يا صاحِ قَدْ جادَتْ بِدَمْعٍ هَمْلِ

عَيْنُكَ مِنْ عَهْدِ الصِبَا وَجُمْلِ

My friend, your eyes have shed copious tears

Since the days of youth and beauty’s prime

وَاسْتَبْطَرَتْكَ بِالمَلِيعِ الثَمْلِ

باقِي مَغانِي الغانِياتِ الكُحْلِ

And moist cheeks plead with coquettish eyes

That remain of singers once sublime

كَأَنَّهُنَّ وَالتَنائِي يُسْلِي

بِالرَقْمَتَيْنِ قِطَعٌ مِنْ سَحْلِ

As if they and the eyelids try to charm

With a glance made from a fawn’s gaze shy

وَالهَجْرُ قَطَّاعٌ حِبالَ الوَصْلِ

وَالشَيْبُ داءٌ ما لَهُ مِنْ غِسْلِ

Estrangement severs the cords of love

And age is a disease that will not dry

لَمَّا ازْدَرَتْ نَقْدِي وَقَلَّتْ إِبْلِي

تَأَلَّقَتْ وَاتَّصَلَتْ بِعُكْلِ

When they spurned my money and cattle waned

They moved on to another catching his look

خِطْبِي وَهَزَّتْ رَأْسَها تَسْتَبْلِي

تَسْأَلُنِي مِنَ السِنِينَ كَمْ لِي

Breaking off my courtship, tossing their heads

And asking how many years have I

فَقُلْتُ لَوْ عُمِّرْتُ سِنَّ الحِسْلِ

أَوْ عُمْرَ نُوحٍ زَمَنَ الفِطَحْلِ

I said, “If I’d lived as long as the turtle

Or Noah’s age amid the deadly flood

وَالصَخْرُ مُبْتَلٌّ كَطِينِ الوَحْلِ

صِرْتُ رَهِينَ هَرَمٍ أَوْ قَتْلِ

When even rocks grow sodden as clay

I’d be a captive of decrepitude

أَوْ خَرِقاً مِنْ طُولِ عَهْدٍ يُبْلِي

تِلْكَ اللَيالِي بِالنَهارِ الوُصْلِ

A ragged cloak fraying with great age

Those nights compared to days of union

إِنْ ثَبَتَ الرُوحُ انْتَزَعْن عَقْلِي

أَوْ طَبَّقَتْ دَاهِيَةٌ لا تُعْلِي

If my soul remained, it would steal my wits

Or senility would descend, obscuring all.”

إِنِّي وَقَدْ أُمْضِي مَقَالَ الفَصْلِ

يَكْفِيكَ نِكْلِي بَغْيَ كُلِّ نِكْلِ

As I conclude my final words

Let my misfortune suffice all misfortune

وَالسابِقُ الصادِقُ يَوْمَ المَعْلِ

كَسَبْقِ صَمْصامَةَ يَوْمَ المَهْلِ

Truthful and foremost on the day all is revealed

As the warhorse on the day of trial

وَالجُرْب أَكْوِي عَرَّها وَأَطْلِي

بِالقارِ أَوْ بِالقَطَرانِ الشَعْلِ

I’d cauterize canker’s running wound

With a hot brand or boiling tar

وَقَاتِلٍ حَوْباءَهُ مِن أَجْلِي

لَيْسَ لَهُ مِثْلِي وَأَيْنَ مِثْلِي

And kill for my sake its very cause

None can compare, where is my equal?

