1. أني عَلَى هَيَمَى مَىٍِّ تَلُحَّاني

    وقَد شَجَاني قُمرِىٌّ بألحان

    How can you two reproach me for my passion for Mayy,

    when a turtledove has saddened me with melodies?

  2. غَنَّى عَلَى خُوطِ بَانٍ مَا ابَنَّ بِهِ

    فَقُلتُ بَينٌ مُشِتُ بَانِ في ألبَانِ

    It sang upon a bān-tree shoot for as long as it perched there;

    so I said: 'A sundering separation has appeared in the bān tree.'

  3. غَنَّى عَلَى الفَنَنِ الفَينَانِ إِن غِناً

    لَهُ عَلَى الفَنَنِ الفَينَانِ أفنَاني

    It sang upon the luxuriant bough; indeed, a song

    of its own upon the luxuriant bough has undone me.

  4. فِيمَ العِتَابُ فَكَم صَبٍّ تَطَرَّبَهُ

    شَدوُ الحَمَامِ بِألحَانٍ وأفنَانِ

    Why reproach? How many a lover has been moved

    by the doves' song, with melodies among the boughs!

  5. هَذِى مَغَانٍ غَنِينَا بِالنَّعِيمِ بِهَا

    أحَنَت عَلَيها السَّوَافي مُنذُ أزمَانِ

    These are abodes where we once lived in bliss;

    the windblown sands have swept over them for ages.

  6. لَمَّا وَقَفتُ اُحَيِّيهَا وأندُبُهَا

    أجرَى دُمُوعُىَّ جوي تِذكَارُ جِيرَانِ

    When I stood greeting and lamenting them,

    the burning grief of remembering neighbors set my tears flowing.

  7. قَالَ الخِليُّ أتجري الدَّمعَ في ظَلَلٍ

    كَالوَشمِ أو كَبَقَايَا صُحفِ رُهبَانِ

    The untroubled man said: 'Do you shed tears over ruins

    like a tattoo, or remnants of monks' pages?'

  8. نُقلتُ والقُلبُ يغلي لَوعَةً وأسىً

    والتَّحرُ مُختَضِبٌ بِالمَدفَعِ القَاني

    I replied, my heart boiling with anguish and sorrow,

    and my breast stained with the crimson outpouring:

  9. مَا كَانَ لِلصَّبِّ في صَبِّ المَدَامِعِ في

    دُورِ الأحِبَّةِ مِن عَابٍ ولا ذَانِ

    There is no fault in a lover's pouring tears over

    the homes of loved ones, nor any blame.

  10. إني بِأُمِّ أبَانٍ مُغرَمٌ كَلِفٌ

    قَد هَيَّجَ البَينُ مِنهَا بَرحَ أشجَانِ

    Indeed, I am enamored of Umm Abān, consumed by love;

    parting from her has roused the cruel ache of sorrows.

  11. نَاءَت بِهَا كُلُّ عُلكُومٍ مُذَكَّرَةٍ

    وَجنَاءَ لاَ تَتَشَكَّى الأَينَ مِذعَانِ

    Every massive, male-built she-camel carried her far away,

    strong-cheeked, uncomplaining of fatigue, obedient.

  12. مَا زِلتُ أرنُو ِإلَى الأظعَانِ جَازعَةً

    جِزعَ اللِّوَى رُنُوُّ الوَاصِفِ الرَّاني

    I kept gazing at the departing litters as they crossed

    the valley bend at al-Liwā, with a describer's intent gaze,

  13. حَرَّانَ صًبًّا مَشوقَ القَلبِ مُكتِئَباً

    يَا مَن لِصَبٍّ مَشُوقَ القَلبِ حَرَّانِ

    burning, lovesick, yearning at heart, dejected.

    Oh, who will aid a lover, yearning at heart and burning?

  14. حَتَّى غَلَت زَفَرَاتِى في الحَشَا وَعَلَت

    هَدَّ إرعِوَائِى رُنوي صَوبَ أظعَانِ

    Until my sighs boiled within my breast and rose;

    my gaze toward the departing litters shattered my restraint.

  15. كَيفَ التَّجلُّدُ لِى إِنَّ الحَبِيبَ جَفَا

    وانهَلَّ لَمَّا جَفَاني دَمعُ أجفاني

    How can I remain steadfast? The beloved has turned away,

    and when my beloved shunned me, tears poured from my eyelids.

  16. يَا لَيتَهُ قَد شَفَاني بَعدَ دَاءِ جَفاً

    عَلَى شفي جَلهَاتِ الحَينِ أشفَاني

    Oh, would that my beloved had healed me after rejection's illness,

    which brought me to the brink of death's outer reaches.

  17. إِنَّ الشِّفَافي شِفَاهِ الخَودِ لَو رَشَفَت

    لَكِن سَقَتني وَصدَّت كَأسَ ذُؤفَانِ

    Indeed, healing lies in the maiden's lips, if one could sip them;

    but she made me drink a cup of deadly poison and turned away.

  18. نَأيُ الشِّفا وَتَدَاني الجَفَا كَشَفَا

    سَجفَ اصطِبَارِي ومَنَّانِي وشَفَّانِي

    The remoteness of healing and the nearness of rejection stripped away

    the curtain of my patience, weakened me, and wasted me away.

  19. حُمَّ افتِتَاني بِظبي شَادِنٍ خَرِقٍ

    أحوَى اللَّثَاثِ كَحِيلِ الطَّرفِ فَتَّانِ

    I was fated to be bewitched by a timid young gazelle,

    dark of gums, kohl-eyed, enchanting,

  20. مَشجُوجِ رِقيقٍ بِخُرطُومٍ مُعَتَّقَةٍ

    غَصَّانِ حِجلٍ أنِيقِ الدُّرِ رَبَّانِ

    whose saliva is mingled with choice aged wine,

    tight of anklet, with lovely, fresh pearls.

