شَأَوتُ مَطايا الصِبا مَطلَبا

وَطُلتُ ثَنايا العُلى مَرقَبا

I aspired to ride the steeds of youth seeking my desire

And I searched the high ridges looking out

وَأَقبَلتُ صَدرَ الدُجى عَزمَةً

تُوَطِّئُ ظَهرَ السُرى مَركَبا

And I marched with resolve to pierce the dark night

To smooth the path for traveling the milky way

فَجُبتُ إِلى سُدفَةٍ سُدفَةً

وَخُضتُ إِلى سَبسَبٍ سَبسَبا

So I came to a howdah upon a howdah

And I entered into a litter upon a litter

وَقُلتُ وَقَد شاقَني مُلتَقى

شَميمِ العَرارِ وَبَردُ الصَبا

And I said when the meeting of the pleasant aroma

And the cool north wind had distressed me:

خَليلَيَّ مِن حِميَرٍ حَدِّثا

أَخا شَيبَةٍ عَن لَيالي الصِبا

"My friend, speak of the young she-camels

O brother of old age, about the nights of youth."

وَبُلّا بِذِكرِ الهَوى غُلَّةً

بِصَدرِ كَريمٍ صَبا ما صَبا

And renew tales of love's anguish

In the breast of a generous man - how he loved in his youth!

وَلا غامَ ما غامَ حَتّى اِنجَلى

فَأَضحى وَلا اِنقادَ حَتّى أَبى

"Do not cease your tales until the early dawn light breaks

And do not stop until you plainly refuse."

وَحَنَّ هَديلٌ عَلى بانَةٍ

تَصَدّى خَطيباً بِها أَخطَبا

And the cooing of a dove moaned over the high dwelling places,

Repulsing the orator who had come to propose.

فَأَذكَرَنا لَيلَةً بِاللِوى

وَعَهداً بِعَصرِ الصِبا أَطرَبا

So it reminded us of a night at the encampment

And the days of youth - how joyous!

وَماءً بِوادي الغَضا سَلسَلاً

وَمُرتَبَعاً بِالحِمى مُعشِبا

And water in the valley of Al-Ghadha flowing

And resting at Al-Hima well-vegetated.

لَيالِيَ عَهدي بِنا فِتيَةً

وَعَهدي بِأَحبابِنا رَبرَبا

The nights of my era were youths

And my era with my friends was tender."

وَما كانَ أَعطَرَ تِلكَ الصَبا

وَأَندى مَعاطِفَ تِلكَ الرُبى

There was no more fragrant than that youth

No softer raiment than those pastures.

وَأَطيَبَ ذاكَ الجَنى رَوضَةً

وَرَشفَةَ ذاكَ اللِمى مَشرَبا

The fairest of gardens was that pasture

And the purest drink from that preserve.

فَحَرَّكَ مِن ساكِنٍ كامِنٌ

تَعاطي حَديثٍ يَحُلُّ الحُبى

So one settled stirred up charming conversation

That would occupy a troubled soul.

وَلَم يَكُ يَعرِفُني أَمرَداً

طَريراً وَيَنكُرُني أَشيَبا

He would not recognize me as a quick wit

And he would deny knowing me as a grey hair.

فَكِدتُ وَدونَ الصِبا شَيبَةٌ

أَجُرُّ هُنالِكَ ما أَذهَبا

I almost shed - despite youth - white hair

There I would shed the marks of old age.

وَقُلتُ وَحُبُّ الدُمى ذَنبُهُ

أَلا غَفَرَ اللَهُ ما أَذنَبا

And I said, "the sin of loving souls

O God forgive what sins I have committed!"

وَصَعَّدتُ عَن حُبِّهِ زَفرَةً

يَكادُ لَها الصَدرُ أَن يَلهَبا

And I uttered from it a moan

That nearly set my breast aflame.

وَأَغرَبَ مِن لَوعَةٍ مَدمَعٌ

إِذا لَجلَجَت لَوعَةٌ أَعرَبا

More wondrous than any agony is a teary eye

When true agony bubbles forth tears.

وَرَدعُ أَصيلٍ لَوى مَعطِفي

فَفَضَّضتُ بِالدَمعِ ما ذَهَّبا

I pulled back the reins and my cloak slipped

So I let flow with tears what had slipped.

وَشَعشَعتُ مِنهُ بِظَهرِ النَقا

شَراباً أُرَقرِقُهُ أَصهَبا

And I toasted its back with the she-camel's saddlebags

A drink I would sip and relish.

وَأَعوَلتُ أَندُبُ عَصراً خَلا

وَقَصرُ اِبنِ سِتّينَ أَن يَندُبا

And I lamented, crying for a past era

Too short for the son of sixty years to cry over.

وَشَبَّبتُ أَطرَبُ لا عَن هَوىً

وَهَل يَطرَبُ المَرءُ إِن شَبَّبا

And I grew tender, enraptured not for love -

Does a man grow tender if he does not become youthful?

لَكَ الخَيرُ شِختُ سِوى مِقوَلٍ

نَبيلٍ يُذَهِّبُ ماهَذَّبا

Goodness to you, I have aged beyond any saying

Of a noble one who takes away what is frivolous.

فَصارَ يُذَكِّرُني ما يَسُرُّ

كَلامٌ إِذا ما طَرى طَرَّبا

So he reminds me of what pleases me

Speech, when it flows, enraptures.

