1. كَم لِلمَنازِلِ مِن عامٍ وَمِن زَمَنٍ

    لِآلِ أَسماءَ بِالقُفَّينِ فَالرُكُنِ

    How many years and ages have passed over the dwellings

    of Asma's household at al-Quffayn and then al-Rukun!

  2. لِآلِ أَسماءَ إِذ هامَ الفُؤادُ بِها

    حيناً وَإِذ هِيَ لَم تَظعَن وَلَم تَبِنِ

    Of Asma's household, when my heart was mad with love for her

    for a time, and when she had neither journeyed away nor departed;

  3. وَإِذ كِلانا إِذا حانَت مُفارَقَةٌ

    مِنَ الدِيارِ طَوى كَشحاً عَلى حَزَنِ

    and when each of us, whenever parting came

    from the dwellings, folded a flank over sorrow.

  4. فَقُلتُ وَالدِيارُ أَحياناً يَشُطُّ بِها

    صَرفُ الأَميرِ عَلى مَن كانَ ذا شَجَنِ

    So I said—though at times the dwellings are driven far away

    by the ruler's sway, for one burdened with grief—

  5. لِصاحِبَيَّ وَقَد زالَ النَهارُ بِنا

    هَل تُؤنِسانِ بِبَطنِ الجَوِّ مِن ظُعُنِ

    to my two companions, as the day declined over us:

    Do you two discern any women in camel-litters in the hollow of al-Jaww?

  6. قَد نَكَّبَت ماءَ شَرجٍ عَن شَمائِلِها

    وَجَوُّ سَلمى عَلى أَركانِها اليُمُنِ

    They have left Sharj's watering-place to their left,

    with Jaww Salma on their right flanks.

  7. يَقطَعنَ أَميالَ أَجوازِ الفَلاةِ كَما

    يَغشى النَواتي غِمارَ اللُجِّ بِالسُفُنِ

    They cross miles through the heart of the wilderness, as

    sailors enter the depths of the open sea in ships.

  8. يَخفِضُها الآلُ طَوراً ثُمَّ يَرفَعُها

    كَالدَومِ يَعمِدنَ لِلأَشرافِ أَو قَطَنِ

    At times the mirage lowers them, then raises them,

    like doum palms, heading for the heights or Qatan.

  9. أَلَم تَرَ اِبنَ سِنانٍ كَيفَ فَضَّلَهُ

    ما يَشتَري فيهِ حَمدَ الناسِ بِالثَمَنِ

    Have you not seen Ibn Sinan, how he has been exalted

    by his buying people's praise at a price,

  10. وَحَبسُهُ نَفسَهُ في كُلِّ مَنزِلَةٍ

    يَكرَهُها الجُبَناءُ الضاقَةُ العَطَنِ

    and by holding his ground in every position

    that cowards of scant endurance dread?

  11. حَيثُ تُرى الخَيلُ بِالأَبطالِ عابِسَةً

    يَنهَضنَ بِالهُندُوانِيّاتِ وَالجُنَنِ

    Where horses are seen grim-faced, bearing champions,

    advancing with Indian swords and shields,

  12. حَتّى إِذا ما اِلتَقى الجَمعانِ وَاِختَلَفوا

    ضَرباً كَنَحتِ جُذوعِ النَخلِ بِالسَفَنِ

    until, when the two hosts meet and exchange

    blows like the hewing of palm trunks with adzes,

  13. يُغادِرُ القِرنَ مُصفَرّاً أَنامِلُهُ

    يَميلُ في الرُمحِ مَيلَ المائِحِ الأَسِنِ

    he leaves his opponent with yellowed fingertips,

    swaying on the spear like a well-water drawer dizzy from foul air.

  14. تَاللَهِ قَد عَلِمَت قَيسٌ إِذا قَذَفَت

    ريحُ الشِتاءِ بُيوتَ الحَيِّ بِالعُنَنِ

    By God, Qays has indeed learned, when

    the winter wind buffets the tribe's tents with crosswise blasts,

  15. أَن نِعمَ مُعتَرَكُ الحَيِّ الجِياعِ إِذا

    خَبَّ السَفيرُ وَمَأوى البائِسِ البَطِنِ

    that a splendid gathering-place for hungry tribesfolk, when

    dry leaves scurry—and a refuge for the wretched and famished—

  16. مَن لا يُذابُ لَهُ شَحمُ النَصيبِ إِذا

    زارَ الشِتاءُ وَعَزَّت أَثمُنُ البُدُنِ

    is he for whom no fat from his allotted share is melted,

    when winter visits and the prices of fattened camels soar.

  17. يَطلُبُ بِالوِترِ أَقواماً فَيُدرِكُهُم

    حيناً وَلا يُدرِكُ الأَعداءُ بِالدِمَنِ

    He pursues peoples for vengeance and overtakes them

    in time; enemies cannot prevail through old grudges.

  18. وَمَن يُحارِب يَجِدهُ غَيرَ مُضطَهَدٍ

    يُربي عَلى بِغضَةِ الأَعداءِ بِالطَبَنِ

    And whoever fights him finds him unsubdued,

    outmatching his enemies' hatred with shrewdness.

  19. هَنّاكَ رَبُّكَ ما أَعطاكَ مِن حَسَنٍ

    وَحَيثُما يَكُ أَمرٌ صالِحٌ فَكُنِ

    May your Lord give you joy in the good He has given you,

    and wherever there is a good cause, be there.

  20. إِن تُؤتِهِ النُصحَ يوجَد لا يُضَيِّعُهُ

    وَبِالأَمانَةِ لَم يَغدُر وَلَم يَخُنِ

    If you give him sincere counsel, he is found not to neglect it;

    and in matters of trust, he has neither acted treacherously nor betrayed.