إِذْ جَدَّ بِالقَوْمِ نِضالُ النَضْلِ

وَلِي إِذَا نَاضَلْتُ سَهْمُ الخَصْلِ

When war visited the warriors wielding spears

My arrows flew straight to their mark

وَمَدَّ غَلْوِي مُسْتَقِيمَ النَبْلِ

بَلْ بابِ مَحجُوبٍ شَدِيدِ القُفْلِ

Assailing a barred gate, strongly locked

I accosted it, admitting my crime

سَاوَرْتُهُ مُعْتَرِفاً بِأَكْلِي

بِالصِيتِ وَالعَجَّاجِ غَيْرِ غُفْلِ

Of vainglory and importunity, not neglectful

And if the war days come to pass

وَأَنَا إِنْ حافَلَ يَوْمُ الحَفْلِ

وَغَشَّ ذُو الضَبِّ وَداءُ الحَقْلِ

And locusts swarm and crops blight

While war fires flicker with revealing sparks

والحَربُ تَشري بِالكِشافِ المَغلِ

أَرُدُّ رَجسَ الشِقشِقاتِ الهُدلِ

I’d drive back the settled bandits, those thieves

Goaded by a roar like drums beating

يَحفِزُها زَأْرٌ كَضرْبِ الطَبْلِ

بَيْنَ مِجَذَّاتِ الرَجاجِ العُصْلِ

Amidst the neighing steeds, harnessed and bridled

I’d bend their necks, forcing them to retreat

أَكْتَسِرُ الهامَ وَمَرّاً أَخْلِي

أَطْباقَ ضَبْرِ العُنُقِ الجِرْدَحْلِ

Through the valley’s narrow defiles

When they head for the watering holes at dusk

إِذَا انْتَحَى بِالمِخْدَرَيْنِ قَصْلِي

أَلْقَى كَرَادِيسَ العَفَرْنَى العَبْلِ

I’d hurl the cowardly poltroons about

Among the uprooted canes, coarse to chew

فِي شَجْرِ مَضَّاغٍ جُرَاز الأَكْلِ

بَلْ جَوْزِ غَبْراءَ شَطُونِ الحَبْلِ

Nay, like clods from a valley, rope-braided

Their echoes like sculpted forms

أَصْداؤُها مسْتَعْبِراتُ الشَكْلِ

وَصَوْتُ داعِيها كَصَوْتِ الدَحْلِ

The voice of their caller like the moan of a camel

Where young and barren ewes spend the night

تَسْتَنُّ فِيهَا أُمَّهاتُ السَخْلِ

مِنَ النِعاجِ وَالظِباءِ الخُذْلِ

And hill deer, does and lop-eared rabbits

And all spotted wild asses, foul of hide

وَكُلُّ زَجَّاجٍ سُخامِ الخَمْلِ

تَبْرِي لَهُ زَعِلاتٍ خُطْلِ

They squeal with joy, answering his call

His voice excites them like the hadil

هِقْلَةُ شَدٍّ تَنْبَرِي لِهُقْلِ

يَنْشَقُّ مَوَّارُ السَرابِ الضَهْلِ

If my she-camel tires, halting with my gear

It shows me, though a youth, full of carelessness

ولَوْنُ هَبْواتِ القَتامِ الطَسْلِ

عَنْ عاتِقَيْها كَانْشِقاقِ السَحْلِ

Lord of a world wearing threadbare garb

And it shows me still hoping to gain largesse

جاوَزْتُها بِاليَعْمَلاتِ الفُتْلِ

مِنْ كُلِّ عُبْرٍ كَأَتَانِ الضَحْلِ

My words may be repeated or understood

Once remote from my family, but God will bring

تَنْجُو إِذَا الهادِي دَعَا بِالهَبْلِ

وَغارَ أَرْدافُ النُجُومِ العُزْلِ

The bereft and lost ones together again

In His hands lies the extent of every life

مَعاً وَشَتَّى كَارْفِضاضِ الإِجْلِ

وَأَتَخَطَّى بِجُلالٍ سَبْلِ

And I know, though not from a liar’s words

To avoid any rumor or slander

