1. يا لَياليَّ القَديماتِ اِرجِعي

    قَد تَخَلَّفتِ بِلَيلاتٍ شِدادِ

    O my old nights, return!

    You have given way to harsh nights.

  2. نَبَأٌ خُبِّرتُهُ مِن مَعشَرٍ

    أَخرَجَت أَضغانُهُم حَيّاتِ وادِ

    I was told news from a people

    whose grudges brought out a valley's snakes.

  3. إِنَّني ذاكَ الَّذي جَرَّبتُهُم

    لَم يَطُل عَهدي بِإِرغامِ الأَعادي

    Indeed, I am that very one who has tested them;

    it has not been long since I humbled my enemies.

  4. فَمِنَ الآنَ فَكُرّوا وَاِرجِعوا

    فَالَّذي تَخشَونَ أَحلى في فُؤادي

    So from now on, charge again and return;

    for what you fear is sweeter in my heart.

  5. وَلَحا الرَحمَنُ مِنّا طالِبَ ال

    صُلحِ وَالأَطوَعَ في حَبلِ القِيادِ

    And may the Merciful curse whoever among us seeks

    peace, and whoever is most obedient to the leading rein.

  6. وَعَلى الأَظلَمِ مِنّا سَخَطَ اللَ

    هُ وَالأَنكَبِ عَن سُبُلِ الرَشادِ

    And upon the more unjust of us be the wrath of

    God, and upon whoever strays farther from the paths of right guidance.

  7. أَقدِموا قَبلَ رِماحٍ أُشرِعَت

    وَسُيوفٍ ذاتِ عَصٍّ وَصِعادِ

    Advance before spears are leveled,

    and swords with hard blows and upward strokes.

  8. ثُمَّ إِيّايَ وَأُخرى مِثلَها

    تَكحَلُ العَينَ بِمَملولِ السُهادِ

    Then beware of bringing me another like it,

    that rims the eye with wearisome sleeplessness.

  9. وَخُذوا عَفوِيَ ما دُمتُ لَكُم

    يَدَ أَخذٍ وَاِلحَقوا بَعضَ وِدادي

    And take my pardon while I remain for you

    a hand that seizes, and regain some of my affection.

  10. لا تَعودوا فَيَعُد إِسخاطُهُ

    وَاِترُكوا سَيفِيَ في بَعضِ الغِمادِ

    Do not repeat it, lest you provoke it again,

    and leave my sword partly in its sheath.

  11. أَو فَإِنّي مُسرِعٌ إِن شِئتُمُ

    بِحُسامٍ مَشرَفيٍّ وَجَوادِ

    Or else I will hasten, if you wish,

    with a Mashrafi sword and a noble steed,

  12. وَقَناةٍ فَوقَها كَوكَبُها

    وَمِجَنٍّ كُلُّ هَذا في بِلادي

    and a spear with its star above it,

    and a shield—all this is in my land.

  13. وَإِذا قُلتُ اِركَبوا قَد حَضَروا

    جُملَةُ الناسِ بِأَسيافٍ حِدادِ

    And when I say, 'Mount up,' they have already come:

    all the people, with sharp swords.

  14. وَلَقَد ضاعَت أَيادٍ عِندَكُم

    غُرِسَت في تُرَبٍ غَيرِ جِيادي

    And indeed, favors have been wasted on you,

    planted in soils that were not fertile.

  15. أودِعَت قَمحاً فَلَمّا نُثِرَت

    كُلُّ أَرضٍ أَنبَتَت شَوكَ القَتادِ

    They were deposited as wheat; but when they were scattered,

    each patch of earth grew the thorns of qatad.

  16. فَجَزاها لَعنَةً لِصاحِبٍ

    لَيسَ لِلزَرّاعِ أَصلاً مِن مَعادِ

    So he requited it with a curse upon a companion;

    there is no return at all for the sower.

  17. حينَ وَتَّرتُ لَكُم أَقواسَكُم

    قُمتُمُ بِالنَبلِ تَرمونَ سَوادي

    When I strung your bows for you,

    you stood with arrows, shooting at my dark figure.

  18. أَيُّها المَوعِدُ قَد أَسمَعتَني

    ثُمَّ لَم يَثبُت مِنَ الهَمِّ وِسادِ

    O you who threaten, you have made me hear you;

    then no pillow stayed still for worry.

  19. سَوفَ تَجني أَنتَ ما تَغرِسُ لي

    وَتَمَسُّ النارَ مِن قَرعِ زِنادي

    You yourself will reap what you plant for me,

    and touch the fire struck from my fire-sticks.

  20. رَبُّ مَن قَد كادَني في لَيلَةٍ

    وَهوَ في يَومِ الوَغى بِاِسمي يُنادي

    Many a man has plotted against me in a night,

    while on the day of battle he calls out my name.

  21. حينَ خَلّى رَسَني جاذِبُهُ

    وَاِمَّحى قُرطاسُ شَيبي مِن مِدادي

    When the one pulling my halter let it go,

    and the paper of my gray hair was effaced by my ink,

  22. ثُمَّ يَغدوا مَرِحاً إِن سَبَّني

    وَيَرى لَحمِيَ مِن أَطيَبِ زادِ

    then he goes about merry if he insults me,

    and counts my flesh among the choicest provisions.

  23. وَيَظُنُّ الدَهرَ نَقداً كُلَّهُ

    ثُمَّ يَلقاني عَلى طولِ البُعادِ

    And he thinks all of time is ready cash,

    then meets me after long separation.

  24. كَيفَ يَرجونَ اِهتِضامي بَعدَها

    طالَ باعي وَرِدائي وَنِجادي

    How can they hope to oppress me after that?

    My reach, my cloak, and my sword-baldric have grown long.

  25. وَلِعُذرٍ لَهُمُ لَو قَبلَها

    لَم يَروا إِلّا قِداحي وَزِنادي

    And they might have an excuse if, before that,

    they had seen nothing but my arrow-shafts and my fire-sticks.

  26. أَن يَكونوا قَد نَسَوا تِلكَ فَلي

    عَودَةٌ تُذعِرُهُم حَرَّ جِلادي

    If they have forgotten that, then I have

    a return that will terrify them with the heat of my combat.

  27. طالَ حِلمي عَنهُمُ فَاِستَحدَثوا

    خُلُقاً مَكروهَةً عُريانَ بادي

    My forbearance toward them lasted long, so they called forth

    a hateful temper, naked and exposed—

  28. خَلَقاً يَخضِبُ أَطرافَ القَنا

    وَمُتونَ النَبلِ وَالبيضِ الصَوادي

    a temper that dyes the tips of spears,

    and the shafts of arrows and thirsty white blades,

  29. بِطِعانٍ نافِذٍ يَفري الحَشا

    وَبِضَربٍ مِثلِ أَفواهِ المَزادِ

    with piercing thrusts that rend the entrails,

    and with blows like the mouths of waterskins.