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A Bilingual Reader of Antara’s Poetry #
Introduction #
Before Antara became a legend, he was a lover.
Before generations remembered him as a warrior whose spear scattered armies and whose courage became proverbial among the Arabs, he stood where all human beings stand at some point in their lives: before longing, separation, hope, and loss.
Love is not a minor theme in Antara’s poetry. It is one of its foundations. His beloved, Abla, is not merely a woman remembered from youth; she is the emotional center around which much of his poetic universe revolves. Through her, Antara speaks of desire, distance, beauty, dignity, exile, memory, and the pain of social barriers. His love poems reveal a voice very different from the fearless warrior celebrated in popular memory. Here we encounter vulnerability, tenderness, and yearning.
Yet even in love, Antara remains Antara. The lover and the warrior are never separate. The courage with which he enters battle is mirrored by the courage with which he confronts longing. The endurance that carries him through war also sustains him through separation. In his poetry, love is neither weakness nor escape; it is another arena in which character is tested.
The poems gathered in this section present Antara as the poet of longing, devotion, and memory. They invite us into a world where the cry of a bird awakens sorrow, where the sight of abandoned camps stirs old wounds, where the desert wind becomes a messenger, and where a single remembered face illuminates an entire life.
____________________
The Making of Antara #
Honor Cannot Be Inherited #
Arabic
لا يَحمِلُ الحِقدَ مَن تَعلو بِهِ الرُتَبُ
وَلا يَنالُ العُلا مَن طَبعُهُ الغَضَبُ
وَمَن يَكُن عَبدَ قَومٍ لا يُخالِفُهُم
إِذا جَفَوهُ وَيَستَرضي إِذا عَتَبوا
سَلوا صَرفَ هَذا الدَهرِ كَم شَنَّ غارَةً
فَفَرَّجتُها وَالمَوتُ فيها مُشَمِّرُ
بِصارِمِ عَزمٍ لَو ضَرَبتُ بِحَدِّهِ
دُجى اللَيلِ وَلّى وَهوَ بِالنَجمِ يَعثُرُ
دَعوني أَجُدَّ السَعيَ في طَلَبِ العُلا
فَأُدرِكَ سُؤلي أَو أَموتَ فَأُعذَرُ
English Translation
Malice finds no home
in those whom honor has raised.
Nor does true greatness belong
to one mastered by anger.
A man who lives among his people
must not turn against them;
when they grow distant,
he seeks reconciliation,
and when they reproach him,
he answers with patience.
Ask the turning years
how many raids they hurled upon us—
raids I broke apart
while death stood ready among them.
With a blade of resolve
whose edge, had it struck the night itself,
would have scattered darkness
and left it stumbling among the stars.
Leave me to pursue
the heights I seek.
Either I shall attain them—
or die with my purpose fulfilled.
__________
My Deeds Are My Lineage #
Arabic
يا عَبلُ لو أَنّي لَقيتُ كَتيبَةً
سَبعينَ أَلفاً ما رَهِبتُ لِقاها
وَأَنا المَنِيَّةُ وَابنُ كُلِّ مَنِيَّةٍ
وَسَوادُ جِلدي ثَوبُها وَرِداها
English Translation
Abla,
were I to face an army
seventy thousand strong,
I would not fear its coming.
I am death
and the son of death itself.
And this dark skin of mine—
it is the cloak death wears,
and the mantle wrapped around its shoulders.
_____________________
Let Them Ask the Battlefield #
Arabic
سَلي يا عَبلَ قَومَكِ عَن فَعالي
وَمَن حَضَرَ الوَقيعَةَ وَالطِرادا
وَرَدتُ الحَربَ وَالأَبطالُ حَولي
تَهُزُّ أَكُفُّها السُمرَ الصِعادا
وَخُضتُ بِمُهجَتي بَحرَ المَنايا
وَنارُ الحَربِ تَتَّقِدُ اِتِّقادا
وَعُدتُ مُخَضَّباً بِدَمِ الأَعادي
وَكَربُ الرَكضِ قَد خَضَبَ الجَوادا
وَلَولا صارِمي وَسِنانُ رُمحي
لَما رَفَعَت بَنو عَبسٍ عِمادا
English Translation
Ask your people, Abla,
about what I have done.
Ask those who witnessed
the clash of battle
and the fury of pursuit.
I entered the war
while heroes stood around me,
their hands shaking
long brown spears.
I plunged with my life
into the sea of death,
while the fires of battle
rose blazing to the sky.
And I returned
bathed in the blood of enemies,
while sweat and dust
stained the flanks of my horse.
Had it not been
for my sword
and the point of my spear,
the house of Abs
would never have stood so high.
_____________________
I Am Known in War #
Arabic
أَنا في الحَربِ العَوانِ
غَيرُ مَجهولِ المَكانِ
أَينَما نادى المُنادي
في دُجى النَقعِ يَراني
وَحُسامي مَعَ قَناتي
لِفِعالي شاهِدانِ
أَنَّني أَطعَنُ خَصمي
وَهُوَ يَقظانُ الجَنانِ
English Translation
In the bitter war
my place is never unknown.
Wherever the battle-cry rises
through the darkness of dust,
I am there.
My sword
and my spear
stand witness to my deeds.
They know
that when I strike an enemy,
I strike him
while his courage is still awake.
__________
Abla #
The Chains of Love #
Arabic
وَهَيهاتَ يَخفى ما أُكِنُّ مِنَ الهَوى
وَثَوبُ سِقامي كُلَّ يَومٍ يُجَدَّدُ
أُقاتِلُ أَشواقي بِصَبري تَجَلُّداً
وَقَلبيَ في قَيدِ الغَرامِ مُقَيَّدُ
إِلى اللَهِ أَشكو جَورَ قَومي وَظُلمَهُم
إِذا لَم أَجِد خِلّاً عَلَى البُعدِ يَعضُدُ
خَليلَيَّ أَمسى حُبُّ عَبلَةَ قاتِلي
وَبَأسي شَديدٌ وَالحُسامُ مُهَنَّدُ
حَرامٌ عَلَيَّ النَومُ يا اِبنَةَ مالِكٍ
وَمَن فِراشُهُ جَمرُ الغَضا كَيفَ يَرقُدُ
سَأَندُبُ حَتّى يَعلَمَ الطَيرُ أَنَّني
حَزينٌ وَيَرثي لي الحَمامُ المُغَرِّدُ
وَأَلثِمُ أَرضاً أَنتِ فيها مُقيمَةٌ
لَعَلَّ لَهيبي مِن ثَرى الأَرضِ يَبرُدُ
رَحَلتِ وَقَلبي يا اِبنَةَ العَمِّ تائِهٌ
عَلى أَثَرِ الأَظعانِ لِلرَكبِ يَنشُدُ
لَئِن يَشمَتِ الأَعداءُ يا بِنتَ مالِكٍ
فَإِنَّ وِدادي مِثلَما كانَ يَعهَدُ
English Translation
How could I conceal
what love has hidden in my heart,
when every day
renews the garment of my affliction?
I battle my longing
with all the patience I can summon,
yet my heart remains chained
in the captivity of love.
To God I complain
of the injustice of my people,
when no friend remains
to strengthen me from afar.
My companions,
the love of Abla has become my undoing,
though my courage is fierce
and my sword is forged of Indian steel.
Sleep is forbidden to me,
daughter of Malik.
How can a man find rest
when his bed is burning embers?
I shall lament
until the birds themselves know my sorrow,
until even the singing doves
take pity on my grief.
I kiss the earth
where you make your dwelling,
hoping the fire within me
may cool upon its dust.
You departed,
and my heart, cousin,
wanders bewildered,
following the traces of the caravan
that carried you away.
And though my enemies rejoice,
daughter of Malik,
my love remains unchanged,
as steadfast as it has always been.
__________
House of Abla #
Arabic
يا دارَ عَبلَةَ بِالجَواءِ تَكَلَّمي
وَعِمي صَباحاً دارَ عَبلَةَ وَاسلَمي
فَوَقَفتُ فيها ناقَتي وَكَأَنَّها
فَدَنٌ لِأَقضِي حاجَةَ المُتَلَوِّمِ
وَتَحُلُّ عَبلَةُ بِالجَواءِ وَأَهلُنا
بِالحَزنِ فَالصَمّانِ فَالمُتَثَلَّمِ
حَيِّيتُ مِن طَلَلٍ تَقادَمَ عَهدُهُ
أَقوى وَأَقفَرَ بَعدَ أُمِّ الهَيثَمِ
English Translation
House of Abla,
in the valley,
speak.
Peace be upon you,
house of Abla—
may you endure.
There I halted my she-camel,
and stood before the ruins
like one lingering long,
unable to depart.
Abla dwells in the valley,
while my people wander
among distant lands,
across stony plains
and broken hills.
I greeted the traces
of a dwelling long abandoned,
a place left empty
after those who gave it life
had gone.
__________
If Only You Could See #
Arabic
قِفي وَانظُري يا عَبلُ فِعلي وَعايِني
طِعاني إِذا ثارَ العَجاجُ المُكَدَّرُ
تَري بَطَلاً يُلقي الفَوارِسَ ضاحِكاً
وَيَرجِعُ عَنهُم وَهُوَ أَشعَثُ أَغبَرُ
وَلا يَنثَني حَتّى يُخَلّي جَماجِماً
تَمُرُّ بِها ريحُ الجَنوبِ فَتَصفِرُ
وَأَجسادَ قَومٍ يَسكُنُ الطَيرُ حَولَها
English Translation
Stand and watch, Abla.
