سَلُوا عَنْ فُوادِي قَبْلَ شَدِّ الرَّكائِبِ

فَقَدْ ضَاعَ مِنِّي بَيْنَ تِلْكَ الْمَلاعِبِ

Ask about my heart before the departure of the caravans

For it was lost to me amidst those playgrounds

أَغارَتْ عَلَيْهِ فاحْتَوَتْهُ بِلَحْظِها

فَتاةٌ لَهَا في السِّلْمِ فَتْكُ الْمُحَارِبِ

A girl whose glance had the power of a warrior's attack was jealous of it and captivated it

So do not stop asking her for perhaps

فَلا تَبْرَحُوا أَوْ تَسْأَلُوهَا فَرُبَّمَا

أَعَادَتْهُ أَوْ جاءَتْ بِوَعْدٍ مُقَارِبِ

She may return it or come with a promise close enough

And how can she hide it when its moaning

وَكَيْفَ تُواريهِ وَهَذا أَنِينُهُ

يَدُلُّ عَلَيهِ السَّمْعُ مِنْ كُلِّ جانِبِ

Guides one to it from every side

O cypresses of the tribe why did you not respond

فَيَا سَرَوَاتِ الْحَيِّ هَلاَّ أَجَبْتُمُ

دُعاءَ فَتىً مِنْكُمْ قَرِيبِ الْمَنَاسِبِ

To the call of a youth closely related to you

If you do not support me though you are my people

إِذا لَمْ تُعِينُوني وَأَنْتُمْ عَشِيرَتِي

فَسِيرُوا وخَلُّوني فَلَسْتُ بِذَاهِبِ

Then leave me be for I am not going anywhere

Should my heart be lost to trickery and then I do not see

أَيَذْهَبُ قَلْبِي غيلَةً ثُمَّ لا أَرَى

لَهُ بَيْنَكُمْ مِنْ ثائِرٍ أَوْ مُطالِبِ

Amongst you one who is enraged or making claims

When a man does not defend his brother himself

إِذا الْمَرءُ لَمْ يَنْصُرْ أَخَاهُ بِنَفْسِهِ

لَدَى كُلِّ مَكْرُوهٍ فَلَيْسَ بِصاحِبِ

At every hated thing then he is no true companion

So do not blame me if I tarry behind you

فَلا تَعْذُلُونِي إِنْ تَخَلَّفْتُ بَعْدَكُمْ

فَما أَنَا عَنْ مَثْوَى الفُؤَادِ بِراغِبِ

For I do not desire to leave the abode of my heart

For there lies a flank whose guest is not cautioned

فَثَمَّ جَنَابٌ لا يُراعُ نَزِيلُهُ

بِنَائِرَةٍ لَوْلا عُيُونُ الْكَوَاعِبِ

Against the fires were it not for the eyes of the flirtatious

When the glance travels bound to the wrist of a coquette

إِذَا سَارَ فِيهِ الطَّرْفُ قِيدَ بَنانَةٍ

تَعَثَّرَ مَا بَيْنَ الْقَنا وَالْقَوَاضِبِ

It stumbles between the battles and the tilting grounds

And between the highlands in the tents, young ladies

وَبَيْنَ الْعَوالِي فِي الْخُدُورِ نَوَاشِئٌ

مِنَ الْعَينِ حُمْرُ الْحَلْي بِيضُ التَّرائِبِ

With reddened cheeks and white veils

When they lift up their veils, they show us

إِذَا هُنَّ رَفَّعْنَ السُّجُوفَ أَرَيْنَنَا

مَحَاسِنَ تَدْعُو لِلصِّبا كُلَّ راهِبِ

Beauties that invite every monk to sin

They came with bright, radiant faces like planets

جَلَوْنَ بِحُلْوانَ الْوُجُوهَ كَوَاكِباً

فَيا مَنْ رَأَى فِي الأَرْضِ سَيْرَ الْكَواكِبِ

So by the one who saw the circuit of planets on earth!

And they cast glances whereby they deafened souls

وَفَوَّقْنَ أَلحَاظاً فَأَصْمَيْنَ أَنْفُساً

بِلا تِرَةٍ إِلَّا مَجَانَةَ لاعِبِ

With no hesitation save the recklessness of a player

So many are slain in the snares of a wink!

