1. أَلا هَل فُؤادي إِذ صَبا اليَومَ نازِعُ

    وَهَل عَيشُنا الماضي الَّذي زالَ رايِعُ

    Ah, will my heart, love-struck today, turn away?

    And will our vanished former life return?

  2. وَهَل مِثلُ أَيّامٍ تَسَلَّفنَ بِالحِمى

    عَوايِدُ أَو عَيشُ السِتارَينِ راجِعُ

    And are days like those long past in al-Hima

    to come again, or will life at al-Sitarayn return?

  3. كَأَن لَم تُجاوِرنا رَميمٌ وَلَم نَقُم

    بِفَيضِ الحِمى إِذ أَنتَ بِالعَيشِ قانِعُ

    As though Ramim had never lived beside us, nor we dwelt

    at Fayd al-Hima, when you were content with life.

  4. وَبُدِّلتُ بَعدَ القُربِ سُخطاً وَأَصبَحَت

    مُضابِعَةً وَاِستَشرَفَتكَ الأَضابِعُ

    After closeness, I was given displeasure instead, and she became

    one running with hyenas, while the hyenas craned toward you.

  5. وَكُلُّ قَرينٍ ذي قَرينٍ يَوَدَّهُ

    سَيُفجِعَهُ يَوماً مِنَ البَينِ فاجِعُ

    Every companion who has a companion he loves

    will one day be bereaved by a blow of separation.

  6. لَعَمري لَقَد هاجَت لَكَ الشَوقَ عَرصَةٌ

    بِمَرّانَ تَعفوها الرِياحُ الزَعازِعُ

    By my life, a campsite has stirred longing in you

    at Marran, where blustering winds efface it.

  7. بِها رَسمُ أَطلالٍ وَخَيمٌ خَواشِعٌ

    عَلى أَلِهِنَّ الهاتِفاتُ السَواجِعُ

    There lie traces of ruined dwellings and sagging tents;

    upon their poles are calling, cooing birds.

  8. فَظَلتُ وَلَم تَعلَم رَميمُ كَأَنَّني

    مُهَمٌّ أَلَثَّتهُ الدُيونُ الخَوالِعُ

    I remained, though Ramim did not know, as though I were

    a careworn man beset by ruinous debts,

  9. تَذَكَّرَ أَيّامَ الشَبابِ الَّذي مَضى

    وَلَمّا تَرُعنا بِالفِراقِ الرَوايِعُ

    remembering the days of youth that had passed,

    before the terrors of parting had yet frightened us.

  10. بِأَهلي خَليلٌ إِن تَحَمَّلتُ نَحوَهُ

    عَصاني وَإِن هاجَرتُهُ فَهوَ جازِعُ

    My family be ransom for a beloved: if I make my way to him,

    he resists me; yet if I forsake him, he is distraught.

  11. وَكَيفَ التَعَزّي عَن رَميمَ وَحُبُّها

    عَلى النَأيِ وَالهِجرانِ في القَلبِ نافِعُ

    How can I find consolation for Ramim, when love for her,

    despite distance and estrangement, does the heart good?

  12. طَوَيتُ عَلَيهِ فَهوَ في القَلبِ شامَةٌ

    شَريكُ المَنايا ضُمِّنَتهُ الأَضالِعُ

    I have folded it within me: in the heart it is a birthmark,

    death's companion, lodged within the ribs.

  13. وَبيضٍ تَهادى في الرِياطِ كَأَنَّها

    نِهى لَسلَسٍ طابَت لَهُنَّ المَراتِعُ

    And fair women, swaying gracefully in soft robes, as though they were

    wild cows of Laslas, for whom the pastures were pleasant.

  14. تَخَيَّرنَ مِنّا مَوعِداً بَعدَ رِقبَةٍ

    بِأَعفَرَ تَعلوهُ الشُروجُ الدَوافِعُ

    They chose a rendezvous with us after watchful waiting,

    at Aʿfar, overrun by rushing watercourses.

  15. فَجُنَّ هُدُوّاً وَالثِيابُ كَأَنَّها

    مِنَ الطَلِّ بَلَّتها الرِهامُ النَواشِعُ

    Then they were veiled in the night's stillness, their garments as though

    light, sprinkling showers had moistened them with dew.

  16. جَرى بَينَنا مِنهُم رَسيسٌ يَزيدُنا

    سَقاماً إِذا ما اِستَيقَنَتهُ المَسامِعُ

    A faint murmur from them passed between us, increasing our

    lovesickness whenever the ears became certain of it.

