أَلا لَيتَ أَنفاسَ الرِياحِ النَواسِمِ

يُحَيّينَ عَنّي الواضِحاتِ المَباسِمِ

Alas! If only the gentle breezes

Would give life to the smiling meadows,

وَيَرمينَ أَكنافَ العَقيقِ بِنَظرَةٍ

تَرَدَّدُ في تِلكَ الرُبى وَالمَعالِمِ

And cast their glances over the hills of 'Aqiq,

Glances that wander over those grasslands and landmarks.

وَيَلثُمنَ مابَينَ الكَثيبِ إِلى الحِمى

مَواطِئَ أَخفافِ المَطِيّ الرَواسِمِ

And they would kiss the ground between Al-Kathib and Al-Himaa,

Where the trotting camel left its delicate prints.

فَما أَنسَهُ لا أَنسَ يَوماً بِذي النَقا

أَطَلنا بِهِ لِلوَجدِ عَضَّ الأَباهِمِ

How could I forget - I never forget - that day at Dhi Naqaa

When we tarried there till passion's fire inflamed us.

وَقَفنا بِهِ نَشكو وَقَد لَوَتِ النَوى

مَعاطِفَنا لَيَّ الغُصونِ النَواعِمِ

There we stood complaining while the spices of Nuwaa

Entwined our mantles round the delicate branches.

فَمَن مُبلِغٌ عَنّي الشَبيبَةَ أَنَّني

لَوَيتُ عِناني عَن طُروقُِ الجَرائِمِ

Who will tell the youths that I

Have checked my steed from acts of recklessness?

وَمِلتُ بِطَرفي عَن فَتاةٍ وَقَهوَةٍ

وَعَطَّلتُ سَمعي مِن مَلامِ اللَوائِمِ

I have closed my eyes to a maiden and to wine,

And shut my ears to the blame of detractors.

فَما راعَني إِلا وَميضٌ لِشَيبَةٍ

تَوَقَّدَ في قَطعٍ مِنَ اللَيلِ فاحِمِ

Heedless I was until I noticed a flash of grey

Blazing from a piece of the dark night.

وَلا هالَني إِلا نَذيرٌ بِرِحلَةٍ

مَسَحتُ لَهُ مِن رَوعَةٍ جَفنَ نائِمِ

And startled only by a hint of departure,

I swept my hand across the eyes of a slumberer.

تَوَلّى الصِبا إِلّا اِدِّكارَ مَعاهِدٍ

لَهُ لَذعَةٌ بَينَ الحَشى وَالحَيازِمِ

The zephyr is gone, leaving only the echo

Of pacts that prick the soul and pierce the vitals.

أَطَلتُ لَهُ رَجعَ الحَنينِ وَرُبَّما

بَكَيتُ عَلى عَهدٍ مَضى مُتَقادِمِ

I let his yearning echo prolong, and mayhap

I wept for a time now past, never to return.

فَإِن غاضَتِ الأَيّامُ ماءَ شَبيبَتي

وَمالَت بِغُصنٍ مِن قَوامِيَ ناعِمِ

If the days have diluted the wine of my youth,

And bent a branch of my supple form,

لَقَد طالَ صَدرُ الرُمحِ مِنّي بِهِمَّةٍ

تَهُزُّ بِها العَلياءُ صَفحَةَ صارِمِ

Yet ready for the fight is the long lance hand,

That shakes the stately bastions with a forceful blow.

لَيالي نَصلُ السَيفِ ظِفري وَإِنَّما

قَوائِمُ أَبناءِ الجَديلِ قَوادِمي

Nights when my sword brings victory ever closer;

For the tribe's youth are relentlessly advancing.

أَسيرُ فَيغشى بِيَ دُجى اللَيلِ هِمَّةٌ

تَهُمُّ فَأَعرَوري ظُهورَ العَزائِمِ

As night's darkness envelops me, valour stirs

That makes me plunge into the thick of ventures.

فَرُبَّ ظَليمٍ قَد ذَعَرتُ عَلى السُرى

بِحَزوى وَظَبيٍ قَد طَرَدتُ بِجاسِمِ

Many a blind night have I startled the steeds

With a loud cry, driving them with a whip.

