سَتَعلَمونَ ما يَكونُ مِنّي

إِن مَدَّ مِن ضَبعَيَّ طولُ سِنّي

You will know what will become of me

If the length of my years extends

أَأَدَعُ الدُنيا وَلَم تَدَعني

يَلعَبُ بي عَناؤُها المُعَنّي

Shall I leave the world before it leaves me

Toying with me is its constant worry

ناطِحَةً بِالجُمِّ هامَ القِرنِ

نِطاحَ رَوقِ الجازِىءِ الأَغَنِّ

With thick horns butting

The butting of a heavynecked bull

وَسِعتُ أَيّامي وَلَم تَسعَني

أَفضَلُ عَنها وَتَضيقُ عَنّي

My days widened but did not contain me

I excel yet they narrow for me

لَم أَنا مِثلُ الفاطِنِ المُبِنِّ

أَسحَبُ بُردَي ضَرَعٍ وَأَفنِ

I'm not like the keen and perceptive one

Milking the udders of a breast and sighing

وَلي مَضاءٌ قَطُّ لَم يَخُنّي

ضَميرُ قَلبي وَضَميرُ جَفني

I have an unfailing and staunch determination

My heart's conscience and my eyes' conscience

أَحصَلُ مِن عَزمي عَلى التَمَنّي

وَلَيتَني أَفعَلُ أَو لَوَ اِنّي

I accomplish my will and longing

If only I act or even if I don't

راضِ بِما يُضوي الفَتى وَيُضني

غَنيتُ بِالمَجدِ وَلَم أَستَغنِ

Content with what exhausts and impoverishes the youth

I became rich with glory but did not gain independence

إِنَّ الغِنى مَجلَبَةٌ لِلضَنِّ

وَلِلقُعودِ وَالرِضا بِالوَهنِ

Indeed, wealth invites pettiness

And Sitting still and accepting dishonor

الفَقرُ يُنئِي وَالثَراءُ يُدني

وَالحِرصُ يُشقي وَالقُنوعُ يُغني

Poverty makes thin, wealth makes you grovel

Greed makes miserable, contentment makes rich

إِن كُنتُ غَيرَ قارِحٍ فَإِنّي

أَبُذُّ جَريَ القارِحِ المُسِنِّ

If I am not offensive, I am

Repelling the strike of the offensive biter

جُنِنتُ بَأساً وَالشَجاعُ جِنّي

أَثارَ طَعنَ الدَهرِ في مِجَنّي

I became insane with courage and the courageous became mad

Protesting the stab of fate in my shield

يَشهَدُ لي أَنَّ الزَمانَ قِرني

سَوفَ تَرى غُبارَها كَالدَجنِ

It testifies for me that time paired me

You will see its dust like darkness

قَساطِلاً مِثلَ غَوادي المُزنِ

تَجري بِضَربٍ صادِقٍ وَطَعنِ

Flowing buckets like valleys of rain

Running with a true strike and stab

جَريَ عَزالي المَطَرِ المُستَنِّ

إِن غِبتُ يَوماً عَنكَ فَاِطَّلِبني

Like the flowing of torrential rain

If I am absent from you one day, seek me

بَينَ المَواضي وَالقَنا تَجِدني

أَمامَ جَيشٍ كَجُنوبِ الرَعنِ

Between the meadows and the spear find me

Leading an army like the trembling of spears

جونُ الذُرى أَقوَدُ مُرجَحَنِّ

أَنفُضُ عَنهُ نَقعَهُ بِرَدني

I shake its evil with my response

To know me and to know me

لِتَعرِفَنّي وَلِتَعرِفَنّي

أَيّامَ أَقني بِالقَنا وَأُغني

The days I compose with the spear and sing

I delight the eye of the longing defeated one

أَقَرُّ عَينِ الفاقِدِ المُرِنِّ

عَسايَ أَنفي الضَيمَ أَو لَعَنّي

Perhaps I remove injustice or it cursed me

How much did the hidden person of lonely body endure

كَم صَبرُ خافي الشَخصِ مُستَجِنِّ

مُنطَمِرٍ مِنَ الأَذى في سِجنِ

Suffering harm in prison

Confined with an interest that helps me

مُرتَهَنٍ بِهِمَّةٍ تُعَنّي

يالَيتَها بِنَهضَةٍ فَدَتني

If only it would save me with an awakening

Before my pledge is locked one day

مِن قَبلِ أَن يَغلَقَ يَوماً رَهني

مَتى تَراني وَالجَوادُ خِدني

When will you see me and the steed kneels for me

The sword my eyes, the spear my ears

وَالنَصلُ عَيني وَالسِنانُ أُذني

وَأُمِّيَ الدِرعُ وَلَم تَلِدني

And my mother the shield though she did not birth me

I drag the excess of its gentle tail

أَجُرُّ فَضلَ ذَيلِها الرِفَنِّ

ما اِحتَبَسَ الرِزقُ فَساءَ ظَنّي

Sustenance was not withheld so my expectation fell short

Nor have I called out in despair

وَلا قَرَعتُ مِن قُنوطٍ سِنّي

ياأَيُّها المَغرورُ لا تَهِجَّني

O you deluded! Do not provoke me

And seek refuge in my wrath and seek refuge in me

وَعُذ بِإِغضائِيَ وَاِستَعِذني

وَاِحذَر عِداءَ قاطِعٍ في ضِمني

And beware the enmity of the slander within me

Speaking with the tongue of my resentment

يَنطَقُ عَنّي بِلِسانِ ضِغني

نَبَّهتُ يَقظانَ قَليلَ الأَمنِ

I warned the scarcely secured wakeful one

Whose garment is torn by the stab of smoothness

مُخَرَّقَ الثَوبِ بِطَعنِ اللُدنِ

يا دَهرُ سَيفي مَعقِلي وَحِصني

Oh time, my sword is my fortress and refuge

And fear incites my search so I was frightened

وَالخَوفُ يُغري طَلَبي فَخَفني

يا لَيتَ مَقدورَكَ لَم يُؤمِنّي

Oh if only your capability did not assure me

I gained before and I will gain again

جَنَيتُ مِن قَبلُ وَسَوفَ أَجني

أَثني يَدي وَالعَزمُ أَن أُثَنّي

I fold my hand but resolve to unfold it