عفا ضارجٌ من آل ليلى فعاقلُ

وخفَّت بأعباء القطين الرَّواحلُ

The camel stride of Layla's tribe departed while the guide

Lightened the loads on the backs of the she-camels.

ونيطَ رقيمٌ فوق زُهْرٍ كأنها

نوارُ نَعامٍ أنكر الإنْسِ جافِلُ

A parchment was tied atop a flower as though it were

The plumage of an ostrich shunned by people.

وعاود قلبي راجعٌ من صَبابةٍ

فلا اللومُ يلهيه ولا العذلُ شاغلُ

And my heart returned from its youth

So blame it not, nor keep it busy with reproach.

وهيَّج وجدي والدُّجى مرجحنةٌ

حمامٌ بأغصانِ الأراكَة هادلُ

It stirred my passion while the darkness leaned

Like doves in the branches of Arak trees cooing.

سجعن وقلتُ الشعر لكن أدمُعي

سوافحُ من حرِّ الفراقِ سوابلُ

I composed poetry but my tears

Poured down copiously from the heat of separation.

عداكُنَّ رامي الصبح إنَّ صبابتي

تقاصرُ عنها الفاقداتُ الثَّواكلُ

The dawn’s travellers except for you

My yearning falls short of their forgetfulness.

كأني غداةَ البين ذو خيْبريَّةٍ

تُرنحهُ تحت المُروط الأفاكلُ

As though after the separation I possessed

A sword that swayed under the sheathed blades.

أقولُ لصبري يوم جَرْعاءِ مالكٍ

وقد أسلمتهُ للغرامِ الخواذلُ

I say to my patience the day Malik turned away

After I had surrendered it to passionate love:

أظَعْناً عن الحي الجميعِ وتاركي

وهل ينفعُ المحزونَ صبرٌ مُزايلُ

"Away from all the living and leaving behind

Can patience benefit the grieved and departing?"

إذا اضمر الركب الدجى أظهرتهم

شموس ضُحىً أفلاكهن المحاملُ

When the people embarked in the darkness of night

The dawns’ suns in their orbits gave them light.

وإن سلكوا بين النكاس فوجْرةٍ

تشابه حالٍ بالصَّريمِ وعاطلُ

And if they journeyed between rugged terrain

In a similar plight to the lame and inactive,

عجبت لهم روْدُ الخمائل منزلاً

ونورُ الثَّنايا والعيونُ خمائلُ

I wondered at the softness of their resting place

And the light of the slopes and eyes of their maidens.

وإعناقُهُم إثْرَ القنيص وعندهُمْ

خواذلُ منْ غِزلانهمٍ ومَطافلُ

Their rubbing of necks after shedding their shirts

While among them were flirts and cajolers.

وما زلْت أبْكي والمَطيُّ دوالجٌ

بمخترق الدهناءِ والصبحُ دائلُ

I have not stopped crying while the rain poured

And the dawn called as darkness spread.

بدمعٍ إذا ما كفكف الحِلمث غرْبه

مَراهُ الأسى واستحدرتهُ البلابلُ

With tears, when sadness subsided,

Sorrow saw it and swallows drew it out.

إلى أن تواروا بالكثيب وخفَّض ال

حداةُ وحال المُنحنى والجَلاجلُ

Until they disappeared behind the sand dunes

And stooped the short and the tall.

وفي الظعن فتَّاكُ اللحاظ إذا رنا

فسيَّانِ عندي لحظُهُ والمَعابلُ

In coquetry the killer of glances, when soft,

To me, her glance and wink are equal.

يُظاهر سحر العين خمرُ رُضابه

كأنَّ مُحيَّاهُ على الغَوْرِ بابلُ

The wine of her cheek shows magic of eyes

As though its mark on the cheeks were Babylon.

من البيضِ أما ودّهُ فهو قاطِعٌ

صَرومٌ وأما وعْده فهو ماطِلُ

As for her love it is severing

Unkept promises and procrastination.

تعلَّقْته والحلم من مرحِ الصِّبا

سفاهٌ وحقي في البطالةِ باطلُ

I clung to it while the insanity of youth

Was frivolity and my right to playfulness was invalid.

وما زلت أعصي في هواهُ عواذلي

إلى أنْ تجافى مسمعيَّ العواذلُ

And I have not stopped disobeying my confidants in his love

Until their advice to me grew distant.

وكم زارني سَلْمَ اللقاءِ وأنهُ

من الحُسن شاكٍ في السلاح مقاتلُ

And how often have I visited the peace of meeting him

But in beauty he doubts the adequacy of weapons.