كَلامٌ يَجِدُّ بِلُبِّ الفُتى

ذَهاباً إِذا شاءَ أَن يَلعَبا

Speech that titillates the heart of a youth

Vanishing when it wishes to flirt.

تَحَمَّلَ ماشاءَ مِن رِقَّةٍ

فَحَيّا عَنِ المَشرِقِ المَغرِبا

It carries whatever gentleness it desires

So greetings from east to west.

وَكادَ بِما فيهِ مِن بَلَّةٍ

يَسومُ الصَحيفَةَ أَن تُعشِبا

And it nearly marks the page with its eloquence

That the parchment may become verdant.

فَلِلَّهِ قَولِيَ ما أَهذَبا

وَلِلَّهِ لَفظِيَ ما أَعذَبا

By God my words have not lied

By God my diction is not unsweet.

وَلِلَّهِ دَرُّ أَخي سودَدٍ

رَسا هَضبَةً وَسَرى كَوكَبا

By God the worth of my brother Sudad

Is a pleasing elevated plateau and a wandering star.

تَصوبُ السَماءُ إِذا ماحَبا

وَيَمثُلُ رَضوى إِذا ما اِحتَبى

The sky takes aim when he is loved

And he represents approval when embraced.

وَتَعشو الضُيوفُ إِلى نارِهِ

فَتَلقى هُناكَ أَلا مَرحَبا

The guests flock to his fire

And there find a hearty welcome!

وَتَمضي بِهِ في الوَغى نَجدَةٌ

مَضى السَيفُ في كَفِّهِ أَو نَبا

And valor carries him into the fray

The sword in his grasp thrusts and strikes.

فَتَرضى الصَوارِمُ عَنهُ أَخاً

وَتَشكُرُ مِنهُ المَعالي أَبا

The swords are pleased with him as a brother

And the heights thank him as a father.

وَقَد لَثَمَ النَقعُ أُسدَ الشَرى

وَكَرَّت بِها الخَيلُ تَعدو تُبا

Concord has sealed the lion of nobility

And the steeds circle, charging and returning.

فَلَم تَرَ إِلّا نَجيعاً جَرى

وَرُمحاً تَشَظّى وَطِرفاً كَبا

They see nothing but carnage flowing

And a spear shattered and a side pierced.

لَقَد عَرَفَت قَدرَهُ دَولَةٌ

تُفَدّي بِهِ الأَكرَمَ الأَنجَبا

A dynasty knew his worth, ransoming him

With the most generous and perfect.

وَتَعتَدَّهُ المُنتَقى المُتَّقى

عَلى الخَيرِ وَالحُوَّلِ القُلَّبا

The elite of the devout and the reverent

For good and changing fortune esteem him.

تَقِلُّ الوِزارَةُ في حَقِّهِ

وَتَنزِلُ عَن قَدرِهِ مَنصِبا

Taxation is paltry in his case

And position falls short of his merit.

تَطولُ السَماءُ بِآبائِهِ

وَتُحصي بِهِم كَوكَباً كَوكَبا

The sky is prolonged through his forefathers

And counts them star by star.

وَتَنقادُ غُرُّ المَعالي لَهُ

فَيَقتادُها مِقنَباً مِقنَبا

The vanity of pomp bows before him

So he leads it step by step.

وَيَلأَمُ شَتّى العُلى وَالحِلى

عَلى حينَ أَصبَحنَ أَيدي سَبا

At daybreak he seizes the assets of eminence and beauty

While hands were outstretched in the morning for spoils.

وَحَسبُ المُنى أَن سَرى مَوعِدٌ

كَفيلٌ بِنَيلِ المُنى مَطلَبا

And his promise is enough to attain what is desired

A guarantor for fulfilling what is sought.

تَوالَت رِقاعُكَ تَترى بِهِ

وَشُكري لَها مَوكِباً مَوكِبا

Your messages came in succession, so my thanks

Go out to them in procession, procession.

وَغَيرِيَ مَن غَرَّهُ مَوعِدٌ

يَشيمُ بِهِ بارِقاً خُلَّبا

Others fooled by a promise

Proceed with it glittering and playful.

فَخُذها إِلَيكَ تَهُزُّ الفَتى

وَمِن شيمَةِ الراحِ أَن تُطرِبا

So take them to yourself, they gladden the youth!

The nature of the gentle breeze is to enrapture.

خَصَصتُ الأَخَصَّ بِها أَثرَةً

وَحَيَّيتُ بِالأَطيَبِ الأَطيَبا

I singled out the closest with them especially

And greeted the sweetest of all with the sweetest.

وَسُمتُ البَراعَةَ أَن تَنكَفي

وَذُلقَ اليَراعَةِ أَن تَكتُبا

I characterized excellence to withdraw

While the clumsiness of vulgarity is to write.

وَأَجرَيتُ مِن مُدَّةٍ أَدهَماً

وَوَقَّرتُ مِن مُهرَقٍ أَشهَبا

And I let flow a dark sacrificial camel

And kept back a lead-colored old she-camel.

تَرَكتُ القُلوبَ لَهُ مَربَطاً

وَصَدرَ النَدِيِّ بِهِ مَلعَبا

I left hearts bound to it

And the breast of the beloved playing with it.