لِمَن الهَوادِجُ وَالقبب

في الآل تَطفو كَالحَبَب

For whom are the tents and domes

In the family, floating like seeds

بَكرت ولي وقت الودا

عِ بِبابِها قلبُ يُحب

I woke up while my love was still asleep

At her door, a heart that loves

وَمَدامعٌ تَهمي دمو

عاً لِلفراقِ وَتَنسكِب

And tears that shed blood

For parting and spill over

شيّعتها وَقضيتُ مِن

دين الصبابةِ ما وَجب

I bid her farewell and fulfilled

What was required of youth

وَأبحت ما بي مِن جوىً

وَأَذَعتُ سرّاً مُحتَجب

And I revealed what was inside me

Of passion, and disclosed a hidden secret

يا أيّها السربُ الّذي

سَفرت بهِ اللعس العُرب

O flock, which I traveled with

The night journey of the Arabs

وَتَبرّجَت فيهِ الشمو

س مِنَ البَراقعِ وَالحُجب

And in which the lights emerged

From veils and coverings

كَم إِربةٍ لي في نِعا

جِك فاِقضني تلكَ الإِرَب

How much do I owe you

For taking me in, repay me those debts

أَكلَ الهَوى لَحمي ومن

جاري دَمي كَم قد شَرِب

Love has eaten my flesh and

Drunk my blood, how much it has sipped!

مَن لِي بِسُعدى بَعدَما

جدّت بها اللومُ النُجب

Who can bring me my happiness after

The noble ones blamed her

بانَت وَحولَ خِبائِها ال

أَرماحُ تَخفِقُ بِالعذب

She appeared and around her tent

Spears flutter gracefully

عَطشاً عَلى عَطشٍ إلى

تَقبيلِ مَبسِمها الشنب

Thirsty upon thirst, to

Kiss her thick lipped smile

نَظَرت وَكانت تَلك نظ

رتها لِتَعذيبي سَبَب

I looked and that look of hers

Was the cause of my torture

تَنأى وَتَبتعدُ الصدو

د وفي التذلّل تَقتَرِب

She draws away and distances herself

While affectionately drawing near

تَحكي أُسيريع النقا

مِنها البنان المُختَضب

She recounts the swiftness of my covenant

From her, the one with dyed fingers

حَسناء تَحسبُها قَضي

باً مِن لُجينٍ أَو ذَهَب

A beauty you'd think her

A twig of silver or gold

أَضحَت حياض اللهوِ يب

ساً ما بِهنّ سِوى القِرَب

She has become a pond of pleasure

In her is nothing but nearness

وَأرى الزمان وَذيله

جمعت لها صور العَجب

And I see time and its train

Has gathered for her wonders

كَم قَد دنا قسراً لدي

هِ الرأسُ واِرتفَع الذنَب

How my head has bowed before her by force

And my tail has risen high!

وَغَدا على أحكامهِ ال

بازي فَريساً للحرب

And over its laws the

Gazelle has become prey to war

تَتصرّم الدّنيا وتُذ

هبُ مَن مَشى فيها وَدَب

The world grows old and decays

Whoever walked in it and crept

وَلَسوفَ يَلقى المرء ما

قَدر الإلهُ وَما كَتب

And man will face what

God has destined and prescribed

يا مَعشَراً في العيش خا

لي الراحتينِ منَ النشَب

O company empty of comfort

From any shoots or branches

إِن لَم تُصِب بِالحربِ يس

راً فَاِلتَمسهُ مِن الأَدَب

If war brings you no ease

Then seek it through knowledge

وَاِطلب تَنل إِن قدّر الر

رَحمن سؤلكَ بِالطلب

And if the Merciful destines

Your request, ask for it by petition

وَاِنظم قَريظَكَ في المتو

وجِ مالكِ بنِ أَبي العرب

And string your ode in the beloved

Of the people of Arabia

صَمدٌ يدومُ لمعتفي

هِ عنِ المواظرِ ما وَهَب

Lasting for whoever turns to Him

From rivalry, what He has granted

بَحرُ الفراتِ إِذا عطا

لَيثُ العرينِ إِذا وَثَب

The Euphrates sea, when the

Lion of the lair attacks, when it leaps

يَعنو لِهَيبتهِ الزما

نُ إِذا توعّد أَو غَضب

It subdues with its awesomeness

Time, when it threatens or rages

ما غالَبَ الأيّام في

أَحداثِها إلّا غَلَب

None has conquered the days

In their events but it conquered

فَخرت بهِ رُتَبُ العلا

لمّا عَلا تلكَ الرتَب

Bringing down the ranks of glory

When it rose above those ranks

وَنَما إِليهِ المجدُ من

بينِ البريّةِ وَاِنتَسب

And glory grew to it

Among the wilderness, and claimed descent

مُتَسربلٌ ثوبَ المفا

خرِ وَالمَحامدِ وَالحَسَب

Wearing the garment of pride

And praise, and nobility

يا مَن مراتِبُه سَمَت

حتّى سَمَت فوقَ الشهُب

O you whose ranks ascended

Ascending above the clouds!

اِسمَع مَقالةَ شاعرٍ

بَينَ الأقاربِ مُغترب

Hear the words of a poet

Estranged among kin

قَد جاءَ من دلفاء بد

ر النظمِ لا بِالمختلب

Who has come from the suburbs of verse

Not with the disordered

وَرَآكَ قبلَةَ قَصدهِ

دونَ الأَعاجمِ وَالعَرب

And saw you as the destination

Of his quest, beyond non-Arabs and Arabs