1. أَيا لِلَّهِ أَيُّ هَوىً أَضاءَ

    بَريقٌ بِالطَوالِعِ إِذ تَراءى

    Ah, by God, what longing was kindled

    by a gleam among the rising stars when it appeared!

  2. أَلَمَّ بِنا كَنَبضِ العِرقِ وَهناً

    فَلَمّا جازَنا مَلَأَ السَماءَ

    It came upon us like a vein's pulse in the night,

    then, passing us, it filled the sky.

  3. كَأَنَّ وَميضَهُ أَيدي قُيونٍ

    تُعيدُ عَلى قَواضِبِها جَلاءَ

    Its flashing was like the hands of smiths

    polishing their keen blades anew.

  4. طَرِبتُ إِلَيهِ حَتّى قالَ صَحبي

    لِأَمرٍ هاجَ مِنكَ البَرقُ داءَ

    It stirred me so deeply that my companions said,

    "For some reason, lightning has roused a sickness in you."

  5. وَلَم يَكُ قَبلَها يَقتادُ طَرفي

    وَلا يَمضي بُلُبّي حَيثُ شاءَ

    Never before had it led my gaze,

    nor carried my mind wherever it pleased.

  6. خَليلَيَّ اَطلِقا رَسَني فَإِنّي

    أَشَدُّكُما عَلى عَزمٍ مَضاءَ

    My two friends, loose my rein, for I

    surpass you both in pressing a resolve through.

  7. أَبَت لي صَبوَتي إِلّا اِلتِفاتاً

    إِلى الدَمَنِ البَوائِدِ وَاِنثِناءَ

    My youthful longing allowed me only a backward glance

    toward the vanished campsite traces, and a turning back.

  8. فَإِن تَرَيا إِذا ما سِرتُ شَخصي

    أَمامَكُما فَلي قَلبٌ وَراءَ

    So if, as I travel, you two see my body

    ahead of you, my heart remains behind.

  9. وَرُبَّتَ ساعَةٍ حَبَّستُ فيها

    مَطايا القَومِ أَمنَعُها النَجاءَ

    And many an hour I held back

    the company's mounts, denying them swift departure,

  10. عَلى طَلَلٍ كَتَوشِعِ اليَماني

    أَمَحَّ فَخالَطَ البيدَ القَواءَ

    at a ruin like the patterned weave of Yemeni cloth,

    worn away and mingling with the empty wastes.

  11. قِفارٌ لا تُهاجُ الطَيرُ فيها

    وَلا غادٍ يَروعُ بِها الظِباءَ

    Desolate lands where no birds are disturbed,

    and no morning traveler startles the gazelles.

  12. فَيا لي مِنهُ يُصبِيني أَنيقاً

    بِساكِنِهِ وَيُبكيني خَلاءَ

    Oh, how it enthralls me, lovely

    with its dweller, and makes me weep when empty!

  13. أُنادي الرَكبَ دونَكُمُ ثَراهُ

    لَعَلَّ بِهِ لِذي داءٍ دَواءَ

    I call to the riders: "Take its soil—

    perhaps in it lies a cure for one who is sick."

  14. تَساقَينا التَذَكُّرَ فَاِنثَنَينا

    كَأَنّا قَد تَساقَينا الطِلاءَ

    We gave one another remembrance to drink, then turned away,

    as though we had shared draughts of thickened wine.

  15. وَعُجنا العيسَ توسِعُنا حَنيناً

    تُغَنّينا وَنوسِعُها بُكاءَ

    We turned the pale camels aside; they lavished plaintive cries upon us,

    singing to us, while we lavished tears upon them.

  16. إِلى كَم ذا التَرَدُّدِ في التَصابي

    وَفَجرُ الشَيبِ عِندي قَد أَضاءَ

    How long this repeated return to youthful ways,

    when the dawn of gray hair has already shone upon me?

  17. فَيا مُبدي العُيوبِ سَقى سَواداً

    يَكونُ عَلى مَقابِحِها غِطاءَ

    O revealer of flaws, may black hair be blessed with rain,

    a covering over their ugliness.

  18. شَبابي إِن تَكُن أَحسَنتَ يَوماً

    فَقَد ظَلَمَ المَشيبُ وَقَد أَساءَ

    My youth, if ever you did me good,

    gray hair has wronged me and done ill.

  19. وَيا مُعطي النَعيمَ بِلا حِسابٍ

    أَتاني مَن يُقَتِّرُ لي العَطاءَ

    O giver of delight without reckoning,

    one has come to me who rations my share of bounty.

  20. مَتاعٌ أَسلَفَتناهُ اللَيالي

    وَأَعجَلَنا فَأَسرَعنا الأَداءَ

    It was a pleasure the nights had lent us;

    we were pressed, and hastened to repay.

  21. تَسَخَّطنا القَضاءَ وَلَو عَقَلنا

    فَما يُغني تَسَخُّطُنا القَضاءَ

    We resented fate; yet, if we were wise,

    what does our resentment avail against fate?

  22. سَأَمضي لِلَّتي لا عَيبَ فيها

    وَإِن لَم أَستَفِد إِلّا عَناءَ

    I shall press on toward what has no blemish,

    even if I gain nothing but hardship.

