1. سَلِ البَدرَ عَنِّي إِن قَدِمتَ عَلَى البَدرِ

    يُخَبِّركَ أَنِّي مِثلُه أبَداً أَسرِي

    Ask the full moon about me, if you come to the full moon;

    it will tell you that, like it, I forever travel by night.

  2. وأَنِّي أَهفُو بِالمَطَايَا عَلَى الوَجَا

    وَأحمِلُهَا مِن حَيثُ أَدرِي وَلا أَدرِي

    And that I fly on my mounts despite their sore hooves,

    and drive them through places I know and do not know,

  3. بِعَزمٍ يَخَالُ البَحر شَربَةَ مُرتَوٍ

    وَيَحسَب طُولَ الأَرضِ فِي سَعَةِ الشِّبرِ

    with resolve that deems the sea one draught for someone drinking his fill,

    and reckons the earth's length within a handspan's breadth.

  4. نَذَرتُ عَلَيهِ أَن يُبَلِّغَنِي المُنَى

    فَهَل إِن بَلَغتُ النَّجمَ يَكمُلُ فِي نَذرِي

    I have bound it by a vow to bring me to my desires;

    so if I reach the star, will my vow be fulfilled?

  5. إِذَا الأُفقُ يَتلُو سُورَة اللَّيلِ بِالفَلا

    تَلَوتُ لَهُ مِن صَارِمِي سُورَةَ الفَجرِ

    When the horizon recites the Surah of Night in the wilderness,

    I recite to it, from my sharp sword, the Surah of Dawn.

  6. وَإِن خَانَنِي خِلٌّ أَعُدُّ وَفاءَهُ

    فَسَيفِي وَزِيرٌ لِي أَشُدُّ بِهِ أَزرِي

    And if a friend whose loyalty I count on betrays me,

    my sword is my minister, with which I strengthen my back.

  7. سَيَدرِي زَمَانِي أَيَّ عِلق مَضِنَّةٍ

    أَضَاعَ وَيُفنِي السِّنَّ قَرعاً إِذَا يَدرِي

    My age will learn what a jealously cherished treasure

    it has squandered, and will gnash its teeth away when it knows.

  8. خَلِيلَيَّ مَا لِلدَّهرِ يَطوِي مَآرِبي

    أَلا حَكَمٌ فَصلٌ يُقيدُ مِن الدَّهرِ

    My two friends, why does time fold away my aims?

    Is there no decisive judge to exact redress from time?

  9. وَمَا لِعُقَابِ النَّائِبَاتِ تَصِيدُنِي

    أَمَا عَلِمَت فِي الأَرضِ وَكراً سِوَى وَكرِي

    And why does the eagle of calamities hunt me?

    Does it know no nest on earth besides mine?

  10. نَعَم عَلِمَت وَكراً سِوَاهُ وَإِنَّمَا

    صُرُوفُ اللَّيَالِي تَستَطِيلُ عَلَى الحُرِّ

    Yes, it knows another nest; it is only that

    the vicissitudes of nights lord it over the freeborn.

  11. خَلِيلَيَّ قَد أَفنَيتُ دَمعِي صَبَابَةً

    فَمَن عِندَهُ دَمعٌ أُقيمُ بِهِ عُذرِي

    My two friends, I have exhausted my tears in yearning;

    so who has tears with which I may plead my excuse?

  12. وَهَا سِمطُ دَمعِي مُذ نَأَيتُم كَأَنَّمَا

    أُعَلِّمُهُ مِن بَعدِكُم صَنعَةَ النَّثرِ

    And here is my string of tears: since you departed, it is as though

    I teach it, in your absence, the art of scattering.

  13. فَلَمّا رَأَوا دَمعِي تَلاطَم مَوجُهُ

    دَعَونِي عَلَى حُكمِ البُكَا بِأَبِي بَحرِ

    When they saw my tears, their waves crashing together,

    they called me Abu Bahr by weeping's decree.

  14. أَخِلايَ بِالخَضرَاءِ دُومُوا بِنعمَةٍ

    فَوَالعَصرِ أَنِّي مُذ نَأَيتُم لَفِي خُسرِ

    My friends in al-Khadra', may you remain in bliss;

    for, by Time, since you departed I am surely in loss.

  15. إِذا نَسَمَت رِيحُ الجَزِيرَةِ هَيَّجَت

    ذمَاءَ نُفَيسٍ لا تَرِيشُ وَلا تَبرِي

    When the wind of al-Jazira wafts, it stirs

    a little soul's lingering life, without fletching or whittling arrows.

  16. تَقِ اللَّهَ فِيهَا يَا نَسِيمُ فَإِنَّهَا

    إِذَا فُقِدَت ضَاعَ الصِّبَا وَالهَوَى العُذرِي

    Fear God for it, O breeze, for

    if it is lost, youth and chaste love are lost.

  17. يقِرُّ لِعَينَي بَانَة السِّدرِ أَنَّنِي

    أَحِنُّ عَلَى عُفرٍ إِلَى بَانَةِ السِّدرِ

    It confesses to the two eyes of the ban-tree of al-Sidr that I

    yearn, despite pale gazelles, for the ban-tree of al-Sidr.

  18. أُغازِلُ بَرقَ الغَربِ حُبّاً لِعَهدِكُم

    فَمَهمَا بَدَا بَرقٌ أَقُل كُن أَبَا ذَرِّ

    I court the western lightning out of love for the days with you;

    whenever lightning appears, I say, 'Be Abu Dharr.'

