سَلِ العيسَ ما بَينَ اللِّوى فَأَبانِ
خِماصاً تَبيدُ البيدَ بِالوَخدانِ
Ask the scout between the sand dunes, so he makes clear
A few words that annihilate misfortune with sorrow
عَنِ الرَّكبِ في أَكوارِها هَل تَسانَدَت
أَنامِلُهُ إِلّا عَلى خَفَقانِ
About the caravan in its valleys, did it get devastated
Except for its ostriches on fluttering wings
وَهَل نَشَقَت ريح العَرارِ فَلَم تَزَل
حَقائِبُها مِن شِدَّةِ النَّزَوانِ
And did the wind tear open its saddlebags such that they did not stop
Flying from the intensity of bouncing around
أخا العُربِ سُقها إِنَّ دونَ سُوَيقَةِ
مَجالَ عُيونٍ في عِراض مَغاني
My Arab brother, drive them on, for without driving
There is room for gazelles to roam freely
سَلَوتُ غَرامي إِن رَضيتُكَ صاحِباً
إِذا لَم تُعِنّي في بُكاء مَعاني
I confided my love, if you accept me as a companion
When you do not support me in shedding tears of grievance
تَلَفَّتُّ مِن سَفحِ الجِبالِ وَدارُها
حِجازِيَّةٌ إِنَّا لَمُختَلِفانِ
She circled around from the skirts of mountains and her abode
Is that of a Hijazi; we are quite different
فَلَم تَجهَلِ العَينانِ لائِحَ رَسمِها
عَلَى البُعدِ لَولا كَثرَةُ الهَمَلانِ
The eyes did not fail to discern its faded outline
In the distance were it not for the numerous mirages
خَليلَيَّ هَل زالَ الحِمى بَعدَ أَهلِهِ
وَهَل أقفرت مِن بَعدِنا العَلَمانِ
My friend, did protection cease after its people left
And did the milestones become vacant after we left
وَهَل لِخَشيفٍ بِالعَقيقِ عَلاقَةٌ
بِقَلبِيَ أَم دانَيتُ غَيرَ مُداني
Is there any connection between a autumn rain in Aqeeq
And my heart or did I befriend others than my own
وَما ذاتُ أَفراخ نُهِشنَ مَعَ الصِّبا
وَأَفراخُها في غَفلَة وَأَمانِ
As for the chicks of birds attacked with the winds
While their chicks were in the unawareness and safety
أُتيحَ لَها وَالدَّهرُ جَمٌّ صُروفُهُ
عَجولٌ بِحمراوَينِ يَشتَعِلانِ
Opportunities were made available to them while time is tightfisted
Impetuous with red camels that blaze
يَظَلّ قَذى الظَّلماء يَنزو بِعَزمِهِ
إذا غَيرُهُ أعيا على الطَّيرانِ
The darkness of gloom continues to crawl with its will
When others weaken from flying
فَلَم يَبقَ إِلّا شلوُ كُلِّ مُمَزَّق
كَأَن بِهِ آثارَ حَدِّ يَمانِ
Until there remained nothing but the impairments of everything torn
As if the effects of a Yemeni sword were upon it
إذا ما رَأت سِرباً مِنَ الوُرقِ ضاحِياً
ظَنَنت جناحيها فؤاد جنان
When it sees a flock of leaves laughing
It thinks its wings are the heart of heavens
وَناحَت بِصَوت أَعجَمِيٍّ وَإِنَّهُ
يَبينُ عَنِ المَحزونِ أيَّ بَيانِ
It moans in an incomprehensible voice, which
Clarifies the sorrow of the grieved better than any speech
بِأَجزَعَ مِنّي إِذ تَقولُ عَدَيتُهُ
تَراكَ عَلى رَغمِ الزَّمانِ تَراني
More intensely than me when it says you passed me by
You see me despite time - I see you
أَما وَأَبيها لَو رَأَتنِي لأَكبَرَت
مَقاليَ إِنّي في غَرامِكِ عاني
But by its life if it saw me it would magnify
My words that I am suffering from love of you
إِذا شِئتَ تَبلو مُرهَفاتِ عَزائِمي
وَيُعلَمُ صِدقُ البَرقِ بِالهَطَلانِ
If you wish, try the blades of my firm resolutions
And the truthfulness of lightning is known by pouring rain
فَشِم في الوَرى فِكراً صَحيحاً فَإِنَّهُ
يُريكَ مَكانَ النَّجم دونَ مَكاني
So ponder in the land a sound thought, for it
Shows you the location of a star without a location
وَذَرني وَإِيّاها فَإِن لَم أَفُز بِها
سَريعاً وَإِلّا لَستُ نَجلَ سِنانِ
And leave me and her be, for if I do not win her
Quickly, then I am not the son of Sinan
وَما أَرَبي إِلّا الَّذي تَعلَمونَهُ
إِذا ما عَنوا أَمرا فَذاكَ أَعانِ
I desire nothing but what you already know
When they intend a matter, that is more helpful
سَبَقتُ وَما بَلَّغتُ عَشراً كَوامِلاً
فَكَيفَ وَقَد جاوَزتُها بِثَمانِ
I surpassed and did not reach ten years whole
So how could I when I passed eighteen
وَلي في قِراعِ النّائِباتِ عَزائِمٌ
تُريكَ بُلوغَ النَّجمِ بِالزحلانِ
And I have in confronting misfortunes, firm resolutions
