أَلا حَيِّ رَهبى ثُمَّ حَيِّ المَطالِيا

فَقَد كانَ مَأنوساً فَأَصبَحَ خالِيا

Awake, awake! Behold my Lord then my companions,

Once familiar, now forsaken and deserted,

فَلا عَهدَ إِلّا أَن تَذَكَّرَ أَو تَرى

ثُماماً حَوالي مَنصَبِ الخَيمِ بالِيا

I have no pact but to remember or behold

The ruined encampments with their rags scattered about.

أَلا أَيُّها الوادي الَّذي ضَمَّ سَيلُهُ

إِلَينا نَوى ظَمياءَ حُيِّيتَ وادِيا

O valley that embraced its flooding torrents

That carried to us the intention of a land now hailed;

إِذا ما أَرادَ الحَيُّ أَن يَتَزايَلوا

وَحَنَّت جِمالُ الحَيِّ حَنَّت جِمالِيا

When the tribe intends to depart,

My heart departs with the heart of the tribe.

فَيا لَيتَ أَنَّ الحَيَّ لَم يَتَفَرَّقوا

وَأَمسى جَميعاً جيرَةً مُتَدانِيا

Would that the tribe had not scattered

And remained neighbours, closely gathered!

إِذا نَحنُ في دارِ الجَميعِ كَأَنَّما

يَكونُ عَلَينا نِصفُ حَولٍ لَيالِيا

For, while we are in the abode of all

It is as though half a year of nights rests upon us.

إِلى اللَهِ أَشكو أَنَّ بِالغَورِ حاجَةً

وَأُخرى إِذا أَبصَرتُ نَجداً بَدا لِيا

I complain to the Lord, Master of Muhammad

That I have need for Ghawr then another

نَظَرتُ بِرَهبى وَالظَعائِنُ بِاللِوى

فَطارَت بِرَهبى شُعبَةٌ مِن فُؤادِيا

When I behold Nejd; it seems

A portion of my heart takes flight.

وَما أَبصَرَ الناسُ الَّتي وَضَحَت لَهُ

وَراءَ خُفافِ الطَيرِ إِلّا تَمادِيا

Men did not see what was apparent to him

Behind the hovering birds save ruin.

وَكائِن تَرى في الحَيِّ مِن ذي صَداقَةٍ

وَغَيرانَ يَدعو وَيلَهُ مِن حِذارِيا

A kinsman you see among the tribe

And others calling woe to me from caution.

إِذا ذُكِرَت لَيلى أُتيحَ لِيَ الهَوى

عَلى ما تَرى مِن هِجرَتي وَاجتِنابِيا

When Layla is remembered, passion is facilitated for me

Over what you see of my estrangement and avoidance.

خَليلَيَّ لَولا أَن تَظُنّا بِيَ الهَوى

لَقُلتُ سَمِعنا مِن عَقيلَةَ داعِيا

My two friends, were it not that you suspect me of passion

I would say we heard the call of Aqilah

قِفا فَاِسمَعا صَوتَ المُنادي لَعَلَّهُ

قَريبٌ وَما دانَيتُ بِالوُدِّ دانِيا

Stop, listen to the voice of the caller; perhaps

He is near though I have not drawn company near.

إِذا ما جَعَلتُ السِيَّ بَيني وَبَينَها

وَحَرَّةَ لَيلى وَالعَقيقَ اليَمانِيا

When I placed Si’ between her and I

And the necklace of Layla and reddish Yemeni carnelians,

رَغِبتُ إِلى ذي العَرشِ مَولى مُحَمَّدٍ

لِيَجمَعَ شَعباً أَو يُقَرِّبَ نائِيا

I hoped to the Lord, Master of Muhammad

To gather a tribe or draw a distant one nearer.

أَذا العَرشِ إِنّي لَستُ ما عِشتُ تارِكاً

طِلابَ سُلَيمى فَاِقضِ ما كُنتَ قاضِيا

Praise God! I shall not, while I live, cease

Seeking Sulayma so decide what you have judged.

وَلَو أَنَّها شاءَت شَفَتني بِهَيِّنٍ

وَإِن كانَ قَد أَعيا الطَبيبَ المُداوِيا

Had she desired to heal me with gentle words though the doctor has wearied with healing,

I shall leave India to the visitors and seek

سَأَترُكُ لِلزُوّارِ هِنداً وَأَبتَغي

طَبيباً فَيَبغيني شِفاءً لِما بِيا

A doctor who will seek from me a cure for my ills.

For, if you give little, often have you prevented

فَإِنَّكِ إِن تُعطَي قَليلاً فَطالَما

مَنَعتِ وَحَلَّأتِ القُلوبَ الصَوادِيا

And tested Men’s ardent hearts.

