جُهْدُ الصّبابةِ أن أكون مَلومَا

والوَجْدُ يُظهِرُ سِرّيَ المَكتوما

The effort of youth is that I am blamed,

And passion reveals my hidden secret.

يا صاحِبَيَّ تَرَفّقا بمُتَيَّمٍ

نَزَفَ الصّبابَةُ دمعَهُ المَسْجوما

O my friends, be gentle with a lovesick one,

Whose tears of youth are shed in anguish.

وأضاءَ بَرْقٌ كادَ يَسلُبُهُ الكَرى

فتَقَصّيا نَظَراً إليهِ وشيما

A lightning flashed which almost took away my mind,

So avert your gaze to it and act with virtue.

وتعلّما أني أُجيلُ وراءَهُ

طَرْفاً يُثيرُ على الفؤادِ هُموما

And know that I turn behind it

An eye that stirs worries in my heart.

لولا أميمةُ ما طَرِبْتُ لِبارِقٍ

ضَرِمِ الزِّنادِ ولا انتَشَقْتُ نَسيما

If it weren't for the beautiful one, I wouldn't be disturbed by lightning

That kindles the firewood nor split by the breeze.

فَقِفا بَحيثُ مَحا مَساحِبَ ذَيْلِها

نَكْباءُ غادَرَتِ الدّيارَ رُسوما

So stand where it erased its trails,

Departing the homes as customs.

والنُّؤْيُ أنْحَلَهُ البِلى فكأنّها

أهْدَتْ إلَيهِ سِوارَها المَفْصوما

And the tryst that decay destroyed it, as if

She gave him her carved bracelet as a gift.

لا زالَ مُرتَجِزُ الغَمامِ برَبْعِها

غَدَقاً وخَفّاقُ النّسيمِ سَقيما

The one waiting in her ruins is still raining

Generously while the blowing breeze is sick.

ما أنسَ ولا أنسَ الوَداعَ وقَولَها

والثّغْرُ يَجلو اللّؤلُؤَ المَنظوما

I can't forget nor can I forget the farewell and her words

While the mouth reveals the strung pearls.

لا تَقْرَبِ البَكريّ إنّ وراءَهُ

مِنْ أُسْرَتَيْهِ جَحاجِحاً وقُروما

Don't approach the young one, for behind him

Are clamoring and bleating goats from his clan.

فخَرَتْ عليّ الوائِليّةُ ضلّةً

كُفّي وَغاكِ فقَدْ أصَبْتِ كَريما

So the withering one fell on me, lost,

Enough! Leave me be for you have gained a generous man.

إنْ تَفخَري ببَني أبيكِ فإنّ لي

منْ فَرْعِ خِنْدِفَ ذِرْوَةً وصَميما

If you take pride in your father's sons, I have

A prominent and brave tribe from Khandaf as well.

حَدَبَتْ عليّ قَبائلٌ مُضَريّةٌ

طَلَعَتْ عليكِ أهِلّةً ونُجوما

Tribes of Mudar gloated over me

While noble stars rose over you.

آتاهُمُ اللهُ النّبُوّةَ والهُدى

والمُلكَ مُرتَفِعَ البِناءِ عظيما

God gave them prophethood and guidance

And a firmly established great kingdom.

وسَما بإبراهيمَ ناصِرِ دينِهِ

شَرَفُ الخليلِ أبيهِ إبراهيما

He named Abraham, defender of His religion,

The honorable father of his forefather Abraham.

مُتَهَلِّلٌ يَحمي حَقيقةَ عامِرٍ

بالسّيفِ عَضْباً والنَّوالِ جَسيما

Exultant, guarding the truth of the devout one

With the sword's sharpness and abundant supplies.

ويهُزُّهُ نَغمُ الثّناءِ كأنّهُ

مُتَسَمِّعٌ هَزَجَ الغِناءِ رَخيما

And the melody of praise shakes him as if

He is listening enchantly to gentle singing.

والجارُ يأمَنُ في ذَراهُ كأنَّما

عَقَدَتْ مَكارِمُهُ عليهِ تَميما

The neighbor feels safe in his lands as if

His virtues have protected him with amulets.