  17. قَليلاً وَكانَ اللَيلُ في ذاكَ ساعَةً

    فَقُمنَ وَمَعروفٌ مِنَ الصُبحِ صادِعُ

    For a little while—the night then was but an hour.

    Then they rose, as dawn's unmistakable light broke through.

  18. وَأَدبَرنَ مِن وَجهٍ بِمِثلِ الَّذي بِنا

    فَسالَت عَلى آثارِهِنَّ المَدامِعُ

    They turned away in one direction, with feelings like ours,

    and tears flowed over their tracks.

  19. يُزَجّينَ بِكراً يَنهَزُ الرَيطُ مَشيَها

    كَما مارَ ثُعبانُ الفَضا المُتَدافِعُ

    They ushered a maiden onward, her robe stirring with her gait,

    as a serpent in the open waste sways, surging onward.

  20. تُبادِرُ عَينَيها بِكُحلٍ كَأَنَّهُ

    جُمانٌ هَوى مِن سِلكِهِ مُتَتابِعُ

    She hastens to kohl her eyes, as though it were

    pearls that fell from their string, one after another.

  21. وَقُمنا إِلى خَوصٍ كَأَنَّ عُيونَها

    قِلاتٌ تَراخى مائُها فَهوَ واضِعُ

    We rose and went to narrow-eyed camels, whose eyes seemed

    rock pools whose water had receded and lay low.

  22. فَوَلَّت بِنا تَغشى الخَبارَ مُلِحَّةً

    مَعاً حولُها وَاللاقِحاتُ المَلامِعُ

    They carried us away, persistently crossing the soft ground,

    all together—their barren ones and gleaming pregnant ones.

  23. وَإِنّي لَصَرّامٌ وَلَم يُخلِقِ الهَوى

    جَميلٌ فِراقي حينَ تَبدو الشَرايِعُ

    I am indeed resolute in breaking off, though love has not worn thin;

    my parting is gracious when the paths become clear.

  24. وَإِنّي لَأَستَبقي إِذا العُسرُ مَسَّني

    بَشاشَةَ نَفسي حينَ تُبلى المَنافِعُ

    And I preserve, when hardship touches me,

    my soul's cheerfulness, when comforts are worn away.

  25. وَأَعفي عَن قَومي وَلَو شِئتُ نَوَّلوا

    إِذا ماتَشَكّى المُلحِفُ المُتَضارِعُ

    I refrain from asking my people, though they would give if I wished,

    when the importunate, pleading beggar voices complaint,

  26. مَخافَةَ أَن أَقلى إِذا شِئتُ سائِلاً

    وَتُرجِعَني نَحوَ الرِجالِ المَطامِعُ

    for fear of being hated if I chose to beg,

    and cravings turned me toward other men,

  27. فَأَسمَعَ مِنّا أَو أُشَرِّفَ مُنعِماً

    وَكُلُّ مُصادي نِعمَةٍ مُتَواضِعُ

    so that I heard reminders of favors, or extolled a benefactor;

    whoever courts a favor must humble himself.

  28. وَأُعرِضُ عَن أَشياءَ لَو شِئتُ نِلتُها

    حَياءً إِذا ماكانَ فيها مَقاذِعُ

    I turn away from things I could attain if I wished,

    out of modesty, whenever they involve grounds for reproach.

  29. وَلا أَدفَعُ اِبنَ العَمِّ يَمشي عَلى شَفا

    وَلَو بَلَغَتني مِن أَذاهُ الجَنادِعُ

    Nor do I thrust my cousin away as he walks on a brink,

    though the creeping evils of his malice reach me.

  30. وَلَكِن أُواسيهِ وَأَنسى ذُنوبَهُ

    لِتُرجِعَهُ يَوماً إِلَيَّ الرَواجِعُ

    Rather, I share his burdens and forget his offenses,

    so that changing fortunes may one day return him to me.

  31. وَأُفرِشُهُ مالي وَأَحفَظُ عَيبَهُ

    لِيَسمَعَ إِنّي لاأُجازِهِ سامِعُ

    I spread my wealth before him and keep his fault hidden,

    so that a listener may hear that I do not retaliate.

