1. يا حادِيَ الأَظعانِ أَينَ تَميلُ

    هِيَ وَجرَة وَسُؤالُها تَعليلُ

    O driver of the departing camel-litters, where do you turn?

    It is Wajrah; asking about it is consolation.

  2. ما هَذِهِ في الرَّبعِ أَوَّلُ وَقفَةٍ

    وَقَفَت فَينشُدُ قاتِلاً مَقتولُ

    This is not the first halt in the deserted camp

    that was made, where a slain man seeks his slayer.

  3. عُجنا بِناحِلِ رَسمِهِ فَتَحَيَّرَت

    فيهِ دُموعٌ ما لَهُنَّ مسيلُ

    We turned aside at its wasted traces, and there pooled

    within it tears that had no outlet.

  4. وَتَحَمَّلَت ليَد السَّحابِ طُلولُهُ

    مِنّا وَنَحنُ سَحائِبُ وَطُلولُ

    And its ruins were beholden to the clouds' hand

    through us, who were clouds and ruins.

  5. وَعَلى العُذَيبِ وَلا أَغُشُّكَ بانَةٌ

    ما ظِلُّها لَولا السَّقام ظَليلُ

    And by al-Udhayb—and I do not deceive you—stands a ban-tree,

    whose shade, but for wasting sickness, would give no shelter.

  6. وَمُرَنَّح في الكورِ تَحسَبُهُ الصَّبا

    غُصناً يَميدُ بِمرِّها وَيَميلُ

    And a swaying rider in the camel saddle, whom the east wind takes

    for a bough that sways and bends as it passes.

  7. حَمَلَت إِلَيهِ تَحِيَّةً وَنَسيمُها

    أَبَداً عَلى دينِ الغَرامِ رَسولُ

    It carried him a greeting, and its breeze

    is ever a messenger in the faith of love.

  8. ما كُنتُ تُخبِرُ قَبلَها عَن حاجِرٍ

    إِلّا وَطيبُكَ شاهِدٌ مَقبولُ

    Never before that did you tell of Hajir

    without your fragrance being an accepted witness.

  9. وَتَبثُّ ما كَتَمَ الأقاحُ وَلَو دَرى

    ما كانَ مِنكَ لِثَغرِهِ تَقبيلُ

    And you divulge what the daisy hid; had it known,

    you would never have kissed its mouth.

  10. وَفَوارِس أَلِفوا القَنا فَكَأَنَّهُ

    قَبلَ الطِّعانِ بِبَوعِهِم مَوصولُ

    And horsemen so familiar with lances that they seem

    joined to their arm-span even before the thrusting.

  11. ذَعَروا الظَّلامَ فَما يَمُرُّ عَلَيهِمُ

    إِلّا وَعِقدُ نُجومِهِ مَحلولُ

    They terrified the darkness, so it never passes over them

    without the necklace of its stars unstrung.

  12. طَمَحَت بِهِم آمالُهُم وَلِواؤهُم

    قَدَرٌ بِما وَعَدَ الكِرامُ مَطولُ

    Their hopes bore them aloft, and their banner

    is fate, stretched long by what the noble have promised.

  13. وَمُطَوَّح رَكِبَ الخِداعَ مَطِيَّةً

    ما ظَهرُها يَومَ اللِّقاءِ ذَلولُ

    And a man driven astray, who took deceit for a mount

    whose back is not tame on the day of battle.

  14. كَيفَ اهتَدَيتَ لِعامِرٍ وَرِعالُها

    سَدف وَسِترُ مَجالِها مَسدولُ

    How did you find your way to Amir, when its squadrons

    are darkness, and the veil of their arena is drawn down?

  15. جَمَحَت بِكَ الخُيَلاء حَتّى هِجتَها

    شَنعاء ثارَ صَريعُها مَطلولُ

    Arrogance bolted away with you until you roused

    a hideous battle, whose fallen man rose with his blood unavenged.

  16. وَبَدَت مخائِلُها لَدَيكَ مُضيئةً

    لَو كانَ عِندَكَ لِلصَّباحِ دَليلُ

    And its signs appeared bright before you,

    if only you had a guide to the dawn.

