وفِتْيةٍ كالنُّجُومِ حُسْناً

كُلُّهُمُ شاعِرٌ نَبِيلُ

Youthful as stars in their beauty

Each a noble poet

مُتَّقِدُ الجانِبَيْنِ ماضٍ

كأَنَّهُ الصّارِمُ الصّقِيلُ

Their sides aflame, stepping forth

As though a sharpened blade

راموا انْصِرافي عنِ المَعالي

والغَرْبُ مِن دُونِها فليلُ

They tried to turn me from great deeds

While without them the West is bleak

فاشتَدَّ في إِثْرِها مِسَحٌّ

كُلُّ كَثِير بها قَلِيلُ

So strongly did I pursue them

The great with them seems small

في مَجْلِسٍ شابَهُ التَّصابي

وطارَدَتْ وَصْفَه العُقُولُ

In a gathering that rivals stars

As minds raced to describe it

كأَنَّما بابُهُ أَسيرٌ

قد عَرَضَتْ وَسْطَه نُصُولُ

Its entrance like a captive

Blocked by spears thrust in its midst

يُرادُ منه المَقال قَسراً

وهْو على ذاكَ لا يَقُولُ

Speech from it was forced

Yet it would not speak

يَنْظُرُ مِنْ لِبْدِهِ لَدَيْنَا

بَحْرُ دَمٍ تَحْتَه يَسِيلُ

It looked at us from its pain

A sea of blood flowing beneath

كأَنَّ أَخفافَنا علَيْه

مَراكِبٌ ما لها دَلِيلُ

Our footsteps upon it

Like ships with no guide

ضَلَّتْ فَلَمْ تَدْرِ أَيْنَ تَجْرِي

فَهْيَ على شطِّهِ تُقِيلُ

Lost, not knowing where to flow

Wearily drifting on its bank