ما بين زهر الربا ونور البطاح

ظهرت لوعتي وبان افتضاحي

Amid the flowers of the hills and the blossoms of the valley flats,

my anguish appeared, and my shame became plain.

وإذا ما سرَت لنجدٍ صباها

هزني نحوكم نسيم ارتياح

And whenever its east wind traveled by night to Najd,

a breeze of gladness stirred me toward you.

فاستجيبوا لمن براه انتزاح

وغدا بالنوى كسيرَ الجناح

So answer one whom separation has wasted away,

and who, through parting, has become broken-winged.

واسمحوا لي أحبتي والطفوا بي

بحنان منكم يروض جماحي

And be gracious to me, my beloved ones, and be gentle with me,

with tenderness from you that tames my unruliness.

فلمن أرتجى سواكم وأنتم

بدور أفقى ونور شمس صباحي

For in whom but you can I place my hope, when you are

the full moons of my horizon and the light of my morning sun?

خيم الوجد في ضلوعي فأروى

نار شوق تضرمت بانتزاحي

Longing pitched its tent within my ribs and watered

a fire of yearning that blazed through my separation.

هذه أدمعي بخدي تهمى

في غدوى عليكم ورواحي

These are my tears, streaming down my cheek,

as I journey to you morning and evening.

وفؤادي على الذي فات منكم

أبداً لا يزال دامى الجراح

And my heart, over what I have missed of you,

forever remains bleeding from its wounds.

صاح شمر ذيول عزمك والزم

طرق الجدّ لا طريق المزاح

Friend, tuck up the hems of your resolve, and keep to

the paths of earnestness, not the path of jest.

نحو قبر النبي حث المطايا

واجهد النفس نحو ريع الفلاح

Toward the Prophet’s tomb, urge on the mounts,

and strain your soul toward salvation’s height.

حبستني صروف دهرى عنه

ليت شعري متى يكون سراحي

The vicissitudes of my days have kept me from him;

if only I knew when my release would come!

تيمتني معالم وديارٌ

لم يزل نحوها يطول انتزاحي

Landmarks and dwellings have enthralled me;

my separation from them keeps growing longer.

أنا في الحبّ لائذ بهواكم

ليس لي فيه عنكم براح

I, in love, seek refuge in loving you;

within it, I have no escape from you.

آه من خجلتي إذا كنت ممن

خاب في الحب قدحه في القداح

Ah, my shame, if I should be among those

whose arrow proves unlucky in love among the lot-arrows.

بثرى طيبة رياض أنيق

نشرُه فاق نثرَ نورِ الأقاح

In Taybah’s soil are lovely gardens,

whose fragrance surpasses the scattered blossoms of daisies.

فعليها من الكئيب سلام

ما تغنّت بالدوح ذات وشاح

So peace upon her from the sorrowful one,

as long as the sashed bird sings among the spreading trees.