أَشاقَكَ بارِقٌ في الجُنحِ ساري
فَبَتَّ وَدَمعُ جَفنِكَ في اِنحِدارِ
A lightning bolt in the wings flashed by
And your eyelid's tear started flowing
وَشِمتَ التونسيَّ فَصِرتَ ناسٍ
لِصَبرِكَ وَالتَجَلّدِ وَالوَقارِ
You envied the Tunisian so you became forgetful
Of your patience, composure and dignity
تُقَلِّبُكَ الشُجونُ عَلى فِراشٍ
كَأن بِحَشوِهِ زُرقُ الشِفارِ
Melancholy tosses you on a bed
As if its stuffing were the blueness of lips
تَذَكَّرتَ العُهودَ فَبِتَّ صادٍ
أَخا ظَمإِ إِلى بيرِ الحِجارِ
You recalled the covenants so you stayed resolute
A brother thirsty for the well of stones
أَقَمتُ بِهِ سِنينَ وَما تَرَوَّت
بِهِ كَبِدي وَلا خَمَدَت جِماري
I dwelled by it for years but my liver was not sated
Nor did my embers subside
سَقى بيرَ الحِجارِ وَساكِنيهِ
سُرورٌ وَاكِفٌ وَكفَ القِطارِ
The well of stones and its inhabitants were quenched
By sufficient, adequate rain that wetted the trains
وَحَيّا بِالسَعادَةِ كُلَّ بَدرٍ
بِهِ يُجلىَ وَصانَ عَنِ السِرارِ
And greeted with happiness each full moon
It was illuminated by it and protected from mysteries
وَبَيّا واضِحَ الخَدَّينِ غِرّا
غَريراً أَغيَداً ماضي الغِرارِ
And greeted the rosy-cheeked young man
With a pure, white, radiant smile
عَزيزَ النَيلِ ذا حُسنٍ عَزيزٍ
صَغيرٍ كَبَّروهُ عَلى الصِغارِ
The beloved Nile, of rare beauty
Small whom they exalted over the little ones
إِذا ما ماسَ يَمزَحَ قالَ قَلبي
خُفوقاً مِن مُهَنِّدِهِ حَذارِ
If he touched, he joked, my heart said
Throbbing cautiously from his tenderness
يَرى تَعذيبَ مَن يَهواهُ عَذباً
وَلا يَدري الوِصالَ وَلا يُداري
He sees the torment of the one he loves as agony
And knows not union nor rivalry
أَبيتُ بِهِ عَلىَ يَأسي مُقيماً
يَدي صِفرٌ وَوَجهي ذو اِصفِرارِ
I persisted in my despair, staying put
My hands jaundiced and my face yellow
وَقاصِرَة الحِجالِ إِذا تَبَدَّت
تَرى التَقصيرَ في البيضِ القِصارِ
Her anklets, when revealed
Show inadequacy in the short whites
تَصُدُّ مَلاحَةً وَتَتيهُ صَدّا
وَهَل لِلشَمسِ تُبصَرُ مِن قَرارِ
She acts coyly and wanders astray
Does the sun see from its abode?
يُلاحِظُها العَذولُ فَيَصطَفيها
وَيَعذِرُ كُلَّ خَلّاع العِذارِ
The bachelor observes her and chooses her
And excuses every evasive excuse
نَعِمتُ بِها بِرَغمِ أُنوفِ قَومٍ
تُلاحظني بِطَرفٍ ذي ازوِرارِ
I enjoyed her despite the noses of a people
She glances at me with a coy eye
وَبِتنا وَالمُدامُ لَنا نَديم
يَسُرُّ وَنَحنُ كاليَدِ وَالسِوارِ
We stayed overnight and wine was our companion
Making us happy like a hand and bracelet
إِذا عاطَيتُها كأسَ الحُمَيّا
كَساها حُلةً مِن جُلنَّارِ
When I give her a cup of rapture
It dresses her in a gown of ember
وَألثِمُها فَيَزدادُ اِشتياقي
كَأَن اللَثمَ مِن جِنسِ العُقارِ
When I kiss her, my yearning increases
As if the kiss were a kind of elixir
وَبِنتُ الكَرمِ يَمزِجُها ابن كَرمٍ
وَيَدري إِذ يُديرُ لِمَن يُداري
The daughter of generosity blended by the son of generosity
Who knows well when to pay attention
وَخامِسُنا خَميسُ الزَينُ يَشدو
مُرادي يا عُيونَ جَنا القِفارِ
Our fifth, the beauty Khamees, sings
My wish, O eyes of the empty desert
فَتَحسُدُ مُقلَتي إِذ ذاكَ سَمعي
وَتَشهَدُ بِالفَضيلَةِ وَالفَخارِ
My eyelids then envy my hearing
And testify to the merit and pride
فَيا عَصرَ التَواصُلِ هَل إِيابٌ
فَنُطفي ما أَواري مِن أَوارِ
O era of communication, is there a return
To extinguish what I concealed of feelings?
وَيُنظُمُ شَملَنا مِن بَعدِ شَت
كَما نَهوى عَلى وِفقِ اِختياري
And reunite us after separation
As we desire according to my choice
لَعَلَّ اللَهُ يَجمَعُنا سَريعاً
وَآخُذُ مِن صُروفِ الدَهرِ ثاري
Perhaps God will unite us soon
And I will take my revenge on the twists of fate
أَخلائي اِذكُروا عَهدي فَإِنّي
أَحِنّ لَكُم عَلى شَحَط المَزارِ
My friends, remember my covenant, for I
Yearn for you at the far tombs
