خِضابٌ على فَوْدَيَّ للدّهْرِ ما نَضا

ومُقْتَبَلٌ مِنْ رَيِّقِ العُمْرِ ما مَضَى

The dye on my temples has not faded, despite time's passage,

And the past of my life's spring remains ahead.

ونَفْسٌ على الأيّامِ غَضْبى وقد أبَتْ

تَصاريفُها أن تُبْدِلَ السُّخْطَ بالرِّضى

My soul is angry at the days - it refused

To replace its discontentment with acceptance.

إذا أنا عاتَبْتُ اللّياليَ لمْ تُبَلْ

عِتاباً كتَرنيقِ النُّعاسِ مُمَرَّضا

When I admonish the nights, they do not respond

With a complaint, deaf like the stupor of sleep.

وفي الكَفِّ عَضْبٌ كلّما فاضَ من دَمٍ

عَبيطٍ غِراراً فاحَ بالمِسْكِ مَقْبِضا

In my palm is anger - whenever the impetuous blood overflows,

It diffuses the scent of musk in its grasp.

وإنّ دُيوناً ما طَلَتْها صُروفُها

بِبيضِ الظُّبا في هَبوَةِ النّقْعِ تُقْتَضى

Debts not fulfilled by their turns

Are paid by white clouds in sudden downpours.

إذا ما ذَوى غُصْنُ الشّبابِ ولم تَسُدْ

وشِبْتَ فلا تَطْلُبْ إِلى العِزِّ مَنهَضا

When the branch of youth withers and you grow gray,

Do not seek to rise to glory.

سأَفْري أديمَ الأرضِ بالعيسِ نُقَّباً

حَبا بالذي أبغيهِ أو بَخِلَ القَضا

I will travel the expanse of the earth, with a slim spear,

Seeking whom I love, or what fate has apportioned.

وإن ضِقْتُ ذَرْعاً بالمُنى فرَحيبَةٌ

بِها خُطُواتُ الأرحَبيّةِ والفَضا

If my steps are confined by desire, spaciousness awaits,

In it, the steps of the open sands and horizon.

ومِنْ شِيَمي أن أهْجُرَ الماءَ صادِياً

إذا كانَ طَرْقاً سُؤْرُهُ مُتَبَرَّضا

It is my way to shun water if its roads

Make it turbid, even if clear at other times.

وأطْوي على الهَمِّ النّزيعِ جَوانِحي

وإنْ أقلَقَ الخَطْبُ المُلِمُّ وأرْمَضا

I sheathe my wings over agonizing concerns,

Even if pressing adversity awakens and kindles them.

وأصْبِرُ والرُّمْحُ الرُّدَيْنيُّ شاجِرٌ

وأجْزَعُ إنْ بانَ الخَليطُ وأعْرَضا

I am patient when the reddish spear clashes,

I panic if the ally shows his back and withdraws.

وريمٍ رَمى قلبي بأسْهُمِ لَحظِهِ

فأصْمَى وفي قَوْسِ الحَواجِبِ أنْبَضا

A glance shot me with arrows from his eyes,

So I became blind, frowning eyebrows knitted.

طَرَقْتُ الغَضى والليلُ جَثْلٌ فُروعُهُ

فأَوْمى بعَيْنَيْهِ إليّ وأوْمَضا

I came upon the darkness - its branches are thickets -

It signaled to me with its eyes and blinked.

وقال لِتِرْبَيْهِ ارْفَعا السِّجْفَ إنني

أحِسُّ بزَوْرٍ للْمَنايا تَعرّضا

It said to the dust at its feet, “Raise up the train,

I sense the specter of death imposing itself.”

وما هُوَ إلا اللّيْثُ يَرْتادُ مَطْمَعاً

على غِرّةٍ أو لا فمَنْ نَفَضَ الغَضى

But it was just the lion stalking prey,

On the foolish or not – so who dispels the gloom?

أخافُ علَيهِ غِلمَةَ الحَيِّ إنّهُمْ

لَوَوْا منْ هَوادِيهِمْ إِلى الفَجْرِ هَلْ أضا

I fear for him the assault of the living, for they

Have set out from their valleys in the false dawn.

وحيثُ الْتَقى الجَفْنانِ دَمْعٌ يُفيضُهُ

إذا أمِنَ الواشي وإنْ رِيعَ غَيَّضا

Wherever my eyelids meet, a tear flows

When the slanderer feels safe, even if he winks.

فِدًى لكَ يا ظَبْيَ الصّريمَةِ مُهْجَةٌ

أعدَّتْ ليَومِ الرّوْعِ جَأشاً مُخَفّضا

I ransom you, O doe of the barren valley, an udder

Prepared for the day of panic, hanging slack.

فلا تَرْهَبِ الأعْداءَ ما عَصَفَتْ يَدي

وبأسمَرَ أو ناطَتْ نِجادي بأبْيَضا

Do not dread the enemies - my hand

Has struck with spears, or girded itself in white swords.

سأضْرِبُ أكْبادَ المَطِيِّ على الوجى

إِلى خَيْرِ مَنْ يُرْجى إذا الخَطْبُ نَضْنَضا

I will strike the livers of the horses in battle

Toward the best that can be hoped for when matters rattle.

إِلى عَضُدِ الدّينِ الذي ساغَ مَشْرَبي

بهِ بعدَما أشْجى الزّمانُ وأجْرَضا

To the shoulder of the faith whose drink slaked me

After days embittered and confused me.

أغَرُّ إذا استَنْجَدْتَ هَبَّ إباؤُهُ

بهِ وإنِ اسْتَعْطَفْتَ أغْضى وغمّضا

Magnanimous - if you seek his aid he hastens,

If you entreat he turns his cheek and winks.

