أَيَّتُها النَفسُ أَجمِلي جَزَعا

إِنَّ الَّذي تَحذَرينَ قَد وَقَعا

O soul, adorn yourself with patience,

For what you feared has come to pass.

إِنَّ الَّذي جَمَّعَ السَماحَةَ وَال

نَجدَةَ وَالحَزمَ وَالقُوى جُمَعا

He who gathered magnanimity, help,

Prudence, strength - all in one -

الأَلمَعِيَّ الَّذي يَظُنُّ لَكَ ال

ظَنَّ كَأَن قَد رَأى وَقَد سَمِعا

The brilliant one whom you fancied

As though you had seen and heard him -

وَالمُخلِفَ المُتلِفَ المُرَزَّأَ لَم

يُمتَع بِضَعفٍ وَلَم يَمُت طَبَعا

The protector, unifier, dignified one

Was neither weakened by frailty nor undone by nature.

وَالحافِظَ الناسَ في تَحوطَ إِذا

لَم يُرسِلوا تَحتَ عائِذٍ رُبَعا

The guardian of people, so cautious

That they would not venture out unprotected,

وَاِزدَحَمَت حَلقَتا البِطانِ بِأَق

وامٍ وَطارَت نُفوسُهُم جَزَعا

The inner circles crowded with pillars

And their souls flew in panic -

وَعَزَّتِ الشَمأَلُ الرِياحَ وَقَد

أَمسى كَميعُ الفَتاةِ مُلتَفِعا

The north winds blew hard

And the robe of youth gathered in folds -

وَشُبِّهَ الهَيدَبُ العَبامُ مِنَ ال

أَقوامِ سَقباً مُلَبَّساً فَرَعا

The shy gazelle-like one among the people

Seemed a clad hyena, bleating -

وَكانَتِ الكاعِبُ المُمَنَّعَةُ ال

حَسناءُ في زادِ أَهلِها سَبُعا

The pretty doe, well-guarded,

Was but prey among her folk -

أَودى وَهَل تَنفَعُ الإِشاحَةُ مِن

شَيءٍ لِمَن قَد يُحاوِلُ البِدَعا

She perished. Does coyness help

One who dares at innovations?

لِيَبكِكَ الشَربُ وَالمُدامَةُ وَال

فِتيانُ طُرّاً وَطامِعٌ طَمِعا

Let wine and revelry make you weep,

And longing youths, desirous of passion,

وَذاتُ هِدمٍ عارٍ نَواشِرُها

تُصمِتُ بِالماءِ تَولَباً جَدِعا

A damsel of fallen repute whose bracelets

Silence the water gourd's babbling -

وَالحَيُّ إِذ حاذَروا الصَباحَ وَقَد

خافوا مُغيراً وَسائِراً تَلِعا

The living feared dawn when they were wary

Of a raider marching openly.