صحَتِ العَواذلُ والمُتيَّمُ ما صحا

وازْداد شوقُ المُستهام فَبَرَّحا

The lovelorn have woken though love caused them no waking,

And longing in the love-smitten is increased, so they wander free.

وبَدَتْ خَفيّاتُ الهَوى ثم اغْتَدَت

حِزَقُ الظَّعائنِ كالسَّفائنِ جُمَحَّا

Love's secrets then appeared, and multiplied,

The skinny camels, like ships, kneel en masse.

رُفعَتْ بموّشِي الخدورِ وأَودعت

بيضاً ربائبَ كالأهلّةِ وضُحَّا

With kohl-darkened eyelids raised, and white

Young Gazelles deposited, shining bright.

من كلِّ فاتِرَة الجُفونِ عزيزةٍ

أحلى من الرّشأ الأَغَنّ وامْلحا

From every languid, heavy-lidded beauty,

Sweeter than sweetest nectar and salt.

منعَ الوشُاةُ بنا الوداعَ وأَوشكت

عَبراتُ عينك أنْ تفيض فَتَسْفَحا

Those who forbid have kept us from farewells, and your

Tears were almost shed pouring in floods.

نحْن الفداءُ لهنَّ من ظُعُنٍ إذا

راح المطيُّ بها تجُوب الصَّحصَحا

We'd sacrifice ourselves for them, from any spite,

When the camel-rider takes them, roaming the stony ground.

قَضَتَ النَّوى بالبين واتَّخَذَ الهوى

للبيضِ مأوىً في القُلوبِ ومَسرحا

Destiny has torn us apart, and love has made

In hearts a home, and a stage on which to prance.

كيفَ القَرارُ وما اصطبارُ متيّمٍ

قلقٍ إذا أَمْسى الأحبَّةُ نُزَّحا

How can I stay still, a love-sick,

Restless man, when my loved ones are sent away?

ما كانَ أَحسَن عيشَنا والبينُ لم

يَطْرَح بنا وبآلِ عمْرَة مَطْرَحا

How good was our life before we were parted

And time had not cast us and the clan of Umra far.

ومسارح الغزلان من بُرْق الحمى

تلْقى الظباءَ بها رباربَ سُخَّا

The deer's playgrounds lit by fever's lightning

Contain does, spotted beauties briskly bounding.

من كلِّ عاطِلَةٍ بجبيدٍ جَدايةٍ

أَدْماءَ مُزْجِيّةٍ أَغنَّ موشَّحا

Of every free, white-skinned gazelle, smooth

And finer than the softest silk brocade.

يا صاحبَيَّ تَمنيَّا فلَعلَّني

أَجِدُ التَعَلُّلَ بالتَّمَني أَرْوّحا

My friend, I wish, perhaps by wishing

I'll find some comfort for my wishing's sake.

وأَنا المُوكَّلُ بالصَّبابةِ كُلَّما

دَعَتِ الحَمائم في الأصائلِ نُوَّحا

And I'm charged with guarding the herd, whenever

The wild doves in the bushes coo their call.

والرّيحُ شَجْوي أَن يَهُبَّ نسيمُها

والبَرْقُ دائي أَن يَلوحَ فيُلْمَحا

The wind that blows my agony, I wish for its breeze to blow,

The lightning that shows my pain, I wish for it to flash and show.

نأتِ المسافةُ بيننا فَلوْ انَّني

غَيلانُ كلَّفَها لَمِيَّةَ صَيْدَحا

Were the distance between us but an isthmus I could cross,

I'd traverse it in a night, despite its perils, to my love I'd go.

فأكونَ ليْلي بالدَّجى متلفّعاً

وأَرى نَهاراً بالسُّموم مُلَوّحا

I'd wrap myself in the darkness of night,

And see by day the poison herbs as my comfort.

مثلَ اْمرىءٍ سَلَّى هُموم فؤادِه

وقَضى اللبُّانَةَ واغْتدى وتَرَوّحا

Like a man who has consoled his spirit's worries,

And fulfilled his needs, and gained rest and relief.

وأَفاده من سُبُلَ القَنا مُتَطَلَّباً

وأَصابَ في طُرقِ الفَتى متَندَّحا

And reaching pastures has benefited him, wandering

And finding the ways of noble men has eased him.

لكنّني قلِقُ العَزيمةِ لم تَجد

نفْسي إلى جهَة التَغرُّب مَطْمَحا

But I am indecisive, my soul did not incline

To travel away, an ambition my heart does not know.

وأَقْمتُ مُرْتضِعاً مَطالبَ من بني

نَبْهانَ مُنْتَجةً وأُخرى لُقَّحا

I remained asking from the Bani Nabhan

Favours from some, and favours quickly granted by others.

وحَلَلْتُ بينَهُم معاقلَ بُذَّخاً

قد أَنشأو فيها غمائمَ دُلَّحا

I lodged among them in strongholds established,

In which they had pitched the heights made lofty.

أَمحمّدُ بنَ أَبي الحُسَين بَدَا لنا

مُتَبَلِّجا في الدَّستِ أَم شَمْسُ الضُّحى

Muhammad Son of Abul Hussein has appeared to us

Radiant of hand, or the sun of dawn glittering bright?

هذا أَبو عَبْدِ الاله وحَالُهُ

مثل الغمامةِ بل أَراه أَسْمَحا

This is Abul Abdillah, his state is like

A cloud, but I see him more generous by far.