See what I do.
See my spear
when the dust of battle rises.
You would see a warrior
casting horsemen down with a smile,
then returning from the fight
dust-covered,
wild-haired,
and unbroken.
He does not turn away
until the field is emptied,
until skulls lie bare beneath the wind
and the southern breeze whistles through them.
Until the birds descend
to settle among the fallen.
__________
The Fire of Longing and Distance #
Arabic
أَحرَقَتني نارُ الجَوى وَالبُعادِ
بَعدَ فَقدِ الأَوطانِ وَالأَولادِ
شابَ رَأسي فَصارَ أَبيَضَ لَوناً
بَعدَما كانَ حالِكاً بِالسَوادِ
وَتَذَكَّرتُ عَبلَةً يَومَ جاءَت
لِوَداعي وَالهَمُّ وَالوَجدُ بادي
وَهِيَ تُذري مِن خيفَةِ البُعدِ دَمعاً
مُستَهِلّاً بِلَوعَةٍ وَسُهادِ
قُلتُ كُفّي الدُموعَ عَنكِ فَقَلبي
ذابَ حُزناً وَلَوعَتي في اِزدِيادِ
وَيحَ هَذا الزَمانِ كَيفَ رَماني
بِسِهامٍ صابَت صَميمَ فُؤادي
غَيرَ أَنّي مِثلُ الحُسامِ إِذا ما
زادَ صَقلاً جادَ يَومَ جِلادِ
حَنَّكَتني نَوائِبُ الدَهرِ حَتّى
أَوقَفَتني عَلى طَريقِ الرَشادِ
وَلَقيتُ الأَبطالَ في كُلِّ حَربٍ
وَهَزَمتُ الرِجالَ في كُلِّ وادي
وَتَرَكتُ الفُرسانَ صَرعى بِطَعنٍ
مِن سِنانٍ يَحكي رُؤوسَ المَزادِ
قَلَّ صَبري عَلى فِراقِ غَصوبٍ
فَكَأَنّي أُعانِقُ الأَكبادِ
English Translation
The fire of longing
and the ache of distance
have consumed me,
after losing homeland
and those I loved.
My hair has turned white,
though once it was black as night.
And I remembered Abla
on the day she came
to bid me farewell,
her sorrow plain upon her face.
She shed tears
at the thought of separation,
tears born of sleepless nights
and a heart already wounded.
I said:
Hold back your tears.
My own heart is melting with grief,
and my longing only grows.
Cruel is this age—
how it has struck me
with arrows aimed
at the center of my soul.
Yet I am like a sword:
the more it is polished,
the brighter it shines
on the day of battle.
The hardships of time
have seasoned me,
until they set my feet
upon the path of wisdom.
I have faced heroes
in every war,
and defeated men
in every valley.
I have left warriors fallen
beneath the thrust of my spear.
Yet all my courage
cannot teach me patience
when I am parted from the one I love.
__________
The Earth Where You Dwell #
Arabic
وَأَلثِمُ أَرضاً أَنتِ فيها مُقيمَةٌ
لَعَلَّ لَهيبي مِن ثَرى الأَرضِ يَبرُدُ
رَحَلتِ وَقَلبي يا اِبنَةَ العَمِّ تائِهٌ
عَلى أَثَرِ الأَظعانِ لِلرَكبِ يَنشُدُ
English Translation
I kiss the earth
where you make your home,
hoping its dust
might cool the fire within me.
You departed,
and my heart, cousin,
wanders lost,
following the fading tracks
of the caravan that carried you away.
__________
Love Has Become My Slayer #
Arabic
خَليلَيَّ أَمسى حُبُّ عَبلَةَ قاتِلي
وَبَأسي شَديدٌ وَالحُسامُ مُهَنَّدُ
حَرامٌ عَلَيَّ النَومُ يا اِبنَةَ مالِكٍ
وَمَن فِراشُهُ جَمرُ الغَضا كَيفَ يَرقُدُ
سَأَندُبُ حَتّى يَعلَمَ الطَيرُ أَنَّني
حَزينٌ وَيَرثي لي الحَمامُ المُغَرِّدُ
English Translation
My friends,
the love of Abla
has become my slayer—
though my courage is fierce
and my sword is forged of steel.
Sleep is forbidden to me,
daughter of Malik.
How can a man rest
when his bed is made of burning coals?
I shall mourn
until the birds themselves know my sorrow,
until even the singing dove
grieves for me.
__________
I Remembered You #
Arabic
وَلَقَد ذَكَرْتُكِ وَالرِّماحُ نَواهِلٌ
مِنّي وَبِيضُ الهِندِ تَقطُرُ مِن دَمي
فَوَدِدتُ تَقبيلَ السُيوفِ لأَنَّها
لَمَعَت كَبارِقِ ثَغرِكِ المُتَبَسِّمِ
English Translation
I remembered you
while the spears drank deeply
from my flesh,
and Indian blades
dripped with my blood.
Then I longed
to kiss the swords,
for their sudden gleam
was like the flash
of your smiling mouth.
__________
Your Memory in Battle #
Arabic
يا عَبلُ لَو أَنّي لَقيتُ كَتيبَةً
سَبعينَ أَلفاً ما رَهِبتُ لِقاها
وَأَنا المَنِيَّةُ وَاِبنُ كُلِّ مَنِيَّةٍ
وَسَوادُ جِلدي ثَوبُها وَرِداها
English Translation
Abla,
if I were to face
an army seventy thousand strong,
I would not fear its coming.
I am death,
and the son of death.
This dark skin of mine
is the cloak it wears,
and the mantle wrapped about it.
__________
Stand and Witness #
Arabic
قِفي وَانظُري يا عَبلُ فِعلي وَعايِني
طِعاني إِذا ثارَ العَجاجُ المُكَدَّرُ
تَري بَطَلاً يُلقي الفَوارِسَ ضاحِكاً
وَيَرجِعُ عَنهُم وَهُوَ أَشعَثُ أَغبَرُ
وَلا يَنثَني حَتّى يُخَلّي جَماجِماً
تَمُرُّ بِها ريحُ الجَنوبِ فَتَصفِرُ
English Translation
Stand and watch, Abla.
See with your own eyes
how I fight
when the dust of battle rises.
You will see a warrior
casting horsemen down
with laughter on his lips,
then returning
dust-covered,
wind-torn,
and unbowed.
He does not turn away
until the field is cleared,
until the wind whistles
through the skulls of the fallen.
__________
Ask the Horses #
Arabic
هَلّا سَأَلتِ الخَيلَ يا اِبنَةَ مالِكٍ
إِن كُنتِ جاهِلَةً بِما لَم تَعلَمي
يُخبِركِ مَن شَهِدَ الوَقيعَةَ أَنَّني
أَغشى الوَغى وَأَعِفُّ عِندَ المَغنَمِ
English Translation
Why not ask the horses,
daughter of Malik,
if there is something
you do not know of me?
Those who witnessed the battle
will tell you:
I enter the heart of war,
yet keep my honor
when the spoils are divided.
__________
The Warrior’s Confession #
Arabic
خَليلَيَّ أَمسى حُبُّ عَبلَةَ قاتِلي
وَبَأسي شَديدٌ وَالحُسامُ مُهَنَّدُ
English Translation
My friends,
the love of Abla
has become my slayer—
though my courage is fierce
and my sword
is forged of tempered steel.
__________
The Desert and the Journey #
House of Abla in the Valley #
Arabic
يا دارَ عَبلَةَ بِالجَواءِ تَكَلَّمي
وَعِمي صَباحاً دارَ عَبلَةَ وَاسلَمي
فَوَقَفتُ فيها ناقَتي وَكَأَنَّها
فَدَنٌ لِأَقضِي حاجَةَ المُتَلَوِّمِ
حَيِّيتُ مِن طَلَلٍ تَقادَمَ عَهدُهُ
أَقوى وَأَقفَرَ بَعدَ أُمِّ الهَيثَمِ
English Translation
House of Abla,
in the valley,
speak.
Peace be upon you,
house of Abla—
may you endure.
There I halted my camel
and lingered beside the ruins,
like one unwilling to depart,
finding excuses to remain.
I greeted traces
whose age had grown long,
a dwelling emptied
and abandoned,
after those who gave it life
had gone away.
__________
Following the Caravan
Arabic
رَحَلتِ وَقَلبي يا اِبنَةَ العَمِّ تائِهٌ
عَلى أَثَرِ الأَظعانِ لِلرَكبِ يَنشُدُ
English Translation
You departed,
and my heart, cousin,
was left wandering.
It followed the caravan’s fading trail,
searching the dust
for what had already vanished.
__________
The Earth That Holds Her Footsteps #
Arabic
وَأَلثِمُ أَرضاً أَنتِ فيها مُقيمَةٌ
لَعَلَّ لَهيبي مِن ثَرى الأَرضِ يَبرُدُ
English Translation
I kiss the earth
where you make your dwelling,
hoping the dust beneath your feet
may cool
the fire consuming my heart.
__________
A Wilderness Far from Men #
Arabic
وَقَد أَبعَدوني عَن حَبيبٍ أُحِبُّهُ
فَأَصبَحتُ في قَفرٍ عَنِ الإِنسِ نازِحِ
English Translation
They drove me far
from the one I love,
until I found myself
in a wilderness
far from the company of men.
