طَحا بِكَ قَلبٌ في الحِسانِ طَروبُ
بُعَيدَ الشَبابِ عَصرَ حانَ مَشيبُ
My heart's enthralled with your kindness though long years have passed
Since tender youth and springtime fled, now autumn rules at last
تُكَّلِفُني لَيلى وَقَد شَطَّ وَلْيُها
وَعادَت عَوادٍ بَينَنا وَخُطوبُ
My Laila though she weary me, her whims have run their course,
Renewed our pact, the suitors gone, no more their vain discourse
مُنَعَّمَةٌ لا يُستَطاعُ كَلامُها
عَلى بابِها مِن أَن تُزارَ رَقيبُ
Too grand is she to be addressed if watchmen bar the door
No secrets does she share abroad when master is no more
إِذا غابَ عَنها البَعلُ لَم تُفشِ سِرَّهُ
وَتُرضي إِيابَ البَعلِ حينَ يَؤوبُ
Yet joyful homecoming makes amends when he's returned to her
Don't rank me with some fool self-damned whom wayward passions spur
فَلا تَعدِلي بَيني وَبَينَ مُغَمَّرٍ
سَقَتكِ رَوايا المُزنِ حَيثُ تَصوبُ
The slanderers' tales have poisoned you, belief in them your bane
They ply you falsehoods, envy's brew, hoping that I'll be slain
سَقاكِ يَمانٍ ذو حَبِيٍّ وَعارِضٍ
تَروحُ بِهِ جُنحَ العَشِيِّ جَنوبُ
With Yemen's gifts I came to you when day was almost done
Heading where night winds gently blew from many a rising sun
وَما أَنتَ أَم ما ذِكرُها رَبَعِيَّةً
يُخَطُّ لَها مِن ثَرمَداءَ قَليبُ
You are no wife of nobility whose name is honor's guide
Though yearnings for you wound my heart and every fiber bide
فَإِن تَسأَلوني بِالنِساءِ فَإِنَّني
بَصيرٌ بِأَدواءِ النِساءِ طَبيبُ
Ask of me what you will of men, for well physicians know
Women's afflictions and their ken of where dark humors flow
إِذا شابَ رَأسُ المَرءِ أَو قَلَّ مالُهُ
فَلَيسَ لَهُ مِن وُدِّهِنَّ نَصيبُ
When youth has gone and riches spent no love will they evince
But treasure's gleam draws all their dream and blinds their worldly sense
يُرِدنَ ثَراءَ المالِ حَيثُ عَلِمنَهُ
وَشَرخُ الشَبابِ عِندَهُنَّ عَجيبُ
Leave her be, let sorrow go, drown care in rapturous bliss
As when we coupled in sweet throes and climaxed in a kiss
فَدَعها وَسَلِّ الهَمَّ عَنكَ بِجَسرَةٍ
كَهَمِّكَ فيها بِالرِدافِ خَبيبُ
Her tentmate too, when parted from the one her soul held dear
Rose haggard, drawn from severing, nursing rancor and dark fear
وَناجِيَةٍ أَفنى رَكيبَ ضُلوعِها
وَحارِكَها تَهَجَّرٌ فَدُؤوبُ
Yet when her lover was returned she made as if the past
Had been a frightening ugly dream, all joy and comfort cast
وَتُصبِحُ عَن غِبِّ السُرى وَكَأَنَّها
مُوَلَّعَةً تَخشى القَنيصَ شَبوبُ
Many sought her, she declined, disgusted at their nerve
I drove my she-camel to Harith - his name the Giver - serve
تَعَفَّقَ بِالأَرطى لَها وَأَرادَها
رِجالٌ فَبَذَّت نَبلَهُم وَكَليبُ
His fortresses and hills with hope that I might draw more near
And by his grace come to your place, no longer far to veer
إِلى الحارِثِ الوَهّابِ أَعمَلتُ ناقَتي
لِكَلكَلِها وَالقُصرَيَينَ وَجيبُ
To you I brought the saddle's corpse, its whitened bones a pall
Its leather hides like shrouds of gauze both wrapping overall
لِتُبلِغَني دارَ اِمرِئٍ كانَ نائِياً
فَقَد قَرَّبَتني مِن نَداكَ قَروبُ
I soaked it deeply as if the skins still sap alive enfurled
With myrrh and ambergris distilled, its lather honey-curled
إِلَيكَ أَبَيتَ اللَعنَ كانَ وَجيفُها
بِمُشتَبِهاتٍ هَولُهُنَّ مَهيبُ
Lay it to rest in the courtyard but if it still offend
Then journey onwards without rest, no time more time to spend