يَطْوِي المَرَوْرَى بِيَدٍ وَرِجْلِ

ذَا العَرْضِ مِنْ ساحَتِها أَوْ هَجْلِ

When pretty girls lead us into jest

There were people led astray by the Calf

مَضْرُوجِ أَضْراج البِلاد الثُجْلِ

وَإِنْ هَدَى مِنْهَا انْتِقالُ النَقْلِ

And rosy fingertips like the buds of youth

And long black tresses like the night

في مَتْنِ ضَحّاكِ الثَنَايَا أَزْلِ

إِلَى سُدىً جَمّاتُهُ كَالغِسْلِ

The lover was smitten though no symptoms showed

For all the hues and forms that she evokes

لِلْعَنْكَبُوتِ سِلْسِلٌ مِنْ غَزْلِ

عَلَيْهِ مِنْ مُهَلْهَلاتٍ طُحْلِ

Yellow and green like sprouting herbs

And she had a rabbit’s dangling charm

قَلَّصْنَ عَنْهُ فِي لِهامِ السُبْلِ

مُغْبَر أَعْناق الجِبال الجُزْلِ

Like the fruit of wild apple trees

On the neck of a doe, skittish and scared

وَجَوْزِ وَجْناءَ كَجَوْزِ البَغْلِ

قُفٍّ كَظَهْرِ الشارِفِ السِبَحْلِ

Her lightning flashed from Kohl-darkened eyes

Like rain clouds, hastening to unleash their load

إذَا أَنْتَحَتْ قَصْدِي نَحَاها عَدْلِي

بِالنَهَضَانِ وَالوَجِيفِ الذَمْلِ

When they reached the river mouth in flood

Anklets jangled around their legs

كَأَنَّ أَعْناق البُرَى فِي الجُدْلِ

قَوَّمْنَ ساجاً مُسْتَخَفَّ الحَمْلِ

Like pebbles and silt in shifting sands

In desert sands or sands the camels churned

تَنْشَقُّ أَعرافُ الأُبابِ الجَفْلِ

عَنْ صُدُعٍ يَقْمُصْنَ بَعْدَ الزَجْلِ

Crouched on a coarse, threadbare cloak

They were the kind whose glances kill before

بِكُلِّ قَرْواءَ طَمُوحِ الدَقْلِ

تَهْتَزُّ فِي الماءِ اهْتِزاز الرَأْلِ

Not seeking to avenge some petty act

So if you see me like an angry hornet

فَإِنْ تُفِقْ راحِلَتِي وَرَحْلِي

فَقَدْ أَرانِي وَالصِبَا مِنْ شُغْلِ

Evil has waylaid me, breaking my sting

When fate unraveled what I’d tightly spun

صاحِبَ دُنْيَا مُسْتَلِحَّ الوَهْلِ

وَقَد أَرانِي آمِلا أَسْتَمْلِي

After strength had gone and means had failed

If beyond youthful vigor and bloom’s perfection

وَقَدْ يَعُود القَوْل أَو أَسْتَبْلِي

وَكُنْتُ أُمْسِي نائِياً عَنْ أَهْلِي

My loose hide, newly tanned and smoothed

My dromedaries, the excellent breeds

ثُمَّ يُدَانِي اللَّهُ بَيْنَ الشَمْلِ

وَعِنْدَهُ مِقْدارُ كُلِّ أَجْلِ

Even ostriches could outrun me now

Their warbling call might make me stumble

وَقَدْ عَلِمْتُ غَيْرَ قَوْلِ البُطْلِ

ما عَنْ خِلاطِ فِتْنَةٍ مِنْ وَعْلِ

Since the most robust of powers left me

As if on live coals or scorched from flame

إِذَا الغَوانِي اقْتَدْنَنَا بِالهَزْلِ

قَدْ كانَ قَوْمٌ أُفْتِنُوا بِالعَجْلِ

When they saw my balding pate, rough-hewn

If she spat, she’d find naught to spit out

وَخَضبِ أَطرافِ البَنانِ الطَفلِ

وَطُولِ إِسْجاءِ العُيُونِ النُجْلِ

A mangy hag! May the fleas never leave her be!

