1. سُقيتِ الغَوادي مِن طُلولٍ وَأَربُعِ

    وَحُيِّتِ مِن دارٍ لِأَسماءَ بَلقَع

    May morning rainclouds water you, O ruins and dwelling grounds,

    and may you be greeted, O Asma's desolate abode.

  2. وَإِن كُنتُ لا مَوعودُ أَسماءَ راجِعي

    بِنُجحٍ وَلا تَسويفُ أَسماءَ مُقنِعي

    Though I am one whom Asma's promise does not repay

    with fulfillment, nor does Asma's delay satisfy me,

  3. وَلا نافِعي سَكبُ الدُموعِ الَّتي جَرَت

    لَدَيها وَلا فَرطُ الحَنينِ المُرَجَّعِ

    nor does the pouring of tears that flowed avail me

    in her presence, nor the fervor of repeatedly echoed longing.

  4. فَلا وَصلَ إِلّا أَن يُطيفَ خَيالُها

    بِنا تَحتَ جُؤشوشٍ مِنَ اللَيلِ أَسفَعِ

    There is no union, then, except when her phantom visits

    us beneath the dusky breast of night.

  5. أَلَمَّت بِنا بَعدَ الهُدُوِّ فَسامَحَت

    بِوَصلٍ مَتى نَطلُبهُ في الجِدِّ تَمنَعِ

    She visited us after all was still, and granted

    a union she withholds whenever we seek it in earnest.

  6. وَما بَرَحَت حَطّى مَضى اللَيلُ فَانقَضى

    وَأَعجَلَها داعي الصَباحِ المُلَمَّعِ

    She did not leave until the night passed and ended,

    and the herald of dawn, streaked with light, hurried her away.

  7. فَوَلَّت كَأَنَّ البَينَ يَخلُجُ شَخصَها

    أَوانَ تَوَلَّت مِن حَشايَ وَأَضلُعي

    Then she turned away, as though separation were wrenching her form

    from my heart and ribs at the moment she departed.

  8. وَرُبَّ لِقاءٍ لَم يُؤَمَّل وَفُرقَةٍ

    لِأَسماءَ لَم تُحذَر وَلَم تُتَوَقَّعِ

    Many a meeting was never hoped for, and many a parting

    from Asma was neither feared nor foreseen.

  9. أَرانِيَ لا أَنفَكُّ في كُلِّ لَيلَةٍ

    تُعاوِدُ فيها المالِكِيَّةُ مَضجَعي

    I find myself ever, on every night

    when the Malikite woman revisits my bed,

  10. أُسَدُّ بِقُربٍ مِن مُلِمٍّ مُسَلِّمِ

    وَأَشجى بِبَينٍ مِن حَبيبٍ مُوَدِّعِ

    gladdened by the nearness of a visitor offering greetings,

    and saddened by separation from a beloved bidding farewell.

  11. فَكائِن لَنا بَعدَ النَوى مِن تَفَرُّقٍ

    تُزَجّيهِ أَحلامُ الكَرى وَتَجَمُّعِ

    How many a parting is ours after separation,

    carried along by dreams of sleep—and how many a reunion!

  12. وَمِن لَوعَةٍ تَعتادُ في إِثرِ لَوعَةٍ

    وَمِن أَدمُعٍ تَرفَضُّ في إِثرِ أَدمُعِ

    And how many a pang returns in the wake of another,

    and how many tears stream forth in the wake of tears!

  13. فَهَلّا جَزى أَهلُ الحِمى فَيضَ عَبرَتي

    وَشَوقي إِلى أَهلِ الحِمى وَتَطَلُّعي

    Why have the people of the protected grounds not repaid my streaming tears,

    my longing for the people of the protected grounds, and my yearning gaze?

  14. سَيَحمِلُ هَمّي عَن قَريبِن وَهِمَّتي

    قَرا كُلِّ ذَيّالٍ جُلالٍ جَلَنفَعِ

    Soon my care and my ambition will be carried

    on the back of every long-tailed, huge, mighty camel.

  15. يُناهِبنَ أَجوازَ الفَيافي بِأَرجُلٍ

    عِجالٍ إِلى طَيِّ الفَيافي وَأَذرُعِ

    They vie in plundering the hearts of the deserts with legs

    swift to fold up the deserts, and with forelegs.

  16. مَتى تَبلُغُ الفَتحَ بنَ خاقانَ لا تُنَح

    بِضَنكٍ وَلا تَفزَع إِلى غَيرِ مَفزَعِ

    When you reach al-Fath ibn Khaqan, you will not be made to kneel

    in hardship, nor seek refuge where there is no refuge.

