1. أَلا يا لَقَومي لِلخُطوبِ الطَوارِقِ

    وَلِلعَظمِ يُرمى كُلَّ يَومٍ بِعارِقِ

    Ah, my people, help against the calamities that strike by night,

    and for the bone assailed each day by a gnawer;

  2. وَلِلدَهرِ يُعري جانِبي مِن أَقارِبي

    وَيَقطَعُ ما بَيني وَبَينَ الأَصادِقِ

    and against Time, which strips my side of my kinsmen

    and severs what binds me to true friends,

  3. وَيوري بِقَلبي نارَ وَجدٍ شُواظُها

    تُريني اللَيالي ضَوءَهُ في مَفارِقي

    and kindles in my heart a fire of grief whose flame

    the nights show me shining in my parted hair;

  4. وَلِلنائِباتِ اِستَهدَفَتني نِصالُها

    عَلى شَرَفٍ يَرمينَنا بِالفَلائِقِ

    and against misfortunes whose arrowheads have made me their target:

    from high ground they shoot dire calamities at us;

  5. وَلِلنَفسِ قَد طارَت شَعاعاً مِنَ الجَوى

    لِفَقدِ الصَفايا وَاِنقِطاعِ العَلائِقِ

    and for the soul, scattered in all directions by anguish

    at the loss of dear companions and the breaking of ties.

  6. لَها كُلَّ يَومٍ مَوقِفٌ مَع مُوَدِّعٍ

    وَمُلتَفِتٍ في عَقبِ ماضٍ مُفارِقِ

    Each day it stands beside someone bidding farewell,

    and someone looking back after one who has gone away.

  7. نُجومٌ مِنَ الإِخوانِ يَرمي بِها الرَدى

    مُقارِبُها فَوتُ العُيونِ الرَوامِقِ

    Stars among my brothers, whom death casts away:

    even the nearest lies beyond the reach of watching eyes.

  8. كَأَنّي إِذا تَبَّعتُ آثارَ غارِبٍ

    بِعَينِيَ لَم أَنظُر إِلى ضَوءِ شارِقِ

    As though, when I follow a setting star's traces

    with my eyes, I had never seen a rising star's light.

  9. وَلا دارَ إِلّا سَوفَ يُجلى قَطينُها

    عَلى نَعقِ غِربانِ الخُطوبِ النَواعِقِ

    There is no house whose dwellers will not be driven out

    to the cawing of calamity's croaking ravens.

  10. وَيَخرُجُ مِنها بِالكَرائِمِ حادِثٌ

    وَيَدخُلُها صَرفُ الرَدى بِالبَوائِقِ

    An upheaval carries its noble ones away,

    and death's vicissitudes enter it bearing disasters.

  11. كَأَنّا قَذىً يَرمي بِهِ السَيلُ كُلَّما

    تَطاوَحَ ما بَينَ الرُبى وَالأَبارِقِ

    We are like debris flung along by a torrent whenever

    it tosses between hills and stony ridges.

  12. أَعَضُّ بَناني إِصبَعاً ثُمَّ إِصبَعاً

    عَلى ثامِرٍ مِن فَرعِ مَجدٍ وَوارِقِ

    I bite my fingertips, one finger, then another,

    for a fruitful shoot of glory's branch, and a leafy one,

  13. وَعِقدٍ مِنَ الأَخدانِ أَوهى نِظامَهُ

    كُرورُ الرَزايا وَاِعتِقابُ الطَوارِقِ

    and a necklace of companions whose string was weakened

    by repeated tragedies and successive calamities.

  14. أَرُدُّ الشَجا قَبلَ الزَفيرِ تَجَلُّداً

    وَأَغلِبُ دَمعي قَبلَ بَلِّ الحَمالِقِ

    I force back choking grief before a sigh, steeling myself,

    and master my tears before they wet my eyelids.

  15. كَأَنِّيَ بَعدَ الذاهِبينَ رَذِيَّةٌ

    تُزَجّى وَراءَ الماضِياتِ السَوابِقِ

    After those who have gone, I seem a spent camel

    urged along behind the swift ones already past.

