نَهرٌ كَما سالَ اللَمى سَلسالُ

وَصباً بَليلٌ ذَيلُها مِكسالُ

A river flowing as tears flowed

And a downpour whose trails are sluggish

وَمَهَبُّ نَفحَةِ رَوضَةٍ مَطلولَةٍ

في جَلهَتَيها لِلنَسيمِ مَجالُ

And the wafting of a breeze in an open meadow

Where the breeze roams freely

غازَلتُهُ وَالأُقحُوانَةُ مَبسِمٌ

وَالآسُ صُدغٌ وَالبَنَفسَجُ خالُ

I flirted with it while the poppies are smiling

And the myrtle is a cheek and the violet a mole

وَوَراءَ خَفّاقِ النِجادِ ضُبارِمٌ

يَسري بِهِ خَلفَ الظَلامِ خَيالُ

And behind the fluttering spears are warriors

Whose shadows move behind the darkness

أَلقى العَصا في حَيثُ يَعثُرُ بِالحَصى

نَهرٌ وَتَعبَثُ بِالغُصونِ شَمالُ

He threw his staff where pebbles make him stumble

A river playing with the branches aimlessly

وَكَأَنَّ ما بَينَ الغُصونِ تَنازُعٌ

فيهِ وَما بَينَ المِياهِ جِدالُ

As if there is a struggle between the branches

And a dispute between the waters

وَأَرَبَّ يَبرُدُ مِن حَشاهُ مَكرَعٌ

خَصِرٌ يَسُحُّ وَتَلعَةٌ مِخضالُ

And a pasture where the cattle graze is chilled

A waist sweeping smoothly and a meadow blossoming

مابَينَ رَوضَةِ جَدوَلَينِ كَأَنَّما

بُسِطَت يَمينٌ مِنهُما وَشِمالُ

Between the streams of two brooks as if

A right hand and a left are outstretched from them

مِثلُ الحُبابِ بِمُنحَناهُ ذُؤابَةٌ

خَفّاقَةٌ حَيثُ الرُبى أَكفالُ

Like beads in its winding a gazelle

Prancing where the pasture's teats abound

وَاِنسابَ ثاني مَعطِفَيهِ كَأَنَّهُ

هَيمانُ نَشوانٌ هُناكَ مُذالُ

And its second cloak flows as if it were

Retreating or advancing hosts over there

أَو ظِلُّ أَسمَرَ بِاللِوى مُتَأَطِّرٌ

عَطَفَت جَنوبٌ مَتنَهُ وَشَمالُ

Or the shadow of a dark oak framed

With winds folding its sides and tops

لَم أَدرِ هَل يُزهى فَيَخطُرُ نَخوَةً

أَم لاعَبَت أَعطافَهُ الجِريالُ

I could not tell if it sways coquettishly

Or its pleats were just fluttering casually

فَإِذا اِستَطارَ بِهِ النَجاءُ فَنَيزَكٌ

وَإِذا تَهادى فَالهِلالُ هِلالُ

For when it stretches in its slimness, it is a palm tree

And when it sways gently, it is a crescent moon

زُرَّت عَلَيهِ جُبَّةٌ مَوشِيَّةٌ

بِمَقيلِهِ أُختٌ لَها أَسمالُ

Over it is a speckled gibbah

With its sister, one of matching hems

مِزَقٌ كَما يَنَقَدُّ في يَومِ الوَغى

عَن لَبَّتَي مُستَلئِمٍ سِربالُ

Torn asunder in times of turmoil

From the garb of a harmonious companion

أَلقى بِهِ مِنها هُنالِكَ دِرعَهُ

بَطَلٌ وَجَرَّدَ وَشيَهُ مُختالُ

He threw his coat of mail over there

A hero who stripped himself bare and valiant

بَيدَ الهَجيرَةِ مِنهُ سَوطٌ خافِقٌ

وَبِساقِ لَيلَةِ صَرصَرٍ خَلخالُ

In his hand a slashing whip

And on his night of clinking, anklets

فَدَلَفتُ يَقدُمُ بي هُناكَ ضُبارِمٌ

ضارٍ لَهُ بِعَمايَةٍ أَشبالُ

So I ventured forth led by warriors over there

Vicious to him with fierce cubs

شَيحانَ لا أَرتابُ مِن هَلَعٍ وَلا

أَغتابُ مِن طَبعٍ وَلا أَغتالُ

At ease, neither doubting from alarm, nor

Suspicious of nature, nor scheming treachery

مُتَخايِلاً أَمشي البَرازَ وَدونَهُ

مِن أَرقَمٍ سِدرٌ أَلُفُّ وَضالُ

Daydreaming, I walk the wide plain and beneath it

A sidr tree, most beloved and lost

فَتَوَعَّدتني نَظرَةٌ وَقّادَةٌ

يُذكى بِها تَحتَ الظَلامِ ذُبالُ

So a piercing gaze threatened me

With it the wolves are provoked in the darkness

وَهَوى كَما يَهوي أَتِيٌّ مُزبِدٌ

رَجَمَت بِهِ بَعضَ التِلاعِ تِلالُ

And it pounced like a torrential, frothing he-goat

Pelting some of the hills with pebbles

يَهفو الضَرّاءَ أَمامَهُ وَلَرُبَّما

يَذَرُ الكَثيبَ وَراءَهُ يَنهالُ

Bleating loudly ahead of it and perhaps

Leaving the dune behind pouring forth

فَدَرَأتُ بادِرَةَ الشُجاعِ بِأَخضَرٍ

في رَقشِهِ هُوَ لِلشُجاعِ مِثالُ

So I warded off the valiant beast's attack with a green spear

In its slender straightness, it is an example of courage

جَمَدَ الغَديرُ بِمَتنِهِ وَلَرُبَّما

أَعشاكَ إِفرِندٌ لَهُ سَيّالُ

The pool froze in its expanse and maybe

A ram with surging waters would quench your thirst

وَجَمَعتُ بَينَ المَشرَفِيِّ وَبَينَهُ

فَتَلاقَتِ الأَشباهُ وَالأَشكالُ

And I brought together the eminent and him

So the like and the like came together

وَتَساوَرا يَتَكافَحانِ كَما اِلتَقى

يَوماً أَبو إِسحاقَ وَالريبالُ

And they wrestled as Abu Ishaq and the champion met

One day

وَكِلاهُما مِن أَسوَدٍ وَمُهَنَّدٍ

في ضِمنِهِ الأَوجالُ وَالآجالُ

Both of them black and decorated

Within them are destinations and terms