فَلَم أَدرِ أُمُّ الرَألِ مِن بِنتِ أَعوَجٍ

وَلا ظَبيَةِ الوَعساءِ مِن أُمِّ سالِمِ

Nor could I tell a ewe from a daughter of 'A'uj,

Or a ugly doe from the mother of Salim.

وَإِن كُنتُ خَوارَ العِنانِ عَلى الهَوى

فَإِنّي عَلى الأَعداءِ صَعبُ الشَكائِمِ

If over passion I've lost all self-control,

Against foes my nature is unforgiving.

فَيا عَجَباً أَن أُعطِيَ الظَبيَ مِقوَدي

وَأَدرَأَ عَنهُ في نُحورِ الضَراغِمِ

Strange indeed that I give the doe my bridle,

And from her throat ward off all threats,

وَأَدهَمَ مِن لَيلِ السَرى قَد رَكِبتُهُ

وَأَودَعتُ أَسرارَ السَرى صَدرَ نائِمِ

Having mounted her in the dark of night,

Entrusting mysteries of night to a slumberer.

عَلى حينَ أَرخى الدُجُنُّ فَضلَ لِثامِهِ

عَلى كُلِّ أَقنى مِن أُنوفِ المَخارِمِ

While adversity has lowered its mantle

Over every towering crag and looming peril,

وَقَد كَمَنَت بيضُ السُيوفِ وَأَشرَفَت

طَلائِعُ آذانِ الجِيادِ الصَلادِمِ

And the gleam of swords has emerged,

As the vanguards of the slim horses converge.

وَكاثَرتُ أَوضاحَ النُجومِ عَلى السَرى

بِغُرٍّ كِرامٍ فَوقَ غُرٍّ كَرائِمِ

I challenged the radiant stars across the night

With a free-ranging spirit above the sublime.

إِذا ما تَداعَوا لِلكَريهَةِ حَمَّلوا

صُدورَ العَوالي في صُدورِ المَلاحِمِ

When troubles crowd in, their leader bears

The heaviest responsibility at critical moments.

وَكَرّوا وَصَدرَ السَيفِ يَدمى فَثَلَّموا

رِقاقَ الظُبى بَينَ الطُلى وَالجَماجِمِ

And turns to fight as swords deal fatal blows

And cleave through skulls in a blood-soaked delirium.

فَمَن مُبلِغُ الحَسناءِ عَنّي أَنَّني

خَلَعتُ نِجادَ السَيفِ خَلعَ التَمائِمِ

Who will tell the fair one I have shed

The raiment of swords like a questing pilgrim?

وَكُنتُ إِذا ما أَعضَلَ الخَطبُ لاجِئاً

إِلى كالِئٍ مِن مَضرِبِ السَيفِ عاصِمِ

In times of stress I would seek refuge

In a strong sword, deflecting threats.

فَها أَنا لا يُسرى تُؤاخي عَلى السَرى

عِناناً وَلا يُمنى تَلوذُ بِقائِمِ

Now neither right nor left stirs by my side,

Nor any ally clings close for protection.

مُنيخٌ بِمَثوى المَجدِ مِن ظِلِّ أَروَعٍ

وَدورُ الأَعادي دارِساتُ المَعالِمِ

Lodged I am in glory's abode, in the shade

Of something far nobler, while hostile abodes crumble.

جَديرٌ بِإِحرازِ العُلى غَيرَ راكِضٍ

مُغِذٍّ وَإِدراكُ السُهى غَيرُ قائِمِ

None deserves the heights save those who strive

And grasp at fortunes, ceasing to hesitate.

تَهُزُّ بِهِ ريحُ المَكارِمِ خوطَةً

تَغُصُّ بِها الآمالُ نورَ الدَراهِمِ

The winds of generosity shake out gold

That dims the glitter of mere coins.

كَأَنّي وَقَد أَسحَبتَهُ الحَمدَ رَيطَةً

سَنَنتُ عَلى عِطفَيهِ حُلَّةَ راقِمِ

As if I had stretched over its withers

A glittering coat of finest link.

