إِذا ما عَقَدَ الكاتِم

وحَلَّ المَدمَعُ السَّاجِم

When the writer binds his reed,

And the flowing tears descend,

نَشا بَينَهما ما شِئ

تَ من واشٍ ومِن لائِم

Between them may arise whatever you wish,

Of censure or blame.

فأمّا حالَتي بَعدَكَ

فَاللَّهُ بِها عالِم

As for my state after you,

God knows best about it.

فُؤادٌ يَلج النَّارَ

فلا يُحجِمُ عَن جاحِم

A heart plunging into fire,

Not hesitating to dive in.

وعَينٌ لا يَزالُ الصَّو

بُ مِن دِيمتِها دائِم

An eye whose tears constantly flow,

Forever streaming.

فقَد كانَ بماءِ الوَص

لِ فيها ماؤها قائِم

For with the water of intimacy,

Its water was sustained.

وفاضَ الماءُ لَمَّا

عَزَبَ الماءُ عَلى الحائِم

But when the water was cut off,

It overflowed on the swift.

وما أنتَ لَه مِن بَع

دِ هَذا كلِّه راحِم

You are not merciful to it,

After all this.

ولَو جاءَكَ يَستَسقي

بِما استَسقَى بنُو دارِم

If one who sought drink like the people of Darim came to you,

I see worry constantly accompanying,

أرَى الهَمَّ ندِيماً ما

عَلى فُرقَتِهِ نادِم

Regret over its separation.

So explain to me what separated,

فعَلِّلني بما فَرَّقَ

بَين الهَمِّ والهائِم

Worry from the tranquil one.

With a cup whose fatherhood,

بكَاسٍ عُتِّقَت والدَّه

رُ عَنها غافِلٌ نائِم

Was neglected by a sleeping heedless one.

So I do not reckon anything else,

فما أحسَبُ شَيئاً غَي

رَها مِن صَرفهِ سالِم

Safe from its dispensation.

Who was with me in the presence,

ومَن كانَ مَعي في حَض

رَةِ الشَّيخ أبي القاسِم

Of the Sheikh, Father of Al-Qassim.

Does the wolf attack,

هَل الذِّئبُ عَلى الضِّرغا

مِ في غابَتِهِ هاجِم

The young lambs in their thicket?

A young man, if fate deprives,

فَتىً إن أعدَمَ الواجِدَ

دَهرٌ أوجَدَ العادِم

Time restores the deprived.

I see times which,

أرَى أزمِنَةً يَندُبُ

فِيها الرّاحِلُ القادِم

The arriving latecomer laments over.

So if one passes by it, he passes,

فإِن مَرَّ بهِ مَرَّ

بِهِ مُرتَقِباً واجِم

Waiting apprehensively.

And it makes him swerve, even if he was,

ويَثنِيهِ ولو كانَ

عَلى ما سَرَّه عازِم

Determined to continue his course.

Opposing, clinging, and imposing,

خِلافاً واعتِسافاً وال

تِزاماً ليسَ باللازِم

What is not necessary.

Transgressing, and for the servile one,

وعدواناً ولِلمَخدُو

مِ أن يَعدُو عَلى الخادِم

To transgress upon the servant.

When the roaming thought,

إذا ما الخاطِرُ النِّاثِ

رُ خانَ القَلَم النَّاظِم

Dictates to the arranging pen.

It built between them your merit,

بَنَى بَينَهما فَضلُ

كَ عَهداً ما لَه هادِم

A covenant none can destroy.

You superseded the Arabs with the non-Arabs,

نَسَختَ العُربَ بالعُجمِ

فلا كَعبٌ ولا حاتِم

So there is no Kaʿb or Hatim.

You are today for the wealth,

فأنتَ اليومَ لِلمالِ

ومن جادَ بهِ ظالِم

And whoever is generous with it, an oppressor.

Suspicions sometimes walk,

مَساعٍ ربَّما يَمشي

على الظنِّ بِها الرَّاجِم

With judgment casting them.

So they walk after they were,

فيَمشي بعدَ ما كانَ

نَجِيباً جَمَلاً رازِم

Upright, perfect camels.