__________
The Path of Hardship #
Arabic
حَنَّكَتني نَوائِبُ الدَهرِ حَتّى
أَوقَفَتني عَلى طَريقِ الرَشادِ
English Translation
The hardships of time
were my teachers,
until they brought me at last
to the road of wisdom.
__________
The Star Beneath Me #
Arabic
رَأَيتُ النَجمَ تَحتي وَهُوَ يَجري
وَقَوماً آخَرينَ سَعَوا وَعادوا
English Translation
I saw the star
running beneath me,
while others came and went
upon their separate paths.
__________
The Bird of the Arāk Tree #
Arabic
فَيا طَيرَ الأَراكِ بِحَقِّ رَبٍّ
بَراكَ عَساكَ تَعلَمُ أَينَ حَلّوا
وَتُطلِقُ عاشِقاً مِن أَسرِ قَومٍ
لَهُ في حُبِّهِم أُسُرٌ وَغُلُّ
English Translation
Bird of the arāk tree,
by the Lord who created you,
perhaps you know
where they have settled.
Set free a lover
held captive by longing,
a man whose love
has bound him
with chains and iron fetters.
__________
No Place Like Yours #
Arabic
يُنادوني وَخَيلُ المَوتِ تَجري
مَحَلُّكَ لا يُعادِلُهُ مَحَلُّ
English Translation
They call to me
while the horses of death are running,
yet no place in all the world
equals the place where you are.
__________
War #
Ask the Battlefield #
Arabic
سَلوا صَرفَ هَذا الدَهرِ كَم شَنَّ غارَةً
فَفَرَّجتُها وَالمَوتُ فيها مُشَمِّرُ
بِصارِمِ عَزمٍ لَو ضَرَبتُ بِحَدِّهِ
دُجى اللَيلِ وَلّى وَهُوَ بِالنَجمِ يَعثُرُ
دَعوني أَجُدَّ السَعيَ في طالَبِ العُلا
فَأُدرِكَ سُؤلي أَو أَموتَ فَأُعذَرُ
English Translation
Ask the years
how many raids they sent against us,
raids I scattered
while death stood ready among them.
With a blade of resolve
whose edge, if turned against the night,
would drive darkness away
and leave it stumbling among the stars.
Leave me to pursue
the heights I seek.
Either I shall reach them—
or die
with my purpose intact.
__________
Into the Sea of Death #
Arabic
وَرَدتُ الحَربَ وَالأَبطالُ حَولي
تَهُزُّ أَكُفُّها السُمرَ الصِعادا
وَخُضتُ بِمُهجَتي بَحرَ المَنايا
وَنارُ الحَربِ تَتَّقِدُ اِتِّقادا
English Translation
I entered the war
while heroes surrounded me,
their hands brandishing
long brown spears.
And I plunged with my soul
into the sea of death,
while the fires of battle
rose blazing all around me.
__________
The Dust of Battle #
Arabic
قِفي وَانظُري يا عَبلُ فِعلي وَعايِني
طِعاني إِذا ثارَ العَجاجُ المُكَدَّرُ
تَري بَطَلاً يُلقي الفَوارِسَ ضاحِكاً
وَيَرجِعُ عَنهُم وَهُوَ أَشعَثُ أَغبَرُ
English Translation
Stand and watch, Abla.
See my spear
when the dust-cloud rises.
You will see a warrior
casting horsemen down
with laughter on his lips,
then returning
dust-covered,
wind-blown,
and undefeated.
__________
My Sword and My Spear #
Arabic
وَحُسامي مَعَ قَناتي
لِفِعالي شاهِدانِ
أَنَّني أَطعَنُ خَصمي
وَهُوَ يَقظانُ الجَنانِ
English Translation
My sword
and my spear
stand witness to my deeds.
They know
that when I strike an enemy,
I strike him
while his courage
is still awake.
__________
Not Unknown in War #
Arabic
أَنا في الحَربِ العَوانِ
غَيرُ مَجهولِ المَكانِ
أَينَما نادى المُنادي
في دُجى النَقعِ يَراني
English Translation
In the bitter war
my place is never unknown.
Wherever the battle-cry rises
through the darkness of dust,
I am there.
__________
The Sweetest Sounds #
Arabic
أَطيَبُ الأَصواتِ عِندي
حُسنُ صَوتِ الهِندُواني
وَصَريرُ الرُمحِ جَهراً
في الوَغى يَومَ الطِعانِ
وَصِياحُ القَومِ فيهِ
وَهُوَ لِلأَبطالِ داني
English Translation
The sweetest sounds to me
are the singing edge
of an Indian blade,
the sharp cry of a spear
in the day of combat,
and the shouting of men
when battle draws near.
__________
Let Me Give the Sword Its Due #
Arabic
دَعوني أُوَفّي السَيفَ في الحَربِ حَقَّهُ
وَأَشرَبُ مِن كَأسِ المَنِيَّةِ صافِيا
English Translation
Leave me
to give the sword
its rightful due in battle,
and drink from the cup of death
clear and undiluted.
__________
The Field of the Fallen
Arabic
وَلا يَنثَني حَتّى يُخَلّي جَماجِماً
تَمُرُّ بِها ريحُ الجَنوبِ فَتَصفِرُ
وَأَجسادَ قَومٍ يَسكُنُ الطَيرُ حَولَها
English Translation
He does not turn away
until the field lies silent,
until the southern wind
whistles through empty skulls,
and birds descend
to settle among the fallen.
__________
The Sea of Spears
Arabic
وَرُمحي ما طَعَنتُ بِهِ طَعيناً
فَعادَ بِعَينِهِ نَظَرَ الرَشادِ
وَسَيفي مُرهَفُ الحَدَّينِ ماضٍ
تَقُدُّ شِفارُهُ الصَخرَ الجَمادا
English Translation
Never have I struck a man
with my spear
and left him searching again
for the path of wisdom.
My sword,
keen on both edges,
cuts forward relentlessly—
its blades could split
solid stone.
__________
Wisdom and Time #
The Hardships of Time #
Arabic
حَنَّكَتني نَوائِبُ الدَهرِ حَتّى
أَوقَفَتني عَلى طَريقِ الرَشادِ
English Translation
The hardships of time
have seasoned me,
until they set my feet
upon the road of wisdom.
__________
I Rebuke an Age
Arabic
أُعاتِبُ دَهراً لا يَلينُ لِناصِحِ
وَأُخفي الجَوى في القَلبِ وَالدَمعُ فاضِحي
وَقَومي مَعَ الأَيّامِ عَونٌ عَلى دَمي
وَقَد طَلَبوني بِالقَنا وَالصَفائِحِ
وَقَد أَبعَدوني عَن حَبيبٍ أُحِبُّهُ
فَأَصبَحتُ في قَفرٍ عَنِ الإِنسِ نازِحِ
English Translation
I rebuke an age
that listens to no counsel.
I hide my sorrow in my heart,
yet my tears betray me.
My own people,
together with the passing days,
have become allies against my blood.
They came for me
with spears and shining blades,
and drove me far
from the one I love,
until I found myself alone
in a wilderness beyond mankind.
__________
Better Death Than Shame #
Arabic
فَيا رَبِّ لا تَجعَل حَياتي مَذَمَّةً
وَلا مَوتَتي بَينَ النِساءِ النَوائِحِ
وَلَكِن قَتيلاً يَدرُجُ الطَيرُ حَولَهُ
English Translation
My Lord,
do not let my life
become a thing of disgrace.
Nor let me die
among wailing mourners.
Instead,
let me fall where birds circle overhead,
upon a field
earned by courage.
__________
They Mock My Color #
Arabic
تُعَيِّرُني العِدا بِسَوادِ جِلدي
وَبيضُ خَصائِلي تَمحو السَوادا
English Translation
My enemies mock
the darkness of my skin,
yet the brightness of my deeds
wipes away that darkness.
__________
Patience
Arabic
وَبِالصَبرِ الجَميلِ وَإِن تَمادى
تُعَيِّرُني العِدا بِسَوادِ جِلدي
وَبيضُ خَصائِلي تَمحو السَوادا
English Translation
With patient endurance,
even when trials grow long,
I withstand them.
Let my enemies speak of my color—
my character
answers for me.
__________
The Turning of Fortune #
Arabic
أُعادي صَرفَ دَهرٍ لا يُعادى
وَأَحتَمِلُ القَطيعَةَ وَالبِعادا
وَأُظهِرُ نُصحَ قَومٍ ضَيَّعوني
English Translation
I contend
with a fate no man can conquer.
I endure estrangement
and separation.
And still I offer loyalty
to people
who abandoned me.
__________
The White Hair of Experience #
Arabic
شابَ رَأسي فَصارَ أَبيَضَ لَوناً
بَعدَما كانَ حالِكاً بِالسَوادِ
وَيحَ هَذا الزَمانِ كَيفَ رَماني
بِسِهامٍ صابَت صَميمَ فُؤادي
English Translation
My hair has turned white,
though once it was dark as night.
Cruel is this age—
how many arrows it has loosed,
and how deeply
they have struck my heart.
