ما لَها أولِعَت بِقَطعِ الوِدادِ

كُلَّ يَومٍ تَروعُني بِالبِعادِ

Why is she so inclined to severing affection?

Each day she startles me with separation.

ما عَلِمتُ النَوى وَلا الشَوقَ حَتّى

أَشرَقَت لي الخُدورُ فَوقَ النِجادِ

I knew not yearning nor longing until

The chambers shone for me over the carpets.

فَوَقَفنا عَلى الطُلولِ يَفيضُ ال

لُؤلُؤُ الرَطبُ مِن عُيونٍ صَوادِ

So we stood atop the hills as pearls

Dripped from laughing eyes in the gardens.

في رِياضٍ قَدِ اِستَعارَ لَها الوَب

لُ رِداراً مِنِ اِبتِسامِ سُعادِ

In meadows that borrowed for her sake

Raiment of smiles and joy’s cheer.

وَسُعادٌ غَرّاءُ فَرعاءُ تَسقي

كَ عُقاراً مِنَ الثَنايا البُرادِ

Joy is a frisky doe giving to drink

Draughts from the folds, the coolness of breasts.

نَكَرتِني فَقُلتُ لا تَنكِريني

لَم أَحُل عَن خَلائِقي وَإِعتِيادي

She did not recognize me, so I said do not deny me -

I have not changed my nature nor habit.

إِن تَرَيني تَرَي حُساماً صَقيلاً

مَشرِفِيّاً مِنَ السُيوفِ الحِدادِ

If you look upon me, you look upon a polished sword

Gleaming from the smiths’ anvils.

ثانِيَ اللَيلِ ثالِثَ البيدِ وَالسَي

رِ نَديمَ النُجومِ تِربَ السُهادِ

Second to the night, third to the ruinous darkness,

Boon companion to the stars, weaned on vigilance.

كُلِّمَ الخِضرُ لي فَصَيَّرَني بَع

دَكِ عَيناً عَلى عِيارِ البِلادِ

The verdure spoke to me, making me after you

An eye upon the worth of the lands.

لَيلَةٌ بِالشَآمِ ثُمَّت بِالأَه

وَزِ يَومَن وَلَيلَةً بِالسَوادِ

A night in Syria, then a day in Al-Ahwaz

And a night in the blackness.

وَطَني حَيثُ حَطَّتِ العيسُ رَحلي

وَذِراعي الوِسادُ وَهُوَ مِهادي

My homeland is where my camel knelt,

My arm the pillow and it the bed.

لي مِنَ الشِعرِ نَخوَةٌ وَاِعتِزازٌ

وَهُجومٌ عَلى الأُمورِ الشِدادِ

I have from poetry dignity and pride

And an assault upon harsh matters.

فَإِذا ما بَنَيتُ بَيتاً تَبَختَر

تُ كَأَنّي بَنَيتُ ذاتَ العِمادِ

So if I build a house priding itself

It is as if I built Dhat al-Imad.

أَو كَأَنّي أَحوكُ حَوكَ زِيادِ

أَو كَأَنّي أَبي دُؤادِ الإِيادي

Or as if I wove the weave of Ziyad,

Or as if I were Abu Du'ad al-Iyadi.

لي مُعينانِ هِمَّةٌ وَاِعتِزازمٌ

تِلكَ مِن طارِفي وَذا مِن تِلادي

I have two helpers: aspiration and my pride -

That is of my pedigree and this of my upbringing.

لي نَديمانِ كَوكَبٌ وَظَلامٌ

لا يَخونانِ صُحبَتي وَوِدادي

I have two companions: a star and darkness -

They do not betray my company and affection.

لي مِنَ الدَهرِ كُلَّ يَومٍ عَناءٌ

فُرقَتي مَعشَري وَقِلَّةُ زادي

I have from fate every day a hardship -

My separation from my fellow tribesmen and the scarcity of my provision.

ما حَديثي إِلّا حَديثُ كُلَيبٍ

وَبُجَيرٍ وَالحارِثُ إِبنِ عُبادِ

I speak of nothing but the speech of Kulayb,

Bujayr, and Al-Harith ibn Ubad.