1. لِمَنِ الحُدوجُ تَهُزُّهُنَّ الأَنيُقُ

    وَالرَكبُ يَطفو في السَرابِ وَيَغرَقُ

    Whose are the howdahs that the she-camels sway?

    And the caravan floats in the mirage and sinks.

  2. يَقطَعنَ أَعراضَ العَقيقِ فَمُشئِمٌ

    يَحدو رَكائِبَهُ الغَرامُ وَمُعرِقُ

    They cross the reaches of al-‘Aqiq: one bound for Syria,

    longing driving his mounts, and another bound for Iraq.

  3. أَبقَوا أَسيراً بَعدَهُم لا يُفتَدى

    مِمّا يَجِنُّ وَطالِباً لا يَلحَقُ

    They left a captive behind them, never to be ransomed

    from the passion he harbors, and a pursuer who cannot catch up.

  4. يَهفو الوُلوعُ بِهِ فَيَطرِفُ طَرفَهُ

    وَيَزيدُ جولانُ الدُموعِ فَيُطرِقُ

    Infatuation sweeps him away, and he blinks his eye;

    and the coursing of tears increases, so he lowers his head.

  5. وَوَراءَ ذاكَ الخِدرِ عارِضُ مُزنَةٍ

    لا ناقِعٌ ظَمَأً وَلا مُتَأَلِّقُ

    And behind that curtained chamber lies a bank of rain-cloud,

    neither slaking thirst nor flashing with lightning.

  6. وَمُحَجَّبٍ فَإِذا بَدا مِن نورِهِ

    لِلرَكبِ مُلتَهِبُ المَطالِعِ مونِقُ

    And a veiled beloved—when from his light appears

    to the caravan a lovely brilliance, blazing where it rises,

  7. خَرّوا عَلى شُعَبِ الرِحالِ وَأَسنَدوا

    أَيدي الطِعانِ إِلى قُلوبٍ تَخفِقُ

    they fall upon the forks of their saddles and press

    their spear-thrusting hands to fluttering hearts.

  8. هَل عَهدُنا بَعدَ التَفَرُّقِ راجِعٌ

    أَو غُصنُنا بَعدَ التَسَلُّبِ مورِقُ

    Will our bond return after separation,

    or will our branch leaf again after being stripped?

  9. شَوقٌ أَقامَ وَأَنتِ غَيرُ مُقيمَةٍ

    وَالشَوقُ بِالكَلفِ المُعَنّى أَعلَقُ

    Longing remained, though you did not remain,

    and longing clings more firmly to the tormented lover.

  10. ما كُنتُ أَحظى في الدُنوِّ فَكَيفَ بي

    وَاليَومَ نَحنُ مُغَرِّبٌ وَمُشَرِّقُ

    I found no favor when near; how then shall I fare,

    now that we are one westward-bound and one eastward-bound?

  11. مِن أَجلِ حُبُّكِ قُلتُ عاوَدَ أُنسَهُ

    ذاكَ الحِمى وَسُقي اللَوى وَالأَبرَقُ

    For love of you I said, ‘May it regain its old delight—

    that sanctuary—and may al-Liwa and al-Abraq be watered.’

  12. طَرَقَ الخَيالُ بِبَطنِ وَجرَةَ بَعدَما

    زَعَمَ العَواذِلُ أَنَّهُ لا يَطرُقُ

    The phantom visited by night in Wajra's valley, after

    the reproachers claimed it would never visit.

  13. أَتَحَنُّناً بَعدَ الرُقادِ وَقُسوَةً

    أَيّامَ أُصفيكِ الوِدادَ وَأُمذَقُ

    Tenderness once I sleep, yet cruelty

    in the days I give you pure love and receive it diluted?

  14. أَنّى اِهتَديتِ وَما اِهتَدَيتُ وَبَينَنا

    سورٌ عَلَيَّ مِنَ الطِعانِ وَخَندَقُ

    How did you find your way when I could not, with between us

    a wall of spear-thrusts barring me, and a trench?

  15. وَمُطَلَّحينَ لَهُم بِكُلِّ ثَنيَّةٍ

    مُلقىً وِسادَتُهُ الثَرى وَالمَرفِقُ

    And men worn out by travel, with at every mountain pass

    a resting-place whose pillow is earth and elbow;

  16. أَو قابِضينَ عَلى الأَزَمَّةِ وَالكَرى

    يَغشى أَكُفَّهُمُ النُعاسُ فَتَمرُقُ

    or men gripping the reins, while sleep—

    drowsiness—envelops their hands, so the reins slip free.

  17. أَومَوا إِلى الغَرَضِ البَعيدِ فَكُلُّهُم

    ماضٍ يَخُبُّ مَعَ الرَجاءِ وَيُعنِقُ

    They pointed toward the distant goal, and each of them

    pressed on, trotting with hope and striding swiftly.

