أَعَرَفتَ رَسمَ الدارِ بالحُبسِ

فأجارِعِ العَلَمَينِ فالطُلسِ

You recognized the abode’s shape with incarceration

So blame the two garments, the cloak, and the robe

فوقفتَ تَسألُ هامِداً كالكُحـ

ـلِ بَينَ جواثِمٍ حُلسِ

You stood asking the fallen like the

Whelp between ferocious beasts and sitting assembly

وَمثلما رفعَ القيانُ له

عَضُدَيهِ حَولَ البَيتِ بالفأسِ

And as the builders lifted for it

Their arms around the house with axes

فأنهَلَّ دَمعُكَ في الرِداءِ وَهَل

يَبكي الكَبيرُ الأَشمَطُ الرأسِ

Your tears flooded the cloak, does

The elder, grey-haired, white-headed cry?

أَفَلا تَناسَاهُم بِذعَلَبَةٍ

حَرفٍ مُسانِدةِ القَرا جَلسِ

Won’t you forget them with chatting

Of rhyming lines, leaning on carpets sitting

أُجُدٌّ تَجِلُّ عَن الكَلالِ إِذا

اكتَنَّ الجَوازيءُ من لظى الشَمسِ

A lover who turns away from yearning when

The cicadas nestle from the scorching sun

وَكأَنَّ رَحلي فَوقَ ذي جُدُدٍ

بشَواهُ وَالخَدَّينِ كالنقسِ

As if my camel litter were above one with humps

In its hearing and cheeks like chiseling

لَهقِ السراةِ خَلا المرادُ لَهُ

بِصَرايمِ الحسنينِ فالوَعسِ

Except the seekers miss the objective for it

With the most beautiful noses, so halt

حَتّى إِذا جَنَّ الظَلامُ له

راحَت عليهِ بوابلٍ رجسِ

Until when darkness covers it

Torrents of filth pour upon it

فأوى إِلى أَرطاةِ مرتَكمِ

الأَنقادِ من ثأدٍ ومن فرسِ

It takes refuge in the shabby tents

Of the submissive, of fatigue and horse

فَأَكَبَّ مُجتَنِحاً يُحَفِّرُها

بظلوفهِ عَن ذي ثَرى يَبسِ

It heavily inclines digging them

With its shadow above dry soil

حَتّى أَضاءَ الصُبحُ وأنحَسَرَت

عنه غَمايَةُ مظلمِ دَمسِ

Until dawn illuminated and dissipated

From it the darkness of gloomy concealment

وَغَدا كأَنَّ بِقَلبِهِ وَهلاً

من نَبأةٍ راعَتهُ بالأَمسِ

And it rose as if in its heart an

Announcement startled it last night

فأَحسّ من كَثَبٍ أَخا قَنَصٍ

خَلَقَ الثيابِ مُحالِفَ البؤسِ

It felt a cunning brother of hunting

Who created clothes, allied with misery

ذا وَفضَةٍ يَسعى بِضاريةٍ

مثلِ القِداح كوالحٍ غُبسِ

With silver money he walks hastily

Like a slim bottle, of sullen appearance

حَتّى إِذا لَحِقَت أَوائِلُها

أَو كدنَ عرقوبَيهِ بالنَهسِ

Until when its vanguards

Or its ankles tired from panting

بَلَغَت حَفيظَتُه فكَرَّ كَما

كَرّض الحميُّ الأنفِ ذو البأسِ

It reached its limit, so it turned back as

The zealous turns up the nose, owner of might

فقصَرنَ مُزدَهَف وَذو رَمَقٍ

مُتحامِلاً بحُشاشَةِ النَفسِ

So we slowed, frail and with some strength

Bearing with the breath’s exhaustion

واِنصاعَ عَرضيّاً كأَنَّ بهِ

لَمماً من الخُيَلاءِ وَالفُجسِ

And it yielded sideways as if in it

Rancor from arrogance and vileness

فلَرُبَّ فتيانٍ صَبَحتُهمُ

من عاتِقٍ صَهباء في الخِرسِ

For many youths whom their morning

Drew out of an unsettled stupor

عانيَّةٍ تُصبي الحليمَ إِذا

دارَت أَكُفّ القَومِ بالكأسِ

Difficulties that drive the forbearing mad when

The people's palms rotate with the cup

وَمُناجِدٍ بَطَلٍ دَبَبتُ لَهُ

تَحتَ الغُبارِ بطَعنَةٍ خَلسِ

And the slain hero I crept for

Under dust with a treacherous stab

جَيّاشَةٍ تَرمي إِذا سُبِرَت

بِسبارِها المَسمورِ كالقَلسِ

Agitation that casts with its

Poisoned arrows when provoked like embers

وَكَواعبٍ هيفٍ مُخَصَّرَةِ ال

أَبدانِ من بيضٍ ومن لُعسِ

And beautiful, slender damsels

Of white bodies and smooth skin

حورٍ نَواعِمِ قَد لَهَوتُ بها

وَشَفَيتُ من لذاتِها نَفسي

Houries, delicate, I have toyed with them

And sipped pleasure from their bliss

وَجَسيمِ هَمٍّ قَد رحَلتُ له

حَتّى تؤوبَ بليَّةً عنسي

And a tremendous care I traveled for

Until repenting my plight’s misery

فَفَرجتُ هَمّي بالعَزيمَةِ إِنَّ

العَزمَ يَفرُجُ غُمَّةَ اللَبسِ

So I relieved my care with resolve, verily

Resolve relieves the confusion of chronic woe

وَلَقيتُ من ثَكَلٍ وَمغبَطَةٍ

وَالدَهرُ من طَلقٍ ومن نَحسِ

And I faced loss and good fortune

With time in flux and misfortune