1. Ask the full moon about me, if you visit the full moon
It will inform you that I'm like it, always traveling
١. سَلِ البَدرَ عَنِّي إِن قَدِمتَ عَلَى البَدرِ
يُخَبِّركَ أَنِّي مِثلُه أبَداً أَسرِي
2. And that I yearn for the horses on the sands
And I carry them from where I know and where I don't know
٢. وأَنِّي أَهفُو بِالمَطَايَا عَلَى الوَجَا
وَأحمِلُهَا مِن حَيثُ أَدرِي وَلا أَدرِي
3. With determination that rivals the sea gulping down a sweet drink
And considers the length of the earth to be the width of a span
٣. بِعَزمٍ يَخَالُ البَحر شَربَةَ مُرتَوٍ
وَيَحسَب طُولَ الأَرضِ فِي سَعَةِ الشِّبرِ
4. I vowed to it that it would convey me to my death
So if I reach the star, will my vow be completed?
٤. نَذَرتُ عَلَيهِ أَن يُبَلِّغَنِي المُنَى
فَهَل إِن بَلَغتُ النَّجمَ يَكمُلُ فِي نَذرِي
5. When the horizon recites the chapter of the night in spots
I recite to it from my sword the chapter of dawn
٥. إِذَا الأُفقُ يَتلُو سُورَة اللَّيلِ بِالفَلا
تَلَوتُ لَهُ مِن صَارِمِي سُورَةَ الفَجرِ
6. And if a friend betrays me, I count his loyalty
So my sword is a minister to me, I hold it close
٦. وَإِن خَانَنِي خِلٌّ أَعُدُّ وَفاءَهُ
فَسَيفِي وَزِيرٌ لِي أَشُدُّ بِهِ أَزرِي
7. My time will know which twisted branch
Wasted away and destroyed years when it realizes
٧. سَيَدرِي زَمَانِي أَيَّ عِلق مَضِنَّةٍ
أَضَاعَ وَيُفنِي السِّنَّ قَرعاً إِذَا يَدرِي
8. My friend, why does time conceal my affairs
Isn't there a just judgment that restricts time?
٨. خَلِيلَيَّ مَا لِلدَّهرِ يَطوِي مَآرِبي
أَلا حَكَمٌ فَصلٌ يُقيدُ مِن الدَّهرِ
9. And why do misfortunes hunt me
Don't they know a den other than my den?
٩. وَمَا لِعُقَابِ النَّائِبَاتِ تَصِيدُنِي
أَمَا عَلِمَت فِي الأَرضِ وَكراً سِوَى وَكرِي
10. Yes, they know another den, but
The turns of nights grow long in freeing
١٠. نَعَم عَلِمَت وَكراً سِوَاهُ وَإِنَّمَا
صُرُوفُ اللَّيَالِي تَستَطِيلُ عَلَى الحُرِّ
11. My friend, I have wasted my tears streaming
So who has tears with which I defend my excuse?
١١. خَلِيلَيَّ قَد أَفنَيتُ دَمعِي صَبَابَةً
فَمَن عِندَهُ دَمعٌ أُقيمُ بِهِ عُذرِي
12. And my tear pouring has not stopped since I left you
As if after you I teach it the craft of prose
١٢. وَهَا سِمطُ دَمعِي مُذ نَأَيتُم كَأَنَّمَا
أُعَلِّمُهُ مِن بَعدِكُم صَنعَةَ النَّثرِ
13. When they saw my tear surging in waves
They called me to rule over crying, the father of the sea
١٣. فَلَمّا رَأَوا دَمعِي تَلاطَم مَوجُهُ
دَعَونِي عَلَى حُكمِ البُكَا بِأَبِي بَحرِ
14. My friends, stay in the green oasis
By the evening, since I left you, I have been losing
١٤. أَخِلايَ بِالخَضرَاءِ دُومُوا بِنعمَةٍ
فَوَالعَصرِ أَنِّي مُذ نَأَيتُم لَفِي خُسرِ
15. When the breeze of the peninsula stirs
It excites the slumber of a soul that does not rest or calm
١٥. إِذا نَسَمَت رِيحُ الجَزِيرَةِ هَيَّجَت
ذمَاءَ نُفَيسٍ لا تَرِيشُ وَلا تَبرِي
16. Protect it, oh breeze, for if it is lost
The morning and infatuation will be lost
١٦. تَقِ اللَّهَ فِيهَا يَا نَسِيمُ فَإِنَّهَا
إِذَا فُقِدَت ضَاعَ الصِّبَا وَالهَوَى العُذرِي
17. It settles my eye for the acacia of Bana
That I yearn for a dune towards the acacia of Bana
١٧. يقِرُّ لِعَينَي بَانَة السِّدرِ أَنَّنِي
أَحِنُّ عَلَى عُفرٍ إِلَى بَانَةِ السِّدرِ
18. I flirt with the lightning of the west, loving your era
So whenever lightning flashes, I say here I am, Abu Dharr
١٨. أُغازِلُ بَرقَ الغَربِ حُبّاً لِعَهدِكُم
فَمَهمَا بَدَا بَرقٌ أَقُل كُن أَبَا ذَرِّ
19. It's as if we never wanted the flowers of the gardens, and never wanted
The streets of that river - blessings from a river!
