1. ظَفِرَت سِهامُ فَواتِرِ الأَلحاظِ

    فَرَمَت صَميمَ قُلوبِنا بِشُواظِ

    The arrows of languid glances triumphed,

    So they hurled flame at the very core of our hearts.

  2. ظَلَّت تُقاتِلُ لِلمُقاتِلِ أَسهُماً

    أَغنَت عَنِ الأَفواقِ وَالأَرعاظِ

    They went on fighting, arrows for the combatant,

    Dispensing with nocks and arrowhead sockets.

  3. ظَلَمَت ظِباءُ الخَيفِ حينَ مَنَحتُها

    حِفظَ العُهودِ وَجَهدُها إِحفاظي

    The gazelles of al-Khayf wronged me when I granted them

    Faithfulness to pledges; their whole endeavor was to anger me.

  4. ظَبياتُ أُنسٍ صَيدُهُنَّ مُحَرَّمٌ

    يَرتَعنَ ما بَينَ الصَفا فَعُكاظِ

    Tame gazelles, forbidden to be hunted,

    Graze between al-Safa and Ukaz.

  5. ظَعَنوا فَبِتُّ أَسُحُّ دَمعي بَعدَهُم

    وَأُجيلُ في تِلكَ الدِيارِ لِحاظي

    They departed; I spent the night pouring out tears after them,

    And turning my gaze about those dwellings.

  6. ظِفري لِسِنّي قارِعٌ وَمَدامِعي

    قَد خَدَّدَت خَدِّيَ بِالإِلظاظِ

    My fingernail strikes my tooth, and my tears

    Have furrowed my cheek through their persistence.

  7. ظَنَّ الخَلِيُّ بِأَن أُحاوِلَ بَعدَهُم

    سَكَناً وَدامَ بِعَدلِهِ إيقاظي

    The carefree man thought that, after them, I might seek

    Solace, while his fair judgment kept me awake.

  8. ظُلمٌ إِذا ظَعَنَ الخَليطُ وَلَم أُسِر

    بِالعَيشِ بَينَ تَنايُفٍ وَشِناظِ

    It is wrong, when the company leaves, not to journey,

    Living among desert wastes and lofty peaks.

  9. ظِهرِيَةٌ إِن ضامَها أَلَمُ السُرى

    حَثَّت مَناسِمَها بُعَيدِ مَظاظِ

    A riding-camel—if the pain of night travel oppresses her,

    She urges her padded feet onward soon after the anguish.

  10. ظُلُماتُ دَجنٍ في الظَلامِ دَواهِشٌ

    مِن حَولِها هَولُ السَرى إيقاظي

    Cloud-dark shadows, bewildering in the darkness,

    Surround her; the terror of night travel keeps me awake.

  11. ظَلَعَت فَأَنحَلَها السُرى فَتَأَوَّدَت

    مِن طولِ مَسِّ شِظاظِهِنَّ شِظاظي

    She limped; night travel wasted her, and she bent

    From their pack-toggles rubbing so long against mine.

  12. ظَأبُ الحُداةِ يَحُثُّها فَإِذا وَنَت

    تَفنى بِزَجرِ حُداتِها الأَفظاظِ

    The drivers' cries urge her on; then, when she flags,

    She wastes away under her harsh drivers' rebukes.

  13. ظَبظابُها أَلَمُ المَسيرِ وَوَقعُها

    بِيَدَي حُداةٍ في المَسيرِ غِلاظِ

    Her affliction is the march's pain and her falling

    Into the hands of harsh camel-drivers on the march.

  14. ظَلَّت عَلى المَرعى الخَصيبِ نُفوسُنا

    مُتَأَلِّمينَ بِسائِقٍ مِلظاظِ

    Our souls stayed with the lush pasture,

    While we suffered under a relentless driver.

  15. ظَلنا نُقاسِمُهُنَّ أَهوالَ السُرى

    وَنَبيتُ في حَثٍّ بِهِ وَدِلاظِ

    We kept sharing with them the terrors of night travel,

    And spent the night urging onward through it and driving hard.

  16. ظَعَنٌ يَقودُ إِلى الحَبيبِ نُفوسَنا

    وَإِلى اِبنِ أُرتُقَ جَوهَرَ الأَلفاظِ

    A journey leads our souls toward the beloved,

    And the gem of words toward Ibn Artuq.

  17. ظِلٌّ ظَليلٌ لِلعُفاةِ فَدُرُّهُ

    يُنسيكَ وَقدَ جَواهِرِ الأَقباظِ

    A sheltering shade for supplicants; his pearls

    Make you forget the fiery gleam of gathered gems.

  18. ظَهَرَ الحَياءُ بِوَجهِهِ فَتَرى بِهِ

    بِشرَ السُرورِ وَهيبَةَ المُغتاظِ

    Modesty shows upon his face; there you see

    The cheer of joy and the majesty of one enraged.

  19. ظَرُفَت خَلائِقُهُ وَأَحفَظَ مالَهُ

    فَأَضاعَهُ رُغماً عَلى الحُفّاظِ

    His character is refined; he angered his wealth,

    Then squandered it in defiance of its keepers.

  20. ظَفرٌ بِهِ رَدَّ العُداةَ بِغَيظِهِم

    مُذ أَنَّهُم عَلِموا بِمَن أَنا حاظي

    My success with him turned my enemies back in their rage,

    Once they learned whose favor I enjoyed.

  21. ظَلّامُ جَذبِ الظالِمينَ بِصارِمٍ

    قَد خاطَبَ الغُلَظاءَ بِالإِغلاظِ

    Ruthless in dragging oppressors with a keen sword,

    That has addressed the brutal with harshness.

  22. ظَلَّت ظُباهُ إِذ غَدَت تَعظُ الوَرى

    إِنَّ الرُؤوسَ مَنابِرُ الوُعّاظِ

    Its edges went on, now preaching to humankind:

    Indeed, heads are the pulpits of preachers.

  23. ظامٍ إِلى نَهلِ الدِماءِ فَهَمُّهُ

    يَومَ الهِياجِ تَشَتُّتُ الأَشواظِ

    Thirsty for a draught of blood, its concern

    On the day of battle is scattering flames.

  24. ظَمِئَت مَضارِبُ غَفرَتَيهِ فَأَصبَحَت

    مِن عَدَمِ اللَهَواتِ ذاتَ لَماظِ

    The striking parts of its two blade-faces thirsted, and became

    For lack of throats, reduced to licking.

  25. ظَنّي جَميلٌ فيكَ يا مَن أَصبَحَت

    تَرنو إِلى نَعمائِهِ أَلحاظي

    I think well of you, O you whose

    Bounty my glances now gaze upon.

  26. ظَفَروا بِظِلِّكَ يا مَليكُ فَإِنَّهُم

    بِوَلاكَ قَد فازوا بِخَيرِ حِفاظِ

    They have gained your shade, O king; indeed, they

    Through your patronage have won the best protection.

  27. ظُرّانُ أَرضِكَ لِلسَماءِ قَدِ اِغتَدَت

    بِكَ في مُفاخَرَةٍ وَفَرطِ غِياظِ

    The flints of your land have come to vie with heaven,

    Boasting of you, in an excess of rage.