لَو عَلِمَت أَيَّ فَتىً ماجِدِ

ذاتُ اللَمى وَالشَنَبِ البارِدِ

If only those rosy cheeks and that cool mustache

Knew which gallant man kept his word,

لَمّا وَفى لي مَوعِدي بِالنَوى

مِن غَيرِ ذَنبٍ وَوَفى وَاِعِدي

Without wrongdoing, and fulfilled his promise to me,

Like a pliant branch, yet doing the acts of a bending stalk,

كَالغُصنِ مَهزوزاً وَلَكِنَّهُ

يَفعَلُ فِعلَ الخَطِلِ المائِدِ

You led my heart astray in you deliberately, and so

Vengeance is certain for the pillar.

أَضلَلتَ قَلبي فيكَ عَمداً وَقَد

تَعَيَّنَ الثَأرُ عَلى العامِدِ

Is there then any hope for the one whom I misled,

Or any who found what I wasted?

فَهَل لِما أَضلَلتَ مِن ناشِدٍ

وَهَل لِما ضَيَّعتَ مِن واجِدِ

Our hearts are tied to you

By the knot of that tight binder.

قُلوبُنا عِندَكَ مَعقودَةٌ

بِطَرفِ ذاكَ الشادِنِ العاقِدِ

Did you release us, then folded its end back?

The gazelle turns to the hunter.

أَفلَتَنا ثُمَّ ثَنى طَرفَهُ

تَلَفُّتَ الظَبيِ إِلى الصائِدِ

The debauched one was not fair when he glanced,

When he saw in us the devotion of a worshipper.

ما أَنصَفَ الفاسِقُ في لَحظِهِ

لَمّا أَرانا عِفَّةَ العابِدِ

Glory in love has humiliation,

And deficient love leads to increase.

تَعَزُّزُ الحُبَّ لَهُ ذِلَّةٌ

وَناقِصُ الحُبِّ إِلى زائِدِ

One is envied for his pleasures,

And love is sweet without any envious.

وَالمَرءُ مَحسودٌ بِلَذّاتِهِ

وَالحُبُّ مَلذوذٌ بِلا حاسِدِ

O gentle smiler, wet my thirst

With a drink from your cool saliva.

يا عَذبَةَ المَبسِمِ بُلّي الجَوى

بِنَهلَةٍ مِن ريقِكِ الصارِدِ

I see a muddy pond, does that water

Have any one coming to it?

أَرى غَديراً شَبِماً ماؤُهُ

فَهَل لِذاكَ الماءِ مِن وارِدِ

Is there anyone who brings me

Honey melting amidst solid cold?

مَن لي بِهِ مِن عَسَلٍ ذائِبٍ

يَجري خِلالَ البَرَدِ الجامِدِ

I am the son of one who had no ancestors,

No one was among the outstanding warriors.

أَنا اِبنُ مَن لَيسَ بِجَدٍّ لَهُ

مَن لَم يَكُن بِالماجِدِ الجائِدِ

And he was not among his fathers’ lineage

Except the long-armed and strong-muscled.

وَلَم يَكُن في سِلكِ آبائِهِ

غَيرُ طَويلِ الباعِ وَالساعِدِ

Fate has milked its udders,

And pursued the strayer with the pursuer.

قَد حَلَبَ الدَهرَ أَفاويقَهُ

وَأَتبَعَ الشارِدَ بِالطارِدِ

For us are the mountains, the firewood lifted high,

From which the climber’s foot slips.

لَنا الجِبالُ القودُ مَرفوعَةً

تَزِلُّ عَنها قَدَمُ الصاعِدِ

For us are the horses, their skulls are lovely,

Against the enemy with prolonged galloping.

لَنا الجِيادُ القُبُّ أَخّاذَةٌ

عَلى العِدى بِالأَمَدِ الزائِدِ

For us are the spears and white swords, tamed

In striking, though sheathed by the scabbard’s hand.

