طافَ الخَيالُ عَلَينا لَيلَةَ الوادي

لِآلِ أَسماءَ لَم يُلمِم لِميعادِ

The imagination roamed over us the night of the valley

For the family of Asma, no tryst has been fixed

أَنّى اِهتَدَيتَ لِرَكبٍ طالَ سَيرُهُمُ

في سَبسَبٍ بَينَ دَكداكٍ وَأَعقادِ

Whence did you find guidance to a caravan whose journey was prolonged

In the twisting of a valley between pounding and knots

يُكَلِّفونَ سُراها كُلَّ يَعمَلَةٍ

مِثلَ المَهاةِ إِذا ما اِحتَثَّها الحادي

They task the saddlebags, each saddle they put to work

Like the bellows when the blower kindles it

أَبلِغ أَبا كَرِبٍ عَنّي وَأُسرَتَهُ

قَولاً سَيَذهَبُ غَوراً بَعدَ إِنجادِ

Take word to Abū Karib and his family

A saying that will fade into the wilderness after being transmitted

يا عَمروُ ما راحَ مِن قَومٍ وَلا اِبتَكَروا

إِلّا وَلِلمَوتِ في آثارِهِم حادي

O Amr, no people have departed nor migrated

Except that to their traces the guide of death leads

فَإِن رَأَيتَ بِوادٍ حَيَّةً ذَكَراً

فَاِمضِ وَدَعني أُمارِس حَيَّةَ الوادي

So if you see in a valley a male serpent

Then go, and leave me to contend with the valley’s serpent

لَأَعرِفَنَّكَ بَعدَ المَوتِ تَندُبُني

وَفي حَياتِيَ ما زَوَّدتَني زادي

I will recognize you after death mourning me

And in my life you did not provision me

إِنَّ أَمامَكَ يَوماً أَنتَ مُدرِكُهُ

لا حاضِرٌ مُفلِتٌ مِنهُ وَلا بادي

Before you is a day you will attain

Neither present nor absent can escape it

فَاِنظُر إِلى فيءِ مُلكٍ أَنتَ تارِكُهُ

هَل تُرسَيَنَّ أَواخيهِ بِأَوتادِ

Look to the shade of a kingdom you are leaving

Can you peg down its tent poles?

إِذهَب إِلَيكَ فَإِنّي مِن بَني أَسَدٍ

أَهلِ القِبابِ وَأَهلِ الجُردِ وَالنادي

Go away from me, for I am of the Banū Asad

People of tents and open country and pasture

قَد أَترُكُ القِرنَ مُصفَرّاً أَنامِلُهُ

كَأَنَّ أَثوابَهُ مُجَّت بِفِرصادِ

I leave the bow yellowed, its strings discolored

As if its wrappings were steeped in weld

أَوجَرتُهُ وَنَواصي الخَيلِ شاحِبَةٌ

سَمراءَ عامِلُها مِن خَلفِهِ بادي

I strung it while the horses' forelocks were bleached

Dun is their groom behind them, visible