Approach, to curb them, the horses’ halters, after

دُنُوَّ عِتاقِ الخَيلِ لِلزَجرِ بَعدَما

شَمَسنَ وَوَلَّينَ الخُدودَ العَواصِيا

The sun has thawed and softened their hard cheeks.

When my eyes line with yours, I was touched

إِذا اكتَحَلَت عَيني بِعَينِكِ مَسَّني

بِخَيرٍ وَجَلّى غَمرَةً عَن فُؤادِيا

With good, clearing the gloom from my heart.

The censurers bid me to conquer passion

وَيَأمُرُني العُذّالُ أَن أَغلُبَ الهَوى

وَأَن أَكتُمَ الوَجدَ الَّذي لَيسَ خافِيا

And to conceal the ardor that is not hidden.

Alas for the heartache in the wake of one who seems

فَيا حَسَراتِ القَلبِ في إِثرِ مَن يُرى

قَريباً وَيُلفى خَيرُهُ مِنكَ نائِيا

Near, his excellence found absent from you.

Layla rebukes me for disloyalty and preferred

تُعَيِّرُني الإِخلافَ لَيلى وَأَفضَلَت

عَلى وَصلِ لَيلى قُوَّةٌ مِن حِبالِيا

Over intimacy with Layla, a bond from my ropes

Say to her valley in which she descended.

فَقولا لِواديها الَّذي نَزَلَت بِهِ

أَوادِيَ ذي القَيصومِ أَمرَعتَ وادِيا

Valleys of Qaysum, do you remain desolate?

I fear that the house will not unite us

فَقَد خِفتُ أَلّا تَجمَعَ الدارُ بَينَنا

وَلا الدَهرُ إِلّا أَن تُجِدَّ الأَمانِيا

Nor fate, save that you discover wishes.

Behold Shu'tha' arrived, the night obscured,

أَلا طَرَقَت شَعثاءُ وَاللَيلُ مُظلِمٌ

أَحَمَّ عُمانِيّاً وَأَشعَثَ ماضِيا

Covering an Umani, disheveling a passing one.

Her phantom crossed over to us from afar

لَدى قَطَرِيّاتٍ إِذا ما تَغَوَّلَت

بِنا البيدُ غاوَلنَ الحُزونَ القَياقِيا

Plunging through the darkness of night, hastily

You were greeted by an advisor feigning weakness,

تَخَطّى إِلَينا مِن بَعيدٍ خَيالُها

يَخوضُ خُدارِيّاً مِنَ اللَيلِ داجِيا

Visiting one in need dismissively

My companions say “Are you chasing

فَحُيِّيتَ مِن سارٍ تَكَلَّفَ مَوهِناً

مَزاراً عَلى ذي حاجَةٍ مُتَراخِيا

Your people? For Zahiriya is no place to wander!”

I chased them with friends over every rise

يَقولُ لِيَ الأَصحابُ هَل أَنتَ لاحِقٌ

بِأَهلِكَ إِنَّ الزاهِرِيَّةَ لا هِيا

And cheek competing with Abyssinian astronomers.

We pelt each other with poems in every valley.

لَحِقتُ وَأَصحابي عَلى كُلِّ حُرَّةٍ

وَخودٍ تَبارى الأَحبَشِيَّ المَكارِيا

We approach the depths of desolate sands.

When my departure is announced to the caravan

تَرامَينَ بِالأَجوازِ في كُلِّ صَفصَفٍ

وَأَدنَينَ مِن خَلجِ البُرينِ الذَفارِيا

My descent at Al-Mawma then my departure,

Brandishing swords as their riders hasten

إِذا بَلَّغَت رَحلي رَجيعٌ أَمَلَّها

نُزولِيَ بِالمَوماةِ ثُمَّ اِرتِحالِيا

Not seeing their succession.

The dead man is impersonated as though

مُخَفِّقَةٌ يَجري عَلى الهَولِ رَكبُها

عِجالاً بِها ما يَنظُرونَ التَوالِيا

He were a vein whose water burst forth violently.

It was difficult for the forbearing man to pursue passion

يُخالُ بِها مَيتُ الشِخاصِ كَأَنَّهُ

قَذى عَرَقٍ يَضحى بِهِ الماءُ طامِيا

And desire the most distant that cannot be attained.

Yet I am noble in poverty, sharing in riches,

لَشَقَّ عَلى ذي الحِلمِ أَن يَتبَعَ الهَوى

وَيَرجو مِنَ الأَقصى الَّذي لَيسَ لاقِيا

Swift when my house will not bear my burdens.

Bold, I do not fear abasement

وَإِنّي لَعَفُّ الفَقرِ مُشتَرَكُ الغِنى

سَريعٌ إِذا لَم أَرضَ داري اِحتِمالِيا

When I place the sword in my left hand.

