1. أَفي نَجدٍ تُحاوِرُكَ القَبولُ

    أَظُنُّ الرّيحَ تَفهَمُ ما تَقولُ

    Is it in Najd that the east wind converses with you?

    I think the wind understands what you say.

  2. تَغَنَّت في رِحالِ الرَّكبِ حَتّى

    تَشابَهَتِ الذَّوائِبُ وَالذُّبولُ

    It sang among the caravan's saddles until

    tresses and slender spears became alike.

  3. صَحِبنا في دِيارِكُمُ صَباها

    تَناوَبها التَّنَفُّسُ وَالنُّحولُ

    In your dwellings we kept company with their east breeze;

    sighing and wasting visited it in turn.

  4. وَأَمطَرنا سَحابَ الدَّمعِ حَتّى

    حَسِبنا أَنَّهُ مُهَجٌ تَسيلُ

    And we poured down clouds of tears until

    we thought it was lifeblood flowing.

  5. وَعُجنا ذاهِلينَ فَما عَلِمنا

    أَنَحنُ السّائِلونَ أَمِ الطُّلولُ

    And we turned aside, bewildered, and could not tell

    whether we were the questioners or the ruins.

  6. وَأَعدَينا بِذِكرِكُمُ الخُزامى

    فَمالَ مَعَ النَّسيمِ كَما يَميلُ

    And with remembrance of you we infected the lavender,

    so it swayed with the breeze in like fashion.

  7. وَفي الأَظعانِ لَيِّنَةُ الثَّنِيِّ

    عَصِيُّ الرِّدفِ مانِعَةٌ بَذولُ

    And among the departing litters is a woman supple of waist,

    unyielding of rump, withholding yet lavish.

  8. سَأَلناها تُحَيِّينا فَضَنَّت

    وَذَلِكَ لَو تَجودُ بِهِ جَزيلُ

    We asked her to greet us, but she withheld it;

    and that, if she bestowed it, would be a great gift.

  9. سَقَت أَرضَ السَّوِيَّةِ وَالغَوادي

    تَهاداها الأَباطِحُ وَالسُّهولُ

    The land of al-Sawiyya was watered—while the morning rains

    were passed as gifts between gravelly valleys and plains—

  10. يَمانِيَةٌ تُصَفِّقُها النَّعامى

    إِذا خَطَرَت وَتَلحَقُها القَبولُ

    by a Yemeni cloud that the south wind buffets

    when it sways, and that the east wind follows.

  11. كَأَنَّ يَدَ المُعِزِّ حَنَت عَلَيها

    مَخافَةَ أَن تَضُرَّ بِها السُّيولُ

    As though al-Mu'izz's hand had bent tenderly over it,

    for fear that floods might harm it.

  12. شَفى مَرَضَ العَواصِمِ عامِرِيٌّ

    تَنمُّ عَلى خَلائِقِهِ الشَّمولُ

    An Amiri cured al-Awasim's sickness;

    wine reveals his character.

  13. جَلا صَدأَ القَذى عَنها وَصَحَّت

    فَلَيسَ سِوى النَّسيمِ بِها عَليلُ

    He scoured the rust of filth from it, and it recovered;

    so nothing there is ailing but the breeze.

  14. وَآمَنَ سِربها مِن كُلِّ خَطبٍ

    فَأمُّ النّائِباتِ بِها ثُكولُ

    And he secured its flock from every calamity,

    so the mother of calamities there is bereaved.

  15. كَريمٌ يَستُرُ المَعروفَ حَتّى

    كَأَنَّ كَثيرَ ما يُعطي قَليلُ

    A generous man who conceals his kindness, so that

    the great abundance he gives seems little.

  16. تَغيرُ عَلى سوابِقِهِ الفَيافي

    وَتَضرِبُ في صَوارِمِهِ الفُلولُ

    The deserts raid his swift steeds,

    and nicks strike his keen swords.

  17. تَزورُ جِيادُهُ أَرضَ الأَعادي

    وَأَطرافُ الرِّماحِ لَها دَليلُ

    His steeds visit the land of enemies,

    with the spearpoints as their guide.

  18. طَلَعنَ مِنَ الجَزيرَةِ في هَناتٍ

    تَقاضاها الطَّوائِلُ وَالدُّخولُ

    They emerged from al-Jazira on undertakings

    demanded by blood feuds and treachery.

