1. يَا صَاحِبَيَّ انْظُرَانِي لاَ عَدِمْتُكمَا

    هَلْ تُؤْنِسَانِ بِذِي رَيْمَانَ مِنْ نَارِ

    O my two companions, wait for me—may I never lose you both!

    Do you discern any fire at Dhu Rayman?

  2. نَارَ الأَحِبَّةِ شَطَّتْ بَعْدَمَا اقْتَرَبَتْ

    هَيْهَاتَ أَهْلُ الصَّفَا مِنْ دَيْرِ دِينَارِ

    The loved ones' fire has grown distant after drawing near.

    How far the people of al-Safa are from Dayr Dinar!

  3. نَاراً تُؤَرَّثُ أَحْيَاناً إِذَا خَمَدَتْ

    بَعْدَ الهَدُوِّ بِجَزْلٍ غَيْرِ خِوّارِ

    A fire stoked from time to time when it dies down,

    after all is still, with stout, unyielding logs.

  4. لا تستطيع المباري أن تؤيسها

    ولا البراه إذا ما جسها الباري

    No shaping tools can leave a mark on it,

    nor can the carvers, when a carver feels it.

  5. يَا صَاحِبَيَّ انْظُرَا إِنِّي مُعِينُكُمَا

    بِمُقْلَةٍ لَمْ يَخُنْهَا عَائِرٌ سَارِي

    O my two companions, look: I am helping you both

    with an eye no night-borne ailment has dimmed.

  6. رَاقَتْ عَلَى مُقْلَتَيْ سُوذَانِقٍ خَرِصٍ

    خَاوٍ تَنَفَّضَ مِنْ طَلٍّ وأَمْطَارِ

    It surpasses the eyes of a cold, hungry falcon,

    hollow-bellied, that has shaken off dew and rain.

  7. إِنْ تُؤْنِسَا نَارَ حَيٍّ قَدْ فُجِعْتُ بِهِمْ

    أَمْسَتْ عَلَى شَزَنٍ مِنْ دَارِهِمْ دَارِي

    If you discern the fire of a tribe whose loss has stricken me—

    my dwelling now lies far from theirs—

  8. عَلَى تَبَاعُدِهِمْ يَنْزلْ ثَوَابُكُمَا

    والدَّهْرُ بِالنَّاسِ ذُو نَقْصٍ وإِمْرَارِ

    despite their distance, your reward will come.

    Time brings people loss and bitterness.

  9. لاَ يُعْتِبُ الدَّهْرُ مَنْ أَمْسَى يُعَاتِبُهُ

    ولاَ يَزَالُ عَلَيْهِ سَاخِطاً زَارِي

    Time makes no amends to those who reproach it,

    and its critic remains forever angry with it.

  10. ليْسَ الفُؤَادُ بِرَاءٍ أَرْضَهَا أَبَداً

    ولَيْسَ صَارِيَهُ عَنْ ذِكْرِهِمْ صَارِي

    My heart will never behold her land,

    nor can anyone turn it from remembering them.

  11. كَمْ دُونَهُمْ مِنْ فَلاَةٍ ذَاتِ مُطَّرِدٍ

    قَفَّى عَلَيْهَا سَرَابٌ رَاسِبٌ حَارِي

    How many a wasteland lies before them, with a streaming shimmer,

    followed across it by a low-lying, wavering mirage!

  12. رَاخَى مَزَارَكَ عَنْهُمْ أَنْ تُلِمَّ بِهِمْ

    مَعْجُ القِلاَصِ بِفِتْيَانٍ وأَكْوَارِ

    What put your visit to them, your reaching them, far off

    was the swaying rush of young she-camels bearing youths and saddles.

  13. دَأَبْنَ شَهْرَيْنِ يَجْتَبْنَ البِلاَدَ إِذَا

    كَانَ الظَّلاَمُ شَبِيهَ اللّوْنِ بِالقَارِ

    For two months they pressed on, crossing the lands when

    darkness was the color of pitch.

  14. كَمْ فِيهِمُ مِنْ أَشَمِّ الأَنْفِ ذِي مَهَلٍ

    يَأْبَى الظُّلاَمَةَ مِثْلَ الضَّيْغَمِ الضَّارِي

    How many among them are high-nosed and forbearing,

    refusing injustice like a ravening lion!

  15. لمْ يَرْضَعِ الذُّلَّ مِنْ ثَدْيَيْ مُرَبِّيَةٍ

    حَتَّى يَشِبَّ ولَمْ يَصْبِرْ عَلَى عَارِ

    He did not suckle humiliation at a nurse's breasts

    as he grew to manhood, nor did he endure disgrace.

  16. إِذَا الرِّفَاقُ أَنَاخُوا في مَبَاءَتِهِ

    حَلُّوا بِذِي فُجَرَاتٍ زَنْدُهُ وَارِي

    When travelers kneel their camels at his dwelling,

    they lodge with a man of overflowing gifts, his fire-stick alight.

  17. جَمِّ المَخَارِجِ أَخْلاَقُ الكِرَامِ لَهُ

    صَلْتِ الجَبِينِ كَرِيمِ الخالِ مِغْوَارِ

    Lavish in his outlay, he has the virtues of the noble,

    clear-browed, noble in his mother's kin, daring in raids;

  18. قُمَاقِمٍ بَارِعٍ خَضَّامَةٍ أُنُفٍ

    جَمِّ المَوَاهِبِ بَدْءٍ غَيْرِ عُوَّارِ

    a mighty, preeminent chief, a proud devourer,

    abounding in gifts, foremost, no weakling.

  19. يَأْبَى عَلَى النَّاسِ إِنْ رَامُوا ظُلاَمَتَهُ

    عُودٌ نَمَا في صَفَاةٍ ظَهْرُهَا عَارِي

    What defies men, should they seek to wrong him,

    is a stem grown in rock whose back lies bare.

  20. تَأْبَى عَلَيْهِمْ قَنَاةٌ مَا لَهَا أَوَدٌ

    أَلْوَى بِهَا فَرْعُ نَبْعٍ غَيْرُ خَوَّارِ

    A spear-shaft without a bend defies them,

    wielded by a stout bough of nabʿ wood.

  21. لاَ يُحْمِدُ النَّاسَ بِالشَّيْءِ القَلِيلِ ولاَ

    يُهْدَى لَهُ الذَّمُ مِنْ ضَيْفِ ولاَ جَارِ

    He does not court people's praise with a paltry gift, nor

    does blame reach him from guest or neighbor.

  22. شَطَّتْ وزَادَتْ نَوَاهُمْ بَعْدَمَا اقْتَرَبَتْ

    حِيناً وكُلُّ نَوىً يَوْماً لِمِقْدَار

    It grew distant, and their separation widened, after drawing near

    for a while; every separation will one day reach its appointed limit.