Yet I am ashamed of you though the distance separates us,

جَريءُ الجَنانِ لا أُهالُ مِنَ الرَدى

إِذا ما جَعَلتُ السَيفَ مِن عَن شِمالِيا

That the earth meets a kinsman of mine in a wretched state

And a woman whose tear flowed down her kohl

وَإِنّي لَأَستَحيِيكَ وَالخَرقُ بَينَنا

مِنَ الأَرضِ أَن تَلقى أَخاً لِيَ قالِيا

“Do you honour the clients after Jarir?”

Return the grace of one far removed, then bear it

وَقائِلَةٍ وَالدَمعُ يَحدِرُ كُحلَها

أَبَعدَ جَريرٍ تُكرِمونَ المَوالِيا

For I have no station with them nor do you.

I imposed myself so you persisted without need.

فَرُدّي جِمالَ البَينِ ثُمَّ تَحَمَّلي

فَما لَكِ فيهِم مِن مَقامٍ وَلا لِيا

Your state—I persist to a perished one.

I was deluded, justifying myself with wishes,

تَعَرَّضتُ فَاِستَمرَرتَ مِن دونِ حاجَتي

فَحالَكَ إِنّي مُستَمِرٌّ لِحاِيا

Nights I hope your possessions are mine.

So you are a father while I have no need

وَإِنّي لَمَغرورٌ أُعَلَّلُ بِالمُنى

لَيالِيَ أَرجو أَنَّ مالَكَ مالِيا

But if one arises I ascertain I have no father.

With what swordbelt do you carry the sword after

فَأَنتَ أَبي ما لَم تَكُن لِيَ حاجَةٌ

فَإِن عَرَضَت أَيقَنتُ أَن لا أَبا لِيا

You cut the strength of the belts that remained?

With what blade do you stab the people after

بِأَيِّ نِجادٍ تَحمِلُ السَيفَ بَعدَما

قَطَعتَ القُوى مِن مِحمَلٍ كانَ باقِيا

You removed a blade from your scabbard completely?

Was I not a fire lit against your enemy

بِأَيِّ سِنانٍ تَطعُنُ القَومَ بَعدَما

نَزَعتَ سِناناً مِن قَناتِكَ ماضِيا

And a refuge for what you retreat behind me?

Extending good among you with my right hand

أَلَم أَكُ ناراً يَصطَليها عَدُوُّكُم

وَحِرزاً لِما أَلجَأتُمُ مِن وَرائِيا

And holding back evil from you with my left?

If you wish to stroke the face of a leading

وَباسِطَ خَيرٍ فيكُمُ بِيَمينِهِ

وَقابِضَ شَرٍّ عَنكُمُ بِشَمالِيا

Steed, then extend and stretch out my reins!

Fear not that my nobility diminishes in battle!

إِذا سَرَّكُم أَن تَمسَحوا وَجهَ سابِقٍ

جَوادٍ فَمُدّوا وَاِبسُطوا مِن عِنانِيا

And fear death lest she eludes you both!

I am the son of Sarha and Khindif, no stranger

أَلا لا تَخافا نَبوَتي في مُلِمَّةٍ

وَخافا المَنايا أَن تَفوتَكُما بِيا

My heart’s place becomes their place.

My sword leaves no bone intact

أَنا اِبنُ صَريحَي خِندِفٍ غَيرَ دِعوَةٍ

يَكونُ مَكانُ القَلبِ مِنها مَكانِيا

And for the sword I yearn for a strike sharper than my tongue.

Do varieties of cowards make me fear death?

وَلَيسَ لِسَيفي في العِظامِ بَقِيَّةٌ

وَلِلسَيفِ أَشوى وَقعَةً مِن لِسانِيا

While I remain actively hostile and hostilely active?

Have cowards ever wiped the faces of the virtuous

أَبِالمَوتِ خَشَّتني قُيونُ مُجاشِعٍ

وَما زِلتُ مَجنِيّاً عَلَيَّ وَجانِيا

Or the peaks of glory as an intimate?

Leave glory unless you lead your armies

وَما مَسَحَت عِندَ الحِفاظِ مُجاشِعٌ

كَريماً وَلا مِن غايَةِ المَجدِ دانِيا

And Kaini Iraqis and Kaini Yemenis.

You were chaotic at the day of Zubayr as though

دَعوا المَجدَ إِلّا أَن تَسوقوا كَزومَكُم

وَقَيناً عِراقِيّاً وَقَيناً يَمانِيا

You were hyenas at Zhi Qar desiring wishes.

The son of Zayyal triumphed with war spoils from your neighbour

تَراغَيتُمُ يَومَ الزُبَيرِ كَأَنَّكُم

ضِباعٌ بِذي قارٍ تَمَنّى الأَمانِيا

So you were named “adulterers” after Zubayr!

وَآبَ اِبنُ ذَيّالٍ بِأَسلابِ جارِكُم

فَسُمّيتُمُ بَعدَ الزُبَيرِ الزَوانِيا