1. تمتَّعْ من شرخ الصِّبا ما تمتَّعَا

    فلَمّا تغشّى رأسه الشّيْبُ وَدّعا

    He enjoyed the first bloom of youth to the full;

    then, when gray hair covered his head, he bade farewell.

  2. رضيعُ تصابٍ وَسَط مَهدِ شبيبَةٍ

    قضَى وَطراً من لهْوها ثمَّ أقلَعا

    A nursling of youthful frolic in the cradle of youth,

    he satisfied his desire for its diversions, then desisted.

  3. وقد كان صبًّا بالكَواعب مُغْرَماً

    وما زالَ مُغرى بالبطالة مُولَعَا

    He had been lovesick, infatuated with full-breasted maidens,

    and remained seduced by idleness, passionately devoted to it.

  4. يزورُ الكعابَ الرودَ في خِدر أهلِها

    إذا هوَّمَ السمّارُ باللّيْل هُجَّعَا

    He would visit the graceful, full-breasted maiden in her family's secluded chamber,

    when the evening companions nodded off at night into sleep.

  5. ويغشى عذارى الحَيّ يبْرزْنَ بالضّحى

    نواعم يلْبسنَ الحُليَّ المُوشَّعَا

    And he would visit the tribe's maidens as they emerged in the forenoon,

    delicate maidens wearing variegated jewelry.

  6. ويغدو معَ الفتيان في مسْرَحِ الصّبا

    يُعاطيهُمُ ماء الدَّنان المُشَعْشَعَا

    And he would go out with the young men into youth's playground,

    sharing with them the diluted wine of the jars,

  7. إذا الرّوض بالأسحَار فتَّقه النّدى

    ومَسّتهُ أنفاسُ الصَّبا فتَضَوَّعا

    when, before dawn, the dew opened the garden's blossoms,

    and the east wind's breaths touched it, so it breathed out fragrance.

  8. على أنَّه شمْلُ الهَوى لم يَزَلْ بهِ

    تَلَعُّبُ أيدي البين حتّى تَصَدّعا

    Yet the union of love was continually beset by

    the play of separation's hands, until it broke apart.

  9. فلا تعجَبا من أن صَحوتُ فَطالَما

    تملّيتُ في اللَّذاتِ مرآى ومَسْمَعَا

    So do not marvel, you two, that I have sobered up: how often

    I savored pleasures in sight and sound!

  10. وأوضَعْتُ في ركَّرِ الصّبا صمَّ أصبحت

    مطايا تَصابينا طَلائِحَ ظُلّعا

    And I sped through youth's course [text unclear]; then

    the mounts of our youthful frolic became exhausted and lame.

  11. وإن كُنتَ لم أوجد على البين وانياً

    بطيئاً ولم أعهد إلى الشَّرب مَشرَعا

    Though I was not found languid at parting,

    or slow, nor did I know an approach to the drinking companions,

  12. فلمْ لا أرى لي قائلاً عند نعمةٍ

    هَنيئاً ولا إن عارَضت عثْرةٌ لَعَا

    why, then, do I see no one to say to me, when good fortune comes,

    ‘May you enjoy it!’—nor, if a mishap meets me, ‘Rise again!’?

  13. خليلَيَّ فيما رمتُما هل وجَدتما

    لما فات من شرخ الشَّبيبة مرجعا

    My two friends, in what you sought, have you found

    a way back to the prime of youth that has passed?

  14. وهل تجدانِ اليومَ في أن تُغَشِّيا

    سَواداً على مبيضّ فَودَّي مَطْمَعا

    And do you two see today any hope of laying

    blackness over the whitened locks at my two temples?

  15. خُذا من لذيذ العيش ما قد طربْتما

    لهُ ودَعاني أهجُرِ اللَّهْوَ أجمَعَا

    Take from life's delights whatever has moved you both

    to joy, and leave me to forsake amusement altogether.

  16. على أنني أصبحتُ والشّيبُ شامل

    أُحاذرُ من دَهري مآرب أرُبَعَا

    Yet I have come, with gray hair spread over me,

    to fear for four ambitions at the hands of time:

  17. أرومُ قِرآء الضّيف والنّكْأ للعدى

    وقطْعَ الفَيافي والقريض المرصَّعَا

    I seek hospitality for the guest and wounds for enemies,

    crossing desert wastes, and richly jeweled verse.

