أَلا ما لِعَينَيكِ لا تَهجَعُ

تُبَكّي لَوَ اِنَّ البُكاءَ يَنفَعُ

Oh, why do your eyes not sleep

And weep, as if weeping avails

كَأَنَّ جُماناً هَوى مُرسِلاً

دُموعَهُما أَو هُما أَسرَعُ

As if a torrent poured forth

Its tears or they flowed faster

تَحَدَّرَ وَاِنبَتَّ مِنهُ النِظامُ

فَاِنسَلَّ مِن سِلكِهِ أَجمَعُ

It streamed down and prose sprouted from it

So it slipped from its context entirely

فَبَكّي لِصَخرٍ وَلا تَندُبي

سِواهُ فَإِنَّ الفَتى مِصقَعُ

So weep for a boulder and do not mourn

Another, for the youth is unyielding

مَضى وَسَنَمضي عَلى إِثرِهِ

كَذاكَ لِكُلِّ فَتىً مَصرَعُ

He passed and we will pass in his wake

Thus is the fate of every stalwart youth

هُوَ الفارِسُ المُستَعِدُّ الخَطيبُ

في القَومِ وَاليَسَرُ الوَعوَعُ

He is the ready knight, the eloquent chief

Among the people, and the supple bow

وَعانٍ يَحُكُّ ظَنابيبَهُ

إِذا جُرَّ في القِدِّ لا يُرفَعُ

Bending which, when pulled taut, will not break

You summoned him and he burst his fetters

دَعاكَ فَهَتَّكتَ أَغلالَهُ

وَقَد ظَنَّ قَبلَكَ لا تُقطَعُ

Though he had thought none could sever them before

And settled comfortably, you attacked

وَجَلسٍ أَمونٍ تَسَدَّيتَها

لِيَطعَمَها نَفَرٌ جُوَّعُ

That a few hungry souls might share

So it remained tossed on the sand

فَظَلَّت تَكوسُ عَلى أَكرُعٍ

ثَلاثٍ وَكانَ لَها أَربَعُ

Three, though previously it had four

With a bending bow, which if you draw

بِمَهوٍ إِذا أَنتَ صَوَّبتَهُ

كَأَنَّ العِظامَ لَهُ خِروَعُ

It seems the bones for it bend