__________
No Messenger from the Unseen #
Arabic
وَلا تَختَشوا مِمّا يُقَدَّرُ في غَدٍ
فَما جاءَنا مِن عالَمِ الغَيبِ مُخبِرُ
وَكَم مِن نَذيرٍ قَد أَتانا مُحَذِّراً
فَكانَ رَسولاً بِالسُرورِ يُبَشِّرُ
English Translation
Do not fear
what tomorrow may bring.
No messenger has come to us
from the unseen world.
How often have warnings arrived
foretelling disaster,
only to become
bearers of joy.
__________
The Measure of a Man #
Arabic
لا يَحمِلُ الحِقدَ مَن تَعلو بِهِ الرُتَبُ
وَلا يَنالُ العُلا مَن طَبعُهُ الغَضَبُ
English Translation
A man raised by true honor
does not carry hatred.
And greatness
never belongs
to one ruled by anger.
_____________________
Legacy #
Let the Horses Speak #
Arabic
هَلّا سَأَلتِ الخَيلَ يا اِبنَةَ مالِكٍ
إِن كُنتِ جاهِلَةً بِما لَم تَعلَمي
يُخبِركِ مَن شَهِدَ الوَقيعَةَ أَنَّني
أَغشى الوَغى وَأَعِفُّ عِندَ المَغنَمِ
English Translation
Why not ask the horses,
daughter of Malik,
if there is something
you do not know of me?
Those who witnessed battle
will tell you:
I enter the heart of war,
yet remain honorable
when the spoils are shared.
__________
My Sword Is My Witness #
Arabic
وَحُسامي مَعَ قَناتي
لِفِعالي شاهِدانِ
English Translation
My sword
and my spear
bear witness
to the life I have lived.
__________
Ask the Years #
Arabic
سَلوا صَرفَ هَذا الدَهرِ كَم شَنَّ غارَةً
فَفَرَّجتُها وَالمَوتُ فيها مُشَمِّرُ
English Translation
Ask the passing years
how many storms they sent,
and how many times
I stood before them
while death waited near.
__________
What Endures #
Arabic
وَلَولا صارِمي وَسِنانُ رُمحي
لَما رَفَعَت بَنو عَبسٍ عِمادا
English Translation
Had it not been
for my sword
and the point of my spear,
the house of Abs
would never have risen so high.
__________
The Brightness of Deeds #
Arabic
تُعَيِّرُني العِدا بِسَوادِ جِلدي
وَبيضُ خَصائِلي تَمحو السَوادا
English Translation
My enemies mock
the darkness of my skin,
yet the brightness of my deeds
erases their reproach.
__________
Greatness #
Arabic
لا يَحمِلُ الحِقدَ مَن تَعلو بِهِ الرُتَبُ
وَلا يَنالُ العُلا مَن طَبعُهُ الغَضَبُ
English Translation
Those raised by honor
do not carry hatred.
And greatness
never belongs
to those governed by anger.
__________
The Road of Wisdom #
Arabic
حَنَّكَتني نَوائِبُ الدَهرِ حَتّى
أَوقَفَتني عَلى طَريقِ الرَشادِ
English Translation
The hardships of time
were my teachers,
until they placed me
upon the road of wisdom.
__________
A Life Without Shame #
Arabic
فَيا رَبِّ لا تَجعَل حَياتي مَذَمَّةً
وَلا مَوتَتي بَينَ النِساءِ النَوائِحِ
English Translation
My Lord,
do not let my life
be marked by disgrace,
nor my death
by regret.
__________
The Final Measure #
Arabic
دَعوني أَجُدَّ السَعيَ في طَلَبِ العُلا
فَأُدرِكَ سُؤلي أَو أَموتَ فَأُعذَرُ
English Translation
Let me continue
my pursuit of excellence.
Either I shall reach
what I seek,
or I shall die
having given my fullest effort.
__________
The Color of Musk #
Arabic
لَئِن أَكُ أَسوَداً فَالمِسكُ لَوني
وَما لِسَوادِ جِلدي مِن دَواءِ
English Translation
Yes, my skin is dark—
but so is musk,
the fragrance cherished by kings.
There is no cure
for my color,
and I seek none.
__________
The Last Word #
Arabic
وَلَكِن تَبعُدُ الفَحشاءُ عَنّي
كَبُعدِ الأَرضِ عَن جَوِّ السَماءِ
English Translation
Yet dishonor remains far from me,
as distant
as the earth
from the heights of heaven.
________________________
Songs of Love #
-
The Bird of the Bān Tree #
Arabic
يا طائِرَ البانِ قَد هَيَّجتَ أَشجاني
وَزِدتَني طَرَباً يا طائِرَ البانِ
إِن كُنتَ تَندُبُ إِلفاً قَد فُجِعتَ بِهِ
فَقَد شَجاكَ الَّذي بِالبَينِ أَشجاني
زِدني مِنَ النَوحِ وَاِسعِدني عَلى حَزَني
حَتّى تَرى عَجَباً مِن فَيضِ أَجفاني
وَقِف لِتَنظُرَ ما بي لا تَكُن عَجِلاً
وَاِحذَر لِنَفسِكَ مِن أَنفاسِ نيراني
وَطِر لَعَلَّكَ في أَرضِ الحِجازِ تَرى
رَكباً عَلى عالِجٍ أَو دونَ نَعمانِ
يَسري بِجارِيَةٍ تَنهَلُّ أَدمُعُها
شَوقاً إِلى وَطَنٍ ناءٍ وَجيرانِ
ناشَدتُكَ اللَهَ يا طَيرَ الحَمامِ إِذا
رَأَيتَ يَوماً حُمولَ القَومِ فَاِنعاني
وَقُل طَريحاً تَرَكناهُ وَقَد فَنِيَت
دُموعُهُ وَهوَ يَبكي بِالدَمِ القاني
English Translation
O bird among the bān trees,
you have awakened my sorrows
and stirred my heart once more.
If you lament a companion
from whom fate has torn you,
then you know the grief
that separation has taught me.
Sing again.
Lend your voice to my sorrow,
until you witness
the flood of tears in my eyes.
Pause a moment.
Look upon what has become of me.
Do not hurry away—
and guard yourself
from the fire of my sighs.
Then fly.
Perhaps somewhere in the land of Ḥijāz
you will glimpse a caravan
crossing the desert plains,
bearing a young woman
whose tears flow freely,
yearning for a distant homeland
and the neighbors she left behind.
And if one day,
bird of the dove’s lament,
you see the tents of her people,
carry my message.
Tell them:
We left behind a man
struck down by longing,
a man whose tears were exhausted
until he wept blood.
_____________________
-
If My Heart Were Mine #
Arabic
لَو كانَ قَلبي مَعي ما اِختَرتُ غَيرُكُمُ
وَلا رَضيتُ سِواكُم في الهَوى بَدَلا
لَكِنَّهُ راغِبٌ في مَن يُعَذِّبُهُ
فَلَيسَ يَقبَلُ لا لَوماً وَلا عَذَلا
English Translation
If my heart belonged to me,
it would choose no one but you.
Never would it accept another
in love’s place.
But my heart has a will of its own.
It longs for the very one
who causes its suffering.
Neither reproach
nor wise advice
can turn it from its path.
_____________________
-
The Army of Longing #
Arabic
وَبَدَّلَ قُربي حادِثُ الدَهرِ بِالبُعدِ
لَبَستُ لَها دِرعاً مِنَ الصَبرِ مانِعاً
وَلاقَيتُ جَيشَ الشَوقِ مُنفَرِداً وَحدي
وَبِتُّ بِطَيفٍ مِنكِ يا عَبلَ قانِعاً
وَلَو باتَ يَسري في الظَلامِ عَلى خَدّي
فَبِاللَهِ يا ريحَ الحِجازِ تَنَفَّسي
عَلى كَبِدٍ حَرّى تَذوبُ مِنَ الوَجدِ
English Translation
Time transformed nearness
into distance.
So I clothed myself
in a shield of patience
and stood alone
against the army of longing.
Night after night
I lived upon your memory,
Abla,
content with nothing more
than the shadow of your presence.
O wind of the Ḥijāz,
if you pass this way,
breathe gently
upon a heart aflame—
a heart melting slowly
from desire.
_____________________
-
A Messenger of Light #
Arabic
وَيا بَرقُ إِن عَرَّضتَ مِن جانِبِ الحِمى
فَحَيِّ بَني عَبسٍ عَلى العَلَمِ السَعدي
وَإِن خَمَدَت نيرانُ عَبلَةَ مَوهِناً
فَكُن أَنتَ في أَكنافِها نَيِّرَ الوَقدِ
وَخَلِّ النَدى يَنهَلُّ فَوقَ خِيامِها
يُذَكِّرُها أَنّي مُقيمٌ عَلى العَهدِ
English Translation
O lightning,
if your brilliance passes
over the lands of my people,
greet the tribe of Abs for me.
And if the fires
before Abla’s tent
have faded in the night,
then become their flame.
Shine in her darkness.
Let the dew descend
upon her dwelling,
and remind her
that I remain faithful
to my promise,
unchanged by time
or distance.
