1. تَجالَلتُ عَن فِهرٍ وَعَن جارَتَي فِهرِ

    وَوَدَّعتُ نُعمى بِالسَلامِ وَبِالهَجرِ

    I held myself above Fihr and Fihr's two female neighbors,

    And bade Nu‘ma farewell with peace and estrangement.

  2. وَقالَت سُلَيمى فيكَ عَنّا تَثاقُلٌ

    مَحَلُّكَ ناءٍ وَالزِيارَةُ عَن غَفرِ

    Sulayma said: There is reluctance in you toward us;

    Your dwelling is distant, and your visits come at long intervals.

  3. أَخي في الهَوى مالي أَراكَ هَجَرتَنا

    وَقَد كُنتَ تَقفونا عَلى العُسرِ وَاليُسرِ

    My brother in love, why do I see you abandoning us,

    Though you once followed us through hardship and ease?

  4. صُدودُكَ عَنّا غَيرُ ناءٍ لِطِيَّةٍ

    وَلَيسَ سُؤالي بِالعَجيبِ وَلا النُكرِ

    You shun us, though not far away on some journey,

    And my question is neither strange nor unheard-of.

  5. فَكُن كَأَخٍ لاقى أَخاً فَأَباحَهُ

    أَحاديثَ لَيسَت مِن سِرارٍ وَلا جَهرِ

    Be like a brother who meets a brother and freely shares

    Conversations neither whispered nor proclaimed aloud.

  6. رَأَيتُكَ قَد شَمَّرتَ تَشميرَ باسِلٍ

    وَقَد كُنتَ ذَيّالَ السَرابيلِ وَالأُزرِ

    I see you have girded yourself like a warrior,

    Though once you trailed your tunics and waist-wraps.

  7. تَطَرَّفُ بِالرَوحاءِ صَرّامَ خُلَّةٍ

    وَوَصّالَ أُخرى ما يُقيمُ عَلى أَمرِ

    You roamed al-Rawha’, quick to sever one attachment,

    And quick to renew another, never keeping to one course,

  8. وَرَكّابَ أَفراسِ الصَبابَةِ وَالصِبا

    جَرَت حِجَجاً ثُمَّ اِستَقَرَّت فَما تَجري

    A constant rider of the horses of longing and youthful folly.

    They ran for years, then settled, and now run no more.

  9. فَقُلتُ لَها إِذ وُقِّفَت في سُروجِها

    بِعاقِبَةٍ أَقرو الحَديثَ وَلا أَمري

    I told her, when they were halted in their saddles:

    I trace the tale to its outcome, and do not dispute it.

  10. ثَنى وَجهَها المَهدِيُّ يَومَ لَقيتُها

    وَقَد زانَها الحِنّاءُ في قَصَبٍ عَشرِ

    Al-Mahdi turned her face aside the day I met her,

    When henna had adorned her ten reedlike fingers.

  11. فَأَصبَحنَ لا يُركَبنَ إِلاّ إِلى الوَغى

    وَأَصبَحتُ لا يُزرى عَلَيَّ وَلا أُزري

    Now they are ridden only into battle,

    And I am neither disparaged nor disparage others.

  12. تَثاقَلتُ إِلاّ عَن يَدٍ أَستَفيدُها

    وَزَورَةِ أَملاكٍ أَشُدُّ لَها أَزري

    I have grown reluctant, except where I gain a benefaction,

    Or to visit kings, for which I gird my loins.

  13. تَعَبَّي سُلَيمى بِالرِضى أَو تَبَدَّلي

    مِنَ الناسِ قَدري إِن أَصَبتِ فَتىً قَدري

    Prepare yourself, Sulayma, to accept this, or replace me

    With my equal among men—if you find a young man of my worth.

  14. نَهاني أَميرُ المُؤمِنينَ فَبَرَّكَت

    رِكابُ الصِبى حَتّى وَعَيتُ إِلى كَسرِ

    The Commander of the Faithful forbade me, and down knelt

    The mounts of youthful folly, until I heeded restraint.

  15. وَأَخرَجَني مِن وِزرِ سَبعينَ حِجَّةً

    فَتىً هاشِمِيٌّ يَقشَعِرُّ مِنَ الوِزرِ

    He freed me from the burden of seventy years of sin—

    A Hashimite young man who shudders at sin.

