أمرَّ بها مع الأرواح رَنْدُ

فَشَوَّقها إلى الأطلال وَجْدُ

The wind blew by it with the spirits.

So it yearned for the ruins and fervor.

أمْ ادَّكَرَتْ أحبَّتُها بسلع

فهيَّجها بذات الأثلِ عهد

Or did it recall its loved ones in Sallaj

So it stirred in it the covenant of ages past.

أراها لا تُفيقُ جوىً ووجداً

وشبَّ بقلبها للشوق وقد

I see it cannot keep composure or fervor

And longing took hold in its heart and kindled.

حدا فيها الهوى لديار ميٍّ

فَثَمَّ مسيرُها في البيد وخد

Love sharpened in it the longing for the abode of Mayy.

So its journey came to a halt in the desert and cheek.

وتَيَّمها صبا نجدٍ غراماً

فما فَعَلَتْ بها سَلْعٌ ونجد

And passion for Najd's youth obsessed it.

So neither Sallaj nor Najd granted it respite.

ولي كدموعها عبراتُ جَفْنٍ

لها في وجنتي عكس وطرد

And my tears are like the flowing tears

That flow back and forth on my cheeks.

بودِّي أنْ تعيدا لي حديثاً

بأحبابٍ لهم في القلب ودّ

I wish you both would relate to me

About loved ones who in my heart have affection.

لهم منِّي غرامٌ مستزادٌ

ولي منهم منافرةٌ وصدّ

For them I have an increasing passion

While they shun and avoid me.

ضَللْتُ عن التَصَبُّر في هواهم

وعندي أنَّه هديّ ورشد

I lost patience in their love

Yet I feel it is guidance and righteousness.

فأخْلَقَ حبُّهم ثوبَ اصطباري

وثَوْبُ الوَجْد فيهم يُسْتَجدُّ

So their love created my cloak of endurance

While the cloak of fervor in them is renewable.

صَبَوْتُ إليهمُ فاستعْبَدوني

وإنَّ الصَّبَّ للمعشوق عبد

I poured myself out to them so they enslaved me

And pouring oneself out to the beloved is to be a slave.

ولي في حيّهم رشَأ غرير

تخاف لحاظَهُ بالفتك أُسْد

And in their district I have a sly fox

Whose glance the valiant lions dread.

إذا ما ماس أزرى بالعوالي

وكم طَعَنَ الجوانحَ منه قَدُّ

Whenever it rubbed against the lofty sands

And how many times it stabbed the tender breasts.

وليلٍ بالأُبيرقِ بِتُّ أُسقى

ثناياه ونَقْلي منه خد

And a night at Al-Ubayriq where I spent

Its folds and my cheek carried from it.

يميل بنا التصابي حيث مِلْنا

وأمَّا عيشُنا فيه فرغد

Inclination makes us lean wherever we incline

While our livelihood in it is plentiful.

رَكِبْنا من ملاهينا جُموحاً

فنحنُّ عن المسرَّة لا نُردُّ

We rode our whims to exhaustion.

So we do not refuse delight.

لَيالي أوْرَثَتْنا حين وَلَّتْ

تَصَعُّدَ زفرةٍ فينا تجدّ

Nights that passed down to us when they turned -

A moan arises in us that finds.

فهل يا سعد تُسْعِدُني فإني

فَقَدْتُ الصَّبر لا لاقاك فقد

So will you bring me happiness, Saad?

For I lost patience from not seeing you lost.

وما كلٌّ يُرَجَّى عند خطبٍ

إذا ما خاصَمَ الدهرُ الألدّ

And not all can be hoped for in time of need

When the timeless one disputes.

سوى محمود محمود السجايا

فلي من عطفه الركن الأَشدّ

Except Mahmoud, Mahmoud of excellent traits.

For me he is the firmest pillar.

إذا عُدَّتْ خِصالُ كريمِ قومٍ

فأَوَّلُ ما خصائله تعدّ

When the traits of a people's generous one are counted

The first of his traits to count.

سروري في الهموم إذا اعترتني

وعيشي الرغد حيث العيش كدّ

My joy in worries when they beset me

And my plentiful life wherever life is arduous.

