مَحَا الْبَيْنُ مَا أَبْقَتْ عُيُونُ الْمَهَا مِنِّي

فَشِبْتُ وَلَمْ أَقْضِ اللُّبَانَةَ مِنْ سِنِّي

The separation erased what eyes of tenderness had left of me,

So I grew old but did not fulfill my youthfulness.

عَنَاءٌ وَيَأْسٌ وَاشْتِيَاقٌ وَغُرْبَةٌ

أَلا شَدَّ مَا أَلْقَاهُ فِي الدَّهْرِ مِنْ غَبْنِ

Misery, despair, yearning and estrangement,

Oh how severely it cast me in the course of time and swindled me!

فَإِنْ أَكُ فَارَقْتُ الدِّيَارَ فَلِي بِهَا

فَؤَادٌ أَضَلَّتْهُ عُيُونُ الْمَهَا مِنِّي

So if I depart from homelands, my heart will remain,

Led astray by eyes of tenderness from me.

بَعَثْتُ بِهِ يَوْمَ النَّوَى إِثْرَ لَحْظَةٍ

فَأَوْقَعَهُ الْمِقْدَارُ فِي شَرَكِ الْحُسْنِ

I sent it on the day of parting, trailing after a glance,

But destiny dropped it in the traps of beauty.

فَهَلْ مِنْ فَتَىً فِي الدَّهْرِ يَجْمَعُ بَيْنَنَا

فَلَيْسَ كِلانَا عَنْ أَخِيهِ بِمُسْتَغْنِ

Is there a gentleman in this world who will unite us both?

For neither of us can do without the other.

وَلَمَّا وَقَفْنَا لِلْوَدَاعِ وَأَسْبَلَتْ

مَدَامِعُنَا فَوْقَ التَّرَائِبِ كَالْمُزْنِ

And when we stood for farewell, and our tears

Poured over our cheeks like rain,

أَهَبْتُ بِصَبْرِي أَنْ يَعُودَ فَعَزَّنِي

وَنَادَيْتُ حِلْمِي أَنْ يَثُوبَ فَلَمْ يُغْنِ

I tried to arm myself with patience, to no avail,

And called on my forbearance, but it was of no use.

وَلَمْ تَمْضِ إِلَّا خَطْرَةٌ ثُمَّ أَقْلَعَتْ

بِنَا عَنْ شُطُوطِ الْحَيِّ أَجْنِحَةُ السُّفْنِ

In a flash, the ships had carried us

Away from the coasts of the beloved region.

فَكَمْ مُهْجَةٍ مِنْ زَفْرَةِ الْوَجْدِ فِي لَظَىً

وَكَمْ مُقْلَةٍ مِنْ غَزْرَةِ الدَّمْعِ فِي دَجْنِ

So many sighs have I heaved in the heat of passion,

And so many tears have I shed in the darkness of night!

وَمَا كُنْتُ جَرَّبْتُ النَّوَى قَبْلَ هذِهِ

فَلَمَّا دَهَتْنِي كِدْتُ أَقْضِي مِنَ الْحُزْنِ

Never before had I experienced parting like this,

It nearly finished me off with grief.

وَلَكِنَّنِي رَاجَعْتُ حِلْمِي وَرَدَّنِي

إِلَى الْحَزْمِ رَأْيٌ لا يَحُومُ عَلَى أَفْنِ

But I summoned my patience and it corrected me,

Guiding me back to wisdom.

وَلَوْلا بُنَيَّاتٌ وَشِيبٌ عَوَاطِلٌ

لَمَا قَرَعَتْ نَفْسِي عَلَى فَائِتٍ سِنِّي

Were it not for buildings I erected and my white hair

I would not have reproached myself for my lost youth.

فَيَا قَلْبُ صَبْرَاً إِنْ جَزِعْتَ فَرُبَّمَا

جَرَتْ سُنُحاً طَيْرُ الْحَوَادِثِ بِالْيُمْنِ

So be patient, my heart, for perhaps

The bird of destiny will shift in our favor.