إذا ما تثنىَّ قدُّه فهو رامحٌ

وأنْ كَرَّ من ألحاظِه فهو نابلُ

When he walks proudly he is one who thrusts with a lance

And when he frowns with his glances he is one who shoots arrows.

وعهدي بنا والنَّازحُ الدارَ رابعٌ

مُقيمٌ بها والقاطعُ الحبْلَ واصلُ

My promise to him while the separator settled in the house

Was continuance, while the cutter of ties was connection.

لياليَ ألْحاظُ الوشاةِ رواقِدٌ

لنا وقولبُ الحادثاتِ غوافِلُِ

The nights of the slanderous gazes slept

While for us the shaper of events was inattentive.

فيا ليتَ شعري والأمانيُّ ضِلَّةٌ

من النفس والأيامُ مُعْطٍ وباخِلُ

If only I knew – though wishes mislead –

Against the self and days being stingy and ungenerous,

هل الدار تدنو بالأحبَّةِ بعدما

تفرَّق مجموعٌ وأقفر آهِلُ

Will the house draw near with loved ones after

A group dispersed and inhabitants emptied?

عدمتُ اصطباري والنوى مطمئنةٌ

فكيف أُطيق الصبر والحيُّ راحلُ

I lost my patience while determination was reassured

So how can I endure patience while the living departed?

فإن كنت مضعوف البسالة في الهوى

فإني إذا ما صرَّح الروْعُ باسلُ

If I was described as weak in passionate love

Then I am brave when fears are proclaimed.

أنا ابن النواصي من تميم بن خندف

بحيث التقت علياؤُها والفواضلُ

I am the son of chivalry from the Tamim clan

Where its glorious ones and virtues have met.

يَفُونَ وأقوالُ الليالي غَوادِرٌ

ويعْدونَ والأيامُ شُوسٌ خواذلُ

They excel while the nights’ words are deceptive,

And they fulfill while the days are tempting tricksters.

ويحتملونَ الغُرْمَ لو نهضتْ به

جبالُِ شروري ضعضعتها المحاملُ

They undertake passion even if mydark character

Shook mountains that litters demolished.

إذا عرسوا بالفدفد الخرق اغزرت

بمعرفهم غُدرانهُ والمناهِلُ

When they celebrate with rich coarse cloth their hatred

Increases along with their malice and water-holes.

تَراعفُ بالقاني صدورُ رماحهمْ

وتفْهَقُ بالنيِّ الغَريضِ المراجلُ

Their chests are masked with armor when the spears collide

And their sharp swords in the fights are unleashed.

يلوثون بالصِّيد الرزان إذا انْتدوا

مطارفَ وشْيٍ زيَّنتها السَّرابلُ

They make the well-bred horses messy when they stampede

Adorning them are saddle bags and equipments.

قَروا في حياض المجد عِدَّ مكارمٍ

فأصبحت الآمالُ وهي نواهلُ

They took residence in the glory’s courtyard with pride

So hopes became attainable and youthful.

وألقوا بجعجاع المُناخ رحالهُمْ

فما الموت مرهوبٌ ولا البأس صائلُ

They pitched their traveling saddlebags

With no fear of death or might of evils.

شَفَعْتُ قديمي بالحديث وإنني

بإدراك ما نال الأوائلُ كافِلُ

I matched my old with the new, though I

Cannot equal what the early ones attained.

وللصبح عندي بردةٌ من عَجاجةٍ

زجاجِ العَوالي طَرْزها والمناصل

For the dawn I have a colorful fine garment

Whose embroidery by accomplished hands was made.

جيادٌ كعقبان الشُّريف مُغيرَةٌ

ولُدْنٌ كأشُطانِ البِئارِ عواسلُ

Steeds like noble hawks brought up for raiding

And camels like water-drawing buckets from wells pulling.

وباس حسام الدين إذْ حدُّ بأسه

جريءٌ إذا تنْبو الصَّوارمُ قاصلُ

By the sharpness of the faith’s sword when its sharpness is unleashed Fierce, when the swords for execution are unsheathed.

Sating thirst with spears while today his bow is thirsty

مُروِّي القنا واليوم تَظْمى كمانه

وهامي النَّدى والعامُ أشهبُ ماحلُ

And raining generosity while the year is arid and fruitless.

He defends the helpless from the unjust ruler

ودافع ضيْم الخطب عن نفس جاره

وشيكاً إذا ما أسلمتْهُ القبائلُ

Though soon, if given over to the tribes.

The compensations for blood-money are suspended by his generosity

تُعَلَّق اشناقُ الدِّياتِ بجودهِ

إذا رهبتْ حمل الدِّياتِ العواقلُ

When the sensible shrink from carrying blood-money.