  19. وَجُبنَ مَعاقِلَ الأَعداءِ حَتّى

    تَناذَرَتِ الرَّكائِبُ وَالخُيولُ

    And they traversed the enemy's strongholds until

    riding camels and horses warned one another.

  20. إِذا خَدَعَتهُمُ بِالنَّقعِ قالوا

    نَعامُ الدَّوِّ أَفزَعَها الرَّعيلُ

    When the steeds deceived them with dust, they said:

    “Desert ostriches, frightened by a troop.”

  21. وَإِن صَدَقَتهُمُ الخُرصانُ عَنها

    وَلاحَت في عَجاجَتِها النُّصولُ

    And if the lanceheads told them truly of the steeds,

    and spearheads gleamed amid their swirling dust,

  22. أَجارَهُمُ الفِرارُ مِنَ العَوالي

    وَقَد يَنجو مِنَ القَدَرِ الذَّليلُ

    flight granted them refuge from the tall lances—

    and sometimes the abject escape fate.

  23. وَحَلّوا بِالسَّماوَةِ في شِعابٍ

    يُذَمُّ لَها مِنَ الطَّلَبِ الخُمولُ

    And they settled in al-Samawa, in ravines

    where slackness in pursuit deserves reproach.

  24. رَعوا فيها الهَشيمَ وَقَد تَباهَت

    بِزينَتِها المَخازِمُ وَالهُجولُ

    They grazed there on dry herbage, while

    the mountain passes and broad valleys flaunted their adornment.

  25. إِذا سَرَحَت قِلاصُ الحَيِّ أَمناً

    وَسارَت عَن مَنازِلها الحُمولُ

    When the tribe's young she-camels went out to graze safely,

    and the laden camels left their camping grounds,

  26. ثَوَوا أَسرى الخِدارِ وَقَد أَريحَت

    مَطِيُّهُمُ وَسالَمها الذَّميلُ

    they remained captives of torpor, while

    their mounts were rested, spared the quick trot.

  27. طِلابٌ لا يُرَوِّعُهُ عِثارٌ

    وَعَزمٌ لا يُنَفِّرُهُ نُكولُ

    A pursuit undaunted by stumbling,

    and a resolve not driven back by retreat,

  28. وَمُلكٌ شادَهَ ظَعنُ الهَوادي

    تَزولُ الرّاسِياتُ وَلا يَزولُ

    and a kingdom raised by the vanguard's march:

    the rooted mountains pass away, but it does not.

  29. حَماهُ مِن مُخاتَلَةِ اللَّيالي

    فَتىً مِثلُ المُرادِ بِهِ جَليلُ

    It is protected from the nights' treachery

    by a youth as exalted as the hopes placed in him.

  30. تُحاذِرُ بَأسَهُ سُمرُ العَوالي

    فَفيها مِن مَهابَتِهِ ذُبولُ

    Brown, tall lances fear his might,

    and awe of him has made them wither.

  31. وَيُطلِعُ في ظَلامِ النَّقعِ مِنها

    نُجوماً في النُّحورِ لَها أفولُ

    And from them, in the darkness of dust, he raises

    stars whose setting is in throats.

  32. مِنَ القَومِ الَّذينَ لَهُم أَكُفٌّ

    يُبادِرُها فَتَنجابُ المُحولُ

    He is of a people whose hands

    droughts hasten toward, then disappear.

  33. كُهولُهُم إِذا غَضِبوا شَبابٌ

    وَمُردُهُم إِذا حَلِموا كُهولُ

    Their mature men are youths when angry,

    and their beardless youths are mature men when forbearing.

  34. إِذا راعَت سُيوفُهُمُ المَطايا

    تَمَنَّت أَنَّ مالِكَها بَخيلُ

    When their swords frighten the riding beasts,

    the beasts wish their owner were miserly.

  35. غَدَت غُرَراً عَلى هامِ الأَعادي

    وهُزَّ عَلى مَناسِمِها حُجولُ

    The swords become white blazes on the enemies' heads,

    and anklets are swung above the camels' padded feet.

  36. وَقَفرٌ قُيّدَت فيهِ الدَّياجي

    فَما لِخِضابِها عَنهُ نُصولُ

    And a wasteland where the dark nights were fettered,

    so their dye never fades from it.

