مَثوايَ إِمّا صَهوَةٌ أَو غارِبُ

وَمُنايَ إِمّا زاغِفٌ أَو قاضِبُ

My friend, your beautiful poem depicts profound emotions and vivid imagery. I hesitate to reduce its artistry to another language. However, I will attempt a humble translation that captures its essence, though cannot match its eloquence.

My abode is either a windswept plain or a sunken valley,

في كُلِّ يَومٍ تَنتَضيني عَزمَةٌ

وَتَمُدُّ أَعناقَ الرَجاءِ مَآرِبُ

And my end is either a piercing blade or a biting sword.

Each day, determination rouses me,

قَلبٌ يُصادِقُني الطِلابَ جَراءَةً

وَمِنَ القُلوبِ مُصادِقٌ وَمُوارِبُ

And the necks of hope extend the watering places of nobility.

A heart candidly affirms me boldness,

ما مَذهَبي إِلّا التَقَحُّمُ بِالقَنا

بَينَ الضُلوعِ وَلِلرِجالِ مَذاهِبُ

While among hearts there is a confidant and a shirker.

My doctrine is nothing but plunging into the spears

وَعَلَيَّ في هَذا المَقالِ غَضاضَةٌ

إِن لَم يُساعِدني القَضاءُ الغالِبُ

Among the ribs, though men have their own ways.

In this saying, I have impetuous ardor

ما لي أُخَوَّفُ بِالرَدى فَأَخافُهُ

هَيهاتَ لي في الخَلقِ بَعدُ عَجائِبُ

If the prevailing fate does not support me.

Why should I be frightened by misery so I fear it?

وَالعَزمُ يَطرَحُني بِكُلِّ مَفازَةٍ

مُتَشابِهٍ فيها زُبىً وَغَوارِبُ

Far from it! After this, wonders still remain for me among the people.

And determination casts me into every dangerous spot

أُعطي الأَجيرَ مُرادَهُ مِن صَفحَتي

وَتَكُدُّ سَمعي بِالصَريرِ جَنادِبُ

Where plainly are chasms and clefts.

I give the hired man what he wants from my pages

إِمّا أُقيمُ صُدورَ مَجدي بِالقَنا

وَيَقَرُّ عَضبي أَو تَقومُ مَنادِبُ

And my hearing is deafened by the creaking of locusts.

Either I establish the bastions of my glory by the spears,

مُتَأَنِّقاً وَذُرى الرِمالِ كَأَنَّها

دونَ النَواظِرِ عارِضٌ مُتَراكِبُ

Or my wrath is calmed, or the wailers arise.

Adorned, while the motes of sand are like

أَصبابَةً مِن بَعدِ ما ذَهَبَ الهَوى

طَلقاً وَأَعوَزَ ما يُرامُ الذاهِبُ

Veils, layered over the eyes.

Squandering, after desire has departed,

وَعَلَيَّ تَضميرُ الجِيادِ لِغارَةٍ

فيها خَضيبٌ بِالدِماءِ وَخاضِبُ

Freely, while the departing misses what he intends.

And I harbor the idea of a raid by steeds

أَرِضاً وَذُؤبانُ الخُطوبِ تَنوشُني

وَالعَزمُ ماضٍ وَالرِماحُ سَوالِبُ

In which there is a blood-stained slayer and stained clothes.

I please the wild beasts of misfortunes to attack me

أَنا أُكلَةُ المُغتابِ إِن لَم أَجنِها

شَعواءَ يَحضُرها العُقابُ الغائِبُ

While determination persists and the spears keep striking.

I am the morsel of the backbiter if I do not make it

وَكَأَنَّما فيها الرِماحُ أَراقِمٌ

وَكَأَنَّما فيها القِسيِّ عَقارِبُ

A formidable plain attended by the absent eagle.

There the spears seem like palm trees

قَد عَزَّ مَن ضَنَّت يَداهُ بِوَجهِهِ

إِنَّ الذَليلَ مِنَ الرِجالِ الطالِبُ

And the armor seems like scorpions.

He who was destitute in providing for himself has prevailed;

إِن كانَ فَقرٌ فَالقَريبُ مُباعِدٌ

أَو كانَ مالٌ فَالبَعيدُ مُقارِبُ

Surely the lowly among men are the seekers.

