عادَ لَهُ مِن كَثيرَةَ الطَرَبُ

فَعَينُهُ بِالدُموعِ تَنسَكِبُ

Much he has gained from being oft entranced,

for his eyes spill over with tears of joy.

كوفِيَّةٌ نازِحٌ مَحَلَّتُها

لا أَمَمٌ دارُها وَلا سَقَبُ

A wailing Kufan maiden evicted from her home,

with neither tribesmen nor goods to fetch.

وَاللَهِ ما إِن صَبَت إِلَيَّ وَلا

يُعلَمُ بَيني وَبَينَها سَبَبُ

By Allah, though she wept copiously unto me,

no reason betwixt us two could be sensed.

إِلّا الَّذي أَورَثَت كَثيرَةُ في ال

قَلبِ وَلِلحُبِّ سَورَةٌ عَجَبُ

Save that which capricious Kathirah has instilled

within my heart, and love's thrill is so strange!

لا بارَكَ اللَهُ في الغَواني فَما

يُصبِحنَ إِلّا لَهُنَّ مُطَّلَبُ

God bless not singers! For come morn,

they covet but new passions and aims.

أَبصَرنَ شَيباً عَلا الذُؤابَةَ في ال

رَأسِ حَديثاً كَأَنَّهُ العُطُبُ

Grey hairs they spied upon my temples,

appearing as if gushing springs they were.

فَهُنَّ يُنكِرنَ ما رَأَينَ وَلا

يُعرَفُ لي في لِدّاتِيَ اللَعِبُ

So they deny what they have seen,

and see in my flirts no fun anymore.

ما ضَرَّها لَو غَدا بِحاجَتِنا

غادٍ كَريمٌ أَو زائِرٌ جُنُبُ

How I wished an open-handed visitor

would bring us what we need come eve!

لَم يَأتِ عَن ريبَةٍ وَأَجشَمَهُ ال

حُبُّ فَأَمسى وَقَلبُهُ وَصِبُ

Untroubled he came, embraced with passion,

so he spent the night with a pounding heart.

يا حَبَّذا يَثرِبٌ وَلَذَّتُها

مِن قَبلِ أَن يَهلِكوا وَيَحتَرِبوا

Blessed Yathrib, and the joys it harboured,

before they perished and turned on each other!

وَقَبلَ أَن يَخرُجَ الَّذينَ لَهُم

فيها السَناءُ العَظيمُ وَالحَسَبُ

Before emerged those so virtuous within it,

of lineage glorious and noble repute.

بَغَت عَلَيهِم بِها عَشيرَتُهُم

فَعوجِلوا بِالجَزاءِ وَاِطُّلِبوا

Their own kin turned on them with betrayal,

so they rushed to punish and take revenge.

قومٌ هُمُ الأَكثَرونَ قِبصَ حَصىً

في الحَيِّ وَالأَكرَمونَ إِن نُسِبوا

A people most populous, honourable if traced,

valorous, and gen’uns when enraged.

ما نَقَموا مِن بَني أُمَيَّةَ إِلّا

أَنَّهُم يَحلُمونَ إِن غَضِبوا

Naught did they resent of Banu Umayyah,

save that they show clemency when angered.

وَأَنَّهُم مَعدِنُ المُلوكِ فَلا

تَصلُحُ إِلّا عَلَيهِمُ العَرَبُ

That they are the spring of kings, so none

deserve the Arabs’ leadership but them.

إِنَّ الفَنيقَ الَّذي أَبوهُ أَبو ال

عاصي عَلَيهِ الوَقارُ وَالحُجُبُ

The phoenix whom Abu Al-‘Aas was its father,

upon him dignity and glory abounds.

خَليفَةُ اللَهِ فَوقَ مِنبَرِهِ

جَفَّت بِذاكَ الأَقلامُ وَالكُتُبُ

God's Caliph atop his pulpit,

by him pens and books were stilled.

يَعتَدِلُ التاجُ فَوقَ مَفرِقِهِ

عَلى جَبينٍ كَأَنَّهُ الذَهَبُ

The crown adorns his brow,

as if it were made of gold itself!

أَحفَظَهُم قَومُهُم بِباطِلِهِم

حَتّى إِذا حارَبوهُمُ حَرِبوا

His people shielded him with their falsehood,

until when warred against they too did fight.

تَجَرَّدوا يَضرِبونَ باطِلَهُم

بِالحَقِّ حَتّى تَبَيَّنَ الكَذِبُ

Bare of falsehood they struck with truth,

until falsehood was exposed and debunked!

لَيسوا مَفاريحَ عِندَ نَوبَتِهِم

وَلا مَجازيعَ إِن هُمُ نُكِبوا

Unlike peasants are they when their turn comes,

nor lowlives if they stumble and fail.

إِن جَلَسوا لَم تَضِق مَجالِسُهُم

وَالأُسدُ أُسدُ العَرينِ إِن رَكِبوا

If seated, their gatherings feel not confined,

nor are they less lions if mounted and charged!

لَم تُنكِحِ الصُمُّ مِنهُمُ عَزَباً

وَلا يُعابونَ إِن هُمُ خَطَبوا

No deaf among them did wed a spinster,

nor are their manners by wooers found lack.