  17. حَليفُ نَداً إِن سيلَ فاضَت حِياضُهُ

    وَذو كَرَمٍ إِلّا يُسَل يَتَبَرَّعِ

    An ally of generosity: if asked, his pools overflow;

    a man of bounty: if not asked, he gives freely.

  18. تُؤَمَّلُ نُعماهُ وَيُرجى نَوالُهُ

    لِعانٍ ضَريكٍ أَو لِعافٍ مُدَقَّعِ

    His favors are hoped for, his bounty expected,

    for a wretched captive or a destitute petitioner.

  19. وَيَبتَدِرُ الراءونَ مِنهُ إِذا بَدا

    سَنا قَمَرٍ مِن سُدَّةِ المُلكُ مُطلَعي

    Those who see him hasten, when he appears, toward

    the radiance of a moon rising from the royal threshold.

  20. إِذا ما مَشى بَينَ الصُفوفِ تَقاصَرَت

    رُؤوسُ الرِجالِ عَن طِوالٍ سَميدَعِ

    When he walks between the ranks, dwarfed are

    the heads of men beside that towering, noble lord.

  21. يَقومونَ مِن بُعدٍ إِذا بَصُروا بِهِ

    لِأَبلَجَ مَوفورِ الجَلالَةِ أَروَعِ

    They rise from afar when they catch sight of him,

    for a bright-browed, awe-inspiring man of abundant majesty.

  22. وَيَدعونَ بِالأَسماءِ مَثنىً وَمَوحَداً

    إِذا حَضَروا بابَ الرُواقِ المُرَفَّعِ

    And names are called out, in pairs and singly,

    when they come to the gate of the lofty portico.

  23. إِذا سارَ كُفَّ اللَحظُ عَن كُلِّ مَنظَرٍ

    سِواهُ وَغُضَّ الصَوتُ عَن كُلِّ مَسمَعِ

    When he proceeds, the gaze is kept from every sight

    but him, and voices are hushed beyond all hearing.

  24. فَلَستَ تَرى إِلّا إِفاضَةَ شاخِصٍ

    إِلَيهِ بِعَينٍ أَو مُشيرٍ بِإِصبَعِ

    Then you see only a stream of people staring

    at him with their eyes, or pointing with a finger.

  25. مُراعٍ لِأَوقاتِ المَعالي مَتى يَلُح

    لَهُ شَرَفٌ يوجَف إِلَيهِ فَيوضِعِ

    Watchful for moments of high achievement, whenever glory appears

    before him, he speeds toward it and gallops on.

  26. عَفُوٌّ عَنِ الجانينَ حَتّى يَرُدُّهُم

    إِلَيهِ وَإِلّا يَعفُ يَأخُذ فَيُسرِعِ

    He forgives offenders until he brings them back

    to him; if he does not forgive, he seizes and acts swiftly.

  27. عَليمٌ بِتَصريفِ اللَيالي كَأَنَّهُ

    يُعاني صُروفَ الدَهرِ مِن عَهدِ تُبَّعِ

    He knows the turns of the nights, as though

    he had faced time's vicissitudes since the age of Tubba'.

  28. حَليمٌ فَإِن يُبلَ الجَهولُ بِحِقدِهِ

    يَبِت جارَ رَأسِ الحَيَّةِ المُتَطَلِّعِ

    He is forbearing; but if a fool is tried by his rancor,

    he passes the night beside the serpent's upraised head.

  29. وَلا يَبتَدي بِالحَربِ أَو يُبتَدي بِها

    وَقورُ الأَناةِ أَريَحِيُّ التَسَرُّعِ

    He does not begin war until it is begun against him,

    dignified in deliberation, generous-spirited in swift action.

  30. وَقَد آيَسَ الأَعداءَ مَحكُ مُضاجيرٍ

    لَجوجٍ مَتى يَحزُز بِكَفَّيهِ يَقطَعِ

    His impatient obstinacy has made his enemies despair;

    tenacious, he cuts through whenever he hacks with both hands.

  31. طَلوبٌ لِأَقصى الأَمرِ حَتّى يَنالُهُ

    وَمُغرىً بِغاياتِ الحَقائِقِ مولَعِ

    He pursues an affair's farthest end until he attains it,

    and is enthralled, passionately devoted to the ultimate truths.

