تَخَلَّيتُ مِن صَفراءَ لا بَل تَخَلَّتِ

وَكُنّا حَليفَي خُلَّةٍ فَاِضمَحَلَّتِ

I parted from Safraa, no, but she parted

Though we were bosom friends, she faded

تُغَيِّبُ أَعداءَ الهَوى عَن حَبيبِها

وَكانَ لَها رَأيُ النِساءِ فَضَلَّتِ

She keeps the enemies of passion away from her beloved

And she had the opinion of women so she erred

رَأَتني تَرَفَّعتُ الشَبابَ فَأَعرَضَت

بِشِقٍّ فَما أَدري طَغَت أَم أَدَلَّتِ

She saw me arrogantly disdaining youth so she turned away

Askance, so I know not whether she transgressed or lowered herself

وَما سُمتُها هوناً فَتَأبى قَبولَهُ

وَلَكِنَّما طالَ الصَفاءُ فَمَلَّتِ

I did not consider it base so she refuses to accept it

But purity wore on too long so she was wearied

فَيا عَجَبا زَيَّنتُ نَفسي بِحُبِّها

وَزانَت بِهَجري نَفسَها وَتَحَلَّتِ

So wonder! I adorned myself with her love

And she considered abstaining from me an adornment and put herself off

لَوَت حاجَتي عِندَ اللِقاءِ وَأَنكَرَت

مَواعيدَ قَد صامَت بِهِنَّ وَصَلَّتِ

She refused my need when we met and denied

Appointments she had observed and joined

وَلَولا أَميرُ المُؤمِنينَ سَقَيتُها

أَواماً يُناجينا لَها حَيثُ حَلَّتِ

And were it not for the Commander of the Faithful I would have watered her

Sometimes conversing privately with her wherever she lodged

وَما واهِنُ البَزلاءِ مِثلُ مُشَيَّعٍ

إِذا قامَ بِالجُلّى عَلَت وَتَجَلَّتِ

The supporter of a coquette is not like a farewell escort

When he stands at the litters, she rose up and put herself off

قَعيدُكِ أُخرى لا تَبيعُ مَوَدَّتي

بِوُدٍّ وَلا تَخشى إِذا ما تَوَلَّتِ

Another, lame, who does not sell my affection

For love, nor fear when she goes

فَبيني كَما بانَ الشَبابُ إِذا مَضى

وَكانَت يَدٌ مِنهُ عَلَيَّ فَوَلَّتِ

So between me and the fading of youth when it passes

And a hand of it was upon me and turned

فَقَد كُنتُ في ظِلِّ العَذارى مُرَفَّلاً

أُحَبُّ وَأُعطى حاجَتي حَيثُ حَلَّتِ

For I was in the shade of the virgins, bedecked

I loved and my need was given wherever she lodged

فَغَيَّرَ ذاكَ العَيشَ تاجٌ لَبِستُهُ

وَطاعَةُ والٍ أَحرَمَت وَأَحَلَّتِ

That life was changed by a crown I put on

And the obedience of a prince who prohibited and made lawful

وَنُبِّئتُ نُسواناً كَرِهنَ تَحَلُّمي

ولِلّهِ أَوبي أَكثَرَت أَم أَقَلَّتِ

And I told the women that they disliked myCALLOUSNESS

By God I was excessive or scarce

إِذا أَنا لَم أُعطِ الخَليفَةَ طائِعاً

يَميني فَلا قامَت لِكَأسٍ وَشَلَّتِ

When I do not give the Caliph my hand willingly

A cup does not stand or pour

لَقَد أَرسَلَت صَفراءُ نَحوي رَسولَها

لِتَجعَلَني صَفراءُ مِمَّن أَظَلَّتِ

Indeed Safraa sent her messenger unto me

That Safraa might make me one who sought shade with her

فَمَن مُبلِغٌ عَنّي قُرَيشاً رِسالَةً

وَأَفناءَ قَيسٍ حَيثُ سارَت وَحَلَّتِ

So who will convey on my behalf to Quraysh a message

And the quarters of Qays wherever she traveled and lodged

بِأَنّا تَدارَكنا ضُبَيعَةَ بَعدَما

أَغارَت عَلى أَهلِ الحِمى ثُمَّ وَلَّتِ

That we forestalled Dhubya after

She raided the people of the sanctuary then turned away

وَقَد نَزَلوا يَوماً بِأَوضاحِ كامِلٍ

وَلَأياً بَلايِ مِن أَضاخَ اِستَقَلَّتِ

And they descended one day at Awdah in full

Affliction without exemplar from publishers declared lawful

فَسارَ إِلَيهِم مِن نُمَيرِ بنِ عامِرٍ

فَوارِسُ قَتلَ المُقرِفينَ اِستَحَلَّتِ

So there went out to them from Numayr bin Amir

Horsemen who killed the robbers made lawful

فَما لَحِقَت أَهلَ اليَمامَةِ عامِرٌ

عَلى الخَيلِ حَتّى أَسأَرَت وَأَكَلَّتِ

The horsemen of Amir did not catch up with the people of Yamamah

Until they captured and ate

فَلَمّا اِلتَقَينا زَلَّت النَعلُ زَلَّةً

بِأَقدامِهِم تَعساً لَهُم حَيثُ زَلَّتِ

When we met their sandal slipped a slip

Woe to them wherever it slipped!

فَشَكَّ نُمَيرٌ بِالقَنا صَفَحاتِهِم

وَكَم ثَمَّ مِن نَذرٍ لَها قَد أَحَلَّتِ

Numayr suspected their skulls with the spears

And many vows she had made lawful for it

وَتَرمي عُقَيلٌ كُلَّ عَينٍ وَجَبهَةٍ

وَتَنتَظِمُ الأَبدانَ حَيثُ اِحذَأَلَّتِ

And Uqayl throws every eye and front

And the bodies are organized wherever they gathered

وَلَمّا لَحِقناهُم كَأَنّا سَحابَةٌ

مِنَ المُلمِعاتِ البَرقَ حينَ اِستَهَلَّتِ

And when we caught up with them we were like a cloud

Of flashing lightning when it began

صَفَفنا وَصَفّوا مُقبِلينَ كَأَنَّهُم

أُسودُ الأَشاري اِستَتبَلَت وَأَدَلَّتِ

We stood in ranks and they stood in ranks approaching as though they

Were black lions mustering and lowering themselves

تَرَكنا عَلى النِشناشِ بَكرَ بنَ وائِلٍ

وَقَد نَهِلَت مِنها السُيوفُ وَعَلَّتِ

We left Bakr bin Wa’il to the aftermath

And the swords had dripped from it and risen

غَداةَ أَرى اِبنَ الوازِعِ السَيفُ حَتفَهُ

وَقَد ضُرِبَت يُمنى يَدَيهِ فَشَلَّتِ

The next day I saw the sword was Ibn al-Wazi’s doom

And the right hands were cut so they limped

وَأَفلَتَ يَمري ذاتَ عَقبٍ كَأَنَّها

حُذارِيَّةٌ مِن رَأسِ نيقٍ تَدَلَّتِ

And Yamri escaped trailing a consequence as though it

Were the train of a noble camel’s garment hanging

وَبِالفَلَجِ العادِيِّ قَتلى إِذا اِلتَقَت

عَلَيها ضِباعُ الجَرِّ بانَت وَضَلَّتِ

And at continuous slaughter, when the hyenas of pulling descended upon it

The slain wandered confused