1. I remembered you when adversity cast its spear at me,
By the river, the river of my father Al-Khaseeb.

2. And it anchored us on its two banks -
The beautiful slave girls as the sun was setting.

3. We set out in the morning, carrying
Hearts burdened with sorrows and troubles.

4. It takes us across the seas whenever they calm down,
And the north wind delivers them to the south.

5. Between its ribs are children of longing,
Whom we brought from the spacious town.

6. We brought them away from pleasures by force,
And joined the singing girls to the wars.

7. To a house where death refused
To return the lover to the beloved.

8. So I said, and my two tear ducts were shy before my companions,
Blocking off the eyes from sunset.

9. Perhaps the solitary with the kingdom will one day
Put an end to the loneliness of the lonely stranger.

10. The two teary eyes did not stop
Until they took me back to Ubulla shortly.

11. And it sailed heavily swaying
To the melody of my father Al-Hasan Al-Jadeeb.

12. A place where you see only a slain man,
Lying with a cheek on the ground.

13. And we stayed there long, and the hands of nations
Nearly took our souls.

14. We had no trick to hope for salvation
Except to plead to the Responder.

15. And when our return was settled and the hearts’
Resolves firmed up against staying,

16. We entered a ship of the daughters of the sea, swaying
Between youth and old age.

17. Throwing down in the resting places,
Their cargo upon tremendous horror.

18. Tails braced, traveling,
Their poles like creeping insects.

19. When the winds blow against them, they almost
Miss their delegations with the gales.

20. Subdued, roaming the darkness of nights
Like the night, like the spotted horse.

21. Their sterns refused anything but obedience
To the south wind.

22. Independent of leaders and guides,
And of saddling them at riding.

23. They landed at Wasit after seven days
As the dawn inclined toward sunset.

24. Breezes came to us carrying
The scent of the wearer of perfume.

25. Brought freshly by the nights' hands,
Its body worn by long journeys.

26. The winds dressed it in the wilds
In the garb of pallor.

27. We could only manage ragged sighs
From the eyelids, pouring with tears.

28. And when Baghdad appeared, flowing
With us, and the night knitting its pockets,

29. And sails were erected for it, stayed
By them, their chests from overturning.

30. Patience over you was straitened in longing,
And sighing delivered me to sobbing.

31. I stayed awake watching the star of Thurayya,
Watching like the spy watching the guard.

32. My eyelids did not taste sleep until
I toured the abodes of the family of Habeeb.

33. And in Qutrubbul are ruins of a melody,
Where the gazelle’s darling played.

34. How many glances I gave them
And breaths rising like flames.

35. And moments of a glancing eye devastating
My insides, returning to their wounds.

36. We hurried eagerly toward you in longing,
Like the sick man hurrying to the doctor.

37. To water thirsty souls
With nearness to you, hitting the thirsty.

38. We passed the villages of Baghdad until
Voices of sunset guided us to you.

39. The morning breeze stirred when you appeared
Like a mirage in the anxious heart.

40. It met us with the sudden joy of faces
That belied the expectation of lies.

41. It returned the water of my face after thirst
And darkened my temples after white hair.

42. Glory to the Composer of scattered things,
And Who brought the distant near to the close.

43. David did not gloat over us for what
He ignorantly hoped for and expected to be absent.