  18. وَإِلى أَميرِ المُؤمِنينَ نَجَت بِهِم

    ميلَ الجَماجِمِ سَيرُهُنَّ تَدَفُّقُ

    And toward the Commander of the Faithful sped with them

    she-camels with tilted heads, their gait a rushing torrent.

  19. كَنَقانِقِ الظَلمانِ أَعجَلَها الدُجى

    وَحَدا بِها زَجِلُ الرَواعِدِ مُبرِقُ

    Like male ostriches hurried on by darkness,

    and a lightning-flashing cloud, loud with thunder, drove them on.

  20. يَطلُبنَ زائِدَةَ المَكارِمِ وَالنَدى

    حَيثُ اِستَقَرَّ بِها العَلاءُ المُعرِقُ

    They seek the pinnacle of noble deeds and bounty,

    where deep-rooted eminence has made its home.

  21. الزاخِرُ الغَدِقُ الَّذي يُروى بِهِ

    ظَمَأُ المُنى وَالوابِلُ المُتَبَعِّقُ

    The overflowing, bountiful one, through whom is quenched

    the thirst of hopes, and the downpour gushing forth.

  22. أَبُغاةَ هَذا المَجدِ إِنَّ مَرامَهُ

    دَحضٌ يُزِلُّ الصاعِدينَ وَيُزلِقُ

    O seekers of this glory, the path to it

    is slippery ground, making climbers lose footing and slide.

  23. هَيهاتَ ظَنُّكُمُ تَمَرَّدَ مارِدٌ

    مِن دونِ نَيلِكُمُ وَعَزَّ الأَبلَقُ

    Far-fetched is your expectation! Marid stands defiant

    before you can attain it, and al-Ablaq is impregnable.

  24. لا تُحرِجوا هَذي البِحارَ فَرُبَّما

    كانَ الَّذي يَروي المَعاطِشَ يَغرَقُ

    Do not provoke these seas, for sometimes

    what waters thirsty places can also drown.

  25. وَدَعوا مُجاذَبَةَ الخِلافَةِ إِنَّها

    أَرَجٌ بِغَيرِ ثَنائِهِم لا يَعبَقُ

    Give up tugging at the caliphate; it is

    a fragrance that will not waft without their praise.

  26. غَنِيَت بِهِم تَحتَزُّ دونَ مَنالِها

    قِمَمُ العِدى وَيُرَدُّ عَنها الفَيلَقُ

    It is enriched by them; before it can be reached, severed are

    the heads of foes, and the army is repelled from it.

  27. كَعَقائِلِ الأَبطالِ تُجلَبُ دونَها

    بيضُ القَواضِبِ وَالقَنا المُتَدَفِّقُ

    Like heroes' cherished women, in whose defense are mustered

    white, cleaving swords and a torrent of spears.

  28. فَهُمُ لِذُروَتِها الَّتي لا تُرتَقى

    أَبَداً وَبَيضَتِها الَّتي لا تُفلَقُ

    So they guard its summit, which cannot be scaled

    ever, and its egg, which cannot be split.

  29. أَشَفَت فَكُنتَ شِفاءَها وَلَقَد تُرى

    شِلواً بِأَظفارِ العَدوِّ يُمَزَّقُ

    It neared death, so you were its cure; indeed, it was seen

    as a carcass torn apart by the enemy's claws.

  30. كُنتَ الصَباحَ رَمى إِلَيها ضَوءَهُ

    وَمَضى بِهَبوَتِهِ الظَلامُ الأَورَقُ

    You were the dawn that cast its light upon it,

    and gray darkness departed with its dusty haze.

  31. فَسَنامُها لا يُمتَطى وَنَباتُها

    لا يُختَلى وَفَناؤُها لا يُطرَقُ

    So its hump is not ridden, and its grass

    is not cut, and its courtyard is not entered.

  32. وَوَزَنتَ بِالقِسطاسِ غَيرَ مُراقَبٍ

    وَالعَدلُ مَهجورُ الطَريقِ مُطَلَّقُ

    And you weighed with the just balance, unobserved,

    while justice's path was forsaken, and justice itself divorced.

  33. في كُلِّ يَومٍ لِلعَدوِّ إِذا اِلتَوى

    بِظُباكَ يَومُ أُوارَةٍ وَمُحَرِّقُ

    Each day, for an enemy who turns aside,

    your sword-edges bring Uwara's day and Muharriq.

  34. أَنتُم مَوادِعُ كُلِّ خَطبٍ يُتَّقى

    وَبِكُم يُفَرَّجُ كُلَّ بابٍ يُغلَقُ

    You are where every dreaded calamity is laid to rest,

    and through you every closed gate is opened.

