أَسَمْراءُ عَهْدي بالخُطوبِ قَرِيبُ

وَعُودي بأَيْدي النَّائِباتِ صَلِيبُ

My youth darkened with approaching tribulations,

And my return to the hands of cruel fate is torture,

وَكُلُّ خَليلٍ كُنْتُ أَرْقُبُ عَطْفَهُ

تَوَلَّى بِذَمٍّ وَالزَّمانُ مُرِيبُ

And every friend whose affection I anticipated

Turned away with blame while time grew doubtful,

وَقد كُنْتُ أُصْفِيه المَوَدَّةَ وَالظُّبَا

على الهامِ تَبْدُو مَرَّةً وَتَغيبُ

I had purified for him sincere affection and love

That would appear and disappear time and again,

نَأَى عامِرٌ لا قَرَبَّ اللهُ دارَهٌ

وَآواهُ رَبْعٌ بِالغُمَيْرِ جَديبُ

Aamer turned away; may God not favor his home,

And he took shelter in arid Gumair,

رَأَى مُسْتَقَرَّ السَّمْعِ مِنْ أَمِّ رَأْسِهِ

يَصَمُّ وَأُدْعَى لِلْعُّلا فَأُجِيبُ

He saw the hearing of his mother’s mind

Deafening while I was called to the highlands and responded,

يُعَيِّرُني أَنِّي غَريبٌ بِأَرْضِهِ

أَجَلْ أَنَا في هذا الأنامِ غَرِيبُ

He reproaches me for being a stranger in his land

Yes, among these people I am a stranger,

وَيُظْهِرُ لي نُصْحاً وَلِلْغِلِّ تَحتَهُ

دَواعٍ بِكِلْتا مُقْلَتَيْهِ تُهيبُ

And he shows me sincere advice yet deceit lies underneath

With glances from both eyes that arouse fear.

وَيَرْتادُ مِنّي أَنْ أَضُمَّ على القذَى

جُفُوني وَهَلْ يَرْضَى الهَوانَ أرَيبُ

He expects me to close my eyelids to the motes

While should one accustomed to humiliation be content?

وَكَفِّي بِهَزِّ المَشْرَفَيِّ لَبيقةٌ

وَباعي بِتَصْريفِ القَناةِ رَحيبُ

It suffices me to flutter my fine cloak,

And my camel’s saddle is spacious when she turns.

أَفِقْ جَدَّ ثَدْيَيْ أُمِّكَ الثُّكْلُ وَانْثَنى

شَبا السَّيْفِ عَنْ فَوْدَيْكَ وَهو خَضِيبُ

Awaken, the bereavement of your mother’s loss has bowed

The youthful sword away from your shoulders while bloodied.

فَلا غَرْوَ أَنْ يَسْتَودِعَ المَجْدَ هَمّهُ

أَغَرُّ طُوالُ السّاعِدَينِ نَجيبُ

It is no wonder that he who has lofty aspirations

Will be deprived of glory, though noble and refined,

يُحاولُهُ مُذْ شَدَّ عِقْدَ إِزارِهِ

إِلى أَنْ مَشَى في وَفْرتَيه مَشِيبُ

He will pursue it from the time he wraps his waistcloth

Until he walks in the abundance of his white hair.

وَمِنُ نَكَدِ الأيّامِ أَنْ يَبْلُغَ المُنَى

أَخُو اللُّؤمِ فِيها وَالكَرِيمُ يَخيبُ

And of the woes of time that the vile and the noble

Will both attain their fate and the generous one will fail.

سأَطْلُبُ عِزَّ الدَّهْرِ ما دامَ ضافِياً

عَلَيَّ رِداءٌ لِلشَّبابِ قَشِيبُ

I will seek the glory of life as long as it throws

Over me a cloak, though showing threads of youth.

وَلي هِمَّةٌ تَأْبَى مُقامي على الأَذى

ضَجيعَ الهُوَيْنى ما أَقَامَ عَسيبُ

My pride refuses to stay with those who injure;

Resting place of the passionate as long as the ardent remain.