1. في كُلِّ يَوم نَشطَةٌ وَوَثاقُ

    فَمَتى يَكونُ لِدائِها إِفراقُ

    Every day, a loosening and a binding;

    When will her ailment find relief?

  2. إِن كانَ أَعطاها جِذابُ نُسوعِها

    سَفَهاً فَقَد لَغبَت بِها الأَعناقُ

    If tugging at her girths has given her

    Foolishness, necks have indeed grown weary on her account.

  3. تَشكو صَداها وَالدُّموعُ مَناهِلٌ

    وَوَجى المَناسِمُ وَالخُدودُ طِراقُ

    She complains of thirst, though tears are watering places,

    And of aching footpads, though cheeks serve as soles.

  4. فَاستَبقِ فَضلَتَها إِذا دَبَّ الوَنا

    فيها فَما كُلُّ السُّرى أَعناقُ

    So spare her remaining strength when weariness creeps

    Into her; not all night travel is hurried.

  5. وَدَعِ النَّسيمَ بُعيدُ من أَخبارِهِ

    فَلَهُ حَواشٍ لِلحَديثِ دِقاقُ

    And leave the breeze far from its tidings;

    For its tale has subtle embellishments.

  6. ما ثَمَّ مِن عُلَقِ العُذَيبِ بِغائِبٍ

    إِلّا وَقَد شَهِدَت بِهِ الآماقُ

    No cherished one of al-Udhayb is absent

    But the eye-corners have already borne witness to them.

  7. وَعَلى العَضا إِن كُنتَ مِن جيرانِهِ

    نارٌ تَقاسَمَ حَرَّها العُشّاقُ

    And over the thorn trees, if you dwell among their neighbors,

    A fire whose heat the lovers share.

  8. وَمُحلؤُن عَنِ المَناهِلِ بَعدَ ما

    شَرِقَت بِحَمَّةِ مائِها الطُّرّاقُ

    And one barred from the watering places after

    The wayfarers have choked on the heat of their water;

  9. وَمُشَتَّتِ العَزَماتِ يُنفِقُ عُمرَهُ

    حَيرانَ لا ظَفَرٌ وَلا إِخفاقُ

    And one of scattered resolves spends his life

    Bewildered, with neither triumph nor failure.

  10. أَمَلٌ يَلوحُ اليَأسُ في أَثنائِهِ

    وَغِنى يَشِفُّ وَراءَهُ الإِملاقُ

    Hope, with despair looming within it,

    And wealth behind which destitution shows through.

  11. يَمري غَفافَةَ ثَروَةٍ لَو أَنَّها

    نَومٌ لَما شَعَرَت بِهِ الأَحداقُ

    He milks a pittance of wealth; were it

    Sleep, the pupils would not have sensed it.

  12. وَتَروقُهُ خُدَعُ المُنى فَكَأَنَّها

    حَقٌّ وَكاذِبُ وَعدِها ميثاقٌ

    And the deceptions of wishes delight him, as though they were

    Truth, and their lying promise a covenant.

  13. أَثرى اللِّئامُ وَجَدُّهُ بِنَسيئَةٍ

    عَذراء ما فَطِنَت بِها الأَرزاقُ

    The ignoble have grown rich, while his fortune stands on credit,

    A virgin whom sustenance has never noticed.

  14. لَولا نَصيرُ المُلكِ طالَ ثَواؤُهُ

    فيها وَلَيسَ لأَسرِهِ إِطلاقُ

    But for Nasir al-Mulk, his stay would have been long

    In it, with no release from his captivity.

  15. القائِدُ البُزُل الصِّعاب كَأَنَّها

    مِمّا يَجوبُ بِهِ الفَلاةَ حِقاقُ

    The leader of stubborn, mature camels, as though they were,

    From his traversing the desert with them, young camels.

  16. وَمُؤَلِّفُ الأَهواءِ بَعدَ شَتاتِها

    طَوعاً فَما بَينَ القُلوبِ شِقاقُ

    And the uniter of inclinations after their dispersal,

    Willingly, so no discord lies between hearts.

  17. يَسطو وَقَد بَرَقَت أَسِرَّةُ وَجهِهِ

    بِشراً فَيَمزُجُ أَمنَهُ الإِشفاقُ

    He strikes while the lines of his face gleam

    With cheer, so fear mingles with his reassurance.

