ضَيَّعَ أَمري الأَقعَسانِ فَأَصبَحا

عَلى نَدِبٍ يَدمى مِنَ الشَرِّ غارِبُه

The two imprudent men ruined my affair, so they weep

With bleeding lament for the absent one fiercely raging.

وَلَو أَخَذا أَسبابَ أَمري لَأَلجَآ

إِلى أَشَبِ العِصيانِ أَزوَرَ جانِبُه

Had they adopted proper measures for my affair, they would have forced

The most crooked side of disobedience into the straight path.

مَنيعٍ بَنو سُفيانَ تَحتَ لِوائِهِ

إِذا ثَوَّبَ الداعي وَجاءَت حَلائِبُه

Impregnable are the clan of Sufyan beneath his banner

When the summoner rises and the milk-cows return.

سَتَذكُرُ أَفناءَ الرِفاقِ إِذا اِلتَقَت

مَزاداً وَتُرسى كَيفَ أَحدَثَ طالِبُه

You will recall the days gone by with friends when you meet

As a guest, and see what his seeker has done to him.

حَسِبتُ أَبا قَيسٍ حِمارَ شَريعَةٍ

قَعَدتَ لَهُ وَالصُبحُ قَد لاحَ حاجِبُه

I thought Abu Qays to be the donkey of the law,

While he stopped for you when dawn had made plain its eyebrow.

فَلَو كُنتَ بِالمَعلوبِ سَيفِ اِبنِ ظالِمٍ

ضَرَبتَ لَزارَت قَبرَ عَوفٍ قَرائِبُه

If you were the sword of the son of the unjust tyrant,

You would have struck till the kinsfolk of dead Auf cried out.

وَلَكِن وَجَدتَ السَهمَ أَهوَنَ فَوقَةً

عَلَيكَ فَقَد أَودى دَمٌ أَنتَ طالِبُه

But you found the arrow too heavy beyond your strength,

So blood which you sought has destroyed you.

فَإِن أَنتُما لَم تَجعَلا بِأَخيكُما

صَدىً بَينَ أَكماعِ السِباقِ يُجاوِبُه

If you two do not take thought for your brother

To make a voice echo between the bow-ends of the racers,

فَلَيتَكُما يا اِبنَي سُفَينَةَ كُنتُما

دَماً بَينَ حاذَيها تَسيلُ سَبائِبُه

Would that you two had been, sons of Sufyan, instead of blood

Flowing between its planks, the bilge of a ship!