  35. وَأَبوكُمُ العَبّاسُ ما اِستَسقى بِهِ

    بَعدَ القُنوطِ قَبائِلٌ إِلّا سُقوا

    And your father al-‘Abbas—never was rain sought through him

    by tribes after despair without their being watered.

  36. بَعَجَ الغَمامَ بِدَعوَةٍ مَسموعَةٍ

    فَأَجابَهُ شَرقُ البَوارِقِ مُغدِقُ

    He rent the clouds with a prayer that was heard,

    and a copious raincloud, flashing with lightning, answered him.

  37. ما مِنكُمُ إِلّا اِبنُ أُمٍّ لِلنَدى

    أَو مُصبِحٌ بِدَمِ الأَعادي مُغبِقُ

    None among you but is bounty's brother by the same mother,

    or serves enemy blood as morning and evening draughts.

  38. لِلَّهِ يَومٌ أَطلَعَتكَ بِهِ العُلى

    عَلَماً يُزاوَلُ بِالعُيونِ وَيُرشَقُ

    God be praised for the day when eminence brought you forth

    as a banner that eyes pursue and pelt with glances.

  39. لَمّا سَمَت بِكَ غُرَّةٌ مَوموقَةٌ

    كَالشَمسِ تَبهَرُ بِالضِياءِ وَتومَقُ

    When a cherished, radiant brow raised you high,

    like the sun, dazzling with light and beloved;

  40. وَبَرَزتَ في بُردِ النَبيِّ وَلِلهُدى

    نورٌ عَلى أَطرارِ وَجهِكَ مُشرِقُ

    and you appeared in the Prophet's mantle, while guidance had

    a light shining along the contours of your face.

  41. وَعَلى السَحابِ الجَودِ ليثَ مُعَظَّماً

    ذاكَ الرِداءُ وَزُرَّ ذاكَ اليَلمَقُ

    And upon the bountiful cloud—a revered lion—

    lay that mantle, and that coat was buttoned.

  42. وَكَأَنَّ دارَكَ جَنَّةٌ حَصباؤُها ال

    جادِيُّ أَو أَنماطُها الإِستَبرَقُ

    And your house seemed a garden whose pebbles were—

    saffron, or whose carpets were heavy silk brocade.

  43. في مَوقِفٍ تُغضي العُيونُ جَلالَةً

    فيهِ وَيَعثُرُ بِالكَلامِ المَنطِقُ

    In a gathering where eyes lower in reverence,

    and speech there stumbles over words.

  44. وَكَأَنَّما فَوقَ السَريرِ وَقَد سَما

    أَسَدٌ عَلى نَشَزاتِ غابٍ مُطرِقُ

    And it seemed that upon the throne, raised high,

    was a lion, head lowered on a thicket's knolls.

  45. وَالناسُ إِمّا راجِعٌ مُتَهَيِّبٌ

    مِمّا رَأى أَو طالِعٌ مُتَشَوِّقُ

    And people either return in awe

    at what they have seen, or approach in eager longing.

  46. مالوا إِلَيكَ مَحَبَّةً فَتَجَمَّعوا

    وَرَأَوا عَلَيكَ مَهابَةً فَتَفَرَّقَوا

    They turned toward you in love and gathered,

    and saw your awe-inspiring majesty and scattered.

  47. وَطَعَنتَ مِن غُرَرِ الكَلامِ بِفَيصَلٍ

    لا يَستَقِلُّ بِهِ السِنانُ الأَزرَقُ

    And with the choicest speech you made a decisive thrust

    beyond the blue spearhead's power to deliver.

  48. وَغَرَستَ في حَبِّ القُلوبِ مَوَدَّةً

    تَزكو عَلى مَرِّ الزَمانِ وَتورِقُ

    And you planted love in the kernels of hearts,

    growing with the passage of time and putting forth leaves.

  49. وَأَنا القَريبُ إِلَيكَ فيهِ وَدونَهُ

    لِيَدَي عَدُوِّكَ طَودُ عِزٍ أَعنَقُ

    And I am close to you in this, and in its defense

    a towering mountain of might against your enemy's hands.

  50. عَطفاً أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ فَإِنَّنا

    في دَوحَةِ العَلياءِ لا نَتَفَرَّقِ

    Show kindness, Commander of the Faithful, for we

    are not divided within eminence's spreading tree.

  51. ما بَينَنا يَومَ الفَخارِ تَفاوُتٌ

    أَبَداً كِلانا في المَعالي مُعرِقُ

    On the day of boasting, there is no difference between us

    ever; both of us are deeply rooted in noble heights,

  52. إِلّا الخِلافَةَ مَيَّزَتكَ فَإِنَّني

    أَنا عاطِلٌ مِنها وَأَنتَ مُطَوَّقُ

    except that the caliphate distinguished you; for I

    am unadorned by it, while you wear it as a collar.