  16. فَلا تَعجَبي مِن خارِجٍ مِن غوايَةٍ

    نَوى رَشَداً قَد يَعرِضُ الأَمرُ في الأَمرِ

    Do not marvel at one emerging from error,

    Resolved on right guidance; one affair may interrupt another.

  17. فَهَذا أَواني قَد شَرَعتُ مَعَ التُقى

    وَماتَت هُمومي الطارِقاتُ فَما تَسري

    This is my time: I have embarked with piety,

    And my night-visiting cares have died and no longer prowl.

  18. دَفَنتُ الهَوى حَيّاً فَلَستُ بِزائِرٍ

    سُلَيمى وَلا صَفراءَ ما قَرقَرَ القُمري

    I buried love alive, and I will not visit

    Sulayma or Safra’, as long as the turtledove coos.

  19. وَمِل الآنَ لا أَصبو تَناهَت لَجاجَتي

    وَماتَ الهَوى وَاِنشَقَّ عَن هامَتي سُكري

    Turn aside now: I no longer pursue love; my obstinacy has ended.

    Love has died, and my drunkenness has lifted from my head.

  20. عَلى الغَزَلى مِنّي السَلامُ فَرُبَّما

    لَهَوتُ بِها في ظِلِّ مَرؤومَةٍ زُهرِ

    The gazelle-like beauties have my farewell; how often

    I dallied with them in the shade of a cherished, radiant one,

  21. وَمُصفَرَّةٍ بِالزَعفَرانِ جُلودُها

    إِذا حَلِيَت مِثلَ الهِرَقلِيَّةِ الصُفرِ

    And with beauties whose skins were yellowed with saffron,

    When adorned, like yellow Heraclean coins.

  22. وَغَيرى ثَقالِ الرِدفِ هَبَّت تَلومُني

    وَلَو شَهِدَت قَبري لَصَلَّت عَلى قَبري

    A jealous, heavy-hipped woman sprang up to reproach me,

    Though, had she stood at my grave, she would have prayed over it.

  23. تَرَكتُ لِمَهدِيِّ الصَلاةِ رُضابَها

    وَراعَيتُ عَهداً بَينَنا لَيسَ بِالخَترِ

    For al-Mahdi of prayer, I relinquished her sweet saliva,

    And honored a covenant between us, free of treachery.

  24. وَكُنتُ إِذا اِعتَلَّت عَلَيَّ قَرينَةٌ

    مَلأَت بِأُخرى غادَةٍ لَدنَةٍ حِجري

    Whenever a female companion made excuses to me,

    I used to fill my lap with another graceful, supple beauty.

  25. وَعارِضَةٍ سِرّاً وَعِندي مَنادِحٌ

    فَقُلتُ لَها لا أَشرَبُ الماءَ بِالخَمرِ

    And one who offered herself secretly, while I had ample alternatives—

    I told her: I do not drink water with wine.

  26. وَلَولا أَميرُ المُؤمِنينَ مُحَمَّدٌ

    لَقَبَّلتُ فاها أَو جَعَلتُ بِها فِطري

    Were it not for Muhammad, Commander of the Faithful,

    I would have kissed her mouth, or broken my fast with her.

  27. لَعَمري لَقَد أَوقَرتُ نَفسي خَطيئَةً

    فَما أَنا بِالمُزدادِ وِقراً عَلى وِقرِ

    By my life, I have burdened my soul with sin,

    And I will not add another burden upon that burden.

  28. وَفاسِقِ قَومٍ قَد دَنا بِنَصيحَةٍ

    فَأَزرَيتُهُ قَد يَنفَعُ العاشِقُ المُزري

    A libertine of his people approached with advice,

    And I disparaged him; a faultfinding lover may yet help.

  29. أَقولُ لِعَمرٍو يَومَ غابَ اِبنُ عَمِّهِ

    وَلا بُدَّ مِن قَولٍ يُؤَدّى إِلى عَمرِو

    I say to ‘Amr, on the day his cousin was absent—

    And words must indeed be conveyed to ‘Amr:

  30. سَعى في فَسادي مَرّةً فَشَفَيتُهُ

    مِراراً كِلا يَومَيَّ شَرّاً مِنَ الدَهرِ

    He worked once for my ruin, and I cured him

    Repeatedly—both my days were worse than fate.