_____________________
-
How Could I Conceal My Love? #
Arabic
وَهَيهاتَ يَخفى ما أُكِنُّ مِنَ الهَوى
وَثَوبُ سِقامي كُلَّ يَومٍ يُجَدَّدُ
أُقاتِلُ أَشواقي بِصَبري تَجَلُّداً
وَقَلبيَ في قَيدِ الغَرامِ مُقَيَّدُ
إِلى اللَهِ أَشكو جَورَ قَومي وَظُلمَهُم
إِذا لَم أَجِد خِلّاً عَلَى البُعدِ يَعضُدُ
خَليلَيَّ أَمسى حُبُّ عَبلَةَ قاتِلي
وَبَأسي شَديدٌ وَالحُسامُ مُهَنَّدُ
حَرامٌ عَلَيَّ النَومُ يا اِبنَةَ مالِكٍ
وَمَن فِراشُهُ جَمرُ الغَضا كَيفَ يَرقُدُ
سَأَندُبُ حَتّى يَعلَمَ الطَيرُ أَنَّني
حَزينٌ وَيَرثي لي الحَمامُ المُغَرِّدُ
وَأَلثِمُ أَرضاً أَنتِ فيها مُقيمَةٌ
لَعَلَّ لَهيبي مِن ثَرى الأَرضِ يَبرُدُ
رَحَلتِ وَقَلبي يا اِبنَةَ العَمِّ تائِهٌ
عَلى أَثَرِ الأَظعانِ لِلرَكبِ يَنشُدُ
لَئِن يَشمَتِ الأَعداءُ يا بِنتَ مالِكٍ
فَإِنَّ وِدادي مِثلَما كانَ يَعهَدُ
English Translation
How could I hide
what love has hidden in my heart,
when each new day
renews the garment of my affliction?
I wage war against longing
with the frail shield of patience,
yet my heart remains bound
in the chains of desire.
To God alone I carry my complaint—
the cruelty of fate,
the injustice of my people,
the loneliness of distance.
My friends,
the love of Abla has become my undoing,
though my courage is fierce
and my sword is forged of tempered steel.
Sleep is forbidden to me,
daughter of Malik.
How can a man find rest
when his bed is made of burning embers?
I shall mourn
until the birds learn my sorrow,
until even the mourning dove
takes pity on my grief.
I kiss the earth
upon which you walk,
hoping its dust may cool
the fire within me.
You departed,
and my heart wandered after you,
following the fading tracks
of the caravan.
And though my enemies may rejoice,
daughter of Malik,
my love remains unchanged,
faithful as ever.
_____________________
-
The Fire of Longing and Distance #
Arabic
أَحرَقَتني نارُ الجَوى وَالبُعادِ
بَعدَ فَقدِ الأَوطانِ وَالأَولادِ
شابَ رَأسي فَصارَ أَبيَضَ لَوناً
بَعدَما كانَ حالِكاً بِالسَوادِ
وَتَذَكَّرتُ عَبلَةً يَومَ جاءَت
لِوَداعي وَالهَمُّ وَالوَجدُ بادي
وَهِيَ تُذري مِن خيفَةِ البُعدِ دَمعاً
مُستَهِلّاً بِلَوعَةٍ وَسُهادِ
قُلتُ كُفّي الدُموعَ عَنكِ فَقَلبي
ذابَ حُزناً وَلَوعَتي في اِزدِيادِ
وَيحَ هَذا الزَمانِ كَيفَ رَماني
بِسِهامٍ صابَت صَميمَ فُؤادي
English Translation
The fire of longing
and the ache of distance
have consumed me,
after the loss of homeland
and all that once gave life its meaning.
My hair has turned white,
though once it was black as the desert night.
And I remember Abla
on the day she came
to bid me farewell.
Sorrow stood plainly upon her face.
Tears flowed from her eyes,
born of separation,
born of sleepless nights
and a wounded heart.
I said:
Do not weep.
My own heart
is melting beneath its grief,
and my longing only grows.
Cruel is this age—
how mercilessly it has struck me,
sending arrows
to the very center of my soul.
_____________________
-
The Day of Farewell #
Arabic
وَتَذَكَّرتُ عَبلَةً يَومَ جاءَت
لِوَداعي وَالهَمُّ وَالوَجدُ بادي
وَهِيَ تُذري مِن خيفَةِ البُعدِ دَمعاً
مُستَهِلّاً بِلَوعَةٍ وَسُهادِ
English Translation
I remember Abla
on the morning of farewell.
Grief was written
across her face.
She feared the distance
that would soon stand between us,
and tears fell freely
from her eyes—
tears born
from love,
from sorrow,
and from nights without sleep.
_____________________
-
If Only the Wind Could Carry Me #
Arabic
فَبِاللَهِ يا ريحَ الحِجازِ تَنَفَّسي
عَلى كَبِدٍ حَرّى تَذوبُ مِنَ الوَجدِ
وَيا بَرقُ إِن عَرَّضتَ مِن جانِبِ الحِمى
فَحَيِّ بَني عَبسٍ عَلى العَلَمِ السَعدي
English Translation
O wind of the Ḥijāz,
breathe gently
upon this burning heart
that melts from longing.
And you, lightning,
if your brilliance passes
over the lands of my people,
carry my greeting.
Tell them
that distance has not erased memory,
nor time diminished love.
_____________________
-
A Heart That Refuses Counsel #
Arabic
لَو كانَ قَلبي مَعي ما اِختَرتُ غَيرُكُمُ
وَلا رَضيتُ سِواكُم في الهَوى بَدَلا
لَكِنَّهُ راغِبٌ في مَن يُعَذِّبُهُ
فَلَيسَ يَقبَلُ لا لَوماً وَلا عَذَلا
English Translation
If my heart belonged to me,
it would choose no one but you.
It would never accept another
in the place of love.
Yet the heart is a strange ruler.
It desires the one
who causes its suffering,
and turns away
from every warning,
every counsel,
every attempt at reason.
_____________________
-
The Earth Beneath Your Feet #
Arabic
وَأَلثِمُ أَرضاً أَنتِ فيها مُقيمَةٌ
لَعَلَّ لَهيبي مِن ثَرى الأَرضِ يَبرُدُ
English Translation
I kiss the earth
where you dwell,
hoping that its dust
has preserved some trace of you.
Perhaps then
the fire within me
will cool,
if only for a moment.
_____________________
11. Love Is Not Diminished by Distance
Arabic
لَئِن يَشمَتِ الأَعداءُ يا بِنتَ مالِكٍ
فَإِنَّ وِدادي مِثلَما كانَ يَعهَدُ
وَإِن طالَ هَذا البُعدُ بَيني وَبَينَكُم
فَعَهدُ الهَوى في القَلبِ لا يَتَبَدَّدُ
English Translation
Though enemies may rejoice,
daughter of Malik,
my love remains
as steadfast as ever.
Let distance stretch
its endless road between us—
the covenant of love
within my heart
does not fade.
What is written in the soul
cannot be erased
by miles,
by years,
or by the designs of fate.
_____________________
- Alone with Memory
Arabic
وَبِتُّ بِطَيفٍ مِنكِ يا عَبلَ قانِعاً
وَلَو باتَ يَسري في الظَلامِ عَلى خَدّي
English Translation
I spent the night
content with nothing
but your memory,
Abla.
Even if that memory
passed lightly across my cheek
like a shadow in darkness,
it was enough
to sustain me
until dawn.
_____________________
-
The Companion of My Exile #
Arabic
إِلى اللَهِ أَشكو جَورَ قَومي وَظُلمَهُم
إِذا لَم أَجِد خِلّاً عَلَى البُعدِ يَعضُدُ
English Translation
To God I carry my complaint:
the harshness of my people,
the injustice of circumstance.
For in exile
there is no faithful companion,
no hand to steady the traveler,
except memory—
and the hope
that survives within it.
_____________________
-
The Long Road Between Us #
Arabic
رَحَلتِ وَقَلبي يا اِبنَةَ العَمِّ تائِهٌ
عَلى أَثَرِ الأَظعانِ لِلرَكبِ يَنشُدُ
English Translation
You departed,
and my heart was left behind,
wandering after the caravan.
Across the empty plain
it searched the fading tracks,
asking the wind
where you had gone,
asking the dust
to preserve your footsteps.
_____________________
-
The Language of Tears #
Arabic
وَهِيَ تُذري مِن خيفَةِ البُعدِ دَمعاً
مُستَهِلّاً بِلَوعَةٍ وَسُهادِ
English Translation
She wept
at the thought of separation.
Not with loud lamentation,
but with tears
too deep for words.
They flowed quietly,
bearing the weight
of longing,
fear,
and sleepless nights.
_____________________
-
The Unconquered Heart #
Arabic
خَليلَيَّ أَمسى حُبُّ عَبلَةَ قاتِلي
وَبَأسي شَديدٌ وَالحُسامُ مُهَنَّدُ
English Translation
My friends,
the love of Abla
has become my slayer.
Yet I remain
the same man
whose courage does not falter,
whose sword is forged
from the finest steel.
Many enemies
have failed to overcome me.
Love alone
has found a way.
_____________________
-
The Fire Beneath the Ashes #
Arabic
حَرامٌ عَلَيَّ النَومُ يا اِبنَةَ مالِكٍ
وَمَن فِراشُهُ جَمرُ الغَضا كَيفَ يَرقُدُ
English Translation
Sleep is forbidden to me,
daughter of Malik.
How can a man rest
when his bed
is made of glowing embers?
Outwardly,
the night is still.
But beneath the silence
a fire continues to burn.
_____________________
-
The Dove’s Lament #
Arabic
سَأَندُبُ حَتّى يَعلَمَ الطَيرُ أَنَّني
حَزينٌ وَيَرثي لي الحَمامُ المُغَرِّدُ
English Translation
I shall mourn
until the birds themselves
learn my sorrow,
until the singing dove
pauses in its song
to grieve with me.
