بِوُدِّيَ لو مُلِّكْتُ ثَنْيَ قِيادي

فأعتاضَ عن غَيِّ الهَوى برَشادِ

With my love, if I had control of my reins

I would have turned away from the passions of desire and been rightly guided,

تمادَتْ دموعي يومَ جدَّت بك النَّوى

وللَّومِ في أعقابِهنَّ تَمَادي

My tears flowed abundantly when sorrows aimed their arrows at you,

And then they continued to flow after them.

أُقيمُ وحظِّي الهجرُ عندَ إقامتي

وأرحَلُ والشوقُ المبرِّحُ زادي

I stay while my lot is to be separated from me,

And I depart while yearning - that dissuader - is my provision.

فلا زال صوب المزن يرتاح صبوة

إلى رائح من ذي الأراح وغادي

So the predawn shower does not cease blowing

Towards the direction of the gentle, fragrant breeze.

إذا ماحداه البَرقُ يرتاحُ صَبوةً

إلى رائحٍ من ذي الأراكِ وَغَادي

If lightning startles it, it rests for a while

Near the scent of a lovely, walking companion.

وإنْ لم يكن عهدُ الشبابِ براجعٍ

لَدَيْهِ ولا عصرُ الصِّبا بمُعادِ

And if the era of youth does not promise to return

It remains there without the time of youth promising to come back.

وأخرى تَحامى خُلَّتي عندَ خَلَّتي

فسِيّانِ قُربي عندَها وبُعادي

And another comes close, keeping me company when I am alone,

So my nearness to her and distance are equal.

وتَعجَبُ من ضَنِّ القريضِ وخُبْره

على وَشَلٍ لا رَيَّ فيه لصادي

And she wonders at the avarice of the rhymed prose and its lack of experience

Upon a cheek that has no grazer to pierce it.

فما تَعبي إلا لتجديدِ راحةٍ

ولا سَهَري إلا لطولِ رُقادي

And my fatigue is only to renew vigor,

And my sleeplessness is only to prolong my rest.

كِلِيني إلى المَهرِيَّةِ القُودِ إنها

ستأخُذُ من أيدي الخُطوبِ قيادي

Divert me to the docile, guided she-camel, she will

Take the reins from the hands of misfortunes to guide me.

وكلُّ فتىً أجدَى عليَّ فصاحبي

وكلُّ بلادٍ أخصَبَتْ فبِلادي

And every young man who has helped me is my companion,

And every land that has thrived is my land.

وأُقسِمُ بالغُمْضِ الذي جادَ مَوْهِناً

تحيَّةَ مشتاقٍ ورنَّةَ حَادي

And I swear by the exciting darkness that came dispelling fatigue

Like the greeting of a longing one and the moan of one in pain.

لَفَقْدُ النَّدى الرِّبعيِّ أوجَدَني الأَسى

وأفقَدَني عَيشي ولينَ مِهادي

The loss of the pleasure of spring made me sorrowful

And took away my livelihood and the softness of my resting place.

ووسَّدَني أيدي الرِّكابِ وطالما

أقضَّ لديها مَضجَعي ووِسادي

And the hands of traveling loaded me down, and often

My bedding and pillow were folded up beside them.

إذا أنا حاولتُ الأميرَ فإنما

أحاولُ منه جَنَّتي وعِتادي

If I try the prince, then surely

I try to attain my paradise and supplies from him.

حللْتُ بنادي الشأمِ لَمَّا أعادَه

عليُّ بنُ عبدِ الله أكرمَ نَادي

I put on my loincloth when Ali bin Abdullah

Honored it by returning it to become my loincloth.

أغرُّ إذا امتدَّتْ يدُ الدَّهْر كفَّها

بِبيضِ صِفاحٍ أو بِبيضِ أيادي

I boast when the hand of fate extends its palm

With white swords or with white hands.

يروعُ النَّدى أموالَه بنَفادِها

وما رِيعَ مَجدٌ عنده بنَفادِ

Spring lavishes its wealth without limit

And glory with him has no end.

إذا امتزجَ المعروفُ بالبِشْر عندَه

غدا الحمدُ ممزوجاً له بوَدادِ

When kindness mingles with good tidings,

Praise mingles with affection towards him.

رمى كلَّ مُنآدِ القناةِ من العِدا

بِخَطْبٍ تَحاماهُ الخُطوبُ نآدِ

He threw at every caller from the tribe and clan

With a speech that courting women stir up.

بجُردٍ تُثيرُ النَّقعَ حتى كأنَّما

تُمزِّقُ منه البِيضُ ثَوبَ حِدادِ

With a coat of mail that sets clanging the armor

As if white swords were tearing the garb of mourning.

وبِيضٍ إذا اهتزَّتْ ترقرَقَ ماؤُّها

وهُنَّ إلى ماءِ النُّفوسِ صَوَادي

And white swords whose water sparkles if they shake,

While they gently prod the souls of the seekers.

وكلِّ رُدَينيٍّ أصمَّ كأنَّما

تُروِّعُ منه الرَّوعَ حيةُ وَادِي

And every frightening roaring warrior

Who terrifies the timid even in the sole stream of a valley.

تَحُفُّ بجَذلانِ العَشيِّ كأنه

لَدَى طَرَدٍ ما راحَ نُصبَ طِرادِ

Assisted at nightfall by the squadrons as if

Near an enclosure while the hunting gear was set up for shooting.

وأَغلبَ رَحْبِ الباعِ يُنجِدُه الرَّدَى

إذا ما ارتدى في مأزَقٍ بنِجاد

And the open space of battle aids him if

The refuge of the daring clothes itself in triumph.

يبيتُ وحَدُّ السيفِ حلُّ مبيتِه

لديه وجَفنُ العَينِ حِلُّ سُهادِ

He spends the night while the sharp edge of the sword spends it with him,

And the eyelid of sleep spends it clutching wakefulness.

يُصَعِّدُ أنفاسَ العدوِّ إذا ثَنى

إليه المَنايا في ظُبىً وصِعادِ

He makes the breaths of the enemy ascend if

Destinies fold back to him amidst attacks and charges.

أمامَ خميسٍ يَحجُبُ الأفْقَ بالقَنا

ويملأُ أقطارَ الثَّرى بجِيادِ

Before a Khamis who veils horizons with the spear

And fills all corners of earth with steeds.

فمَنْ عادَ بالكَيدِ الخفيِّ فإنَّه

يعودُ بيأسٍ في الكريهةِ بَادِي

Whoever returns with hidden cunning,

Returns in desperation, misfortune openly touching him.

سأُعْلِمُ نَفسي بالسَّماحةِ عالماً

بأنَّ بلادَ التَّغلبِيِّ بِلادي

I will teach myself benevolence while knowing

That the land of Taghlib is my land.

فدونَكها تختالُ في كلِّ مَسمَعٍ

وتخطُرُ في مكنونِ كلِّ فؤادِ

Through you she swaggers in every hearing

And crosses the mind of every heart.

حَبَتْكَ برَيحانِ الكلامِ وإنما

تَجودُ بريَّاهُ لكلِّ جَوادِ

She loved you with the basil of speech, and so

She is generous with its fragrance to every gallant one.

بأطيبَ من طِيبِ الرُّقادِ لساهرٍ

وأعذبَ من رِيقِ الحبيبِ لصَادي

With something sweeter than the scent of slumber for one who keeps vigil

And more luscious than the spittle of the beloved for one who meets misfortune.