بانَ الشَبابُ وَرُبَّما عَلَّلتُهُ
بِالغانِياتِ وَبِالشَرابِ الأَصهَبِ
Youth has passed and perhaps I blamed it
On the singing girls and the yellow wine.
وَلَقَد شَرِبتُ الخَمرَ في حانوتِها
وَلَعِبتُ بِالقَيناتِ عَفَّ المَلعَبِ
Indeed I drank wine in its tavern
And played with the glasses, a reckless game.
وَلَقَد أُوَكَّلُ بِالمُدَجَّجِ تُتَّقى
بِالسَيفِ عُرَّتُهُ كَعُرَّةِ أَجرَبِ
I was entrusted with the embroidered robe
Its collar guarded by the sword, like a mangy hyena.
يَسعى إِلَيَّ بِبَزَّهِ وَسِلاحِهِ
يَمشي بِشِكَّتِهِ كَمَشيِ الأَنكَبِ
He charges at me with his armor and weapon
Walking with his bow like a limping camel.
وَلَقَد غَدَوتُ عَلى التِجارِ بِمِسمَحٍ
هَرَّت عَواظِلُهُ هَريرَ الأَكلُبِ
And I used to attack the merchants with a whip
Their camels scattering like howling dogs.
لَذٌّ تُقَبَّلَهُ النَعيمُ كَأَنَّما
مُسِحَت تَرائِبُهُ بِماءٍ مُذهَبِ
A pleasure kissed by luxury as if
Its clothes were washed with scented water.
لَبّاسُ أَردِيَةِ المُلوكِ يَروقُهُ
مِن كُلِّ مُرتَقَبٍ عُيونُ الرَبرَبِ
Wearing the cloak of kings pleases him
In the eyes of every watcher, a stupid crow.
يَنظُرنَ مِن خَلَلِ السُتورِ إِذا بَدا
نَظَرَ الهِجانِ إِلى الفَنيقِ المُصعَبِ
They peek through the curtains when he appears
The gaze of the runt at the robust Phoenician.
خَضلُ الكِئاسِ إِذا تَنَشّى لَم تَكُن
خُلُفاً مَواعِدُهُ كَبَرقِ الخُلَّبِ
The wine bearer, when he moves gracefully, his
Promises are not like flashes of dry thunder.
وَإِذا تُعُوِّرَتِ الزُجاجَةُ لَم يَكُن
عِندَ الشَرابِ بِفاحِشٍ مُتَقَطِّبِ
And if the bottle is cracked, it is not
At drinking a gross frowner.
إِنَّ السُيوفَ غُدُوَّها وَرَواحَها
تَرَكَت هَوازِنَ مِثلَ قَرنِ الأَعضَبِ
The swords, their marching and returning
Left the Hawazin like the horn of a one-eyed goat,
وَتَرَكنَ عَمَّكَ مِن غَنِيٍّ مُمسِكاً
بازاءِ مُنخَرِقٍ كَجُحرِ الثَعلَبِ
And left your uncle, though once wealthy,
Next to a ragged hole like a fox’s burrow.
وَتَرَكنَ فَلَّ بَني سُلَيمٍ تابِعاً
لِبَني ضَبينَةَ كَاِتِّباعِ التَولَبِ
They left the Bani Sulaym followers
Of the Bani Dhubyanah like following a fox’s cubs.
أَلقوا البِرينَ بَني سُلَيمٍ إِنَّها
شانَت وَإِنَّ حَزازَها لَم يَذهَبِ
Cast off the mail coats, O Bani Sulaym,
They are disgraced and their edges did not vanish.
وَلَقَد عَلِمتُ بِأَنَّها إِذ عُلِّقَت
سِمَةُ الذَليلِ بِكُلِّ أَنفٍ مُغضَبِ
I knew when the brand of humiliation was hung
On every angry snout.
وَالخَيلُ تَعدو بِالكُماةِ كَأَنَّها
أُسدُ الغَياطِلِ مِن فَوارِسِ تَغلِبِ
The horses gallop with the brave warriors as if
They are lions of battle from the knights of Taghlib.
