هَنِيئاً لِرَيَّا ما تَضُمُّ الْجَوَانِحُ

وَإِنْ طَوَّحَتْ بِي في هَواهَا الطَّوائِحُ

Welcome to Rayya, whose bosom contains delight!

Though the winds may toss me violently in her passion

فَتاةٌ لَهَا فِي مَنْصِبِ الْحُسْنِ سُورَةٌ

تُقَصِّرُ عَنْها الْغِيدُ وَهْيَ رَواجِحُ

A damsel who in the position of beauty has an aspect

Beside which both highland and lowland are insignificant

أَحَاطَ عَلَى مِثْلِ الْكَثِيبِ إِزارُهَا

ودَارَتْ عَلَى مِثْلِ الْقَناةِ الْوَشائِحُ

Her waist-wrapper encompassed a sand-hill

And her plaits encircled a watercourse

فَفِي الْغُصْنِ مِنْها إِنْ تَثَنَّتْ مَشابِهٌ

وفي الْبَدْرِ مِنْها إِنْ تَجَلَّتْ مَلامِحُ

So in the branch if she bent there were resemblances

And in the full moon if she uncovered her face there were features

مَحَاسِنُ رَبَّاتِ الْحِجَالِ كَثِيرَةٌ

وَلَكِنَّها إِنْ وازَنَتْها مَقابِحُ

The beauties of secluded ladies are many

But if they were weighed against her, they would be defects

كَأَنَّ اهْتِزازَ الْقُرْطِ فِي صَفْحِ جِيدِها

سَنَا كَوْكَبٍ فِي مَطْلَعِ الْفَجْرِ لائِحُ

It seemed that the shaking of the earring in her smooth cheek

Was a star rising at dawn, shining

لَها ذُكْرَةٌ عِنْدِي وَطَيْفٌ كِلاهُما

بِتِمْثَالِها غادٍ عَليَّ ورائِحُ

She has an image to me and an apparition, both

Passing by me with her likeness

عَجِبْتُ لِعَيْنِي كَيْفَ تَظْمَأُ دُونَها

وإِنْسَانُها في لُجَّةِ الْمَاءِ سابِحُ

I was astonished that my eye thirsted for her

While her person was in the depths of the water, swimming

أَحِنُّ لَهَا شَوْقاً وَدُونَ مَزارِهَا

مَسَالِكُ يَأْوِيهَا الرَّدَى وَمَنَادِحُ

I yearn for her with passion, and before her dwelling

Are pathways which misguidance and calamities frequent

فَيَافٍ يَضِلُّ النَّجْمُ فِي قُذُفاتِها

وتَظْلَعُ فِيها النَّائِجَاتُ الْبَوَارِحُ

A wasteland where the star goes astray in its undulating terrain

And in it prey wanders distractedly

وَلُجَّةُ بَحْرٍ كُلَّما هَبَّ عَاصِفٌ

مِنَ الرِّيحِ دَوَّى مَوْجُهَا المُتَنَاطِحُ

And the turbulence of a sea wherein whenever the wind

Blows violently its waves clash

فَقَلْبِيَ تَحْتَ السَّرْدِ كَالنَّارِ لافِحٌ

وَدَمْعِيَ فَوْقَ الْخَدِّ كالْمَاءِ سافِحُ

So my heart beneath my ribs burns like fire

And my tear upon my cheek flows like water

وَلَوْ كُنْتُ مَطْلُوقَ الْعِنَانِ لَما ثَنَت

هَوايَ الْفَيَافِي والْبِحَارُ الطَّوافِحُ

If I were freed, neither the waterless wastes nor the oceans

With the floods would deter my passion and desire

ولَكِنَّنِي في جَحْفَلٍ لَيْسَ دُونَهُ

بَراحٌ لِذِي عُذْرٍ وَلا عَنْهُ بَارِحُ

But I am in shackles, beyond which there is

No relief for one excused, nor departing early for one blamed

يُكافِحُنِي شَوْقِي إِذا اللَّيْلُ جَنَّنِي

وأَغْدُو عَلَى جَمْعِ العِدَا فَأُكَافِحُ

My passion battles me when the night maddens me

And I rise up against the enemies, so I battle

خَصِيمانِ هَذا بِالْفُؤَادِ مُخَيِّمٌ

وَذلكَ عَنْ مَرْمَى الْقَذِيفَةِ نازِحُ

Two opponents, one established in my innermost being

The other keeping away from the range of missiles

وَمَا بِيَ ما أَخْشَاهُ مِنْ صَوْلَةِ الْعِدا

لَوَ انَّ الْهَوَى يُولِي يَداً أَوْ يُسامِحُ

I have no fear of the onslaught of enemies

If passion would only lend a hand or make peace

