وَغَيْثٍ تَبَطَّنْتُ قُرْيَانَهُ

إِذَا رَفَّهَ الوَبْلُ عَنْهُ دُجِنْ

And a downpour whose procession I took shelter in

When the rain exposed it from its cover

وُقُوفٌ بِهِ تَحْتَ أَظْلاَلِهِ

كُهُولُ الخُزَامَى وُقُوفَ الظّعُنْ

With it standing under its shadows

Like the sitting of the old and decrepit

كَأَنَّ صَوَاهِلَ ذِبَّانِهِ

قُبَيْلَ الصَّبَاحِ صَهِيلُ الحُصُنْ

As if its rising columns in the early morning

Were the neighing of the steed

بِنَهْدِ المَرِاكِلِ ذِي مَيْعَةٍ

أَزَلِّ العِثَارِ مِعَنٍّ مِفَنْ

With the swaying of the howdahs of honor

Driving away the stumbling of meaning

هَرِيتٍ قَصِير عِذَارِ اللجَامِ

أسِيلٍ طَوِيلِ عِذَارِ الرَّسَنْ

A short-reined, short-tied camel

And a long-reined, long-tied mare

ذَعَرْتُ بِهِ العَيْرَ مُسْتَوْزِياً

شَكِيرُ جَحَافِلِهِ قَدْ كَتِنْ

With it I startled the caravan boastfully

While its bold horsemen hid

عَدَا هَرِجاً غَيْرَ مُسْتَيْقِنٍ

بِوَقْعِ اللِّقَاءِ ولاَ مُطْمَئِنْ

It raced confusedly, not knowing

The impact of the encounter nor feeling safe

يَمُجُّ بَرَاعِيمَ مِنْ عَضْرَسٍ

تَرَاوَحَهُ القَطْرُ حَتَّى مَعِنْ

It flows from the hill of Al ‘Udhras

Drenched by the rain until it filled

كَأَنَّ نُقَاعَاتِ خَطْيِمَّةٍ

عَلَى حَدِّ مَرْسِنِهِ لَوْ رُسِنْ

As if the small pools of Al-Khatimmah

Were carved into its rocky cliff, if it were chiselled

غَدَا يَنْفُضُ الطَلَّ عَنْ مَتْنِهِ

تَسيلُ شَرَاسِيفُهُ كالقُطُنْ

It shook off the dew from its back in the morning

Its dangling tassels dripping like cotton

وصَاحِبِ صِدْقٍ تَنَاسَيْتُهُ

كَرَاهُ ولهَّيْتُ حَتَّى أَذِنْ

And a friend I forgot

I disliked until I was allowed to forget

يَذُودُ العَصَافِيرَ عَنْ دَاثِرٍ

دَفِينِ الإِزَاءِ خَلاَءٍ أَجِنْ

It wards off the sparrows from a shelter

Of a thick garment, empty and barren

وخَشْخَشْتُ بِالعَنْسِ في قَفْرَةٍ

مَقِيلَ ظِبَاءِ الصَّريمِ الحُزُنْ

And I creaked with the saddlebags in desolation

Inclining with the twittering of the sad pigeon

وهُنَّ جُنُوحٌ لدَى حَاذَةٍ

ضَوارِبَ غِزْلاَنُهَا بِالجُرُنْ

And they are wings near the shore

Its plumed chicks crying with sorrow

بِعَنْسَيْنِ تَصْرِفُ أَلْحِيهِمَا

بِمُسَتْنقِعٍ كَصُبَابِ اللَّجِنْ

With two saddlebags it steers its boys

In a swamp like the pools of mud

ظَلَلْنَا مُظِلَّيْ زِمَامَيْهِمَا

يُرَاوَحُ زَوْرَاهُمَا بِالثَّفِنْ

We were its shady pole-bearers

Fanning their heads with the robe

فَرُحْنَا تُرَاكِلُ أَيْدِيهمَا

سَرِيحاً تَخَرَّقَ بَعْدَ المُرُنْ

So we were happy their hands waved

Tranquilly, after hardship comes ease

وأَصْيَدَ صَادَيْتُ عَنْ دَائِهِ

ونَارٍ بِبِطْنَتِهِ إِذْ بَطِنْ

And I hunted its illness for its master

When its belly rumbled, I diagnosed

جَمَحْتُ بِهِ ثُمَّ نَحَّيْتُهُ

بِبَيْنِ القَرِينَيْنِ حَتَّى قُرِنْ

I cured it then presented it

Between the two friends until it was paired

فَدَاجِ أَخَاكَ إِلَى يَوْمِهِ

فَإِنْ عَزَّ غَيْرَ مُسيءٍ فَهُنْ

So treat your brother up to his day

And if he lives well without wrongdoing, then good

سَيُشْوِي الفَتَى بَعْضُ أَوْجَالِهِ

ويَفْجَعُهُ بَعْضُ مَا قَدْ أَمِنْ

Some of his sorrows will crush the youth

And some of what he feels safe from will make him despair

بِمُخْتَلَسٍ مِنْ نَوَاحِي الحُتُو

فِ تُرْمَى الرِّجَالُ بِهِ عَنْ شَزَنْ

With something stolen from the thickets of diminution

Men are cast by it from glory

فَإِمَّا هَلَكْتُ فَلاَ تَجْزَعِي

ونَامِي عَلَى دَائِكِ المُسْتَكِنْ

So if I die, do not grieve

And sleep despite your settled sorrow

لَعَمْرُ أَبِيكِ لَقَدْ شَاقَنِي

مَكَانٌ حَزِنْتُ لَهُ أَوْ حَزِنْ

By your father’s life, a place pained me

Whether it grieved or saddened

