أعَن وَخْدِ القِلاصِ كشَفْتِ حالا

ومن عِند الظّلام طَلَبتِ مالا

The cheeks have unveiled their state at the abode of the beloved

And sought wealth from the darkness

ودُرّاً خِلْتِ أنْجُمَه عليه

فهلاّ خِلْتِهِنّ به ذُبالا

You made the pearls smile upon it

Why then didn't you make them grin with delight?

وقُلْتِ الشّمْسُ بالبَيْداءِ تِبْرٌ

ومِثْلُكِ مَنْ تَخَيّلَ ثُمّ خالا

You said the sun is wheat in the desert

And one like you, who imagined and then became barren

وفي ذَوْب اللُّجَيْنِ طَمِعْتِ لمّا

رأيْتِ سَرَابَها يَغْشَى الرّمَالا

In the mirage of the dunes, you craved

When you saw its phantom overwhelm the sands

رَمَاكِ اللّهُ مِنْ نُوقٍ بِرُوقٍ

من السّنَواتِ تُثْكِلُكِ الإفالا

May God spare you healthy, fecund she-camels

Whose years cause you to wean abundant young

فقد أكْثَرْتِ نُقْلَتَنا وكانتْ

صِغارُ الشُّهب أسْرَعَهَا انْتِقالا

You have multiplied our moving

The smaller meteors were quicker to move on

تُذَكّرُكِ الثَّوِيَةَ مِنْ ثُدَيٍّ

ضَلالٌ ما أرَدْتِ به ضَلالا

Your dangling breasts remind you of a breast

Its misguidance you did not intend as misguidance

ولَوْ أنّ المَطِيّ لها عُقُولٌ

وَجَدَّكِ لم نَشُدّ بها عقالا

If the riding beast had minds

They would find you didn't restrain them

مُوَاصَلَةً بها رَحْلي كأنّي

عنِ الدّنْيا أُريدُ بها انْفِصَالا

I continued my journey with them as if

I wanted through them to break from life

سألْنَ فقلْت مَقْصِدُنا سعيدٌ

فكانَ اسْمُ الأمِيرِ لهُنّ فالا

They asked, so I said our destination is fortunate

And so the emir's name was good omen to them

مِكَلِّفُ خَيْلِهِ قَنَصَ الأعَادي

وجاعِلُ غابِهِ الأسَلَ الطّوَالا

Obliging of his horses, he hunts enemies

Making his forest long spears

تَكادُ قِسِيُّهُ مِنْ غيرِ رامٍ

تُمَكّنُ في قُلُوبِهِمُ النّبَالا

His firmness nearly

Plants terror in their hearts without arrows

تكادُ سُيُوفُهُ مِنْ غَيرِ سَلٍّ

تُجِدّ إلى رِقابِهِمُ انْسِلالا

His swords nearly

Slither to their necks without being drawn

تَكادُ سَوَابِقٌ حَمَلَتْهُ تُغْني

عنِ الأقْدارِ صَوْناً وابْتِذالا

His excellent horses suffice him

Over fate, protecting and favoring him

نَشَأنَ مع النَّعَامِ بكُلّ دَوٍّ

فقَدْ ألِفَتْ نتائِجُها الرّئالا

Raised among ostriches in every abode

They grew accustomed to rhea chicks

ولمّا لم يُسابِقْهُنّ شَيءٌ

مِنَ الحَيَوانِ سابَقْنَ الظّلالا

And when nothing of animals raced them

They raced the shadows

تَرَى أعْطَافَها تَرمي حَميماً

كأجْنِحَةِ البُزَاةِ نِسالا

You see their swinging hips shoot live coals

Like the wings of buzzards dripping

وقد ذابَتْ بِنارِ الحِقْدِ منها

شَكائِمُها فمازَجَتِ الرُّوَالا

The flames of hatred melted their forelocks

And so they mingled with the ashes

يُذِقْنَ بَني العُصَاةِ اليُتْمَ صِرْفاً

ويَتْرُكْنَ الجَآذِرَ والسِّخَالا

They make the disobedient sons taste orphanhood undiluted

And leave the dried dates and sour milk

فما يَرْمِينَ بالآجالِ إجْلاً

وَيَرمِينَ المَقَانِبَ والرِّعَالا

They do not hurl old camels as missiles

And they hurl the water-skins and saddlebags

يُغادِرْنَ الكَواعِبَ حاسِرَاتٍ

يُنِلْنَ مِن العُداةِ من اسْتَنالا

They spare the singers disappointed

And obtain from the enemies what they can grasp

يَبِعْنَ تُراثَ آباءٍ كِرَام

ويَشْرِينَ الحُجُولَ أوِ الحِجالا

They sell the inheritance of noble fathers

And they buy mature she-camels or young he-camels

يُغاَلِينَ المَدَارِعَ والمَدَاري

وَيُرْخِصْنَ المَنَاصِلَ والنّصَالا

They raid the tents and tent dwellers

And they get the swords and spears cheap

يُمِلّ بها السّباسِبَ والمَوَامي

فتىً لم تَخْشَ هِمّتُه مَلالا

With them a youth whose resolve knew no boredom

Whose heart's intelligence dyed them all crimson

ذكيُّ القَلْبِ يَخْضِبُها نَجِيعاً

بما جَعَلَ الحَرِيرَ لها جِلالا

With what made silk an honor for them

Whenever he decides to whip a land with a whip

مَتى يُذْمِمْ على بَلَدٍ بِسَوْطٍ

فقدْ أمِنَ المُثَقَّفَةَ النِّهالا

He secures the delicate youths

When the sky waters the land with torrents

إذا سقَتِ السماءُ الأرْضَ سَجْلاً

سَقاها من صَوارِمِهِ سِجالا

He waters it with showers of his swords

And it is wont to sacrifice while iron around it is doubtful

ويُضْحي والحديدُ عليه شاكٍ

وتَكْفِيهِ مَهابَتُهُ النّزَالا

And his prestige suffices him for battle

So he destroys armor as clothing, and companions as brothers, and the coat of mail as fetters

