تَذَكَّرتُ أَهلي الصالِحينَ بِمَلحوبِ

فَقَلبي عَلَيهِم هالِكٌ جِدَّ مَغلوبِ

I remembered my virtuous family in Malhab

So my heart for them is utterly devastated and defeated

تَذَكَّرتُ أَهلَ الخَيرِ وَالباعِ وَالنَدى

وَأَهلَ عِتاقِ الجُردِ وَالبِرِّ وَالطيبِ

I remembered the people of goodness, generosity and softness

And the people of noble horses, righteousness and fragrance

تَذَكَّرتُهُم ما إِن تَجِفُّ مَدامِعي

كَأَن جَدوَلٌ يَسقي مَزارِعَ مَخروبِ

I remembered them, my tears do not dry up

Like a stream watering devastated farms

وَبَيتٍ يَفوحُ المِسكُ مِن حُجُراتِهِ

تَسَدَّيتُهُ مِن بَينِ سِرٍّ وَمَخطوبِ

And a house from which musk emanates from its rooms

I frequented it secretly and engaged

وَمُسمِعَةٍ قَد أَصحَلَ الشُربُ صَوتَها

تَأَوّى إِلى أَوتارِ أَجوَفَ مَحنوبِ

And a female singer whose voice is melodious

Who wanders to the strings of a hollow lute

شَهِدتُ بِفِتيانٍ كِرامٍ عَلَيهِمُ

حِباءَ لِمَن يَنتابُهُم غَيرُ مَحجوبِ

I witnessed generous youths

Love is unveiled for whoever mingles with them

وَخِرقٍ مِنَ الفِتيانِ أَكرَمَ مَصدِقاً

مِنَ السَيفِ قَد آخَيتُ لَيسَ بِمَذروبِ

And a piece of cloth from the youths, more generous than a truthful one

From the sword I took an oath it is not ripped

فَأَصبَحَ مِنّي كُلُّ ذَلِكَ قَد مَضى

فَأَيُّ فَتىً في الناسِ لَيسَ بِمَكذوبِ

So all that from me is now gone

So which man among people is not accused of lying?

وَقَد أَغتَدي في القَومِ تَحتي شِمِلَّةٌ

بِطِرفٍ مِنَ السيدانِ أَجرَدَ مَنسوبِ

And I came to wear under me a cloak

With a thread from the masters, a purebred steed

كُمَيتٍ كَشاةِ الرَملِ صافٍ أَديمُهُ

مُفِجِّ الحَوامي جُرشُعٍ غَيرِ مَخشوبِ

A camel like the sheep of the sands, its skin smooth

Stamping the sands, not saddled

وَخَيلٍ كَأَسرابِ القَطا قَد وَزَعتُها

بِخَيفانَةٍ تَنمي بِساقٍ وَعُرقوبِ

And horses like herds of wild cats I rallied them

With a rope that grows with stalk and node

وَخَرقٍ تَصيحُ الهامُ فيهِ مَعَ الصَدى

مَخوفٍ إِذا ما جَنَّهُ اللَيلُ مَرهوبِ

And a piece of cloth in which the zebra screams with the echo

Frightening when the night startles it, scared

قَطَعتُ بِصَهباءِ السَراةِ شِمِلَّةٍ

تَزِلُّ الوَلايا عَن جَوانِبِ مَكروبِ

I cut with an unsheathed sword a cloak

That makes disasters slip from the flanks of the afflicted

لَها قَمَعٌ تَذري بِهِ الكورَ تامِكٌ

إِلى حارِكٍ تَأوي إِلى الصُلبِ مَنصوبِ

It has a funnel with which it shakes the balls

To a stirring shepherd not erect

إِذا حَرَّكَتها الساقُ قُلتَ نَعامَةٌ

وَإِن زُجِرَت يَوماً فَلَيسَت بِرُعبوبِ

If its leg moves you'd say it's an ostrich

And if it's scolded one day, it's not startled

تَرى المَرءَ يَصبو لِلحَياةِ وَطولِها

وَفي طولِ عَيشِ المَرءِ أَبرَحُ تَعذيبِ

You see man yearning for life and its prolonging

Yet in the prolonging of man's life is ample torment