  18. كَالسَّيفِ يُسعِرُ حَدُّهُ نارَ الوَغى

    وَالماء في صَفَحاتِهِ رَقراقُ

    Like a sword whose edge kindles the fire of battle,

    While water shimmers on its surfaces.

  19. ما هَزَّهُ طَرَبُ العُقارِ وَإِنَّما

    أَعطَتهُ نَشوَةَ كَأسِها الأَخلاقُ

    No exhilaration from wine has stirred him; rather,

    His virtues have given him the rapture of its cup.

  20. هِيَ في الهَوى وَعدُ الوِصالِ وَفي الكَرى

    طَيفُ الخَيالِ وَفي الوَداعِ عِناقُ

    In love they are the promise of union, and in sleep

    A phantom vision, and at parting an embrace.

  21. يَنمى إِلى حَسَبٍ تَقَدَّمَ مُلهَمٍ

    فيهِ وَعَزَّ عَلى النُّجومِ لَحاقُ

    He traces his descent to a lineage; an inspired one advanced

    Within it, and even the stars found it hard to catch up.

  22. بَيتٌ لَهُ الشَّرَفُ القَديمُ وَغَيرُهُ

    كَالشَّيبِ جِدّةُ مِثلِهِ إِخلاقُ

    A house possessing ancient honor; any other

    Is like gray hair: the newness of its like is decay.

  23. البَركُ دَثرٌ وَالقِبابُ فَسيحَةٌ

    وَالجودُ غَمرٌ وَالجِفانُ عِماقُ

    The kneeling camels are many, the pavilions spacious,

    Generosity is a flood, and the serving bowls are deep.

  24. أَحيا النَّدى جَذلانَ ثُمَّ بِحلمِهِ

    بِشرٌ يُهابُ كَأَنَّهُ إِطراقُ

    He revived generosity, rejoicing; then, through his forbearance,

    His cheer inspires awe, as though it were a lowered gaze.

  25. وَحَمى العَواصِم بَعدَ ما عاثَ العِدى

    فيها وَحاوَلَ سَرحَها المرّاقُ

    And he defended al-Awasim after the enemies ran riot

    Within it, and renegades sought its grazing herds.

  26. ما ضَرَّها جَدبٌ وَأَنتَ رَبيعُها ال

    حالي وَكَفُّكَ غَيثُها الغَيداقُ

    No drought harmed it, while you are its spring,

    Adorned, and your hand its abundant rain.

  27. ظَنَّ ابنُ باديسٍ بَعادَكَ جُنَّةً

    فَأَبَت نَواحِلُ كَالقِسيِّ دِقاقُ

    Ibn Badis thought your distance a shield,

    But lean mounts, slender as bows, denied it.

  28. أَلهاهُ عَن نَظَرِ العَواقِبِ سامِرٌ

    غَردٌ وَكأسٌ بِالعُقارِ دِهاقُ

    A nighttime companion distracted him from weighing consequences,

    Tuneful, and a cup brimming with wine.

  29. وَأَقامَ يَسجعُ بِالظُّنون سَفاهَةً

    وَمِنَ الظُّنونِ خَديعَةٌ وَنِفاقُ

    And he kept cooing conjectures foolishly,

    And in conjectures lie deceit and hypocrisy.

  30. حَتّى إِذا طالعت ثَغرَةَ كَيدِهِ

    وَهَفا عَلَيهِ لِواؤكَ الخَفّاقُ

    Until, when you found the weak point of his scheme,

    And your fluttering banner waved above him,

  31. وَنَزَت جِيادُك لِلطِّرادِ كَأَنَّها

    سِربُ المَها وَرماحُكَ الأَوراقُ

    And your steeds leapt into pursuit, as though they were

    A herd of oryx, and your spears the leaves,

  32. وَلّى يَذُمُ لَهُ قَوائِمُ سابِحٍ

    جَمَحَت بِهِ الخُيَلاء وَهيَ إِباقُ

    He fled, rebuked by the legs of a swimming steed;

    Pride bolted away with him, though it was mere flight.

  33. وَرَمى بصيرة في مَخالِبِ ضَيغَمٍ

    طَيّانَ تُفتَحُ باسمِهِ الأَغلاقُ

    And he cast Basira into the claws of a lion,

    Famished, at whose name the locks swing open.

  34. ما دَبَّ لِلصَّهباء في أَعطافِهِ

    فَرَحٌ وَلا عَبَثَت بِهِ الأَعلاقُ

    No joy from tawny wine has crept through his limbs,

    Nor have treasured things toyed with him.