تَتَبَّعُ أَفياءَ الظِلالِ عَشِيَّةً
عَلى طُرُقٍ كَأَنَّهُنَّ سُبوبُ
To you, my lord, I gave my trust, and you accepted it
None else commanded such my lust, all else I tried to quit
هَداني إِلَيكَ الفَرقَدانِ وَلاحِبٌ
لَهُ فَوقَ أَصواءِ المِتانِ عُلوبُ
The clan of Awf returned your love, but one of noble fame
Excelled, unless that stallion drove the ranks would hang their head
بِها جِيَفُ الحَسرى فَأَمّا عِظامُها
فَبيضٌ وَأَمّا جِلدُها فَصَليبُ
Always you send him forth in front till all his speed is gone
While you bear bright opposing brunt: their bones you dash upon
فَأَورَدتُها ماءً كَأَنَّ جِمامَهُ
مِنَ الأَجنِ حِنّاءٌ مَعاً وَصَبيبُ
With flaming deadly iron clad, blades heavy overlay
To smite them down in fury mad till frightened of your way
تُرادَ عَلى دِمنِ الحِياضِ فَإِن تَعُفُّ
فَإِنَّ المُنَدّى رِحلَةٌ فَرُكوبُ
You battled Ghassan's tribesmen too - Hinb and the Kass -
Till their dark forms battered hew before you in the press
وَأَنتَ اِمرُؤٌ أَفضَت إِلَيكَ أَمانَتي
وَقَبلَكَ رَبَّتني فَضِعتُ رُبوبُ
Their iron frames clashed loud on them as when dry stubble shakes
Against the winnowing southern winds amidst the harvest's wakes
فَأَدَّت بَنو عَوفِ بنِ كَعبٍ رَبيبَها
وَغودِرَ في بَعضِ الجُنودِ رَبيبُ
Your soul you give with peerless zest, and in the fated hour
Will shine with joy and grace so blest, all fretfulness devoured
فَوَاللَهِ لَولا فارِسُ الجَونِ مِنهُمُ
لَآبوا خَزايا وَالإِيابُ حَبيبُ
The champion riders of the Aus tribe shimmering armor donned
Though not one family joined as one could match you bond by bond
تُقَدِّمُهُ حَتّى تَغيبَ حُجولُهُ
وَأَنتَ لِبَيضِ الدارِعينَ ضَروبُ
The sky's dome lowered claustrophobic, yet their keenest stroke
Met only with your dazzling mystic riposte and deadly provoke
مُظاهِرُ سِربَالي حَديدٌ عَلَيهِما
عَقيلاً سُيوفٍ مِخذَمٌ وَرُسوبُ
As if a cloud above had burst and lightning smashed them all
Save Shaṭba, her bridle first, and Tammir, lithe and tall
فَجالَدتَهُم حَتّى اِتَّقوكَ بِكَبشِهِم
وَقَد حانَ مِن شَمسِ النَهارِ غُروبُ
Kamiy too escaped the fray, protected well around
For all the blows he bore that day no piercing could be found
وَقاتَلَ مِن غَسّانَ أَهلُ حِفاظِها
وَهِنبٌ وَقاسٌ جالَدَت وَشَبيبُ
In every clan your gifts hit home, so wrongs demand redress
None near or distant match your loam, none can your goodness guess
تَخَشخَشُ أَبدانُ الحَديدِ عَلَيهِمُ
كَما خَشخَشَت يَبسَ الحَصادِ جَنوبُ
Save they your kith and kin of course, of equal noble fame
Not stooping to the common course, but playing honor's game
تَجودُ بِنَفسٍ لا يُجادُ بِمِثلِها
وَأَنتَ بِها يَومَ اللِقاءِ تَطيبُ
So please don't bar me from reward if I've not lost your grace
No base deceiver I my lord, though estranged from my race
كَأَنَّ رِجالَ الأَوسِ تَحتَ لَبانِهِ
وَما جَمَعَت جَلٌّ مَعاً وَعَتيبُ
رَغا فَوقَهُم سَقبُ السَماءِ فَداحِصٌ
بِشَكَّتِهِ لَم يُستَلَب وَسَليبُ
كَأَنَّهُمُ صابَت عَلَيهِم سَحابَةٌ
صَواعِقُها لِطَيرِهُنَّ دَبيبُ
فَلَم تَنجُ إِلّا شَطبُةٌ بِلِجامِها
وَإِلّا طِمِرٌّ كَالقَناةِ نَجيبُ
وَإِلّا كَمِيٌّ ذو حِفاظٍ كَأَنَّهُ
بِما اِبتَلَّ مِن حَدِّ الظُباتِ خَصيبُ
وَفي كُلِّ حَيٍّ قَد خَبَطتَ بِنِعمَةٍ
فَحُقَّ لِشَأسٍ مِن نَداكَ ذَنوبُ
وَما مِثلُهُ في الناسِ إِلّا قَبيلُهُ
مُساوٍ وَلا دانٍ لَذاكَ قَريبُ
فلَا تُحرِمَنّي نائِلاً عَن جَنابَةٍ
فَإِنّي اِمرُؤٌ وَسطَ القِبابِ غَريبُ
