أَرى نَفسي تَتوقُ إِلى النُجومِ

سَأَحمِلُها عَلى الخَطَرِ العَظيمِ

I see my soul yearning for the stars

I will carry it through great danger

وَإِنَّ أَذى الهُمومِ عَلى فُؤادي

أَضَرُّ مِنَ النُصولِ عَلى أَديمي

And the pain of worries upon my heart

Is more hurtful than scratches upon my hide

وَإِنّي إِن صَبَرتُ ثَنَيتُ قَلبي

عَلى طَرفٍ مِنَ البَلوى أَليمِ

And if I am patient, I bend my heart

To a bit of very painful affliction

وَلي أَمَلٌ كَصَدرِ الرَمحِ ماضٍ

سِوى أَنَّ اللَيالي مِن خُصومي

And I have hope like the chest of a spear thrusted forth

Except that the nights are among my opponents

وَيَمنَعُني المُدامَ طَروقُ هَمّي

فَما يَحظى بِها إِلّا نَديمي

And the wine cup prevents me from the fancy of my concerns

So none enjoy it but my boon companions

وَما أَوفَت عَلى العِشرينَ سِنّي

وَقَد أَوفى عَلى الدُنيا غَريمي

And I have not reached twenty years

Yet my critics have fulfilled upon the world

وَنَجوى قَد شَهِدتُ وَعُدتُ أُلقي

عِنانَ فَمي إِلى قَلبٍ كَتومِ

And intimate talks which I have witnessed and to which I gave

The rein of my mouth to a silent heart

وَهَولٍ يُرعَدُ النِسيانُ مِنهُ

رَكِبتُ مَعارِضَ الجَدِّ المَرومِ

And awe which forgetfulness trembles from

I rode the steed of persistent kindness

إِذا ما حاجَةٌ قُضِيَت بِسَيفي

شَكَرتُ لَها يَدَ اللَيلِ البَهيمِ

When a need is fulfilled by my sword

I thank for it the night of oblivion

وَيَعرِفُني العَدُوُّ بِوَقعِ رُمحي

إِذا ما الوَجهُ مُوَّهَ بِالسُهومِ

And the enemy recognizes me by the impact of my spear

When the face is veiled by arrows

وَما لي هِمَّةٌ إِلّا المَعالي

وَذَبُّ الضَيمِ عَن نَسبٍ صَميمِ

And I have no ambition except the heights

And protecting the wronged from a noble lineage

وَقودُ الخَيلِ تَركَعُ مِن وَجاها

وَقَد غَلَبَ النَجيعُ عَلى الكُلومِ

The mounts kneel from its glory

And the small talk has overcome the graves

تُصَبَّحُ في الطُلى بِدَراكِ طَعنٍ

كَرَمحِ الشَولِ زُغنَ عَنِ المُسيمِ

You wake in the morning by the strike of a stab

Like the spear of the warrior freed from the whetstone

وَيُذهِلُها إِذا التَقَتِ العَوالي

ضِرامُ الطَعنِ عَن مَضغِ الشَكيمِ

And it overwhelms them when the lofty meet

The chewing of the stab from the twisting of the intestines

وَكُلُّ نَحيلَةٍ كَالسَهمِ تُصمي

عَرانينَ الأَماعِزِ وَالخُرومِ

And every slender like an arrow silences

The groins of the goats and sheep

تُريني الشَمسَ أَوَّلَ مَن يَراها

وَآخِرُ شَأوِها طَلَقُ الظَليمِ

