طَرِبتَ وأَنتَ أَحياناً طَروبُ

وَكيفَ وَقَد تعَلّاكَ المَشيبُ

You were cheerful at times, full of joy,

How could that be when grey hair has exalted you?

يُجِدّ النأَيُ ذِكرَكِ في فؤَادي

إِذا ذَهِلَت عَنِ النأي القُلوبُ

Yearning brings your memory back to my heart

When hearts are oblivious to yearning.

يؤَرِّقُني اكتِئابُ أَبي نُمَيرٍ

فَقَلبي مِن كآبَتِهِ كَئيبُ

The gloom of father Numayr distresses me

So my heart is saddened by his sorrow.

فَقُلتُ لَهُ هَداكَ اللَهُ مَهلاً

وَخَيرُ القَولِ ذو اللُّبِّ المُصيبُ

I said to him, may God guide you, wait,

The best word comes from an aching heart.

عَسى الكَربُ الَّذي أَمسَيتُ فيهِ

يَكونُ وَراءَهُ فَرَجٌ قَريبُ

Maybe this hardship I'm in

Will be followed by relief soon.

فَيأَمنَ خائِفٌ ويُفَكَّ عانٍ

وَيأَتي أَهلَهُ النائي الغَريبُ

So a fearful one feels safe and a strained one relieved,

And the distant exile returns home.

أَلا لَيتَ الرياحَ مُسَخَّراتٌ

بِحاجَتِنا تُباكِرُ أَو تَؤوبُ

If only the winds were harnessed

To quickly serve our needs.

فَتُخبِرنا الشَمالُ إِذا أَتَتنا

وَتُخبِر أَهلَنا عَنّا الجَنُوبُ

Then the north wind informs us when it comes

And the south wind informs our families about us.

فإِنّا قَد حَلَلنا دارَ بَلوى

فَتُخطِئُنا المَنايا أَو تُصِيبُ

For we have resided in the abode of affliction,

So death misses us or hits its mark.

فإِن يَكُ صَدرُ هَذا اليَومِ وَلّى

فإِنَّ غَداً لِناظِرِهِ قَريبُ

If today's morning turns its back,

Tomorrow is near for its viewer.

وَقَد عَلِمَت سُليَمى أَنَّ عودي

عَلى الحَدَثانِ ذو أَيدٍ صَليبُ

Sulayma knows my return to the valiant

Is with hands that can handle a cross.

وأَنَّ خَليقَتي كَرَمٌ وأَنّي

إِذا أَبدَت نَواجِذَها الحروبُ

My nature is generous and I

When wars bare their claws

أُعينُ عَلى مَكارِمها وَأَغشى

مَكارِهَها إِذا كَعَّ الهَيوبُ

I assist its virtues and overcome

Its evils when armies attack.

وأَنّي في العَظائِمِ ذو غَناءٍ

وأُدعى لِلفعالِ فأَستَجيبُ

I have melody in grand deeds

And I'm called to act so I respond.

وأَنّي لا يَخافُ الغَدرَ جاري

وَلا يَخشى غوائِلي الغَريبُ

No neighbor fears my betrayal

Nor does a stranger fear my strangeness.

وَكَم مِن صاحِبٍ قَد بانَ عنّي

رُميتُ بِفَقدِهِ وَهوَ الحَبيبُ

How many a companion has parted from me

I was stricken by his loss, and he was the beloved.

فَلَم أُبدِ الَّذي تَحنوا ضُلوعي

عَليهِ وإِنَّني لأَنا الكَئيبُ

Yet I didn't show the grief my chest bore

Over him, though I'm the sorrowful one,

مَخافَةَ أَن يَراني مُستَكيناً

عَدوٌ أَو يُساءَ بِهِ قَريبُ

Fearing an enemy would see me weak

Or a relative would speak ill of it.

وَيَشمَتَ كاشِحٌ وَيَظُنَّ أَنّي

جَزوعٌ عِندَ نائِبَةٍ تَنوبُ

And a defamer would gloat and think

I'm broken by the blows of fate.

فَبَعدَكَ سَدَّتِ الأَعداءُ طُرقاً

إِليَّ وَرابَني دَهرٌ يَريبُ

After you, enemies obstructed my path

And time played tricks on me.

وأَنكَرتَ الزَمانَ وَكُلَّ أَهلي

وَهَرَّتني لِغيبِتكَ الكَليبُ

You denied the era and all my people

And your total absence confused me.

وَكُنتُ تُقَطَّعُ الأَبصارُ دوني

وإِن وَغِرَت مِنَ الغَيظِ القُلوبُ

Eyes used to be lowered before me

Even if hearts swelled with rage.

وَقَد أَبقى الحَوادِثُ مِنكَ رُكناً

صَليباً ما تؤَيِّسُهُ الخُطوبُ

But events have left of you a pillar

A steadfast cross sorrows cannot shake.

عَلى أَنَّ المَنيَّةَ قَد توافي

لِوَقتٍ والنوائِبُ قَد تَنوبُ

Though death may arrive at any time

And calamities continue to strike.