أَغادٍ أَو الحَدراء أَم متروِّحُ

كَذاكَ النَوى مِمّا تُجِدُّ وَتَمزَحُ

Whether in Aghad or Al-Hadra'a, a place for relaxation,

That's how dreams are, conjured and fanciful.

لَعَمري لَقَد كانَت بِلادٌ عَريضَةٌ

ليَ الروحُ فيها عَنكَ وَالُتَسَرَّحُ

By my life, it was once a vast land,

Where my soul could roam free from you.

وَلَكِنَّهُ يَدنو البَغيضُ وَيبعدُ ال

جيبُ وَينأى في المَزارِ وَيَنزِحُ

But the hated draws near and the beloved retreats,

Distant at the cemetery, departing.

أَلا لَيتَ شِعري هَل أَتى أَمَّ واصِلٍ

كُبولٌ أَعَضّوها بِساقيَّ تجرَحُ

Oh, how I wish I knew, has a loyal friend come

Whose sandals chafed my legs when I walked?

إِذا ما صَرَفتُ الكعبَ صاحَت كَأَنَّها

صَريفُ خَطاطيفٍ بدَلوينِ تَمتَحُ

When I moved my heel, it screamed as if

It were a bucket pulled up a well, squeaking.

تُبَغّي أَباها في الرِفاقِ وَتَنثَني

وَألوى بِهِ في لُجَّةِ البَحر تِمسَحُ

She longs for her father among the friends

And twists to him in a sea inlet, wiping herself.

أَمُرتَحِلٌ وَفدُ العِراقِ وَغودرَت

تَحِنُّ بِأَبوابِ المَدينَةِ صَيدَحُ

A wandering nomad, a delegation from Iraq,

Who affectionately eyes the city gates.

فانَّكِ لا تَدرينَ فيما أَصابَني

أَريشُكِ أَم تَعجيلُ سيرِكش أَنجَحُ

You don't know what has befallen me -

Is it your feather or your hasty journey that sped me up?

أَظنَّ أَبو الحَدراءِ سَجني تِجارَةً

تَرَجّى وَما كُلُّ التِجارَةِ تُربحُ

I think Abu Al-Hadra'a imprisoned me for trade

Hoping for profit, though not all trade is profitable.