It shows me the sun first of those who see it

And last of its decline the release of darkness

وَحَثُّ العيسِ تَستَلِبُ الفَيافي

بِإِملاءِ الذَميلِ عَلى الرَسيمِ

And the trotting of the stallion snatches the meadows

By dictating to the lead rope on the tethering place

جَزَعنَ اللَيلَ وَالأَفاقُ خُلسٌ

كَأَنَّ نُجومَها نَغلُ الأَديمِ

It startled the night and the horizons are quiet

As if its stars are the wool of leather

وَأَبلَجَ مِثلَ فَرقِ الرَأسِ نَهجٍ

قَطَعنَ وَما قَلِقنَ مِنَ السُؤومِ

And it paved, like the parting of hair, a path

They traversed, and were not disturbed by misfortunes

وَماءٍ قَد تَخَفَّرَ بِالدَياجي

عَنِ الطُرّاقِ وَالسَلَمِ المُقيمِ

And water that was filtered with travelers

From the drinkbowl and erect aqueducts

وَرَدنَ وَلا دِلاءَ لَهُنَّ إِلّا

مُشافِرُهُنَّ في الوِردِ الجَمومِ

And they returned, and they had no guide except

Their mouths among the clustered roses

وَعُدنَ وَقَد وَهى سِلكُ الثَرَيّا

وَكَرَّ الصُبحُ في طَلَبِ النُجومِ

And they returned when the belt of Pleiades declined

And dawn spun seeking the stars

وَقَد لاحَت بِأَعيُنِنا ذُكاءٌ

وَراءَ الفَجرِ كَالخَدِّ اللَطيمِ

And keenness appeared to our eyes beyond dawn

Like a gentle cheek beyond the horizon

وَمُختَلِطِ النَدى أَرِجِ الخُزامى

رَطيبِ ذَوائِبِ الكَلَإِ العَميمِ

And the perfume of camomile mingled with dew

The scent of tender herbage and lush meadows

أَبَحتُ حَريمَهُ إِبِلي فَأَمسَت

تُغيرُ شِفاهَهنَ عَلى الجَميمِ

I unleashed my she-camels so they grazed

Changing their lips upon the vegetation

أَلا هَل أَطرُقُ السَمُراتِ يَوماً

بِريءَ القَلبِ مِن عَنَتِ الهُمومِ

Oh if only I sit conversing one day

With a heart free of the hardship of worries

وَأُلصِقُ بِالنَقا كَبِدي وَيَهفو

إِلَيَّ مِنَ النَقا وَلَعُ النَسيمِ

And I cling to the she-camels my liver and it pounds towards me

From the she-camels the passion of the breeze

وَأُطلِقُ عُقلَها بِرُبىً تَراها

مِنَ الأَنواءِ ضاحِكَةَ الوُشومِ

And I free their minds with pasture they see

Laughing from the threshing floors

أَرى الأَيّامَ عادِيَةً عَلَينا

بِبيضٍ مِن نَوائِبِها وَشيمِ

I see the days proceeding upon us

With harm from its misfortunes and disgrace

يُضِلُّ نُفوسَنا داءٌ عُقامٌ

فَيُسلِمُنا إِلى أَرضٍ عَقيمِ

A chronic disease misleads our souls

So it hands us over to barren land

وَنُتبِعُ بِالدُموعِ وَأَيُّ دَمعٍ

يُجيرُ وَلَو أَقامَ عَلى السُجومِ

And we follow with tears, and what tear

Can rescue, even if it stays on the eyelids?