As she picked lice, she was pelted with rotten dates

لِذِي الهَوَى تَبْلٌ بِغَيْرِ تَبْلِ

لِمَا اكْتَسَتْ مِنْ ضَرْبِ كُلِّ شَكْلِ

That double-veiled stick insect

Said the least of blame is the worst to bear

صُفْراً وَخُضْراً كَاخْضِرارِ البَقْلِ

وَعُلِّقَتْ مِن أَرْنَبٍ وَنَخْلِ

Unless you pass by or forgive

When the years’ teeth began to bite

كَثَمَرِ الحُمّاضِ غَيْرِ الخَشْلِ

فِي جِيدِ عَيْناءَ طَرُودِ الرَبْلِ

I spoke worthy words of wisdom

If granted as deep a knowledge as Solomon

وَأَبْرَقَتْ فِي مُبْرِقاتٍ كُحْلِ

بَرْقَ الغَمامِ المُسْتَهِلِّ الهَطْلِ

I’d know all that is hidden from sight

Knowledge of Solomon, comprehending the ants

إِذَا وَصَلْنَ العَوْمَ بِالْهِرَكْلِ

رَجْرَجْنَ مِن أَعْجازِهِن الخُزْلِ

Still she’d never respect me ever

Raging with anger on and on

أَوْراكَ رَمْلٍ وَإِلجٍ فِي رَمْلِ

مِنْ رَمْلِ يَرْنَى أَوْ رِمالِ الدُبْلِ

Dictating to her little devil whatever she liked

Injuring me to no benefit or return

يَجْثِي عَلَى بَرْدِيِّ غَيْلٍ خَدْلِ

وَكُنَّ ذا القَرْحِ قَتَلْنَ قَبْلِي

As if mad, chained in heavy fetters

Invoking doom and decrying my name

وَكُنَّ لا يَطْلُبنَهُ بِذَحلِ

فَإِنْ تَرَيْنِي كَالحُسامِ النَحْلِ

As if a dog caller inciting his hounds

And when the slanderers whispered

فَلَّلَ غَرْبِي وَابْتَرَى مِنْ نَصْلِي

مِرَّةُ أَيّامٍ نَقَضْن حَبْلي

And the caller proclaimed out loud

Wants, after hope has passed, are fulfilled

بَعْدَ القُوَى عَنْ مُسْتَمِرِّ الفَتْلِ

فَإِنْ تَرَى بَعْدَ الشَبابِ الرَسْلِ

God provides, the desperate makes no pacts

Favors come by an easy path

وَبَعْدَ نَفْحِي لِمَّتِي وَرَفْلِي

مُخْرَوِّطِ الجِلْدِ حَدِيثِ الصَقْلِ

While the virtuous court praise

When dire affliction was visited upon us

الْفُنُقَ الإِخلِيجَ ذاتَ البَعْلِ

وَالعِيطُ قَدْ يَرْمِينَنَا بِالبَهْلِ

We came with chaste maids and threadbare cloaks

To a man of mighty acts and generous soul

فَقَطَعَت أَرْوَى القُوَى مِنْ وَصْلِي

كَأَنَّهَا مَقْلِيَّةٌ أَوْ تَقْلِي

Who robs the supplicants once they plead

With vast leisure and open hall

لَمَّا رَأَتْ جَبْهَةَ رَأْسٍ صَعْلِ

إِذَا فَلَتْها لَمْ تَجِدْ ما تَفْلِي

Stretching funds from inexhaustible wells

A rain cloud over desert valleys flooding

جَلْحاءَ بِئْسَتْ مُسْتَغاثُ القَمْلِ

وَهْيَ تَجْنَّى رُمِيَتْ بِخَبْلِ

A branch he let thrive that made saplings verdant

Pure stock, true to native strain

ذاتُ الوِشاحَيْنِ وَذَاتُ الحِجْلِ

قالَتْ وَكِفْلُ اللَوْمِ شَرُّ كِفْلِ

A proud steed, a stallion’s son

You’ll see him unlike any statue

إِلَّا تُمِرُّ مِرَّةً أَوْ تُحْلِي

إِذْ عَض أَنْيابُ السِنِين العُصْلِ

