أَظَبيَةَ الوَحشِ لَولا ظَبيَةُ الأَنَسِ

لَما غَدَوتُ بِجَدٍّ في الهَوى تَعِسِ

O doe of the wild, were it not for the doe of humankind,

I would not have woken with such wretched luck in love,

وَلا سَقَيتُ الثَرى وَالمُزنُ مُخلِفَةٌ

دَمعاً يُنَشِّفُهُ مِن لَوعَةٍ نَفَسي

Nor watered the soil—while rain-clouds broke their promise—

With tears my own breath dries up from burning anguish,

وَلا وَقَفتُ بِجِسمٍ مُسيَ ثالِثَةٍ

ذي أَرسُمٍ دُرُسٍ في الأَرسُمِ الدُرُسِ

Nor stood with a body—a third ghost among them—

A fading ruin amidst the faded ruins,

صَريعَ مُقلَتِها سَآلَ دِمنَتِها

قَتيلَ تَكسيرِ ذاكِ الجَفنِ وَاللَعَسِ

Slain by her gaze, questioning her abandoned camp,

A victim of that languid eyelid and those dark lips.

خَريدَةٌ لَو رَأَتها الشَمسُ ما طَلَعَت

وَلَو رَآها قَضيبُ البانِ لَم يَمِسِ

A maiden so fair, had the sun beheld her, it would not rise,

And had the willow branch seen her, it would cease to sway.

ما ضاقَ قَبلَكِ خَلخالٌ عَلى رَشَأٍ

وَلا سَمِعتُ بِديباجٍ عَلى كَنَسِ

Never before you did an anklet constrict the leg of a fawn,

Nor have I heard of silk brocade worn within a wild covert.

إِن تَرمِني نَكَباتُ الدَهرِ عَن كَثَبٍ

تَرمِ اِمرَأً غَيرَ رِعديدٍ وَلا نَكِسِ

If the calamities of time strike me from close range,

They strike a man neither cowardly nor weak.

يَفدي بَنيكَ عُبَيدَ اللَهِ حاسِدُهُم

بِجَبهَةِ العيرِ يُفدى حافِرُ الفَرَسِ

May the envier of your sons be their ransom, O Ubayd Allah,

Just as the horse's hoof is ransomed by the wild ass's brow.

أَبا الغَطارِفَةِ الحامينَ جارَهُمُ

وَتارِكي اللَيثِ كَلباً غَيرَ مُفتَرَسِ

Father of the noble lords who protect their neighbor,

And leave the lion seeming but a dog, stripped of its prey.

مِن كُلِّ أَبيَضَ وَضّاحٍ عَمامَتُهُ

كَأَنَّما اِشتَمَلَت نوراً عَلى قَبَسِ

Each one fair of face, his turban shining bright,

As if it wrapped pure light around a burning brand.

دانٍ بَعيدٍ مُحِبٍّ مُبغِضٍ بَهِجٍ

أَغَرَّ حُلوٍ مُمِرٍّ لَيِّنٍ شَرِسِ

Near yet far, loving yet loathing, cheerful,

Radiant, sweet yet bitter, gentle yet fierce.

نَدٍ أَبِيٍّ غَرٍ وافٍ أَخي ثِقَةٍ

جَعدٍ سَرِيٍّ نَهٍ نَدبٍ رَضاً نَدُسِ

Generous, proud, noble, loyal, a brother of trust,

Strong, high-born, commanding, swift, pleasing, and wise.

لَو كانَ فَيضُ يَدَيهِ ماءَ غادِيَةٍ

عَزَّ القَطا في الفَيافي مَوضِعُ اليَبَسِ

If the bounty of his hands were morning rain,

The sandgrouse in the desert would scarce find a dry place to land.

أَكارِمٌ حَسَدَ الأَرضَ السَماءُ بِهِم

وَقَصَّرَت كُلُّ مِصرٍ عَن طَرابُلسِ

Noble ones, for whom the heavens envied the earth,

And every great city fell short of Tripoli.

أَيُّ المُلوكِ وَهُم قَصدي أُحاذِرُهُ

وَأَيُّ قِرنٍ وَهُم سَيفي وَهُم تُرُسي

Which king need I fear when they are my destination?

And what opponent, when they are my sword and my shield?