  35. دامي الأَسِنَّةِ ما تَقِرُّ جِيادُهُ

    حَتّى تُضيءُ بِعَدلِهِ الآفاقُ

    His spearheads bloodied, his steeds never rest

    Until the horizons shine with his justice.

  36. بِالقَيرَوان لَها عَمامَةُ عَثيَرٍ

    وَطفاء وَابِلُها الدَّمُ المهراقُ

    At Kairouan, they have a turban of dust,

    Thick and dark, its downpour the blood poured out.

  37. وَعَلى خَليجِ الرّومِ بَرقُ صَفائِحٍ

    تَفري ذُيولَ النَّقعِ وَهيَ صِفاقُ

    And on the Gulf of Rum, flashes of blades

    Slash the skirts of dust, dense though they are.

  38. فَتَنازَعَ الكُفّارُ فَضلَةَ كَأسِها

    مِن بَعدِ ما ثَمِلَت بِهِ الفُسّاقُ

    So the unbelievers vied over the remains of its cup

    After the sinners had grown drunk on it.

  39. عادَت سِهامُهُمُ الحِدادُ كَليلَةً

    حَتّى كَأَنَّ نِصالَها أَفواقُ

    Their sharp arrows returned blunted,

    Until their points seemed like nocks.

  40. صَبَّحتُهُم بِاللاذِقِيَّةِ فَالتَقى

    بَحرانِ ماء راكِدٌ وَعِتاقُ

    I struck them at dawn at Latakia; then there met

    Two seas: still water and thoroughbred steeds.

  41. فاتَ الظَّلامُ بِها فَعِفت وُرودَها

    تَبعاً وَأَنتَ بِمِثلِها سَبّاقُ

    Darkness beat you to it, so you disdained to approach it

    As a follower, when in such things you take the lead.

  42. حَتّى إِذا سَفَرَ الضُّحى وَتَمارَتِ ال

    أَبصارُ أيَّكُما لَهُ الإِشراقُ

    Until, when the forenoon unveiled itself and the

    Eyes debated which of you possessed the radiance,

  43. غادَرتَها دِمَناً عَلى أَطلالِها

    يَبكي الخَليطُ وَتُذكَرُ الأَشواقُ

    You left it desolate campsites; over its ruins

    The company weeps, and longings are recalled.

  44. وَشَرَعتَ دينَ قراكَ في عَرَصاتِها

    فَالنّارُ تُضرَمُ وَالدِّماءُ تُراقُ

    And you ordained the creed of your hospitality in its open courts;

    So fire is kindled and blood is spilled.

  45. فَأَطاعَ جامِحُها وَكانَت زِبرَة

    عَوجاء ثَقَّفَ مَيلَها الإِحراقُ

    So its defiance yielded; it had been a lump of iron,

    Crooked, whose bend the burning straightened.

  46. شَرَفاً بَني كَعبٍ فَما عَذُبَ الجَنى

    إِلّا بِما سَبَقَت بِهِ الأَغراقُ

    Honor, sons of Ka'b! No fruit has grown sweet

    Except through what earlier deep immersions had supplied.

  47. شادَت سُيوفُ أَبي عَلِيٍّ فيكُمُ

    مَجداً لَهُ فَوقَ السَّماءِ طِباقُ

    The swords of Abu Ali built among you

    A glory with tiers above the sky.

  48. وَسَعى المُهَذَّبُ سَعيَهُ فَتَوافَقا

    إِن كانَ بَينَ الفَرقَدَينِ وِفاقُ

    And al-Muhadhdhab pursued his course, and the two accorded,

    If concord exists between the two Farqad stars.

  49. يا جامِعَ الحَسَناتِ إِنَّ غَرائِبي

    تُهدى وَلَيسَ سِوى الوِدادِ صَداقُ

    O gatherer of virtues, my rare creations

    Are given as gifts, with no dowry but affection.

  50. لَو أنصفت زُفَّت إِلى خُطّابِها

    وَالبَدرُ تاجٌ وَالنُّجومُ نِطاقُ

    Were they treated justly, they would be led as brides to their suitors,

    With the full moon a crown and the stars a girdle.

  51. لَم تَعتَرِضها بِالحِجابِ نَقيصَةٌ

    ما كُلُّ ما سَتَرَ البُدورَ مَحاقُ

    No blemish has kept them veiled;

    Not everything that veils full moons is the moon's dark phase.