وإن بعدت من أهله وقطينه

وإن بعدت من أهله وقطينه

مرابع غزلان وملعب فتية

مرابع غزلان وملعب فتية

Though I have grown far from its people and inhabitants,

Though I am far from my family and homeland

Spring haunts of gazelles and a playground for young men,

Pastures of gazelles and playground of youths

وملهى خدين مغرم بخدينه

وملهى خدين مغرم بخدينه

وماء كريق الحب عذب يميحه

وماء كريق الحب عذب يميحه

And a haunt for a companion enamored of his beloved,

And delight of rosy cheeks infatuated with their cheeks

And water, sweet as the beloved's saliva, stirred

And water as delicious as the gurgle of love

هواء كدمع الصبّ إثر شجونه

هواء كدمع الصبّ إثر شجونه

كأني لم أحلل بها ومطالبي

كأني لم أحلل بها ومطالبي

By a breeze, like a lovesick man's tears after his sorrows.

An air like tears of nightfall after its sorrows

As though I had never dwelt there, while my desires

As if I never settled there though it is my pursuit

غرائب أبكار النعيم وعونه

غرائب أبكار النعيم وعونه

ومن صيد لهوي غادة في حجالها

ومن صيد لهوي غادة في حجالها

Were rarities among bliss's virgin and seasoned delights;

Strange virgins of bliss and its support

And among the quarry of my play, a maiden in her curtained chambers,

And game for my passion prowling in its thickets

ومن صيد جدّي ضيغم في عرينه

ومن صيد جدّي ضيغم في عرينه

بلى كان ديناً للزمان استردّه

بلى كان ديناً للزمان استردّه

And among the quarry of my earnest pursuits, a lion in his lair.

And game for my grave effort stalking its lair

Yes, it was a debt to Time, which Time reclaimed,

Yes it was a debt on time I took it back

وما زال مغرى بارتجاع ديونه

وما زال مغرى بارتجاع ديونه

حلفت يميناً برّة وشفعتها

حلفت يميناً برّة وشفعتها

And it is ever bent on reclaiming its debts.

And it still entices me to claim its debts

I swore a true oath and doubled it,

I swore a solemn oath by the righteous one and his intercession

وفي قول مثلي نادح عن يمينه

وفي قول مثلي نادح عن يمينه

لقد سفهت فرسان غنم بن تغلب

لقد سفهت فرسان غنم بن تغلب

And the word of one like me makes his oath needless:

And in the words of one like me complaining of his right

The horsemen of Ghanm ibn Taghlib have indeed acted foolishly

Indeed the horsemen of Ghunm tribe were foolish

بعصيان حالي عزّها وضمينه

بعصيان حالي عزّها وضمينه

ظننت بهم ظناً فعاد حقيقة

ظننت بهم ظناً فعاد حقيقة

By defying the adorner of their glory and its guarantor.

By disobeying my condition its honor and embrace

I formed a surmise about them, and it proved true;

I thought well of them but it turned out to be true

وظنّ خبير القوم مثل يقينه

وظنّ خبير القوم مثل يقينه

نهيتهم أن يجعلوا البغي مركبا

نهيتهم أن يجعلوا البغي مركبا

And the surmise of one who knows a people is like his certainty.

And the opinion of the expert of the people is like his certainty

I forbade them to make transgression their mount,

I forbade them from mounting treason

فيلفى قليلا لبثهم في متونه

فيلفى قليلا لبثهم في متونه

وحذّرتهم طعناً يفك إلى العلا

وحذّرتهم طعناً يفك إلى العلا

For their stay astride it would prove brief.

Yet shortly after they persisted in its bases

And I warned them of thrusts that unravel skyward

And warned them of a stab that unties high

من الحلق الماذيّ نظم عيونه

من الحلق الماذيّ نظم عيونه

وضربا يطير الهام حتى كأنه

وضربا يطير الهام حتى كأنه

The interlinked eyelets of fine mail-rings,

From the sweet neck, the systematic eyes

And blows that send heads flying, until they seem

And a blow that sends reason flying as if

من الطير سرب طائر عن ركونه

من الطير سرب طائر عن ركونه

وما غرّهم من صادق الشدّ باسل

وما غرّهم من صادق الشدّ باسل

A flock of birds taking wing from its repose.

It were a flock of birds startled from their perch

And what gave them false confidence against an unfaltering, dauntless charger,

And sincere tightening of the belt did not tempt them

أخي لبد ثبت الجنان ركينه

أخي لبد ثبت الجنان ركينه

يقيت غرار السيف نفس ضريبه

يقيت غرار السيف نفس ضريبه

A maned lion, firm and steadfast of heart,

My brother with solid sides and settled faith

Who feeds the sword's edge the life of the man he strikes,

I avoid the deception of the striking sword

ويقرى سنان الرمح روح طعينه

ويقرى سنان الرمح روح طعينه

فان صادفوا منّي ركونا اليهم

فان صادفوا منّي ركونا اليهم

And feasts the spearhead on the soul of the man he pierces?

And the fangs of the spear piercing the rib cage

So if they have found in me an inclination toward them,

If they meet tranquility from me toward them

فربّ مداري وحشة بركونه

فربّ مداري وحشة بركونه

وان صادفوا منّي سكوناً فإنما

وان صادفوا منّي سكوناً فإنما

Many a man soothes estrangement through his acquiescence.

Then the tranquil has solitude in his tranquility

And if they have found stillness in me, then only

And if they meet composure from me then

مهال شجاع الرّبد تحت سكونه

مهال شجاع الرّبد تحت سكونه

A great dusky serpent's venom lies beneath its stillness.

Patience, the brave is beneath his composure