بَقائي شاءَ لَيسَ هُمُ اِرتِحالا
وَحُسنَ الصَبرِ زَمّوا لا الجِمالا
They desired my remaining, not their own departure; they saddled up my patience along with their camels.
They turned away abruptly; it was as though Separation, fearing me, attacked by sudden assassination.
تَوَلَّوا بَغتَةً فَكَأَنَّ بَيناً
تَهَيَّبَني فَفاجَأَني اِغتِيالا
The pace of their white camels was a swift trot, while the flow of tears in their wake was a torrent.
It seemed those camels had been kneeling upon my eyelids; when they rose to leave, the floodwaters streamed.
فَكانَ مَسيرُ عيسِهِمِ ذَميلاً
وَسَيرُ الدَمعِ إِثرَهُمُ اِنهِمالا
Distance veiled those gazelles from my sight, aiding the work of face-veils and curtained chambers.
They donned brocade not to adorn themselves, but rather to guard their beauty within it.
كَأَنَّ العيسَ كانَت فَوقَ جَفني
مُناخاةٍ فَلَمّا ثُرنَ سالا
They plaited their locks not for the sake of grace, but fearing they might lose their way within that hair.
Bound to my body is she who wasted it away; were she to thread me through a pearl's bore, I would drift freely.
وَحَجَّبَتِ النَوى الظَبياتِ عَنّي
فَساعَدَتِ البَراقِعَ وَالحِجالا
And were it not that I am clearly awake, I would deem myself but a phantom of my own being.
She appeared as a moon, swayed like a willow wand, exhaled the scent of ambergris, and gazed as a gazelle.
لَبِسنَ الوَشيَ لا مُتَجَمِّلاتٍ
وَلَكِن كَي يَصُنَّ بِهِ الجَمالا
She tyrannized in her judgment, yet then revealed to us, in the beauty of her posture, a perfect balance.
It is as if Grief is madly in love with my heart; thus, the moment she abandons me, Grief finds union.
وَضَفَّرنَ الغَدائِرَ لا لِحُسنٍ
وَلَكِن خِفنَ في الشَعَرِ الضَلالا
Such is the world to those who came before me: shifting vicissitudes that never let a state endure.
The deepest sorrow, to my mind, lies in a joy whose possessor is certain it must soon depart.
بِجِسمي مَن بَرَتهُ فَلَو أَصارَت
وِشاحي ثَقبَ لُؤلُؤَةٍ لَجالا
I have grown used to my wandering, making my saddle my earth, and the strong camel my dwelling place.
I have never sought a permanent station in any land, nor merely planned departure, for I am motion itself.
وَلَولا أَنَّني في غَيرِ نَومٍ
لَكُنتُ أَظُنُّني مِنّي خَيالا
Perched upon unrest, as if the wind surges beneath me, I steer it toward the south or to the north.
Toward Al-Badr ibn ‘Ammar, he who was never, even at the month’s first dawning, a mere crescent.
بَدَت قَمَراً وَمالَت خوطَ بانٍ
وَفاحَت عَنبَراً وَرَنَت غَزالا
He did not grow great to fill a void within himself; he has ever been the Prince, and so shall ever remain.
He stands peerless, though if you gaze upon him, you see the likeness of every beautiful thing unseen.
وَجارَت في الحُكومَةِ ثُمَّ أَبدَت
لَنا مِن حُسنِ قامَتِها اِعتِدالا
A sharp sword for the hoped-for Ibn Ra’iq, the blade of the Pious Caliph in the days he struck.
A spearhead upon the shaft of the Bani Ma‘add, of the Bani Asad when they summon the clash of war.
كَأَنَّ الحُزنَ مَشغوفٌ بِقَلبي
فَساعَةَ هَجرِها يَجِدُ الوِصالا
The mightiest victor in hand and blade, in power, in protection, and in noble kin.
The noblest of boasters in spirit and tribe, the most generous in lineage, through father and kin.
كَذا الدُنيا عَلى مَن كانَ قَبلي
صُروفٌ لَم يُدِمنَ عَلَيهِ حالا
The praise he truly deserves would be, for the world and its inhabitants, impossible to render.
And double what has been said of him would still remain, even if no speaker left a word unsaid.
أَشَدُّ الغَمِّ عِندي في سُرورٍ
تَيَقَّنَ عَنهُ صاحِبُهُ اِنتِقالا
O son of those who thrust with every pliable lance, striking spots that leave the hero coughing blood.
O son of those who strike with every trenchant blade, cleaving the humblest and the highest of the Arabs.
أَلِفتُ تَرَحُّلي وَجَعَلتُ أَرضي
قُتودي وَالغُرَيرِيَّ الجُلالا
I see the poetasters are beguiled into censuring me; yet who would praise a fatal, chronic plague?
And he who suffers from a bitter, sickly mouth will find the purest, freshest water tastes of bile.
فَما حاوَلتُ في أَرضٍ مُقاماً
وَلا أَزمَعتُ عَن أَرضٍ زَوالا
They asked, "Will this steed bear you to the Pleiades?" I answered, "Yes, if I desired so low a depth."
He is the annihilator of war-horses and enemies, of the white blades of India and the long brown lances.
عَلى قَلَقٍ كَأَنَّ الريحَ تَحتي
أُوَجِّهُها جَنوباً أَو شَمالا
Leader of horses, branded and fleet of foot; yet upon the tribe he raids at dawn, they land heavily.
Wheeling about with straightened spears, their tips gleaming as if lamp-wicks burned upon them.