  32. وَحَسبُكَ مِن جَهلٍ وَسورِ صَنيعَةٍ

    مُعاداةَ ذي القُربى وَإِن قيلَ قاطِعُ

    It is ignorance and rash conduct enough for you

    to make an enemy of a kinsman, even if he is called a breaker of ties.

  33. فَأَسلِم عَناكَ الأَهلَ تَسلَم صُدورُهُم

    وَلا بُدَّ يَوماً أَن يَروعَكَ رايِعُ

    Spare your family your trouble, and their hearts will be safe.

    Yet one day some terrifying event must frighten you.

  34. فَتَبلوهُ ما سَلَّفتَ حَتّى يَرُدَّهُ

    إِلَيكَ الجَوازي وافِراً وَالصَنايِعُ

    Then you test him with what you gave before, until it is returned

    to you in full by recompense and deeds of kindness.

  35. فَإِن تُبلِ عَفواً يُعفَ عَنكَ وَإِن تَكُن

    تُقارِعُ بِالأُخرى تُصِبكَ القَوارِعُ

    If you bestow pardon, you will be pardoned; but if you

    trade blows in the opposite way, calamities will strike you.

  36. وَلا تَبتَدِع حَرباً تُطيقُ اِجتِنابَها

    فَيَلحَمَكَ الناسَ الحُروبُ البَدايِعُ

    Do not start a war you have the power to avoid,

    lest newly begun wars make you meat for men.

  37. لَعَمري لِنِعمَ الحَيُّ إِن كُنتَ مادِحاً

    هُمُ الأَزدُ إِنَّ القَولَ بِالصِدقِ شايِعُ

    By my life, what an excellent tribe, if you mean to praise,

    are the Azd! Truthful speech is spread abroad.

  38. كِرامٌ مَساعيهِم جِسامٌ سَماعُهُم

    إِذا أَلغَتِ الناسُ الأُمورُ الشَرايِعُ

    Noble are their endeavors, great their renown,

    when manifest affairs render people powerless.

  39. لَنا الغُرَفُ العُليا مِنَ المَجدِ وَالعُلى

    ظَفِرنا بِها وَالناسُ بَعدُ تَوابِعُ

    Ours are the highest chambers of glory and eminence;

    we have won them, while others still follow behind.

  40. لَنا جَبَلا عِزٍّ قَديمٌ بَناهُما

    تَليعانِ لا يَألوهُما مَن يُتالِعُ

    Ours are two mountains of ancient might, built by

    two towering men whom no rival in stature can reach.

  41. فَكَم وافِدٍ مِنا شَريفٌ مَقامَهُ

    وَكَم حافِظٍ لِلقِرنِ وَالقِرنُ وادِعُ

    How many an envoy among us has an honored station,

    and how many a watcher of a foe, while that foe rests at ease!

  42. وَمِن مُطعِمٍ يَومَ الصَبا غَيرَ جامِدٍ

    إِذا شَصَّ عَن أَبنائِهِنَّ المَراضِعُ

    And many a feeder, unstinting on a day of the east wind,

    when nursing mothers run dry for their children.

  43. يُشَرِّفُ أَقواماً سِوانا ثِيابُنا

    وَتَبقى لَهُم أَن يَلبَسوها سَمايِعُ

    Our garments ennoble peoples besides ourselves,

    and renown stays with them when they wear them.

  44. إِذا نَحنُ ذارَعنا إِلى المَجدِ وَالعُلى

    قَبيلاً فَما يَسطيعُنا مَن يُذارِعُ

    If we compete for glory and eminence with

    a tribe, no one who competes can surpass us.

  45. وَمِنّا بَنو ماءِ السَماءِ وَمُنذِرٌ

    وَجَفنَةُ مِنّا وَالقُرومُ النَزايِعُ

    Among us are the sons of Maʾ al-Samaʾ and Mundhir,

    and Jafna is of us, and the far-ranging chieftains,

  46. قَبائِلُ مِن غَسّانَ تَسمو بِعامِرٍ

    إِذا اِنتَسَبَت وَالأُزدُ بَعدُ الجَوامِعُ

    tribes of Ghassan, tracing their exalted descent to ʿAmir

    when they name their lineage; the Azd encompass them all.

  47. أَدانَ لَنا النُعمانُ قَيساً وَخِندَقاً

    أَدانَ وَلَم يَمنَع رَبيعَةَ مانِعُ

    Al-Nuʿman subjected Qays and Khindaq to us;

    he subdued them, and no defender protected Rabiʿa.