فيُفْني الدّرْعَ لُبْساً واليَماني

صِحاباً والرُّدَيْنيَّ اعْتِقالا

He sleeps rested while the night calls

With the light of dawn, its Creator beseechingly

يَبِيتُ مُسَهَّداً واللّيْلُ يَدْعو

بضوْءِ الصّبْح خالِقَه ابْتِهالا

When his right hand grows weary of the lengthy burden

It changes for the left

إذا سَئِمَتْ مُهَنَّدَهُ يَمِينٌ

لِطُولِ الحَمْلِ بَدّلَه شِمالا

It enlightened the perceptive with the light of resolve

And so it became like polished jewels

أفادَ المُرْهَفاتِ ضِياءَ عَزْمٍ

فصارَ على جَواهِرِهَا صِقالا

The spinning planets saw justice in it

And so balance came to be in its elements

وأبْصَرَتِ الذّوَابِلُ منه عَدْلاً

فأصْبَحَ في عَوَامِلِها اعْتِدالا

A wing that fills the horizons with old age

Yet makes the desert seem like a birthmark

وجُنْحٍ يَمْلأ الفَوْدَينِ شَيْباً

ولكنْ يَجْعَلُ الصّحْرَاءَ خَالا

We wanted to hunt an oryx with it

But it cut through the ropes and cords

أرَدنا أن نَصِيدَ به مَهاةً

فقَطَّعَتِ الحبَائِلَ والحِبالا

And a mounted specter dozed

Saving us from visiting and attaining

ونَمّ بِطَيْفِها السّاري جَوَادٌ

فجَنّبَنَا الزّيارَةَ والوِصَالا

Its lightning awoke the riders and horses and camels

Until I fancied its neighing was speaking and conversation

وأيْقَظَ بالصّهيلِ الرّكبَ حتى

ظَنَنْتُ صَهِيلَهُ قِيلاً وقالا

Otherwise, out of jealousy, crooked

It would see the gazelle and the young goat

ولولا غَيْرَةٌ منْ أعْوَجيّ

لَبَاتَ يَرى الغزالَةَ والغزَالا

It senses when the specter draws near us

And prevents us from attending to specters

يُحِسّ إذا الخَيَالُ دنا إلينا

فيَمْنَعُ من تَعَهّدِنا الخَيالا

The lightning of lightning bolts flowed after fatigue

And so it spent the night yearning, describing beauty

سَرَى بَرْقُ المَعَرّةِ بَعدَ وَهْنٍ

فباتَ بَرامَةٍ يَصِفُ الكَلالا

It stirred riders and steeds and camels

And almost stirred the howdahs

شَجَا رَكْباً وأفْراساً وإبْلاً

وزاد فكاد أنْ يَشْجو الرّحالا

With them, their horses were skilled

And they were shooters, and their buzuls were separate

بها كانتْ جيادُهُمُ مِهاراً

وهُمْ مُرْداً وبُزْلُهُمُ فِصالا

He who accompanies nights teaches him

The deception of intimacy and impossible words

وَمَنْ صَحِبَ اللْيالي عَلّمَتْهُ

خِداعَ الإلْفِ والقيلَ المُحالا

And changed catastrophes upon him until

It shows him motes bearing mountains

وغَيّرَتِ الخُطوبَ عليه حتّى

تُرِيهِ الذَّرَّ يَحْمِلْنَ الجِبالا

If only the youth of a people had been old age

If only their childhood had been full growth

فلَيْتَ شَبَابَ قَوْمٍ كان شَيْباً

ولَيْتَ صِباهُمُ كان اكتِهَالا

We accompanied in the wilderness, of a fortress

And a fortress, eviler than accompanying men

صَحِبْنا بالبُدَيّةِ من حُصَيْنٍ

