سَقَتني سُقاةُ المَجدِ مِن آلِ ظالِمٍ

بِأَرشِيَةٍ أَطرافُها في الكَواكِبِ

The water-drawers of glory made me drink from the family of the unjust

With a bucket whose edges are in the stars

وَإِذا بِأَعلى ذي النُخَيلِنُسَيَةً

يُسَيّرنَ أَعياراً شِدادَ المَناكِبِ

And at the top of the one with the palm trees, they lead

Steeds with sturdy necks and ready to charge

يَشُلنَ بِأَستاهٍ عَلَيهُنَّ دُسمَةٌ

كَما شالَ بِالأَذبابِ سُمر العَقارِبِ

They sway with a swaying that is upon them a thickeness

As the swaying of scorpions with flies

وَكانَت لَنا لَهواً تُحَلّي نُعاسَنا

إِذا ماخَفَتنا بِالخُروقِ السَباسِبِ

And we had, for our amusement, something to charm our drowsiness

When it would overwhelm us with the tinkling of anklets

إِذا سَلتَ عَن أَبياتِ لُؤمٍ وَدِقَّةٍ

فَسَل عَن بُيوتِ الخُضرِ خُضرِ مُحارِبِ

If you ask about the houses of meanness and vileness

Then ask about the houses of green, green warriors

تَرى اللُؤمَ في الخُضريُّ قَد تَستَبينُهُ

بِمَنزِلَةٍ بَينَ اللِحى وَالحَواجِبِ

You can see meanness in the green one, you can recognize it

In a position between the beard and eyebrows

لَقدَ رَكِبَ الخُضريُّ مِنّي وَتِربُهُ

عَلى مَركَبٍ مِن نابِياتِ المَراكِبِ

The green one certainly mounted me, and his dust

Upon a ship made of the ships of champions