1. يا عارضاً بات مثل العرق بارقهُ

    وتارة كخفوق القلب خافقهُ

    O rain cloud, whose lightning was all night like a vein,

    And whose flicker was at times like the beating of the heart.

  2. وكلما افترّ ثغر البرق مبتسماً

    بكى السحاب به انقضت صواعقه

    Whenever lightning's mouth parted in a smile,

    The cloud wept with it, its thunderbolts crashing down.

  3. وكلما ناوَحَت فيه الجنوب صَباً

    همي من المزن بالريحان وادقه

    Whenever the south wind contended there with the east wind,

    Its rain poured from the clouds upon the fragrant herbs.

  4. متى خبا البرق شبته الصبا فغدت

    تنقض كالجمر منثوراً عقائقه

    Whenever lightning faded, the east wind rekindled it, and then

    Its lightning streaks began falling like scattered embers.

  5. وَإِن ونى الرعد تحدوه الجنوب فلم

    تنفك ترزم أَرزاماً أَيانقه

    And if thunder flagged, the south wind urged it on, and never

    Did its she-camels cease their rumbling cries.

  6. فأَوبل الوبل حيث الطل يقدمه

    والودق طَفَّ وطاف الأُكم غادقه

    Then heavy rain poured down where drizzle went before it,

    And rain overflowed, its torrent sweeping round the hillocks.

  7. فحط من ذروة الأَوتاد أَعصمها

    حتى تباريه في الدهنا نقانقه

    From the mountain-pegs' summits it brought down their white-footed ibex,

    Until its male ostriches raced beside it in al-Dahna.

  8. فطبّق الأَرض تطبيقاً فلا وَعَسا

    إِلا وَجاعله غورا وغارقه

    Then it covered the earth completely, leaving no sandy mound

    Without turning it into a hollow and submerging it.

  9. كأَنما الأفق يَمٌّ ظل مضطرباً

    حيث الشمال بكفَّيها تصافقه

    As though the horizon were a sea that kept on surging,

    Where the north wind beat against it with both her palms.

  10. كأَنما الأَرض يحليها السما دررا

    والروض وشيا قشيبات شبارقه

    As though the sky adorned the earth with pearls,

    And the meadow with brocade whose patches were fresh and bright.

  11. كأَنما الروض مذ لاحت كواكبه

    تلامع اللوح مذ شاعت مشارقه

    As though the meadow, since its stars appeared,

    Were the sky's shimmer when its eastern lights spread.

  12. وفاح نشر الخزامى والعرار به

    ونمّ ساريه وانشقت شقائقه

    The fragrance of lavender and arar flowers wafted through it,

    Its night-wandering breeze betrayed it, and its anemones burst open.

  13. من دونه المسك مفتوتاً تذيع به

    ريح القبول فعم الأَرض عابقه

    Powdered musk falls short of it; it is carried abroad

    By the east wind, until its fragrance fills the earth.

  14. أَبا المعالي أَما العتبى لها أَمد

    إِلى رضاك عسى أَني أَسابقه

    O Abu al-Ma'ali, has reconciliation no appointed term

    Leading to your favor? Perhaps I might outrun it.

  15. قد عيل صبري وسلواني قد انقطعت

    فما لمروان توبات توافقه

    My patience is exhausted, and my consolation has ceased;

    For Marwan has no acts of repentance that please him.

  16. إِن كُنت قد صرت مرواناً لديك فقد

    لطول غيظك من أَصل علائقه

    If I have become Marwan in your eyes, then sever

    His ties at their root, for your anger has lasted so long.

  17. أَو كانَ أَمرك غيظاً ثم ينسخه

    أَمر فما أَنا أَمر الغيظ طائقه

    Or if your decree was anger and is then superseded

    By another decree—I cannot bear the decree of anger—

  18. فأَثبت لنا أَمرك الثاني نسير به

    فأَنتَ منزله فينا وناسقه

    Then confirm for us your second decree, that we may follow it;

    For you send it down among us and set it in order.

  19. فَاللَه أَعطاك أَخلاقاً مطهرة

    زكت ووصّاك شيا ما تفارقه

    For God has given you purified virtues,

    They grew pure, and He enjoined on you something never to forsake:

  20. تعفو وترضى وهذا الغيظ تكظمه

    أَولى وَأَجدر مذ بانَت حقائقه

    To pardon and be pleased, and to restrain this anger,

    Is worthier and more fitting, now that its true nature is clear.

  21. فما اعتذارك من هذا وأَنت به

    وقارف الذنب عن توب توافقه

    What excuse have you for this, when, in this matter,

    You accept the sinner upon repentance?

  22. قَد قدَّ غيظك أَضلاعي فقلقلني

    ومنه رأسي فقد شابت مفارقه

    Your anger has split my ribs and shaken me;

    And because of it, my head has grayed along its partings.

  23. وأَنتَ كَالليل لو أنأيت تدركني

    ومقودي أَنتَ بالاحسان واثقه

    And you are like the night: even if I went far away, you would overtake me.

    And you fasten my rein with kindness.

  24. كن كالنبيّ لكعب حين أعذره

    غداة وافى إِليه وهو سالقه

    Be like the Prophet toward Ka'b, when he accepted his excuse,

    On the morning Ka'b came to him, though he had reviled him.

  25. فقال حرمته عندي كحرمتكم

    لا تقتلوه فإِني الآن عاتقه

    The Prophet said: "His protection with me is the same as yours;

    Do not kill him, for now I set him free."

  26. عليك سنته إِذ أَنتَ وارثه

    خليفة ولعمري أَنت لاحقه

    Follow his practice, since you are his heir,

    A successor—and, by my life, you follow in his steps.

  27. فأَي أَرض إِذا لم ترض تحملني

    وأَي لوح أَضلتني طبائقه

    What earth could bear me if you were not pleased,

    And what sky's layers have led me astray?