زارت ولو زارت على ميعاد

لطوى المراحِلَ للقاءِ فؤادي

She visited; had she come at an appointed time,

my heart would have traversed the journey's stages to meet her.

عَرَبيةٌ لكنَّها من بَابِلٍ

وإن انتَمَت بلسانها لإيادِ

An Arab, yet she is from Babylon,

though by her tongue she claims descent from Iyad.

لو أنها قامت بسوق عكاظ لم

تترك لِقُسِّ حفل ذاك النادي

Had she stood in the market of Ukaz, she would not

have left Quss an audience in that assembly.

فلثمتُها و ظَنَنتُها مملوكَتِي

وهي التي ظَفِرَت بِمُلك قِيَادِي

So I kissed her and thought her my slave,

yet she was the one who had won control of my reins.

إن شئتَ شرحَ الحالِ فاعلم أنَّنِي

هدفٌ أبادَتهُ سِهَامُ أعادِي

If you wish for an account of my state, know that I am

a target laid waste by the arrows of my foes:

إبليسُ والدُنيَا ونَفسي والهَوَى

هذا جِهَادِي إن تَشَأ وجلادِي

Iblis, the world, my soul, and desire.

This is my struggle, if you will, and my combat.

لكنَّني قاتَلتُهُم بِمَحَبَّتِي

لِلّهِ رَبِي والرسولِ الهادِي

But I fought them with my love

for God, my Lord, and the guiding Messenger.

ورجوتُ أنِّي غالبٌ لِجموعهم

طراً وإني ظافر بمرادي

And I hoped that I would overcome their hosts,

all of them; and I shall surely attain my desire.

يا سيدي بِجَلالِ قَدرٍ صَاعِدٍ

وأخي صريح محبَّةٍ وَوِدادِ

O my master by the grandeur of your rising rank,

and my brother in pure love and affection,

أهدَيتَهَا لي تحفةً قابلتها

مني بشكرٍ دائمِ التردادِ

You gave her to me as a precious gift; I received her

with my thanks, ceaselessly repeated.

ورأيتُ في صفحاتها بالحسن وال

معنى سَناً مِن فِكرِكَ الوقادِ

And in her pages I saw, through beauty and

meaning, a radiance from your blazing mind.

ذكرتني العَهدَ القَدِيمَ بها فَكَم

مشن مِثلَهَا لِيَ رائحٌ أو غادِ

Through her you reminded me of the old bond—for how many

of her kind have come to me, at evening or morning!

فجزَاكَ رَبِّي خَيرَ ما يُجزَى به

أهلُ الوفاءِ الواضحِ الأشهادِ

So may my Lord grant you the best reward bestowed upon

those whose loyalty is plainly attested.

ثم السلامُ عليكَ مِنِّي مَا شَدَت

ورقاءُ فوقَ قَضِيبِهَا الميادِ

Then peace be upon you from me, as long as there sings

a gray dove upon her swaying bough.