  31. وَلا يَضبِطُ العَثراءَ إِلّا اِبنُ حُرّةٍ

    سَبوقٌ بِحَدِّ السَيفِ مُطَّلِعُ العُذرِ

    Only a freeborn woman's son can rein in the stumbling mare,

    One who outstrips others with the sword's edge and understands excuses.

  32. وَلَولا اِصطِناعي مالِكاً وَابنَ مالِكٍ

    قَديماً لَما زَلَّت بِهِ النَعلُ في البَحرِ

    Had I not favored Malik and Malik's son

    Long ago, his sandal would not have slipped in the sea.

  33. وَلَمّا رَأَيتُ القَومَ خَفَّت حُلومُهُم

    يَرومونَ بَحراً لَم أُعَرِّج عَلى بَحرِ

    When I saw the people's judgment grow light,

    As they sought a sea, I did not pause beside any sea.

  34. تَرَكتُ الهُوَينا لِلضَّعِيفِ وَشَمَّرَت

    بِي الحَربُ تَشميرَ الحَرورِيِّ عَن فَترِ

    I left leisurely ease to the weak, and war spurred

    Me to gird myself like a Haruri casting off slackness.

  35. وَعَذراءَ لا تَجري بِلَحمٍ وَلا دَمٍ

    بَعيدَةِ شَكوى الأَينِ مُلحَمَةِ الدَبرِ

    And a maiden that travels with neither flesh nor blood,

    Far from complaining of fatigue, with a thick-fleshed stern—

  36. إِذا طَعَنَت فيها القَبولُ تَشَمَّصَت

    بِفُرسانِها لا في سُهولٍ وَلا وَعرِ

    When the east wind thrust into her, she bounded onward

    With her horsemen, over neither plain nor rugged ground.

  37. وَإِن قَصَدَت دَلَّت عَلى مُتَنَصِّبٍ

    ذَليلِ القَرى لا شَيءَ يَفري كَما تَفري

    When she held her course, she revealed an upright form,

    With a yielding back; nothing cleaves as she cleaves.

  38. تُلاعِبُ نينانَ البُحورِ وَرُبَّما

    رَأَيتَ نُفوسَ القَومِ مِن جَريِها تَجري

    She plays with the fishes of the seas; sometimes

    You see the men's souls running at her running.

  39. تَحَمَّلتُ مِنها صاحِبَيَّ وَمِنصَفي

    تَزِفُّ زَفيفَ الهيقِ في البَلَدِ القَفرِ

    I took aboard her my two companions and my servant,

    As she sped like a male ostrich over barren land,

  40. إِلى مَلِكٍ مِن هاشِمٍ في نُبوءَةٍ

    وَمِن حِميَرٍ في المُلكِ وَالعَدَدِ الدَثرِ

    Toward a king of Hashim in prophetic lineage,

    And of Himyar in kingship and abundant numbers.

  41. مِنَ المُشتَرينَ الحَمدَ تَندَى مِنَ النَدى

    يَداهُ وَتَندى عارِضاهُ مِنَ العِطرِ

    One of those who buy praise; moist with generosity are

    His hands, and moist with perfume are his cheeks.

  42. كَأَنَّ المُلوكَ الزُهرَ حَولَ سَريرِهِ

    وَمِنبَرِهِ الكِروانُ أَطرَقنَ مِن صَقرِ

    As though the radiant kings around his throne

    And his pulpit were curlews, heads bowed before a falcon.

  43. أَعاذِلَ قَد أَكثَرتِ غَيرَ مُطاعَةٍ

    وَما كُلُّ ما يَخشى النَواضِحُ بِالنَقرِ

    O reprover, you have said much, though you are not obeyed;

    Not all that water-carrying camels fear is a clicking sound.

  44. دَعيني فَإِنّي مُعصِمٌ بِمُحَمَّدٍ

    سَمِيِّ نَبِيِّ اللَهِ وَالمَلِكِ الحُرِّ

    Leave me: I hold fast to Muhammad,

    Namesake of God's Prophet and a noble king.