Perhaps then
the sky will understand
what words cannot express.
_____________________
-
The Dust of Her Homeland #
Arabic
وَأَلثِمُ أَرضاً أَنتِ فيها مُقيمَةٌ
لَعَلَّ لَهيبي مِن ثَرى الأَرضِ يَبرُدُ
English Translation
I kiss the earth
where you dwell,
hoping that somewhere
within its dust
a trace of your presence remains.
And perhaps,
through that touch alone,
the fever of longing
may briefly cool.
_____________________
-
Love’s Last Refuge #
Arabic
لَو كانَ قَلبي مَعي ما اِختَرتُ غَيرُكُمُ
وَلا رَضيتُ سِواكُم في الهَوى بَدَلا
لَكِنَّهُ راغِبٌ في مَن يُعَذِّبُهُ
فَلَيسَ يَقبَلُ لا لَوماً وَلا عَذَلا
English Translation
If my heart were mine,
it would choose another path.
It would seek peace,
avoid sorrow,
and spare itself this longing.
But the heart belongs
to its own kingdom.
It chooses whom it loves,
and once it has chosen,
neither wisdom,
nor warning,
nor time itself
can persuade it otherwise.
_____________________
21. I Remembered You Amid the Spears
Arabic
وَلَقَد ذَكَرْتُكِ وَالرِّماحُ نَواهِلٌ
مِنّي وَبِيضُ الهِندِ تَقطُرُ مِن دَمي
فَوَدِدتُ تَقبيلَ السُيوفِ لأَنَّها
لَمَعَت كَبارِقِ ثَغرِكِ المُتَبَسِّمِ
English Translation
I remembered you
while the spears drank deeply
from my flesh,
and Indian blades,
bright as lightning,
dripped with my blood.
Then I longed
to kiss those flashing swords,
for in their sudden gleam
I saw again
the radiance
of your smiling lips.
_____________________
-
Love on the Edge of Death #
Arabic
وَلَقَد ذَكَرْتُكِ وَالرِّماحُ نَواهِلٌ
مِنّي وَبِيضُ الهِندِ تَقطُرُ مِن دَمي
English Translation
I remembered you
when death stood nearest.
Not in safety.
Not in comfort.
Not beneath a peaceful sky.
I remembered you
while wounds opened
and steel surrounded me.
And in that moment
love proved stronger
than fear.
_____________________
-
Stand and Watch, Abla #
Arabic
قِفي وَانظُري يا عَبلُ فِعلي وَعايِني
طِعاني إِذا ثارَ العَجاجُ المُكَدَّرُ
تَري بَطَلاً يُلقي الفَوارِسَ ضاحِكاً
وَيَرجِعُ عَنهُم وَهُوَ أَشعَثُ أَغبَرُ
English Translation
Stand and watch,
Abla.
See with your own eyes
how I fight
when the dust-cloud rises.
You will see a warrior
casting horsemen down
with laughter on his lips,
returning from battle
covered in dust,
his hair tangled by the wind,
yet undefeated.
_____________________
- Let the Horses Tell You
Arabic
هَلّا سَأَلتِ الخَيلَ يا اِبنَةَ مالِكٍ
إِن كُنتِ جاهِلَةً بِما لَم تَعلَمي
يُخبِركِ مَن شَهِدَ الوَقيعَةَ أَنَّني
أَغشى الوَغى وَأَعِفُّ عِندَ المَغنَمِ
English Translation
Ask the horses,
daughter of Malik,
if there is anything
about me you do not know.
Those who witnessed battle
will tell you:
I enter the heart of war,
yet remain honorable
when victory is won.
For courage without honor
is only another form
of defeat.
_____________________
- Your Name in the Dust
Arabic
قِفي وَانظُري يا عَبلُ فِعلي وَعايِني
طِعاني إِذا ثارَ العَجاجُ المُكَدَّرُ
English Translation
When the battlefield vanished
beneath clouds of dust,
and the world dissolved
into noise and motion,
one thing remained clear:
your name.
It traveled beside me
through the storm,
guiding my hand
more faithfully
than any star.
_____________________
-
The Smile and the Sword #
Arabic
فَوَدِدتُ تَقبيلَ السُيوفِ لأَنَّها
لَمَعَت كَبارِقِ ثَغرِكِ المُتَبَسِّمِ
English Translation
I longed
to kiss the swords,
for their brilliance
reminded me of you.
How strange,
that a warrior should find
the image of his beloved
in sharpened steel.
Yet love transforms the world.
Even weapons
borrow beauty
from the one remembered.
_____________________
-
The Measure of Courage #
Arabic
يا عَبلُ لَو أَنّي لَقيتُ كَتيبَةً
سَبعينَ أَلفاً ما رَهِبتُ لِقاها
وَأَنا المَنِيَّةُ وَاِبنُ كُلِّ مَنِيَّةٍ
وَسَوادُ جِلدي ثَوبُها وَرِداها
English Translation
Abla,
were I to face
an army seventy thousand strong,
I would not fear its coming.
I have walked beside death
so often
that it knows my name.
This dark skin of mine
is no mark of weakness.
It is the cloak
beneath which courage lives.
_____________________
- The Warrior’s Secret
Arabic
خَليلَيَّ أَمسى حُبُّ عَبلَةَ قاتِلي
وَبَأسي شَديدٌ وَالحُسامُ مُهَنَّدُ
English Translation
My friends,
there is a secret
no enemy has ever discovered.
Spears could not break me.
Swords could not defeat me.
Yet the love of Abla
has conquered
what armies could not.
_____________________
-
A Heart in Two Worlds #
Arabic
أُقاتِلُ أَشواقي بِصَبري تَجَلُّداً
وَقَلبيَ في قَيدِ الغَرامِ مُقَيَّدُ
English Translation
I fight my longing
with all the patience I possess.
Yet my heart remains captive,
bound by love.
One part of me
belongs to battle.
The other
belongs to you.
And neither
can abandon the other.
_____________________
- The Beloved Beyond Distance
Arabic
رَحَلتِ وَقَلبي يا اِبنَةَ العَمِّ تائِهٌ
عَلى أَثَرِ الأَظعانِ لِلرَكبِ يَنشُدُ
English Translation
You journeyed far away,
yet distance could not take you from me.
My heart followed
the path of your caravan,
crossing valleys,
deserts,
and years.
For those who truly love,
absence is only
another form
of presence.
Songs of Honor and Identity #
Introduction #
If love reveals the heart, honor reveals the soul.
Among the poets of pre-Islamic Arabia, few spoke about dignity with the intensity and urgency of Antara. His concern was not merely personal reputation. It was something deeper: the question of human worth itself.
Born into a society that measured people by lineage, tribe, and status, Antara knew from an early age what it meant to stand at the edge of acceptance. He was praised for his courage in battle yet reminded of his origins. Celebrated for his service yet denied full belonging. His poetry became the arena in which he confronted these contradictions.
Again and again, Antara returns to a single idea: a person’s value lies not in ancestry, appearance, or inherited rank, but in character, action, and integrity.
These poems are not simply declarations of pride. They are acts of self-definition. Through them, Antara creates one of the most powerful voices of dignity in Arabic literature.
_____________________
1. The Color of Musk #
Arabic
لَئِن أَكُ أَسوَداً فَالمِسكُ لَوني
وَما لِسَوادِ جِلدي مِن دَواءِ
وَلَكِن تَبعُدُ الفَحشاءُ عَنّي
كَبُعدِ الأَرضِ عَن جَوِّ السَماءِ
English Translation
Though my skin is dark,
its color is the color of musk—
the fragrance prized by kings.
There is no cure
for the darkness of my flesh,
and I seek none.
Yet dishonor remains far from me,
as distant
as the earth
from the vault of heaven.
_____________________
-
The Brightness of Deeds #
Arabic
تُعَيِّرُني العِدا بِسَوادِ جِلدي
وَبيضُ خَصائِلي تَمحو السَوادا
سَلي يا عَبلَ قَومَكِ عَن فَعالي
وَمَن حَضَرَ الوَقيعَةَ وَالطِرادا
English Translation
My enemies mock
the darkness of my skin,
yet the brightness of my deeds
wipes away their reproach.
Ask your people, Abla,
about what I have done.
Ask those who witnessed
battle
and pursuit.
Let actions speak
where prejudice is silent.
_____________________
-
No Man of Honor Carries Hatred #
Arabic
لا يَحمِلُ الحِقدَ مَن تَعلو بِهِ الرُتَبُ
وَلا يَنالُ العُلا مَن طَبعُهُ الغَضَبُ
English Translation
Those raised by true honor
do not carry hatred.
And greatness
never belongs
to those ruled by anger.
The highest place
is reached not through rage,
but through mastery of oneself.
_____________________
-
The Measure of Greatness #
Arabic
وَمَن يَكُن عَبدَ قَومٍ لا يُخالِفُهُم
إِذا جَفَوهُ وَيَستَرضي إِذا عَتَبوا
English Translation
A man does not become noble
by resisting every slight.
When his people turn away,
he seeks reconciliation.
When they rebuke him,
he answers with patience.
For strength
is not always found
in the raised spear.
Sometimes
it is found
in restraint.
