أَمِن رَسمِ دارٍ مَربَعٌ وَمَصيفُ

لِعَينَيكَ مِن ماءِ الشُؤونِ وَكيفُ

A square house with a summer lodge for your eyes

With water flowing from the spring of life

رَشاشٌ كَغَربَي هاجِرِيٍّ كِلاهُما

لَهُ داجِنٌ بِالكَرَّتَينِ عَليفُ

A shower like two migrant doves

Each carrying twigs in their beaks to build a nest

إِذا كَرَّ غَرباً بَعدَ غَربٍ أَعادَهُ

عَلى رَغمِهِ وافي السِبالِ عَنيفُ

If one turns west after west he makes it return

Against its will, a sandgrouse loyal to its chick

تَذَكَّرتُ فيها الجَهلَ حَتّى تَبادَرَت

دُموعي وَأَصحابي عَلَيَّ وُقوفُ

I remembered ignorance here until my tears welled up

And my friends gathered around me

يَقولونَ هَل يَبكي مِنَ الشَوقِ مُسلِمٌ

تَخَلّى إِلى وَجهِ الإِلَهِ حَنيفُ

They say does a Muslim cry from yearning

When his face is turned in devotion to God?

فَلَأياً أَزاحَت عِلَّتي ذاتُ مَنسِمٍ

نَكيبٍ تَغالى في الزِمامِ خَنوفُ

So away with the one whose blame erased my weakness

A kneeling camel turned away in the reins

مُقَذَّفَةٌ بِاللَحمِ وَجناءُ عَدوُها

عَلى الأَينِ إِرقالٌ مَعاً وَوَجيفُ

Casting flesh and the slain of its enemy

On each other, entrails and carcass intertwined

إِلَيكَ سَعيدَ الخَيرِ جُبتُ مَهامِهاً

يُقابِلُني آلٌ بِها وَتَنوفُ

To you happy one I came burdened

With concerns met by kin and fatigue

وَلَولا الَّذي العاصي أَبوهُ لَعُلِّقَت

بِحَورانَ مِجذامُ العَشِيِّ عَصوفُ

Were it not for He whose disobedient father

Would have been hung from the thorns of al-‘Ushsh

وَلَولا أَصيلُ اللُبِ غَضٌّ شَبابُهُ

كَريمٌ لِأَيّامِ المَنونِ عَروفُ

Were it not for the noble true-hearted youth

Generous through days of adversity well-known

إِذا هَمَّ بِالأَعداءِ لَم يَثنِ هَمَّهُ

كَعابٌ عَلَيها لُؤلُؤٌ وَشُنوفُ

When he turns with determination to the enemy

His resolve is not weakened, pearls and petals interlaced

حَصانٌ لَها في البَيتِ زِيٌّ وَبَهجَةٌ

وَمَشيٌ كَما تَمشي القَطاةُ قَطوفُ

A steed for them in the abode, excellent and joyous

And a gait like the walk of a smooth-stepping wild cat

وَلَو شاءَ وارى الشَمسَ مِن دونِ وَجهِهِ

حِجابٌ وَمَطوِيُّ السَراةِ مُنيفُ

Had he wished he could veil the sun from view

With a screen, the folded cloak a protection

وَلَكِنَّ إِدلاجاً بِشَهباءَ فَخمَةٍ

لَها لَقَحٌ في الأَعجَمينَ كَشوفُ

But he preferred to reveal it with noble white horses

Purebred, piercing the non-Arabs

إِذا قادَها لِلمَوتِ يَوماً تَتابَعَت

أُلوفٌ عَلى آثارِهِنَّ أُلوفُ

When one day he leads them to death row upon row

Will follow in their tracks rows upon rows

فَصُفّوا وَماذِيُّ الحَديدِ عَلَيهِمُ

وَبَيضٌ كَأَولادِ النَعامِ كَثيفُ

So they lined up and what can iron do against them

And whites like the chicks of ostriches abundant

أَنابَت إِلى جَنّاتِ عَدنٍ نُفوسُهُم

وَما بَعدَها لِلصالِحينَ حُتوفُ

Their souls turned to the gardens of Eden

With beyond them only good things for the righteous

خَفيفِ المِعى لا يَملَأُ الهَمُّ صَدرَهُ

إِذا سُمتَهُ الزادَ الخَبيثَ عَيوفُ

Light in step, worry cannot fill his chest

When foul food is his lot, he's not discontent