1. قِفا يا صاحبيَّ قِفا

    بِرسمٍ لِلحبيبِ عَفا

    Halt, O my two companions, halt,

    by the faded traces of the beloved's dwelling.

  2. وَجودا وَاِسجعا في عر

    صتيهِ الأدمعَ الذرفا

    And weep freely, and chant in its

    two courtyards with streaming tears.

  3. فَلولا نوبه ورخا

    مه المنضودِ ما عرفا

    Were it not for its stones and its

    layered marble, it would not be recognized.

  4. وقفتُ بهِ وكانَ علي

    يَ فَرضاً أَن أكُن أَقفا

    I stood there; it was incumbent upon

    me as a duty to remain standing.

  5. صَفا منّي الودادُ لهُ

    وَما منهُ الودادُ صَفا

    My affection for him was pure,

    but his affection for me was not pure.

  6. وَأغيدُ ريقهُ أَحلى

    مِنَ الماذيِّ مُرتَشفا

    And a supple youth, whose saliva is sweeter

    than white honey when sipped:

  7. غزالٌ كَم رَعى منّي

    رِياضَ القلبِ واِقتَطفا

    a gazelle—how often he has grazed upon

    my heart's gardens and plucked from them!

  8. بسفكِ دَمي اِحمرار الخد

    دِ منه أقرّ واِعتَرفا

    To shedding my blood, the redness of his

    cheek has admitted and confessed.

  9. سَقامي هجرهُ ووصا

    لُهُ لي رَحمةٌ وَشِفا

    My sickness is his estrangement; union

    with him is mercy and healing for me.

  10. طلبتُ وصالهُ عند ال

    عتابِ فصدَّ واِنصَرَفا

    I sought union with him during

    reproach; he turned away and departed.

  11. كأنَّ فؤادهُ في حا

    لِ قَسوتهِ عليَّ صفا

    As though his heart, in its

    cruelty toward me, were solid rock.

  12. أَلا يا مُتلفي مهلاً

    بِصبٍّ في الهَوى تَلِفا

    Ah, my destroyer, be gentle

    with a lover ruined by passion.

  13. كأنّ بعض ما يلقا

    هُ قَلبي في هواكَ كفى

    As though some of what

    my heart suffers in loving you were enough.

  14. بَراني الحبّ حتّى صا

    رَ جِسمي يُشبهُ الألِفا

    Love has wasted me away, until

    my body came to resemble the letter alif.

  15. وَأورقَ مخضبُ الكفّي

    نِ مِن فوقِ الأشا هَتَفا

    And a gray dove, its feet dyed red,

    called from atop the palm trees.

  16. يرتّلُ سجعَ ألحانٍ

    كحَبرٍ يَقرأُ الصُحُفا

    It chants the rhymed cadences of melodies,

    like a scholar reading the scriptures.

  17. شَجا ودَعا فَغادَرني

    كئيبَ القلبِ مُلتَهِفا

    It sang mournfully and called, leaving me

    heavy-hearted and anguished.

  18. أُكابدُ للصبا حسرة

    لهف الحشا دَنفا

    I struggle with regret for youth,

    anguished within and languishing.

  19. وَأسبلَ ماء الجفن كل

    ما كَفكفتهُ وَكَفا

    And tears poured from my eyelids; every

    time I wiped them away, they flowed again.

  20. فَوا أسفاً فوا أسفا

    أردِّد شعر مُلتهفا

    Ah, sorrow! Ah, sorrow!

    I repeat verse, full of anguish.

  21. فوا أَسفاً أردّدهُ

    عَلى عصرِ الصِبا أَسفا

    Ah, sorrow! I repeat it,

    grieving for the days of youth.

  22. فَحلمي قد قوي في شأ

    وِهِ والجسمُ قَد ضَعُفا

    So my judgment has grown strong in its

    course, while my body has weakened.

  23. وَأعيس خيطفٌ ضخمٌ

    يُباري الريحَ إِن خطفا

    And a pale camel, swift and massive,

    races the wind whenever it darts.

  24. قَطعتُ بهِ فجاجاً يخ

    تشي في حَربِها التَلَفا

    On it I crossed mountain passes,

    where one fears destruction amid their strife.

  25. وَلمّا أَن رأيتُ الده

    رَ عبّس وجهه وَجَفا

    And when I saw Time

    set its face in a scowl and grow harsh,

  26. ولمّا أَن رأيت الده

    ر من في الإِقتدارِ عَفا

    and when, in the course of time, I saw

    one who pardoned while holding power,

  27. قصدت أبا المعالي خي

    ر مَن في الإقتدارِ عَفا

    I sought Abu al-Ma'ali, the best

    of those who pardon while holding power.

  28. غفورٌ للكبائرِ إِن

    جَنى الجاني أو اِقتَرفا

    He is forgiving of grave sins, if

    a wrongdoer sins or commits an offense.

  29. تَرى ماءَ الحيا في وج

    ههِ لَم يَشتكي نشفا

    You see the moisture of modesty in his

    face; it has never complained of dryness.

  30. إِذا ما نفسهُ نافت

    إِلى شَهَواتها أنِفا

    Whenever his soul inclines

    toward its desires, he recoils in disdain.

  31. يَجودُ بِما حوَت كفّا

    هُ متّلداً ومطّرفا

    He gives freely of what his two hands

    hold, both inherited wealth and newly acquired.

  32. وَلَو بِالعزمِ صادم كب

    كباً لاِرتجّ واِرتَجفا

    And were he, with his resolve, to strike

    Kabkab, it would shudder and quake.

  33. تأزّرَ بِالمكارمِ واغ

    تَدا بالحمدِ مُلتحَفا

    He girded himself with noble deeds, and became

    cloaked in praise.

  34. أأَفخر من رقي العليا

    وَمَن هوَ بالعهودِ وفا

    O most illustrious of those who rose to the heights,

    and of those who faithfully kept their covenants,

  35. حباكَ الّله تيجانَ ال

    عُلا وَالحمد وَالشرفا

    God has bestowed upon you the crowns

    of eminence, along with praise and honor.

  36. رَأيتُكَ في العلا خلقاً

    لِمَن لكَ قَد قَضى سلفا

    I saw you, in eminence, as worthy

    of your forebear who had passed away.

  37. إِذا حاولتُ وصفكَ في ال

    مديحِ عجزتُ أَن أَصِفا

    Whenever I try to describe you in

    praise, I find myself unable to describe you.