هَل رَيعَ قَلبُكَ لِلخَليطِ المُنجِدِ

بِلَوى البُراقِ تَزايَلوا عَن مَوعِدي

Does your heart rejoice in this charming mix

Of shining cheeks that missed my tryst?

قالوا غَداً يَومُ النَوى فَتَسَلَّفوا

عَضّاً لِأَطرافِ البَنانِ عَلى غَدِ

They said tomorrow is the day of intent, so they borrowed

Some bites on the fingertips of the young women for tomorrow

رَفَعوا القِبابَ وَبَينَهُنَّ لُبانَةٌ

لَم تَقضِها عِدَةُ الغَزالِ الأَغيَدِ

They set up the tents, and between them was a wide expanse

That the gazelle’s limited number could not traverse

وَغَدوا غُدوَّ الرَوضِ أَلبَسَهُ الحَيا

نَسجَينِ بَينَ مُسَرَّدٍ وَمُعَضَّدِ

And they went early to the garden, adorned with life

Embroidered between outstretched and supported

وَوَراهُمُ قَلبٌ يُشاقُ وَمُهجَةٌ

بَرَدَت رَدىً وَغَليلُها لَم يَبرُدِ

And behind them a heart that suffers and an intellect

That has cooled but its turmoil did not chill

لا ثوا خُدودَهُمُ عَلى عَينِ النَقا

وَدُمى النَمارِقِ وَالغُصونِ المُيَّدِ

They did not rub their cheeks on the brilliant stars

And the moons and the bending branches

وَأَهِلَّةٍ بِتنا نَضَلُّ بِضَوئِها

وَلَقَد تَرانا بِالأَهِلَّةِ نَهتَدي

And crescents that we seek illumination from

And we are certainly guided by the crescent

فَسَقى ثَرى تِلكَ الغُصونِ نَباتِهِ

ماشاءَ مِن سَبَلِ الغَمامِ المُزبِدِ

So it watered the ground of those branches

As much as desired from the paths of abundant clouds

وَلَقَد مَرَرتُ عَلى الدِيارِ فَعَزَّني

جَلَدي وَكانَ أَعَزَّ مِنهُ تَجَلُّدي

And I certainly passed by the homes, so it pained me

My skin, though my endurance was more painful

لَولا مُكاثَرَةُ الدُموعِ عَشِيَّةً

لَعَرَفتُ رَسمَ المَنزِلِ المُتَأَبِّدِ

If not for the competeing tears in the evening

I would have known the abode’s eternal imprint

لَهفي لِأَيّامِ الشَبابِ عَلى نَدى

أَطرافِهِنَّ وَظِلِّهِنَّ الأَبرَدِ

My craving is for the days of youth at

The dew of their fingertips and their cooler shade

أَيّامَ أَنفُضُ لِلمِراحِ ذَوائِبي

وَأَروحُ بَينَ مُعَذِّلٍ وَمُفَنِّدِ

Days when I fling to the breeze my flowing hair

And roam between plaited and unplaited

وَمُرَجِّلينَ مِنَ الحِمامِ غَرانِقٍ

مِثلِ الغُصونِ ثِيابُها الوَرَقُ النَدي

And those who curl their ringlet-like clothes

Are like branches whose clothes are soft leaves

مُتَمَلِّيينَ مِنَ الشَبابِ كَأَنَّهُم

أَقمارُ غاشِيَةِ الظَلامِ الأَربَدِ

Swaying in their youth as if they are

Moons veiling the darkest gloom

صُقِلَت نُصولُ خُدودِهِم بيدِ الصِبا

مُردُ العَوارِضِ في زَمانٍ أَمرَدِ

Their cheeks were polished by the hand of youth

Flexible in an unbending time

تَستَنبِطُ الأَلحاظُ ماءَ وُجوهِهِم

فَيَكادُ يَنقَعُ مِن غَضارَتِها الصَدي

Eyes draw water from their faces

Almost dripping from their brilliance

لا تَنفُرُ الحَسناءُ مِن مَسّي وَلا

تُثنى إِذا مُدَّت إِلى أَرَبٍ يَدي

The beautiful one does not shy from my touch

Nor recoil if I extend a hand to a companion

وَبَياضُ ما بَيني وَبَينَ أَحِبَّتي

يَومَ اللِقاءِ مِنَ الغُرابِ الأَسوَدِ

And the distance between me and my loved ones

On the day we meet is darker than a raven

فَالآنَ إِذ قَرَعَ النَوائِبُ مَروَتي

وَأَلَنَّ مَعجِمَ عودِيَ المُتَشَدِّدِ

So now when misfortunes have cracked my dignity

And weakened the rigidity of my twisted rod

وَقَصَرنَ خَطوي عَن مُراهَنَةِ الصِبا

فَخَطَوتُ لِلَّذاتِ خَطوَ مُقَيَّدِ

And my strides fell short of competing with youth

I walked with restricted strides

أَلبَسنَني بُردَ الوَقارِ ضَرورَةً

وَأَرَينَني جَدَدَ الطَريقِ الأَقصَدِ

Necessity clothed me in the cloak of dignity

And showed me the straightest path anew

فَاليَومَ أَسلَسُ في القِيادِ وَطالَما

مَنَعَت فُضولُ عَزامَتي مِن مِقوَدي

So today I gently hold the reins though long ago

My excessive valor prevented me from the rod

ما لي أَذِلُّ وَصارِمي لَم يَنثَلِم

بِطُلى العِدى وَقَنايَ لَم يَتَقَصَّدِ

I do not humiliate though my blade is unbroken

By the bites of enemies and my spear is untarnished

قَد طالَ في ثَوبِ الهُمومِ تَزَمُّلي

فَلَآخُذَنَّ لِنَهضَتي مِن مَقعَدي

I have been cloaked in the garb of worries for long

So I will rise from my seated position

وَلَأَظعَنَنَّ دُجى الظَلامِ بِحَسرَةٍ

هَوجاءَ تَسأَلُ مَورِداً عَن مَورِدِ

And I will light up the darkness of gloom with a blazing

Yearning that asks about watering places from watering place

في غِلمَةٍ هَدَموا ذُرى عَبدِيَّةٍ

أَنضاءِ خَمسٍ لِلنَجاءِ عَمَرَّدِ

In darkness they destroyed the castles of glory

Brilliant five defending the helpless

تَصِلُ الدُؤوبَ كَأَنَّ طالي أَنيُقٍ

نَضَحَ الذَفارى بِالكُحَيلِ المُعقَدِ

The persistent flow as if a charming bucket

Poured out the reddish antimony unstopping

مَشَقَ الهَجيرُ لُحومَها وَتَناضَلَت

أَخفافُها بِالأَمعَزِ المُتَوَقِّدِ

Separation tore its flesh as their

Sandals struggled with flaming embers

وَإِذا المَوامي غُلنَ آخِرَ جُهدِها

صاحَت بِها الأَعراقُ دونَكَ فَاِزدَدِ

And when the milestones reached the limit of their capacity

The veins called out, come closer!