If there is poverty, the relative is distant;

وَأَرى الغَنيَّ مُطاعِناً بِثَرائِهِ

أَعدائَهُ وَالمالُ قِرنٌ غالِبُ

If there is money, the stranger approaches.

And I see the wealthy one charging his enemies with his wealth,

يَشكو تَبَذُّلِيَ الصَحابُ وَعاذِرٌ

أَن يَنبُذَ الماءَ المُرَنَّقَ شارِبُ

And money is a vanquishing ally.

My friends blame my squandering while the critic dislikes

مِن أَجلِ هَذا الناسِ أَبعَدتُ الهَوى

وَرَضيتُ أَن أَبقى وَما لي صاحِبُ

That the sprinkled water is poured out by the drinker.

Because of these people, I dismissed passion

وَأَيُّ اللَيالي إِن غَدَرنَ فَإِنَّهُ

ما سَنَّ أَحبابٌ لَنا وَحَبائِبُ

And I was content to remain without a companion.

And which nights, if they betray, then they

الذَنبُ لي أَنّي جَزِعتُ وَعَنوَنَت

عَنّي دُموعُ العَينِ وَهيَ سَواكِبُ

Have not brought loved ones and sweethearts for us.

The sin is mine, that I worried and tears

دُنيا تَضُرُّ وَلا تَسُرُّ وَذا الوَرى

كُلٌّ يُجاذِبُها وَكُلٌّ عاتِبُ

Poured from my eyes and they are planets.

A world that harms and does not delight, and the people

تُلقي لَنا طَرَفاً فَإِن هِيَ أَعرَضَت

نَزَعَت وَلَو أَنَّ الجِبالَ جَواذِبُ

All contend with it and all complain about it.

It glances at us, so if it turns away

هَيهاتَ يا دُنيا وَبَرقُكِ صادِقٌ

أَرجو فَكَيفَ إِذاً وَبَرقُكِ كاذِبُ

It pulls away even if the mountains are clingers.

Alas o world, your lightning is veracious,

وَالناسُ إِمّا قانِعٌ أَو طالِبٌ

لا يَنتَهي أَو راغِبٌ أَو راهِبٌ

How can I hope then while your lightning is lying?

And the people are either content or seekers

وَإِذا نَعِمتَ فَكُلُّ شَيءٍ مُمكِنٌ

وَإِذا شَقيتَ فَكُلُّ شَيءٍ عازِبُ

Whose wants are never ending, or desirers, or monks.

And if you have bliss, everything is possible,

قَد قُلتُ لِلباغي عَلَيَّ وَدونَهُ

مِن فَضلِ أَحلامي ذُرىً وَذَوائِبُ

And if you suffer misfortune, everything avoids you.

I said to the aggressor against me, in the excellence of my imagination:

اِحذَر مُباغَضَةَ الرِجالِ فَإِنَّها

تُدمي وَتَقدُرُ أَن يَقولَ العائِبُ

Beware the hatred of men, for it hurts and intends harm on the reproacher.

Farther away, O hands of the rider, for I

البيدَ يا أَيدي المَطيِّ فَإِنَّني

لِلضَيمِ إِن أَسرى إِلَيَّ مُجانِبُ

Will be inaccessible if injustice travels to me.

And the expanses of the deserts are the purest dwelling for me

وَمَجاهِلُ الفَلَواتِ أَطيَبُ مَنزِلٍ

عِندي وَأَوفى الواعِدينَ نَجائِبُ

And the fulfillers of promises are truer than skies.

And if the excellent one captivates me, then

وَإِذا بَلَغنَ بِيَ الحُسَينَ فَإِنَّهُ

حَقٌّ لَهُنَّ عَلى المَطايا واجِبُ

What is due to them is an obligation on the steeds.

In a place whose eyes are plentiful

في بَلدَةٍ فِها العُيونُ حَوافِلٌ

وَالرَوضُ غَضٌّ وَالرِياحُ لَواعِبُ

While the vegetation is lush and the winds amorous.

A wonder among the days is seeing its like -

عَجَبٌ مِنَ الأَيّامِ رُؤيَةُ مِثلِهِ

نَجمَ العُلى إِذ كُلُّ نَجمٍ غارِبُ

The star of highness when all other stars are sunken.

