سَرَى البَرْقُ واللّيلُ يُدْني خُطاهْ

فَباتَ على الأيْنِ يَلْوي مَطاهْ

The lightning flashed, and night drew near

Tossing about, writhing in agony.

ولاحَ كَما يَقْتَذي طائِرٌ

ولم يَسْتَطِعْ منْ كَلالٍ سُراهْ

It shone like a bird in flight

Yet weakness allowed no rest.

فَمالَ على ساعِدَيْهِ الغُرَيْبُ

بخَدّيهِ حتى ونَى مِرْفَقاهْ

The forlorn one leaned on his arms

Cheeks pressing till his joints pained.

وحَنَّ إِلى عَذَباتِ اللِّوى

ووادي الحِمى وإِلى مُنحَناهْ

He yearned for the softness of union,

For the valley of love and its curves.

وهَلْ يَسْتَنيمُ إِلى سَلْوَةٍ

أخو شَجَنٍ أجْهَضَتْهُ نَواهْ

Can one who shares a brother’s torment

Find solace if his lament is stifled?

فَشامَ بأَرْوَنْدَ ذاكَ الوَميضَ

وأينَ سَناهُ بنَجْدٍ سَناهْ

So it wandered like that flickering glow,

Where once was its radiance in Nejd?

ومنْ دونِهِ أمَدٌ نازِحٌ

إذا أَمَّهُ الطَّرْفُ أوهَى قُواهْ

Beyond it stretched a distant respite

Which, when eyes met, was too weak to soothe.

فهل مِنْ مُعينٍ على نأْيِهِ

بنَظْرَةِ صَقْرٍ رأى ما ابْتَغاهْ

Was there one to help in its misery

With a falcon’s sight and sought purpose?

وطارَ على إثْرِهِ فامْتَطى

سَراةَ نَهارٍ صَقيلٍ ضُحاهْ

It flew in pursuit till it mounted

The steeds of a polished, bright day.

فَها هُوَ يَذْكُرُ مِلْءَ الفُؤادِ

زَماناً مَضى وشَباباً نَضاهْ

Now it remembers what filled its heart -

A time now gone, fled youth.

ومُرْتَبَعاً بالحِمى والنّعي

مُ يُلْقي بِحاشِيَتَيْهِ عَصاهْ

And a square shaded by love and companionship

Where it once cast its staff’s shadow.

هُنالِكَ رَبْعٌ تَشيمُ الأسُو

دُ فيهِ لَواحِظَها عَنْ مَهاهْ

There the happy band smiled in comfort,

Veils guarding them from repute’s eyes.

ويخْتالُ في ظِلِّهِ المُعْتَفونَ

وتندىً على زائِريهِ رُباهْ

And seekers of guidance frequented its shade,

Sheltered there, their wants fulfilled.

فهَلْ أرَيَنَّ بعَيْني المَطِيَّ

يهُزُّ الذَّميلُ إليهِ طُلاهْ

Will my eyes now see on a steed

The friend, towards whom the camel yearns?

ويَسْتَرْجِعُ القَلْبُ أفْاحَهُ

بهِ ويُصافِحُ جَفْني كَراهْ

Will my heart regain its bloom

As my sore eyelids welcome their balm?

أمِثْلي ولا مِثْلَ لي في الوَرى

ولا لأُميَّةَ حاشا عُلاهْ

None like me remains in this world,

Except perhaps one whose repute excels,

تُفَوِّقُني نَكَباتُ الزّمانِ

عُفافَةَ ما أسْأَرَتْهُ الشِّفاهْ

Surpassing me in the blows of fate,

Purer than the words my lips have uttered,

وفي مِدْرَعي ماجِدٌ لا يَحومُ

على نُغَبٍ كَدِراتٍ صَداهْ

Nobler than the faults that have stained

The glory built by my people,

ويَطْوي الضُّلوعَ على غُلَّةٍ

إذا درَّعَتْهُ الهَوانَ المِياهْ

Folding adversities in my ribs

When the seas of dishonor flood me,

ولا يتَهَيَّبُ أمْراً تشُدُّ

عَواقِبُهُ بالمَنايا عُراهْ

Fearing no command, though its consequences

Are bound to death’s nakedness.

وإنْ تَقْتَسِمْ مُضَرٌ ما بَنَتْ

هُ منْ مَجْدِها يتفَرَّعْ ذُراهْ

And if an enemy divides what my people

Have built, its fragments will spread like dust.