  23. وَأَطلُبُ غايَةً إِن طَوَّحَت بي

    أَصابَت بي الحِمامَ أَوِ العَلاءَ

    And I shall seek a goal that, if it flings me far,

    will carry me to death or eminence.

  24. أَنا اِبنُ السابِقينَ إِلى المَعالي

    إِذا الأَمَدُ البَعيدُ ثَنى البِطاءَ

    I am the son of those who race ahead to noble heights,

    when the distant finish turns the laggards back.

  25. إِذا رَكِبوا تَضايَقَتِ الفَيافي

    وَعَطَّلَ بَعضُ جَمعِهِمُ الفَضاءَ

    When they ride, the deserts grow cramped,

    and even part of their host blocks the open expanse.

  26. نَماني مِن أُباةِ الضَيمِ نامٍ

    أَفاضَ عَلَيَّ تِلكَ الكِبرِياءَ

    One of those who spurn humiliation begot me,

    and poured that pride upon me.

  27. شَأَونا الناسَ أَخلاقاً لِداناً

    وَأَيماناً رِطاباً وَاِعتِلاءَ

    We outstripped mankind in gentle manners,

    in right hands moist with bounty, and in lofty rank.

  28. وَنَحنُ النازِلونَ بِكُلِّ ثَغرٍ

    نُريقُ عَلى جَوانِبِهِ الدِماءَ

    And we take our stand at every frontier,

    pouring blood along its edges.

  29. وَنَحنُ الخائِضونَ بِكُلِّ هَولٍ

    إِذا دَبَّ الجَبانُ بِهِ الضَراءَ

    And we plunge into every terror,

    when the coward creeps through it under cover.

  30. وَنَحنُ اللابِسونَ لِكُلِّ مَجدٍ

    إِذا شِئنا اِدِّراعاً وَاِرتِداءَ

    And we array ourselves in every glory,

    as armor and as mantle, whenever we wish.

  31. أَقَمنا بِالتَجارِب كُلَّ أَمرٍ

    أَبى إِلّا اِعوِجاجاً وَاِلتِواءَ

    Through experience we straightened every affair

    that insisted on nothing but crookedness and twisting.

  32. نَجُرُّ إِلى العُداةِ سُلافَ جَيشٍ

    كَعَرضِ اللَيلِ يَتَّبِعُ اللِواءَ

    We bring against our foes an army's choicest ranks,

    broad as the night, following the banner.

  33. نُطيلُ بِهِ صَدى الجُردِ المُذاكي

    إِلى أَن نورِدَ الأَسَلَ الظِماءَ

    With it we prolong the thirst of lean, full-grown steeds

    until we bring the thirsty spears to drink,

  34. إِذا عَجمُ العِدا أَدمى وَأَصمى

    وَطَيَّرَ عَن قَضيبِهِمُ اللِحاءَ

    when testing our foes draws blood and kills,

    and sends the bark flying from their branch.

  35. عَجاجٌ تَرجِعُ الأَرواحُ عَنهُ

    فَلا هوجاً يُجيزُ وَلا رُخاءَ

    A dust storm before which the winds retreat,

    letting neither violent gales nor gentle breezes through.

  36. شَواهِقُ مِن جِبالِ النَقعِ تَرمي

    بِها أَبَداً غُدوّاً أَو مَساءَ

    Towering peaks from mountains of dust they hurl

    up endlessly, morning or evening.

  37. وَغِرٍّ آكِلٍ بِالغَيبِ لَحمي

    وَإِنَّ لِأَكلِهِ داءً عَياءَ

    And many a fool eats my flesh behind my back,

    yet in his eating lies an incurable disease.

  38. يُسيءُ القَولَ إِمّا غِبتَ عَنهُ

    وَيُحسِنُ لي التَجَمُّلَ وَاللِقاءَ

    He speaks ill whenever you are absent from him,

    yet offers me a gracious appearance and greeting.

  39. عَبَأتُ لَهُ وَسَوفَ يَعُبُّ فيها

    مِنَ الضَرّاءِ آنِيَةً مِلاءَ

    I have readied for him—and soon he will drink deeply from them—

    vessels brimming with affliction.

  40. وَمِنّا كُلُّ أَغلَبَ مُستَحينٌ

    إِنَ اَنتَ لَدَدتَهُ بِالذُلِّ قاءَ

    Among us is every thick-necked lion courting death:

    if you dose him with humiliation, he vomits it out.

  41. إِذا ما ديمَ نَمَّرَ صَفحَتَيهِ

    وَقامَ عَلى بَراثِنِهِ إِباءَ

    When wronged, he shows a tiger's fury on his cheeks,

    and stands upon his claws in proud refusal.

  42. وَإِن نودي بِهِ وَالحِلمُ يَهفو

    صَغا كَرَماً إِلى الداعي وَفاءَ

    Yet if he is called upon while forbearance falters,

    he nobly inclines toward the caller and returns.

  43. وَنَأبى أَن يَنالَ النِصفُ مِنّا

    وَأَن نُعطي مُقارِعَنا السَواءَ

    We refuse to let fair requital be won from us,

    or to grant our challenger equal standing.

  44. وَلَو كانَ العِداءُ يَسوغُ فينا

    لَما سُمنا الوَرى إِلّا العِداءَ

    And were aggression permissible among us,

    we would impose on mankind nothing but aggression.