أَسَمْراءُ عَهْدي بالخُطوبِ قَرِيبُ

أَسَمْراءُ عَهْدي بالخُطوبِ قَرِيبُ

وَعُودي بأَيْدي النَّائِباتِ صَلِيبُ

وَعُودي بأَيْدي النَّائِباتِ صَلِيبُ

O Samra, my acquaintance with calamities is recent,

My youth darkened with approaching tribulations,

and my timber is tough in the hands of misfortunes.

And my return to the hands of cruel fate is torture,

وَكُلُّ خَليلٍ كُنْتُ أَرْقُبُ عَطْفَهُ

وَكُلُّ خَليلٍ كُنْتُ أَرْقُبُ عَطْفَهُ

تَوَلَّى بِذَمٍّ وَالزَّمانُ مُرِيبُ

تَوَلَّى بِذَمٍّ وَالزَّمانُ مُرِيبُ

And every friend whose kindness I used to await

And every friend whose affection I anticipated

turned away with reproach, and the times are disquieting.

Turned away with blame while time grew doubtful,

وَقد كُنْتُ أُصْفِيه المَوَدَّةَ وَالظُّبَا

وَقد كُنْتُ أُصْفِيه المَوَدَّةَ وَالظُّبَا

على الهامِ تَبْدُو مَرَّةً وَتَغيبُ

على الهامِ تَبْدُو مَرَّةً وَتَغيبُ

Yet I had offered him pure affection, while sword-edges

I had purified for him sincere affection and love

above heads appeared one moment and vanished the next.

That would appear and disappear time and again,

نَأَى عامِرٌ لا قَرَبَّ اللهُ دارَهٌ

نَأَى عامِرٌ لا قَرَبَّ اللهُ دارَهٌ

وَآواهُ رَبْعٌ بِالغُمَيْرِ جَديبُ

وَآواهُ رَبْعٌ بِالغُمَيْرِ جَديبُ

Amir has gone far away—may God never bring his home near—

Aamer turned away; may God not favor his home,

and a barren dwelling at al-Ghumayr has sheltered him.

And he took shelter in arid Gumair,

رَأَى مُسْتَقَرَّ السَّمْعِ مِنْ أَمِّ رَأْسِهِ

رَأَى مُسْتَقَرَّ السَّمْعِ مِنْ أَمِّ رَأْسِهِ

يَصَمُّ وَأُدْعَى لِلْعُّلا فَأُجِيبُ

يَصَمُّ وَأُدْعَى لِلْعُّلا فَأُجِيبُ

He saw the seat of hearing in the core of his head

He saw the hearing of his mother’s mind

grow deaf; I am called to greatness, so I answer.

Deafening while I was called to the highlands and responded,

يُعَيِّرُني أَنِّي غَريبٌ بِأَرْضِهِ

يُعَيِّرُني أَنِّي غَريبٌ بِأَرْضِهِ

أَجَلْ أَنَا في هذا الأنامِ غَرِيبُ

أَجَلْ أَنَا في هذا الأنامِ غَرِيبُ

He taunts me for being a stranger in his land.

He reproaches me for being a stranger in his land

Yes, among these people I am a stranger.

Yes, among these people I am a stranger,

وَيُظْهِرُ لي نُصْحاً وَلِلْغِلِّ تَحتَهُ

وَيُظْهِرُ لي نُصْحاً وَلِلْغِلِّ تَحتَهُ

دَواعٍ بِكِلْتا مُقْلَتَيْهِ تُهيبُ

دَواعٍ بِكِلْتا مُقْلَتَيْهِ تُهيبُ

He shows me goodwill, while beneath it rancor has

And he shows me sincere advice yet deceit lies underneath

promptings that cry out through both his eyes.

With glances from both eyes that arouse fear.

وَيَرْتادُ مِنّي أَنْ أَضُمَّ على القذَى

وَيَرْتادُ مِنّي أَنْ أَضُمَّ على القذَى

جُفُوني وَهَلْ يَرْضَى الهَوانَ أرَيبُ

جُفُوني وَهَلْ يَرْضَى الهَوانَ أرَيبُ

And he wants me to close upon the grit

He expects me to close my eyelids to the motes

my eyelids—would a discerning man accept humiliation?