لَنا القَنا وَالبيضُ مِطواعَةٌ

في الضَربِ يَعصينَ يَدَ الغامِدِ

For us are the lions, triumphant in their dens,

Among the ferocious and the energetic,

لَنا الأُسودُ الغُلبُ في غِيلِها

مِن ثائِرٍ بَأساً وَمِن لابِدِ

From a lion advanced in years,

And from a near-aged youthful lion.

مِن أَسَدٍ طالَ بِهِ عُمرُهُ

وَمِن قَريبِ العُمرِ مُستاسِدِ

O you who blame me ignorantly,

Beware of my spying eye.

يَأَيَّها العائِبُ لي جَهلَةً

حَذارِ مِن أَرقَمي الراصِدِ

I put forth my vow, and I have might

That scares off sleep from the slumberer,

أُقَدِّمُ النَذرَ وَلي سَطوَةٌ

تُنَفِّرُ النَومَ عَنِ الراقِدِ

Like the flash of lightning passing by

That does away with the roar of thunder.

كَلَمعَةِ البارِقِ مُجتازَةً

تَقضي عَلى زَمجَرَةِ الراعِدِ

If you have not tried me striking,

Then wait for what comes from my arm.

إِن كُنتَ ما جَرَّبتَني ضارِباً

فَاِصبِر لِما جاءَكَ مِن ساعِدي

And here is my palm spread open for you,

The palm of the camel returning to pasture.

وَهاكَ مِن كَفِّيَ مَفروجَةً

فَرجَ القَبا مَوسِيَةَ العائِدِ

How much delight has faded,

With the sting of the envious scorpion!

رُبُّ نَعيمٍ زالَ رَيعانُهُ

بِلَسعَةٍ مِن عَقرَبِ الحاسِدِ

I am one who expends from my blade

As much as I expend from my birth.

أَنا الَّذي أَبذُلُ مِن طارِفي

مِثلَ الَّذي أَبذُلُ مِن تالِدي

I have no manliness for the complaining weakling,

Nor any branch for the one seeking support.

ما مَروَتي لِلناحِتِ المُنتَحي

يَوماً وَلا غُصنِيَ لِلعاضِدِ

I strive for a people who sat high up;

How much the striver increases the sitter!

أَسعى لِقَومٍ قَعَدوا في العُلى

ما أَكثَرَ الساعي إِلى القاعِدِ

I am one whose attack widens,

Repelling the shields from the assailant.

أَنا الَّذي يوسِعُها جَولَةً

تُجَفِّلُ الذَودَ عَنِ الذائِدِ

I am one whose shoulders tread upon it;

No spear in my hands ever softens.

أَنا الَّذي يوطِىءُ أَكتافَها

ما رَنَّ رُمحٌ بِيَدَي مارِدِ

I am one who kindles its horizons,

As if they are ignited embers.

أَنا الَّذي يُضرِمُ آفاقَها

كَأَنَّها مَعمَعَةُ الواقِدِ

I am one who inflames its heroes

With a strike like the arrival of a laden camel.

أَنا الَّذي يوجِرُ أَبطالَها

ضَرباً كَخَبطِ الجَمَلِ الوارِدِ

I am not for the lofty if there was not

From my children what was from my father.

ما أَنا لِلعَلياءِ إِن لَم يَكُن

مِن وَلَدي ما كانَ مِن والِدي

Nor did the horses walk with me if I did not mount

The throne of this glorious conqueror.

وَلا مَشَت بِيَ الخَيلُ إِن لَم أَطَأ

سَريرَ هَذا الأَغلَبِ الماجِدِ

So if I do reach it, it is as I threw it;

Or else my guide may prove me wrong.

فَإِن أَنَلها فَكَما رُمتُهُ

أَولا فَقَد يَكذِبُني رائِدي

The goal is death, so I do not reflect:

Will my driver be in the morning or evening?

وَالغايَةُ المَوتُ فَما فِكرَتي

أَسائِقي أَصبَحَ أَم قائِدي