سَتَحْمِلُني ورَحْلي ذاتُ وَخْدٍ

عَلَيْها بِنْتُ آباءٍ كرامِ

She shall carry me and my belongings,

A daughter of noble fathers,

إذا جَعَلَتْ سوادَ الشأمِ جَنْباً

وغُلِّقَ دونَها بابُ اللِّئامِ

When she makes the darkness of evening a neighbor,

And its door is closed to the base.

فَلَيْسَ بعائدٍ أبداً إليهِمْ

ذَوُو الحاجاتِ في غَلَسِ الظلامِ

So he shall never return to them,

The needy in the darkness of gloom.

أَعاتِكَ لَوْ رَأَيْتِ غَداةَ بِنَّا

عَزاءَ النَّفْسِ عَنْكُمْ واعتزامي

If only you saw me in the morning,

When my soul found solace away from you and resolved.

إذاً لَعَلِمْتِ واسْتَيْقَنْتِ أنِّي

مُشَيَّعَةٌ وَلَمْ تَرْعَيْ ذِمامي

Then you would know and be certain that I

Am a farewell visitor who did not heed my reins.

أَأَجْعَلُ مِثْلَ تَوْبَةَ في نَداهُ

أَبا الذِّبان فُوهُ الدَّهْرَ دَامِي

Shall I, like the repentance of one who cries,

Make the days that have passed my guardian?

مَعاذَ اللّهِ ما عَسَفَتْ برَحْلِي

تُغِذُّ السَّيْرَ للبَلَدِ التّهامي

Never! My belongings were not swept by the winds

That feed travel towards the coveted land.

أَقُلْتِ خَلِيفةٌ فَسِواه أحْجى

بإِمْرَتِهِ وأَوْلَى باللئامِ

You said a caliph, but he is the same

As any other in his rule and more fitting of the base.

لِثامِ المِلْكِ حِينَ تُعَدُّ كَعْبٌ

ذَوُو الأَخْطارِ والخُطَطِ الجِسامِ

The mantle of kingship when Kaeb is counted

Among those of great perils and lofty stature.