لَأَسماءَ إِذ أَهلي لِأَهلِكِ جيرَةٌ

وَإِذ كُلُّ مَوعودٍ لَها أَنتَ آمِلُه

The names though my tribe are neighbors of yours,

And you are the hope of all promised things,

تَسوفُ خُزامى الميثِ كُلَّ عَشِيَّةٍ

بِأَزهَرَ كَالدينارِ حُوٌّ مَكاحِلُه

The Pleiades will wander at dusk every evening,

With flowers like gold coins, bashful their glances.

لَها نَفَسٌ بَعدَ الكَرى مِن رُقادِها

كَأَنَّ فُغامَ المِسكِ بِاللَيلِ شامِلُه

Her breath after sleep is like musk in the night,

Enveloping all in its fragrant embraces.

فَإِن تَسأَليني كَيفَ نَومي فَإِنَّني

أَرى الهَمَّ أَجفاني عَنِ النَومَ داخِلُه

If you ask how I slept, know that care kept

My eyelids from closing, though slumber entices.

وَقَومٌ أَبوهُم غالِبٌ أَنا مالُهُم

وَعامٌ تَمَشّى بِالفِراءِ أَرامِلُه

A people whose father was victor remain ours,

A year walked in splendor though widowed it was.

وَمَجدٌ أَذودُ الناسَ أَن يَلحَقوا بِهِ

وَما أَحَدٌ أَو يَبلُغَ الشَمسَ نائِلُه

A glory I keep men from nearing at all,

None can reach the sun or ascend to its hall.

أَنا الخِندِفِيُّ الحَنظَلِيُّ الَّذي بِهِ

إِذا جَمَعَت رُكبانَ جَمعٍ مَنازِلُه

I am he the Hudhali, the Khuza'ite acclaimed,

When riders camped, the place where their tents stood.

عَلى الناسِ مالاً يَدفَعونَ خَراجَهُ

وَقَرمٌ يَدُقُّ الهامَ وَالصَخرَ بازِلُه

On people a wealth they would pay as their tribute,

An old camel knocking the rocks with his foot.

أَرى كُلُّ قَومٍ وَدَّ أَكرَمُهُم أَباً

إِذا ما اِنتَمى لَو كانَ مِنّا أَوائِلُه

I see every tribe, most generous the one,

Deemed father if he could claim those first scions.

فَخَرنا فَصُدِّقنا عَلى الناسِ كُلِّهِم

وَشَرُّ مَساعي الناسِ وَالفَخرِ باطِلُه

We fell down believing all people the same,

Vain most human endeavor, empty its vaunts.

أَلَمّا يُنِل لِلناسِ أَن يَتَبَيَّنوا

فَيُزجَرَ غاوٍ أَو يُرى الحَقَّ عاقِلُه

Would that truth for all people be made clear as day,

So fools may be checked and the wise find their way.

وَكُلُّ أُناسٍ يَغضَبونَ عَلى الَّذي

لَهُم غَيرَنا إِذ يَجعَلَ الخَيرَ جاعِلُه

Men rage against any who don't choose their creed,

Though the best deeds flow not from one font alone.

إِلَيكَ اِبنَ لَيلى يا اِبنَ لَيلى تَجَوَّزَت

فَلاةً وَداوِيّاً دِفاناً مَناهِلُه

O son of Layla, to you now I call,

Who roamed the wide world, and drank from its pools-

تُجيلَ دِلاءَ القَومِ فيهِ غُثائَهُ

إِجالَةَ حَمِّ المُستَذيبَةِ جامِلُه

You poured salve on the wounds of the folk in their griefs,

Like the blender of sauce from fermenting dead grubs.