Features of complete merit embraced it

أَورَدنَهُ أَطرافَ كُلِّ فَضيلَةٍ

شِيَمٌ تُسانِدُها عُلىً وَمَناقِبُ

Traits buttressing magnificence and ennobling qualities.

And if the roots of his enemies are corrupt

وَلَهُ إِذا خَبُثَت أُصولُ عُداتِهِ

في تُربَةِ العَلياءِ عِرقٌ ضارِبُ

In the soil of the exalted, he has an established lineage.

I seek shade in the shadows of spears

مُتَفَيِّئُ الآراءِ في ظِلَلِ القَنا

تَجري إِلَيهِ مِنَ العَلاءِ مَذانِبُ

Inclining towards him from the high places.

You are the one named in gatherings by that name,

أَنتَ المُنَوَّهُ في المَحافِلِ بِاِسمِهِ

وَإِذا حَضَرتَ فَكُلُّ لُؤمٍ غائِبُ

And if you are present, then all cowards disappear.

For you, the meadows of glory have blossomed

لَكَ مِن حِياضِ المَجدِ زُرقُ جَمامِها

فَلِمَ يُنازِعُكَ الوُرودَ غَرائِبُ

So why are strangers competing for roses with you?

And he aspires to rival you whose dust falls below you

وَيَرومُ شَأوَكَ مَن غُبارُكَ دونَهُ

يَومَ الجَزاءِ غَياطِلٌ وَغَياهِبُ

On the day of recompense, with mere imaginations and delusions.

Your palms rain mercy on the loyal

نَفَحاتُ كَفِّكَ لِلوَليِّ غَمائِمٌ

تَهمي وَهُنَّ عَلى العَدوِّ نَوائِبُ

Which pours forth as tribulations upon the enemy.

So perfections, wherein lies softness,

فَشَمائِلٌ فيها النَدى وَضَرائِبٌ

وَكَتائِبٌ فيها الرَدى وَمَقانِبُ

Companies, wherein lies harm, and positions of combat.

Verily, you have confronted enemies and took a stand

وَلَقَد وَقَفتَ عَلى الأَعادي وَقفَةً

فيها لِمَن أَبقى المَنونُ تَجارِبُ

Wherein remains tribulations for one survival leaves behind.

Under coats of mail and the armors have clashes

تَحتَ العَجاجِ وَلِلدُروعِ قَعاقِعٌ

ضَرباً وَغِربانُ الرِماحِ نَواعِبُ

Striking, and the crows of spears wail.

And there are piercers which, when it turn away, seem

وَمُطاعِنٌ وَلّى بِها وَكَأَنَّهُ

مِمّا يَجُرُّ مِنَ العَوامِلِ حاطِبُ

From what expeditions take away, firewood bearers.

From every embrasure of the cave, each seems

مِن كُلِّ نافِذَةِ المَغارِ كَأَنَّها

في قَلبِ حامِلِها فَمٌ مُتَثاوِبُ

In the heart of its wielder a yawning mouth.

And there is a roaring one who cut its way before it

وَمُزَمجِرٌ قَطَعَ العَجاجَ أَمامَهُ

لِلهامِ مِنهُ عَمائِمٌ وَذَوائِبُ

With headdresses, cowls, and strands for the guardian.

Its clamor hunts beasts upon beasts

يَرمي الوُحوشَ عَلى الوُحوشِ زُهاؤُهُ

وَالأَكمُ فيهِ مَعَ الجِيادِ لَواعِبُ

While the warriors therein are amorous yet awesome.

Its first overwhelm its last whenever

تَهدي أَوائِلُهُ الأَواخِرَ كُلَّما

طَلَعَ الجَنيبُ طَغى عَلَيهِ الجانِبُ

The side emerges, prevailing over the other side.

Tight as the flare of conflagration and intense

شَدٌّ كَمَعمَعَةِ الحَريقِ وَكَبَّةٌ

كَاللَيلِ أَنجُمُها قَناً وَقَواضِبُ

As night whose stars are folded and little boats.