فَقَدْ تُورِقُ الأَغْصَانُ بَعْدَ ذُبُولِهَا

وَيَبْدُو ضِيَاءُ الْبَدْرِ فِي ظُلْمَةِ الْوَهْنِ

For branches can bloom again after their fading

And the moonlight reappears in the darkness of gloom.

وَأَيُّ حُسَامٍ لَمْ تُصِبْهُ كَهَامَةٌ

وَلَهْذَمُ رُمْحٍ لا يُفَلُّ مِنَ الطَّعْنِ

What sword has no nicks from the blows,

And what lance does not bend from repeated stabs?

وَمَنْ شَاغَبَ الأَيَّامَ لانَ مَرِيرُهُ

وَأَسْلَمَهُ طُولُ الْمِرَاسِ إِلَى الْوَهْنِ

Who contends with the days will tire of their bitterness

And prolonged strife will leave him weak and frail.

وَمَا الْمَرْءُ فِي دُنْيَاهُ إِلَّا كَسَالِكٍ

مَنَاهِجَ لا تَخْلُو مِنَ السَّهْلِ وَالْحَزْنِ

Man in his world is but a wayfarer

Whose paths are not devoid of ease and misery.

فَإِنْ تَكُنِ الدُّنْيَا تَوَلَّتْ بِخَيْرِهَا

فَأَهْوِنْ بِدُنْيَا لا تَدُومُ عَلَى فَنِّ

If the world has turned away its goodness,

Then think little of a fleeting world.

تَحَمَّلْتُ خَوْفَ الْمَنِّ كُلَّ رَزيئَةٍ

وَحَمْلُ رَزَايَا الدَّهرِ أَحْلَى مِنَ الْمَنِّ

I have endured the humiliation of favors

For to live in humiliation is worse than prison.

وَعَاشَرْتُ أَخْدَانَاً فَلَمَّا بَلَوْتُهُمْ

تَمَنَّيْتُ أَنْ أَبْقَى وَحِيداً بِلا خِدْنِ

And be a man, even if destiny has deemed you

To fall between swords and spears in valor.

إِذَا عَرَفَ الْمَرْءُ الْقُلُوبَ وَمَا انْطَوَتْ

عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْبَغْضَاءِ عَاشَ عَلَى ضِغْنِ

For there is no good in life when a man does not live

Formidable, seen by the eye like fire in the darkness.

يَرَى بَصَرِي مَنْ لا أَوَدُّ لِقَاءَهُ

وَتَسْمَعُ أُذْنِي مَا تَعَافُ مِنَ اللَّحْنِ

Do not fear dangers in seeking loftiness,

For one who fears the thorns of bees returns deprived of gains.

وَكَيْفَ مُقَامِي بَيْن أَرْضٍ أَرَى بِهَا

مِنَ الظُّلْمِ مَا أَخْنَى عَلَى الدَّارِ وَالسَّكْنِ

Were it not for enduring adversities, the merits

Of mankind would not emerge between valor and cowardice.

فَسَمْعُ أَنِينِ الْجَوْرِ قَدْ شَاكَ مِسْمَعِي

وَرُؤْيَةُ وَجْهِ الغَدْرِ حَلَّ عُرَا جَفْنِي

If you do not find what you wish in the cities,

Then wander, for deserts are better than cities.

وَصَعْبٌ عَلَى ذِي اللُّبِّ رِئْمَانُ ذِلَّةٍ

يَظَلُّ بِهَا فِي قَوْمِهِ وَاهِيَ الْمَتْنِ

Deserts where a man lives by his sword,

Proud and unyielding among foes.

إِذَا الْمَرْءُ لَمْ يَرْمِ الْهَنَاةَ بِمِثْلِهَا

تَخَطَّى إِلَيْهِ الْخَوْفُ مِنْ جَانِبِ الأَمْنِ

What life is there for a man in a country

Where he lingers between the ruins and ashes?

