خَصيمٌ مِنَ الأَيّامِ لي وَشَفيعُ

كَذا الدَهرُ يَعصي مَرَّةً وَيُطيعُ

My days have become both an adversary and an intercessor for me

Thus time defies once and obeys another time

وَبي ظَمَأٌ لَولا العُلى ما بَلَلتُهُ

وَفي كُلِّ قَلبٍ غُلَّةٌ وَنُزوعُ

Thirst has overwhelmed me, else, I would not have wetted it

In every heart there is an obstruction and a leaning

وَما أَنا مِمَّن يَطلُبُ الماءَ لِلصَدى

وَيَجمَعُني وَالوارِدينَ شُروعُ

And I am not of those who seek water for echo

And meeting place of all comers brings me together with them

رَضاعي مِنَ الدُنيا المَماتُ فِطامُهُ

وَما نَزَحَ الثَديَ الغَزيرَ رَضيعُ

My weaning from this life is death, while its suckling

Neither does the streaming breast satisfy the weaned

أَبَينا وَلا ضَيمٌ أَصابَ أُنوفَنا

وَفي الأَرضِ مُصطافٌ لَنا وَرَبيعُ

We refused but no harm befell our honor

And we have in the land a place to rest and a spring

إِذا غَدَرَت نَفسُ الجَبانِ بِصَبرِهِ

حَمَتنا ذُروعٌ طَلقَةٌ وَدُروعُ

If the coward's soul betrays its patience

Our arms, polished and armored, defend us

وَأَقنَعَنا بِالبيدِ أَن لَيسَ مَنزِلٌ

وَما بَينَ أَيدي اليَعمُلاتِ وَسيعُ

And a homestead in the desert sufficed us that it is no dwelling place

And what there is between the hands of doers is expansive

أَبُثُّكَ أَنَّ المالَ عارٌ عَلى الفَتى

وَما المالُ إِلّا عِفَّةٌ وَقُنوعُ

Shall I denounce to you that wealth brings dishonor to a young man?

Wealth is nothing but chastity and contentment

أَيَطلُعُ لي عَزمٌ إِلى ما أُريدُهُ

وَصاحِبُ سِرّي في الرِجالِ مُذيعُ

Does a firm resolution rise in me towards what I want?

And the confidant of my secret among men is a blabber

وَتَشتاقُ نَفسي حالَةً بَعدَ حالَةٍ

وَأَزجُرُها إِنّي إِذا لَقَنوعُ

And my soul yearns for a state after a state

And I restrain it, for I am, when solitary, content

وَإِنّي لَأَغرى بِالنَسيمِ إِذا سَرى

وَيُعجِبُني بِالأَبرَقَينِ رُبوعُ

And I am tempted by the blowing wind when it flows

And I admire, in it, the alternation of lightning

وَيَحني عَلَيَّ الشَوقَ نَجدِيُّ مُزنَةٍ

وَبَرقٌ بِأَطرافِ الحِجازِ لَموعُ

And longing bows upon me, the misery of rain in Al-Hejaz and its lightning that flashes on the outskirts

