حَيِّ الحُمولَ بِجانِبِ العَزلِ

إِذ لا يُلائِمُ شَكلَها شَكلي

Live your lives alongside solitude,

For her form suits not my shape.

ماذا يَشُقّ عَلَيكَ مِن ظَعنٍ

إِلّا صِباكَ وَقِلَّةُ العَقلِ

What hardship is there for you in railing,

Save your own youth and lack of sense?

مَنّيتَنا بِغَدٍ وَبَعدَ غَدٍ

حَتّى بَخَلتَ كَأَسوَءِ البُخلِ

You wished us well for a day or two

Then grew miserly, like the worst misers.

يا رُبَّ غانِيَةٍ صَرَمْتُ حِبالَها

وَمَشَيتُ مُتَّئِداً عَلى رُسلي

O rider of a wild she-camel, I have loosed its halters

And walked gracefully on my feet.

لا أَستَقيدُ لِمَن دَعا لِصِباً

قَسراً وَلا أَصطادُ بِالخَتلِ

I do not accept the authority of the one who calls me ‘fool’ by force,

Nor hunt with a pack of dogs.

وَتَنوفَةٍ حَرداءَ مُهلِكَةٍ

جاوَرتُها بِنَجائِبٍ فُتلِ

I frequented a desolate, scabby, ruinous Taneefah

With hand-woven curtains as frail as spiders’ webs

فَيَبِتنَ يَنهَسنَ الجَبوبَ بِها

وَأَبيتُ مُرتَفِقاً عَلى رَحلِ

So they pass their night tearing up the ground around it,

While I spend my night restfully upon my riding beast

مُتَوَسِّداً عَضباً مَضارِبُهُ

في مَتنِهِ كَمَدَبَّةِ النَملِ

Using as a pillow my, whose baudrons

Nether them seethes like an ant colony

يُدعى صَقيلاً وَهوَ لَيسَ لَهُ

عَهدٌ بِتَمويهٍ وَلا صَقلِ

Called Saqeel, though never adorned

With embellishment or burnishing.

عَفَتِ الدِيارُ فَما بِها أَهلي

وَلَوَت شُموسُ بَشاشَةَ البَذلِ

My land has been vacated, and none of my family remain,

The suns have veiled the brightness of generosity.

نَظَرَت إِلَيكَ بِعَينِ جازِئَةٍ

حَوراءَ حانِيَةٍ عَلى طِفلِ

A doe-eyed girl looked at you

A singer focusing on her son

فَلَها مُقَلَّدُها وَمُقلَتُها

وَلَها عَلَيهِ سَراوَةُ الفَضلِ

She has her crown and her ringlets

And she exceeds you in bounty and merit.

أَقبَلتُ مُقتَصِداً وَراجَعَني

حِلمي وَسُدِّدَ لِلتُقى فِعلي

I set forth judiciously but my forbearance turned me back,

Steering my deeds toward piety.

وَاللَهُ أَنجَحُ ما طَلَبتَ بِهِ

وَالبِرُّ خَيرُ حَقيبَةِ الرَحلِ

God prospers what you seek to obtain thereby

Righteousness is best provision for the road.

وَمِنَ الطَريقَةِ جائِرٌ وَهُدى

قَصدُ السَبيلِ وَمِنهُ ذو دَخلِ

Of doctrines some may lead astray, some give guidance,

Moderation is the path, and yet some may diverge therefrom.

إِنّي لَأَصرِمُ مَن يُصارِمُني

وَأُجِدُّ وَصلَ مَنِ اِبتَغى وَصلي

I break with whoever breaks with me,

And eagerly seek to mend ties with those who pursue reconciliation with me.

وَأَخي إِخاءٍ ذي مُحافَظَةٍ

سَهلَ الخَليقَةِ ماجِدِ الأَصلِ

The brother of true brotherhood, of noble descent,

Easygoing, majestic lineage.

حُلوٍ إِذا ما جِئتُ قالَ أَلا

في الرُحبِ أَنتَ وَمَنزِلُ السَهلِ

When I come he says, ‘behold!

Before you lie open plains and plains’ broad expanse’

نازَعتُهُ كَأسَ الصَبوحِ وَلَم

أَجهَل مُجِدَّةَ عِذرَةِ الرَجُلِ

I shared with him the morning cup, and did not

Ignore the decorum sanctioned for men.

إِنّي بِحَبلِكَ واصِلٌ حَبلي

وَبِريشِ نَبلِكَ رائِشٌ نَبلي

With your rope I link to my rope,

With the feathers of your arrows I quiver my arrows.

ما لَم أَجِدكَ عَلى هُدى أَثَرٍ

يَقرو مَقَصَّكَ قائِفٌ قَبلي

When I do not find you upon a rightly guided course—

Your sword case reproached by one who precedes me—

وَشَمائِلي ما قَد عَلِمتَ وَما

نَبَحَت كِلابُكَ طارِقاً مِثلي

The attributes I know well, and others

Your dogs bark not having perceived the like of me.