أَإِنْ دَنا الشَّوقُ بعدَ ما شَسَعا

وأَسعَدَ الدَّمعُ بعدَ ما امتنَعا

If longing drew near after it had wandered,

And tears grew happy after being forbidden,

وَصَلْتَ ماءَ الشُّؤونِ من كَمَدٍ

يُقَطِّعُ القلبَ حُرُّهُ قِطَعا

And you reached the water of sorrows from a buried well,

Whose heat tears the heart into pieces,

أَبارِقٌ بالغَديرِ أَذكَرَني

لَمْعَ الثَّنايا العِذابِ إذ لَمَعا

Lightning in the pond reminded me

Of the gleam of the folds of torment when it shone,

أَمْ عارِضٌ لا يَزالُ مُعْتَرِضاً

يَصْدَعُ أَحشايَ كلَّما انصَدَعا

Or an adversary who does not cease to oppose,

Rending my innards whenever they split,

سَقياً لِسَلْعٍ وإن سُقيتُ به الصْ

صِبا غَداةَ الوَداعِ والسَّلَعا

Watering the交易ovs even if I was watered with it in the evening after the farewell and the trades

I bade them farewell while sorrow makes me drink

ودَّعتُهُم والأسى يُجرِّعُني

بالأجرعِ الفَرْدِ كأسَه جُرَعا

The bitter solitary cup that he drank in one gulp

Beyond the darkness a moon of gloom

ومِنْ وراءِ السُّجوفِ بَدرُ دُجىً

يُخْجِلُ بَدرَ الدُّجى إذا طَلَعا

That shames the moon of gloom when it rose

It set my eyelids alight to kill me

أَولعَ جَفْنَيْه بي ليقتُلَني

سَهْماهُما واقِعاً ومُنتَزَعا

With their glance falling and being pulled away

Do not set the longing one alight with blame

لا تُولِعا بالمَشوقِ لومَكُما

وإنْ تمادَى غَرامُه وَلَعا

Even if his passion grew extreme and caught flame

He turned away and the scent held him back

وَلَّى ورَدْعُ العَبيرِ يمنحُه

رَيَّاهُ طيبَ العناقِ لارتَدَعا

Giving him the perfume of a tender embrace that made him recoil

How many resolves like a meteor I returned with

كم عَزْمَةٍ كالشَّهابِ عُدْتُ بها

مَحَتْ مَغِيمَ الهُمومِ فانقَشَعا

And erased the clouds of worries so they dispersed

And how many times I reached the battlefield gathering strength

وكم وَصَلْتُ الوَجيفَ مُنْتَجِعاً

جَدْوى ابنِ فَهدٍ فرُحْتُ مُنتَجِعا

The usefulness of Ibn Fahd delighted me as I gathered strength

A glory that will raise its banner tomorrow

فَيْءٌ غدا رافِعاً لأُسْرَتِهِ

رايَةَ مَجدٍ يَزيدُها رِفَعا

The banner of glory which elevation increases

It will show you unprecedented deed among mankind

يُريكَ فِعْلاً في البِشْرِ مُبتَدَعاً

منه ومَعنىً في الجُودِ مُختَرَعا

Invented by it and meaning in generosity contrived

It never ceased to rise above the pride of pots

ما زالَ يعلو رُبا الفَخارِ ويح

تَلُّ يَفاعَ العَلاءِ مُذْ يَفَعا

And the towering heights of nobility bowed since it towered

A band protected you from the stumbling of depravity

وَقَتْكَ من عَثرَةِ الرَّدى عُصَبٌ

إن عَثروا قلتَ بالسَّماحِ لَعا

If they stumbled you said with forbearance no!

A recurring feast that gladdens its celebrant

عيدٌ مُعادٌ عليك مُمتِعُه

ما لاحَ ضَوْءُ النَّهارِ أو مَتَعا

As long as daylight shone or it was enjoyed

And an abode whose dwellers might abandon it

ومَنزلٍ إنْ جَفَاه نازِلُه

حَنَّ اشتِياقاً إليه أو نَزَعا

Yearning for it whether taken away or left

The flimsy fabric of air drives it away

رَقيقُ ثَوبِ الهواءِ تَدفَعُه

أمواجُ بَحْرٍ يَموجُ مُندَفِعا

The waves of a turbulent sea surging forth

It avoided desolation and tumult so indeed

جانَبَهُ القُرُّ والهَجيرُ فقَد

طابَ مَصِيفاً وطابَ مُرتَبَعا

It was pleasant in summer and pleasant when settled

And the morning breeze greeted its water so it became

وصافَحَتْ ماءَه الصَّبا فغَدا

مُنخَفِضاً تارَةً ومُرتَفِعا

One time lowered and one time raised

And every unveiler headed towards it

واتَّجَهَت فيه كلُّ كاشِفَةٍ

وَجْهاً بِثَوْبِ الظَّلامِ مُدَّرِعا

A face clad in the garb of darkness armored

Bearing brethren in travel so when

تَحمِلُ في السَّيرِ إخوةً فإذا

حانَ مَدى السَّيرِ أصبحوا شِيَعا

The term of travel ended they became comrades

Vessels plunging swiftly down

فنازِلاتٌ تَهوي على عَجَلٍ

تَهاوِيَ الطَّيْرِ أُشعِرَتْ جَزَعا

Plunging like birds frightened made afraid

While climbers travelling at leisure

وصاعِداتٌ تَسيرُ في مَهَلٍ

كالخَيْلِ أبقى بها السُّرى ظَلَعا

Like steeds with which messengers sped

Each guide leads them tired

يَقودُها كلُّ قائدٍ تَعِبٍ

كأنَّه راكِعٌ وما رَكَعا

As if kneeling but did not kneel

For every scattered beauty you see in it

فكلُّ حُسْنٍ تَراه مُفْتَرِقاً

فيه إذا جِئْتَه ومُبتَدَعا

When you come upon it contrived and unprecedented

Marvels which their originator never ceases

بَدائِعٌ لا يَزالُ مُبدِعُها

يُظْهِرُ لي من صَنيعِهِ بِدَعا

To show me of his creation when called

Your days which were beautiful

تَمَلَّ أيامَك التي حَسُنَتْ

فَهْيَ تُضاهي الأعيادَ والجُمَعا

Vie with holidays and weekends

And a robe whose folds ingenuity embroidered

وخِلعَةٍ من ثَنايَ دَبَّجَها ال

فِكْرُففاقَتْ بِحُسنِها الخِلَعا

Surpassing beautiful robes with its beauty

And aptitude brought its phrase close

وقَرَّبَ الحِذقُ لَفْظَها فغَدا

من قُربِهِ مُطمِعاً ومُمتَنِعا

Making me hopeful of it and refusing me