  19. كَأَن لَم نرد زَهرَ الرِّيَاضِ وَلَم نرِد

    مَشَارِعَ ذَاكَ النَّهرِ بُورِكَ مِن نَهرِ

    As though we had never visited the garden flowers, nor come

    to that river's watering places—blessed be that river!

  20. وَلَم نَلتَحِف ظِلَّ الأَرَاكَةِ بُردَةً

    مُنَمَّقَةَ الأَعطَافِ بِالزَّهَرِ النَّضرِ

    Nor wrapped ourselves in the arak-tree's shade as a cloak

    whose folds were adorned with fresh flowers;

  21. وَلم نَلتَقِط دُرَّ الحَديثِ عَشِيَّةً

    بِسَاحَةِ ذَاكَ القَصرِ أَفدِيهِ مِن قَصرِ

    nor gathered the pearls of conversation one evening

    in that palace's courtyard—what a palace, for which I would give my life!

  22. شَبَابٌ وَإخوَانٌ تَوَلَّى كِلاهُمَا

    فَلا خَانَنِي دَمعِي وَلا جَدَّ لِي صَبرِي

    Youth and friends—both have passed away;

    may my tears never betray me, nor my patience rally to my aid.

  23. وَكَم رُمتُ أَلا يَشعَبَ الدَّهرُ شَملَنَا

    وَلَكِنَّ سِحرَ الدَّهرِ أَنفَذُ مِن سِحري

    How often I strove for time not to scatter our company!

    But time's magic is more effective than mine.

  24. ثَلاثَةُ إخوَانٍ تَأَلَّفَ شَملُهُم

    تَأَلَّفَ شَملِ الظِّلِّ وَالمَاءِ وَالزَّهرِ

    Three friends, whose company came together

    as shade, water, and flowers come together.

  25. فَأمَّا أبُو مُوسَى فَنَأيُهُ عَبرَةٌ

    وَيَا لَيتَنِي أَلفَاهُ أَعلَى مِنَ العَصرِ

    As for Abu Musa, his distance brings tears;

    and oh, would that I could find him exalted above Time!

  26. لَهُ أَدَبٌ سَمحٌ كَمَا رَقَّتِ الصَّبَا

    إِلَى أَدَبٍ كَسبٍ كَعَهدِكَ بِالشِّحرِ

    His refinement is gracious, as gentle as the east wind,

    joined to acquired refinement, such as you know at al-Shihr.

  27. أَقُولُ خَلِيلِي وَهوُ أَعظَمُ رُتبَةً

    وَلَكِنَّهُ تَأتِي الضَّرُورَاتُ فِي الشِّعرِ

    I call him 'my friend,' though his rank is higher;

    but it is so: necessities arise in poetry.

  28. وَمَا شَبَّ عَمرٌو فِي الزَّمَانِ الَّذِي مَضَى

    عَنِ الطَّوقِ لَكِن شَبَّ عَنهُ أَبُو عَمرِ

    It was not 'Amr, in times gone by, who outgrew

    the collar; rather, Abu 'Amr outgrew it.

  29. وَإِنَّ بَنِي حَسُّونَ سَادَةُ دَهرِهِم

    وَلَكنَّ هَذَا فِيهِمُ بيضةُ العُقرِ

    The sons of Hassun are indeed the lords of their age,

    but this man among them is the peerless egg of barrenness.

  30. وَلا عَجَبٌ أَن سَادَهُم وَهو مِنهُمُ

    فَمِن جُملَةِ الأَسيَافِ صَمصَامَتا عَمرو

    No wonder he became their lord, though he is one of them;

    for among swords are 'Amr's two Samsama blades.

  31. وَبِي مِن نَوَى ابنِ القَاسِمِ النَّدبِ لَوعَةٌ

    تعَلّم قَلبِي كَيفَ يَنزَحُ عَن صَدرِي

    The separation from noble Ibn al-Qasim leaves me with anguish

    that teaches my heart how to depart from my breast.

  32. تَنَاءى فَمَا مَرَّ السُّلُوُّ بِخَاطِرِي

    وَلا أَشرَقَت فِي مُقلَتِي غُرَّةُ البَدرِ

    He has gone far away; no solace has crossed my mind,

    nor has the full moon's bright face shone in my eye.

  33. وَتُطرِبُنِي ذِكرَاهُ حَتَّى يَقُولَ مَن

    يُعَاينُنِي حُدُّوا فَلاناً عَلَى السُّكرِ

    His memory enraptures me until someone says,

    upon seeing me, 'Give so-and-so the prescribed penalty for drunkenness.'

  34. أَحِبَّتَنَا قَصَّرتُ فِي شُكرِ مَجدِكُم

    وَلَكِنَّنِي أَغيَيَتُ فِيهِ عَلَى قَدرِي

    Our beloved friends, I have fallen short in thanking your glory,

    but I have gone as far in it as my ability allows.

  35. فَأَنتُم ظُبَا بَاسِي وَأَطوَادُ عِصمَتِي

    وَمُستَوطِنُو صَدري وَمُستَوجِبُو شُكرِي

    For you are the blade-edges of my might and the mountains of my protection,

    the dwellers in my breast and those who deserve my thanks.

  36. وَدُونَكُمُوهَا تُحفَةً مِن أَخِيكُمُ

    تَصُوغُ سِوَارَ الشُّكرِ فِي مِعصَمِ البرِّ

    And take it, a gift from your brother,

    fashioning gratitude's bracelet on kindness's wrist.

  37. عَسَى اللَّهُ يُدنِينَا عَلَى بُعدِ دَارِنَا

    فَقَد يَلتَقِي مَاءُ الغَمَامِ مَعَ الخَمرِ

    May God bring us close, though our abode is far away;

    for the water of clouds may mingle with wine.