هَلُمَّا نُقَضِّي الفَرْضَ لِلأَجْرَعِ الفَرْدِ

بِوِرْدِ المَطَايَا مَنْهَلَ المَدْمَعِ الوَرْدِ

Let us fulfill the duty to the most thirsty one

With the provision of tears, the spring of roses

فَفِي مِثْلَ هذا السَّفْحِ يُبْرِدُ عَاشِقٌ

حَشَاهُ بِسَفْحِ الدَّمْعِ في مَسْحَبِ البُرْدِ

For in a place like this a lover cools down

His burning with the plain of tears in the chilling place

وَقَفْنَا بِرَبْعِ العامِرِيةَِّ مَوْقِفاً

بِهِ الحُرُّ مَبذُولُ الحَشَاشَةِ كالعَبْدِ

We stopped at Al-Amriyah quarter and took a stand

Where the freeman with generosity is like a slave

سُكَارَى خَيَارَى أَعْيُنِ فَكَأنَّمَا

أَضَلَّ بِنَا حَادٍ مُجِدٍّ عَنِ القَصْدِ

Drunk, bleary-eyed, so it was as if

A lost guide led us astray from the intention

وَفِي الحَيِّ غَيْرَانُونَ كَادَتْ نُفُوسُهُمْ

تَمَّيزُ مِنْ غَيْظٍ عَلَيْنَا وَمِنْ حِقْدِ

And in the neighborhood there were others, almost

Their souls were distinctive from rage at us and from hatred

وَمَا ذَاكَ إِلاَّ غَيْرَةً منْ حُلُولِنَا

بِلَيْلَى مَحْلَ المُكْرَمِينَ مِنَ الوَفْدِ

That is only jealousy of our staying

At Layla's abode, the honored place of delegations

وَلَمَّا عَرَفْنَا عَرْفَهَا نَزَّهَ الهَوى

شَذَا عُرْفِهَا النِّدِّي عَنْ وِجْهَهِ النِّدِّ

And when we knew her fragrance, passion purified

The repugnance of her hostility from its face

فَلَمْ نَرَ إلاَّ أَوْجُهاً عَرَبِيَّةً

عَلى العُرْبِ عُجْمَ اللَّفْظِ مِنْ شِدَّةِ الوَجْدِ

So we saw only Arabic faces

Rendered ineloquent in Arabic from intensity of passion

وَكَمْ كَبِدٍ حَرَّى تُكَابِدُ مَا بِهَا

وَصَفْحَةِ خَدٍّ فِيْهِ للدَّمْعِ كَمْ خَدِّ

And how many livers seared, enduring what is in them

And cheeks' page on which tears have many a bruise

وَكَمْ ثَّمَّ جِيدٍ للرِّنَا لَيْسَ عَاطِلاً

ضَمَمْنَا عَلَيْهِ الَّثْمَ عِقْداً على عِقْدِ

And how many plump cheeks for humming, not devoid

We pressed the kiss, a necklace upon necklaces

وَلَم يَدَعِ الوَرْقَاءَ لِلَّنْوحِ وَحْدَهَا

فَتَىً قَائلاً إِنِّي المُعَنَّى بِهَا وَحْدِي

And she did not leave Waraqa to weep alone

A suitor saying, I alone am concerned with her

ومِتْنَا لَهَا طُوْلَ الحَيَاةِ وقَدْ بَدَتْ

عَلَى عَهْدِهَا والرَّسْمُ فِي الرَّسْمِ والعَهْدِ

And we died for her the length of life, and it appeared

In her era, and the pattern in pattern and era

فَمَنْ يَرَ بُدَاً مِنْ فَنَاهُ فَلَيْسَ مِنْ

فَنَاءٍ رَعَاكَ اللهُ يَا سَعْدُ منْ بُدِّ

So whoever sees any loss from his demise, is not of

Loss, may God protect you O Saʿd from loss

وَمَنْ يَرَ عَنْهَا البُعْدَ يَقْتُلُ فَالَّذِي

أَرَى أَنَّ قَتْلَ القُرْبِ أَرْجَى مِنَ البُعْدِ

And whoever sees distance from her kills, so what

I see is that killing nearness is better than distance

فَيَبْقَى الَّذِي مَعْنَى البَقَاءِ لِوَجْهِهِ

دَوَاماً وَيَفْنَى مَنْ بَقَاهُ إلى حَدِّ

Thus remains the one whose remaining is for his face

Everlasting, and the one whose remaining is to a limit perishes