يا دارُ بَينَ الفَرعِ وَالجِنابِ
عَفا عَلَيها عُقَبُ الأَعقابِ
O abode between the branches and the dunes
Oblivion has passed over it over time
قَد ذَهَبَت وَالعَيشُ لِلذَهابِ
لَمّا عَرَفناها عَلى الخَرابِ
It has gone and life is leaving
When we recognized it was in ruins
نادَيتُ هَل أَسمَعُ مِن جَوابِ
وَما بِدارِ الحَيِّ مِن كَرّابِ
I called: Can I hear an answer?
But no one lives in the ruined abode
إِلّا مَطايا المِرجَلِ الصَخّابِ
وَمَلعَبُ الأَحبابِ وَالأَحبابِ
Except the snorting wild donkeys
And the playground of friends and lovers
في سامِرٍ صابٍ إِلى التَصابي
كانَت بِها سَلمى مَعَ الرَبابِ
In Samir, a land sloping down
Where Salma once was, with the tambourine
فَاِنقَلَبَت وَالدَهرُ ذو اِنقِلابِ
ما أَقرَبَ العامِرَ مِن خَرابِ
But it and time itself have changed
How quick is destruction after prosperity!
وَقَد أَراهُنَّ عَلى المَثابِ
يَلهونَ في مُستَأسِدٍ عُجابِ
And I can see them now
Frolicking in a magnificent, wondrous garden
سَهلِ المَجاري طَيِّبِ التُرابِ
نَورٌ يُغَنّيهِ رُغا الذُبابِ
With soft flowing streams and good soil
A light as bright as the drone of insects
في ناضِرٍ جَعدِ الثَرى كُبابِ
يَلقى اِلتِهابَ الشَمسِ بِاِلتِهابِ
In brilliant verdancy with clods of earth like bricks
Meeting the burning of the sun with burning
مِثلَ المُصَلّي الساجِدِ التَوّابِ
أَيّامَ يَبرُقنَ مِنَ القِبابِ
Like a praying believer bowing in repentance
Days shining from the tents
حورَ العُيونِ نُزَّهَ الأَحبابِ
مِثلَ الدُمى أَو كَمَها العَذابِ
Houris with languid eyes, adorned lovers
Like statues or those punished by torment
فَهُنَّ أَترابٌ إِلى أَترابِ
يَمشينَ زوراً عَن مَدى الحِرابِ
Wandering in groups led by groups
Walking vainly beyond the battle lines
في ظِلِّ عَيشٍ مُترَعِ الحِلابِ
فَاِبكِ الصِبا في طَلَلٍ يَبابِ
In the shade of a life with dripping sweetness
Weep for youth in a desolate abode
بَل عَدِّهِ لِلمَشهَدِ الجَوّابِ
وَصاحِبٍ يُدعى أَبا اللَبلابِ
But count it as an answer that responds
And a companion called Abu Lablab
قُلتُ لَهُ والنُصحُ لِلصِحابِ
لاتَخذُلِ الهاتِفَ تضحتَ الهابِ
I said to him, advice for friends
“Do not fail the questioner; you have become confused
وَاِنبِض إِذا حارَبتَ غَيرَ نابِ
يا عُقبَ يا ذا القُحَمِ الرِغابِ
And withdraw if you battle other than weakness,
O heir of high ambition and widespread authority
وَالنائِلِ المَبسوطِ لَلمُنتابِ
في الشَرَفِ الموفِي عَلى السَحابِ
Attainer of the highest, fulfilling, clouds
Between the portico of kings and the veil
بَينَ رِواقِ المُلكِ وَالحِجابِ
مِثلَ الهُمامِ في ظِلالِ الغابِ
Like heroes in the shadows of the forest
You have become, among Qahtan’s descendants, an arbiter
أَصبَحتَ مِن قَحطانَ في النِصابِ
وَفي النِصابِ السِرِّ وَاللُبابِ
And an arbiter of secrets and insight
From a clan with limbs bent in prayer
مِن نَفَرٍ مُوَطَّاءِ الأَعقابِ
يُربى عَلى القَومِ بِفَضلِ الرابي
Who lords it over the people by outstanding merit
While you are a mischief-maker over mischief-makers
وَأَنتَ شَغّابٌ عَلى الشَغّابِ