  37. تَسَتَّر فيهِ ضَوء الصُّبحِ خَوفاً

    فَنَمَّ بِسِرِّهِ السَّيفُ الصَّقيلُ

    Dawn's light hid there in fear,

    but the polished sword betrayed its secret.

  38. تَمُرُّ بِهِ السَّحائِبُ خائِفاتٍ

    فَلَيسَ لَها بِساحَتِهِ هُمولُ

    Clouds pass over it in fear,

    and shed no rain in its expanse.

  39. أَقاموا في غَياهِبِهِ العَوالي

    مَناراً ما يَضِلُّ بِهِ سَبيلُ

    They set tall lances in its deepest darkness

    as a beacon by which no path goes astray.

  40. حَذارِ فَإِنَّ في حَلَبٍ لُيوثاً

    وَآجامُ الرِّماحِ لَهُنَّ غيلُ

    Beware, for in Aleppo there are lions,

    and thickets of spears are their lairs.

  41. وَمِن بَطنِ الشآم إِلى دُجَيلٍ

    مَراتِعُ نَبتُها الأَسَلُ الطَّويلُ

    And from the heart of al-Sham to Dujayl

    are pastures whose growth is long spears.

  42. يُشَيَّدُ دونَها لِبَني كِلابٍ

    بُيوت ما يُضامُ لَها نَزيلُ

    Before them, for Banu Kilab, are raised

    houses where no guest is wronged.

  43. تَسيلُ شِعابُها بِنَدى ثِمالٍ

    فَلَيسَ لَها إِلى كَلأ رَحيلُ

    Their ravines flow with Thimal's bounty,

    so they need not travel in search of pasture.

  44. تَغَمَّدَ جُرمَها إِن طاحَ حِلمٌ

    وَضَلَّت عَن هِدايَتِها عُقولُ

    Forgive its offense if forbearance should fail

    and minds stray from its guidance.

  45. وَصُنها فَهيَ في يُمناكَ عَضبٌ

    يُزينُكَ حَملُهُ وَبِهِ تَصولُ

    And preserve it: in your right hand it is a keen sword,

    whose bearing adorns you, and with which you attack.

  46. فَدونَكَ عاجَلَت وَخزَ العَوالي

    كَأَنَّ الرُّمحَ يَطعَنُهُ التَّليلُ

    Then take it: it has hastened to meet the prick of tall lances,

    as though the neck were stabbing the spear.

  47. وَتَحتَ لِوائِكُم صَعبٌ أَباء

    فَلَم يَركَب لَها ظَهرٌ ذَلولُ

    And beneath your banner is a stubborn, defiant mount,

    so no docile back has ever been ridden for it.

  48. أَرى إِبلي شَوارِعَ من قُنوعي

    مَوارِدَ ما يُبَلُّ بِها غَليلُ

    I see my camels, driven by my pleading, approaching

    watering places where no burning thirst is quenched.

  49. وَلَم تَعرِف لِمُصعَبِها قُيودٌ

    وَلَم يَملِك لِشارِدِها جَديلُ

    And no fetters have known their unbroken one,

    nor has a braided rein mastered their straying one.

  50. وَآمالي مُطرحَةٌ بِطاء

    يُنازِعُ دونَها قَدَرٌ مَطولُ

    And my hopes lie cast aside, slow-moving;

    an ever-delaying fate contends in their path.

  51. أعيذُ نَميرَ وُدِّكَ مِن أَوامي

    وَقَد أَودى بِجِمَّتِهِ النُّهولُ

    I seek to shield your affection's sweet water from my thirst,

    though drinking has drained its abundant pool.

  52. فَهَل يَرضى لَكَ الكَرَمُ اطِّراحي

    وَلَو أَنّي لجودِكُمُ عَذولُ

    Would generosity, then, approve your casting me aside,

    even if I were a critic of your bounty?

  53. فَما يَسمو الزَّمانُ إِلى قِراعي

    وَظِلُّ جَنابِكُم أَبَداً ظَليلُ

    For time cannot rise to challenge me,

    while the shade of your presence is forever sheltering.

  54. وَلا تَسطو عَلَيِّ يَدُ اللَّيالي

    وَظَنّي في رَجائِكُمُ جَميلُ

    Nor does the hand of nights assail me,

    and I trust my hopes in you are well placed.