While should one accustomed to humiliation be content?

وَكَفِّي بِهَزِّ المَشْرَفَيِّ لَبيقةٌ

وَكَفِّي بِهَزِّ المَشْرَفَيِّ لَبيقةٌ

وَباعي بِتَصْريفِ القَناةِ رَحيبُ

وَباعي بِتَصْريفِ القَناةِ رَحيبُ

And my hand is deft at brandishing the Mashrafi sword,

It suffices me to flutter my fine cloak,

and my reach is wide in wielding the spear.

And my camel’s saddle is spacious when she turns.

أَفِقْ جَدَّ ثَدْيَيْ أُمِّكَ الثُّكْلُ وَانْثَنى

أَفِقْ جَدَّ ثَدْيَيْ أُمِّكَ الثُّكْلُ وَانْثَنى

شَبا السَّيْفِ عَنْ فَوْدَيْكَ وَهو خَضِيبُ

شَبا السَّيْفِ عَنْ فَوْدَيْكَ وَهو خَضِيبُ

Come to your senses! May bereavement sever your mother's breasts, and may

Awaken, the bereavement of your mother’s loss has bowed

the sword's edge recoil from your temples, stained with blood.

The youthful sword away from your shoulders while bloodied.

فَلا غَرْوَ أَنْ يَسْتَودِعَ المَجْدَ هَمّهُ

فَلا غَرْوَ أَنْ يَسْتَودِعَ المَجْدَ هَمّهُ

أَغَرُّ طُوالُ السّاعِدَينِ نَجيبُ

أَغَرُّ طُوالُ السّاعِدَينِ نَجيبُ

So no wonder he entrusts his ambition to glory—

It is no wonder that he who has lofty aspirations

a radiant, long-armed man of noble birth.

Will be deprived of glory, though noble and refined,

يُحاولُهُ مُذْ شَدَّ عِقْدَ إِزارِهِ

يُحاولُهُ مُذْ شَدَّ عِقْدَ إِزارِهِ

إِلى أَنْ مَشَى في وَفْرتَيه مَشِيبُ

إِلى أَنْ مَشَى في وَفْرتَيه مَشِيبُ

He pursued it from the time he tied his waistcloth's knot

He will pursue it from the time he wraps his waistcloth

until gray hair crept through his two locks.

Until he walks in the abundance of his white hair.

وَمِنُ نَكَدِ الأيّامِ أَنْ يَبْلُغَ المُنَى

وَمِنُ نَكَدِ الأيّامِ أَنْ يَبْلُغَ المُنَى

أَخُو اللُّؤمِ فِيها وَالكَرِيمُ يَخيبُ

أَخُو اللُّؤمِ فِيها وَالكَرِيمُ يَخيبُ

And among the days' afflictions is that wishes are attained

And of the woes of time that the vile and the noble

by a base man in those days, while the noble man fails.

Will both attain their fate and the generous one will fail.

سأَطْلُبُ عِزَّ الدَّهْرِ ما دامَ ضافِياً

سأَطْلُبُ عِزَّ الدَّهْرِ ما دامَ ضافِياً

عَلَيَّ رِداءٌ لِلشَّبابِ قَشِيبُ

عَلَيَّ رِداءٌ لِلشَّبابِ قَشِيبُ

I shall seek the glory of the age so long as I remain amply clad

I will seek the glory of life as long as it throws

in a fresh robe of youth.

Over me a cloak, though showing threads of youth.

وَلي هِمَّةٌ تَأْبَى مُقامي على الأَذى

وَلي هِمَّةٌ تَأْبَى مُقامي على الأَذى

ضَجيعَ الهُوَيْنى ما أَقَامَ عَسيبُ

ضَجيعَ الهُوَيْنى ما أَقَامَ عَسيبُ

And I have a resolve that refuses to let me remain in suffering,

My pride refuses to stay with those who injure;

a bedfellow of indolence, as long as Asib stands.

Resting place of the passionate as long as the ardent remain.