Poems
- أبكي الفتى الأبيض البهلول سنتهI weep for the fair youth, cheerful of countenance
- أتترك عارض وبنو عديAre ʿĀriḍ and the sons of ʿAdī to be left alone,
- أجدك شاقتك الرسوم الدوارسTruly, have the weathered campsite traces stirred your longing,
- إذا فات منك الأطيبان فلا تبلIf the two sweetest things have slipped away from you, do not worry
- إذا قال غاو من معد قصيدةIf a wayward man of Maʿadd utters a poem,
- أرقت لبرق بالعراق وصحبتيI lay awake at lightning in Iraq, while my companions were
- أرقت ونام الأخلياء وعادنيI lay sleepless while the carefree slept, and there came to me
- أرى كل عود نابتا في أرومةI see every branch growing from a rootstock;
- أغر كمصباح الدجنة يتقيRadiant as a lamp in the darkness, he shuns
- إن الخليط أجدوا البين فابتكرواIndeed, the companions resolved to part, then set out early.
- إنا محيوك يا سلمى فحييناWe greet you, Salma; greet us in return.
- بنفسي خليلاي اللذان تبرضاI would give my life for my two dear friends, who drained, drop by drop,
- تخليت من داء امرىء لم أكن لهI cleared myself of a man's fault; I had not been his
- ترى الفئام قعودا يأنحون لهاYou see the crowds seated, groaning over it,
- تطاول هذا الليل ما كاد ينجليThis night has dragged on, hardly beginning to clear,
- جزى الله خيرا والجزاء بكفه بنيMay God reward with good—and recompense is in His hand—
- حلفت فلم أفجر بحيث ترقرقتI swore—and swore no false oath—by the place where rippled
- ذكرت أخي المخول بعد يأسI remembered my brother al-Mukhawwal after despair,
- رأتني ابنة الكلبي أقصر باطليAl-Kalbī's daughter saw that my frivolity had ceased,
- سمت لك حاجة من حب سلمىA longing born of love for Salma has risen in you,
- ضمن القنان لفقعس سوآتهاAl-Qanān has harbored Faqʿas’s shameful deeds;
- طرقت أسيماء الرحال ودونهاUsayma visited the camp by night, though between her and us lay
- غلامان خاضا الموت من كل جانبTwo youths plunged into death from every side;
- فتى كان للرمح الأسن محطماA youth who would shatter the long spear,
- فذلك شبه الضب يوم رأيتهSo that was like the wolf when I saw him
- فلا تأمن النوكى وإن كان دارهمSo do not feel safe from fools, even if their home were
- فلو كان لي نفسان كنت مقاتلاFor if I had two souls, I would fight
- قال الأقارب لا تغررك كثرتناThe kinsmen said, “Do not let our numbers deceive you,
- قبح الإله الفقعسي ورهطهMay God disgrace al-Faqʿasī and his clan,
- لعمري لئن أمسى يزيد بن نهشلBy my life, though Yazīd son of Nahshal now lies
- وجو جبا ناء تقطع دونهOver hill and dale the rain streams down
- وما زال ركني يرتقي من ورائهAnd my mainstay keeps rising from behind him;
- ومن يحلم وليس له سفيهAnd whoever is forbearing, with no hothead at his side,
- ومولى رفدت النصح حتى يردهAnd to a kinsman I gave counsel until he turned it
- ومولى عصاني واستبد برأيهAnd an ally disobeyed me and relied solely on his own judgment,
- ونحن منعنا الحي أن يتقسمواAnd we kept the tribe from splitting up among themselves
- يخالجن أشطان الهوى كل وجهةThey tug the cords of love in every direction
No poems found.