حَتّى إِذا رَكِبوا الرُؤوسَ مِنَ الكَرى

وَتَصَوَّبَ العَيّوقُ بَعدَ تَصَعُّدِ

Until when they mounted the hilltops

And the camel turned after climbing

جَعَلوا الخُدودَ عَلى أَزِمَّةِ ضُمَّرٍ

فَتَلَ الكَلالُ قُيودَهُنَّ بِلا يَدِ

They placed their cheeks on summarize reins

So necks unbound them without hands

مِثلُ الصَوارِمِ وَالدُجى أَغمادُها

حَتّى تُسَلَّ إِلى المَغارِ الأَبعَدِ

Like swords with darkness their sheaths

Until drawn at the most distant cave

أَنا في الضُحى سَرجُ الحِصانِ وَفي الدُجى

كورٌ عَلى ظَهرِ الأَمونِ الجَلعَدِ

I am the horse’s saddle in the morning and in darkness

A ball on the slippery back of a valley

بِيَدي مِنَ الهِندِيِّ فَضلُ عِمامَةٍ

لا بُدَّ أَعصِبُها بِرَأسِ مُسَوَّدِ

In my hand is the remnants of a turban from India

I must wrap around my darkened head

إِنّي لَأَغلَطُ آنِفاً بِمَواسي

وَأُقيمُ مِن عُنُقِ الأَبِيِّ الأَصيَدِ

I was mistakenly gentle with pleasures

And stood from the neck of the white antelope

قُل لِلعِدى إِن بِتُّ أوقِدُ نارَها

ما بَينَنا أَبَداً إِذا لَم تَخمَدِ

Tell the enemy, if I ignite its fire

There will never be peace between us if it doesn’t die out

فَدَعوا مُصاوَلَةَ الضَراغِمِ وَاِنبِحوا

نَبحَ الكِلابِ عَلى نُجومِ الأَسعَدِ

So stop the howling of wild dogs and bark

The bark of dogs at fortunate stars

لا يَغرُرَنَّكُمُ تَناوُمُ ضَيغَمٍ

وَتَناذَروا وَثَباتِ أَغلَبَ مُلبِدِ

Let not their dozing and threats deceive you

And warn each other of the power of the man with mail

الصارِمُ المَشهورُ يُنذِرُ نَفسَهُ

فَخُذوا الحِذارَ مِنَ الحُسامِ المُغمَدِ

The famous blade warns itself

So beware of the sheathed sword

وَأَقارِبٌ جَعَلوا العُقوقَ سَجِيَّةً

يَتَوارَثونَ سَفاهَةً عَن قُعدُدِ

While kin have made disavowal a trait

Inheriting foolishness from a sedentary ancestor

لَبِسوا لَنا زَرَدَ النِفاقِ فَأَصبَحوا

في ذِمَّةِ الخُلُقِ اللَئيمِ الأَوغَدِ

They wore for us the armor of hypocrisy so they became

In the custody of wicked morals and corruption

وَكَأَنَّما تِلكَ الضُلوعُ قَساوَةً

تُثنى عَلى قِطَعِ الصَفاءِ الجَلمَدِ

As if those ribs are hardened

To bend the purity of polished Indian steel

قالوا الصَفاحُ فَقُلتُ إِنَّ أَلِيَةً

أَن لا أَمُدُّ يَدي بِغَيرِ مُهَنَّدِ

They said reconcile, but I said my doctrine

Is not to extend a hand without a glove

مِن كُلِّ مَنخوبِ الجَنانِ كَأَنَّهُ

في الرَوعِ مَطرودٌ وَإِن لَم يُطرَدِ

He is outcast from every garden though he seems

Expelled and even if he is not expelled

إِن عايَنَ النَقعَينِ أَنكَرَ قَلبَهُ

وَنَجا بِناصِيَةِ الطِمِرَّ الأَجرَدِ

If he sees the two teats he disavows his heart

And is saved by the lead rope of the bald camel

لَو عيدَ مِن داءِ الفَهاهَةِ واحِدٌ

عادوهُ مِن عَيِّ إِذا حَضَرَ النَدي

If one is cured of terrible foolishness

They return to him at the time of bounty

مُتَقَدِّمٌ في لُؤمِهِ ميلادُهُ

وَمِنَ الخُمولِ كَأَنَّهُ لَم يولَدِ