  16. وَلا رَيبَ أَنّي مُبرِكٌ في مَناخِهِم

    وَأَنّي بِالماضينَ أَوَّلُ لاحِقِ

    There is no doubt I shall kneel in their resting place,

    and be the first to join those who have gone.

  17. فَأَينَ المُلوكُ الأَقدَمونَ تَسانَدوا

    إِلى جِذمِ أَحسابٍ كِرامِ المَعارِقِ

    Where are the ancient kings, who leaned

    upon the stock of lineages noble at their roots?

  18. بِهاليلُ مَنّاعونَ لِلضَيمِ أَحسَنوا

    بَلاءَهُمُ عِندَ النُصولِ الذَوالِقِ

    Noble chiefs, warding off humiliation, who proved

    their valor before keen-edged blades;

  19. عَواصِبُ بِالتيجانِ فَوقَ جَماجِمٍ

    وِضاءِ المَجالي واضِحاتِ المَفارِقِ

    binding crowns upon heads

    radiant in appearance, with clear hair-partings.

  20. إِذا رَثَموا المِسكَ العَرانينَ خِلتَهُم

    أُسودَ الشَرى سافَت دَماً بِالمَناشِقِ

    When they smeared musk upon their noses, you would think them

    lions of al-Shara, sniffing blood through their nostrils.

  21. فُحولٌ أَطَلنَ الهَدرَ وَالخَطرَ بِالقَنا

    ضَوارِبُ لِلأَذقانِ مَيلُ الشَقائِقِ

    Mighty bull camels, long roaring and swaying their spears,

    their drooping mouth-sacs beating against their chins.

  22. هُمُ اِنتَعَلوا العَلياءَ قَبلَ نِعالِهِم

    وَداسوا طُلى الأَعداءِ قَبلَ النَمارِقِ

    They shod themselves in loftiness before their sandals,

    and trod enemies' necks before cushions.

  23. تَرى كُلَّ حُرٍّ المَلطَمَينَ كَأَنَّهُ

    عَتيقُ المَهارى مِن جِيادٍ عَتائِقِ

    You see each man of noble cheeks as though he were

    a purebred Mahri camel from choice, noble stock.

  24. إِذا قامَ ساوى الرُمحَ حَتّى يَمَسَّهُ

    بِغارِبِ مَمطوطِ النِجادِ وَعاتِقِ

    When he stands, he matches the spear, even touching it

    with his high back and shoulder, his sword-belt stretched long.

  25. وَرائي الدُجى يَعشو إِلى ضَوءِ وَجهِهِ

    كَأَنَّ عَلى عِرنينِهِ ضَوءَ بارِقِ

    One peering into darkness gropes toward his face's light,

    as though a lightning flash shone upon his nose.

  26. وَأَينَ المَلاجي العاصِماتُ مِنَ الرَدى

    إِذا طَرَقَت إِحدى اللَيالي بِطارِقِ

    And where are the refuges that shielded us from death

    when one of the nights brought a sudden calamity?

  27. مَصاعِبُ لَم تُعطِ الرُؤوسَ لِقائِدٍ

    وَلا اِستَوسَقَت قَبلَ المَنايا لِسائِقِ

    Unruly bull camels that never yielded their heads to a leader,

    nor, before death, gathered obediently for a driver.

  28. فَشَنَّ عَلَيهِ الأَزلَمُ العَودُ غارَةً

    بِلا قَرعِ أَرماحٍ وَلا نَقعِ مَأزِقِ

    Then ancient, relentless Time launched a raid on him,

    without the clash of spears or the dust of a battlefield,

  29. وَشَلَّ بِها شَلَّ الطَرائِدِ بِالقَنا

    وَكَعكَعَها مِن جِلَّةٍ وَدَرادِقِ

    and drove them off as quarry is driven with spears,

    forcing them back, both old and young.

  30. لِتَبكِ أَبا الفَتحِ العُيونُ بِدَمعِها

    وَأَلسُنَنا مِن بَعدِها بِالمَناطِقِ

    Let eyes weep for Abu al-Fath with their tears,

    and afterward let our tongues mourn him in words.

