تَذَكَّرَ لَيلى حُسنَها وَصَفاءَها
وَبانَت فَأَمسى ما يَنالُ لِقاءَها
Laila recalled her beauty and purity
And so it was revealed, and to meet her became unobtainable
وَمِثلِكِ قَد أَصبَيتُ لَيسَت بِكَنَّةٍ
وَلا جارَةٍ أَفضَت إِلَيَّ حَياءَها
And one like you, I have become accustomed, not covered
Nor a neighbor whose modesty overflowed to me
إِذا ما اِصطَحَبتُ أَربَعاً خَطَّ مِئزَري
وَأَتبَعتُ دَلوي في السَخاءِ رِشاءَها
When I am accompanied by four, my waistband is marked
And I follow my bucket in generosity, pouring its fullness
ثَأَرتُ عَدِيّاً وَالخَطيمَ فَلَم أُضِع
وِلايَةَ أَشياءٍ جُعِلتُ إزاءَها
I avenged an enemy, and al-Khatim, so I did not miss
The guardianship of things I was set against
ضَرَبتُ بِذي الزِرَّينِ رِبقَةَ مالِكٍ
فَأُبتُ بِنَفسٍ قَد أَصَبتُ شِفاءَها
I struck Thi al-Zarrain with the lightning of Malik
So I took back a soul I had recovered to health
وَسامَحَني فيها اِبنُ عَمروِ بنِ عامِرٍ
خِداشٌ فَأَدّى نِعمَةً وَأَفاءَها
And in it the son of 'Amr bin 'Aamir pardoned me
Khidash, so he repaid a blessing and restored it
طَعَنتُ اِبنَ عَبدِ القَيسِ طَعنَةَ ثائِرٍ
لَها نَفَذٌ لَولا الشُعاعُ أَضاءَها
I stabbed the son of 'Abd al-Qays, the stab of an avenger
It had an effect, had not the radiance given it light
مَلَكتُ بِها كَفّي فَأَنهَرتُ فَتقَها
يَرى قائِماً مِن خَلفِها ما وَراءَها
I controlled it with my palms and made its gaps pour
He sees standing behind it what was behind it
يَهونُ عَلَيَّ أَن تَرُدَّ جِراحُهُ
عُيونَ الأَواسي إِذ حَمِدتُ بَلاءَها
It is easy for me that his wounds return
The eyes of the group when I praised its affliction
وَكُنتُ اِمرِأً لا أَسمَعُ الدَهرَ سُبَّةً
أُسَبُّ بِها إِلّا كَشَفتُ غِطاءَها
And I was a man who did not hear insult from fate
Except I insulted it and uncovered its covering
وَإِنِّيَ في الحَربِ الضَروسِ مُوَكَّلٌ
بِإِقدامِ نَفسٍ ما أُريدُ بَقاءَها
And I am charged in fierce war
With the resolve of a soul I do not want survival
إِذا سَقِمَت نَفسي إِلى ذي عَداوَةٍ
فَإِنّي بِنَصلِ السَيفِ باغٍ دَواءَها
When my soul craves one of enmity
Then I, with the blade of a sword, seek its cure
مَتى يَأتِ هَذا المَوتُ لا تَبقَ حاجَةٌ
لِنَفسِيَ إِلّا قَد قَضَيتُ قَضاءَها
When will this death come? No need remains
For my soul except that I have fulfilled its fate
وَكانَت شَجاً في الحَلقِ ما لَم أَبُؤ بِها
فَأُبتُ بِنَفسٍ قَد أُصِبتُ دَواءَها
It was a choking in the throat I did not announce
So I took back a soul I had found its cure
وَقَد جَرَّبَت مِنّي لَدى كُلِّ مَأقِطٍ
دُحَيٌّ إِذا ما الحَربُ أَلقَت رِداءَها
And it has tested me, by every opponent
Duhy, when war has cast off its cloak
وَإِنّا إِذا ما مُمتَرو الحَربِ بَلَّحوا
نُقيمُ بِأَسبادِ العَرينِ لِواءَها
And we, when the confusers of war mixed
We raise by the poles of the lair its banner
وَنُلقِحُها مَبسورَةً ضَرزَنِيَّةً
بِأَسيافِنا حَتّى نُذِلُّ إباءَها
And we impregnate it, fettered, armored
With our swords until we humiliate its refusal
وَإِنّا مَنَعنا في بُعاثٍ نِساءَنا
وَما مَنَعَت مِنَ المُخزِياتِ نِساءَها
And we protected, in Bu'ath, our women
And their women were not protected from disgracers