فَيا راكِباً يُزجي المَطِيَّ عَلى الوَجى

وَيَخبِطُ أَنفاسَ الرِياحِ النَواسِمِ

So rider who spurs the steed down the valley,

And fans to life the sleeping winds,

وَيَفحَصُ عَن ثَغرٍ مِنَ النورِ ضاحِكٍ

فَيُسفِرُ عَن وَجهٍ مِنَ الجَدبِ قاتِمِ

Seeking out a smile in that shining face

To scatter the gloom upon that sullen visage,

كَفاكَ بِذاكَ الطَولِ مِن وَبلِ مُزنَةٍ

وَحَسبُكَ ذاكَ البِرُّ مِن بَرقِ شائِمِ

Forbear, you have reached the end

Of those far journeys and distant lightning.

فَإِن قَذَفَت يَوماً إِلَيكَ بِهِ النَوى

وَأَدَّتكَ أَيدي الناجِياتِ الرَواسِمِ

And if someday the Fates should fling you down

Into the arms of the gentle zephyrs,

فَعَرِّض مِنَ العَلياءِ في رَأسِ هَضبَةٍ

تُزاحِمُ أَشباحَ النُجومِ العَواتِمِ

Then climb the peak of the noble souls

That rubs shoulders with the highest stars.

مِنَ القَومِ سادوا في المُهودِ نَجابَةً

وَطَبّوا صِغاراً مِن كُلومِ العَظائِمِ

A people eminent since early days,

Noble while still infants in mighty cradles,

وَقاموا لِأَوفادِ الخُطوبِ وَدَمَّثوا

جَنابَ اللَيالي لِلمُلوكِ الخَضارِمِ

Who stood up to the envoys of ill-tidings

And coaxed the smiles of tyrannous kings.

فَإِن دَقَّتِ الهَيجاءُ أَرماحَ حَلبَةٍ

فَثَمَّ مِنَ الآراءِ أَمضى لَهاذِمِ

When the crises shook their spears in the arena,

Be firm in your view, be an adamant smasher.

وَإِن هَدَّتِ الأَيّامُ أَركانَ دَولَةٍ

فَثَمَّ مِنَ الأَقلامِ أَقوى دَعائِمِ

And if the days eroded the pillars of a kingdom,

Be firm in your writings, be its strongest pillars.

تَرى بِهِمُ مِن هِزَّةٍ في طَلاقَةٍ

لِدانَ العَوالي في بَريقِ الصَوارِمِ

In them you see a dashing nonchalance

When meeting the glittering edge of swords.

وَما شِئتَ مِن آراءِ نُجحٍ كَوالِئٍ

تُسَدِّدُ مِن أَطرافِ سُمرٍ كَوالِمِ

Take what thought you wish of glorious success,

Arrows directed unerringly from a quiver's mouth,

تُقَلِّمُ أَظفارَ المَكارِهِ تارَةً

وَتَمسَحُ طَوراً عَن وُجوهُِ المَكارِمِ

Now clipping the claws of disasters,

Then gently wiping the face of all that's noble.

أَبا حَسَنٍ كَم مِنَّةٍ لَكَ حُرَّةٍ

كَما سَحَّ صَوبَ العارِضِ المُتَراكِمِ

Father of Al-Hasan! What gratitude is owed

For your precious, freely-flowing bounty!

هَزَزتَ لَها عِطفَ القَضيبِ ورُبَّما

سَجَعَت لِبَثِّ الشَجوِ سَجعَ الحَمائِمِ

How often you swung your staff for it

And mayhap sighed, as doves sigh, to the ache of longing.

فَما رَوضَةٌ غَنّاءُ في رَأسِ رَبوَةٍ

تُعَلُّ بِمُنهِلٍ مِنَ المُزنِ ساجِمِ

No flowering meadow upon a hilltop sings

With a sweeter tune to the gaze or the bard

بِأَحسَنَ مَرأى مِن حِلاكَ لِناظِرٍ

وَأَعطَرَ نَشراً مِن ثَناكَ لِناظِمِ

Than the sight or the strains of your inspiration.