And the striking masked hearing so it seems

وَالنَقعُ قَد كَتَمَ الرُبى فَكَأَنَّهُ

سَيلٌ تَحَدَّرَ وَالجِيادُ قَوارِبُ

A torrent plunging while the steeds are boats.

By the Lord of a night whose robe you donned

وَلَرُبَّ لَيلٍ قَد طَوَيتَ رِداءَهُ

وَعَلى الإِكامِ مِنَ الظَلامِ جَلابِبُ

As the darkness takes its place with wrappings.

A night whose breeze bears fragrance

لَيلٌ تَرامى بِالعَبيرِ نَسيمُهُ

وَالتُربُ تَحفِزُهُ صَباً وَجَنائِبُ

And soil provokes it, gently and from every side.

And you mounted the backs of stars, and young men

وَرَكِبتَ أَعجازَ النُجومِ وَفِتيَة

مِثلَ النُجومِ طَوالِعٌ وَغَوارِبُ

Like stars, some rising and some setting.

We penetrated the darkness and we all raced

خُضنا الظَلامَ وَكُلُّنا بِجَنانِهِ

ماضٍ عَلى عَجَلِ وَلَيسَ كَواكِبُ

Urgently unfettered like planets.

A conquest as if they are falcons swooping

غُلبٌ كَأَنَّهُمُ الصُقورُ جَوانِحاً

وَكَأَنَّ أَكنافَ الجِيادِ مَراقِبُ

As if the steeds’ flanks are watchful.

If there were not hearts like our eyes

وَإِذا قُلوبٌ لَم تَكُن كَعُيونِنا

لَم يُغنِنا أَنَّ النُجومَ ثَواقِبُ

It would not avail us for the stars to be observers.

You spread the enclosure of sluggishness and it became

وَأَذَلَّ مِن قَبرِ الخُمولِ نَشَرتَهُ

فَغَدا يُناهِبُكَ العُلى وَيُجاذِبُ

Lofty regions pillaging you and contending with you.

You widened it generously so its core swelled

أَوسَعتَهُ كَرَماً فَأَوغَرَ صَدرَهُ

أَنَّ الأَقارِبَ بَعدَها لَعَقارِبُ

For after it, relatives are even scorpions!

It is feeble generosity if blamed

جودٌ ضَعيفٌ إِن تُلِمَّ مُلِمَّه

لِمُؤَمَّلٍ وَأَذىً أَلَدُّ مُشاغِبُ

By a hopeful with harm sharper than playing.

Indeed, you filled your enemy’s skin for him

وَلَقَد مَلَأتَ عَلى عَدوُّكَ جِلدَهُ

حَتّى طَمى جِزعٌ وَضاقَ مَذاهِبُ

Until grief exasperated and ways became straitened.

Through intelligence is reached what is not reached by spears

بِالعَقلِ يُبلَغُ ما تَعَذَّرَ بِالقَنا

وَظُبى القَواضِبِ وَالعُقولُ مَواهِبُ

When the boats of the shallow fail but minds are gifts.

Is the obtainment of one seeking from his generosity

أَمُنيلَ طالِبِ نائِلٍ مِن جودِهِ

كَمَنالِ صَدرِ العَضبِ يَومَ يُضارِبُ

Like the bounty of an angry bosom on the day it strikes?

The choicest one of the maidens of your fate

اليَومَ مِن فَتَياتِ دَهرِكَ فَاِرعَه

وَجَميعُ أَيّامِ الزَمانِ أَشائِبُ

While all the days of time are withered old hags.

And celebration, invite happiness, but would that

وَالعيدُ داعِيَةُ السُرورِ وَلَيتَهُ

أَبَداً عَلى بَعضِ الرِجالِ مَصائِبُ

Eternally it not be misery for some people.

So become drunk with the noble’s ambitions, may you never stop

فَتَهَنَّ طَمّاحَ العَلاءِ وَلا تَزَل

في غَمرِ جودِكَ لِلرِجالِ رَغائِبُ

In the immensity of your magnanimity for people.

Better than wealth which is given to you

خَيرٌ مِنَ المالِ الَّذي يُعطيكَهُ

وَأَحَدُّ مِن غَربِ الحُسامِ الضارِبُ

And more cutting than the edge of an Indian sword.