And I know not ecstasy until a dove in the valley coos

وَلا أَعرِفُ الأَشجانَ حَتّى يَشوقَني

حَمامٌ بِبَطنِ الواديّينِ سَجوعُ

And were it not for passion, I would have been nothing but a toiler

Who defies passion and obeys

وَلَولا الهَوى ما كُنتُ إِلّا مُشَمِّراً

أُطاعُ عَلى رُغمَ الهَوى وَأُطيعُ

When dawn shines, the steed is my companion

And when night comes, the sword is my bedmate

إِذا راقَ صُبحٌ فَالحِصانُ مُصاحِبٌ

وَإِن عاقَ لَيلٌ فَالحُسامُ ضَجيعُ

I left the nights behind me hated

And the overwhelming swarms of insects accompanied me

تَرَكتُ اللَيالي خَلفَ ظَهري رَذِيَّةً

وَصاحَبَني طاغي الذُبابِ قَطوعُ

I ventured fascinated by what I seek

I traverse the darkness while the seekers are asleep

وَخاطَرتُ مَشغوفاً بِما أَنا طالِبٌ

أَجوبُ الدُجى وَالطالِبونَ هُجوعُ

Be informed that a spear whose attack is not piercing is useless

And a sword that does not strike violently is blunt

أَلا إِنَّ رُمحاً لا يَصولُ لَنَبعَةٌ

وَإِنَّ حُساماً لا يَقُدُّ قَطيعُ

And I left behind me men from Qais and Khindif

Without my chest provoking them to war

وَفارَقتُ مِن أَبناءِ قَيسٍ وَخِندِفٍ

رِجالاً وَلَم تَنفُر عَلَيَّ ضُلوعُ

I left them calling while my tears were streaming

But my eyes did not allow them to shed tears on me

تَرَكتُهُمُ يَدعونَ وَالدَمعُ ناشِزٌ

وَما مَلَكَت طَرفي عَلَيَّ دُموعُ

A farewell heart cautioned them against me

And a resolute determination to meet the men head-on

وَحَذَّرَهُم مِنّي فُؤادٌ مُشَيَّعٌ

وَعَزمٌ لِأَقانِ الرِجالِ قَطوعُ

And a soul free in confronting catastrophes

And a heart obedient in the war of time

وَنَفسٌ عَلى كَرِّ النَوائِبِ حُرَّةٌ

وَقَلبٌ عَلى حَربِ الزَمانِ مُطيعُ

And I said: Accepting oppression is the greatest fault

And the free man in the land is not lost

وَقُلتُ قَبولُ الضَيمِ أَعظَمُ خَطَّةٍ

وَما الحُرُّ في رَحبِ البِلادِ مَضيعُ

So when I saw humiliation among the people was common

I left and no return was possible to me

فَلَمّا رَأَيتُ الذُلَّ في القَومِ سُبَّةً

ذَهَبتُ فَلَم يُقدَر عَلَيَّ رُجوعُ

Lo, my night in Iraq is as if

It is an emaciated camel avoided by men

أَلا إِنَّ لَيلي بِالعِراقِ كَأَنَّهُ

طَليحٌ تَجافاهُ الرِجالُ ظَليعُ

Resident who brings me worries and my watcher

Is preoccupied with the backs of the stars and burning

مُقيمٌ يُعاطيني الهُمومَ وَناظِري

مُعَنىً بِأَعجازِ النُجومِ وَلَوعُ

And horse(s) whose purity we shattered in the darkness of night

Their hooves make the pebbles quiver and frightened

وَخَيلٍ أَبَحناها السَماوَةَ وَالوَجى

تُنَفِّرُ أَيديها الحَصى وَتَروعُ

Until dawn rises and the night departs dejectedly

Abandoning its horrors, and the planets are gazing

إِلى أَن تَسامى الصُبحُ وَاللَيلُ لافِظٌ

حُشاشَتَهُ وَالطالِعاتُ تَريعُ

And by God I survived a day in Iraq

Though the hands of death were about to fall

وَلِلَّهِ يَومٌ بِالعِراقِ نَجَوتُهُ

وَأَيدي المَنايا بِالنَجاءِ وُقوعُ

I slipped away from it, slipped like a smooth pocket

And it bent inside the pockets of oath-breakers

تَمَلَّستُ مِنُه أَملَسَ الجَيبِ وَاِنثَنى

لَهُ في جُيوبِ الناكِثينَ رُدوعُ

Mouths vie over it, in every arena

And every tradition in which I was the innovator

تَنازَعُهُ الأَفواهُ في كُلِّ مَشهَدٍ

وَكُلُّ حَدِيٍّ كُنتُ فيهِ بَديعُ

We tasted it, and we let our spears drink from its blood

And hopes of men were cloven by its gaping wounds