  18. وأمْتدحُ السّادات مِن آل يَعْرُبٍ

    بَني عمَرِ طراًّ واشكُرهم مَعَا

    And I praise the lords of the house of Ya'rub,

    all the sons of Umar, and thank them together.

  19. وجدنا الهُمامين الأغَرّين أصبَحا

    وقد رَقيا طَودّ العلى وتَفَرّعا

    We found the two high-minded, illustrious lords had now

    climbed the mountain of glory and reached its summit.

  20. إلى علَمي قحطانَ ذُهلٍ ويَعْرُبٍ

    قصدت لقد ألفيت لِلمَجْد موضعَا

    To Qahtan's two luminaries, Dhuhl and Ya'rub,

    I made my way: indeed, I found a dwelling-place for glory.

  21. أبا الحسن السّامي الكَريم وصنوه

    أبا العرب الأزكى الأجل السَّميدَعا

    Abu al-Hasan, the lofty and generous, and his brother,

    Abu al-Arab, the most virtuous, most august, princely lord.

  22. هما السّيّدانِ الماجدانِ كلاهُما

    تَراه رَحيبَ الباعِ أصيدَ أرْوَعا

    They are the two glorious lords; each of them

    you see broad of reach, proudly upright, and imposing.

  23. جَوادٌ بجَدواه ضنين بعرضه

    مجيرٌ لملهوفٍ مجيبٌ لمن دَعا

    Lavish with his bounty, jealous of his honor,

    giving refuge to the distressed, answering whoever calls,

  24. يُصيبُ طريق الحمد بالجود جاعلاً

    على قومه يوم التفاخر مَفْزَعا

    he finds the path to praise through generosity, making

    himself his people's refuge on the day of rival boasts.

  25. سَعى للْمَعالي عالماً أن كل ذي

    عُلىً لا ينالُ الحمد إلا بما سَعى

    He strove for lofty honors, knowing that everyone of

    high rank wins praise only through his striving.

  26. إذا لاحَ ذهل في النَّديِّ ويَعرب

    قد اشتملا لبسَ العُلى وتَقَنَّعا

    When Dhuhl and Ya'rub shine forth in the assembly,

    already wrapped in glory's garb and veiled in it,

  27. ترى أسْديْ بأسٍ ويجري سَماحةٍ

    ويَدري بهاء صيَّرا الدَّستَ مَطْلعا

    you see two lions of valor and two seas of generosity [probable reading],

    and two full moons of splendor [probable reading], who made the seat of honor their rising-place.

  28. بني عُمرٍ أنتم جعَلتم بجودكم

    سَبيلا إليكُم للمرجّينَ مَهيعا

    Sons of Umar, through your generosity you have made

    a wide, open road to you for those who hope.

  29. وما زلتم أهلَ السّماحِ ولم يزَل

    ذَراكم لآمالِ المرجينَ مَرْتَعا

    And you have ever been people of generosity, while

    your shelter remains a pasture for the hopes of the hopeful.

  30. أنخنا مطايا الشعر في عَرَصاتكم

    فصادَفنها أندى محلٍ وأوسَعَا

    We made the mounts of poetry kneel in your courtyards,

    and they found them the most dew-rich and spacious abode.

  31. وجئناكُم نُزجي إلى بحْر جودِكم

    صَواديَ آمالٍ فوافين مَشْرَعا

    And we came to you, driving toward the sea of your bounty

    thirsty hopes, which reached a watering-place.

  32. على أنَّي طوَّقت أجيادَ مجدكم

    من الحمد ياقوتاً ودُراً مُرَصَّعَا

    Yet I have adorned the necks of your glory

    with rubies and pearls of praise, richly set.

  33. أبا حسن مُلّيتَ عيشكَ بالغا

    أماني فيه آمناً أن تُرَوَّعا

    Abu Hasan, may you long enjoy your life, attaining

    your wishes within it, safe from alarm.

  34. ولا زلتَ مَحبُوًّا أبا العرب بالذي

    تحاول من عيشٍ وعِشْتَ مُمَتَّعا

    And may you never cease to be favored, Abu al-Arab, with what

    you seek in life, and may you live in enjoyment.