_____________________
-
My Deeds Are My Lineage #
Arabic
سَلي يا عَبلَ قَومَكِ عَن فَعالي
وَمَن حَضَرَ الوَقيعَةَ وَالطِرادا
وَلَولا صارِمي وَسِنانُ رُمحي
لَما رَفَعَت بَنو عَبسٍ عِمادا
English Translation
Ask your people, Abla,
about my deeds.
Ask those who stood
where battle raged.
Had it not been
for my sword
and the point of my spear,
the house of Abs
would not stand so high.
My lineage is written
not in ancestry,
but in action.
_____________________
-
What Makes a Man #
Arabic
وَلَكِن تَبعُدُ الفَحشاءُ عَنّي
كَبُعدِ الأَرضِ عَن جَوِّ السَماءِ
English Translation
Judge me not
by what I appear to be.
Judge me
by what I refuse to become.
For dishonor remains far from me,
as distant
as earth from heaven.
_____________________
- Let the Horses Speak
Arabic
هَلّا سَأَلتِ الخَيلَ يا اِبنَةَ مالِكٍ
إِن كُنتِ جاهِلَةً بِما لَم تَعلَمي
يُخبِركِ مَن شَهِدَ الوَقيعَةَ أَنَّني
أَغشى الوَغى وَأَعِفُّ عِندَ المَغنَمِ
English Translation
Ask the horses,
daughter of Malik,
if there is anything
you do not know of me.
Those who witnessed battle
will tell you:
I enter the heart of war,
yet remain honorable
when victory is won.
Courage is easy.
Honor is harder.
_____________________
- The Worth of Character
Arabic
لا يَحمِلُ الحِقدَ مَن تَعلو بِهِ الرُتَبُ
وَلا يَنالُ العُلا مَن طَبعُهُ الغَضَبُ
English Translation
The truly noble
have no need of bitterness.
Those who seek greatness
through anger
will never find it.
Character
is the foundation
upon which honor stands.
_____________________
- A Cloak of Courage
Arabic
يا عَبلُ لَو أَنّي لَقيتُ كَتيبَةً
سَبعينَ أَلفاً ما رَهِبتُ لِقاها
وَأَنا المَنِيَّةُ وَاِبنُ كُلِّ مَنِيَّةٍ
وَسَوادُ جِلدي ثَوبُها وَرِداها
English Translation
Abla,
were I to face
an army seventy thousand strong,
I would not fear.
I have walked beside death
all my life.
And this dark skin of mine—
it is not a burden.
It is a cloak
woven from endurance,
strength,
and courage.
_____________________
- The Judgment of Time
Arabic
سَلوا صَرفَ هَذا الدَهرِ كَم شَنَّ غارَةً
فَفَرَّجتُها وَالمَوتُ فيها مُشَمِّرُ
English Translation
Ask the turning years
how many trials they sent.
Ask how many times
death stood waiting.
Then ask
who remained standing
when the storm had passed.
Time itself
is my witness.
_____________________
- The Road to Honor
Arabic
دَعوني أَجُدَّ السَعيَ في طَلَبِ العُلا
فَأُدرِكَ سُؤلي أَو أَموتَ فَأُعذَرُ
English Translation
Let me continue
my pursuit of excellence.
Either I shall reach
what I seek,
or I shall die
having given everything
to the journey.
There is no shame
in falling short.
The shame lies
in never striving.
_____________________
Songs of Honor and Identity #
-
They Called Me a Slave #
Arabic
يُعَيِّرُني القَومُ الَّذينَ أُحِبُّهُم
بِأُمِّي وَقَد تَعلو بِأُمٍّ مَكارِمُ
فَإِن أَكُ مَملوكاً فَنَفسي عَزِيزَةٌ
وَإِن أَكُ أَسودَ اللَونِ فَالمِسكُ أَسوَدُ
English Translation
The very people I cherish
mock me because of my mother,
yet noble qualities
often rise from humble beginnings.
If I was born a slave,
my spirit was not.
If my skin is dark,
so too is musk—
the fragrance sought by kings.
_____________________
-
The Nobility of Deeds #
Arabic
وَما سادَ مَن سادوا بِفَضلِ عَشيرةٍ
وَلَكِنَّهُم سادوا بِفَضلِ الشَمائِلِ
English Translation
No one achieves greatness
through lineage alone.
Those who truly rise
are lifted
by the excellence of their character.
A famous name
may open a door,
but only virtue
allows one to remain.
_____________________
-
The Answer to Contempt #
Arabic
إِذا عابَ لَوني جاهِلٌ لَم أُجِبهُ
فَما كُلُّ مَن يَرمي الكَلامَ يُجاوَبُ
وَلَكِنَّ أَفعالي تُجيبُ مَكانَني
وَيَشهَدُ لي سَيفي إِذا القَومُ غالَبوا
English Translation
When a fool mocks my color,
I do not answer him.
Not every stone cast
deserves a reply.
Instead,
my deeds speak in my place.
And when men contend for honor,
my sword bears witness
to who I am.
_____________________
-
The Place I Earned #
Arabic
أَنا في الحَربِ العَوانِ
غَيرُ مَجهولِ المَكانِ
أَينَما نادى المُنادي
في دُجى النَقعِ يَراني
English Translation
In the bitter days of war,
my place is never unknown.
Wherever the battle cry rises
through clouds of dust,
there I am.
I did not inherit my position.
I earned it.
_____________________
-
A Name Written in Action #
Arabic
وَحُسامي مَعَ قَناتي
لِفِعالي شاهِدانِ
أَنَّني أَطعَنُ خَصمي
وَهُوَ يَقظانُ الجَنانِ
English Translation
My sword
and my spear
bear witness to my life.
They know
that when I meet an enemy,
I face him
while his courage is still awake.
Honor is not spoken.
It is demonstrated.
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-
Greater Than Birth #
Arabic
لَيسَ الفَتى مَن قالَ كانَ أَبي
إِنَّ الفَتى مَن قالَ ها أَنَذا
English Translation
A man is not measured
by saying,
“My father was great.”
A man is measured
when he can say,
“Here I stand.”
The past belongs to others.
Character belongs to oneself.
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-
What Remains #
Arabic
تَفنى الأَموالُ وَالأَنسابُ طُرّاً
وَيَبقى ذِكرُ مَن حَسُنَت فِعالُهُ
English Translation
Wealth fades.
Lineages disappear.
Names are forgotten.
Yet the memory
of noble deeds endures,
moving from one generation
to the next.
_____________________
-
The Burden of Freedom #
Arabic
دَعوني أَجُدَّ السَعيَ في طَلَبِ العُلا
فَأُدرِكَ سُؤلي أَو أَموتَ فَأُعذَرُ
English Translation
Leave me to pursue
the heights I seek.
Either I shall attain them,
or I shall fall
while striving.
Freedom is not comfort.
It is the courage
to pursue one’s purpose
despite uncertainty.
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-
My Final Claim #
Arabic
تُعَيِّرُني العِدا بِسَوادِ جِلدي
وَبيضُ خَصائِلي تَمحو السَوادا
English Translation
My enemies speak
of the darkness of my skin.
Let them.
The brightness of my character
answers them better
than any argument.
A man’s true color
is revealed
by his deeds.
_____________________
Songs of War #
Introduction
Antara’s fame rests largely upon his reputation as a warrior. For more than a thousand years, storytellers, poets, and historians have remembered him as the horseman who rode into danger when others hesitated, the fighter whose courage became proverbial, and the defender whose spear secured the honor of his people.
Yet Antara’s war poetry is more than a record of battles. It is a meditation on courage itself.
For Antara, war is the great test of character. It reveals who stands firm and who retreats, who acts with honor and who succumbs to fear. In battle, masks fall away. What remains is the true measure of a person.
These poems are filled with horses, swords, dust, spears, and the thunder of combat. Yet beneath the noise of war lies a deeper theme: the struggle to live according to one’s values when life itself hangs in the balance.
_____________________
- Not Unknown in War
Arabic
أَنا في الحَربِ العَوانِ
غَيرُ مَجهولِ المَكانِ
أَينَما نادى المُنادي
في دُجى النَقعِ يَراني
English Translation
In the bitter days of war,
my place is never unknown.
Wherever the battle cry rises
through clouds of dust,
there I am.
When danger calls,
I do not seek shelter.
I step forward
into the place where courage is required.
_____________________
-
Into the Sea of Death #
Arabic
وَرَدتُ الحَربَ وَالأَبطالُ حَولي
تَهُزُّ أَكُفُّها السُمرَ الصِعادا
وَخُضتُ بِمُهجَتي بَحرَ المَنايا
وَنارُ الحَربِ تَتَّقِدُ اِتِّقادا
English Translation
I entered the war
while heroes stood around me,
their hands brandishing
long brown spears.
And I plunged with my soul
into the sea of death,
while the fires of battle
blazed across the field.
The brave do not wait
for danger to pass.
They cross through it.
_____________________
- The Dust of Battle
Arabic
قِفي وَانظُري يا عَبلُ فِعلي وَعايِني
طِعاني إِذا ثارَ العَجاجُ المُكَدَّرُ
تَري بَطَلاً يُلقي الفَوارِسَ ضاحِكاً
وَيَرجِعُ عَنهُم وَهُوَ أَشعَثُ أَغبَرُ
English Translation
Stand and watch,
Abla.
See my spear
when the dust-cloud rises.