  21. إني ادَّكَرتُ لَيَالِىَ اغتَبَقتُ بِها

    صَفوَ التَّصَابي بِرَغمِ الكَاشِحِ الشَّآني

    I remember nights when I drank at evening

    the pure delight of youthful dalliance, despite the spiteful hater;

  22. أيَّامَ أرفُلُ في بُردِ الصِّبَا ثَمِلاً

    اختَالُ بَينَ الغَوَاني مَيسَ نَشوَانِ

    days when I swaggered in youth's cloak, intoxicated,

    strutting among the beauties with a drunkard's sway.

  23. أجني قُطُوفَ الملاهي وَهىَ دَانِيَةٌ

    قَطفَ القُطُوفِ الدَّوَاني مُنيَةُ الجَاني

    I plucked the fruits of pleasure, hanging close at hand;

    plucking low-hanging clusters is the gatherer's wish.

  24. إِنِّي لَمِن مَعشَرٍ دَانٍ جَنَاهُ فَمَن

    وَافَاهُ نَالَ جَنًى مِن قَطفِهِ الدَّانِي

    I belong to a people whose fruit is near at hand; whoever

    comes to them gains fruit from their low-hanging harvest.

  25. شُمِّ العَرَانِينِ جَمِّ المَجدِ مُلتَحِفٌ

    مِن كُلِّ مَكرُمَةٍ عَزَّت بِأردَانِ

    Lofty-nosed, abundant in glory, wrapped

    in the sleeves of every precious virtue.

  26. أدرَى وادرَا لِلعَاتِى وحلَّتُهُ

    غُرُّ المَكَارِمِ مَاسِيطَت بِأدرَانِ

    More discerning and better at repelling the aggressor; their robe is

    radiant virtues, never mingled with stains.

  27. أحيَاءِ كُوكَانَ مَا إِن كَانَ مِثلَهُمُ

    شَادُوا العُلُومَ عَلَى أسَاسِ أركَانِ

    The clans of Kūkān—there have been none like them—

    have raised the sciences on a foundation of pillars.

  28. يَحكُونَ حَسَّانَ إِن حَاكُوا قَوَافِيَهم

    وفي السَّمَاحَةِ يَحكُونَ إبنَ مَحكَانِ

    They resemble Ḥassān when they weave their rhymes,

    and in generosity they resemble Ibn Maḥkān.

  29. هَانَ العَوِيصُ لَدَيهُم إِذ تُرِيهِ لَهُم

    شَمساً مَصَابِيحُ أفهَامٍ وأذهَانِ

    The abstruse is easy for them, for it is shown to them

    as a sun by the lamps of understanding and intellect.

  30. مَكُّوا البَلاَغةَ مِن آبَائِهِم وشَأَوا

    أهلَ المَعَاني وحُلُّوا عِقدَ عِقيَانِ

    They suckled eloquence from their fathers and outstripped

    the masters of meaning, and were adorned with a necklace of pure gold.

  31. قَد استَبَدُّوا بِمَيدَانِ المَفَاخِرِ ما

    حَازَ الحِجَا مَن يُجَارِيهُم بِمَيدَانِ

    They have monopolized the arena of glory; no

    one who competes with them in an arena has sound judgment.

  32. تَاهَ الزَّمَانُ بِهُم وازدَانَ عَاطِلُهُ

    لَولاَهُمُ لَتبَدَّى غَيرَ مُزدَانِ

    Time boasts of them, and its bare form is adorned;

    without them it would appear unadorned.

  33. إِذ عَنَّ مِن حَدَثَانِ الدَّهرِ دَاهِيَةٌ

    عَنًّا أقَرَّ مُعَانِيهِم بِإذعَانِ

    When a calamity arises from the upheavals of time,

    their adversary concedes at its onset, in submission.

  34. ضَافُوا إِلَى مَاحَوَوا مِن كُلِّ مَكرُمَةٍ

    إكرَامَ مَن طَافَ مِن عَافٍ وضِيفَانِ

    They have added to every noble quality they possess

    honoring visitors, both seekers of favor and guests.

  35. يَرتَاحُ نَادِيهُمُ لِلمَنِّ إِن سُئِلُوا

    ولَم يَكُن وهو مَنَّانٌ بِمَنَّانِ

    Their assembly delights in granting favors when they are asked,

    and, though a lavish giver, it never taunts others with its gifts,

  36. مِثلَ اِرتِيَاحِ الفَتَى الشَّرِّيبِ مُغَتَبِقاً

    إِلَى الأَغَاني بِمَزمَارٍ وَعِيدَانِ

    just as a wine-loving youth, drinking at evening, delights

    in songs accompanied by a flute and lutes.

  37. مَاضِيمَ مَن كَانض يَومَ الرَّوعِ جَارَهُمُ

    جَارُ العَزِيزِ عَزِيزٌ غَيرُ لَهفَانِ

    No one who was their neighbor on the day of terror was wronged;

    the mighty one's neighbor is mighty, not forlorn.

  38. هَذَا وبُورِكَ فِيمَا قَد حَوَوا وَوُقُوا

    مِن شَرِّ شَانِئِهِم مِن كُلِّ إنسَانِ

    Thus, may what they have gained be blessed, and may they be protected

    from the evil of anyone among mankind who hates them.

  39. أسنَى صَلاَةٍ وتَسلِيمٍ بِهِ حُلِيَت

    عَلَى الخُلاَصَةِ مِن أَبنَاءِ عَدنَانِ

    The most radiant blessing and salutation, with which it is adorned,

    upon the choicest of the sons of ʿAdnān.