١٩. كَأَن لَم نرد زَهرَ الرِّيَاضِ وَلَم نرِد
مَشَارِعَ ذَاكَ النَّهرِ بُورِكَ مِن نَهرِ
20. And we never wrapped ourselves in the shade of the palm trees, a garment
Embroidered at the sleeves with fresh flowers
٢٠. وَلَم نَلتَحِف ظِلَّ الأَرَاكَةِ بُردَةً
مُنَمَّقَةَ الأَعطَافِ بِالزَّهَرِ النَّضرِ
21. And we never picked the pearls of conversation in the evening
In the courtyard of that palace - I ransom it from any palace!
٢١. وَلم نَلتَقِط دُرَّ الحَديثِ عَشِيَّةً
بِسَاحَةِ ذَاكَ القَصرِ أَفدِيهِ مِن قَصرِ
22. Youth and brothers have both deserted
So neither did my tears betray me, nor did my patience strengthen me
٢٢. شَبَابٌ وَإخوَانٌ تَوَلَّى كِلاهُمَا
فَلا خَانَنِي دَمعِي وَلا جَدَّ لِي صَبرِي
23. And how I wished time would not divide us
But the sorcery of time is stronger than my sorcery
٢٣. وَكَم رُمتُ أَلا يَشعَبَ الدَّهرُ شَملَنَا
وَلَكِنَّ سِحرَ الدَّهرِ أَنفَذُ مِن سِحري
24. Three brothers whose gathering was united
Like the gathering of shade, water, and flowers
٢٤. ثَلاثَةُ إخوَانٍ تَأَلَّفَ شَملُهُم
تَأَلَّفَ شَملِ الظِّلِّ وَالمَاءِ وَالزَّهرِ
25. As for Abu Musa - his remoteness is a lesson
If only I had met him at a loftier time
٢٥. فَأمَّا أبُو مُوسَى فَنَأيُهُ عَبرَةٌ
وَيَا لَيتَنِي أَلفَاهُ أَعلَى مِنَ العَصرِ
26. He has a generous literary style, as the dawn softened
To a literary style he earned, as you knew him to have poetry
٢٦. لَهُ أَدَبٌ سَمحٌ كَمَا رَقَّتِ الصَّبَا
إِلَى أَدَبٍ كَسبٍ كَعَهدِكَ بِالشِّحرِ
27. I say my friend, and he is of highest rank
But necessities come in poetry
٢٧. أَقُولُ خَلِيلِي وَهوُ أَعظَمُ رُتبَةً
وَلَكِنَّهُ تَأتِي الضَّرُورَاتُ فِي الشِّعرِ
28. Time did not make Amro youthful in the past era
But it made him youthful over it - Abu Amr
٢٨. وَمَا شَبَّ عَمرٌو فِي الزَّمَانِ الَّذِي مَضَى
عَنِ الطَّوقِ لَكِن شَبَّ عَنهُ أَبُو عَمرِ
29. And the clan of Hassoun are the masters of their time
But among them is the egg of the eagles
٢٩. وَإِنَّ بَنِي حَسُّونَ سَادَةُ دَهرِهِم
وَلَكنَّ هَذَا فِيهِمُ بيضةُ العُقرِ
30. It's no wonder he mastered them, and he is one of them
Among the collection of swords, the two swords of Amro
٣٠. وَلا عَجَبٌ أَن سَادَهُم وَهو مِنهُمُ
فَمِن جُملَةِ الأَسيَافِ صَمصَامَتا عَمرو
31. And in me from the essence of Ibn Al-Qassim is a wound
That teaches my heart how to be carried from my chest
٣١. وَبِي مِن نَوَى ابنِ القَاسِمِ النَّدبِ لَوعَةٌ
تعَلّم قَلبِي كَيفَ يَنزَحُ عَن صَدرِي
32. He disappeared, and time did not pass in my thoughts
Nor did the crescent shine in my eyelids
٣٢. تَنَاءى فَمَا مَرَّ السُّلُوُّ بِخَاطِرِي
وَلا أَشرَقَت فِي مُقلَتِي غُرَّةُ البَدرِ
33. And remembering him excites me until someone
Who sees me says, "Restrain So-and-so from intoxication!"
٣٣. وَتُطرِبُنِي ذِكرَاهُ حَتَّى يَقُولَ مَن
يُعَاينُنِي حُدُّوا فَلاناً عَلَى السُّكرِ
34. My loved ones, I fell short in thanking your glory
But I grew weary in it to my ability
٣٤. أَحِبَّتَنَا قَصَّرتُ فِي شُكرِ مَجدِكُم
وَلَكِنَّنِي أَغيَيَتُ فِيهِ عَلَى قَدرِي
35. So you are the doorsteps of my domination and pillars of my allegiance
And dwellers of my chest and deservers of my gratitude
٣٥. فَأَنتُم ظُبَا بَاسِي وَأَطوَادُ عِصمَتِي
وَمُستَوطِنُو صَدري وَمُستَوجِبُو شُكرِي
36. And along with it, a gift from your brother
Which forms the bracelet of gratitude on the wrist of righteousness
٣٦. وَدُونَكُمُوهَا تُحفَةً مِن أَخِيكُمُ
تَصُوغُ سِوَارَ الشُّكرِ فِي مِعصَمِ البرِّ
37. May God bring us close despite the distance of our homes
For the water of clouds may meet with wine
٣٧. عَسَى اللَّهُ يُدنِينَا عَلَى بُعدِ دَارِنَا
فَقَد يَلتَقِي مَاءُ الغَمَامِ مَعَ الخَمرِ