أَعاذِلَتي عَلى رُزءٍ أَفيقي

فَقَد أَشرَقتِني بِالعَذلِ ريقي

My reproaches to a cheek whose rose I tend,

Whose rose cheek tints me with reproach so fair.

أَلا أَقسَمتُ آسى بَعَد بِشرٍ

عَلى حَيًّ يَموتُ وَلا صَديقِ

By grief I swear, when joy has passed away,

On life that dies nor leaves a friend to care.

فلا وأبيك آسى بعد بشرٍ

على حيٍّ يموت ولا صديقِ

By grief I swear, when joy has passed away,

On life that dies nor leaves a friend to care.

وَبَعدَ الخَير عَلقَمَةَ بنِ بِشرٍ

إِذا نَزَتِ النُفوسُ إِلى الحُلوقِ

And after right, Alkamah comes to mind,

When souls go down where death his feast doth deck.

وَبَعدَ بَني ضُبَيعَةَ حَولَ بِشرٍ

كَما مالَ الجُذوعُ مِنَ الحَريقِ

And after right, round Bishr the Bani Dubya,

As trunks of trees incline when fires attack.

ومال بنو ضبيعة بعد بشرٍ

كما مالَ الجذوع من الحلوقِ

Round Bishr inclined the Bani Dubya's host,

As trunks of trees when flames drive on their track.

مُنَت لَهُمُ بِوالِبَةَ المَنايا

بِجَنبِ قُلابَ لِلحَينِ المَسوقِ

On them alighted death with lowering wings

By Kullab's side, and on time's page did smack.

فَكَم بِقُلابَ مِن أَوصالِ خِرقٍ

أَخى ثِقَةٍ وَجُمجُمَةٍ فَليقِ

By Kullab many a joint and gaping skull,

Of trusted friends, of gentle breeding slack.

نَدامى لِلمُلوكِ إِذا لَقوهُم

حُبوا وَسُقوا بِكَأسِهِمُ الرَحيقِ

Too late the kings, that find at last their friends

False, and the cup of life yields bitterest smack.

هُمُ جَدَعوا الأُنوفَ وَأَوعَبوها

فَما يَنساغُ لي مِن بَعدُ ريقي

They rent their noses and their shame did gash,

My throat henceforth tastes not sweet friendship's snack.