  45. نَشُمُّ مَعَ الرَيحانِ طِيباً فَعالَهُ

    ذَكاءً وَنَرجوهُ عِياضاً مِنَ القَطرِ

    Alongside basil, we smell the fragrance of his deeds,

    Strongly fragrant; we look to him in place of rain.

  46. إِذا سامَني خَسفاً زَعيمُ قَبيلَةٍ

    أَبَيتُ فَلَم أُعطِ المَقادَ عَلى القَسرِ

    If a tribal chief demanded humiliation of me,

    I refused, and did not yield the reins under compulsion.

  47. وَأَلزَمتُ حَبلي حَبلَ مَن لا تُغِبُّهُ

    عُفاةُ النَدى مِن حَيثُ يَدري وَلا يَدري

    I fastened my rope to the rope of one never left unvisited by

    Bounty-seekers, from quarters he knows and does not know.

  48. فَتيقُ بَني العَبّاسِ يَدعو إِلى النَدى

    وَيُمسي دُواراً في المُقامِ وَفي السَفرِ

    The open-handed man of the sons of al-‘Abbas calls to generosity,

    And becomes Duwar at evening, in residence and on the road.

  49. إِذا ما دَعا ثابت إِلَيهِ عَصائِبٌ

    كِرامٌ أُعينوا بِالصَلاةِ وَبِالصَبرِ

    Whenever he calls, bands rally to him,

    Noble men sustained by prayer and patience,

  50. كُهولٌ وَشُبّانٌ عَلَيهِم مَهابَةٌ

    وَفيهِم غَناءٌ لِلعَوانِ وَلِلبَكرِ

    Mature men and youths, upon whom rests awe,

    With prowess for the seasoned battle and the maiden one.

  51. بَنو هاشِمٍ لا يَشرَبونَ عَلى القَذى

    مَصاليتُ لَعّابونَ بِالأَسَلِ السُمرِ

    The sons of Hashim will not drink with dirt in the cup,

    Bold warriors, sporting with dusky spears.

  52. يَهُزّونَ صُمّاً مُرقِلاتٍ إِلى العِدى

    لَها نَفَذٌ بَينَ الرَهانَةِ وَالكِبرِ

    They brandish solid shafts that speed toward foes,

    Piercing, balanced between slenderness and bulk.

  53. عُرِفتَ أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ بِرِقَّةٍ

    عَلَينا وَلَم تُعرَف بِفَخرٍ وَلا كِبرِ

    Commander of the Faithful, you are known for tenderness

    Toward us, not for boastfulness or pride.

  54. بَنى لَكَ عَبدُاللَهِ بَيتَ خِلافَةٍ

    نَزَلتَ بِها بَينَ الفَراقِدِ وَالنِسرِ

    ‘Abdullah built you a house of caliphate,

    Where you dwelt between the Farqad stars and the Eagle.

  55. وَعِندَكَ عَهدٌ مِن وَصاةِ مُحَمَّدٍ

    فَرَعتَ بِها الأَملاكَ مِن وَلَدِ النَضرِ

    You hold a covenant from Muhammad's bequest,

    By which you towered over the kings descended from al-Nadr.

  56. وَرِثتَ عَلِيّاً شيمَةً أَريَحِيَّةً

    وَصُنتَ اِبنَ عَبّاس وَأُيِّدتَ بِالشُكرِ

    You inherited ‘Ali's generous-hearted character,

    And upheld Ibn ‘Abbas, and were strengthened through gratitude.

  57. وَأَحرَزتَ مِيراثَ النَبيِّ مُحَمَّدٍ

    عَلى رَغم قَومٍ يَنظُرونَ عَلى دَعرِ

    You secured the inheritance of the Prophet Muhammad,

    Despite people looking on with wickedness.