فَكَمْ مِنْ صَرِيعٍ فِي حَبائِلِ مُقْلَةٍ

وَكَمْ مِنْ أَسِيرٍ فِي قُيُودِ ذَوائِبِ

And many are captive in the fetters of tresses!

By your life! However spacious earth may be

لَعَمْرُكَ ما فِي الأَرضِ وَهْيَ رَحِيبَةٌ

كَغِزْلانِ هَذَا الْحَيِّ عُذْرٌ لِنَاسِبِ

The gazelles of this tribe are fit excuses for a lover

So do not seek beauty in other than its rightful place

فَلا تَطْلُبَنَّ الْحُسْنَ في غَيْرِ أَهْلِهِ

فَأَبْدَعُ ما فِي الأَرْضِ حُسْنُ الأَعارِبِ

For the most wondrous on earth is the beauty of nomads

They are the landmarks who accustomed my heart to passion

فَهُنَّ الأُلَى عَوَّدْنَ قَلْبِي عَلَى الْهَوَى

وَأَخْلَفْنَ ظَنِّي بِالْعِدَاتِ الْكَوَاذِبِ

And they betrayed my expectations with lying coquettes

And they brought me bliss until, when they left me

وَتَيَّمْنَني حَتَّى إِذا ما تَرَكْنَنِي

أَخَا سَقَمٍ أَسْلَمْنَنِي لِلنَّوائِبِ

A brother, sick, they delivered me to tribulations

And I would not, were it not for them, meet the morning breeze

وَمَا كُنْتُ لَوْلاهُنَّ أَسْتَقْبِلُ الصَّبَا

وَأَسْأَلُ عَنْ أَهْلِ الْحِمَى كُلَّ راكِبِ

And ask about the people of the valley every rider

And the Nile would not have increased were it not for me

وَمَا زَاد ماءُ النِّيِلِ إِلَّا لأَنَّنِي

وَقَفْتُ بِهِ أَبْكِي فِرَاقَ الْحَبَائِبِ

Standing by it weeping the loss of loved ones

So my friend is there any emancipation for one fallen

فَيا صاحِبي هَلْ مِنْ فَكَاكٍ لِوَاقِعٍ

بِأَسْرِ الهَوَى أَوْ مِنْ نَجاةٍ لِهَائِبِ

Captive to passion? Or any salvation for the panic-stricken?

I submitted to the judgements of passion after pride

خَضَعْتُ لأَحْكَامِ الهَوَى بَعْدَ عِزَّةٍ

وَمَا كُنْتُ لَوْلا الْحُبُّ طَوْعَ الْجَواذِبِ

And I would not, were it not for love, have yielded to forces

We are people whose souls do not fear

وَإِنَّا أُنَاسٌ لا تَهَابُ نُفُوسُنَا

لِقَاءَ الأَعَادِي أَوْ قِرَاعَ الْكَتَائِبِ

Meeting enemies or clashing with battalions

We drive back every raiding party

نَرُدُّ عَلَى الأَعْقَابِ كُلَّ سَرِيَّةٍ

وَنَعْجَزُ عَنْ نبْلِ الْعُيُونِ الْصَّوَائِبِ

And we are powerless against the arrows of roving glances

If this love were a warring person

فَلَوْ كَانَ هَذا الْحُبُّ شَخْصَاً مُحارِباً

لأَوْجَرْتُهُ فَوْهَاءَ رَيَّا الْجَوانِبِ

I would have drowned him in the expanse of my flank

But he is the adversary whom proud necks submitted to

وَلَكِنَّهُ الْخَصْمُ الَّذِي خَضَعَتْ لَهُ

رِقابُ أُنَاسٍ أَخْضَعُوا كُلَّ غَالِبِ

The necks of people who subdued every victor

So let not people think my words mere jest

فَلا يَحْسَبَنَّ النَّاسُ قَوْلِي فُكَاهَةً

فَإِنَّ الهَوَى بَحْرٌ كَثِيرُ الْعَجَائِبِ

For passion is an ocean full of wonders

When a man does not manage matters with his knowledge

إِذا الْمَرْءُ لَمْ يَفْرِ الأُمُورَ بِعِلْمِهِ

تَحَيَّرَ ما بَيْنَ اخْتِلافِ الْمَذَاهِبِ

He falters amidst the differing creeds