بفضل يَمينه وظبا يَدَيْه

يفوز مصاحبٌ ويخيب ضدّ

By the grace of his right hand and prey of his hands -

One accompanied succeeds and one opposed fails.

وفيض علومه للناس جهراً

يدلُّ بأنَّهُ بحرٌ مُمدّ

And the overflow of his knowledge openly

Indicates he is an abundant sea.

وقد عَذُبَتْ موارده فأَمسى

لكلِّ النَّاس من صافيه وِرْد

His springs have been sweetened so he has become

For all people from his purity a drink.

طمى علماً ومكرمةً وجوداً

خضَمٌّ ليس يستقصيه حدّ

He has mastered knowledge, kindness and generosity -

A confluence that no limit can take stock of.

فجود لسانه درٌّ ثمينٌ

وجود بنانه كرم ورفد

The generosity of his tongue is a precious pearl

And the generosity of his mind is generosity and boons.

تَقَلَّدَ صارمَ التقوى همام

له في هيبة الرحمن جند

He has assumed the sword of piety, ardor -

For him is the awesomeness of the Merciful an army.

سَلُوا منه الغوامض في علوم

فما في الكشف أسْرَعَ من يردّ

Ask him the obscure points in sciences -

None quicker to reveal than him in response.

علومٌ نصْبَ عينيه أَحارَتْ

عقولَ طلابها أنَّى تجدّ

Sciences he set before his eyes dazzled

The minds of its seekers however they can find.

ذكيٌّ ثاقبُ الأَفكار ذهناً

فلم يَصْلد له بالفكر زند

Brilliant, penetrating of thoughts in his mind -

So no flint to his mind can strike fire.

تسائله فيبدي الدّرّ سيلاً

ويُنبي عن حُسام العَضب قدُّ

Question him and he reveals a stream of pearls

And reveals from the sword of severity a flame.

وكم قد أعْجَزَ الأَغيار ردًّا

بأجوبةٍ لعمرك لا تردّ

And how he has rendered the pretentious helpless in response

With answers, by your life, that cannot be countered.

إذا كشف الحقائق في كلام

كأَنَّ نظامه في النثر عقد

When he uncovers the truths in his discourse

It is as if its prosody in prose is strung together.

وجاوَبَ عالِمُ الزَّورا بما لا

تُجاوبُ فيه إيرانٌ وهند

And he answered the scholar of untruth with what

Neither Iran nor India can answer in response.

وأَمْسَتْ عندَه الأَغيار خرساً

وبانَ ضلالُهم وأُبينَ رُشْد

And in his presence the pretentious became mute

And their misguidance and his guidance became manifest.

لد آتاهُ ربُّك أَيّ فضل

وذلك من إِله العرش وعد

Your Lord has certainly given him great bounty

And that is from the God of the Throne a promise.

أقامَ شريعةَ الغرَّاء فيه

وشُدَّ به لدين الله عضد

He upheld the law of the honorable one through it

And with it the religion of God was supported.

إمامٌ قدوةُ العلماء قرمٌ

لقد جَمَعَ الفضائل وهو فرد

A leader, exemplar of the scholars, a date palm -

He has certainly gathered virtues and he is unique.

ففي بَحْرينِ إفضالٍ وعلمٍ

يفوزُ بوَفْرها عافٍ ووفد

So in two oceans of grace and knowledge

One gifted and visiting gains abundance.

إليك أبا الثناء أبيتُ أُثْني

وإنْ أَثنى لساني عنك جهد

To you, O father of praise, I stay up praising

Even if my tongue falters in praising you it efforts.

ومن جُمَل الفروض عليك تتلى

لشكر صنيعك الإِحسان حمد

And of the duties recited to you

Is thanking your favor, bounty with praise.

ليهْنِك سيِّدي عيدٌ سعيدٌ

عليك له مدى الأَعوام عَوْد

May a happy feast delight you my master

For you through the years lasting return.

وهاكَ من الفقير قصيد شعر

رضاكَ له بها كرم ورفد

And here is from the needy a poem

Your pleasure with it is generosity and boon.

أَجِزْ لي في مديحك لي بلثمي

يمينكَ فهو لي أملٌ وقصد

Permit me in praising you my saliva

For it is to me hope and purpose.