إِلى البَدرِ بنِ عَمّارِ الَّذي لَم
يَكُن في غُرَّةِ الشَهرِ الهِلالا
When their hooves shatter the solid rocks, the stones return to sand beneath their pounding tread.
The answer to him who asks, "Has he a peer?" is "No"; and to you who ask for bounty, "No" is never his reply.
وَلَم يَعظُم لِنَقصٍ كانَ فيهِ
وَلَم يَزَلِ الأَميرَ وَلَن يَزالا
A soul has found safety from destitution through you, counting its mere hope in you as counted wealth.
And hearts have trembled before you, until their very terror became a shield within them.
بِلا مِثلٍ وَإِن أَبصَرتَ فيهِ
لِكُلِّ مُغَيَّبٍ حَسَنٍ مِثالا
Your joy lies in bringing joy to all mankind, teaching them to act boldly upon your grace.
When they ask, you thank them for the request; and should they fall silent, you ask them to demand.
حُسامٌ لِاِبنِ رائِقٍ المُرَجّى
حُسامِ المُتَّقي أَيّامَ صالا
The happiest supplicant we have seen is one who grants the benefactor the privilege of giving.
Your arrow parts from the man it strikes just as it parted from the bow—never pausing in between.
سِنانٌ في قَناةِ بَني مَعَدٍّ
بَني أَسَدٍ إِذا دَعوا النِزالا
The shafts do not rest within the flesh, as if the feathers were chasing the arrowheads through.
You outstripped the vanguards, never to be rivaled; you transcended all heights, never to be outdone.
أَعَزُّ مُغالِبٍ كَفّاً وَسَيفاً
وَمَقدِرَةً وَمَحمِيَةً وَآلا
I swear, were you to serve as the right hand of a being, all mankind would not suffice to be his left.
When I look upon you, I turn my gaze within a heaven whose rising stars are your noble traits.
وَأَشرَفُ فاخِرٍ نَفساً وَقَوماً
وَأَكرَمُ مُنتَمٍ عَمّا وَخالا
And I marvel at you: how could you grow and mature, when even in the cradle you were granted perfection?
يَكونُ أَحَقُّ إِثناءٍ عَلَيهِ
عَلى الدُنيا وَأَهليها مُحالا
وَيَبقى ضِعفُ ما قَد قيلَ فيهِ
إِذا لَم يَتَّرِك أَحَدٌ مَقالا
فَيا اِبنَ الطاعِنينَ بِكُلِّ لَدنٍ
مَواضِعَ يَشتَكي البَطَلُ السُعالا
وَيا اِبنَ الضارِبينَ بِكُلِّ عَضبٍ
مِنَ العَرَبِ الأَسافِلَ وَالقِلالا
أَرى المُتَشاعِرينَ غَروا بِذَمّي
وَمَن ذا يَحمَدُ الداءَ العُضالا
وَمَن يَكُ ذا فَمٍ مُرٍّ مَريضٍ
يَجِد مُرّاً بِهِ الماءَ الزُلالا
وَقالوا هَل يُبَلِّغُكَ الثُرَيّا
فَقُلتُ نَعَم إِذا شِئتُ اِستِفالا
هُوَ المُفني المَذاكي وَالأَعادي
وَبيضَ الهِندِ وَالسُمرِ الطِوالا
وَقائِدُها مُسَوَّمَةً خِفافاً
عَلى حَيٍّ تُصَبِّحُهُ ثِقالا
جَوائِلَ بِالقُنِيِّ مُثَقَّفاتٍ
كَأَنَّ عَلى عَوامِلِها الذُبالا
إِذا وَصِأَت بِأَيدِيَها صُخوراً
يَفِئنَ لِوَطءِ أَرجُلِها رِمالا
جَوابُ مُسائِلي أَلَهُ نَظيرٌ
وَلا لَكَ في سُؤالِكَ لا أَلالا
لَقَد أَمِنَت بِكَ الإِعدامَ نَفسٌ
تَعُدُّ رَجاءَها إِيّاكَ مالا
وَقَد وَجِلَت قُلوبٌ مِنكَ حَتّى
غَدَت أَوجالُها فيها وِجالا
سُرورُكَ أَن تَسُرُّ الناسَ طُرّاً
تُعَلِّمُهُم عَلَيكَ بِهِ الدَلالا
إِذا سَأَلوا شَكَرتَهُمُ عَلَيهِ
وَإِن سَكَتوا سَأَلتَهُمُ السُؤالا
وَأَسعَدُ مَن رَأَينا مُستَميحٌ
يُنيلُ المُستَماحَ بِأَن يَنالا
يُفارِقُ سَهمُكَ الرَجُلَ المُلاقي
فِراقَ القَوسِ ما لاقى الرِجالا
فَما تَقِفُ السِهامُ عَلى قَرارٍ
كَأَنَّ الريشَ يَطَّلِبُ النِصالا
سَبَقتَ السابِقينَ فَما تُجارى
وَجاوَزتَ العُلُوَّ فَما تُعالى
وَأُقسِمُ لَو صَلَحتَ يَمينَ شَيءٍ
لَما صَلَحَ العِبادُ لَهُ شِمالا
أُقَلِّبُ مِنكَ طَرفي في سَماءٍ
وَإِن طَلَعَت كَواكِبُها خِصالا
وَأَعجَبُ مِنكَ كَيفَ قَدَرتَ تَنشا
وَقَد أُعطيتَ في المَهدِ الكَمالا