وكمْ غَمْرَةٍ دونَ الخِلافَةِ خاضَها

بآرائهِ وهْيَ الصّوارِمُ تُنْتَضى

How many turmoil under the caliphate he breached

With his views - though swords were unsheathed!

تكَشَّرُ عن يَومٍ يُرَشّحُ صُبْحُهُ

أجِنّةَ لَيْلٍ بالمَنايا تَمَخّضا

They reveal a day whose dawn creeps in

Like the spawn of a night pregnant with death.

على ساعَةٍ يُضحي الفِرارُ مُحَبّباً

ويُمْسي الحِفاظُ المُرُّ فيها مُبَغّضا

At times when fleeing becomes dear

And keeping faith bitter and hated.

وقد أرْهَفَ العَزْمَ الذي بِشَباتِهِ

نُهوضُ جَناحٍ همَّ أن يتَهَيّضا

But resolve has sharpened - in its first vigor

A wing's rising that intended to flutter.

أبِينوا مَنِ المَدعُوُّ والرُّمْحُ تَلْتَوي

بهِ حَلَقاتُ الدِّرْعِ كالأيْمِ في الأضَى

Clarify who is called and the spear bends

With it rings of mail like snakes in the fire.

ومَنْ قالَ حتّى ردَّ ذا النُّطْقِ مُفْحَماً

ومَنْ صالَ حتى غادرَ القِرْنَ مُحْرَضا

Who has spoken until rebutting the statement, dumbfounded?

Who has charged until leaving the battlefield roused?

فهَلْ هو مَجْزيٌّ بأكْرَمِ سَعْيهِ

فقَدْ أسْلَفَ الصُّنْعَ الجَميلَ وأقْرَضا

Is he then rewarded with his effort most generously?

For he loaned good conduct, and was openhanded.

فَداكَ بَهاءَ الدّولةِ النّاسُ إنّهُمْ

سَراحينُ يَستَوْطِئْنَ في الغَدْرِ بَضا

Your glory ransoms the people - they

Are sly, plotting treachery in betrayal.

إذا لَقِحَ الوُدُّ القَديمُ تَطَلّعَتْ

ضَغائِنُهُمْ قبلَ النِّتاجِ فأجْهَضا

If old affection is fertilized, their grudges appear

Before the progeny, so it miscarries.

لهُمْ أنْفُسٌ لا يُرْحَضُ الدّهْرَ عارُها

وإنْ ألْبَسوهُنّ الرِّداءَ المُرَحّضا

They have selves that time's shame does not make decent

Even if cloaked in splendid attire.

أرى كلَّ مَنْ جَرّبْتُ منهُمْ مُداجِياً

إذا لمْ يُصرِّحْ بالإساءَةِ عَرّضا

I see each one I test, being cordial,

Refuses outright villainy, only implies it.

يَغُرُّك ما لمْ تَخْتَبِرْهُ رُواؤُهُ

كما غَرَّ عَنْ أديانِها طَيِّئاً رُضا

What you have not tried deceives you -

As Al-Ti'i's probity deceived Hudhaifa.

وجائِلَةِ الأنْساعِ مائِلَةِ الطُّلى

ببَيْداءَ لا تُلْفي بِها الرّيحُ مَرْكَضا

The tribe of Anasah, with crooked furrows,

In an arid plain where no wind runs.

فَشُبَّتْ لها تَحْتَ الأحِجّةِ أعْيُنٌ

لمَرْعىً على أطْرافِهِ العِزُّ حَوّضا

Eyes have sprouted under the placentas

For pasture - though honor rims its edges.

بِوادٍ على الرُّوادِ يندىً مَذانِباً

إذا زارَهُ العافي أخَلَّ وأحْمَضا

In a valley refreshing to visitors,

Bearing fruit, when one stops by it tastes sour.

إليكَ زَجَرْناها وعِنْدَكَ بَرَّكَتْ

بمَغْنى تَقَرّاهُ الرّبيعُ ورَوّضا

We have led it to you - in your care it was blessed

With riches making the spring equable.

فلا العَهْدُ مما يَسْتَشِنُّ أديمُهُ

ولا المَجْدُ يَرضى أن يُخانَ ويُنْقَضا

No longer the precedent of what tarnishes its reputation,

Nor glory satisfied to be betrayed and torn down.

ولا هِمّتي تَرْضى بتَقْبيلِ أنْمُلٍ

نَشَأْنَ على فَقْرٍ وإنْ كُنَّ فُيَّضا

Nor is my resolve satisfied with kissing toes

Raised in poverty, though they be soft.

فإنّ بني البَيتِ الرّفيعِ عِمادُهُ

إذا افْتَرَشوا فيهِ الهُوَيْنى تَقَوّضا

The pillars of a lofty house -

When termites undermined it, it collapsed.

ولولاكَ لم أنْطِقْ وإنْ كُنْتُ مُحْسِناً

بِشِعْرٍ ولمْ أسألْ وإنْ كُنتُ مُنْفِضا

Were it not for you, I would not speak though able

To compose verse, nor ask, though needing bounty.

إليكَ هَفَتْ طَوْعَ الأزِمّةِ هِمّتي

وكانتْ على غَيِّ الأمانِيِّ رَيِّضا

To you my will inclined, despite calamities,

And had been at the edge of vain desires.

فقَدْ صارَ أمري والأمورُ لها مَدًى

إليكَ على رَغْمِ الأعادي مُفَوّضا

So my affair and all affairs stretch out

To you, despite enemies, entrusted.