ولي هِمّةٌ بمَناطِ النُّجومِ

وفَضْلٌ تَوَشَّحَ دَهْري حُلاهْ

I have the ambition of the stars,

The excellence that has clothed my days.

وسَطْوَةُ ذي لَبِدٍ في العَري

نِ مَنْضوحَةٍ بنَجيعٍ سُطاهْ

The power of one firmware in danger,

Mixed from the dripping of swords in battle,

يُحَدِّدُ ظُفْراً يَمُجُّ المَنونَ

إذا ساوَرَ القِرْنَ أدْمى شَباهْ

Defines a victory that wards off death

When the vultures descend in their darkest youth.

ويوقِدُ لَحْظاً يكادُ الكَمِيُّ

يَقْبِسُ واللّيلُ داجٍ لَظاهْ

It kindles a glare by which the knight

Lights his way though the night is blinding.

سَلي يا بْنَةَ القَومِ عمّنْ تَضُمُّ

دِرْعي وبُرْديَ عمّا حَواهْ

Ask my breastplate and coat of mail, girl,

What secrets they hide.

ففي تِلْكَ أصْحَرُ يَغْشَى المَكَرَّ

وفي ذاك أسحَمُ واهٍ كُلاهْ

For in them lies a desert that covers disgrace,

And in them a defender, though flawed.

أُجَرِّرُ أذيالَها كالغَديرِ

إذا ما النّسيمُ اعْتَراهُ زَهاهْ

I trail them like a river

When the breeze stirs its undulation.

وقائِمُ سَيْفي بمِسْكٍ يَفوحُ

وتَرْشَحُ منْ عَلَقٍ شَفْرَتاهْ

My upright sword holds sweet fragrance

As ointment drips from its blade.

وتَحتيَ أدْهَمُ رَحْبُ اللَّبانِ

حَبيكٌ قَراهُ سَليمٌ شَظاهْ

Beneath it lies a roan of spacious might,

A steady, elegant, grayish steed.

كَسا الفَجْرُ منْ نُورِهِ صَفْحَتَيْ

هِ واللّيلُ ألبَسَهُ منْ دُجاهْ

Dawn has clothed its flanks in light

While night has given its darkness.

سَيعْلَمُ دَهْرٌ عَدا طَوْرَهُ

على أيِّ خِرْقٍ جَنى ما جَناهْ

Time will tell how it ransacked

And which threadbare clothes it stole,

وأيَّ غُلامٍ سَما نَحْوَهُ

ولَم يَسأَلِ المَجْدَ عنْ مُنْتَماهْ

Which lad it carried high

Without asking glory for its price -

أغَرّ عَزائِمُهُ منْ ظُبا

أُعِرْنَ التألُّقَ مِنْ مُجْتَلاهْ

More daring than the swooping eagle,

Though not known for its striking beauty,

وليسَ برِعْديدَةٍ في الخُطوبِ

ولا خَفِقٍ في الرّزايا حَشاهْ

Neither thunderous in trials

Nor timid when the calamities clash.

أتَخْشى الضَّراغِمُ ذُؤْبانَهُ

وتَشْكو الصُّقورُ إليهِ قَطاهْ

I fear its snarling wolves

And the eagles complain of its harshness.

ولولا تَنَمُّرُهُ للكِرامِ

لمَا فارَقَتْ أخْمَصَيْهِ الجِباهْ

Had it not fiercely defended honors

Its forehead would not be bare of forelocks.

وعن كَثَبٍ يتَقَرّى بَنيهِ

بِما يَعْقِدُ العِزُّ فيهِ حُباهْ

For children it surpasses its rivals

With ties honor alone can knot.

فيَسْقي صَوارِمَهُ مِنْهُمُ

عَبيطَ دَمٍ ويُرَوّي قَناهْ

It quenches the thirst of its swords

With the crimson juice of youth.

ومن يَنْحَسِرْ عنهُ ظِلُّ الغِنى

ففي المَشْرَفيّاتِ مالٌ وجَاهْ

And those denied its wealth’s shade

Have property and status in villas.

فَما للذّليلِ يُسامُ الأذى

ويَخْشى الرّدى لا وَقاهُ الإلهْ

So why should the disgraced persist

And fear doom though protected by God?