Like the moon unveiled from darkness

Dust of his land no different than musk’s scent

فَقُلْتُ قَوْلَ مَرِسٍ ذِي مَحْلِ

لَوْ أَنَّنِي أُعْطِيتُ عِلْمَ الحُكْلِ

Once the torrents moisten after the drought

It’s as if only asking brings bounty unsought

عَلِمْتُ مِنْهُ مُسْتَسِرَّ الدَخْلِ

عِلْمَ سُلَيْمَانَ كَلامَ النَمْلِ

His palms weren’t confined by greed

Nor made cautious by extravagance

ما رَدَّ أَرْوَى أَبَداً عَنْ عَذلِي

ما إِنْ تَزَالُ الدَهْرَ غَضْبَى تَغْلِي

He buys glory, though it means suffering loss

He surpassed the youth, unmatched by peers

تُمْلِي عَلَى شَيْطانِها ما تُمْلِي

تُؤْذِي وَلا تُغْنِي قِبَالَ نَعْلِ

And excelled in his mature prime

Lantern dispelling gloom when fool meets sage

كَأَنَّهَا مَجْنُونَةٌ فِي كَبْلِ

تَدْعُو بِأَسْماءِ الشَقَا وَتُشْلِي

If you claim descent from a noble clan

Fresh-plucked flowers, proudly bearing burdens Great weights on their strong, broad shoulders

كَمَا دَعَا داعِي كِلابٍ مُخْلِ

وَقُلْتُ إِذْ وَسْوَسَ أَهْلُ السَمْلِ

They shoulder the masses’ heavy loads

With magnanimity and largesse

وَما المُنَادِي ضاحِياً بِالخَتْلِ

قَدْ تُدْرَكُ الحاجاتُ بَعْدَ المَطْلِ

Purposely gentle and calm

O son of two honorable fathers

بِاللَّهِ وَالمائِحُ غَيْرُ وَغْلِ

تُقْضَى فَتَأْتِي مِنْ طَرِيقٍ سَهْلِ

Your acts excel in times of distress

Attaining the grant of a happy giver

وَيَبْتغِي بِالمَدْحِ أَهْلُ الفَضْلِ

وَإِذْ رُمِينَا بِالخُطُوبِ الثُعْلِ

Whose bounty o’erflows constantly

جِئْنَا بِأَبْكارٍ وَحاجٍ بُزْلِ

إِلَى امْرِئٍ ضَخْمِ الدَسِيعِ جَزْلِ

يُناهِبُ المُدْلِينَ حِينَ يُدْلِي

بِواسِعِ الفَرْغِ رَحِيبِ السَجْلِ

يَمُدُّ مِنْ حَوْماتِ غَيْرِ مُكْلِ

ثَغْبَ دَجِيْلٍ فِي سَوَاقِي دِجْلِ

فَرْعٌ سَقَى مِنْهُ نُضَار الأَثْلِ

طَيِّبُ أَعْراقِ الثَرَى فِي الأَصْلِ

فَحلٌ سَمَا لِلمَجْدِ وَابْنُ فَحْلِ

تَرَاهُ فِي صُورَةِ غَيرِ بَسْلِ

كَالبَدْر أَعْراه الظَلَام المُجْلِي

لَيْسَ تُرابُ أَرْضِهِ بِمَحْلِ

مِنْ سَحِّهِ الدِيمَةَ بَعْدَ الوَبْلِ

كَأَنَّما يُعْطَى الجَدَا بِالسُؤْلِ

لَمْ يَثْنِ كَفَّيْهِ لِجامُ البُخْلِ

وَلا تَعَقَّاهُ يَمِينُ المُؤْلِي

مُبْتاعُ مَجْدٍ يَشْتَرِي فَيُغْلِي

أَبْدَأَ فِي الشُبّانِ غَيْرَ زِمْلِ

وَسَادَ كَهْلاً لِتَمامِ الكَهْلِ

فَرّاجُ غَمَّى فِي اخْتِلاط الأَرْلِ

إِذَا اسْتَخَفَّ الحِلْمَ طَيْرُ الجَهْلِ

أَنْت ابْن أَقْوامٍ بِهِمْ نَسْتَعْلِي

زُهْرٍ مَقارٍ نُهَّضٍ بِالحِمْلِ

الْحامِلِينَ أَوْقَ كُلِّ ثِقْلِ

بِرُحْب أَعْطانِهِمُ وَالبَذْلِ

يَكْفُون أَثْقال الأُمُور البُجْلِ

تَعَمُّداً بِالخُلُقِ الغِدَفْلِ

وَأَنْتَ يا ابْنَ العُمَرَيْنِ المُبْلِي

خَيْراً عَلَى الأُمُورِ البُزْلِ

نائِلَ وَهّابٍ هَنِيءَ النُحْلِ