That show you attaining a star by Saturn
وَرَكبٍ تَعاطَوا بَينَهُم نَشوَةَ الكَرى
فَلا لمَّةٌ إِلّا لقي بِلبانِ
A group who shared between them the intoxication of wine
Not a moment passed except meeting with sweet wine
سَأَلناهُمُ وَالعيسُ حَسرى مِنَ الوَجى
وَجُنحَ الدُّجا وَالصُّبحُ يَصطَرِعانِ
We asked them while the scout was grieved from the dew
And the wings of night and dawn contending
مَنِ الرَّكبُ قالوا مِن لُؤيِّ بنِ غالِبٍ
مَصابيحُ يَومَي نائِلٍ وَطِعانِ
Who is the caravan, they said, from Lu'ayy bin Ghalib
The lamps of my days of attainment and piercing
فَقُلنا بَنو عَمِّ الشَّريفِ مُحَمَّدٍ
سِمامِ العِدى ضَرّاب كُلِّ جَرانِ
So we said, the sons of the noble uncle Muhammad
The sulfur of hostility, striker of every harasser
فَأَطرَبَهُم تِذكارَهُ وَتَرَنَّموا
بِأَخلاقِ مِفلاقِ الرِّكابِ هِجانِ
It delighted them to mention him and they sang
With the ethics of softening the riding animals, passionately
وَمالوا عَلى الأَكوارِ سَكرى كَأَنَّما
تَسافَوا عَلى وَجدٍ رِضابَ غَواني
They leaned on the valleys intoxicated as if
They bid farewell in ecstasy bidding farewell
مِنَ القَومِ طَلقٌ لا يَزالُ بَنانُهُ
لِبَذلِ نَوال أَو لِصَونِ عَنانِ
Among the people are those whose youth is ongoing
For spending gifts or protecting the reins
وَأَشجَعُ إِن ضارَبتَهُ بِمُهَنَّدٍ
وَأَعلَمُ إِن جادَلتَهُ بِلِسانِ
The bravest if you strike him with a sword
The most knowledgeable if you debate him with a tongue
وَأَبهى بَياناً فَوقَ أَعوادِ مِنبَرٍ
وَأَمضى جِناناً فَوقَ ظَهرِ حِصانِ
The most eloquent above the poles of a minbar
And the kindest above the back of a horse
أَخا هاشِم كَم قُدتَها هاشِمِيَّةً
يغصُّ بِها مِن نَفعِها المَلَوانِ
My brother Hashim, how often you made it Hashimi
Jealous are stuffed from its usefulness, the despots
وَفُزتَ بِها تَهفوا عَلى رَغمِ حاسِدٍ
تَلَمَّظَ بِالبَغضاءِ وَالشَّنَآنِ
You won it confused to the spite of haters
Who scowled with hatred and animosity
فَإِن طَرَقَت فيكَ اللَّيالي بِفادِحٍ
فَلا عَجَبٌ أَن يُكسَفَ القَمَرانِ
So if the nights strike you with something terrible
No wonder that the two moons are eclipsed
وَما قادَتِ الأَيّامُ مِنكَ موقِعاً
ذَلولاً وَلا أَرهَفنَ غَيرَ سِنانِ
The days did not lead you to a lowly position
Nor made tender other than swords
مَدَحتُكَ لا أَبغي نَداكَ وَإِنَّما
أَبوحُ بِوُدٍّ مِنكَ غَير مُهانِ
I praise you, not seeking your praise, rather
I profess affection for you without disgrace
وَلَيسَ يَبينُ الوُدُّ في اليُسرِ إِنَّما
وَفاء الفَتى في لزبة الحَدَثانِ
Affection is not evident in ease; rather
The loyalty of a youth in the affliction of events
فَيالَيتَني شاطَرتُكَ الشر سامِحاً
بِبَسطِ بنانٍ لِلأَذى وَجنانِ
I wish I could share with you the evil, forgiving
With open arms for harm and gardens
وَأَصبَحَ قَلبانا نَديمَي نَوائبٍ
كَما غُودِرا في الخَفضِ يَصطَحِبانِ
And our two hearts became confidantes of misfortunes
As if sympathizing in private, accompanying one another
وَمِثلَكَ أَردَتهُ اللَّيالي فَإِنَّها
تحلُّ الثَّرى في مَوطِنِ الدَّبَرانِ
And the likes of you, the nights wanted, for it
Makes the land fertile in the place of seeds
وَقَلَّ زَمانُ العاجِزينَ فَإِنَّني
لأُكرِمُ نَفسي أَن أَقولَ زَماني
And the time of the incapable diminished, so I
Honor myself to say it is my time
إِذا باعَدَت مِنّا المَناسِبُ قَرَّبَت
مَوَدَّةَ لا ناس وَلا مُتَواني
When relationships distance us, it brings us
A affection for neither people nor procrastinators
وَإِنَّ سِنانَ الرُّمحِ يُنجِدُ كَعبَهُ
عَلى بُعدِهِ لازُجُّهُ المُتَداني
Indeed the spear point supports its posterior
From afar, not appeased by the flatterer
وَغَيرُكَ في خَفضِ الزَّمانِ وَسِلمِهِ
خَمولاً فَما تَهوي بِهِ القَدَمانِ
While others in the lowliness and safety of time
Sluggish, so ambitions do not fall for them
وَغَيري فَإِنّي مُذ خُلِقتُ صُروفُهُ
وقوف عَلى ما ساءَني وَشَجاني
As for me, since I was created, its circumstances
Standing upon what saddened and enraged me
