طالَ الثَواءُ عَلى رُسومِ المَنزِلِ

بَينَ اللَكيكِ وَبَينَ ذاتِ الحَرمَلِ

Long has the place mourned the dwellings,

Between al-Lakik and Dhat al-Harmal.

فَوَقَفتُ في عَرَصاتِها مُتَحَيِّراً

أَسلُ الدِيارَ كَفِعلِ مَن لَم يَذهَلِ

I stood bewildered in its grounds,

Bidding farewell to the abodes like one undaunted.

لَعِبَت بِها الأَنواءُ بَعدَ أَنيسِها

وَالرامِساتُ وَكُلُّ جَونٍٍ مُسبَلِ

The winds have toyed with it after its intimacy,

And the drawing women, and every flexuous, pliant one.

أَفَمِن بُكاءِ حَمامَةٍ في أَيكَةٍ

ذَرَفَت دُموعَكَ فَوقَ ظَهرِ المَحمِلِ

Does a dove weep amidst the thickets,

its tears flowing upon the camel's back?

كَالدُرِّ أَو فَضَضِ الجُمانِ تَقَطَّعَت

مِنهُ عَقائِدُ سِلكِهِ لَم يوصَلِ

Like a pearl it scattered,

Beads from its string broke; they were not to be joined.

لَمّا سَمِعتُ دُعاءَ مُرَّةَ إِذ دَعا

وَدُعاءَ عَبسٍ في الوَغى وَمُحَلِّلِ

When I heard the call of Murra as he called,

And the call of 'Abs in the fray accusing and excusing,

نادَيتُ عَبساً فَاِستَجابوا بِالقَنا

وَبِكُلِّ أَبيَضَ صارِمٍ لَم يَنجَلِ

I called to 'Abs and they responded with the spear

And with every long sharp sword that had not been sheathed.

حَتّى اِستَباحوا آلَ عَوفٍ عَنوَةً

بِالمَشرَفِيِّ وَبِالوَشيجِ الذُبَّلِ

Until they violated the clan of 'Auf unjustly

With al-Musharfi, and al-Washij, the frayed.

إِنّي اِمرُؤٌ مِن خَيرِ عَبسٍ مَنصِباً

شَطرِي وَأَحمي سائِري بِالمُنصُلِ

I am a man of the best clan of 'Abs in lineage,

My share and my protection are all accomplished with the polished sword.

إِن يُلحَقوا أَكرُر وَإِن يُستَلحَموا

أَشدُد وَإِن يُلفَوا بِضَنكٍ أَنزِلِ

If they are overtaken I return, and if they engage I strengthen

And if they turn aside I descend and attack.

حينَ النُزولُ يَكونُ غايَةَ مِثلِنا

وَيَفِرُّ كُلَّ مُضَلَّلٍ مُستَوهِلِ

When descending to attack is our principle,

And every misguided one turns aside denuded.

وَلَقَد أَبيتُ عَلى الطَوى وَأَظَلُّهُ

حَتّى أَنالَ بِهِ كَريمَ المَأكَلِ

I refused to leave ath-Thawa and its foliage

Until I gained generous sustenance through it.

وَإِذا الكَتيبَةُ أَحجَمَت وَتَلاحَظَت

أُلفيتُ خَيراً مِن مُعَمٍّ مُخوَلِ

When the battalion was hesitant and watchful,

I got the better of a potential flood held back.

وَالخَيلُ تَعلَمُ وَالفَوارِسُ أَنَّني

فَرَّقتُ جَمعَهُمُ بِطَعنَةِ فَيصَلِ

The horses know, and the horsemen, that I

Scattered their multitudes with the thrusts of a penetrating sword

إِذ لا أُبادِرُ في المَضيقِ فَوارِسي

وَلا أُوَكِّلُ بِالرَعيلِ الأَوَّلِ

When I do not hasten ahead of my horsemen in a narrow pass

And I do not entrust the first line.

وَلَقَد غَدَوتُ أَمامَ رايَةِ غالِبٍ

يَومَ الهَياجِ وَما غَدَوتُ بِأَعزَلِ

I charged in front of the banner of Ghalib

On the day of commotion, and I did not charge unarmed.

بَكَرَت تُخَوِّفني الحُتوفَ كَأَنَّني

أَصبَحتُ عَن غَرَضِ الحُتوفِ بِمَعزِلِ

Dawn threatened me with armies as if

I had woken deprived of the goal of the armies.

فَأَجَبتُها إِنَّ المَنِيَّةَ مَنهَلٌ

لا بُدَّ أَن أُسقى بِكَأسِ المَنهَلِ

So I answered that death is an inevitability,

There is no way I will not be made to drink of the cup of the watering place.

فَاِقِني حَياءَكِ لا أَبا لَكِ وَاِعلَمي

أَنّي اِمرُؤٌ سَأَموتُ إِن لَم أُقتَلِ

Restrain your shyness from me, I do not consent, and know

That I am a man, I will die if I am not killed.

إِنَّ المَنِيَّةَ لَو تُمَثَّلُ مُثِّلَت

مِثلي إِذا نَزَلوا بِضَنكِ المَنزِلِ

If death were to take form, it would take form

Of men like me when they descend staying at an abode.

وَالخَيلُ ساهِمَةُ الوُجوهِ كَأَنَّما

تُسقى فَوارِسُها نَقيعَ الحَنظَلِ

While the horses areonymous, their faces haggard,

As if their horsemen are made to drink sage syrup.

إِذا حُمِلتُ عَلى الكَريهَةِ لَم أَقُل

بَعدَ الكَريهَةِ لَيتَني لَم أَفعَلِ

When I am prevailed upon to do what is hated

I do not say after the hated deed, “Would that I had not done it.”