تَبَصَّر خَليلي هَل تَرى مِن ظَعائِنٍ

سَلَكنَ غُمَيراً دونَهُنَّ غُموضُ

Look dear one, do you see some gazelles

That walked gloomily, below them vagueness

وَفَوقَ الجِمالِ الناعِجاتِ كَواعِبٌ

مَخاميصُ أَبكارٌ أَوانِسُ بيضُ

And above the beautiful camels maidens

Like virgins, white shirts, pleasant companions

وَبَيتِ عَذارى يَرتَمينَ بِخِدرِهِ

دَخَلتُ وَفيهِ عانِسٌ وَمَريضُ

And the house of chaste women who throw with their arms

I entered, in it was a flirtatious and sick one

فَأَقرَضتُها وُدّي لِأُجزاهُ إِنَّما

تَدُقُّ أَيادي الصالِحينَ قُروضُ

So I lent her my love to reward her, for only

The hands of the righteous knock borrowings

وَحَنَّت قَلوصي بَعدَ وَهنٍ وَهاجَها

مَعَ الشَوقِ يَوماً بِالحِجازِ وَميضُ

And my heart longed after weakness and it provoked her

One day in Hejaz with longing and departure

فَقُلتُ لَها لا تَضجَري إِنَّ مَنزِلاً

نَأَتني بِهِ هِندٌ إِلَيَّ بَغيضُ

So I said to her, "Don't be annoyed, a house

Will come to me from India, an unwelcome one."

دَنا مِنكِ تَجوابُ الفَلاةِ فَقَلِّصي

بِما قَد طَباكِ رِعيَةٌ وَخُفوضُ

The answers of the wilderness drew near to you, so make less

What the flock and the base have accustomed you to

إِذا جاوَزَت مِنها بِلاداً تَناوَلَت

مَهامِهَ بيداً بَينَهُنَّ عَريضُ

When it passed through a land, it took

The reins in a hand, between them a cupper

وَقَد ماجَتِ الأَنساعُ وَاِستَأخَرَت بِها

مَعَ الغَرزِ أَحناءٌ لَهُنَّ دُحوضُ

And the she-camels raged and lagged behind with them

Bent, for them saddlebags and howdahs

وَكُنَّ كَأَسرابِ القَطا هاجَ وِردَها

مَعَ الصُبحِ في يَومِ الحَرورِ رَميضُ

And they were like flocks of wild doves provoked and their watering place

On a hot day was visited, a small river

وَفِتيانِ صِدقٍ قَد ثَنَيتُ عَلَيهِمُ

رِدائي وَفي شَمسِ النَهارِ دُحوضُ

And boys of truth, for whom I spread

My gown, and in the sun's heat howdahs

أَلَستُ أَشُقُّ القَولَ يَقذِفُ غَربُهُ

قَصائِدَ مِنها آبِنٌ وَهَضيضُ

Am I not the most eloquent, whose west casts

Poems from it, some durable, some ephemeral?

أُغِصُّ إِذاً شَغبَ الأَلَدِّ بِريقِهِ

فَيَنطِقُ بَعدي وَالكَلامُ خَفيضُ

I shut up then the mischief of spittle with its saliva

So it speaks after me, and speech is subdued

وَكَم مِن أَخي خَصمٍ تَرَكتُ وَما بِهِ

إِذا قُلتُ في أَيِّ الكَلامِ نُحوضُ

And how many disputing brothers did I leave, and he had

No argument when I said, "In which words craft?"

فَوَلَّيتُ ذا مَجدٍ وَأُعطيتُ مِسحَلاً

حُساماً بِهِ شَغبُ الأَلَدِّ نُهوضُ

So I turned away from glory and gave a smooth-speared one

A sword with which the mischief of spittle rose up

قَطَعتُ بِهِ مِنكَ الحَوامِلَ فَاِنبَرَت

فَما بِكَ مِن بَعدِ الهِجاءِ نُهوضُ

I cut from you the pregnant she-camels with it, so they sprang up

Then you had after insult no rising up

صَقَعتُكَ بِالغُرِّ الأَوابِدِ صَقعَةً

خَضَعتَ لَها فَالقَلبُ مِنكَ جَريضُ

I clad you in the permanent shame, a cladding

To which you submitted, and the heart from you is timid

صَليتُم بِلَيثٍ ما يُرامُ عَرينُهُ

أَبي أَشبُلٍ بَعدَ العِراكِ عَضوضِ

You prayed to a lion whose den is not coveted

My father Ashbal, after the fighting, a biter

إِذا ما بَدا ظَلَّت لَهُ الأُسدُ عُكَّفاً

فَهُنَّ حِذارَ المَوتِ مِنهُ رُبوضُ

When he appeared, the lions shaded him obsequiously

So they are cautious of death from him, terrified

تَرى بَينَ مَوقوصٍ تَغَطمَطَ في الرَدى

وَذي رَغبَةٍ يَرجو الحَياةَ نَحيضُ

You see among cowardly Meowas he wallowed in the ashes

And one who desires life, hoping for survival