عايَنْتُ ابيَضَ بالبهاءِ مُتّوَّجا

ومُطَوّقاً ومُنَطَّقاً ومُوشّحاً

I saw him crowned with a radiant light, garlanded,

Belt-bound, and robed, and finely embroidered.

جادتْ سَحائبُ راحتتْه بوابلٍ

ملأَ المسايلَ سيُلهُ والأَبطحَا

The rain clouds of his rest poured down showers

That filled the valleys, his flood and the ponds.

ولَدَيه مُنْتَجعُ المُطالبِ يُرتْعى

كلأً إذا نبَت المَراعي صَوّحا

In his presence is the pasture of requests, grazed

When the meadows grow green, bleating goats bound.

وإِذا امروءٌ حُرم النَّجاحَ لِحَاجَةٍ

أَزْجى حوائِجَهُ إليه فأنْجَحا

And when a man is deprived of success due to need,

He fulfills his needs and grants him success.

تَجدُ الوفودُ لدَيهِ وجْهاً مشرقاً

ويداً مُنْوَّلَةً وصَدراً أَفْيَحا

Delegations find in his presence a glowing face,

An outstretched hand, and a chest made spacious.

لمحمد بن أَبي الحسَين مَحَاسنٌ

كالنُّور بلّلَهُ النَّدى فَتَفتّحا

The visiting delegations found your noble self

More hospitable, bounteous for descent and rest.

وعوائدٌ عَتكِيّة وخَلائق

كالمسك شيبت بالمحامد نُفَّحا

Your traits of generosity and freshness

Left the riders of delegations deprived of rest.

شَرَفاً بني نبهانَ بالحَسب الذي

أَمسى لكم في العالمين وأَصْبحا

The enemy was outshone and choked with anguish at you,

While your justice delighted the loyal friend.

شَهِدَت سعاداتُ البلاد بفَضْلكم

وبمجدكم نَطق الزَّمان فأفصَحا

You gained glorious honour undisputed,

And preserved the clear lineage with truth.

وَجَدَ الوفودُ الزائرونَ جَنابكم

أَندى وأَجدى للْنُزولِ وافْسَحا

You were generous, honoured and revered,

So none could criticise or cast doubt.

وصفاتكم بالمكرماتِ وبالنَّدى

تَركت ركابَ الوَفد حَسرى طُلّحا

Your exaltedness protected the glorious Ghassan

With strength and rationality, so time could not impact.

شَرِقَ العَدُّو وغَصَّ منْكُم بالشَّجا

وأَطابّ برّكم الوَليُّ وأَفلحا

To protect the Azd, their prestigious ancestors,

For their prophet they were most honourable and loyal.

أَحْرَزْتُم الشَرفَ الرّفيع مُسَلّماً

وحويّتم الحَسَبَ الصَّريح مُصحَّحا

They are like lions over falcons, grey-haired yet

Mounting the solid-hoofed steeds.

وكرُمتُم وعُزَزْتم وَجَلّلْتُمُ

من أَنْ يَعيبَ مُعارضٌ أَو يَقْدَحا

Muhammad Son of Abul Hussein, the clear truth

About your merit has come openly declared.

وَحَمت عُلاكُم العَتيكُ بعزَّةٍ

وشَكيمةٍ للْدَهر من أَنْ يجْمَحَا

You are the true one named in every good deed,

And it is right you are praised and your worth proclaimed.

لحمايَةِ الأَزْدِ الغطارفِة الأُلى

لنبيّهم كانوا أَعَزَّ وأَنصْحا

You are the one who spends his wealth freely,

And considers giving your virtue and comfort.

مثل الأسُود على الصُقور تَرَاهُمُ

شِيباً وقد ركبوا الجيادَ القُرَّحَا

Clemancy is your habit towards sinners, as though

You choose to be wronged and quietly forgive.

أَمحمد ابنَ أَبي الحسَين لقد أَتى

عن فضْلكَ الحَقُّ المُبينَ مُصرّحا

If I weighed you against the righteous in virtue

You would be lighter, and outweigh the scale.

أنت الحقيقُ بكُل ذكرٍ صالحٍ

ويَحق أنْ يُثْنى عَلَيكَ وَتُمدَحا

A rival to you in generosity and excellence,

When he saw you atop the pinnacle, withdrew.

أنت الذي في الجَد يُنفقُ مالَه

وتَعدُّ نفسَكَ بالفَضيلةِ أريحَا

He mistook you for the shining moon, perceiving

The beauty of your face, he glorified and extolled.

والصَّفْحُ دأْبُكَ للْجُناة كأنَّما

تخْتارُ أنْ يُجنْى علَيكَ وتَصفَحا

May your abode remain, safe and secure,

A prosperous and brimming land that you hold.

وإِذا وَزَنتُكَ بالبريَّةِ في النَّدى

وبَسالةً خَفّت وكُنْتَ الأَرْجَحَا

And may you remain granted from things whatever

Most appealed to you and was best for you.

ومُنافسٍ لكَ في المكارِم والعُلى

لما رآكَ على السّماكِ تَزَحْزَحَا

ويَظَنّكَ القَمَرَ المُنير مُعاينٌ

فإِذا تَبَيّنَ حُسنَ وجْهكَ سبّحَا

لا زالَ ربعُك بالسّلامة آمناً

وذَراكَ مَعْمُوراً وحَوْضُكَ مُطْفَحَا

وبقيْتَ ممْنوحاً من الأشياء ما

وافقْتَهُ اشْهى إِليكَ وأَصلحَا