ألا يا أيّها الحادي

قفِ العِيسَ على الوادي

O you who are departing

Stop the camel at the valley

قفِ العِيسِ ففي كفّ

كَ إسعافِي وإسعادِي

Stop the camel, for in your palm

Is my aid and my joy

وفي الأظعانِ أبّاءٌ

علينا غيرُ مُنقادِ

And the camels are stubborn

Not obedient to us

كثيبٌ غيرُ مُنهالٍ

وغُصنٌ غيرُ ميّادِ

A sand dune with no rain

And a branch with no bending

وَفرعٌ أجعدُ الشّعرِ

ولكنْ أيُّ إجعادِ

A rough branch whose hair stands

Yet what an elegance!

يُرامينِي فأشويهِ

ولا يرضى بإقصادِي

It confronts me, so I roast it

And it does not accept my moderation

أَلا قولوا لِمَنْ يَملِ

كِ تقريبِي وإبعادِي

Say to the one who is tired of

My nearness and distance

ومَنْ لو شاء يومَ الجِزْ

عِ ما ضنّ بميعادِي

And who, had he willed one day, would not

Be stingy with my appointment

ومَنْ يُبدلُ إصلاحِ

يَ في الحبِّ بإفسادِي

And who would replace my reform

With corruption in love

متى ينقعُ من ريقِ

كَ إنْ جُدتَ به صادِي

When will his saliva dry

If you are earnest in pursuing him?

أَبِنْ لِي هل على الجَرْعا

ءِ في أهلك من غادِ

Tell me, is there any relief

Among your family from the cups?

وَهَلْ زالَتْ خيامُ الحَي

يِ عن أحْقافِ أعقادِ

And have the tents of the loved ones

Departed from the hilltops?

وهلْ مُحَّتْ رُباً كنتُ

بها أسحبُ أبرادِي

And where is the phantom I knew

Who has become my habit?