  32. وَقُلتُ لِمَغرورٍ بِهِ حانَ وَاِرتَمَت

    بِهِ مُطمِعاتُ الحَينِ في غَيرِ مَطمَعِ

    I said to one deluded about him, whose doom had come, and whom

    doom's temptations had hurled where no hope lay:

  33. تَرَكتَ اِقتِبالَ العَفوِ وَالعَفوُ مُعرِضٌ

    إِذِ السِلمُ باقٍ وَالقُوى لَم تَقَطَّعِ

    You forsook accepting pardon while pardon was offered,

    when peace remained and the bonds had not been severed.

  34. أَفَالآنَ حاوَلتَ الرِضا بَعدَما مَضَت

    عَزيمَةُ غَضبانٍ عَلى الشَرِّ مُجمِعِ

    Is it only now you seek approval, after there has gone forth

    the resolve of an angry man determined on harm?

  35. إِذا بَدَرَت مِنهُ العَزيمَةُ لَم يَقِف

    وَإِن جازَ عَنهُ الأَمرُ لَم يَتَتَبَّعِ

    When resolve springs from him, he does not halt;

    and if a matter passes him by, he does not pursue it.

  36. هَجومٌ عَلى الأَعداءِ مِن كُلِّ وِجهَةٍ

    رِذا هَجهَجوا في وَجهِهِ لَم يُرَوَّعِ

    He charges his enemies from every direction;

    when they shout in his face, he is not daunted.

  37. أَمينُ بَني العَبّاسِ في سِرِّ أَمرِهِم

    وَعُدَّتُهُم لِلخالِعِ المُتَمَنِّعِ

    He is the trusted man of the sons of al-Abbas in their secret affairs,

    and their resource against the rebel who resists.

  38. فَما هُوَ بِالسَهلِ الشَكيمَةِ دونَهُم

    وَلا فيهِمِ بِالمُدهِنِ المُتَصَنِّعِ

    He is not easy to bridle when shielding them,

    nor among them an affected, dissembling flatterer.

  39. وَيُرضيكَ مِن والي الأَعِنَّةِ كَرُّهُ

    وَإِقدامُهُ في المَأزِقِ المُتَشَنِّعِ

    In the master of the reins, his charge delights you,

    and his bold advance in a dreadful strait.

  40. لَهُ الأَثَرُ المَحمودُ في كُلِّ مَوقِفٍ

    وَفَصلُ الخِطابِ الثَبتُ في كُلِّ مَوضِعِ

    He leaves a praiseworthy mark in every situation,

    and gives firm, decisive judgment in every setting.

  41. لَكَ الخَيرُ إِنّي لاحِقٌ بِكَ فَاتَئِد

    عَلَيَّ وَإِنّي قائِلٌ لَكَ فَاسمَعِ

    May good be yours! I am coming to join you, so be patient

    with me; I have words for you, so listen.

  42. مَكانِيَ مِن نُعماكَ غَيرُ مُؤَخَّرٍ

    وَحَظِّيَ مِن جَدواكَ غَيرُ مُضَيَّعِ

    My place in your favor is not pushed back,

    and my share of your bounty is not neglected.

  43. وَإِنّي وَإِن بَلَّغتَني شَرَفَ العُلا

    وَأَعتَقتَ مِن ذُلِّ المَطالِعِ أَخدَعي

    And I, though you have raised me to the honor of lofty rank

    and freed my neck from the humiliation of expectant gazing,

  44. فَما أَنا بِالمَغضوضِ فيما أَتَيتَهُ

    إِلَيَّ وَلا المَوضوعِ في غَيرِ مَوضِعي

    am not beneath what you have bestowed

    upon me, nor set in a place that is not my own.

  45. وَقَد نافَسَتني عُصبَةٌ مِن مُقَصِّرٍ

    وَمُنتَحِلٍ مالَم يَقُلهُ وَمُدَّعِ

    A band has rivaled me, made up of one who falls short,

    one appropriating words he never spoke, and a pretender.

  46. إِذا ما اِبتَدَرنا غايَةً جِئتُ سابِقاً

    وَجاءوا عَلى آثَرِ حَسري وَظُلَّعِ

    Whenever we race toward a goal, I arrive first,

    and they arrive in my wake, exhausted and limping.

  47. فَلا تُلحِقَن بي مَعشَراً لَم يُؤَمِّلوا

    لَحاقي وَلَم يَجروا إِلى أَمَدٍ مَعي

    So do not place beside me a company that never hoped

    to catch me, nor raced with me toward a finish.