وحِصْنٍ شَرَّ مَن صَحِبَ الرّجالا

When people's guests are served pure

They serve their guests stale and murky

إذا سُقِيَتْ ضُيوفُ الناسِ محضاً

سَقَوْا أضْيافَهُمْ شَبِماً زُلالا

But in the capitals, from an enemy

Is a prince who does not burden us with asking

ولكِنْ بالعَواصِمِ من عَدِيّ

أمِيرٌ لا يُكَلّفُنا السّؤالا

When it flaps its wings to the west

It ceases from his tongues, assassinating him

إذا خَفَقَتْ لمَغْرِبِها الثّريّا

تَوَقّتْ من أسِنّتِهِ اغْتِيالا

If the morning sun could, it would return

Rising when it sees decline

ولو شمْسُ الضّحى قَدَرَتْ لعادتْ

مُشَرِّقَةً إذا رأتِ الزّوالا

So say to its beauty above the enemies

If a horse does not find open ground

فقُلْ لمُجيلِهَا فوقَ الأعادي

إذا ما لم يَجِدْ فَرَسٌ مَجَالا

You have narrowed your eyelids, weighed down

So four lively ones narrowed them

لقد جشّمْتَ طِرْفَكَ مُثْقِلاتٍ

فجَشّمَهُنّ أرْبَعَةً عِجالا

The current of it flows greenish

And greenish does not merit being humbled

أذَالَ الجَرْيُ منه زَبَرْجَدِيّاً

وما حَقُّ الزّبَرْجَدِ أن يُذالا

And its green may be wrapped in carnelian

If the prince witnesses it in battle

وقد يُلْفَى زَبَرْجَدُهُ عَقيقاً

إذا شهِدَ الأميرُ به القِتالا

Lighter than the noble in hand and foot

And nobler among horses in father and maternal uncle

أخفَّ من الوَجِيهِ يداً ورِجْلاً

وأكْرَمَ في الجِيادِ أباً وخالا

And every snorter in the head of an isthmus

Wishes it could be his likeness

وكُلُّ ذُؤابَةٍ في رأسِ خَوْدٍ

تَمنّى أنْ تَكونَ له شِكالا

The ingots wish they could become iron

When the iron is shod for it as horseshoes

يَوَدّ التّبْرُ لو أمْسَى حَديداً

إذا حُذِيَ الحَديدُ له نِعالا

When the cloud does not rain upon a land

Then through your hand it relies

إذا ما الغَيْمُ لم يُمْطِرْ بِلاداً

فإنّ له على يدِكَ اتّكالا

If the winds blew west

And you told them, why not blow north

ولو أنّ الرّياحَ تَهُبّ غَرْباً

وقُلْتَ لها هَلا هَبّتْ شِمالا

I swear, if you grew angry at abandoned ruins

They would depart from their places

وأُقْسِمُ لو غَضِبْتَ على ثَبِيرٍ

لأزْمَعَ عن مَحِلّتِهِ ارْتِحالا

If your swords loved the valleys

They would not miss joining with those they love

فإنْ عَشِقَتْ صَوارِمُكَ الهَوادي

فلا عَدِمَتْ بمنْ تَهَوى اتّصَالا

If not for the defects in your sword

We would say it displayed counterfeiting

ولولا ما بسَيْفِكَ مِن نُحُولٍ

لقُلْنا أظْهَرَ الكَمَدَ انْتِحالا

Offspring of fire, it clashed and clanked until

You'd think its father bequeathed it the flame

سَليلُ النارِ دَقّ وَرَقّ حتى

كأنّ أباه أوْرَثَهُ السُّلالا

Polished in cold, you'd reckon it

Shed the stars of night and donned the crescent moon

مُحَلّى البُرْدِ تَحْسَبُهُ تَرَدَّى