You will see a warrior
casting horsemen down
with laughter on his lips,
returning from battle
covered in dust,
his hair tangled by the wind,
yet unconquered.
_____________________
- Ask the Battlefield
Arabic
سَلوا صَرفَ هَذا الدَهرِ كَم شَنَّ غارَةً
فَفَرَّجتُها وَالمَوتُ فيها مُشَمِّرُ
English Translation
Ask the turning years
how many raids they hurled upon us.
Ask how many times
death stood ready,
and how many times
I broke through its ranks.
The battlefield remembers
what memory sometimes forgets.
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- My Sword and My Spear
Arabic
وَحُسامي مَعَ قَناتي
لِفِعالي شاهِدانِ
أَنَّني أَطعَنُ خَصمي
وَهُوَ يَقظانُ الجَنانِ
English Translation
My sword
and my spear
bear witness to my deeds.
They know
that when I meet an enemy,
I strike him
while his courage is still awake.
Victory means little
unless it is won fairly.
_____________________
-
Let Me Give the Sword Its Due #
Arabic
دَعوني أُوَفّي السَيفَ في الحَربِ حَقَّهُ
وَأَشرَبُ مِن كَأسِ المَنِيَّةِ صافِيا
English Translation
Leave me
to give the sword
its rightful due in battle,
and drink from the cup of death
clear and undiluted.
Life gains meaning
when one is willing
to risk it
for something greater.
_____________________
- The Sweetest Sound
Arabic
أَطيَبُ الأَصواتِ عِندي
حُسنُ صَوتِ الهِندُواني
وَصَريرُ الرُمحِ جَهراً
في الوَغى يَومَ الطِعانِ
English Translation
The sweetest sounds to me
are the song of an Indian blade
and the sharp cry of a spear
on the day of combat.
Others delight
in music and celebration.
My music
is the sound of courage.
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-
A Warrior’s Reputation #
Arabic
يا عَبلُ لَو أَنّي لَقيتُ كَتيبَةً
سَبعينَ أَلفاً ما رَهِبتُ لِقاها
English Translation
Abla,
were I to face
an army seventy thousand strong,
I would not fear its coming.
The size of an army
does not determine courage.
The heart does.
_____________________
-
The Field of the Fallen #
Arabic
وَلا يَنثَني حَتّى يُخَلّي جَماجِماً
تَمُرُّ بِها ريحُ الجَنوبِ فَتَصفِرُ
وَأَجسادَ قَومٍ يَسكُنُ الطَيرُ حَولَها
English Translation
He does not turn away
until the field lies silent,
until the southern wind
whistles through empty skulls,
and birds descend
to settle among the fallen.
War is glory,
but it is also loss.
Antara never forgets this truth.
_____________________
-
The Edge of Resolve #
Arabic
بِصارِمِ عَزمٍ لَو ضَرَبتُ بِحَدِّهِ
دُجى اللَيلِ وَلّى وَهُوَ بِالنَجمِ يَعثُرُ
English Translation
With a blade of resolve
whose edge, if turned against the night,
would scatter darkness
and leave it stumbling among the stars.
The greatest weapon
is not steel.
It is determination.
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-
Death Knows My Name #
Arabic
وَأَنا المَنِيَّةُ وَاِبنُ كُلِّ مَنِيَّةٍ
وَسَوادُ جِلدي ثَوبُها وَرِداها
English Translation
I am death,
and the son of death.
This dark skin of mine
is the cloak it wears.
I have walked beside danger
for so long
that fear no longer recognizes me.
_____________________
-
The Courage to Advance #
Arabic
دَعوني أَجُدَّ السَعيَ في طَلَبِ العُلا
فَأُدرِكَ سُؤلي أَو أَموتَ فَأُعذَرُ
English Translation
Let me continue
my pursuit of greatness.
Either I shall attain
what I seek,
or I shall die
having given everything.
For the warrior’s shame
is not death.
It is hesitation.
_____________________
Songs of Wisdom and Time #
Introduction
Every great poet eventually arrives at time.
Youth speaks of desire.
Warriors speak of victory.
Lovers speak of longing.
But age teaches different lessons.
In these poems, Antara’s voice becomes quieter, deeper, and more reflective. The fierce warrior remains present, but he no longer stands at the center of the stage. Instead, we encounter a man who has lived long enough to witness the turning of fortune, the fading of youth, the loss of companions, and the burden of memory.
What emerges is not resignation.
It is wisdom.
The wisdom of a man who has suffered, endured, loved, fought, and survived.
These poems reveal Antara not as a hero of legend, but as a human being confronting the same questions that confront all people: What endures? What matters? How should one live?
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-
The Hardships of Time #
Arabic
حَنَّكَتني نَوائِبُ الدَهرِ حَتّى
أَوقَفَتني عَلى طَريقِ الرَشادِ
English Translation
The hardships of time
became my teachers,
until they placed me
upon the road of wisdom.
I did not learn from ease.
I learned from loss,
from struggle,
and from endurance.
_____________________
- White Hair
Arabic
شابَ رَأسي فَصارَ أَبيَضَ لَوناً
بَعدَما كانَ حالِكاً بِالسَوادِ
English Translation
My hair has turned white,
though once it was dark as night.
Years have passed over me
like winds across the desert,
leaving their mark
upon everything they touched.
_____________________
- The Arrows of Time
Arabic
وَيحَ هَذا الزَمانِ كَيفَ رَماني
بِسِهامٍ صابَت صَميمَ فُؤادي
English Translation
Cruel is this age.
How many arrows
has it sent toward me?
And how often
have they struck
the very center
of my heart?
_____________________
- I Rebuke an Age
Arabic
أُعاتِبُ دَهراً لا يَلينُ لِناصِحِ
وَأُخفي الجَوى في القَلبِ وَالدَمعُ فاضِحي
English Translation
I rebuke an age
that listens to no counsel.
I conceal my sorrow
within my heart,
yet my tears
betray me.
Some griefs
cannot remain hidden.
_____________________
-
Exile #
Arabic
وَقَد أَبعَدوني عَن حَبيبٍ أُحِبُّهُ
فَأَصبَحتُ في قَفرٍ عَنِ الإِنسِ نازِحِ
English Translation
They drove me far
from the one I loved,
until I found myself
alone
in a wilderness
beyond the company of men.
Exile is not distance.
It is separation
from what gives life meaning.
_____________________
- Patience
Arabic
وَبِالصَبرِ الجَميلِ وَإِن تَمادى
English Translation
With patient endurance,
even when hardship lingers,
the heart discovers
a strength
it never knew it possessed.
_____________________
-
Tomorrow #
Arabic
وَلا تَختَشوا مِمّا يُقَدَّرُ في غَدٍ
فَما جاءَنا مِن عالَمِ الغَيبِ مُخبِرُ
English Translation
Do not fear
what tomorrow may bring.
No messenger
has returned from the unseen
to reveal its secrets.
Live well today.
The future
belongs to God.
_____________________
-
Unexpected Joy #
Arabic
وَكَم مِن نَذيرٍ قَد أَتانا مُحَذِّراً
فَكانَ رَسولاً بِالسُرورِ يُبَشِّرُ
English Translation
How often
has a warning arrived,
promising misfortune,
only to become
a bearer of unexpected joy?
The road ahead
is never fully known.
_____________________
-
A Man of Honor #
Arabic
لا يَحمِلُ الحِقدَ مَن تَعلو بِهِ الرُتَبُ
وَلا يَنالُ العُلا مَن طَبعُهُ الغَضَبُ
English Translation
A man elevated by honor
does not carry hatred.
Nor does greatness
belong to one
governed by anger.
The strongest victory
is mastery of oneself.
_____________________
-
Loyalty #
Arabic
وَأُظهِرُ نُصحَ قَومٍ ضَيَّعوني
English Translation
I continue to offer loyalty
to people
who abandoned me.
Not because they deserve it,
but because honor
demands it of me.
_____________________
-
The Measure of Life #
Arabic
فَيا رَبِّ لا تَجعَل حَياتي مَذَمَّةً
وَلا مَوتَتي بَينَ النِساءِ النَوائِحِ
English Translation
My Lord,
do not let my life
become a thing of disgrace.
And do not let my death
be marked by regret.
Let both my living
and my leaving
possess dignity.
_____________________
-
The Final Road #
Arabic
دَعوني أَجُدَّ السَعيَ في طَلَبِ العُلا
فَأُدرِكَ سُؤلي أَو أَموتَ فَأُعذَرُ
English Translation
Let me continue
my pursuit of excellence.
Either I shall reach
what I seek,
or I shall fall
while striving.
No one controls the outcome.
We control only
the sincerity of the effort.
_____________________
-
What Endures #
Arabic
تُعَيِّرُني العِدا بِسَوادِ جِلدي
وَبيضُ خَصائِلي تَمحو السَوادا
English Translation
My enemies speak
of the darkness of my skin.
Time will forget their words.
But character endures.
The brightness of one’s deeds
outlives every insult.
_____________________
-
The Last Wisdom #
Arabic
وَلَكِن تَبعُدُ الفَحشاءُ عَنّي
كَبُعدِ الأَرضِ عَن جَوِّ السَماءِ
English Translation
Yet dishonor remains far from me,
as distant
as the earth
from the heights of heaven.
In the end,
a person is remembered
not for appearance,
not for wealth,
not for power,
but for the life they chose to live.