وَيُفرِدُنا الزَمانُ بِلا قَريبٍ

يُذُمُّ مِنَ الزَمانِ وَلا حَميمِ

And time isolates us without a relative

Who would blame time, no bosom friend

وَنَلقى قَبلَ لُقيانِ المَنايا

رِماحَ الداءِ تَطعَنُ في الجُسومِ

And we meet before the encounter with death

The spears of disease piercing the bodies

فَلَو كانَت خُصوصاً سُرَّ قَومٌ

وَلَكِنَّ العَناءَ عَلى العُمومِ

So if it was private, a secret of some people

But alas the hardship is upon everyone

وَيُكثِرُ مَطلِيَ الغُرماءُ إِلّا

إِذا راحَ الرَدى وَغَسا غَريمي

And the creditors increase except

When harm passes and my enemy is covered

رَأَيتُ المالَ يَرفَعُ مِن سَفيهٍ

وَعُدمُ المالِ يُنقِصُ مِن حَليمِ

I have seen money raise up a fool

And lack of money decrease a wise one

فَلَيتَ كَريمَ قَومٍ نالَ عِرضي

وَلَم يَدنَس بِذَمٍّ مِن لَئيمِ

If only the noble people attained my honor

And were not stained by the blame of the ignoble

يَلومُ وَقَد أُلامَ وَشَرُّ شَيءٍ

إِذا لا قاكَ لَومٌ مِن مُليمِ

He blames though he was blamed, and the worst thing

Is when no fault comes from a blamer

أَشُبُّ لِأَحرِقَ الأَعداءَ لَحظي

فَيُرجِعُني إِلى الإِغضاءِ خيمي

I yearn to burn the enemies with my gaze

Then my tent returns me to composure

أَبى لي الذَمَّ آباءٌ تَساموا

إِلى عَنقاءَ طَيِّبَةِ الأُرومِ

My fathers who rose up refused blame for me

To the graceful necks of the aromatic hills

إِذا اِشتَمَلوا عَلى الأَعداءِ عادوا

وَقَد غَمَروا الضَغائِنِ بِالحُلومِ

When they attacked enemies, they returned

Having submerged hatreds in sweetness

أَلا مَن مُبلِغُ الأَحياءِ أَنّي

قَطَعتُ قَرائِنِ الزَمَنِ القَديمِ

Oh messenger to the living, I have

Cut off the associations of ancient time

وَأَنّي قَد أَبيتُ مُقامُ رَحلي

بِوادي الرَمثِ أَو جَبَلِ الغَميمِ

And I refused to stay my encampment

In the valley of al-Ramth or the cloudy mountain

وَعَن قُربٍ سَيَشغَلُني زَماني

بِرَعيِ الناسِ عَن رَعيِ القُرومِ

And soon my time will distract me

From pasturing people, not pasturing livestock

وَما لي مِن لِقاءِ المَوتِ بُدٌّ

فَما لي لا أَشُدُّ لَهُ حَزيمي

I have no escape from meeting death

So why do I not brace myself for it?

سَأَلتَمِسُ العُلى إِمّا بِعُربٍ

يُرَونَ اللَهاذِمِ أَو بِرومِ

I will seek the heights, either with bedouins

Who see ruins or with Romans

وَلَو أَنّي أُعِنتُ بِآلِ عُكلٍ

رَغِبتُ عَنِ الذَوائِبِ مِن تَميمِ

And if I was supported by the family of Ukal

I would refrain from misfortunes from Tamim

حَذارِكُمُ بَني الضَحّالِ أَنّي

إِلى الأَمرِ الَّذي تومونَ أومي

Beware, O Bani Duhhal, that I

Incline to the matter you harbor

فَلا تَتَعَرَّضوا بِذِراعِ عادٍ

مُدِلٍّ عِندَ خيسَتِهِ شَتيمِ

So do not expose yourselves to the arm of Aad

Debased when his filth is exposed

فَإِن تَكُ مَدحَةٌ سَبَقَت فَإِنّي

بِضِدِّ نِظامِها عَينُ الزَعيمِ

For if you have a poem preceding then I am

The opposite of its prosody, the discerning chief

وَقافِيَةٍ تُخَضخِضُ ما تَرامَت

بِهِ الأَيّامُ في عِرضِ الَئيمِ

And a rhyme that gurgles whatever days have oozed

In the honor of the despicable

تُرَدِّدُ ما لَها مِمَّن يَعيها

سِوى اَلإِطراقِ مِنها وَالوُجومِ

It repeats what it has of one who understands it

Other than frowning at it and scowling

لَها في الرَأسِ سَوراتٌ يُطاطي

لَها الإِنسانُ كَالرُجُلِ الأَميمِ

It has in the head lesions which

Humans court like a blind drunkard

لِيَعلَمَ مَن أُناضِلُ أَنَّ شِعري

يُطالِعُ بِالشَقاءِ وَبِالنَعيمِ

So that whoever I wrestle may know that my poetry

Surveys both misery and bliss