1. Has Nu'man and this ugly man appeared,
And is the foam of Hajir's ferment?
١. هل بانَ نُعمانٍ وهذا الأَجرَعُ
وهل خَميرُ حاجِرٍ ولَعْلَعُ
2. Do you know what sorrows have befallen me
The day their caravan departed and bid farewell?
٢. تعرِفُ ما لي من بَلِيَّاتِ النَّوى
يومَ تَداعَتْ عيسُهُمْ ووَدَّعوا
3. I entrust my heart near them to God.
It is a melting, broken heart.
٣. أَسْتودِعُ اللهَ فُؤادي عندَهُمْ
وهو الفُؤادُ الذَّائِبُ المُقَطَّعُ
4. Beloved ones who have pitched tents
And were content with the sun's nobility.
٤. أحِبَّةً جَلَوْا بُدورَ أَوجهٍ
وبالشُّموسِ شَرَفاً تَقَنَّعوا
5. Each day my melting heart,
And eyelashes shedding the water of my soul.
٥. بكلِّ يومٍ لي فُؤادٌ ذائِبٌ
ومُقلَةٌ بماءِ رُوحي تدمَعُ
6. And for me in every place they camped
Is disturbing death and fate.
٦. ولي على كلِّ محلٍّ خيَّموا
به مماتٌ مُقَلِقٌ ومصْرَعُ
7. My style of poetry, with the beautiful mention of them,
Its strung pearls gleam from it.
٧. أُسْلوبُ نَظمي بجَميلِ ذِكْرِهِمْ
يَبِزُّ منه دُرُّهُ المُرَصَّعُ
8. Some people are content with their beautiful witnesses,
But I am not content with their company.
٨. يقنَعُ قومٌ بشُهودِ حُسنِهِمْ
وإنَّني بوصْلِهِمْ لا أَقنَعُ
9. For them, at every halt there is a fluttering,
Clarifying, and in every minaret there is a rising.
٩. لهُمْ على كلِّ مقامٍ رَفْرَفٌ
يُجلى وفي كلِّ مَنارٍ مطْلَعُ
10. My hearing is all for the mention of their land,
And for their protection eyes that look out.
١٠. كُلِّي لذِكْرِ أَرضِهِمْ مَسامِعٌ
ولِحِماهُمْ أَعيُنٌ تَطَلَّعُ
11. And whenever a moment passed for them,
A veil of awe is lifted from my eyes.
١١. وكلَّما آوِنَةٌ مرَّتْ لَهُمْ
حِجابُ دَهْشٍ لعُيوني يُرْفَعُ
12. I have surrendered to love for them,
However they wish, my masters can act.
١٢. إنِّي قد اسْتَسْلَمْتُ للحُبِّ بِهِمْ
مهما أَرادوا سادَتي فلْيَصْنَعوا
13. And the sanctity of the night I crossed,
Yearning, while among it I do not rest.
١٣. وحُرمَةِ اللَّيْلِ الَّذي قطعْتُهُ
لهْفاً وأنِّي ضمنَهُ لا أهْجَعُ
14. I have fasted from all existence besides them,
And from their passionate longing I am not sated.
١٤. قد صُمْتُ عن كلِّ الوُجودِ دونَهُمْ
ومن سِماطِ شوقِهِمْ لا أَشبَعُ
15. If some of my sighs met the mountains,
They would split and begin cracking.
١٥. لو صادَفَ الجِبالَ بعضُ زَفْرَتي
لانْفَلَقَتْ وأَصبَحَتْ تَصَدَّعُ
16. I have cut from the sea of my tears for them
A gulf of tears that has no anchorage.
١٦. قطعْتُ من بحرِ دُموعي لَهُمْ
خَليجَ دمعٍ ما لديهِ مشْرَعُ
17. As for me and my burning and my sorrow,
All of it and my confusion are useless.
١٧. وأنَّتي ولهفَتي وحسرَتي
جميعُها واحَيْرَتي لا ينفَعُ
18. How I twist and turn the day their caravan came!
It is as if every rider is resurrected.
١٨. ياما أُحَيْلى يومَ جاءَ ركْبُهُمْ
كأنَّما كلُّ رَديفٍ يوشَعُ
19. So their faces became luminous,
From them their suns shine upon us.
١٩. فأصبَحَتْ وُجوهُهُمْ لامِعَةً
منها شُموسُهُمْ علينا تسطَعُ
20. And their horses carried howdahs,
Passing, and in my heart's battlefield clashing.
٢٠. وخَيْلُهُمْ قد حملَتْ سَنابِكاً
مرَّتْ وفي فَيْفاءِ قلبي تقرَعُ
21. I have submitted lowly and broken to them;
Strange is he besides them I would submit to!
٢١. خضَعتُ ذُلاًّ وانْكِساراً لَهُمُ
يا عَجَباً لمن سِواهُمْ أَخْضَعُ
22. And I went, in their train of dust, obliterated,
Yet still I see and hear!
٢٢. ورُحْتُ في طيِّ الغُبارِ ماحِقاً
كُلِّي ولكنِّي أَرى وأَسمَعُ
23. O Allah bless you, your servants
Through you, to you, humbly intercede.
٢٣. يا بارَكَ اللهُ بكم عَبيدُكُمْ
بِكُمْ إليكُمْ خاشِعاً يُشَفَّعُ
24. So treat him with bounty and fine character.
How excellent its people and dwelling!
٢٤. فعامِلوهُ كَرَماً بشِيَمٍ
فنعمَ أهْلُها ونعمَ الموضِعُ
25. For through you I am of precious rank;
The folds have covered my patched robe.
٢٥. فإنَّني بِكُمْ عَزيزُ رُتْبَةٍ
ضمَّ الثُّرَيَّا ثوْبِيَ المُرَقَّعُ