نُجُومَ اللّيْلِ وانْتَعَلَ الهِلالا

Straightening the blade between two contrary edges

Makes its contrasting one of uncertainty

مُقيمُ النّصْلِ في طَرَفَيْ نَقيضٍ

يكُونُ تَبايُنٌ منه اشْتِكالا

Above it appears the sparkle of water

And in it you see the kindling of fire

تَبَيّنُ فَوْقَهُ ضَحْضَاحَ ماءٍ

وتُبْصِرُ فيه للنّارِ اشْتِعالا

Its live coals are an eloquent tongue

That speaks the wonders of death improvising

غَرَاراهُ لِسانَا مَشْرَفِيّ

يَقُولُ غَرَائبَ المَوْتِ ارْتِجالا

When the prince is seen, and ascends

To the height of the atmosphere, demise is presumed of him

إذا بُصِرَ الأميرُ وقد نَضَاهُ

بأعْلى الجَوّ ظُنّ عليه آلا

And the red of death crept above him

But after it became flattened

وَدَبّتْ فوْقه حُمْرُ المَنَايا

ولكِنْ بَعدما مُسِخَتْ نِمالا

Terror melts from him every rage

If not for the scabbard restraining it, it would flow

يُذيبُ الرّعْبُ منه كلَّ عَضْبٍ

فلوْلا الغِمْدُ يُمْسِكُهُ لَسَالا

He who would have a friend other than a sword

Will find in its affection some deficiency

ومَنْ يَكُ ذا خَليلٍ غَيْرِ سَيْفٍ

يُصَادِفُ في مَوَدّتِهِ اخْتِلالا

One thirsty, with no life in him

Is assured of the length of its carrier, so he lengthened

وذي ظمَإٍ ولَيْسَ بِهِ حَياةٌ

تَيَقَّنَ طولَ حامِلِهِ فطالا

Imagining each dark one a large pool

His throat rasped drinking the thick

تَوَهَّمَ كلَّ سابِغَةٍ غَديراً

فَرَنّقَ يَشْرَبُ الحَلَقَ الدُّخالا

You filled with it chests of people

Who then neglected their resentments

مَلأتَ به صُدوراً مِن أُنَاسٍ

فلاقتْ عن ضَغائِنها اشْتِغالا

For you to languish in magnanimity and loftiness

Is a perfection that taught the moon perfection

لِيَهْنِكَ في المكارِم والمعَالي

كَمَالٌ عَلّمَ القَمَرَ الكَمالا

You, if calamities clung

To your sandal, would not cut the straps for them

وأنْكَ لوْ تَعَلّقَتِ الرّزايا

بنَعْلِكَ ما قَطَعْنَ لها قِبالا

You protected the Muslims, though clouds of heavy sorrows

Succeeded each other

حَفظْتَ المُسْلِمِينَ وقَدْ تَوالَتْ

سَحائِبُ تَحْمِلُ النُّوَبَ الثِّقالا

And you protected their dependents when every eye

Counts the blackness of its sight as dependents

وصُنْتَ عِيالَهُمْ إذْ كُلُّ عَينٍ

تَعُدّ سَوَادَ ناظِرِها عِيالا

At a time when neither lion nor master

Could stand ferocity, nor strive

بوَقْتٍ لا يُطِيقُ اللّيْثُ فيه

مُساوَرَةً ولا السِّيدُ اخْتِتالا

While you are greater than a feast whose

Return is celebrated, so you were lauded

وأنْتَ أجَلّ من عِيدٍ تُهَنّى

بِعَوْدَتِهِ فهُنّيتَ الجَلالا

And order the nights to pass in separation from its nature

To respond to your will compliantly

ومُرْ بفِرَاقِ شِيمتِها الليالي

تُجِبْكَ إلى إرادتِكَ امْتِثالا