  17. وَظَنَنتَ عَوفاً بِالطِّعانِ بِجيلَة

    ظَنٌّ لَعَمرُكَ بِالحِمامِ جَميلُ

    And you mistook Awf, in spear-fighting, for Bajilah—

    a fine notion, by your life, where death is concerned.

  18. أَو ما بِسنجارٍ لِقَومِكَ مَصرَعٌ

    شَهِدَت بِهِ في المرهفات فُلولُ

    Or is there not at Sinjar a killing-ground for your people,

    to which the notches in the keen blades bore witness?

  19. طَلَبوا النَّجاء فَكانَ في أَعمارِهِم

    قِصَرٌ وَفي سُمرِ الذَّوابِلِ طولُ

    They sought escape, and so in their lifespans there was

    shortness, and in the dark, slender spears, length.

  20. فَذَرِ العِراقَ طَريدَة مَبذولَةً

    سَبَقَ الأَسِنَّة سَرحُها المَشلولُ

    So leave Iraq as freely offered quarry:

    its driven herd has outrun the spearheads.

  21. وامنَع حَليفَكَ بِالعِراقِ وَقُل لَهُ

    هَيهاتَ ذادَ عَن الفُراتِ النِّيلُ

    And hold back your ally in Iraq, and tell him:

    “Far from it! The Nile has defended the Euphrates.”

  22. وَحَذارِ مِن كَلأ الجَزيرَةِ إِنَّهُ

    مَرعى بِأَطرافِ الرِّماحِ وَبيلُ

    And beware the pasture of al-Jazirah: it is

    a deadly grazing-ground at the tips of spears.

  23. صَحَّت فَلَيسَ سِوى الجُفونِ مَريضَة

    فيها وَلا غَيرُ النَّسيمِ عَليلُ

    It has recovered, so none are sick but the eyelids

    there, and none is ailing but the breeze.

  24. وَثَنى زَعيمُ الدِّينِ فَضلَ جِماحِها

    فَاللَّيلُ فَجرٌ وَالرِّياحُ قَبولُ

    And the champion of the faith curbed its excessive bolting,

    so night is dawn, and the winds are easterlies.

  25. إِن كانَ حَلَّ بِها وَفارَقَ دارَهُ

    فَاللَّيثُ يُفرَقُ بَأسَهُ لا الفيلُ

    If he has settled there and left his own abode,

    it is the lion's might that is feared, not the elephant's.

  26. نَشوانَ يَخطُرُ لِلنَّدى في هزَّةٍ

    عَلِموا بِها أَنَّ السَّماحَ شَمولُ

    Intoxicated, he struts toward generosity in a rapture

    by which they knew that liberality is wine.

  27. يَغتالُ بادِرَةَ الخُطوبِ بِرَيثَةٍ

    وَيَنالُ أَقصى الحَزم وَهوَ عَجولُ

    He slays the sudden onset of calamities with deliberation,

    and attains the utmost prudence while he is swift.

  28. عَطِرَ الثَّناء تَضَوَّعَت أَوصافُهُ

    طيباً فَكُلُّ فَمٍ بِهِ مَعلولُ

    Fragrant in praise, his qualities waft

    as perfume, and every mouth is steeped in it.

  29. ما كانَ يُعلَمُ قَبلَ فَيضِ نَوالِهِ

    أَنَّ الغَمامَ إِذا استهلَّ بِخَيلُ

    Before the outpouring of his bounty, it was not known

    that a rain-cloud, when it pours, is miserly.

  30. فَرَقَت عَزائِمُهُ فَشابَ لَها الدُّجا

    خَوفاً وَأَثَّرَ في الهِلالِ نُحولُ

    His resolves were feared, and darkness grew gray before them

    in terror, and wasting left its mark on the crescent.

  31. لَو أَنَّ لِلأَيّامِ نارَ ذَكائِهِ

    ما كانَ فيها بُكرَة وَأَصيلُ

    If the days possessed the fire of his intelligence,

    they would have neither morning nor evening.

  32. شَرَف بَنو عَبدِ الرَّحيمِ عِمادُه

    وَلَرُبَّما تَضَعِ الفُروعَ أُصولُ

    A nobility whose mainstay is Banu Abd al-Rahim;

    and roots can sometimes bring branches low.