  58. وَأَبقى لَكَ العَبّاسُ يَوماً مُشَهَّراً

    إِذا سِرتَهُ في الذِكرِ جَلَّ عَنِ الذِكرِ

    Al-‘Abbas left you a celebrated day;

    When you traverse it in remembrance, it surpasses all telling:

  59. مُجالَدَةٌ دونَ النَبيِّ بِسَيفِهِ

    بِوادي حُنَينٍ غَيرِ وانٍ وَلا غُمرِ

    His sword-fighting in defense of the Prophet,

    In the valley of Hunayn, neither slack nor inexperienced.

  60. كَأَنَّ دِماءَ القَومِ يَومَ لِقائِهِ

    رُداعُ عَروسٍ بِالذِراعَينِ وَالنَحرِ

    As though the people's blood, the day he met them,

    Were a bride's saffron stains on her arms and upper chest.

  61. عَشِيَّةَ يَدعو المُسلِمينَ بِصَوتِهِ

    وَقَد نَفَروا وَاِستَطلَعَ الصوتَ عَن نَفرِ

    That evening, he called the Muslims with his voice,

    When they had fled, and he raised his voice above a band of men.

  62. وَأَنتَ اِمرُؤٌ تَهوي إِلَيكَ قُلوبَنا

    وَأَلبابُنا يَومَ الهِياجِ مِنَ الذُعرِ

    You are a man toward whom our hearts hasten,

    And our minds, from fear on the day of tumult.

  63. وَقَفتَ عَلى أَمرٍ فَأَصبَحتَ عارِفاً

    بِما يُتَّقى مِن بَطنِ أَمرٍ وَمِن ظَهرِ

    You examined the matter and came to know

    What must be guarded against, both its inward and outward aspects.

  64. إِذا القَطرُ لَم تَغزِر عَلَينا سَماؤُهُ

    بِأَرضٍ وَثِقنا مِن سَمائِكَ بِالغُزرِ

    When the rain's sky does not pour richly upon us

    In some land, we trust your sky for abundance.

  65. وَخَمرٍ كَبَردِ الماءِ في خَمرِ بابِلٍ

    جَمَعتَ فَما تَنفَكُّ كَالماءِ وَالخَمرِ

    And wine, like the coolness of water in Babylon's wine,

    You united, and never part, like water and wine.

  66. وَسَيفُكَ مَنصورٌ وَأَنتَ مُشَيَّعٌ

    وَمِن نَفَرٍ لا يَعصِمونَ عَلى وِترِ

    Your sword is victorious, and you are stout-hearted,

    Of a band who show no restraint over a blood-debt.

  67. قَتَلتَ الشُراةَ الناكِثينَ عَنِ الهُدى

    وَقَنَّعتَ بِالسَيفِ المُقَنَّعِ بِالكُفرِ

    You killed the Shurat who broke faith with guidance,

    And struck the unbelief-veiled al-Muqanna‘ with your sword.

  68. فَأَصبَحَ قَد بَدّلتَهُ مِن قَميصِهِ

    قَميصاً يَهولُ العَينَ مِن عَلَقٍ حُمرِ

    Thus you changed the shirt he wore

    For one that horrifies the eye with red clotted blood.

  69. تَروحُ بِأَرزاق وَتَغدو بِغارَةٍ

    عَلى الناكِثِ الضِلّيلِ وَالحاسِدِ المُغري

    You go at evening with provisions, and at dawn on a raid,

    Against the deeply erring oath-breaker and the inciting envier.

  70. كَذاكَ يَدُ المَهدِيِّ تُضحي مَطيرةً

    وَتُمسي حُتوفاً لِلجُبارِ وَمَن يَشري

    Thus al-Mahdi's hand rains bounty in the morning,

    And becomes death at evening for the tyrant and whoever sells his life.

  71. وَغَيرانُ مِن دونِ النِساءِ كَأَنَّهُ

    أُسامَةُ وافى الطارِقاتِ عَلى أَجرِ

    And a jealous guardian before the women, as though he were

    A lion confronting night visitors beside its cubs.

  72. جَزى اللَهُ مَهدِيَّ الصَلاةِ كَرامَةً

    لَقَد فَلَّ عَن ديني وَخَفَّفَ مِن ظَهري

    May God reward al-Mahdi of prayer with honor;

    He has defended my faith and lightened the load on my back.