يَغدو لِحالِيَةِ الرّبيعِ مُجاوِراً

ولصَوْبِ غاديَةِ الغَمامِ نَديما

He keeps company with the meadows in spring

And with the passing clouds he is a companion.

ولهُ ذِمامُ أبيهِ حَزْنٍ إنْ جَرَتْ

ريحُ الشِّتاءِ على السّوامِ عَقيما

He holds the reins of his father's sadness when

The winter wind blows barren on the heights.

ولفارِسِ الهَرّارِ فيهِ شَمائِلٌ

لَقِحَتْ بِها الحَرْبُ العَوانُ قديما

And he has the qualities of the courageous horseman

With which war spurred on the helpers of old.

مِن مَعْشَرٍ بيضِ الوُجوهِ توشّحوا

شِيَماً خُلِقْنَ منَ العُلا وحُلوما

A group with bright faces clad themselves

With manners created from highness and sweetness.

إنْ أقدَموا بَرزوا إليكَ صَوارِماً

أو أنعَموا مَطَروا عليْكَ غُيوما

If they advance, they march against you with swords

Or if they grant favor, they rain clouds upon you.

تَلقى الكُماةَ الصّيدَ حَولَ بُيوتِهِمْ

والخَيلُ صافِنَةً تَلوكُ شَكيما

They meet the brave hunters around their homes

While the polished horses chew reeds.

وكَتيبَةٍ منْ سِرِّ جَوثَةَ فَخمَةٍ

كالأُسْدِ تَملأُ مِسمَعَيْكَ نَئيما

And a battalion from the elite tribe, glorious,

Like lions, filling your hearing with snoring.

زَخَرَتْ بهمْ أمُّ البَنين فأقبَلوا

كالمَشْرَفيّةِ نَجدَةً وعَزيما

The mother of boys roared with them, so they advanced

Like warriors, with purpose and determination.

وإذا العُمومَةُ لمْ تُشَجْ بِخؤولَةٍ

خَرَجَ النّسيبُ بها أغَرَّ بَهيما

And when the maternal uncles are not timid,

The nephew marches out with them, reckless.

ومُرَنَّحينَ مِنَ النُّعاسِ بَعَثْتُهُمْ

والعينُ تَكسِرُ جَفنَها تَهْويما

And the drowsy ones I awakened,

While the eye crushes its eyelid out of drowsiness.

فسَرَتْ بهِمْ ذُلُلُ المَطيّ لَواغِباً

تَهفو إِلى آلِ المُسَيّبِ هيما

So the tame camels strode with them briskly,

Yearning towards the family of Musayyab eagerly.

قَومٌ إذا طَرَقَ الزّمانُ بِحلدِثٍ

لم يُلْفَ مارِنُ جارِهِمْ مَخْطوما

A people, if fate brings about an incident,

Their neighbor will not be found with his ear cut off.

يتهلّلونَ إِلى العُفاةِ بأوْجُهٍ

رَقّتْ وقَدْ غَلُظَ الزّمانُ أديما

They sneak up to the plunder with faces

That softened while time has become cruel.

يا سيّدَ العَرَبِ الإِلى زيدوا بهِ

شَرَفاً بمَيسَمِ عزّةٍ مَرْموقا

O master of Arabs and the most high, they gained through you

An exalted honor at the time of greatness.

نشأَتْ قَناتُكَ في فُروعِ هَوازِنٍ

ريّا المَعاقِدَ لا تُسِرُّ وُصوما

Your lineage branched out in the tribes of Hawazin

Flowing freely, not constricted by knots.

ولِحاسِديكَ وأنت مُقتَبَلُ الصِّبا

كَمَدٌ يَكادُ يُصَدِّعُ الحَيْزوما

And for your enviers while you are in your prime of youth

Like a torrent about to crack the throat bones.

لا عُذْرَ للقَيْسيِّ يَضرِبُ طَوْقُهُ

طَرَفَ اللَّبانِ ولا يَسود فَطيما

There is no excuse for the Qaysi to strike his necklace

And not darken his short cloak.