لِلَيلى بِأَعلى ذي مَعارِكَ مَنزِلُ

خَلاءٌ تَنادى أَهلُهُ فَتَحَمَّلوا

To Layla, in the highest abode with conflict

A lonely dwelling whose people it calls so they endure

تَبَدَّلَ حالاً بَعدَ حالٍ عَهِدتُهُ

تَناوَحَ جِنّانٌ بِهِنَّ وَخُبَّلُ

Its state has changed after a state I knew it in

Jinn cavorted in it, and it was neglected

عَلى العُمرِ وَاِصطادَت فُؤاداً كَأَنَّهُ

أَبو غَلِقٍ في لَيلَتَينِ مُؤَجَّلُ

It hunted a heart throughout life as if it were

A father of numerous children given two nights' respite

أَلَم تَرَيا إِذ جِئتُما أَنَّ لَحمَها

بِهِ طَعمُ شَريٍ لَم يُهَذَّب وَحَنظَلُ

Didn't you two see when you came that her flesh

Had the taste of brackish water, unrefined and bitter

وَما أَنا مِمَّن يَستَنيحُ بِشَجوِهِ

يُمَدُّ لَهُ غَربا جَزورٍ وَجَدوَلُ

And I am not one who seeks sympathy with his passion

As the west wind is unleashed for him and streams flow

وَلَمّا رَأَيتُ العُدمَ قَيَّدَ نائِلي

وَأَملَقَ ما عِندي خُطوبٌ تَنَبَّلُ

And when I saw non-existence shackled my attainment

And emptied what troubles were with me and purified

فَقَرَّبتُ حُرجوجاً وَمَجَّدتُ مَعشَراً

تَخَيَّرتُهُم فيما أَطوفُ وَأَسأَلُ

I approached a tribe and honored a group

I picked them as I roamed and asked

بَني مالِكٍ أَعني بِسَعدِ بنِ مالِكٍ

أَعُمُّ بِخَيرٍ صالِحٍ وَأُخَلِّلُ

The clan of Malik - I mean Saad son of Malik -

I seek the good in them and mix freely

إِذا أَبرَزَ الرَوعُ الكَعابَ فَإِنَّهُم

مَصادٌ لِمَن يَأوي إِلَيهِم وَمَعقِلُ

When peril shows the cowardly they

Are a refuge for whoever turns to them and a fortress

وَأَنتَ الَّذي أَوفَيتَ فَاليَومَ بَعدَهُ

أَغَرُّ مُمَسٌّ بِاليَدَينِ مُحَجَّلُ

And you are one who did his duty so today after it

I stir excitedly with my hands hennaed

تَخَيَّرتُ أَمراً ذا سَواعِدَ إِنَّهُ

أَعَفُّ وَأَدنى لِلرَشادِ وَأَجمَلُ

I have chosen a matter with strong arms, yes

More chaste and closer to guidance and more beautiful

وَذا شُطُباتٍ قَدَّهُ اِبنُ مُجَدَّعٍ

لَهُ رَونَقٌ ذِرِّيُّهُ يَتَأَكَّلُ

With fingers whose knots the son of Mujaddid tied

He has an elegant gait, his offspring nibble

وَأَخرَجَ مِنهُ القَينَ أَثراً كَأَنَّهُ

مَدَبٌّ دَباً سودٍ سَرى وَهوَ مُسهِلُ

And the deadly one brought out his marrow as if it were

A hyena slinking furtively with facile bowels

وَبَيضاءَ زَغفٍ نَثلَةٍ سُلَمِيَّةٍ

لَها رَفرَفٌ فَوقَ الأَنامِلِ مُرسَلُ

And a white-blazed horse of Zaghif, of Sulami strain

Over its anklets is a fluttering like a loosened garment

وَأَشبَرَنيهِ الهالِكِيُّ كَأَنَّهُ

غَديرٌ جَرَت في مَتنِهِ الريحُ سَلسَلُ

And its brief rein like the leash of a snarling lion

A supple, smooth-stepping, sweet-tempered saddlery

مَعي مارِنٌ لَدنٌ يُخَلّي طَريقَهُ

سِنانٌ كَنِبراسِ النِهامِيِّ مِنجَلُ

It learned in its yearling days, while still a filly

In a valley where is a long-running spring and thickets

تَقاكَ بِكَعبٍ واحِدٍ وَتَلَذُّهُ

يَداكَ إِذا ما هُزَّ بِالكَفِّ يَعسِلُ

Agile, fleet, elegant, and swift

Choice trappings, soft and richly ornamented

وَصَفراءَ مِن نَبعٍ كَأَنَّ نَذيرَها

إِذا لَم تُخَفِّضهُ عَنِ الوَحشِ أَفكَلُ

He broke it round the cistern of its cheekpieces

It rears up on the saddlecloth and settles down

تَعَلَّمَها في غيلِها وَهيَ حَظوَةٌ

بِوادٍ بِهِ نَبعٌ طِوالٌ وَحِثيَلُ

He possessed it with the saliva beneath its shell

Like the white of an egg which curdling spoiled

وَبانٌ وَظَيّانٌ وَرَنفٌ وَشَوحَطٌ

أَلُفُّ أَثيثٌ ناعِمٌ مُتَغَيِّلُ

And it vexed him that it was said, far from you

Are promises of wellbeing left unfulfilled

فَمَظَّعَها حَولَينِ ماءَ لِحائِها

تُعالى عَلى ظَهرِ العَريشِ وَتُنزَلُ

Three gray thoroughbreds and a chestnut mare

Darker than the ink of writing, equipped

فَمَلَّكَ بِاللَيطِ الَّذي تَحتَ قِشرِها

كَغِرقيءِ بَيضٍ كَنَّهُ القَيضُ مِن عَلُ

I came with my sale driving them, not adding to it

Until the sifter of men returns unsuccessful

وَأَزعَجَهُ أَن قيلَ شَتّانَ ما تَرى

إِلَيكَ وَعودٌ مِن سَراءٍ مُعَطَّلُ

And that is my weapon, which I was pleased with its perfection

So the winged one glances away from me in confusion

ثَلاثَةُ أَبرادٍ جِيادٍ وَجُرجَةٌ

وَأَدكَنُ مِن أَريِ الدَبورِ مُعَسَّلُ

It creeps up to it surreptitiously, making it stagger

To weaken it in its shooting as it looses

فَجِئتُ بِبَيعي مولِياً لا أَزيدُهُ

عَلَيهِ بِها حَتّى يَؤوبَ المُنَخَّلُ

I saw Byzantium look scornfully at me with its eye

Consider carefully, I am one who considers carefully

وَذاكَ سِلاحي قَد رَضيتُ كَمالَهُ

فَيَصدُفُ عَنّي ذو الجُناحِ المُعَبَّلُ

And you two, sons of Janab, were found

Like one who creeps to hide, while in his throat is choking

يَدُبُّ إِلَيهِ خاتِياً يَدَّري لَهُ

لِيَفقُرَهُ في رَميِهِ وَهوَ يُرسِلُ

رَأَيتُ بُرَيداً يَزدَريني بِعَينِهِ

تَأَمَّل رُوَيداً إِنَّني مَن تَأَمَّلُ

وَإِنَّكُما يا اِبنَي جَنابٍ وُجِدتُما

كَمَن دَبَّ يَستَخفي وَفي الحَلقِ جَلجَلُ