  73. كَساني وَأَعطاني وَشَرَّفَ مَجلِسي

    بِمَجلِسِنا يَومَ الحُنَينَةِ وَالعَقرِ

    He clothed me, gave to me, and honored my seat

    At our gathering on the day of al-Hunayna and al-‘Aqr.

  74. فَأَصبَحتُ في ظِلِّ العَشيرَةِ مُشرِقاً

    عَلى البَأوِ في بَيتِ العَشيرَةِ بِالعُشرِ

    Now, radiant, I stand in the clan's shelter,

    Proudly, in the clan's house, with a tenth-share.

  75. كَأَنّي مِنَ الأَملاكِ أَملاكِ هاشِمٍ

    بِأَبوابِهِم مِن مُححَدينَ وَمِن مُثرِ

    As though I were one of the kings—the kings of Hashim—

    At their gates, among [perhaps the needy] and the wealthy.

  76. كَذاكَ قَرابينُ المُلوكِ بُيوتُهُم

    مَثاباتُ مِن راحٍ وَمِن سَيِّدٍ غَمرِ

    Such are the kings' intimates: their houses

    Are resorts of wine and a bountiful lord.

  77. وَكَم رائِشٍ بارٍ وَلَولا مُحَمَّدٌ

    طَوَتهُ اللَيالي ما يَريشُ وَلا يَبري

    Many a featherer and shaper of arrows, but for Muhammad,

    The nights would have swept away, no longer feathering or shaping.

  78. وَطاغٍ أَصابَتهُ سُيوفُ مُحَمَّدٍ

    فَأَصبَحَ مُلقىً لِلغُرابِ وَلِلنَسرِ

    And a tyrant struck by Muhammad's swords

    Now lies cast out for the crow and the vulture.

  79. إِذا جَلَسَ المَهديُّ عَمَّت فُضُولُهُ

    عَلَينا كَما عَمَّ الضِياءُ مِنَ البَدرِ

    When al-Mahdi sits, his abundant favors spread

    Over us as light spreads from the full moon.

  80. هُوَ العَسَلُ الماذِيُّ طَوراً وَرُبَّما

    يَكونُ كَبيرُ القَومِ مُرَّ جَنى الصَدرِ

    At times he is pure honey; at others

    The people's chief becomes the breast's bitter harvest.

  81. تَدِرُّ لَهُ أَخلافُ دَرٍّ غَزيرَةٌ

    وَدَرَّت لَنا كَفّاهُ مِن نائِلٍ تَجري

    For him, teats of abundant milk flow freely,

    And his two palms stream bounty for us.

  82. أَلا أَيُّها المُمتاحُ إِنَّ مُحَمَّداً

    يَؤولُ إِلى عِزٍّ وَيغدو مَعَ النَصرِ

    O you who draw water, Muhammad indeed

    Comes to honor and goes forth with victory.

  83. مِنَ الصيدِ وَلّاغُ الدِماءِ إِذا غَدا

    وَمُستَمطِرُ المَعروفِ وَقراً عَلى وَقرِ

    Of the proud nobles, a lapper of blood when he rides out,

    And one who draws down bounty like rain, load upon load.

  84. يَقومُ بِأَفعالِ الكِرامِ وَعِندَهُ

    شِفاءٌ مِنَ الداءِ المَحَبَّةِ وَالفَقرِ

    He performs the deeds of noble men, and with him

    Is a cure for lovesickness and poverty.

  85. لَنا كُلَّ يَومٍ مِن يَدَيهِ سَحابَةٌ

    تَجودُ عَلينا بِالإِناثِ وَبِالذُكرِ

    Each day, from his two hands, a cloud is ours,

    Bestowing females and males generously upon us.

  86. إِمامُ هُدىً في الحَمدِ وَالأَجرِ هَمُّهُ

    وَلا خَيرَ فيما لَيسَ بِالحَمدِ وَالشُكرِ

    An imam of guidance, his concern is praise and reward,

    And there is no good in what brings neither praise nor gratitude.

  87. رَجَعتُ بِهِ جَذلانَ غَيرَ مُقَدِّمٍ

    شَفيعاً وَأَرجو أَن أُسَوِّغَهُ عُمري

    I returned through him rejoicing, without sending ahead

    An intercessor; I hope to grant him my whole life.