  31. إِذا هَبَّ مِن تِلكَ الغَليلُ بِدامِعٍ

    تَسَرَّعَ مِن هَذا الغَرامُ بِناطِقِ

    When burning grief rises from those eyes in tears,

    anguished love rushes from this tongue in speech.

  32. شَقيقي إِذا اِلتاثَ الشَقيقُ وَأَعرَضَت

    خَلائِقُ قَومي جانِباً عَن خَلائِقي

    My true brother when a brother grew perverse and

    my people's natures turned aside from mine.

  33. كَأَنَّ جَناني يَومَ وافى نَعِيُّهُ

    فَرِيُّ أَديمٍ بَينَ أَيدي الخَوالِقِ

    My heart, the day news of his death arrived, seemed

    a hide cut to pieces in the cutters' hands.

  34. فَمَن لِأَوابي القَولِ يَبلو عِراكَها

    وَيَحذِفُها حَذفَ النِبالِ المَوارِقِ

    Who now will test the struggle of unruly words

    and launch them like arrows piercing through?

  35. إِذا صاحَ في أَعقابِها أَطرَدَت لَهُ

    ثَوانِيَ بِالأَعناقِ طَردَ الوَسايِقِ

    When he shouted at their heels, they streamed forth for him,

    with necks bent, driven like captured herds.

  36. وَسَوَّمَها مُلسَ المُتونِ كَأَنَّها

    نَزائِعُ مِن آلِ الوَجيهِ وَلاحِقِ

    He branded them, sleek-backed, as though they were

    choice steeds from the line of al-Wajih and Lahiq.

  37. تَغَلغَلُ في أَعقابِهِنَّ وُسومُهُ

    بِأَبقى بَقاءٍ مِن وُسومِ الأَيانِقِ

    His brands sink deep into their hindparts,

    with greater permanence than the brands on she-camels.

  38. فَفي الناسِ مِنها ذائِقٌ غَيرُ آكُلٍ

    وَقَد كانَ مِنها أَكلاً غَيرَ ذائِقِ

    Among men there is one who tastes them but does not eat;

    he, however, feasted on them, not merely tasting.

  39. وَمَن لِلمَعاني في الأَكِمَّةِ أُلقِيَت

    إِلى باقِرٍ غَيبَ المَعاني وَفاتِقِ

    And who will master meanings within their sheaths, entrusted

    to one who pierced their hidden depths and unfolded them?

  40. يُطَوِّحُ في أَثنائِها بِضَميرِهِ

    مَريرُ القُوى وَلّاجُ تِلكَ المَضايِقِ

    He would cast his mind into their recesses,

    strong in his faculties, ever entering those narrow passages.

  41. تَسَنَّمَ أَعلى طَودِها غَيرَ عاثِرٍ

    وَجاوَزَ أَقصى دَحضِها غَيرَ زالِقِ

    He climbed their mountain's highest summit without stumbling,

    and crossed their furthest slippery ground without slipping.

  42. طَوى مِنهُ بَطنُ الأَرضِ ما تَستَعيدُهُ

    عَلى الدَهرِ مَنشوراً بُطونُ المَهارِقِ

    The belly of earth folded away that part of him which

    the pages of scrolls recall, unfolded through the ages.

  43. مَضى طَيِّبَ الأَردانِ يَأرَجُ ذِكرُهُ

    أَريجَ الصَبا تَندى لِعِرنينَ ناشِقِ

    He departed with fragrant sleeves; his memory breathes

    the scent of the east wind, dew-moist to the inhaling nose.

  44. كَأَنَّ جَميعَ الناسِ أَثنَوا عَشيَّةً

    عَلى بَعضِ أَمطارِ الرَبيعِ المُغادِقِ

    It was as though all the people, that evening, praised

    some downpour of the bountiful spring.

  45. أَمَدّوهُ مِن طيبٍ لِغَيرِ كَرامَةٍ

    وَضَمّوهُ في ثَوبٍ جَديدِ البَنائِقِ

    They supplied him with perfume, but not as an honor,

    and wrapped him in a garment with fresh gussets.

