1. لَم يَبقَ لي بَعدَ المَشيب تَصابي

    ذَهَبَ الشّباب وَبعده أَطرابي

    No youthful dalliance remains to me after gray hair;

    youth has gone, and after it my raptures.

  2. فَالآنَ ما أَرجو وِصالَ خَريدَةٍ

    يَوماً وَلا أَخشى صُدودَ كعابِ

    Now I hope for no union with a secluded maiden

    ever, nor fear a budding maiden's rejection.

  3. يا صاحِبي قَد عادَ عَذلكَ ظاهراً

    فالشّيبُ أعذلُ منك في أحبابِي

    O my companion, your reproach has become plain;

    for gray hair reproaches me over my loved ones more than you do.

  4. قَد نابَتِ الخَمسون والسّبع الّتي

    لِي بَعدها في العذلِ عن أصحابِي

    The fifty years have stood in—and the seven that

    I have beyond them—for my companions in reproaching me.

  5. فَلَربّما حابى العَذول فلم يلُمْ

    وَالشّيبُ في الفَوْدَين لَيس يحابي

    A reproacher may sometimes show lenience and not rebuke,

    but gray hair at the two temples shows no lenience.

  6. لا تخشَ منّي أن أنقّبَ عَن هَوى ال

    بيض الأوانس والمشيبُ نِقابي

    Do not fear that I will seek out love for the

    fair, companionable maidens, when gray hair is my veil.

  7. بَلَغَ المَشيب مآرباً ومآرباً

    مِنّي وَلم أبلغ به آرابي

    Gray hair has attained aim after aim

    from me, but I have not attained my aims through it.

  8. وَرَجوتُ منهُ شِفاءَ داءٍ كامنٍ

    فَاِزدَدته وَصَباً إلى أوصابي

    I hoped it would cure a hidden ailment,

    but I gained it as another pain added to my pains.

  9. قد كان شافِعِيَ الشّباب إلى الدُّمى

    والشيبُ بعد فراقِه أغرى بي

    Youth once was my intercessor with the doll-like beauties;

    gray hair, after its departure, incited them against me.

  10. فَرباعهنّ سِوى رباعِيَ في الهوى

    وجنابهنّ هناك غيرُ جنابي

    Their dwellings in love are other than my dwellings,

    and their domain there is not my domain.

  11. ولقد عَمَرتُ مراسلاً من قبلهِ

    فأعاد لي رُسُلي بغير جوابِ

    Before it, I long lived exchanging messages;

    then it returned my messengers to me without an answer.

  12. لا ذَنبَ عندي منه إلّا أنّهُ

    كان السّفير لفرقةِ الأحبابِ

    I find no fault in it except that it

    was the envoy of my loved ones' separation.

  13. وَلَقَد عَتبت على الّتي صَرَمَتْ وقد

    وَصل المشيبُ وما أفاد عتابي

    I reproached her who broke with me, when

    gray hair had arrived, but my reproach did no good.

  14. يا جَملُ كَيف نزعتِ حبلَكِ من يدي

    لمّا نزعتُ منَ الصِّبا أثوابي

    O Jaml, how did you pull your cord from my hand

    when I stripped off my garments of youth?

  15. فَقَطعتِ وَصلكِ لا لجرمٍ كان لِي

    وَإِلى وصالكِ جيئتي وذهابي

    You severed your bond with me for no offense of mine,

    though my coming and going was toward union with you.

  16. ساقَ الّذي بَعَثَ النّوى قَلبي كما

    ساق الحُدَاةُ ضُحىً بِطاءَ رِكابِ

    The one who sent separation drove my heart, just as

    camel-drivers at midmorning drive slow mounts.

  17. فَمَتى سَألتَ عَنِ الفُؤادِ فَإِنّهُ

    قَد سارَ بَينَ هوادجٍ وقِبابِ

    Whenever you ask after my heart, know that it

    has gone among howdahs and domed tents.

  18. يا طالِباً يَجتابُ كلَّ تنوفةٍ

    تُدمي ظهورَ العيس خيرَ جنابِ

    O seeker, crossing every wilderness

    that bloodies pale camels' backs, in search of the finest abode:

  19. والشمسُ في الجوزاء راميةٌ إلى

    تلك المرامي كلِّها بلُعابِ

    And the sun in Gemini takes aim at

    all those targets with its spittle.

  20. عُجْ بالوزير أبي المعالي أيْنُقِي

    وَاِجعَلْ إِليه غَيبتي وإيابي

    Turn my she-camels toward the vizier Abu al-Ma'ali,

    and direct my going away and returning toward him.

