يا عَمرُو إِني قَد هَويتُ جِماعَكُم

وَلِكُلِّ مَن يَهوى الجِماعَ فِراقُ

O Amro, I have fallen in love with your tribe,

And for all who fall in love, parting is inevitable.

بَل كَم رَأَيتُ الدَهرَ زايَلَ بَينُهُ

مَن لا يُزايِلُ بَينَهُ الأَخلاقُ

Yet how often have I seen time change a man

Whose morals time does not change!

طابَت بِهِ الزَبّا وَقَد جَعَلَت لَها

دوراً وَمَشرَبَةً لَها أَنفاقُ

The abodes delighted him; he built for them

Houses, dwelling-places, passages underground;

حَمَلَت لَها عَمراً وَلا بِخُشونَةٍ

مِن آلِ دَومَةَ رَسلَةٌ مِعناقُ

He carried for them provisions without stint

From the family of Dawma, a tribe quick to protect its guest;

حَتّى تَفَرَّعَها بِأَبيَضَ صارِمٍ

عَضبٍ يَلوحُ كَأَنَّهُ مِخراقُ

Until he divided them with his white, glittering,

Keen sword that flashes like a flame.

وَأَبو حُذَيفَةَ يَومَ ضاقَ بِجَمعِهِ

شِعبُ الغَبيطِ فَحَومَةٌ فَأَفاقُ

And Abu Hudhayfa, the day his army was hemmed in

By the defile of al-Ghabiit, how he charged and burst out!

وَلَهُ مَعَدٌ وَالعِبادُ وَطَييِّءٌ

وَمِنَ الجُنودِ كَتائِبٌ وَرِفاقُ

And his troops were Ma'add, and the 'Ibad, and Tai,

And companies of footmen were with him, and horsemen.

يَهَبُ النَجائِبَ وَالنَزائِعَ حَولَهُ

جُرداً كَأَنَّ مُتونَها الإِطلاقُ

He hurtled squadrons and detached troops around him

With naked swords, as though their sheaths were loosed.

فَأَتَت عَلَيهِ ساعَةٌ ما إِن لَهُ

مِمّا أَفاءَ وَلا أَفادَ عِتاقُ

Then there came a time when neither what he had gained

Nor what he had stored away availed to ransom him.

فَكَأَنَّ ذلِكَ يَومَ حُمَّ قَضاؤُهُ

رَفَدٌ أُميلَ إِناؤُهُ مِهراقُ

It was as though that were the day ordained for him

To drain the final draft from his overturned cup!