مَنَازِلُ لَيْلَى وأَتْرَابِهَا

خَلاَ عَهْدُهَا بَيْنَ قَوٍّ َفقُنْ

The dwellings of Layla and her neighbors

Its promise between us failed after living there

خَلاَ عَهْدُهَا بَعْدَ سُكَّانِها

لِمَا نَالَهَا مِنْ خَبَالٍ وجِنْ

Its promise failed after its dwellers

Due to the defects and sins that befell it

لَيَالِيَ لَيْلَى عَلَى غَانِظٍ

ولَيْلَى هَوَى النَّفْسِ مَا لَمْ تَبِنْ

The nights of Layla upon ruggedness

And Layla is the passion of the soul before explanation

سَقَتْني بِصَهْبَاءَ دِرْيَاقَةٍ

مَتَى مَا تُلَيِّنْ عِظَامِي تَلِنْ

She quenched me with the morning drink of her leather bottle

Whenever it softens my bones they bend

صُهَابِيَّةٍ مُتْرَعٍ دَنُّهَا

تُرَجَّعُ مِنْ عُوِد وَعْسٍ مُرِنْ

A drawn skin bottle from Tayma

Returning from fresh ‘ud and flexible branch

وشَقَّتْ لِيَ اللَّيْلَ عَنْ جَيْبِهِ

بِلَذَّتِهَا وضَجِيعِي وَسِنْ

And she clove the night from its folds for me

With her pleasure and my lover and toothstick

ولَوْ بَذَلَتْ حُسْنَ مَا عِنْدَهَا

لِبَارِحِ أَرْوَى نَوَارٍ مُسِنْ

Had she spent the beauty she possesses last night

On a meadow, she would have watered a sharp toothstick

قَرُوعِ الظِّرَبِ بِأَظْلاَفِهِ

رَشُوفِ الفَرَاشِ بِسَامٍ رَكُنْ

Encircling goblets with its rims

Carpets outspread with a relaxed pillar

شَبُوبٍ كَأَنَّ قَرَا ظهْرِهِ

مِنَ الزَّيْتِ بَعْدَ دِهَانٍ دُهِنْ

A nail whose back seems

To be oiled after oiling

مَرَابِعُهُ الخُمْرُ مِنْ صَاحَةٍ

ومُصْطَافُهُ في الوُعُولِ الحُزُنْ

Its square pillows, the wine of broad bowls

And its preferred nook is in mournful seclusion

لَظَلَّ يُنَازِعُهَا لُبَّهُ

نِزَاعَ القَرِينِ حِبَالَ الرُّهُنْ

The intensity of its warp will continue to compete with it

Like the struggle of the bracelet, the necklace's pledge

سَأَتْرُكُ لِلظَّنِّ مَا بَعْدَهُ

ومَنْ يَكُ ذَا أُرْبَةٍ يَسْتَبِنْ

I will leave what comes after to speculation

And who can have insight to perceive?

فَلاَ تَتْبَعِ الظَّنَّ إِنَّ الظُّنُونَ

تُرِيكَ مِنَ الأَمْرِ مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ

So do not follow speculation, speculations

Show you from the matter what did not exist

وأَرْعَى الأَمَانَةَ فِيمَنْ رَعَى

ومَنْ لاَ َتِجدْهُ أَمِيناً يَخُنْ

And I heed the trust in those who heeded

And whoever you do not find trustworthy will betray

تَرَكْتُ الخَنَا لَسْتُ مِنْ أَهْلِهِ

وسَمَّنْتُ في الحَمْدِ حَتَّى سَمِنْ

I left rancour, I am not one of its people

And I fattened myself with praise until I fattened

بِوَفْرِي العَشِيرَةَ أَعْرَاضَهَا

وخَلْعِي عِذَارَ الخَطِيبِ اللَّسِنْ

Honoring my family by guarding its honor

And taking off the camel-like slanderer’s bridle

وجَوْفَاءَ يَجْنَحُ فِيهَا الضَّرِيكُ

لِحِينِ الشِّتَاءِ جُنُوحَ العَرِنْ

And a spacious enclosure where the ostrich enters

During winter, the sheltering of the hen

مَلأْتُ فَأَتْرَعْتُهَا تَابِلي

عَلَى عَادَةٍ مِنْ كَريمٍ فَطِنْ

I filled it, and then I fed it generously

As is the habit of a generous, wise man

إِذَا سَدَّ بِالْمَحلِ آفَاقَهَا

جَهَامٌ يَؤُجُّ أَجِيجَ الظُّعُنْ

When the local rooster crowded its horizons

A predator cries with the roar of the cock

وصَالِحَةِ العَهْدِ زَجَّيْتُهَا

لِوَاعِي الفُؤَادِ حَفِيظ الأُذُنْ

And well-mannered, true to its word, I drove it

To the heart's guardian, keeper of the ear

بِبَابِ المَقَاوِلِ مِنْ حِمْيَرٍ

تُشَدَّدُ أَعْضَادُهُ بِاللَّبِنْ

At the gate of the livestock pen of donkeys

Its limbs fastened with rope

فَمَا أُخْفِ يَخْفَ عَلَى عِفَّةٍ

ومَا أُبْدِ يَعْلُن إِذَا مَا عَلَنْ

So what chastity hides is not revealed

And what is apparent is not displayed when manifest