طَعِمنا وَأَطعَمنا القَنا مِن دِمائِهِ

وَسارَت بِآمالِ الرِجالِ صُدوعُ

And our hands conceal the bases of our spears

While their tips roam between hearts

وَتَحفَظُ أَيدينا كُعوبَ رِماحِنا

وَأَطرافُها بَينَ القُلوبِ تَضيعُ

My greed is to own all the glory

And every boy aspires to the heights

طَماعِيَتي أَن أَملِكَ المَجدَ كُلَّهُ

وَكُلُّ غُلامٍ في العَلاءِ طَموعُ

And a friend who hands me cups as a courtesy

And he wished the mint were copious

وَمَولىً يُعاطيني الكُؤوسَ تَجَمُّلاً

وَقَد وَدَّ لَو أَنَّ العُقارَ نَجيعُ

I hid in my ribs a deadly assault for him

On the day of traitors, it will startle him

خَبَأتُ لَهُ ما بَينَ جَنبيَّ فَتكَةً

دَهَتهُ وَيَومُ الغادِرينَ شَنيعُ

Since no day lasts whose loyalty endures

Then loyalty in time is a wonder

فَلا كانَ يَومٌ لا يَدومُ وَفاؤُهُ

فَإِنَّ وَفاءً في الزَمانِ بَديعُ

Some sayings of speakers are falsified

And some visitors of relatives are deceivers

وَبَوضُ مَقالِ القائِلينَ مُكَذَّبٌ

وَبَعضُ وِرادِ الأَقرَبينَ خَدوعُ

I see a guided one listening while none is speaking

And one seeking guidance calling while none can hear

أَرى راشِداً يُصغي وَليسَ مُكَلَّمٌ

وَمُستَرشَدٌ يَدعو وَليسَ سَميعُ

People are nothing but a pretentious eulogizer

And another, the train of whose cloak is vile

وَما الناسُ إِلا ماجِدٌ مُتَلَثِّمٌ

وَآخَرُ مَجرورُ العِطافِ خَليعُ

Time is naught but blessings and tribulations

And creatures are naught but secure and terrified

وَما الدَهرُ إِلّا نِعمَةٌ وَمُصيبَةٌ

وَما الخَلقُ إِلّا آمَنٌ وَجَزوعُ

The day of soft steps, hand-clapping

And the speech of creaky sandals braying

وَيَومُ رَقيقِ الطُرَّتينِ مُصَفِّقٌ

وَخَطبُ جُرازِ المَضرَبَينِ قَطيعُ

It astonished me — it moves with us while standing still

It eats from our lifetimes and is ravenous

عَجِبتُ لَهُ يَسري بِنا وَهوَ واقِفٌ

وَيَأكُلُ مِن أَعمارِنا وَيَجوعُ

Which man of Saʿd's offspring did I befriend

That did not debase those roots with branches?

وَأَيُّن فَتىً مِن فَرعِ سَعدٍ صَحِبتُه

وَما هَجَنَت تِلكَ الأُصولَ فُروعُ

Lightweight on the back of the noble that shakes him

Poems on his shoulders and short poetry

خَفيفٌ عَلى ظَهرِ النَجيبِ تَهُزُّهُ

عُروضٌ عَلى أَعطافِهِ وَقُطوعُ

When one day is obscured, his honor's face rises

And for us the full moon has setting and rising

إِذا غابَ يَومٌ أَطلَعَ العِزُّ وَجهَهُ

وَلِلبَدرِ فينا مَغرِبٌ وَطُلوعُ

I will pounce from the night of disorder and escape

To an abode where time is submissive

سَأَنقُضُ مِن لَيلِ الثَوِيَّةِ وَفرَتي

إِلى مَنزِلٍ لِلدَهرِ فيهِ خُضوعُ

I see the stallion whose lips the bridle has chafed

And without him is the rugged, firm ground

أَرى العيسَ قَد خاطَ اللُغامُ شِفاهَها

وَمِن دونِها صَعبُ الضِرابِ مَنيعُ

When crisis seizes him, deliverance takes him

And the legs of the steed bound forth

إِذا أَخَذَت مِنها الأَزِمَّةُ حَثَّها

نَجاءٌ وَأَعضادُ المَطِيِّ تَبوعُ

As for us, when the whips wave boastfully

We bow down on its withers and kneel

وَنَحنُ إِذا طارَ السِياطُ بِشَأوِها

سُجودٌ عَلى أَكوارِها وَرُكوعُ

I do not accept satisfaction from time

And my resolve is taken while time is prevented

وَإِنِّيَ لا أَرضى مِنَ الدَهرِ بِالرِضا

وَعَزمي أَخوذٌ وَالزَمانُ مَنوعُ

In life, the suckling of the udder is speckled

And on earth, the pasturing plain is verdant

وَفي العَيشِ مَشمولُ النِطافِ مُرَقرَقٌ

وَفي الأَرضِ مُخضَرُّ الجَنابِ مَريعُ