Advanced in his foolishness since birth

As if he was never born from lethargy

قُل لِلَّذي بِالغَيِّ سَوّى بَينَنا

أَينَ الغُبارُ مِنَ الجِبالِ الرُكَّدِ

Say to the one who equated us with falsehood

Where is dust compared to solid mountains

لا تُدنِيَنَّ مُوارِبينَ دَعَوتَهُم

يَومَ الطِعانِ فَسَوَّفوكَ إِلى الغَدِ

Do not lend them your ears when they accuse

The next day, so they pushed you to tomorrow

تَرَكوا القَنا تَهفو إِلَيكَ صُدورُهُ

وَالقَومُ بَينَ مُهَلِّلٍ وَمُغَرَّدِ

They left their chests panting for you

While the people are between praising and singing

حَتّى اِتَّقَوا بِكَ ثَمَّ فاغِرَةَ الرَدى

فَنَجَوا وَأَنتَ عَلى طَريقِ المَزرَدِ

Until they sought refuge through you from the calamity

So they were saved while you are on the path to banishment

قَذَفوكَ في غَمّائِها وَتَباعَدوا

عَنها وَقالوا قُم لِنَفسِكَ وَاِقعُدِ

They cast you into its darkness and kept away

From it and said, stand for yourself and sit

قَطَعَ الزَمانُ قِبالَ نَعلِكَ فَاِنتَعِل

أُخرى تَقيكَ مِنَ العِثارِ وَجَدِّدِ

Time has severed the straps of your shoes so wear

Others to protect you from stumbling and renew

يَصِلُ الذَليلُ إِلى العَزيزِ بِكَيدِهِ

وَالشَمسُ تُظلِمُ مِن دُخانِ المَوقِدِ

The despised reaches the honorable through his scheming

And the sun is darkened by smoke from the kindling

وَاِشدُد يَدَيكَ إِلى الوَغى بِمُغامِرٍ

نَدبٍ لِعاداتِ الطِعانِ مُعَوَّدِ

And harden your hands for battle with one who risks

A reprimand for the habits of the habitual fault-finder

لَم يَنتَقِش شَوكَ القَنا مِن جِلدِهِ

في الرَوعِ إِلّا بِالقَنا المُتَقَصِّدِ

The thorn of defiance was not plucked from his skin

Except by definite defiance

مِن كُلِّ مُربَدَةِ النَجيعِ إِذا عَلَت

نَغَراتُها قَطَعَت حُضورَ العُوَّدِ

From every hissing dune, when

Its writhing cuts short the presence of the peg

إِن سَوَّموهُ إِلى الرِهانِ فَإِنَّما

مَسَحوا جَبينَ مُقَلَّدٍ لِمُقَلِّدِ

If they assign him to the wager, then they have

Patted the forehead of an imitator of an imitator

ما عُذرُ مَن ضَرَبَت بِهِ أَعراقُهُ

حَتّى بَلَغنَ إِلى النَبِيِّ مُحَمَّدِ

What is the excuse of one whose veins have been struck

To the point of reaching the Prophet Muhammad

أَن لا يَمُدَّ إِلى المَكارِمِ باعَهُ

وَيَنالَ مُنقَطِعَ العُلى وَالسُؤدُدِ

That he does not extend his scope to noble deeds

And attain the highest and most faithful summit

مُتَحَلِّقاً حَتّى تَكونَ ذُيولُهُ

أَبَدَ الزَمانِ عَمائِماً لِلفَرقَدِ

Grasping until his trains

Become for all time turbans for the grave

أَعِنِ المَقادِرَ لا تَكُن هَبّابَةً

وَتَأَزَّرِ اليَومَ العَصَبصَبَ وَاِرتَدِ

Aid the divine decree, be not fickle

And dress yourself today with collectedness and composure

لا تَغبِطَنَّ عَلى البَقاءِ مُعَمَّراً

فَلَقُربُ يَومِ مَنِيَّةٍ مِن مَولِدِ

Do not congratulate yourself on prolonged life

For the day of death is nearer than the day of birth