فَيَا رَوْضَةَ الْمِقْياسِ حَيَّاكِ عارِضٌ

مِنَ الْمُزْنِ خَفَّاقُ الْجَنَاحَيْنِ دَالِحُ

So O garden of the standard, greeting to you, a carrier pigeon

Flapping its wings in joy, alluring, from the eyrie,

ضَحُوكُ ثَنايَا الْبَرْقِ تَجْرِي عُيُونُهُ

بِوَدْقٍ بِهِ تَحْيَا الرُّبَا وَالصَّحَاصِحُ

Laughing, the folds of lightning - its eyes

Flow with a sweet rain blessing the meadows and canals!

تَحُوكُ بِخَيْطِ الْمُزْنِ مِنْهُ يَدُ الصَّبَا

لَها حُلَّةً تَخْتَالُ فِيهَا الأَبَاطِحُ

The morning breeze weaves for it with strands of dew

Raiment wherein young female ostriches strut

مَنَازِلُ حَلَّ الدَّهْرُ فِيهَا تَمائِمي

وصَافَحَنِي فيها الْقَنا وَالصَّفائِحُ

The abodes where the cycle of time halted - my emblems

Frolicked there, and pure wine-jars greeted me there

وإِنَّ أَحَقَّ الأَرْضِ بِالشُّكْرِ مَنْزِلٌ

يَكونُ بِهِ لِلْمَرْءِ خِلٌّ مُنَاصِحُ

The land most deserving of thanks is a lodging

Wherein a man has a sincere adviser for a comrade

فَهَلْ تَرْجِعُ الأَيَّامُ فيهِ بِمَا مَضَتْ

ويَجْرِي بِوَصْلٍ مِنْ أُمَيْمَةَ سانِحُ

Will the days return therein with what has passed

And will there be intimacy with Umaymah again renewing our pact

لَعَمْرِي لَقَدْ طَالَ النَّوَى وَتَقَاذَفَتْ

مَهَامِهُ دُونَ الْمُلْتَقَى ومَطاوِحُ

By my life, hopes have grown long and its ambitions

Have been tossed about, short of the meeting place

وأَصْبَحْتُ في أَرْضٍ يَحَارُ بِها الْقَطا

وَتَرْهَبُها الْجِنانُ وَهْيَ سَوارِحُ

And I have awakened in a land that confuses the guide

And terrifies the demons, and they are distracted

بَعِيدَةُ أَقْطَارِ الدَّيامِيمِ لَوْ عَدَا

سُلَيْكٌ بِها شَأْواً قَضَى وَهْوَ رازِحُ

Its regions are distant from the lands of pasturage; if only

A horseman travelling had accomplished his purpose and departed satisfied!

تَصِيحُ بِها الأَصْدَاءُ فِي غَسَقِ الدُّجَى

صِيَاحَ الثَّكَالَى هَيَّجَتْها النَّوائِحُ

In it echoes cry like bereaved women

Whose weeping the misfortunes roused

تَرَدَّتْ بِسَمُّورِ الْغَمامِ جِبالُها

ومَاجَتْ بِتَيَّارِ السُّيُولِ الْبَطَائِحُ

Its mountains were clad in the armour of clouds

And its torrents were stirred into fury by the floodwaters

فَأَنْجادُها لِلْكَاسِراتِ مَعَاقِلٌ

وَأَغْوَارُها لِلْعاسِلاتِ مَسَارِحُ

Its caves are fortresses for destructive women

And its deep valleys are a playground for women seeking diversion

مَهَالِكُ يَنْسَى الْمَرْءُ فِيها خَلِيلَهُ

ويَنْدُرُ عَنْ سَوْمِ الْعُلا مَنْ يُنَافِحُ

Death-places where a man forgets his companion

And whoever contends for elevation holds back

فَلا جَوَّ إِلَّا سَمْهَرِيٌّ وقاضِبٌ

وَلا أَرْضَ إِلَّا شَمَّرِيٌّ وَسابِحُ

Only a hot wind and a cool one blow

And only a rugged and smooth earth exist

تَرانَا بِهَا كَالأُسْدِ نَرْصُدُ غارَةً

يَطِيرُ بِهَا فَتْقٌ مِنَ الصُّبْحِ لامِحُ

We lie in wait for a raid like lions

With a sudden attack at dawn gleaming

مَدافِعُنَا نُصْبُ الْعِدَا ومُشاتُنَا

قِيَامٌ تَلِيها الصَّافِناتُ الْقَوارِحُ

Our weapons are trained on the enemies, and our swords

Are keen blades, followed by the well-fitting scabbards

ثَلاثَةُ أَصْنَافٍ تَقِيهنَّ ساقَةٌ

صِيَالَ الْعِدَا إِنْ صاحَ بِالشَّرِّ صَائِحُ

Three types whom the warriors' assault protects:

