قُلتُ لِأَرضِ العَقرِ ماذا الَّذي

قُلتُ لِأَرضِ العَقرِ ماذا الَّذي

أَبدَعته دونَ القَرى وَالبِلادِ

أَبدَعته دونَ القَرى وَالبِلادِ

I said to the land of al-ʿAqr, “What is it that

I said to the treacherous land, what is it

you alone, among the villages and lands, have devised?

That you have created unlike any other land?

ألقَيت مُلكَ الأَرضِ عَن سَرجِهِ

ألقَيت مُلكَ الأَرضِ عَن سَرجِهِ

وَكادَ أَن تَهواهُ سَبعَ شِدادِ

وَكادَ أَن تَهواهُ سَبعَ شِدادِ

You cast the earth’s sovereign from his saddle,

You cast down the king of the land from his saddle

and the seven mighty heavens nearly yearned for him.”

And he was nearly swallowed by seven lions.

قالَت مَعاذَ اللَهِ أَن أَبتَغي

قالَت مَعاذَ اللَهِ أَن أَبتَغي

فَسادَ مَن فيهِ صَلاحُ العِبادِ

فَسادَ مَن فيهِ صَلاحُ العِبادِ

She said, “God forbid that I should seek

It said, Refuge is sought in God that I would seek

the ruin of one in whom the people’s welfare lies!

Corruption of one in whom lies the reform of worshippers.

لَكِنَّهُ ساعَةُ ما حَلَّ بي

لَكِنَّهُ ساعَةُ ما حَلَّ بي

وَفُزتُ مِن تَقبيلِهِ بِالمُرادِ

وَفُزتُ مِن تَقبيلِهِ بِالمُرادِ

But the very moment he came to me,

But it was an instant when he came upon me

and I gained my wish by kissing him,

And I escaped getting what I wanted from kissing him.

هَمَمتُ أَنَّ الشَمَّ أَقدامَهُ

هَمَمتُ أَنَّ الشَمَّ أَقدامَهُ

فَلَم أَطِق إلّا بِكَبوِ الجَوادِ

فَلَم أَطِق إلّا بِكَبوِ الجَوادِ

I sought to smell his feet,

I intended that the sun set its feet

but could do so only through the steed’s stumbling.”

But I could not bear except the pace of the steed.