فَلا تَعْتَرِفْ بِالذُلِّ خِيفَةَ نِقْمَةٍ

فَعَيْشُ الْفَتَى فِي الذُّلِّ أَدْهَى مِنَ السِّجْنِ

By my life, a hut of branches in a wasteland

Is dearer to my heart than a mansion.

وَكُنْ رَجُلاً إِنْ سِيمَ خَسْفاً رَمَتْ بِهِ

حَمِيَّتُهُ بَيْنَ الصَّوَارِمِ وَاللُّدْنِ

And I find more joy in the cry of a rooster

In the wilderness, calling amidst the tree branches,

فَلا خَيْرَ فِي الدُّنْيَا إِذَا الْمَرْءُ لَمْ يَعِشْ

مَهِيباً تَرَاهُ الْعَيْنُ كَالنَّارِ فِي دَغْنِ

And better than a house with shifting winds

Is your bedding on the ground in the courtyard.

وَلا تَرْهَبِ الأَخْطَارَ فِي طَلَبِ الْعُلا

فَمَنْ هَابَ شَوْكَ النَّحْلِ عَادَ وَلَمْ يَجْنِ

You see everything standing before your eyes

As if you were in your own paradise.

وَلَوْلا مُعَانَاةُ الشَّدَائِدِ مَا بَدَتْ

مَزَايَا الْوَرَى بَيْنَ الشَّجَاعَةِ وَالْجُبْنِ

The steeds circle around you, sipping

At the edgings of the water-skins like jinn.

فَإِنْ لَمْ تَجِدْ فِي الْمُدْنِ مَا شِئْتَ مِنْ قِرَىً

فَأَصْحِرْ فَإِنَّ الْبِيدَ خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْمُدْنِ

When you hear the voice of clamor you stand alert

And attain what eyes alone cannot see.

صَحَارٍ يَعِيشُ الْمَرْءُ فِيهَا بِسَيْفِهِ

شَدِيدَ الْحُمَيَّا غَيْرَ مُغْضٍ عَلَى دِمْنِ

By my life, such is a Bedouin existence,

With steadfast determination and firm principle.

وَأَيُّ حَيَاةٍ لاِمْرِئٍ بَيْنَ بَلْدَةٍ

يَظَلُّ بِهَا بَيْنَ الْعَوَاثِنِ وَالدَّخْنِ

I have only said this after gaining knowledge

That gave me certainty, banishing conjectures.

لَعَمْرِي لَكُوخٌ مِنْ ثُمَامٍ بِتَلْعَةٍ

أَحَبُّ إِلَى قَلْبِي مِنَ الْبَيْتِ ذِي الْكِنِّ

For I have tasted the flavor of fate until I spat it out,

And have consorted until I said to the son of Abu Da'n, “Leave me be!”

وَأَطْرَبُ مِنْ دِيكٍ يَصِيحُ بِكُوَّةٍ

أَرَاكِيَّةٌ تَدْعُو هَدِيلاً عَلَى غُصْنِ

Were it not for a brother whose bond of love

I cherished despite the caprices of time, I would make no exceptions.

وَأَحْسَنُ مِنْ دَارٍ وَخِيمٍ هَوَاؤُهَا

مَبِيتُكَ مِنْ بُحْبُوحَةِ الْقَاعِ فِي صَحْنِ

One may have a distant relative who wishes you well

While a close one wrongs you.

تَرَى كُلَّ شَيءٍ نُصْبَ عَيْنَيْكَ مَاثِلاً

كَأَنَّكَ مِنْ دُنْيَاكَ فِي جَنَّتَيْ عَدْنِ

For love lies not in kinship, even if it necessitates it,

Rather, it lies in disposition, form and harmony.

تَدُورُ جِيَادُ الْخَيْلِ حَوْلَكَ شُرَّباً

تُجَاذِبُ أَطْرَافَ الأَعِنَّةِ كَالْجِنِّ

When there is no rift between two companions,

Then manners are of no use, nor does lineage draw them near.

إِذَا سَمِعْتَ صَوْتَ الصَّرِيخِ تَنَصَّبَتْ

فَتُدْرِكُ مَا لا تُبْصِرُ الْعَيْنُ بِالأُذْنِ

That is a brother but for whom I would reject

All I heard of An-Najm or Ma'n.

