أُريدُ لِيانَ العَيشِ في دارِ شِقوَةٍ

وَتَأبى اللَيالي غَيرَ بُخلٍ وَلَيانِ

I wish for the soft touch of life in a house of suffering

And the nights refuse anything but stinginess and smoothness

وَيُعجِبُني شَيآنِ خَفضٌ وَصَحَّةٌ

وَلَكِنَّ رَيبَ الدَهرِ غَيَّرَ شَيّاني

And I like the disposition of lowliness and probity

But the caprice of fate changed my disposition

وَما جَبَلُ الرَيّانِ عِندي بِطائِلٍ

وَلا أَنا مِن خودِ الحِسانِ بِرَيّانِ

And the hillside of friends is of no use to me

Nor am I, in self-esteem, very friendly

وَأَحيانِيَ اللَهُ القَديرُ مَلاوَةً

فَهَلّا بِخَوفِ اللَهِ أَقطَعُ أَحياني

And God, the Powerful brought me sweetness

Why don’t I, in fear of God, cut off my sweetness

وَإِنَّ بَني الدَيّانِ أَخمَلُ عِزَّهُم

قِيامُ عَميدٍ مِن خُزَيمَةَ دَيّانِ

And the sons of the world, their glory is worn out

Due to the standing of a leader from Khuzaymah’s world

وَما اِقتَتَلَ الحَيّانِ إِلّا سَفاهَةً

وَلَو صَحَّ وُدّي لِلمُحارِبِ حَيّاني

And the living did not fight except out of foolishness

If only my love was for the warrior living

وَتَهلِكُ أَعيانُ الرِجالِ وَإِنَّما

مَصارِعُ أَعيارٍ كَمَصرَعِ أَعيانِ

And the notable men perish even though

The places of eras are like the places of notables

وَلَم يُشوِ حَتفٌ أُمَّ عُفرٍ بِوَهدَةٍ

وَلا أُمَّ غُفرٍ بَينَ آسٍ وَظَيّانِ

And no bosom of a mother of ‘Ufayr [clan name] shone

Nor a mother of Ghufayr between As and Dhiyan

أُريدُ عَلِيّاتِ المَراتِبِ ضِلَّةً

وَخَرطُ قَتادِ اللَيلِ دونَ عُلَيّانِ

I wish for the highest ranks to go astray

And the quilt of night beneath ‘Ulayyan