  33. أَبقى بِهِ عَبقَ الثَّناءِ لِرَهطِهِ

    وَالحَمدُ حَظٌ لِلكِرامِ جَزيلُ

    Through it he preserved the fragrance of praise for his clan,

    and praise is a rich share for noble men.

  34. قَومٌ إِذا نَضبَ الكَلامُ وَأَظلَمَت

    لِلنّاطِقينَ خَواطِرٌ وَعُقولُ

    A people who, when speech runs dry and grow dark

    the thoughts and minds of speakers,

  35. شاموا مَضارِبَ أَلسُنٍ عَرَبِيَّةٍ

    تَفري وَماضي المُرهَفاتِ كَليلُ

    unsheathe the striking edges of Arabic tongues

    that cut, while the keenest blades are blunt.

  36. إِن فاتَهُم بُردٌ يُلاثُ وَمِنبَرٌ

    فَلَهُم سَريرُ المُلكِ وَالإِكليلُ

    If a mantle to be wrapped about them and a pulpit elude them,

    the royal throne and crown are theirs.

  37. نَسَبٌ هَدى زُهرَ النُّجومِ مَنارُهُ

    وَسِواهُ فَقعُ قَرارِهِ مَجهولُ

    A lineage whose beacon guided the brilliant stars,

    while all besides it is a truffle whose root-bed is unknown.

  38. يا جامِعَ الآمالِ وَهيَ بَدائِدٌ

    وَمُرَوِّضَ الأَيّامِ وَهيَ مُحولُ

    O gatherer of hopes when they lie scattered,

    and tamer of days when they are barren!

  39. أَعني كَمالَكَ أَن تُعَدَّ فَضيلَةٌ

    كَالصُّبحِ لا رَثمٌ وَلا تَحجيلُ

    I mean your perfection: a virtue to be reckoned

    like the dawn, not a white muzzle-mark or white stockings.

  40. لَولاكَ ما ارتَجَّت الأَكُفُّ فَلَم يَكُن

    في الدَّهرِ لا أَمَلٌ وَلا مَأمولُ

    Without you, palms would not have stirred, and there would be

    in all time neither hope nor anything hoped for.

  41. ما ضَرَّ ناشِرَة وَرَأيُكَ فيهِمُ

    أَن لا يُفارِقَ غِمدَهُ مَصقولُ

    It did Nashirah no harm, while your counsel was among them,

    that no polished blade should leave its sheath.

  42. قُل لِلأَميرِ أَبي الأَغَرِّ وَدونَهُ

    لِلطّالِبينَ سَباسِبٌ وَهُجولُ

    Tell the emir Abu al-Agharr, though before him,

    for those who seek him, lie broad plains and valleys:

  43. عاداتُ جَدِّكَ في العِدا مَنصورَة

    أَبَداً وَسَيفُكَ ضامِنٌ وَكَفيلُ

    Your grandfather's ways against the foes are victorious

    forever; your sword is their guarantor and surety.

  44. أَسلَفتَ جَوثَةَ مِنَّةً مَشهورَة

    فَوَفَت بِحَمدِكَ وَالوَفاءُ قَليلُ

    You bestowed a renowned favor upon Jawthah,

    and it repaid you in praise; loyalty is rare.

  45. وَثَوى ابنُ عَمِّكَ بِالعِراقِ وَقَومُهُ

    كَالذَّودِ حَنَّ وَفَحلُهُ مَعقولُ

    And your cousin dwelt in Iraq, and his people

    were like a small camel herd that moaned, its sire hobbled.

  46. ما صَدَّهُم عَنكَ الجَفاء وَإِنَّما

    مالوا مَعَ الأَيّامِ حَيثُ تَميلُ

    It was not estrangement that kept them from you; rather,

    they turned with the days wherever the days turn.

  47. وَغَريبَة دارَت وَما نَبغي بِها

    إِلّا الوِدادَ فَهَل إِلَيهِ سَبيلُ

    And a rare poem has gone its rounds, and through it we seek

    only affection—is there a path to it?

  48. إِن شُفِّعَت آمالُها في نَيلِهِ

    فَلتَسمَعِ الفُصَحاءِ كَيفَ أَقولُ

    If its hopes are accepted as intercessors for attaining it,

    then let the eloquent hear how I speak.