وأينَ الطّيف من ظَميْا

ءَ أمسى وهو معتادِي

He bid farewell in the morning

And I found him among the sleepers

جفا صبُحاً ووافانِي

صريعاً بين رقّادي

With the necks of the camels

Weakened between the litters

وأعناقُ المطايا مِنْ

كلالٍ بين إعضادِ

We met in spirits

And parted in bodies

تلاقينا بأرواحٍ

وفارقنا بأجسادِ

With a wavering blame

That shows me delusion in guidance

ولوّامٍ يُرينِي الغِش

شَ في مَعْرِضِ إرشادِ

And he blamed but his blame

Does not exceed the love of habit

وقد لامَ ولكنْ لي

سَ يعدو عن هوى عادِ

Leave the excuses, for the excuser

Has erred while being led

دعِ العذلَ فغيرُ العذْ

لِ أضحى وهو مُقتادِي

A bleak-faced camel

Whose provisions are depleted

وغبراءٍ كظهرِ التُّرْ

سِ أكّالةِ أزوادِ

And its leader sells worries

Cheapened with ease

وَساريها يَبيع الغم

ضَ مغبوناً بتَسْهادٍ

And for the wind in it there is

The humming of the guide

وللرّيحِ بها أنٌّ

حكى غَمغَمَةَ الشادِي

As if the plateau and ruins

Guide them without a guide

كأنّ الرَّبْعَ والخِرِّي

تَ يهديهمْ بلا هادِ

I imposed on the barren

Weariness and termination

تعسّفتُ بوجّافٍ

على الإعياءِ وخّادِ

Like the howl of wildlife

Without my supplies and guidance

كَهَيقِ الدَّوِّ لولا وض

عُ أنساعِي وأقتادِي

By the pride of the king, a gift

To the present and the absent

لِفَخرِ المُلك إنعامٌ

على الحاضرِ والبادي

Generosity that leaves feet

Unlike any feet left

وُجودٌ يَدَعُ الأجوا

دَ قِدْماً غيرَ أجوادِ

Doors opened

For students and archers

وأبوابٌ يُفتّحْن

لطُلّابٍ وقُصّادِ

And money circulated

To the need of the frequent

وأموالٌ يُسَوَّقْنَ

إلى حاجةِ مُرْتادِ

A youth who does not ride an inferior

Horse or promise

فَتىً لا يركبُ الخُلْفَ

قرا وعْدٍ وإيعادِ

And who is not satisfied in battle

Except with the strike of the guide

ولا يُرضيهِ في المأْزَ

قِ إلّا ضربةُ الهادِي

Who does not give the guests

Except the prime of provisions

ولا يبذلُ للأضيا

فِ إلّا صفوةَ الزَّادِ

Who does not count

Except extended numbers

ولا يوردُ إلا العِد

دَ ممدوداً بأعدادِ

Who is not gentle next to worry

With compassion and shutter

ولا يُزوى لدَى الهمّ

بأرْدامٍ وأسدادِ

When you enjoy him you enjoy

A towering mountain

إِذا لُذتَ به لُذْتَ

بِطَودٍ بين أطوادِ

And if you befriend him, you befriend

A lion among lions

وإن صُلتَ به صُلْت

بِلَيثٍ بين آسادِ

And a day like the esteem's place

Fill it with firewood

ويومٍ كمحلّ القِدْ

رِ حشّوهُ بإيقادِ

You will always see him

Striking with strikes

تراهُ أبداً يَضرِ

بُ أنجاداً بأنجادِ

You have worn the weaving of splendor

Making it a coat of reception

تَسَرْبَلْتَ بنسجِ الطّع

نِ فيه ثوبَ فِرْصادِ

And replaced the spotted fur

With sheaths and sheaths

وأبدلت الظُّبا بالها

مِ أغماداً بأغمادِ

Beware, O people of generosity,

Of the beast of the habitual forest

حِذاراً يا بني الإشفا

قِ ليثَ الغابةِ العادِي

Rare is the taste of what is

For the gluttonous in the hunt

ثوى الخِيسَ وإن كان

من القاع بمرصادِ

And folded like the fold of the spear

Turned towards the valley

عزيز الطّعمِ ما كان

لخوّارٍ بمصطادِ

In every sunrise he has

A sting between the punishments

وَمَطويّاً كطَيِّ الم

رَسِ التفَّ على وادِ

And how much goodness he anticipates

I have for him and individuals

له في كلِّ إشراقٍ

لديغٌ بين عُوّادِ

She-camels leaping

Beyond the customary

وَكَم مِنْ نِعَمٍ تُؤمٍ

له عندِي وأفرادِ

Racing the water floods

With supplies upon supplies

مُنيفاتٍ على الحاجِ

مَروقاتٍ عن العادِ

For my gratitude has spanned

And wandered in my praises

يُعارِضنَ سيولَ الما

ء إمداداً بإمدادِ

Have I forgotten you and your

Elevating me in the club?

فقد طُلنَ مدَى شكرِي

وبرّحنَ بأحمادِي

And your reserving me for your whisper

From the people and my isolation?

أَأَنساكَ وَإِدْناؤ

ك يُعلينِيَ في النّادِي

And your pulling out my songs

From my heart and my grudges?

وَتَخصيصي بِنَجواكَ

مِنَ القوِم وإفرادِي

And your abundant blessings upon

My enemies and enviers?

وَإِخراجُك أَضغاني

من القلبِ وأحقادِي

And he who would sacrifice himself

From the people, a nomad without a guide

وتكثيرُكَ بالنَّعْما

ءِ أعدائي وحُسّادِي

He has refused goodness, so he does not agree

Except to the most wicked path

وَيَفديكَ منَ الأقوا

مِ سَيّارٌ بلا حادِ

And who will come when he comes

With meager and asceticism?

أَبى الخيرَ فما يرتا

دُ إلّا شَرَّ مُرتادِ

And who will covet issuing

As he covets revenue?

وَمَن يأتِي إذا آتى

بإنزارٍ وإزهادِ

With chains of convention

When a flood and leaders

وَمَن يَهفو بإِصدارٍ

كما يهفو بإيرادِ

May God perfect what He has given you

Of might and custom

بأغلالٍ من العُرفِ

إذا سِيل وأقيادِ

And you have delighted in your victory

In this passing wind

أتمَّ اللَّهُ ما أعطا

كَ من عزٍّ ومن آدِ

And live until you tire of living

An uncommon lifetime

وهُنّيتَ بنيروزِ

كَ هذا الرّائحِ الغادي

وعشْ حتّى تَمَلَّ العي

شَ عُمْراً غيرَ معتادِ