سألتَ اللهَ مِمَّا كانَ عَفواً

وعُدْتَ بتوبةٍ تَرَكَتْكَ نِضْوَا

You asked God for forgiveness

And returned with repentance that left you refreshed

محوتَ صَحائِفَ اللَّذَّاتِ لمَّا

مَحوتَ بها سطورَ الزَّفْنِ مَحوا

You erased the pages of pleasures when

You wiped out the lines of indulgence

فأضمرَ نَايُكَ الحنَّانُ هَمّاً

وأعلنَ صَنجُك الصَّيَّاح شَكوى

So your gentle flute harbored sorrow

And your loud horn proclaimed lament

وكم للقَصفِ من طَلَلٍ مُحيلٍ

تأبَّدَ مِنك مَنزِلُه فأقْوَى

And how many ruins of an abandoned camp

Where you once stayed have persevered

تحِنُّ إليك حانةُ باطر تحى

ويبكي الزَّنْدِرُودُ عليك شجوى

The tavern yearns for you, alive

And the nightingale weeps for you in grief

أَحَقّاً عادَ طَعمُ العَيشِ مُرّاً

وكانَ بزَفْتِك المَرْمُوقِ حُلوا

Indeed, did the taste of life turn bitter

When your polished instrument fell silent?

وجَفَّ قضيبُه الميَّاسُ رَقصاً

وطارَ هَزارُه الغِرِّيدُ شأوا

And did his straight rod cease to dance?

And did his chirping take flight and hush?

أفارسُ أنتَ أحسنُ مَن تَثَّنى

على صَنجٍ وأملحُ من تلوَّى

You, a horseman, more graceful when mounted

Upon a saddle, and more elegant when you sway

أُصِيبَ العَيْشُ مِنك بِخَيْرِ حادٍ

يَحُثُّ ركائبَ الصَّهباءِ حَدْوَا

Life was blessed by your great goodness

That spurred the sand steeds to gallop

إذا اختلَجَت مَناكِبُه لرَقصٍ

نَزَت طَيرُ القلوبِ إليه نَزْوَا

When his shoulders trembled to dance

The birds of hearts flew down to him

أعادَ حِكايةَ الشَّيخينِ جِداً

وكانَ حكَاهُما لَعِباً ولَهوا

He retold the tale of the two elders in earnest

Though telling their story was jest and diversion

فأصبحَ زَفْنُه لُغَةً وشِعراً

وأمسى عَزْفُه جَدَلاً ونَحوا

So his instrument became language and verse

And his music turned to discourse and grammar

يَخِفُّ له رُواةٌ عنه عِلماً

زُلالاً إن سَقانا منه أَروى

Learned men shy from narrating his knowledge

Quenched if we wet our lips from his spring

فمُقتَبِسٌ مِنَ المِصباحِ نُوراً

ومُغتَرِفٌ من التَّيَّارِ صَفوا

So he draws light from the lantern

And sips purity from the stream

فلا يَبْعُدُ زمانٌ منك عادَت

مَواهبُه على الفِتيانِ بَلوىَ

Before long, his gifts return

To afflict the youths with trials

ليالٍ بالمعازِفِ منك تُنضَى

وأيامٌ بِحَثِّ الرَّاحِ تُطوَى

Nights entertained by your instruments

And days spent roaming the wilds

قَعدتَ وكم نهضتَ إلى التَّصابي

بنَقرِ الدُّفِّ تُوسِعُ فِيه خَطْوا

You sat when others rose to compete

Beating the tambour, widening its realm

فأظهرتَ الزَّمانةَ في زَمانٍ

حَزَزتَ به من اللَّذَّاتِ عُضوا

You revealed your moment in time

Carving from pleasures a new epoch