  46. وَما اِحتاجَ بُرداً غَيرَ بُردِ عَفافِهِ

    وَلا عَرفَ طيبٍ غَيرَ تِلكَ الخَلائِقِ

    He needed no cloak beyond the cloak of his chastity,

    nor any perfume's scent beyond those virtues.

  47. مَرافِقُ شَعبٍ كَالهَشائِمِ وُسِّدوا

    بِمُنقَطِعِ البَيداءِ غَيرِ المُرافِقِ

    A people's supports, they were laid like brittle brushwood

    at the desert's far edge, where no comfort is offered.

  48. قَدِ اِعتَنَقوا الأَجداثَ لا مِن صَبابَةٍ

    وَيا رُبَّ زُهدٍ في الضَجيعِ المُعانِقِ

    They embraced their graves, not out of longing;

    and ah, how often the bedfellow embraced is undesired!

  49. وَما المَيتُ إِن واراهُ سِترٌ مِنَ الثَرى

    بِأَقرَبَ مِمّا دونَ رَملِ الشَقائِقِ

    The dead man, though a veil of earth conceal him,

    is no nearer than one beneath the sands of the dunes.

  50. وَفارَقَني عَن خُلَّةٍ غَيرِ طَرقَةٍ

    تَضَمَّنَها صَدرُ اِمرِىءٍ غَيرِ ماذِقِ

    He parted from me leaving a friendship not newly formed,

    held in the breast of a man without false affection.

  51. تَرَوَّقَ ماءُ الوُدِّ بَيني وَبَينَهُ

    وَطاحَ القَذى عَن سَلسَلِ الطَعمِ رائِقِ

    The water of affection between us grew clear,

    and the debris fell away from its sweet, limpid taste.

  52. سَقاكَ وَهَل يَسقيكَ إِلّا تَعِلَّةً

    لِغَيرِ الرَدى قَطرُ الغَمامِ الدَوافِقِ

    May it water you—yet does it water you except as consolation

    for something other than death, the rain of pouring clouds?

  53. مِنَ المُزنِ حَمحامٌ إِذا اِلتَجَّ لُجَّةً

    أَضاءَت تَواليهِ زِنادَ البَوارِقِ

    From the rain-clouds, a dark mass that, when it surges like a sea,

    has trailing masses that kindle the fire-steels of lightning;

  54. سُلافَةُ غَيثٍ شَلشَلتَها هَمِيَّةٌ

    نَتيجَةُ أَنواءِ السَحابِ الرَقارِقِ

    the pure first draught of rain, sent cascading by a downpour,

    born of the rain-stars of delicate clouds;

  55. وَمُستَنبِتٍ رَوضاً عَلَيكَ مُنَوَّراً

    عَلى صابِحٍ مِن ماءِ مُزنٍ وَغابِقِ

    and rain that makes a flowering meadow grow over you,

    with morning and evening draughts of cloud-water.

  56. وَما فَرَحي إِن جاوَرَتكَ حَديقَةٌ

    وَقَبرُكَ مَملوءٌ بِغُرِّ الحَدائِقِ

    What joy is mine if a garden lies beside you,

    when your grave is filled with the fairest gardens?

  57. أَخٌ لَكَ أَمسى واجِداً بِكَ وَجدَهُ

    طَوالَ اللَيالي بِالشَبابِ الغُرانِقِ

    A brother of yours has come to grieve for you as he grieves

    through the long nights for fair, flourishing youth.

  58. سَخا لَكَ مِن ريحِ الزَفيرِ بِحاصِبٍ

    مُقيمٍ وَمِن ماءِ الشُؤونِ بِوادِقِ

    He lavishes on you, from the wind of sighs, a gravel-laden gale,

    unceasing, and from his tear-ducts' water, pouring rain.

  59. فَما العَهدُ مِنّي إِن لَهَوتُ بِثابِتٍ

    وَلا الوُدُّ مِنّي إِن سَلَوتُ بِصادِقِ

    My pledge is not steadfast if I turn to amusement,

    nor is my love sincere if I forget my grief.