The enemies' horses if the war-cry comes from one provoking strife

فَلَسْتَ تَرَى إِلَّا كُماةً بَوَاسِلا

وَجُرْداً تَخُوضُ الْمَوْتَ وَهْيَ ضَوابِحُ

You see only bodies in coats of mail

And troops plunging into death distractedly

نُغِيرُ عَلى الأَبْطَالِ والصُّبْحُ باسِمٌ

وَنَأْوِي إِلَى الأَدْغَالِ واللَّيْلُ جَانِحُ

We attack the champions when dawn is smiling

And we retreat to the thickets when night falls

بَكَى صاحِبِي لَمَّا رَأَى الْحَرْبَ أَقْبَلَتْ

بِأَبْنَائِها والْيَوْمُ أَغْبَرُ كالِحُ

My companion wept when he saw war arrive

With its children, while the day was dusty, turbid

ولَمْ يَكُ مَبْكاهُ لِخَوْفٍ وَإِنَّما

تَوَهَّمَ أَنِّي في الْكَرِيهَةِ طَائِحُ

His weeping was not from fear, but rather

He imagined I was confused in the fray

فَقَالَ اتَّئِدْ قَبْلَ الصِّيَالِ ولا تَكُنْ

لنَفْسِكَ حَرْبَاً إِنَّنِي لَكَ ناصِحُ

So he said: collect yourself before the assault and do not

Make war upon yourself - I sincerely advise you

أَلَمْ تَرَ مَعْقُودَ الدُّخَانِ كَأَنَّمَا

عَلَى عَاتِقِ الْجَوْزَاءِ مِنْهُ سَرائِحُ

Have you not seen the smoke gathered as if

Dishevelled tresses were upon the neck of Virgo?

وقَدْ نَشَأَتْ لِلْحَرْبِ مُزْنَةُ قَسْطَلٍ

لَهَا مُسْتَهِلٌّ بِالْمَنِيَّةِ راشِحُ

And for war an ominous sphere like a citadel has risen

With a beginning in death, hasty

فَلا رَأْيَ إِلَّا أَنْ تَكُونَ بِنَجْوَةٍ

فَإِنَّكَ مَقْصُودُ الْمَكَانَةِ واضِحُ

So I have no view other than you should survive

For you are clearly the object of high standing

فَقُلْتُ تَعَلَّمْ إِنَّما هِيَ خُطَّةٌ

يَطُولُ بِها مَجْدٌ وتُخْشَى فَضَائِحُ

I said: you must learn it is only a strategy

By which glory becomes long, though disgraces are feared

فَمَا كُلُّ ما تَرْجُو مِنَ الأَمْرِ ناجِعٌ

وَلا كُلُّ ما تَخْشَى مِنَ الْخَطْبِ فَادِحُ

Not everything you hope for in the matter will happen

Nor everything you fear of calamity occur

فَقَدْ يَهْلَكُ الرِّعْدِيدُ في عُقْرِ دارِهِ

ويَنْجُو مِنَ الْحَتفِ الْكَمِيُّ الْمُشايِحُ

For the mighty may perish in the depths of his house

And the slight one rubbing his elbows may escape from death

وَكُلُّ امْرِئٍ يَوْماً مُلاقٍ حِمَامَهُ

وإِنْ عَارَ في أَرْسَانِهِ وَهْوَ جَامِحُ

And every man one day meets his appointed time

Even if he is disgraced while in his prime

فَمَا بارِحٌ إِلَّا مَعَ الْخَيْرِ سَانِحٌ

ولا سَانِحٌ إِلَّا مَعَ الشَّرِّ بارِحُ

None depart early but those reconciled to good

None are intimate but those reconciled to evil, later leaving

فَإِنْ عِشْتُ صافَحْتُ الثُّرَيَّا وإِنْ أَمُتْ

فَإِنَّ كَرِيماً مَنْ تَضُمُّ الصَّفَائِحُ

So if I live, I will enjoy intimacy and if I die

It will be noble, enclosed in the earth