فَتِلْكَ لَعَمْرِي عِيشَةٌ بَدَوِيَّةٌ

مُوَطَّأَةُ الأَكْنَافِ رَاسِخَةُ الرُّكْنِ

If I do not name him fearing a jealous rival

Who would plot against him, he knows whom I mean.

وَمَا قُلْتُ إِلَّا بَعْدَ عِلْمٍ أَجَدَّ لِي

يَقِيناً نَفَى عَنِّي مُرَاجَعَةَ الظَّنِّ

For recalling him, though remote,

Comforts my heart whether settled or on the move.

فَقَدْ ذُقْتُ طَعْمَ الدَّهْرِ حَتَّى لَفَظْتُهُ

وَعَاشَرْتُ حَتَّى قُلْتُ لاِبْنِ أَبِي دَعْنِي

I grieve being far from him, sorrowing and languishing

As Jamil lamented his longing for Buthaina.

وَلَوْلا أَخٌ أَحْمَدْتُ فِي الْوُدِّ عَهْدَهُ

عَلَى حَدَثَانِ الدَّهْرِ مَا كُنْتُ أَسْتَثْنِي

So who will be a noble friend whose company

I crave, having wearied of consorting with ignoramuses?

وَرُبَّ بَعِيدِ الدَّارِ يُصْفِيكَ وُدَّهُ

وَمُقْتَرِبٍ يَجْنِي عَلَيْكَ وَلَمْ تَجْنِ

My soul pulls me toward him while perils

Of teeming gloom lie between us.

وَمَا الْوُدُّ فِي الْقُرْبَى وَإِنْ هِيَ أَوْجَبَتْ

وَلَكِنَّهُ فِي الطَّبْعِ وَالشَّكْلِ وَالْوَزْنِ

Perhaps the hand of time will clasp us in an embrace

And I will see him after estrangement and disdain.

إِذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ بَيْنَ الْوَدِيدَيْنِ خُلَّةٌ

فَلا أَدَبٌ يُجْدِي وَلا نَسَبٌ يُدْنِي

Though longing be prolonged, I firmly trust

In the mercy of my Lord, for He is Most Kind and Benevolent.

فَذَاكَ أَخٌ لَوْلاهُ أَنْكَرْتُ كُلَّ مَا

سَمِعْتُ بِهِ عَنْ أَحْنَفِ الْحِلْمِ أَوْ مَعْنِ

فَإِنْ لَمْ أُصَرِّحْ بِاسْمِهِ خَوْفَ حَاسِدٍ

يَنُمُّ عَلَيْهِ فَهْوَ يَعْلَمُ مَنْ أَعْنِي

عَلَى أَنَّ ذِكْرَاهُ وَإِنْ كَانَ نَائِيَاً

سَمِيرُ فُؤَادِي فِي الإِقَامَةِ وَالظَّعْنِ

أَنُوحُ لِبُعْدِي عَنْهُ حُزْناً وَلَوْعَةً

كَمَا نَاحَ مِنْ شَوْقٍ جَمِيلٌ عَلَى بُثْنِ

فَمَنْ لِي بِهِ خِلّاً كَرِيماً نِجَارُهُ

فَقَدْ سَئِمَتْ نَفْسِي مُعَاشَرَةَ الْهُجْنِ

تُجَاذِبُنِي نَفْسِي إِلَيْهِ وَدُونَنَا

أَهَاوِيلُ مُلْتَجِّ الْغَوَارِبِ مُسْتَنِّ

لَعَلَّ يَدَ الأَيَّامِ تَسْخُو بِلُقْيَةٍ

أَرَاهُ بِهَا بَعْدَ الْكَزَازَةِ وَالضَّنِّ

وَإِنِّي وَإِنْ طَالَ الْمِطَالُ لَوَاثِقٌ

بِرَحْمَةِ رَبِّي فَهْوَ ذُو الطَّوْلِ وَالْمَنِّ