِبِ

    Help me with a sword, or with an excuse you offer;

    otherwise, today you aid calamities.

  13. تقولُ ليَ الأيامُ خَوَّلْتُكَ الغِنَى

    وهلْ أَنا آخذْ مِثْلُ واهِبِ

    The days tell me, 'I have endowed you with wealth.'

    But am I, a taker, the equal of a giver?

  14. أُشرِّفُها بالأَخذِ منها لأَنَّهُ

    يُشَرِقُنِي في أَخْذِهِ كلُّ راغِبِ

    I honor them by taking from them, because

    every eager seeker chokes me in taking it.

  15. أَعُدُّ نُجُومَ الليلِ والرملَ والحَصَى

    ولكنني أَعيا بِعَدِّ العَجَائِبِ

    I count the stars of night, the sand, and the pebbles,

    but counting wonders wearies me.

  16. زَماني زَمانٌ قَدْ زَمِنَّ صُروفُهُ

    بصَبري فما يطلُبنَ غيرَ مَطَالِبي

    My age is an age whose turns have been crippled

    by my endurance, so they seek only what I seek.

  17. تَعَوَّدَ منَي كلَّما جَر نكبةً

    تلقيتُها من صَرفِه بالمَرَاحِبِ

    It has grown accustomed to this from me: whenever it brings a disaster,

    I receive the turn it sends with welcomes,

  18. كما يتلقَّى صاعدٌ مُسْتَميحهُ

    والا كما يلقي صُدورَ الكتائِبِ

    as Ṣāʿid receives a seeker of his bounty,

    or else as he meets the fronts of battalions.

  19. فتَى الجُودِ لا تَسْأَلْهُ نَزْراً فانَّهُ

    يَرى البَحْرَ لا يكفي عَطاءً لِشَارِبِ

    A man of generosity—ask him for no paltry sum, for he

    thinks the sea insufficient bounty for a drinker.

  20. يَجُود بما يُعطيك أَرضكَ كلها

    فتحسَبه أَعطاكَ بعضَ السَّحَائِبِ

    He gives generously, granting you your land in its entirety,

    and you think he has given you some of the clouds.

  21. وما مرَّ يومٌ لم تعانقْ سيوفُهُ

    نُحُورَ الأَعادي أَو نُحورَ الركائِبِ

    Not a day has passed without his swords embracing

    the throats of enemies or the necks of riding camels.

  22. أُبايعُ في أَقلامهِ كلَّ حَاسِدٍ

    يقيس شَبَاهاً بالمَنايا الشَّواعِبِ

    I wager with every envier over his pens,

    who compares their points with death that sunders.

  23. فانْ لم تكن أَمضى من الموتِ في الوَرى

    فقلتُ العَوالي مثلُها في المَناصِبِ

    If they are not sharper than death among mortals,

    then I said: 'Tall spears are their equal in rank.'

  24. ذكرتُكَ لما أَنكرَ السيفُ جفنَه

    وجرَّرَ ذيلَ الحَربِ فوقَ الغَواَرِبِ

    I remembered you when the sword disowned its sheath

    and dragged war's train over the withers.

  25. وهل أَنتَ الاَّ الهُندُ واني لاتَني

    مضَاربُه مَشْغُوفةً بالضَّرائِب

    Are you not the Hinduwani sword, whose untiring

    cutting edges are enamored of their targets?

  26. وَبَحْر دَمٍ هامُ الرجَالِ حُبَابُهُ

    وخيلُهم في لُجةٍ كالمَراكِبِ

    And a sea of blood, men's heads its foam,

    their horses in its depths like ships;

  27. ترفعُ شُرعُ الموت في جَنَباتِهِ

    اذا ارتفعتْ فيه رياحْ القَواضِبِ

    death's sails are hoisted along its sides

    when the winds of cleaving swords rise within it.

  28. وَيَغْرَقُ في تَيَّارهِ كلُّ سَابِحٍ

    أَقمتَ به الاقدامَ عندَ التَّضَارُبِ

    Every swimmer drowns in its current—

    you planted your feet in it when blows were exchanged.

  29. ويوم عليهِ للكلامِ تلاطُمٌ

    تلاطمُ موج اللجَّةِ المُتَراكِبِ

    And on a day when words clashed,

    with the clash of the deep's piled-up waves,

  30. طعنتَ بفصلِ القولِ فيه كأَنَّما

    طعنتَ بصَدْرِ الرمحِ قلبَ المُخَاطِبِ

    you thrust with decisive speech, as though

    you had thrust a spear's tip into your interlocutor's heart.

  31. أَلستَ من القوم الذينَ أكفهم

    أَحدُّ من البيضِ الرقاقِ المَضَارِبِ

    Are you not of a people whose hands

    are sharper than white swords with slender cutting edges?

  32. تَخِرُّ الجبالُ الشُّمُ عند ندَائِهم

    وتقصُرُ عن أَعناقهم والمناكِبِ

    The lofty mountains fall at their call

    and fall short of their necks and shoulders.

  33. فلا تَجْعَلَنّي كالذينَ رَأَيتَهم

    وَمَنْ يَجْعَلُ الأَقدامَ مثلَ الذَّوائِبِ

    Do not put me among those you have seen—

    who would make feet equal to forelocks?

  34. اذا أَبصروني نكَّسوا فكأنَّما

    شواربُهم مَضْفُورةٌ بالحَواجِبِ

    When they see me, they bow their heads, as though

    their mustaches were braided to their eyebrows.

