يا لَياليَّ القَديماتِ اِرجِعي

قَد تَخَلَّفتِ بِلَيلاتٍ شِدادِ

O nights of old, return

You left behind harsh nights

نَبَأٌ خُبِّرتُهُ مِن مَعشَرٍ

أَخرَجَت أَضغانُهُم حَيّاتِ وادِ

News I was told by a group

Whose vipers brought out poisonous snakes

إِنَّني ذاكَ الَّذي جَرَّبتُهُم

لَم يَطُل عَهدي بِإِرغامِ الأَعادي

I am the one who tested them

My time did not last long forcing enemies

فَمِنَ الآنَ فَكُرّوا وَاِرجِعوا

فَالَّذي تَخشَونَ أَحلى في فُؤادي

So from now, think and return

What you fear is sweetest in my heart

وَلَحا الرَحمَنُ مِنّا طالِبَ ال

صُلحِ وَالأَطوَعَ في حَبلِ القِيادِ

And the Merciful became gentle with us, seeker

Of peace and most compliant to the rein of guidance

وَعَلى الأَظلَمِ مِنّا سَخَطَ اللَ

هُ وَالأَنكَبِ عَن سُبُلِ الرَشادِ

And He was angry with the unjust among us

And the most turning away from the paths of righteousness

أَقدِموا قَبلَ رِماحٍ أُشرِعَت

وَسُيوفٍ ذاتِ عَصٍّ وَصِعادِ

Come before spears were let loose

And swords of polished blades

ثُمَّ إِيّايَ وَأُخرى مِثلَها

تَكحَلُ العَينَ بِمَملولِ السُهادِ

Then beware of me and another like it

The eye reddens with dripping of tears

وَخُذوا عَفوِيَ ما دُمتُ لَكُم

يَدَ أَخذٍ وَاِلحَقوا بَعضَ وِدادي

And take my pardon as long as you are

A hand that takes and join some of my love

لا تَعودوا فَيَعُد إِسخاطُهُ

وَاِترُكوا سَيفِيَ في بَعضِ الغِمادِ

Do not repeat so His anger repeats

And leave my sword in some of the sheaths

أَو فَإِنّي مُسرِعٌ إِن شِئتُمُ

بِحُسامٍ مَشرَفيٍّ وَجَوادِ

Or I will rush, if you wish

With a noble, lofty sword and steed

وَقَناةٍ فَوقَها كَوكَبُها

وَمِجَنٍّ كُلُّ هَذا في بِلادي

And a bow above which is its star

And a sharpened arrow, all of this in my lands

وَإِذا قُلتُ اِركَبوا قَد حَضَروا

جُملَةُ الناسِ بِأَسيافٍ حِدادِ

And if I say ride, they came ready

The people all with sharpened swords

وَلَقَد ضاعَت أَيادٍ عِندَكُم

غُرِسَت في تُرَبٍ غَيرِ جِيادي

And hands were lost with you

Planted in soil not my steed’s

أودِعَت قَمحاً فَلَمّا نُثِرَت

كُلُّ أَرضٍ أَنبَتَت شَوكَ القَتادِ

Entrusted with wheat, so when scattered

Every land sprouted thorns of witnesses

فَجَزاها لَعنَةً لِصاحِبٍ

لَيسَ لِلزَرّاعِ أَصلاً مِن مَعادِ

So may its curse be upon an owner

Who has no origin of return for farmers

حينَ وَتَّرتُ لَكُم أَقواسَكُم

قُمتُمُ بِالنَبلِ تَرمونَ سَوادي

When you bended your bows for me

You stood with arrows shooting my horses

أَيُّها المَوعِدُ قَد أَسمَعتَني

ثُمَّ لَم يَثبُت مِنَ الهَمِّ وِسادِ

O you who made a promise, you heard me

Then the anxiety did not remain as a pillow

سَوفَ تَجني أَنتَ ما تَغرِسُ لي

وَتَمَسُّ النارَ مِن قَرعِ زِنادي

You will reap what you sow for me

And the fire will touch from my flints

رَبُّ مَن قَد كادَني في لَيلَةٍ

وَهوَ في يَومِ الوَغى بِاِسمي يُنادي

Lord of he who almost got me one night

And he calls my name on the day of battle

حينَ خَلّى رَسَني جاذِبُهُ

وَاِمَّحى قُرطاسُ شَيبي مِن مِدادي

When his pulling emptied my quiver

And the paper of my old age ran out of ink

ثُمَّ يَغدوا مَرِحاً إِن سَبَّني

وَيَرى لَحمِيَ مِن أَطيَبِ زادِ

Then he goes playfully if he insults me

And sees my flesh as the tastiest food

وَيَظُنُّ الدَهرَ نَقداً كُلَّهُ

ثُمَّ يَلقاني عَلى طولِ البُعادِ

And he thinks time is all cash

Then he finds me in the length of distances

كَيفَ يَرجونَ اِهتِضامي بَعدَها

طالَ باعي وَرِدائي وَنِجادي

How can they hope to subdue me after it

My banner became long and my honor and achievement

وَلِعُذرٍ لَهُمُ لَو قَبلَها

لَم يَروا إِلّا قِداحي وَزِنادي

And for their excuse, if before it

They did not see except my sparks and flints

أَن يَكونوا قَد نَسَوا تِلكَ فَلي

عَودَةٌ تُذعِرُهُم حَرَّ جِلادي

That they may have forgotten those so for them

A return that will terrify them, heat of my whips

طالَ حِلمي عَنهُمُ فَاِستَحدَثوا

خُلُقاً مَكروهَةً عُريانَ بادي

My patience towards them lasted long so they adopted

An ugly, blatantly evil trait

خَلَقاً يَخضِبُ أَطرافَ القَنا

وَمُتونَ النَبلِ وَالبيضِ الصَوادي

A trait that dyes the edges of spears

And the bodies of arrows and white horses

بِطِعانٍ نافِذٍ يَفري الحَشا

وَبِضَربٍ مِثلِ أَفواهِ المَزادِ

With a piercing stab that makes the brave flee

And a blow like the mouths of auctions