  21. وَاِقطَعْ بهِ كَي لا أسافرَ أنسُعي

    وَاِعقِرْ لَه كي لا أريمَ رِكابي

    Cut my saddle-straps beside him, so I travel no more,

    and hamstring my mounts for him, so I never leave.

  22. فَهوَ الّذي قَد كنتُ عُمري أَبتغي

    وَأَرومُ مُقترحاً على أنصابي

    He is the one I have sought all my life

    and pursued as my chosen goal despite my hardships.

  23. وَإِذا بَلغن بِيَ المُنى موفورةً

    فشعابُ غيرِ المُدلجِين شعابي

    And when they bring me to my wishes in full,

    the ravines of those who do not travel by night are my ravines.

  24. لِي مِن وِدادك وَاِصطِفائك رتبةٌ

    حُبٌّ أتِيهُ بهِ على أَحبابي

    Your affection and favor give me a rank,

    a love I glory in above my loved ones.

  25. وَإِذا ملأتَ منَ الثناءِ مَسامِعي

    فَكأَن ملأْتَ منَ الثّراءِ عِيابِي

    And when you fill my ears with praise,

    it is as though you fill my bags with wealth.

  26. وإذا رضيتَ فقد حظيتُ فإنّني

    أرضى بأن ترضى وذاك طِلابِي

    And if you are pleased, I have prospered, for I

    am pleased that you are pleased: that is my quest.

  27. لِي كلَّ يومٍ من جميلك مِنّةٌ

    غرّاءُ تأتينِي وتقرعُ بابي

    Each day I receive a favor from your kindness,

    radiant, coming to me and knocking at my door.

  28. وكرامةٌ لم يدنُ منها مُكْرِمٌ

    عَبقتْ بها دونَ الأنامِ ثِيابي

    And an honor no benefactor has come near

    has scented my garments, apart from all mankind.

  29. كرّمتَني فملكت منّي رِبْقَةً

    تَأبى اِنعِتاقاً يومَ عِتْقِ رِقابِ

    You honored me and won a tether binding me,

    that refuses release on a day when necks are freed.

  30. وَتَركتنِي وقْفاً عليكَ إِقامتِي

    وإلى ديارِك موئِلِي ومآبي

    You left me dedicated to you in my stay,

    and your dwellings are my refuge and return.

  31. كم لي إليك شفاعةٌ مقبولةٌ

    ونداءُ مسموعِ النّداءِ مُجابِ

    How many an accepted intercession I have with you,

    and a call heard and answered!

  32. فمتى أردتُ جعلتُ قولي رائداً

    في نيل موهبةٍ وصرفِ عِقابِ

    Whenever I wish, I make my words a scout

    for gaining a gift and averting punishment.

  33. فلقد كُفيتُ وفي يديك مَعونَتي

    وَلَقد غَلبتُ وأنتَ مِن أَحزابي

    I have been provided for, and my support is in your hands;

    I have prevailed, and you are among my allies.

  34. وَمَتى ضَحيتُ ففي ذراك أظِلَّتي

    وإذا ظمِئتُ فمِنْ نَداك شرابي

    Whenever I face the sun, my shade is in your shelter,

    and when I thirst, my drink is from your dew.

  35. وأنا الّذي لك بالولاءِ مواصلٌ

    فَاِغفِرْ لذاك زيارةَ الإِغْبابِ

    I am the one constant in loyalty to you,

    so for that forgive my visits at intervals.

  36. سَلْ عَن بَسالتِهِ خفاجَةَ والظّبا

    في راحتيهِ تُعطّ كلَّ إهابِ

    Ask Khafaja about his courage, while the blades

    in his two palms rend every hide.

  37. والطّعن يَثني كلَّ من شابتْ له

    تلك المفارق من دمٍ بخِضابِ

    And spear-thrusts turn back everyone whose

    hair partings have grayed with blood for dye.

  38. وَتَوهّموا جَهلاً بأنّكَ كالأُلى

    شُلُّوا بأرماحٍ لهمْ وحِرابِ

    Ignorantly, they imagined you were like those

    who were driven off by their spears and javelins,

  39. حتّى رأَوْكَ مُصمّماً فَتَساهموا

    طُرقَ الفِرارِ بقفرةٍ كذئابِ

    until they saw you resolute, then shared out

    the routes of flight in a wasteland, like wolves.

  40. شَرّدتهمْ فخيامُهم منبوذةٌ

    مِن غير إعمادٍ ولا إطنابِ

    You scattered them; their tents lie abandoned,

    with neither supporting poles nor guy ropes.

  41. وسلبتَ أنفسَهمْ ولم تحفلْ بما

    أبقتْ مصارعُهمْ من الأَسلابِ

    You took their lives, and cared nothing for what

    their deaths left behind as spoils.