  35. أَعيذُكَ مِنْ مولىً بطيءٍ عن النَّدى

    سريعٍ الى دَاعي الطعامِ مُكالِبِ

    I seek protection for you from a patron slow to give,

    quick to the summons to food, ravenous as a dog.

  36. أَما ينتهي من أَول الزَّجرِ جاهِلٌ

    اذا هو لم يُضرَبْ فليس بتائِبِ

    Does a fool not desist at the first rebuke?

    If he is not beaten, he will not repent.

  37. وكنتُ اذا لم أُدْعَ للوِرْدِ لم أَرِدْ

    ولو شَرِبَتْ روحي زُقَاقَ المَشَاربِ

    When I was not invited to the watering place, I did not go,

    even if my soul drank skinsful of draughts.

  38. أَبى ذاكَ عِزٌّ طالما وصلَ العُلا

    وقطَّع غيظاً في صدورِ المعائِبِ

    A pride that had so often attained the heights forbade it,

    and tore fault-finders' breasts with rage.

  39. وانكَ لو أَبصرتَني متبسماً

    أكرُّ على الأَيامِ من كل جانِبِ

    If you could see me smiling,

    charging at the days from every side,

  40. رأَيتَ فتىً سُمُّ الأَفاعي شَرابُه

    ومطعَمُهُ أطرافُ شَوكِ العَقَارِبِ

    you would see a youth whose drink is vipers' venom,

    whose food is the points of scorpions' stings,

  41. جليداً على ريبِ الزمانِ وصرفهِ

    بصيراً بأَدواءِ الخطوبِ الغَرائِبِ

    unflinching before time's uncertainties and turns,

    versed in the ailments of strange calamities.

  42. كتمتُ مقالَ الشعرِ حتى أضرَّني

    وظنَّ المُعادي ظَنَّ كِسرى بحَاجِبِ

    I suppressed the utterance of poetry until it harmed me,

    and my enemy thought as Kisra thought of Hajib.

  43. فانْ لم يكُنْ الاَّ التشهرُ باسمِهِ

    فهذا أَوانُ الطَّالِعَاتِ الثَّواقِبِ

    If nothing remains but gaining fame through his name,

    then this is the hour of rising, piercing stars.

  44. سَأَبعَثُ في أرضِ العِراقِ قصيدةً

    يُصَلَّى الى أَبياتِها في المَحَارِبِ

    I shall send forth a poem in the land of Iraq,

    toward whose verses prayers will be offered in sanctuaries.

  45. يُعَوّلُ عُلاَّنُ عليها ومَعْمَرٌ

    بما جَمَعَاهُ في كتابِ المَثَالِبِ

    ʿAllan and Maʿmar rely upon it,

    with what both gathered in the Book of Faults.

  46. باسماعِ أَملاكِ الطوائفِ وَقْعُهَا

    يَشُدُّ على هاماتهم بالعَصَائِبِ

    Its impact in the ears of the factional kings

    binds bandages tightly about their heads.

  47. عصيتُ القوافي وهي جِدُّ مُطِيْعَةٌ

    وَقُمتُ على حَدٍّ من الحَقِّ لاحِبِ

    I defied the rhymes, though they were utterly obedient,

    and stood upon a clear line of truth.

  48. أَشاوِرُ قَلباً فيكَ لو شاءَ عزمُهُ

    وَقُمتُ على حَدٍّ من الحَقِّ لاحِبِ

    I consult a heart about you; if its resolve should wish—

    and stood upon a clear line of truth.

  49. وقبلكَ ما التفَّتْ عليَّ ربيعةٌ

    ببيضِ المَواضي والوجوهِ الشَّواحبِ

    Before you, Rabiʿa had indeed rallied against me

    with white, keen-edged swords and pallid faces.

  50. فاعرضتُ عن زلاَّتها وَمَنَحْتُهَا

    فصاحةَ عبد الوُدِّ رَبٍّ التَّجَارِبِ

    I turned away from its failings and bestowed upon it

    the eloquence of ʿAbd al-Wudd, master of experience.

  51. وقلتُ اذا كاتَبْتم الرومَ بعدهَا

    فَشدُّوا أَواخي كتبكم بالكَتائِبِ

    I said, 'If you write to the Romans after this,

    secure your letters' tethering stakes with battalions.'

  52. سَرى الليلَ طَلاَّبُ الذحولِ ولا أَرى

    طلابكم الاَّ انتظارَ العَواقِبِ

    Seekers of vengeance traveled by night, but I see

    your seeking as nothing but waiting for consequences.

  53. فلما أَبوا الاَّ الخلافَ تركتهم

    وأُسدُهم مأْسُورةٌ للثعالِبِ

    When they insisted on opposition alone, I left them,

    their lions held captive by foxes.

  54. فمن مبلغ آلِ المهلبِ أَنَّني

    أَلفتُهم في المجدِ اِلفَ الحَبائِبِ

    Who will tell the house of al-Muhallab that I

    have cherished them in glory as dearly as loved ones?

  55. فآليتُ أَلاَّ أَمدحَ الدهرَ غيرَهم

    ولو عَرَضَ الأقوامُ لي بالرغائِبِ

    I swore to praise none but them as long as time lasts,

    even if others offered me coveted gifts.

  56. هم سلَّموا دهري اليَّ فَشِلْوُهُ

    لقاً بين أَنيابي وبينَ مَخَالبي

    They surrendered my age to me; its torn remains lie

    cast between my fangs and my claws.

  57. أُمزِّقُهُ ما مزَّقَتْني صُروفُهُ

    وآخذُ منه ثَارَ كلِّ مُطَالِبِ

    I tear it apart as its turns tore me apart,

    and exact from it every claimant's vengeance.