Blows, when the clamor of war wraps around him,

ضَروبٌ إذا ما لفَّه رهَجُ الوغى

وَهُوبٌ إذا التفَّت عليه الوسائلُ

And attacks when adversities befall him.

He almost perceives things before they occur

يكاد يصيب الشيء من قبل كونهِ

ويخبرُ عن علمٍ بما الغيبُ فاعلُ

And informs of knowledge what the unseen will do.

He is cautious of the fool’s criticism

يحاذر فهم اللَّوذعيِّ انتقادهُ

وترهَبهُ عند المقالِ المَقاولُ

And the impudent are wary of him.

His arrow, when determination accompanies it, is unfailing

وسهمٌ إذا ما صاحب العزم نافذٌ

ورضوى إذا ما ساورتهُ الزلازلُ

And his wrath, when tremors accompany it, is resolute.

A man who does not care whom his violence kills

فتىً لا يُبالي من يُبيدُ بفتْكهِ

ولكنه بالعدلِ في الفتْك عاملُ

But with justice he commits violence.

He does not desire justice in his happy times

ولا يستحضُّ العدل وقت سُروره

ولكنه عند الحفيظة عادلُ

But with anger, he is just.

His terrible tyranny does not ride his capability

ولا يركب البغْي الشَّنيع اقْتداره

ولكنه تَخْزى لديه النَّوازلُ

But degradation is disdained by him.

The days do not soften his wooden disposition

ولا يستلينُ الدهر معْجَم عودهِ

ولكنه عافٍ عن الجُرْمِ حاملُ

But he is free from wrongdoing and forbearing.

He comforts the guest and does not complain of meager provisions

هنيُّ القِرى لا يشتكي بطؤُ زاده

إذا أخْلفت درَّ العِصابِ الحوافلُ

If the cooking pots of the raiders are delayed.

And driven by travels tosses them about

وغُريٍ بإدمانِ السِّفارِ تقاذفت

بهم هِممٌ وخَّادةٌ ومراسلُ

Ambitions, and letters exchanged between them.

Their dawn was darkened by their fortune and they saw

دجا صُبحهم من حظهم فرأوا به

تجاذُبهم آمالُهم وتناقُل

Their hopes and transfers pulling them.

The dust of the hills, as though their vigilance

جدايل من عرقِ الطَّوى وكأنهم

ليقظتهم فوق الركابِ الأجادلُ

Above the riders were unyielding sentinels.

They set out against the fog and doubted it

أنافوا على عِشْرِ المطي وشاكَهوا

الضباب وللشعرى العبور مشاعلُ

While the morning star had passage of traversal.

They continued the lively night journey until

وأدموا خفاف العيس حتى تناهبت

مناسمها تثرْبُ الفَلا الجَراولُ

Its pleasures were shared by the terrain’s valleys.

When the fearful rider insisted on a journey

إذا اخْروَّطَ السَّيرَ العنيف برحلةٍ

هوى ابن لبونٍ واقتضى الحتف بازلُ

Where Death demanded the forfeit of Bazil.

They pitched camp prosperously so their palms poured

أناخوا بإقْبالٍ فَجادَ أكفُّهمْ

نوالٌ إذا ما أمسك الغيثُ هاطِلُ

When the rain withheld the torrential downpour.

I am not pleased to limit its pride to a day

ولست براضٍ أنْ أخُصَّ فخاره

بيوم رماحٍ ما المساعي قلائلُ

Of spears while brave exploits are few.

And many a day of fearful tumult abundant in perils

وكم يوم روْعٍ زاخر ذي غوارب

له الموتُ لُجٌّ والمخافةُ ساحلُ

For it, death is a refuge and fear a coast.

It spent the night amongst corpses, their blood pouring

طما بالقَنا العسَّا يتلو طِعانهُ

على سغبٍ مُعْطُ الذئاب العواسلُ

Until the wolves had their fill.

As though its steeds in its enclosure

كأنَّ جيادَ الخيلِ في حَجَراتهِ

كواسرُ نيقٍ هيَّجتْها المَآكلُ

Were wild predators roused by meals.

When the blood there boiled, it was deemed

إذا اثعنجرتْ فيها الدماء حسبتها

دوارجَ سيلٍ أسلمتها المَسايلُ

To be the overflowing of a torrent on waterways.

And if the tongues bit sharply there

وإنْ نكحتْ فيها الأسنة لَبَّةً

جَلا نقْعها والمُبْعلاتُ أرامِلُ

It dyed it while the she-camels were bereaved.

You weakened and separated the large army with one attack,

شددتَ ففرقت العديد بحملةٍ

تَخفُّ وأنت الحازمُ المُتثاقلُ

Though you are prudent and composed.