لِلخُطَّةِ الفَقماءِ آبٍ آبِ
For a miserable, failing scheme
Of one who wars with piercing flames
مِن ذي حُروبٍ ثاقِبِ الشِهابِ
إِذا غَدَت مُفتَرَّةً عَن نابِ
When it turns away from weakness
And a army like the darkness, creeping
وَعَسكَرٍ مِثلِ الدُجى دَبّابِ
يَعصِفُ بِالشيبِ وَبِالشَبابِ
Storming old and young alike
An army like the formidable lions of the thickets
جُندٍ كَأُسدِ الغابَةِ الصِعابِ
صَبَّحتَهُ وَالشَمسُ في الجِلبابِ
You routed at daybreak when the sun was in its veils
With a raid beneath the lip’s edges like flocks
بِغارَةٍ تَحتَ الشَفا أَسرابِ
بِالمَوتِ وَالحُرسِيَّةِ الغِضابِ
With death and dreadful anger
Like Jinn slapping the necks
كَالجِنِّ ضَرّابينَ لِلرِقابِ
دَأبَ اِمرِئٍ لِلوَجَلى رَكّابِ
The steadfast way for one riding to dread
No trembling heart nor cowardice
لا رَعِشِ القَلبِ وَلا هَيّابِ
جَوّابِ أَهوالٍ عَلى جَوّابِ
Meeting terrors with answer after answer
Brandishing a banner like the wing of a swooping eagle
يُزجي لِواءً كَجَناحِ الطابِ
في جَحفَلٍ جَمٍّ كَعَرضِ اللابِ
In a throng, dense as the width of a mountain
Until they violated the camp of the deceiver
حَتّى اِستَباحوا عَسكَرَ الكَذّابِ
بِالطَعنِ بَعدَ الطَعنِ وَالضِرابِ
With repeated stabs and blows
Then they came to the most noble refuge
ثُمَّتَ آبوا أَكرَمَ المَآبِ
نِعمَ لِزازُ المُترَفِ المُرتابِ
Good for the deviant doubter is his neighbor
And good for the weakened vagrant his lodging
وَنِعمَ جارُ العُيَّلِ السِغابِ
يَهوونَ في المُحمَرَّةِ الغِلابِ
Wallowing in blood in the battleground
Vast, rolling courtyard and trampled expanse
رَحبُ الفَناءِ مُمرِغُ الجِنابِ
يَلقاكَ ذو الغُصَّةِ لِلشَرابِ
You meet those wronged seeking a drink
Slack-reined, reaping the fruits of his labors
بَلجَ المُحَيّا مُحصَدَ الأَسبابِ
يَجري عَلى العِلّاتِ غَيرَ كابِ
Flowing with bounty, no niggard
Importuning those noble lords
مُستَفزِعاً جَريَ ذَوي الأَحسابِ
ما أَحسَنَ الجودَ عَلى الأَربابِ
How excellent is generosity toward the gentry
And how ugly are delays upon the Giver!
وَأَقبَحَ المَطلَ عَلى الوَهّابِ
أَبطَأتُ عَن أَصهارِيَ الحِبابِ
I have been slow to join my in-laws
Though gifts between us fly like the raven
وَالشُهدُ مِنّا وَلقَةُ الغُرابِ
وَأَنا مِن عَبدَةَ في عَذابِ
While I am one of those worshipping in torment
Who promised—and a promise is a binding pact—
قَد وَعَدَت وَالوَعدُ كَالكِتابِ
فَأَنتَ لِلأَدنَينَ وَالجِنابِ
For you belong to outcasts and strangers
Like a mother who does not deny the prodded
كَالأُمِّ لا تَجفو عَلى العِتابِ
فَأَمضِها مِن بَحرِكَ العُبابِ
So fulfill it from your abundant sea
With patterned cloth and clothes
بِالنَجنَجِيّاتِ مَعَ الثِيابِ
فَداكَ كُلُّ مَلِقٍ خَيّابِ
May all who petition you ransom you
I have tired of seeking students
داني المُنى ناءٍ عَنِ الطُلّابِ
إِنّي مِنَ الحَبسِ عَلى اِكتِئابِ
I am in prison sick at heart
So decide clearly or gain what I have
فَاِحسِم تَبَيّاً أَو تَنيلُ ما بي
وَلا يَكُن حَظّي اِنتِظارَ البابِ
And let not my lot be awaiting the door