  42. للَّه درُّ شجاعةٍ بكَ أَمكنتْ

    نَصْلَ الأعاجمِ من طُلى الأعرابِ

    God bless the courage that, through you, gave

    the non-Arabs' blade access to the Bedouins' throats!

  43. ولقد لَفَفْتَهُمُ بهمْ فكأنّما

    حَضَّضْتَ بين ضراغمٍ في غابِ

    You entangled them with one another, as though

    you had incited lions against each other in a thicket.

  44. واليومَ لا يُنجيكَ من أَهوالِهِ

    إلّا الطّعانُ وصدقُ كلِّ ضِرابِ

    Today, nothing saves you from its terrors

    except spear-thrusts and the sureness of every blow.

  45. فالضَّربُ في هاماتهمْ منثورةٌ

    فوق الثّرى والطّعن في الأَقرابِ

    Blows strike their heads, strewn

    upon the dust, and spear-thrusts strike their flanks.

  46. هدرتْ زماناً بالفرات فحولُهمْ

    فَاليومَ ما فيهمْ طَنينُ ذُبابِ

    Their bull camels bellowed for a time by the Euphrates;

    today there is not a fly's buzz among them.

  47. أَمَّا بنو عبد الرّحيمِ فإنّهم

    حدُّ الرَّجاء وغايةُ الطلابِ

    As for the sons of Abd al-Rahim, they are

    the limit of hope and the ultimate goal of seeking.

  48. لَم يَسكنوا إلّا القِلالَ وَلَم يُرَوْا

    والنَّجم إلّا في رُؤوس هِضابِ

    They have dwelt only on summits, and are seen,

    along with the star, only on the crests of hills.

  49. ما فيهمُ إلّا النّجيبُ لأنّه الْ

    بيتُ المليءُ بكثرِة الأَنجابِ

    None among them is anything but noble, for it is the

    house filled with a multitude of noble sons.

  50. القائِلين الفصْلَ يَومَ تخاصمٍ

    وَالواهِبين الجَزْلَ يومَ رِغابِ

    Those who speak the decisive word on a day of dispute,

    and give abundant gifts on a day of entreaties.

  51. وَمُزاحِمين لَهم على راياتِهمْ

    رَجعوا وَقد نكصوا على الأعقابِ

    And those who jostled them for their banners

    returned, having retreated upon their heels.

  52. لَن يصلحوا قُرُباً لصونِ سُيوفهمْ

    وهُمُ السّيوفُ لنا بغيرِ قرابِ

    They will not make fit scabbards to protect their swords,

    while these men are swords for us, without scabbards.

  53. لا خيرَ في أسلٍ بغير عواملٍ

    فينا ولا سيفٍ بغير ذُبابِ

    There is no good in spears without spearheads

    among us, nor in a sword without a point.

  54. ليس الرّياسة بالمُنى أو بالهوى

    لكنّها بركوب كلّ صِعابِ

    Leadership is not gained through wishes or whims,

    but by riding through every hardship.

  55. لا تقربوا بذئابكمْ طَلَعاً عن ال

    نسَلانِ والعَسَلانِ ليثَ الغابِ

    Do not bring your wolves, [faltering] at the

    trot and lope, near the lion of the thicket.

  56. وَإِذا الجِيادُ جَرينَ لم تَحفلْ وقد

    عَنَّ التسابقُ بِالهجينِ الكابي

    And when thoroughbreds run, you pay no heed, once

    the contest arises, to the stumbling crossbred.

  57. وَصوارمُ الأسيافِ عند ضريبةٍ

    ما كنّ يوماً كالكليل النابي

    And sharp-edged swords, when striking,

    are never like the blunt blade that glances off.

  58. خُذها فَإِنْ بُقّيتُ شيئاً آنفا

    تسمعْ لها ما شئْتَ من أَترابِ

    Take it: if I am spared a little while yet,

    you will hear as many of its peers as you wish.

  59. وَاِسمَعْ كَلاماً لم يُحَكْ شِبْهٌ له

    ملآنَ بالإحسانِ والإطرابِ

    And hear speech whose like has never been woven,

    brimming with excellence and delight:

  60. روضاً ولكنْ ليس يجنِي زَهرَه

    إِلّا يمينُك مالكَ الآدابِ

    a garden, but no one plucks its blossoms

    except your right hand, O master of letters.

  61. وَإِذا المَسامعُ أنصفتْ لَم تَنتقصْ

    إِلّا كَلامِي وحدَه وخطابي

    And when listening ears judge fairly, they disparage nothing

    except my words alone and my address.